Recipe Weekend: Food and Other Things I Love by Caroline Manzo with Casey Elsass

    Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Chronicle Books via #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.

Beloved Bravo TV food personality Caroline Manzo invites you to come over, pull up a chair, and fill your belly with recipes inspired by her delicious family meals, done the New Jersey way.

Synopsis:

From her star turn on the hit series The Real Housewives of New Jersey to her family spin-off Manzo’d with Children, Caroline Manzo has long been a fan favorite. Here, for the very first time, Caroline shares her kitchen secrets in an abundant cookbook filled with over 100 recipes, including:

• - Ready-in-a-snap breakfasts like Baking Dish Frittata and Crab Cake Benedict
• - Lazy summertime lunches like her tried-and-true Down the Shore Smothered Corn Cobs
• - Warm and cozy meal staples like Roasted Red Peppers and Italian Wedding Soup
• - Late-night munchies such as Homemade Truffle Popcorn and Adult Root Beer Floats
• - Italian American classics done Caroline’s way, like her famous Taylor Ham (not to be confused with pork roll) & Cheese Sandwich, Slow-Braised Braciole, Deep Dark Chocolate Pudding Cake, and, of course, Sunday Gravy

Along the way, Caroline shares entertaining behind-the-scenes stories and helpful tips and tricks to making your kitchen, and home, a place for getting the most from what’s on hand, embracing the messy side of life, and celebrating all things big and small. 

Full of wisdom, humor, and hard-earned lessons in the kitchen, Food & Other Things I Love encourages you to share this food with those you love and build your own memories, meals, and magic. 

Recipe: Here's a recipe that seems so simple, yet most of us don't make garlic bread this way. But read the recipe and it WILL be the way you make it from now on!

Review:

I have to admit I am not a Bravo viewer, so I was unfamiliar with Caroline, but the sample recipes I saw intrigued me, as they seemed so similar to ones that Italian friends of the family made, so I had to see if they were!

I wasn't surprised learning Caroline's background that the recipes were very similar, although I have to say I liked some of Caroline's better (like the above garlic bread- sooooo YUMMY!). She gives you plenty of comforting, family feeding, recipes, peppered with tips and tricks learned over the years, from cooking for her family and extended one! Even if you aren't Italian, there are soooo many recipes you will want to add to your dinner rotation- your family will definitely love them and ask for more! Also we found that the recipes make more than enough for a family of 4, allowing for leftovers for lunch the next day, or even a second dinner- which helps with your budget too! This is also a great book to give to kids moving out on their own, to make family favorites!   

About the Author:

Caroline Manzo is best known as the levelheaded voice of reason on Bravo TV’s hit series The Real Housewives of New Jersey and her family spin-off Manzo’d with Children. Caroline’s motherly aura and strong moral compass have made her a favorite among the Bravo TV audience. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, and Jersey to her core, Caroline is the epitome of a strong Italian American matriarch: feisty, hilarious, full of love, and always ready with a stocked fridge. Married to her husband, Albert, for almost forty years, she is the mother of three children—Albie, Lauren, and Christopher—and a loving grandmother to her granddaughter, Markie.