Cena Italian Trattoria is creative, ambitious

There are chefs who say they were meant for the profession and could never envision themselves doing anything else. Not so for Allan Rosenberg of Cena Italian Trattoria, who was a clothing designer before he channeled his creativity into cooking.

The life of a chef can be high profile, and the job comes with its own share of glamour — even if it's not quite as flashy as a fashion runway. But the hours can be long and demanding. "Many people don't understand how crazy and orchestrated the restaurant business is. I may go in at 11 a.m. to start prepping, although we don't open until 5 p.m. Even my mother doesn't really understand why we go to work so early. Of course, she's the microwave queen and doesn't get it," Rosenberg said.

MAKE IT AT HOME | Meatballs Cena | Cena

MAKE IT AT HOME | Bolognese | Cena

MAKE IT AT HOME | Arancini | Cena

He has foie gras ice cream partly to thank for his position at Cena, 9200 Taylorsville Road. He and wife, Kelly, had been friends with Christina and Fernando Martinez, the owners of Cena and other Louisville restaurants, when they invited the Martinezes to a dinner party. Rosenberg served seared duck with a dried cherry sauce, a New York strip steak, scallop crudo and foie gras ice cream. "The ice cream is very good and tastes almost like a rich caramel ice cream. I guess they really liked it because they asked me to come work for them," he said.

He and Kelly, who works front of the house at Porcini, 2730 Frankfort Ave., never completely leave business behind. However, he's quick to emphasize there's no husband-wife rivalry, but says home chitchat is usually restaurant talk.

"We used to call our kitchen the laboratory. Anything I do in the restaurant, I can do in my home kitchen. We like to host dinner parties and do fun stuff like that. It keeps my mind fresh because I have more freedom to cook at home since I don't have to stick with one style of cuisine," he says.

His regional Italian menu at Cena is creative and ambitious. The Cena menu changes seasonally but has several all-season favorites such as carbonara topped with an egg, goat cheese frito with basil pesto and truffle honey, and short rib ravioli with truffle cream sauce.

For new menu items inspiration, Rosenberg taps into the sixth sense that is typical in his profession. But he also has thousands of cookbooks he can consult if he's running short of ideas. One cookbook that has taken permanent residence on a handy shelf is Michael Symon's 'Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen.' "I also like the French Laundry Cookbook. It's beautiful but might be too advanced for a novice cook. And any of Mario Batali's cookbooks are good. He's my hero," says the Louisville chef who isn't one to boast about his own following of fans.

Cena Italian Trattoria, 9200 Taylorsville Road, (502) 333-0376, Facebook: CENAitaliantrattoria.

Bolognese

Serves 6 to 8. Chef's Note: Serve with your favorite pasta or polenta.

½ cup diced raw pancetta

1 small yellow onion, diced small

1 large carrot, grated

2 stalks celery, diced small

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or to taste

1 cup red wine (preferably Chianti)

3 tablespoons tomato paste (double concentrate in a tube)

2 28-ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat a large pot over high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and burning, until fat has rendered out and pancetta is crispy. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic, stirring frequently until soft and slightly caramelized. Add the pork, beef and half the salt. Break up and stir until meat is well-browned. Add wine; cook about 15 minutes or until wine is reduced. Add in tomato paste and stir until well-combined. Cook five minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing them by hand; stir in juice from the cans. Stir in other ingredients and remaining salt; reduce heat to medium. Cook 35 to 45 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sauce from scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let sauce rest about 30 minutes before serving.

Meatballs Cena

Serves 6 to 8. Chef's Note: Serve with your favorite tomato sauce and pasta.

½ white onion

1 pound ground pork butt

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

7 tablespoons lardo or pork fat back

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup panko

1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Purée the onion in a food processor. Mix together all the ingredients, making sure you don't overwork the mixture. Form into balls. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet. Bake about 25 minutes.

Arancini

Serves 6 to 8. Chef's Note: Serve hot with your favorite tomato sauce.

1 stick butter

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 cup risotto rice

½ bottle white wine

3 quarts chicken stock

Zest and juice of two lemons

Parmesan cheese

Smoked mozzarella

Salt to taste

Flour

3 eggs, lightly whipped

Panko

Vegetable oil for frying

In a large, wide pot, melt the butter; add the olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter and oil until the onions become soft. Add rice; cook until rice starts to pop. Add the wine; cook, stirring constantly, until most of the wine is absorbed.

In a saucepan, heat the chicken stock. One ladle at a time, add the chicken stock, stirring constantly. Don't add another ladle of stock until most of the liquid from the previous ladle is absorbed. When the rice is al dente, add lemon zest and juice, Parmesan and mozzarella. Season with salt.

Place the rice in a thin layer on a baking sheet; refrigerate until cool.

In one bowl, mix together flour and salt. In another bowl, mix together panko and salt. Place the eggs in a third bowl. Form the rice into balls. Dip each ball first in the flour, then the egg, then the panko. Place the balls on a parchment-lined sheet tray until ready to fry.

Fill a deep pot halfway with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry the balls in the oil until they are golden brown and hot all the way through. Remove and drain excess oil on paper towels.