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A review of The Sopranos Family Cookbook

by Allen Rucker; Recipes by Michele Scicolone

Stick-to-your-ribs recipes and heartwarming wisdom from everyone's favorite mobsters.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Santiago
About Jennifer Santiago

The Sopranos Family Cookbook If you, like me, spend your Sundays counting the hours until "The Sopranos" begins, you'll find this cookbook a delightful and functional accessory to your obsession. If you haven't been initiated into the underworld of mob boss Tony Soprano and his family, you'll still enjoy this lovely cookbook, complete with easy-to-follow recipes, gorgeous full-color photographs and interesting tidbits about Italian cuisine.

Each of the major players weighs in on cooking, eating, and living the good life, Italian-style. Tony's sister Janice waxes nostalgic about the Sunday family dinners of her childhood. Family matriarch Carmela talks with restaurateur Artie Bucco about equating food with love, and the importance of home-cooked dinners shared with her children. Artie's wife Charmaine offers party planning advice, and Adriana, the sexy moll of Tony's nephew Christopher, chimes in regarding the aphrodisiac properties of food and wine.

The writing is crisp and effectively captures the voice of each character. On throwing parties, Carmela suggests, "For all but family affairs, have a going-away gift for guests. Make sure it's something unique that can be bought in bulk. Little porcelain angels are always a hit." Bobby Bacala offers style tips for heavy eaters, including "a colorful shirt that is meant to be worn tail out. Both the Hawaiians and the Mexicans make a good one." Even Tony's son, AJ, gets his say in a school composition wherein he declares "My coach loves it when I eat like a pig. That's what makes football a great sport. And food is what makes life a great life."

The mouthwatering recipes are written in a straightforward, easy to follow manner that doesn't require years of gourmet cooking experience and illustrated with full-page, full-color photos guaranteed to make your tummy rumble. Standouts include Italian home cooking favorites like Ziti al Forno, Penne alla Vodka, Baked Chicken Cacciatore, Linguine al Pesto and Pasta Fagioli. Delectable dessert recipes include Cannoli, Tiramisu and Zabaglione.

This cookbook is a tempting delight for fans of the show or for anyone looking for a well-written Italian cookery guide. It is a gauge of a cookbook's value when it not only makes you hungry, but makes you want to cook, and renews your passion for the art of preparing food and making a gift of it to those you love. After all, as Artie Bucco says, "Food is family, tradition, birth, confirmation, marriage, sickness, death -- life itself." A delicious book, and highly recommended to one and all.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Sopranos Family Cookbook

Copyright © by Jennifer Santiago, 2003

Reviewed by Jennifer Santiago:
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