A Chefs Review #1: The Sopranos Family Cookbook
A great cookbook whether you're a fan of the show or not
I have loved to cook ever since I was a kid. I can remember being a tiny chef of about 3 years old and getting all of the pots and pans out of the cupboard, pretending to make soup or whatever my tiny mind could think of.
Because of this, I have probably been gifted more cookbooks than the average person throughout my life. For about a decade, it seemed like everyone I knew was getting me a different kind of cookbook for birthdays, holidays, etc.
On one of those occasions when I was around 16 or 17, my mom gave me The Sopranos Family Cookbook written by Allen Rucker with recipes by Michael Scicolone.
Authored by Artie Bucco, the head chef at the Vesuvio restaurant in the series, and with contributions from some of the show's key characters, the book provides a unique perspective on both the fictional culinary world of the Sopranos and the real-world Italian-American culture.
Despite the show being a work of fiction, this book is full of high-quality, tested recipes that taste great.
The first pizza I ever made from scratch was at home and it was from this very book. The pizza recipe is a Sicilian-style pie or rectangle pizza.
This pie is baked on a sheet pan and sliced into squares instead of a round pizza sliced into triangles. It’s a thicker crust, and it’s not loaded with toppings like American pizza. It’s simple, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, basil, and olive oil. You can’t forget the olive oil! I like to make mine spicy with some crushed chili flakes or add a few anchovies for a serious flavor punch.
This pizza is great, but The Sopranos Family Cookbook has a little something for the whole family.
The book starts off with the basics of Italian-American cooking like Marinara Sauce, and Sunday Gravy (a slow simmered red sauce with meatballs, pork neck, etc.)
From there it moves on to classic dishes like spaghetti and meatballs and chicken Parmesan to more sophisticated options like Osso Buco, the recipes are well-crafted and designed to appeal to a broad range of tastes and cooking skills.
Some of my favorite recipes from this book are Braciole, slices of beef rolled up with prosciutto, and Pecorino Romano cheese slow-cooked in tomato sauce until unbelievably tender, I was addicted to this at first taste.
Pasta Fagioli/Pasta Fazool or Pasta and Beans is a classic cold-weather dish that brings together pasta and beans into a harmonious stew, I like to throw in ham or bacon.
Sure there are plenty of hearty Italian dishes in this book but don’t worry there are a few dishes that are on the lighter side, sort of. Rigatoni and broccoli have been a favorite of mine for a long while and I discovered that simple combination in this book.
This book combines the freshness of Italian cuisine with the intense flavors of the New World and most of the recipes in this book would feed at least 4 people if not 8 or 10, so get ready to feed a crowd.
We can’t forget about dessert! The Sopranos Family Cookbook offers amazing Tiramisu, Cannoli, Ricotta Cheesecake, and many more irresistible treats.
This is a great cookbook whether you’re a fan of The Sopranos or not. Its recipes are well-written and easy to follow. I can’t recommend this one enough. This book was a great gift and is still one of my favorite cookbooks, thanks, Mom!
I love almost everything you mentioned. I've only cooked a limited amount of high-end Italian food, though. I might enjoy the experience, but then again, there's something to be said for a tiny bit of mystery.
I’m not Italian but have for years combined pasta with broccoli! One of the best ways to get kids to eat broccoli is to serve it with pasta! Would live to find out mire about the pasta fazool!