Why I cook

Part memoir and part cookbook, this tome will have the Top Chef host's fans engaged for the ride. Chapters are organized by the chronology of Colicchio's life in and out of the kitchen. Entrepreneurship and human behavior dominate Colicchio's rise in the restaurant industry and the trials and tribulations that emerge when friendship and business intersect. His interpersonal relationships--from love life to partnerships at Gramercy Tavern and beyond--are the heartbeat of the book, woven around a seasonal smattering of comfort recipes that he developed for home cooking and to reconnect with his family during the pandemic. An Italian American influence can be found in his grandfather's frittata and his mother's pasta with broccoli. Comfort foods such as "Not Imitation Crab Rice" or one-pot pork chops with cherry peppers and potatoes will please those looking to cook for loved ones. Glimpses of Colicchio in his home kitchen or cuddling family members are reminders that this foodie celebrity is human and that cooking for others is the way he gets back to what truly matters to him.

Restaurateur and chef Colicchio, cofounder of Gramercy Tavern and author of several books including 'Wichcraft, reminisces (with the help of cowriter Joshua David Stein) on a life filled with food and family in the kitchen. Recipes are divided by season and are nestled in narrative chapters that are rich with his family's foodways and his experiences as a chef. Dishes are filled with comfort but are made sophisticated through the lens of a James Beard Award winner. Recipe introductions fit with the tone of the memoir chapters, with Colicchio sharing how and why the dishes were created. Cookbook readers and fans of culinary memoirs will devour these stories that look back at an accomplished career. Home cooks will find recipes that warm the heart and fill the table and will enjoy making their own memories over these dishes. The perfectly composed still-life photography of Evan Sung and the clean layout contribute strongly to the book's polished quality. VERDICT This cultivated collection of tales from a storied culinary career will elevate cookbook shelves and deliver lots of family meals along with hours of reading enjoyment.--Sarah Tansley