My interview with Chef Leah Scurto
Chef Leah Scurto is a pizza master. In this episode we talked about her Mexican mother Viola's delicious piccadillo recipe, growing up in a restaurant family and a whole lotta pizza pizza pizza!!
Chef Leah Scurto opened her first pizza shop, Pizza Leah, literally as the rest of the world was closing up shop. April 2020 may have been the absolute worst time to open a restaurant in general, but with a dining public solely focused on take-out meals maybe pizza in particular wasn’t THE worst. Her food was immediately embraced by Sonoma County and beyond, landing her modest pizza spot in a shopping center in Windsor, CA on the San Francisco Chronicle’s Best Dishes of 2020 by Soleil Ho. A well deserved accolade for one of her signature pan pies the Mush-a-roni, it is a true pizza masterpiece.
If you know me well, or even if you just follow me on Instagram, you will know pizza is one of my absolute favorite food groups. In March 2020 my wife and I found ourselves living in Sonoma Country, and finding Leah’s shop a few months into the pandemic was a glorious discovery. To then discover that “the Leah” was a queer woman of color, about the same age as me was like I had maybe, just maybe found a cheffy soulmate. LOL. All jokes aside, we have become friends, cooked together and judged many a country fair cooking competition in the last 4 years. I admire Leah’s dedication to her craft. Her cooking is thoughtful, intentional and the product of years of learning and experience. She is one of those chefs that will get you to try something you think you don’t like, because maybe you just haven’t had it cooked “the right way”.
Leah grew up in the Tahoe area, and at that time her Mexican mother and Italian father owned a restaurant where she spent a good deal of her time as a youth. Her mother always welcomed their friends to the dinner table, and this piccadillo recipe was one of her go-tos to feed Leah, her siblings and any friends that joined. It’s a familiar and satisfying spiced ground beef, with Mexican rice, tortillas and all the taco fixings. I especially love the addition of corn kernals to the beef. It’s a sweet pop of color and textural joy. I preferred a flour tortilla and a healthy dose of iceberg shredduce for my taco, but you do you. It’s the beauty of make your own taco night, and Viola’s Piccadillo and Mexican Rice.
Piccadillo and rice - for tacos or tostadas
(Serves 4-6)
Mexican Rice -
1 cup long grain white rice
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup of water
2 TBS vegetable oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup yellow onion, small dice
1 medium size ripe tomato (cluster on vine or roma), diced
1 6oz can diced tomatoes in juice with half of the juiced drained
Rinse the rice with cold water & strain
Heat up oil in medium sauce pan on high heat
Add the rice and cook until it starts to toast (light brown in color), stirring continuosly, so it doesn’t burn
Stir in the onion, remove from heat and stir in the fresh tomato
Return to high heat, and add the chopped tomatoes in juice slightly reducing the liquid
Stir in cumin, salt, chicken stock and water
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until done. About 15 minutes
Piccadillo
1lb ground chuck (80/20)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup yellow onion, medium dice
3 medium size ripe tomatoes, diced
1 7oz can of yellow corn, drained (1 ear fresh corn when in season)
1 TBS vegetable oil
4 TBS Chili con especias (Mexican “spiced” chili powder from local Mexian market. El Guapo or La Fiesta brand. *This is different from plain chili powder)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1 lime
Heat oil in a large saute pan on high, add the ground chuck and brown it
Add in the onion and stir until they are translucent
Add in garlic stirring for about 45 seconds, then stir in tomatoes and their juice
Add chili powder, cumin, coriander and salt stirring them to incorporate
Stir in the corn, squeeze in juice of half a lime, then cover and simmer on low for about 3-4 minutes (Do NOT let it dry out!)
Add more salt to your taste
Heat up tortillas on the plancha and make tacos and drink beer!!
Soft Taco Fixing (sub tostadas) to your liking:
Mi Rancho tortillas - corn or flour
Avocado
Cilantro
Lime
Cotija
Shredded Lettuce (Iceberg aka Shredduce)
Pickled red onion
Crema
Queso Oaxaca
Hot Sauce
You can find Chef Leah Scurto’s award winning pizza at her restaurant Pizza Leah in Windsor, CA.