Not My Mother's Kitchen

Book excerpt: Mo Rocca, host of "My Grandmother's Ravioli" says: "When life gives you lemons, make limoncello! Not My Mother's Kitchen is a funny, loving, and oh so useful manual on food, family and survival when your mom is a terrible cook." Serving up a tale that is part memoir and part cookbook, acclaimed foodie Rob Chirico shares his culinary journey after growing up with an Italian-American mother who was hopeless in the kitchen. Rob Chirico learned to cook as a defense against his mother’s awful meals. After discover-ing that there was more to real food than canned ravioli and frozen vegetables, he decided to try his hand in the kitchen. His memoir offers recipes, cooking techniques, and tips he has cultivated over decades. He blends his expert experience with an engaging and humorous narrative on growing up with suspect meals. "I was howling with laughter and shedding tears of nostalgia at the sensitive portraits of family and culture of the times." -- Linda Pelaccio, Culinary Historian and host of "A Taste of the Past" "... no mere cookbook. It is a personal story that lovingly and humorously describes the author's culinary coming of age. It is a family's history and it also is American cultural history..." -- Michael Stern, author of Roadfood, Chili Nation, American Gourmet “A heartwarming story of growing up in an Italian-American household where there was no dearth of love, but not much in the way of good food. Thrown in for good measure are plenty of recipes, cook’s tips, and historical anecdotes. It’s a keeper.” —Julia della Croce, writer, journalist, and cookbook author