Why I Cook

Restaurateur and chef Colicchio, cofounder of Gramercy Tavern and author of several books including ’Wichcraft, reminisces (with the help of cowriter Joshua David Stein) on a life filled with food and family in the kitchen. Recipes are divided by season and are nestled in narrative chapters that are rich with his family’s foodways and his experiences as a chef. Dishes are filled with comfort but are made sophisticated through the lens of a James Beard Award winner. Recipe introductions fit with the tone of the memoir chapters, with Colicchio sharing how and why the dishes were created. Cookbook readers and fans of culinary memoirs will devour these stories that look back at an accomplished career. Home cooks will find recipes that warm the heart and fill the table and will enjoy making their own memories over these dishes. The perfectly composed still-life photography of Evan Sung and the clean layout contribute strongly to the book’s polished quality.