01-05-2025
Casa Tua At Home
Casa Tua's Rissoto di Primavera.
So many of us- me included- already know and love Casa Tua. As I've written about in this column before, the private club and Italian restaurant was started by hospitality maven Miky Grendene and his wife, Leticia Grendene, a former model, in Miami in 2001. They found a gorgeous Mediterranean villa in South Beach and opened an Italian restaurant on the ground floor and a members' club on the second.
Casa Tua took off and is still a 'it' place to be. Today, the Grendene's have expanded their footprint with locations in Aspen, Paris, and New York. If you don't live in any of these cities or don't visit them as much as you'd like, you're not going to get that Casa Tua fix.
You might be able to experience its Italian flavors and hospitality anytime soon, so why not bring Casa Tua home to you? Today, I'm excited to introduce Casa Tua at Home, a quarterly series that transports you to Italy and gives you a taste- literally- of its delicious, seasonally driven cuisine.
I interviewed Miky about his cooking style, his go-to ingredients, and his indulgences. He also shared a recipe for Casa Tua's Risotto Primavera, which sings of spring with its fresh peas and green and white asparagus. Miky also offers suggestions on what he would pair the dish with.
Miky Grendene
What are your go-to ingredients in your home kitchen?
One of the most important things in any dish is attention to detail—and people often overlook simple things like salt. But salt can truly transform a dish. It's a foundational ingredient, something used in everything. I believe that when you start from simplicity, and elevate that simplicity with care and quality, that's when you create the best dishes.
Another staple for me is olive oil. I use A l'Olivier that comes from the south of France, where my mother lives. It's made from the Taggiasca olive, which is native to the Liguria region in Italy and also found in the south of France. It's light, fruity, and pairs beautifully with many different dishes.
What's your favorite meal to cook for dinner?
I love to cook simple things. It could be a pasta dish made from scratch, or a beautiful piece of meat or fish cooked in the oven or on the grill. I don't usually have a lot of time, so I like meals that are easy but satisfying. I usually cook after work, and I love involving my family in the process—they help prepare dinner, and that makes it even more enjoyable.
What do you like to make when entertaining friends?
Honestly, the same. I believe in simplicity. Some people try to impress guests with elaborate dishes—but I think the best way to make an impression is to make people feel at home.
A friend of mine, Brunello Cucinelli, once hosted a group from The New York Times. The team was trying to put together an impressive menu, but Brunello said, 'Let's do it right.' So they sat in front of a beautiful fireplace in the winter, sliced some incredible prosciutto by hand, served amazing bread and cheese—and the journalists were thrilled. Because at the end of the day, it's about comfort. When people feel at home, they're truly impressed. It's about creating an atmosphere that blends simplicity and sophistication.
How do the different seasons influence the way you cook?
We absolutely follow the seasons. Each season offers amazing ingredients. Spring is particularly exciting—everything is coming back to life. When I was young, I used to forage for wild asparagus and herbs that don't even exist here in the U.S.—we'd use them for risottos and special dishes.
Autumn has its own richness, especially mushrooms. We've been foraging mushrooms in Aspen for over 20 years. We even bring some of our customers and friends along—it's such a soulful experience. Being out in nature, searching for what the earth gives you—it's incredibly relaxing and fulfilling.
Summer, of course, is all about fruit and a certain lightness is required in a dish, whereas winter you have delicacies like white truffle that added to a very simple dish like fried eggs can be exceptional.
What do you crave when you want something indulgent?
Even indulgence can be simple. I love caviar. One of my favorite dishes is a caviar pasta, something we serve at Casa Tua—with just four ingredients its an incredibly indulgent dish.
I also enjoy oysters when they're in season, paired with an exceptional glass of champagne. I especially love grower champagnes—there is personal attention from the vine to the bottle and the taste is discernible, especially from vintage to vintage.
Tell me about a spring recipe that speaks to the season.
Spring in Italy—and everywhere, really—is about new growth. It's the season of fresh vegetables: white & green asparagus, baby carrots, spring onions, young peas. One dish I've loved since childhood is a simple spring vegetable risotto - risotto primavera.
Even simpler is a dish from Venice, my hometown, called risi e bisi, which literally means rice and peas. It's humble, but it's one of the most delicious things you can eat.
What would you serve alongside that to make it a full meal?
That kind of risotto can be a meal on its own. But if you want to round it out, you could start with a spring salad. In Rome, there's a seasonal green called puntarelle, a variety of chicory. It's prepared in a special way—cut thin, soaked in ice water, and dressed with anchovies and olive oil. It's light but full of flavor and pairs beautifully with a spring risotto.
If you want a more elaborate meal, you could add a main course—maybe a fish or a piece of meat—but often, just the salad and risotto are enough.
What wine would you pair with that?
For that kind of meal, I'd go with a white wine from Friuli, in northeastern Italy. I believe that's where the best Italian white wines come from. There are a few I love, but a good Ribolla Gialla is a personal favorite.
Any cooking tips to make sure the dish turns out perfectly?
As always, it starts with the best ingredients. Use the freshest peas you can find. For vegetables like zucchini, go for the small, tender ones—they have much more flavor. Same goes for baby carrots and fresh onions. It's all about choosing the best produce available—that makes all the difference.
Risotto di PrimaveraServes 1
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