Cathy Pavlos
The quaint kitchen of Lucca Cafe's chef reveals the secrets of her home cooking
By Cynthia Furey / Photographs by Ethan Pines
Published December 2009
As chef and co-owner of Lucca Cafe in Irvine, Cathy Pavlos relishes cooking
in her home kitchen when she can pry herself away from the long hours at her
restaurant, that is. "It¹s nice being at home in a Zen moment, chopping
onions and getting your collective act together," she says.
The Corona del Mar resident was born into a food-loving Italian family, with fishermen, and
orchard-and bakery-owners for cousins, and a farmer grandfather. Pavlos
first explored architecture before taking the plunge into the culinary
world. At Lucca, she serves Mediterranean dishes with local
ingredients sometimes with garden produce provided by her regulars.
ANIMAL INSTINCTS
Staying true to her architectural background, Pavlos¹ kitchen is done in
neutral colors, which act as a blank canvas for colorful knickknacks and,
she says, "great little painted animals from Mexico, and Italian pottery."
SWEET AND SMOKY
"I have some incredible, 100-year-old balsamic vinegar that I got from a
little shop in Rome about five or six years ago," Pavlos says. "It¹s really
sweet and smoky, and comes with an eyedropper, because you only need to use
a drop of it for anything."
HYPER-LOCAL
"We have a Meyer lemon tree in our back yard, and a tiny herb
garden outside the front door. When you can go out and pick your own lemons and
herbs, I think it adds to the dishes." After dark, she harvests with a
flashlight.
OLD-WORLD APPEAL
Pavlos' 1948 Chambers range may be old, but it works like a charm. "The oven
looks like an autoclave," she says of the brushed stainless-steel and cast-
iron appliance. "The walls are insulated about 3 inches thick, and once it
heats up to temperature, you turn it off and it retains the temperature for
hours. It still works better than most ovens."
FIRED UP
"My favorite gadget is my propane torch from Ace Hardware. I go to Sur La
Table and see these fancy little brûlée torches, but they don¹t work. Mine
costs half as much and puts out twice as much power."
KETCHUP'S FAR CRY
Alongside conventional condiments, you¹ll find homemade sun-dried tomato
paste in Pavlos¹ fridge. "I bought these sun-dried tomatoes in Italy. I
grind them into a paste with garlic and pour olive oil on top and pack them
into a French canning jar."
Lucca cafe
6507 Quail Hill Parkway
Irvine
949-725-1773
www.luccacafe.net