Maybe you're wondering why McCargo was willing to make me dinner? Well, he has a new cookbook out. And I asked.
In the uber-competitive world of TV chefs, one that's already overpopulated with heavy hitters such as Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Giada DeLaurentiis and Rachael Ray, McCargo, a Camden native who now lives in Cherry Hill, has managed to carve out a niche as a family-oriented chef who re-imagines familiar dishes with big, bold flavor.
That's bold as in put away the salt shaker. No additional salt or pepper needed, thank you very much.
McCargo's first cookbook, Simply Done, Well Done (Wiley, $19.95), is heavy on simply prepared meat dishes. I'm not much of a red-meat eater, but McCargo's scrumptious-sounding recipe for Pulled Pork Panini with Arugula and Chipotle Mayonnaise had my mouth watering. The cookbook is dedicated to his teenage son, Joshua, 17, who is in a juvenile-detention facility.
In the aisles with Aaron
I caught up with McCargo earlier this month at an Acme in Burlington, N.J. My nephew, who drove up from Washington, with his 14-year-old sister, Jacqueline, tagged along, thrilled to meet their food hero. A tall, solidly built man, McCargo was wearing jeans, a green button-down shirt and his signature hoop earrings. In his hand was a shopping list.
"I make a list out, and I categorize everything," he explained as we headed toward the produce section. "I'm a fast shopper. I want to get in and get out because I'm so excited about the recipes. I just want to get in and get out."
The man moves quickly, all right, but not so fast that he doesn't take time to sniff the melons.
"The melons are good," McCargo said, pausing to thump and squeeze before rejecting one. "This one has a soft spot. This is what I do all the time when I buy fresh fruit. This one is even softer . . . feel that soft spot where your thumb is. That's not what you want.
