I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

Author John Agresto shares the recipes and memories of old school italian american cooking in the book “Cucina Italiana Comes to Brooklyn: An Italian-American Cookbook and Memoir.”

The Synopsis

An Italian-American Cookbook for the Modern Home Kitchen

For millions of Italian-American families, the food we grew up with didn’t come from restaurants. It came from the kitchen. From simmering pots of tomato sauce and trays of baked ziti to Sunday gravy and desserts that took patience, tradition, and love.

As families moved beyond the Little Italy neighborhoods of cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia and spread across the country, much of that everyday cooking tradition slowly faded. This book helps bring it back.

This cookbook is for anyone who wants to recreate authentic Italian-American recipes in a modern home kitchen. It shows how the dishes many of us remember from childhood can be made with simple ingredients and clear, practical guidance.

It’s also for people who love Italian food but have mostly experienced it through restaurant meals or supermarket shortcuts. If you’ve ever reached for a jar of tomato sauce and wondered how to make a real homemade Italian tomato sauce, fresh pasta dishes, or classic comfort foods the way Italian families have for generations, this book shows how surprisingly simple and rewarding it can be.

More than just a collection of recipes, this is a guide to traditional Italian home cooking. Along the way, you’ll learn the techniques, principles, and small details that make these dishes taste the way they should.

Inside you’ll learn how to prepare beloved Italian-American favorites, including:

• Rich, slow-simmered homemade tomato sauce

• Classic baked ziti and traditional pasta dishes

• Handmade gnocchi

• Savory family recipes passed down through generations

• Authentic desserts like homemade cannoli, Italian lemon ice, and ricotta pie

Each chapter explains not only how to cook these dishes, but why they work. The goal is to help home cooks build confidence while learning the traditions behind some of the most beloved Italian comfort foods.

Because Italian-American cooking has always been about more than food. For generations, the kitchen table has been the center of family life, where stories are shared and traditions are passed down.

Today many children and grandchildren of Italian immigrants have married into families from all backgrounds. Which means that if you want a tray of baked ziti, a plate of gnocchi, or a batch of homemade cannoli, you may have to learn to cook it yourself.

This book makes that possible.

Clear, approachable, and full of authentic flavor, it’s designed to help anyone bring traditional Italian-American cooking back to the family table.

Put on an apron, start the sauce, and cook the way generations before us did. It might even make your mother proud.

THE REVIEW

Immediately, I was struck by how authentic and heartfelt this cookbook really was. The author found a way to give readers the full experience of an Italian American cookbook, filled with family recipes that feel comforting and well-made, while also balancing it by infusing each recipe with memoir-style storytelling to showcase the experiences that fueled them.

The recipes and the authors’ family history showcase the impact of Italian American immigrants on New York and the country as a whole. The author’s personable writing style is evident, with a couple of my favorite recipes being the meatballs and the Sicilian-style pizza crust included in the book.

THE VERDICT

Memorable, insightful, and highly engaging, “Cucina Italiana Comes to Brooklyn: An Italian-American Cookbook and Memoir” BY John Agresto is a must-read non-fiction cookbook with memoir elements. The straightforward recipes and the heartwarming inclusion of personal experience and family history throughout the book give readers a sense of iconic, classic Italian American cooking that has become a staple of both New York and the United States. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

John Agresto has worn many hats over the years, including teacher, writer, university president, husband, father, and grandfather. Through it all, one passion has remained constant: cooking.

Growing up in a rough section of Brooklyn, his early adventures included flying pigeons from the roof of his family’s tenement building. But he was just as fascinated by what was happening in neighborhood kitchens. As a boy, he spent countless hours asking the women around him to show him how they prepared their meals, absorbing techniques and traditions that would shape his lifelong love of food.

By the time he was in college, he had already developed a knack for finding and preparing food on his own. He learned to gather edible weeds, catch and cook fish for his roommates, and even make his own wine and brew beer long before it became fashionable.

As his professional life expanded to include roles as a college professor, author, university president, and local judge, cooking remained an essential part of who he was. Today, he continues to share that passion by hosting occasional cooking classes in his home in New Mexico.

This book is his second Italian cookbook.