Trigiani, author of the Big Stone Gap trilogy, Queen of the Big Time and other novels, offers a scrapbook of homey recipes and reminiscences. While itll undoubtedly please her family, friends and biggest fans, readers outside that circle may tire of endless photographs of Trigiani family parties and tales of mothers who wanted their children to eat plenty of greens and grandmothers who were loath to share recipes. There are many parallels between the authors family and her fictional characters, and the anecdotes Trigiani shares sometimes resemble incidents from her books. Handwritten notes from Trigianis grandmother (»Congratulations on your engagement.... the Prince of Wales wouldnt be good enough for my granddaughters» and memories of Trigianis mothers «warm, inviting, creative» kitchen are sweet, but hardly compelling or unusual. Similarly, the recipes—contributed by Trigiani and her sisters—are for well-worn (if delicious) Italian classics: Gnocchi, Basic Tomato Sauce, Meatballs, Sausage and Peppers, Braciole, Trigiani Lasagne with Meat and Cheese, and Moms Stuffed Peppers. Authentic, yes. Interesting? It depends. Beginning cooks stand to gain the most from this collection, but those already familiar with standard Italian-American fare wont find much of interest, making this a «for fans only» cookbook.

Cooking with My Sisters: One Hundred Years of Family Recipes, from Bari to Big Stone Gap PDF

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