Come on over 111 fantastic recipes for the family that cooks, eats, and laughs together

Review by Booklist Review

While hosting large, warm gatherings and loading tables with family-style fare still feels like a pipe dream, this joyful cookbook is what post-COVID dreams are made of. Mauro, of Food Network's Sandwich King, serves up a broad selection of recipes fit for a crowd. After an encouraging introduction that reminds cooks to plan thoughtfully so they can relax and enjoy their gatherings, sections are organized by a gathering's food theme: brunch, game-day fare, island flavors, local classics all Chicagoans will recognize, and more. While acknowledging the challenge of eating healthy and incorporating some clever subs (paleo cookies, portobello "bacon") most recipes are true party food: large in quantity, easy to indulge in, and rich with flavors. Mauro's recipe introductions are personal, charming, friendly, and offer useful tips to enhance (tent a bowl over the griddle to make an extra-melty grilled cheese) and instruct (what's the difference between a fried and sunny-side-up egg anyway?), and are sure to engage. Put this at the center of your summertime cookbook display.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

When Mauro, host of Food Network's Sandwich King, was growing up, he writes, "come on over" meant two things: family and food. In this charming and utterly scrumptious collection, he shares recipes and humorous anecdotes that will entertain as well as sustain, offering an eclectic array of dishes suitable for brunch, game days, and holidays, and--naturally--a variety of intriguing and tasty sandwiches. Conventionality isn't what Mauro strives for, which is why readers will find suggestions for pork chops for breakfast and combining pancetta and parmesan with popcorn. He cranks up the yum factor with his citrus-honey tequila shrimp, grilled pineapple guacamole, and cranberry-walnut Irish soda bread muffins with whipped maple-cinnamon cream cheese--all excellent options when feeding a crowd. There's also a kid-focused chapter with killer recipes for burgers and The Most Perfect Grilled Cheese (for which home cooks are told to "get the good American cheese, sliced to order from the deli") that will certainly have crossover appeal for adults. At heart, Mauro remains a sandwich devotee, and his General Tso's crispy chicken sandwich, mortadella and fig melts, and The Greatest American Patty Melt in the Country of All Time make a strong case for his Sandwich King title. The author's upbeat tone and smart mix of fare make this collection sing. (Apr.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Mauro, host of Food Network's Sandwich King, writes an eclectic cookbook for entertaining. The early recipes, focusing on meat and dairy dishes, are reminiscent of diner fare and suitable for large gatherings; these eventually give way to a selection inspired by world travel and international flavors. A chapter focused on kids' party fare includes recipes for grilled cheese as well as some unexpected vegetable dishes. The writing is punctuated by Mauro's sharp sense of humor and lively anecdotes that loosely relate to the recipes that follow. Mauro redefines the seafood boil as a method that involves a variety of foods on the table. There are chapters for snacks, pizza, barbecue, holidays, and, of course, sandwiches. Recipe directions are clearly written and provide solid guidance. While there are a handful of desserts to be found, this book's emphasis is on the savory. VERDICT This overstuffed recipe book is likely to have something for just about anyone who enjoys cooking.--Rebecca Brody, Westfield State Univ., MA

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