Rao's Recipes from the Neighborhood: Frank Pellegrino Cooks Italian with Family and Friends Hardcover – November 4, 2004

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Any owner of this cookbook is privileged to have these recipes because East Harlem Rao's Restaurant (founded in 1896 by Charles Rao, an immigant from Italy) has a very choice clientele, and one can't just show up at the door and expect to be fed. Even reservations are difficult to acquire, and it is known as "New York's toughest reservation" (the wait for one can be many, many years). So most do not have an opportunity to savor the dishes that make Rao's so much in demand and constitute it's success.Frank Pelligrino, the author of this book, and nephew of Anna Pellegrino Rao, took over Rao's in 1999. Several years ago he opened a second Rao's restaurant in Las Vegas.These are neighborhood recipes; they are simple and not difficult to make. Yet when you do try one out, it seems very special due to the combination of ingredients and even the cooking instructions. For instance, a recipe for spaghetti with garlic and oil (which appealed to me as I am a vegetarian) calls for only five ingredients. The author also adds some interesting comments, such as about this particular spaghetti dish: "...the Romans would eat this dish at midnight to cure insomnia."The cooking instructions are unusual, such as (using one pound of spaghetti): drain when cooked, but reserve 1/2 cup of water "and return the pasta to the pot." Then add the oil-and-garlic sauce and the water, stirring well for one minute before transferring it to a platter.And its delicious!Other favored recipes include Penne Rigate with Cauliflower, Flounder Puttanesca, Rice Pie, several versions of Chicken Cacciatore (stove-top and in the oven) and even a "Sunday Gravy." And let's don't forget Wine Cookies and Zabaglione.Wonderful photographs adorn the book of the dishes, the chef-author and his family, and East Harlem a long time ago.One additional note is that Rao now sells products in gourmet markets and supermarkets. You can't lose with any of them.

I had the great joy of meeting Frank Pelligrino, Sr. at the signing of his first book in Arizona. He was at one AJ"S food stores.. I asked him why he looked familiar and he asked if I watched the Sopranos? Of course. He said he played the FBR Chief in the series! He signed my book and a day or two later, I went to a different AJ's and bought the items I needed to do the recipes. I saw him sitting on the patio, enjoying a cigar. I had a convertible at the time and I drove up to the patio, and he said "Hi Jen!". He remembered my name! I told him I loved the book and Rao's sauces...

Sometimes I buy cookbooks just because I like the author or have been to the restaurant. We have been to Rao's and so I wanted to keep this on my shelves as a reminder of a great night but once I cracked open the book, I have found many of the excellent recipes and good reminders of food that we had growing up. All recipes are really simple with items you likely have stocked in your pantry now and not all are the typical italian recipes you'll find in most books. If you're Italian American, you'll enjoy some of the story telling and recipes that will hopefully bring back good memories.

Growing up in East Harlem, I was exposed to the heart of ItalianAmerican culture with food as the core of it. Rao's was alwaysa place one could get a great meal. It still is to this day'cept it's a bit more difficult to get a table.Was quite pleased to see the "Rao's Cookbook" when it first came outand again this one "Rao's Recipes from the Neighborhood" which followed. Reading both books brought me back to the old neighborhood.Most of it is all gone..just pleasant memories which arerenewed via the great meals outlined in the books. All simple dishes...easy to prepare...with a taste you'll never forget. If you are of Italian descent..the books are keepers. If you aren'tItalian...you'll feel you are after trying some of the recipes.Sta te buon,Bobby a hun'twelve[...]

This book completely revitalized my interest in cooking. I was growing tired of the highly complex, noveau recipes requiring obscure ingredients, and the end result was hardly worth the wait. Instead, these recipes accentuate the essence of Italian cooking - simplicity and quality ingredients. A great meal doesn't have to take all day to prepare and cook, and shouldn't require more than a handful of ingredients. Most of these recipes can be prepared with minimal effort after work and are great for family style cooking all week long, leaving great left-overs that only taste better with each re-heating. Cancel the magazine subscriptions and try this book. You will not be dissapointed with these recipes that haven't fallen short for over 100 years. Even the mediocre recipes are better than most.

Tried a couple of the recipes and found them really good, Haven't tried the cheesecake recipes yet, but they look great. My local newspaper food section did a feature on this book and that is how I came to buy it. The author wrote about the lemon chicken, but said there was too much oil in it, I don't care that much for lemon chicken so I didn't make that one, I like ricotta. My favorite Italian cookbook is The Italian American Cookbook which I found in one of these reviews.

I bought this book in Dec. 2016. Have perused it a few times, but yesterday as I was looking at it, the pages kept coming out in clumps, separating from the binding. It is very disappointing, as I am an avid cookbook collector, and this is almost useless, as it will not stay together,..The page stock is very heavy, and probably the binding is of poor design....do you have any suggestions for me??By the way, I see your physical location is in No. Haven...I live in New HavenPatricia Garcia

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