Rao's Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking

We are enjoying both the recipes and the commentaries in this book. It is fun to see techniques as well as ingredients that were used by our family members whose ancestors came from southern Italy. We've tried several recipes already, and they have been delicious. One piece of advice that I think contributed to a particularly successful dish was to make our own breadcrumbs from a good quality loaf of Italian bread when combining ingredients for meatballs. We noticed the difference from previous times when we didn't pay so much attention to the quality of the bread! The book is put together with nostalgic photos and stories which make for enjoyable reading as well as cooking.

Although this cookbook is from the famous restaurant in nyc the recipes are very simplistic and easy to make for the average cook who desires to make italian food at home. You need to focus on the details and tips in preparation but all of the ingredients are pretty much available and the recipes are easy to do. Your finished results are of course dependent on the quality of the ingredients and the love put into the details. The pages of the book are high gloss paper and made to last. I have never seen a cookbook where i want to do almost every recipe but this one does. These recipes are not those of a world class italian chef but one of a great home cook who makes good basic italian food. Care is detailed in the quality of the ingredients and detail in preparation neither of which is that difficult. These recipes are doable for the average cook. So, if you are looking for a good italian recipe resource, i heartily recommend this book. The stories about the restaurant are a nice aside too! By the way the author is Frank Pellegrino not Nicolas Pileggi

Though I've only made one recipe so far, it was the best Spaghetti Carbonara I've ever had. And I made it myself (with Rao's help). I have made carbonara many times before but didn't know how to consistently mix the eggs in without them scrambling (too much heat). Rao's technique solved that. Anyway, I'm sure I'll be trying many more recipes from the book in the future. I'll keep you posted.

I am not a great cook. In fact, my favorite cookbook before this one boasted recipes with 7 ingredients. This one is like that! No fussy, complicated recipes. Easy, great ingredients and food everyone likes. I bought one for my sister after I got this as a gift. If you haven't tried RAO's bottled sauce at Costco has- you should. It's amazing!

Excited to get this because Rao's is a gold standard and has a legacy of mythic proportions. I admit I stopped making my own 'famous' marinara when I tasted their jars of marinara sauce. 'What's the point?' (Note: all other jarred sauces are trash even if they use fancy fonts and higher price points. Always taste like sugar and preservatives). I was disappointed that the cookbook just offered very basic cooking advice and recipes. These are processes any home cook worth their salt (see what I did there?) knows these. I wanted to know the secrets of real Italian cooking that nonna passed down that I know make the actual restaurant what it is. How do you get that salty glossy tomato sauce? Maybe it's in the tomatoes you can only get shipped in from Italy and use that same day? I feel like it could have given more secrets in the secret sauce but I haven't yet made anything in it so maybe I'll add stars once I get to the sauces.

The greatest. I love this cookbook.........and the connecting stories and history of Rao's Restaurant. The recipes are good, solid Italian recipes and are easy to follow. Simple cooking is the best. I've made the Lemon Chicken - outstanding Also the meatballs which are double delicious. The recipe calls for water which I did cut back on a bit. This is a beautiful book in addition to being a classic cookbook. Sadly, I read where the building housing Rao's restaurant in New York has been sold. Add that to our list of disappearing history. However, there is a Rao's restaurant in Las Vegas......same recipes and same quality of food and service. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It should receive ten stars.

Best Italian cookbook because it’s simple. And good Italian food is simple. Just make sure you have good ingredients. It’s my go to! Bought this for a friend.

Rao's Eatery in NYC, for those who are unaware, does not cater to the general public. It rents tables to folks (mostly celebrities) by the year and only they can eat at Rao's unless they allow their friends to eat at their table under their name. The food is is so tasty and the snob appeal is so great that the tables are highly valued and sought after by the affluent. Almost all the recipes in this book are keepers. They are not complicated but when prepared as written they are extremely tasty and addictive. I have been cooking out of this book for years and give it to friends for birthdays and Christmases. If you purchase it, start with the Lemon Chicken--it's fantastic.

Brilliant book recipes so tasty

A lot of good recipes, some new family favorites

Great cookbook very well written, recipes are easy to understand and follow. I gave it to my wife for Christmas she absolutely loved the recipes in Rao’s Cookbook and plans to use them combined with the Rao’s pasta sauces.

The presentation of the recipes is very good. Therecipes in this book are very good, easy to prepare and very nutritional.

There was a lot of hype about this book and as I love to cook especially Italian I bought it. Bit of a let down really as it was kind of basic stuff that you can find anywhere. Enjoyable read though.