The Valley’s beloved Chef Joey, owner of The Maggiore Group, is boasting his brunch secrets in his new book, Brunch King: Eats, Beats and Boozy Drinks. The delectable read shares 70 of Chef Joey’s favorite flavor-forward recipes including a Ten-Layer Breakfast Lasagna recipe, Crème Brulée French Toast Sticks, and nostalgic cereal-infused cocktails. There's also an interactive Spotify playlist by the legendary DJ Ice to get those culinary juices flowing.
We caught up with the Valley fave introducing you to the guy behind the book and behind his restaurants.
Here are 7 things you might not know about Joey Maggiore, from Joey Maggiore.
1. I love to fishing and traveling, especially to Sicily & Napa Valley.
2. My absolute favorite drink is a nice, balanced Negroni with Plymouth Gin.
3. The love for cooking came from me watching my dad, Chef Tomaso, create something amazing and beautiful, but the best part was watching him bring it out of the kitchen to the guests and watching their eyes light up. It was at that moment I was hooked, and I knew I was hooked on that feeling for life.
4. I create my concepts lying in bed middle of the night. That downtime is where a lot of my creativity comes flooding in, and as we’ve seen, it can get pretty crazy!
5. I find much joy in cheering on and supporting other chefs in my restaurants and within the community. I love seeing everyone’s success and passion shine through in their cooking.
6. My dislikes… I don’t have many, but I don’t like seeing people sad, hence the desire to bring them joy through food!
7. The main thing I want people to know about me is that I strive to live life to the fullest and see every obstacle as an opportunity to do and be better. My wife and kids are my life and every day with them is extremely valuable and important to me.
joeymaggiore.com
CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES with CREAM CHEESE ICING My wife loves cinnamon rolls, and what's better than cinnamon sugar pancakes layered with cream cheese icing? They always make the kitchen smell great.
CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKE BATTER
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1-3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
1½ cups whole milk
3 Tbsp + ½ tsp butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
CREAM CHEESE ICING
¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened
4 oz (/2 cup) cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups confectioners' sugar
ASSEMBLY
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
2 cups Cinnamon Roll Pancake Batter (see here)
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese Icing (divided, see here)
2 store-bought cinnamon buns, cut into a smaller ring
Chopped walnuts, for garnish
Maple syrup
CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKE BATTER
1. Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. In a medium bowl, combine milk, butter, and eggs and whisk until smooth. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until just combined.
3. The batter can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
CREAM CHEESE ICING
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine butter and cream cheese and beat until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt and beat to incorporate. On the lowest speed, beat in confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated and smooth.
2. Refrigerate until needed. Leftover icing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
ASSEMBLY
1. Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and tilt the pan to coat.
2. Pour ½ cup batter and cook for 1½ minutes, until bubbles form along the edges and the underside is golden brown. Flip and cook for another 1½ minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and cover with a dish towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as necessary.
3. To serve, divide pancakes between two plates. Spread cream cheese icing on each pancake as you stack. Drizzle more icing over top. Garnish with a cinnamon bun and walnuts. Drizzle with maple syrup.