Father, Son Chefs Cook For Dad's Day

Who better to prepare a meal fit for a king for Father's Day than a team of father/son chefs?

Arthur and Joe Isidori not only did just that on The Early Show Saturday Edition, they accepted our "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge of trying to do it on our recession-busting budget of a mere $35. And in giving that a go, they tossed their chefs hats into our "How Low Can You Go?" competition. The "Shoestring" chef who comes in with the lowest ingredients total cost will be invited back to cook our whammo end-of-year holiday meal!

Joe is executive chef of and a partner in the newly-opened Harbour restaurant in New York, and Arthur is chef saucier at Admiral's Cove in Jupiter, Fla.

MENU:

Heirloom Tomato Salad
Rigatoni & Tomato Basil Pasta
Sweet & Spicy Italian Sausages
Giant Chocolate Cupcakes

FOOD FACTS:

Heirloom Tomatoes: Like a valued family heirloom, the seeds from these specific varieties of tomatoes have been passed down from generation to generation. Unlike the red, round tomatoes we are used to seeing in the store, heirlooms have not been genetically engineered to look perfect, be disease-resistant, be mass-produced, etc. Enthusiasts will tell you that heirlooms still taste like "real" tomatoes. They are bursting with flavor. Unfortunately, they're only available for a very short amount of time each year.

RECIPES:

Heirloom Tomato Salad

INGREDIENTS:
4 large heirloom tomatoes (sliced & quartered)
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
1/2 cup of basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
Sea salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:

Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. In a medium bowl combine the heirloom tomatoes, red onion and basil leaves. Drizzle with the oil and vinegar, toss and serve.

Rigatoni & Tomato Basil Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
1 box rigatoni pasta
4 cups of whole peeled canned tomatoes
1/2 Spanish onion chopped
1 cup Italian basil leaves
1/2 cup Italian parsley
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 smashed garlic cloves
Sea salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:

Boil pasta in lightly sea salted water for 8 minutes until tender. Strain and reserve.

Meanwhile in a medium skillet over medium high temperature, heat the olive oil with the onion and garlic. Cook until garlic and onion are cooked through and slightly brown. Add the canned tomatoes and simmer for five minutes. Finish with the fresh basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle sauce over pasta and serve.

Marinated Italian Sausages

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound Italian sweet sausage
1 pound Italian hot sausage
1 Italian baguettes

INGREDIENTS: Marinade
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper fl akes
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

METHOD:

In a large mixing bowl combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, mint, parsley and ground pepper. Place the sausages in the mixture and marinade for 4 hours or up to overnight.

Heat a charcoal grill to medium heat and grill the sausages until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Serve on an Italian baguette.

So, how did father and son do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?

Tomato Salad:
Heirloom Tomatoes $4.99
Red Onion $.66
Basil $1.50
Total $7.15

Sausages & Pasta
sweet sausage $3.99
hot sausage $3.99
Italian bread $2.19
red wine vinegar $.79
mint $0.99
parsley $.69
rigatoni pasta $1.33
canned tomatoes $2.59
onion $.71
basil $1.50
garlic $.39
total $19.16

Cupcakes
cocoa powder $3.61
cream cheese $2.89
whipping cream $1.19
total $7.69

Grand total: $34.00

How do they stack up to our leaders?

1. Paul Liebrandt $32.35
Corton

2. Scott Peacock $32.60
Watershed Restaurant

3. Joey Campanaro $33.27
The Little Owl