Saturday, March 1, 2014

A Cookbook You Can’t Refuse!

How to Use a Meat Cleaver – Secrets and Recipes from a Mob Family’s Kitchen – Renee, Lana, and Jennifer Graziano (Perigee Books)

Full Disclosure: I am not a fan of reality television in general and of these ladies in particular. I can’t quite muster what the appeal of these over-baring broads really is. That being said I am truly struck at how good this collection of old school, family recipes is.

In How to Use a Meat Cleaver – Secrets and Recipes from a Mob Family’s Kitchen by Mob Wives “stars”  Renee, Lana, and Jennifer Graziano collect a wide variety of classic meal recipes and new twist dishes. While the recipes are pretty straight forward and simple; the flavors are complex and delicious.


While many Italian Grandmothers and Mothers guard their secret family recipe for classic “Sunday Gravy” the foundation sauce of so many classic dinners, the Graziano's serve up their tasty concoction, that results in a monster pot of sauce that will serve a Sunday family-size dinner with plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week.

Warning! Vegans need not apply! The book serves up sections on sea food, beef, veal, pork, chicken and lamb recipes; many of which feature sausage, prosciutto, and mounds of cheese! While I’ll pass on their TV show, I will raise a glass of red and a thumbs up to this cookbook.  

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