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Actor and author Sean Kanan also appeared on The Best Ever You Show. That interview is available on free replay here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/besteveryou/2010/10/19/elizabeth-and-katie-live-with-sean-kanan
Daytime fans know the very handsome Sean Kanan from his role as television's bad boy, Deacon Sharpe on "The Young & The Restless". This is the same popular role he originated on "The Bold & The Beautiful". Movie buffs remember Sean from his breakout role as villain, Mike Barnes in the iconic "Karate Kid III". Currently he is seen as a regular panel guest on FOX's "Red Eye" and on HLN's "Showbiz Tonight". This busy actor is a self-taught gourmet cook with a flair for entertaining. His first book, THE MODERN GENTLEMAN: COOKING & ENTERTAINING WITH SEAN KANAN has just come out and in less than 2 weeks, it sold out on Amazon.com. Best Ever You caught up with Sean to talk a little about his book, his family and career.
BEY: Why did you decide to write this type of a book?
SEAN: I have always enjoyed cooking and entertaining. My friends have always urged me to open a restaurant and I know nothing about the restaurant business, so the next best thing was writing a cookbook.
BEY: Your book is much more than a cook book. It really speaks to men about their behavior. Why do you think that men have lost the art of being "gentlemen"?
SEAN: I think that a lot of it has to do with the media and the way that they portray men as overgrown children especially in sitcoms and beer commercials. Also, the attempt to provide equality among the sexes, I think that men have become confused as to what is expected of them.
BEY: In a time when gentlemen are hard to find...Who do you think exemplifies today's modern gentlemen?
SEAN: I like to think of myself as an example of the modern gentleman. I guess you can say that I wrote the book on it. I really learned a lot about gentlemanly behavior from my father. He has a profound respect for women and others and he taught me so much by his example.
BEY: Where did you learn to cook?
SEAN: I am self taught with a lot of influence from my mom who is a fantastic cook.
BEY: You have spent a lot of time in Italy and you even speak Italian. How has Italy influenced your cooking style?
SEAN: I learned to make a lot of the sauces and fantastic pasta dishes from my time in Italy. In fact there's a story in my book about one of the times that I was challenged to a cook off by one of my Italian friends. That chapter in the book is called "Sons of Italy"
BEY: What would make up Sean Kanan's perfect "at home" date night?
SEAN: First, all of the kids would have to be away at sleep overs!! LOL! I would make Michele a beautiful dinner and we would light a fire and dine by candle light. With five kids, this is often hard to pull off!
BEY: What are a few quick tips in your book that a guy should take away with him in order to impress his special gal?
SEAN: I have a few go-to tips, but they should always be used with a mind to enhancing the connection and not towards making a flashy impression. Mates should be impressed by genuine sentiment no matter what form or expression and not by empty gestures. That being said, I always complement Michele on things that she does well, (like fixing my computer, she is the technical one in our family) and I compliment and thank her everyday so that she knows that I appreciate her.
I also dedicate a special time each day to connect with her about day dreams. We sit on our patio and look at the Hollywood skyline and the stars and we just talk about our day dreams... no work, no kids, no stress, just a mini vacation for an hour, then it's back to the everyday stuff. At first it seemed silly, but it has fast become the best part of my day. It helps both of us to remember that we are in love and we are a couple then we are parents, employees, chefs, chauffeurs, housekeepers, book keepers.... LOL!
BEY: If you could give a young guy starting out 5 gifts for starting his kitchen...What would they be?
SEAN: I would tell him that he needs a good set of knives, a professional grade saute pan, a pair of thongs, a window sill herb garden and a collection of vinegars.
BEY: If you could only eat one meal or one type of food for the rest of your life...What would Sean Kanan choose?
SEAN: Hands down, Fish and Chips with Tartar Sauce and Malt Vinegar. I have a great recipe for this that I will share with your readers!
BEY: You have a daughter and four step children. Do they cook? Have you started to teach them to cook?
SEAN: Actually, yes they do cook. I have been pulling them into the kitchen more and more and they love it. It's a really great way for us all to connect as a family. Like I say in the book, when you feed someone they inherently feel an affinity towards you since the underlying message is "I am committed to your survival". That is especially true with all of our teenage kids since their appetites are enormous and their moods are...uh well let's just say a good meal goes a long way to tame the beast.
BEY: In your book you mention your work with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the connection between your work with the ADL and your book. Please explain.
SEAN: I started working with the ADL last year after hearing about kids who committed suicide due to bullying. I was bullied as a kid, so I know what it feels like and something in me connected with the stories. I knew that I had to get involved and try to make a difference. The ADL has a long history of defending the underdog and I looked into their programs for bullying. I really liked what I saw and committed to joining their fight. While I was writing the book and the stories about the recipes, Michele pointed out that if young men are trained and taught to be gentleman, they do not bully nor do they grow up to be bullies.
BEY: Many people know you from your role as the conniving and manipulative Deacon Sharpe on both The Young & The Restless and The Bold & The Beautiful. We realize you are very different than your character but are there some ways in which you are like Deacon?
SEAN: Well, we both have a lot of passion and a heart of gold. His is just eclipsed by his bad behavior.
BEY: With the success of this first book...Can we expect to see more books on cooking and being a modern gentleman from Sean Kanan in the near future?
SEAN: Absolutely! I am writing a follow up book that will dig deeper into the art of being a gentleman. I will be posting sneak peaks on my website: www.SeanKananTheModernGentleman.com
RECIPES:
Saucy Jack’s Fish and Chips
serves 4
prep time: 30 minutes
Fish and chips is classically served in a rolled up newspaper with a sprinkling of sea salt and a shake or two of malt vinegar. Maybe it’s the Yank in me but I just can’t skip ketchup on my “chips” and tartar sauce on my fish.
4 Russet potatoesCanola oil for deep frying
1 ½ to 2 pounds CodSalt and pepper -- to taste
1 egg1 cup flour
1 tsp salt1 ¼ cups beer
1 tsp oil½ cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 200°F and heat oil in a fryer or deep pot to 365-375°F. Peel potatoes and slice into ½ thick strips. Soak potatoes in water. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper.
Sift the 1¼ cups flour and 1 tsp salt together into a large bowl. Separate the yolk from the white and keep in separate bowls. Make a well in the center and add the beer, egg yolk and 1 tsp oil. Whisk until smooth, and then set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Drain potatoes and pat dry, if they are wet, the oil will splatter. Add potatoes to the hot oil in batches, dropping in one at a time to prevent them from sticking together. Fry until browned, then drain and transfer to a salted paper towel-lined pan in the oven to keep warm. Keep an eye on the chips in the oven because the paper towel may catch on fire. Let the oil return to the proper temperature (365-375 F between batches).
Whip egg white until gentle peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the prepared batter with a spatula. Place 1 cup flour into a large bowl. Dunk the fillets into the buttermilk and then flour, coating them on all sides and shaking off the excess. Set aside on a plate. Working in batches, dunk the floured fish fillets into the batter and then submerge into the hot oil. Fry until browned on all sides.
Remove from the oil and hold in the preheated oven while you fry the remaining fillets, or don’t and just eat them out of the oil with a bowl of tarter sauce. Some times one isn’t the loneliest number. Serve the fries.
PORK CHOPS BADA BING
serves 4
prep time: 25 minutes
The culinary influence for pork chops Bada Bing draws its inspiration from the far East rather than New Jersey by way of Napoli as the name might suggest. During a lazy Sunday afternoon I was watching a Soprano's marathon on television.
This dish earned its name after the Bada Bing strip club where Tony and his crew hang. By the way pork chops Bada Bing tastes even better the second day so if you don't finish them just throw them in the refrigerator and "fuggetaboutit".
¼ cup ketchup1 tsp chopped garlic2 tsp soy sauce1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Chinese chili paste¼ cup olive oil1 shallot¼ cup brown sugar
1 TBSP orange marmalade¼ cup pineapple4 boneless pork chops
Combine all ingredients together in a quart size resealable bag. Place in the refrigerator until ready to cook. They can be marinated overnight if desired. Preheat the grill or if you don’t have a grill you can use the broiler in your oven. Remove pork loins from the bag and place on grill/broiler. Cook for about 7 minutes on each side, slice into one to make sure it’s done or use a meat thermometer. Garnish with papaya and paprika.
PAPARADELLE GEMELLE
serves 4
prep time: 30 minutes
One Sunday morning not so very long ago, I found myself in the enviable position of having two beautiful girls, twins, at my home. They had stayed over the previous evening and were understandably famished when they finally awoke around lunch time.
I took a quick visual inventory of the available consumables in my pantry. I stared for a long moment awaiting inspiration and then asked the twins how they felt about papardelle. After I explained that it was a species of pasta shaped like a long, curly ribbon, they answered with a resounding and simultaneous "yes". I thought for a beat and then smiled as I informed them that I would be preparing "papardelle gemelle". Enjoying the rhyming sound of the two words I told the girls that the name paparadelle is from the Italian verb “pappare” which means “to gobble up” and “gemelle” is the Italian word for “twins”.
Here is the recipe to this simple yet filling and delicious pasta dish. The lovely Anne Sophie and Juliet loved the meal. I should probably confess that the twins are my beautiful Michele’s 12 year old daughter’s. Gotcha!
1lb paparadelle 1 cup of canned artichokes diced
2 cloves of fresh garlic peeled/choppedfresh grated Parmesan to taste
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Extra virgin olive oil2 TBSP Sea Salt
2 links of sausage (chicken, turkey or duck)
Fill a large pot with 5 quarts of cold water and sea salt then bring to a boil. Cook pasta Al Dente. This should take between 9-12 minutes once the water has come to a boil. While water is boiling grill sausage links. This can be done in about 8-10 minutes with an electric grill. Once sausage has been cooked slice into ¼ inch pieces and set aside. Just as the sausage is about to finish, saute artichokes in two tablespoons of olive oil adding garlic after a minute. Saute for another two minutes over medium heat. Add sausage and artichokes into pasta. Drizzle with olive oil then add red pepper flakes. Toss ingredients together delicately so as not to tear the pasta.
Serve in individual bowls with chopped parsley to garnish and Parmesan cheese to taste.
CHEATS: Rigatoni or any other big noodle works well too. You can cut down on the pepper flakes if you want it less spicy. Fresh pasta is always best, but box pasta will work too as long as you don’t over cook it. Gluten free: Use wide rice noodles instead of paparadelle