Dan Rinaldi learned to cook in his grandmother’s kitchen where Sunday dinners were a childhood staple. A 33-year veteran of the Providence (Rhode Island) Fire Department, Rinaldi enjoys preparing hearty meals for his friends and colleagues. His grandmother’s meat sauce recipe—Sunday gravy with meatballs—is a firehouse favorite.
The Rhode Island native said he was surprised when he was first contacted to be a contestant on The Great American Recipe, a new eight-part series from PBS that celebrates the multiculturalism that makes America food unique and iconic. It premieres on GBH 2 on June 24.
“My first thought was that it was a firefighter prank because firefighters will go through unbelievable lengths to pull off a good-natured prank,” he said.
He loves to make homemade pasta and is continuing the tradition with his wife, daughter and grandkids. Most of Rinaldi’s recipes came from his Italian family, and others were regionalized to show off the food culture in New England. “The food choices reflected my personal story because almost every recipe I prepared was something that I learned watching my family cook as I was growing up,” he said. One secret to his cooking, he said, is heirloom Calabrian chilis, originally brought over from Italy, and he tries to work them into as many dishes as possible.
Rinaldi said being a contestant was an amazing experience and was far more emotional than he expected. “I met nine great people, my fellow contestants, who I’ve remained
friends with—we talk constantly,” he said. “I am truly grateful for the entire experience that The Great American Recipe brought into my life.”
Get a sneak peek here.
