“Rocine Cuisine” book cover (provided photo)
Their lasagna is sliced like butter. Some people close their eyes when they take a sip of creamy tomato bisque with grilled cheese, croutons or a hearty beef minestrone soup. And diners tend to order the chocolate layer cake with cream cheese first to ensure they get a slice by the time they finish their meal. Founded in the fall of 1980, the Kurcasi family began serving popular dishes and specialty desserts at the Del Monte Shopping Center in Monterey, and in 1986 Rosine and her husband Jim and their family expanded the business. When Alvarado moved to her street. ” The family restaurant has continued to win customer and culinary awards ever since.
The good news is that the legendary restaurant family has shared some of their most popular recipes in their newly published book, Rosine's Cuisine. The bad news is that it's difficult for many to recreate these dishes without the kitchen wizardry of the matriarch herself.
“My mother-in-law, Rosine, and my father-in-law, Jim, are still at the helm of the family, with her husband, Jim Jr., and son, John, at the helm of the restaurant. Rosine and Jim are retired from the restaurant, but they still welcome customers when they come in. “They tend to interact with people,” said Susan Kurcasi, who wrote the new “Rosine Cooking” with assistance from Sue Wecker of Wecker Group Graphic Design in Monterey.
“It took almost a year,” Kurcasi said. “We've tweaked all the recipes, introduced more on-trend ingredients, added new recipes and chapters, and added a new cover with an image similar to the front of the restaurant.”
Kurcasi's sister-in-law, Lenny Davi, wrote the original Rocine recipe book in the 1980s. However, for many years no books were published explaining the secrets of the kitchen. While the new recipe book introduces updates and changes, expanding the variety of soup recipes, Rosine's culture remains constant, with signature desserts such as Rosine's legendary carrot cake, and an enduring business. and the menu both include a traditional family focus.
“People love our servers, but we love our servers as well,” Culcasi said. “We have very loyal and generous customers and they feel at home here. We've seen customers in military uniform paying the tab for other customers. Birthdays. We all sing when it happens. We have a warm and friendly atmosphere, which our staff and customers value.”
That's perhaps most evident in the storyline woven through family photos and recipes, showing chapters of the Kourkasis family's lives and reminiscences of daily life at the restaurant over the years.
“People have been asking for new recipe books for about 10 years,” Susan Kurcasi said. “We included a photo of Rosine to tell her story, followed by a welcome page from my husband, Jim Jr., and myself. We also included our son John's cocktail and mocktail recipes. He represents the third generation of general managers and is also a great mixologist who has grown this part of the business.”
In addition to numerous accolades and awards, the book also features photos of Food Network star Guy Fieri, who filmed an episode of the popular series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Drives at Rocine's Restaurant (2014). Masu.
Calcassis reports that more than 400 copies of “Rosine's Cuisine” were sold in the first month after its release in November. The dish is available for purchase at the restaurant and on the website rosinesmonterey.com. This book retails for $38 + tax, but ships nationwide for an additional $8.
“While we share many of Rosine's legendary stories and recipes, we set aside some signatures to keep the restaurant special,” said Susan Kurcasi . “Still, my husband had to be willing to share the soup. When our family started Rosine's a long time ago, we never thought of giving away our secrets. But knowing our restaurant… As people reminisce about their own memories of eating our food and enjoying family celebrations, we have found a way to be a part of their family traditions. ”
If you missed Fieri's visit to Rosine's for “Diner, Drive-In, Drive,” you can watch it at rosinesmonterey.com.
