Customer Reviews

The Wise Guy Cookbook: My Favorite Recipes From My Life as a Goodfella to Cooking on the Run

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Don't dis the Sopranos book -- just don't say it's the same thing as this. The Sopranos Family Cookbook is marketing with good recipes, whereas Henry Hill's masterpiece here is as much a retelling of his biography as it is an excellent Sicilian-American cookbook with a heavy emphasis on making do when you can't get what you need.

I think the recipe that sums this book up best is the Oven Penitentiary Sauce, a concoction that Henry and his prison buddies cooked up for those days when the guards have taken all your pots and pans away and all you've got is the steam table pans and the prison bakery. The whole book is like that -- real food, salvaged when something goes wrong. Lots of Italian, but a few surprises from other parts of the country (particularly the South), reflecting Henry's travels in Witness Protection. Substitutions are a big deal too -- from the pork-for-veal scam Hill learned as a kid working in a pizzeria all the way up. Hill's message to cooks: you can always find a way to make it work.

At my bookstore we sold a couple of hundred copies of the Sopranos book over the Holidays, and that was pretty cool. But I had two standard recommendations to go along with that -- Italian Classics from Cooks Illustrated and this one. Of all three (and I say buy them all), fuhgeddaboutit, this is the best -- it's very autobiographical, and will leave you very, very hungry at the end.

This is one of the 3 cookbooks that have changed what I eat and the way I cook. Henry Hill has some excellent classic recipes and adds his own little twists to each recipe. Having lived away from major cities myself for some time, I especially could relate to his struggles to find the right ingredients. His mob stories are amusing too.

I read the book cover to cover because it is kind of in a story form. Hill will tell a few stories about a particular place he lived and then give recipes for the food he ate there. I highly recommend this cookbook. It is a must have.

When the rumors began flying about this book I laughed. What! Now this guy is doing a cookbook! I was intrigued. I received the book today,read it from cover to cover and made garbanzo bean salad and grilled eggplant,hey, pretty damn good! I plan a trip to the grocery store tomorrow for ingredients of fresh herbs a few spices and such to try out more recipes, will surprise the husband....."men love variety".
This book flows naturally, the stories introducing the recipes,the rules,tips and advice all flow very well. It's an easy and entertaining read. Definitely will play around with these recipes for a long time. There are recipes for the beginner to the more serious and experienced house chef.
Henry Hill is a great storyteller,honest and sincere,this quality really shines in this book. Forget the wiseguy and goodfella aspects of Henry Hill for a second, read between the lines and you'll find that he shares a part of himself that is really close to his heart, his love of cooking, the recipes and what it all means to him. I'm sure many can relate. I recommend this cookbook, not as a novelty but as a real collection of authentic Italian recipes,in addition to some old all American favorites. It's impressive.

When you grow up with an Italian mom who cooks dishes that nobody else has ever heard of you wonder if you are the only person that has tasted such amazing dishes. Well I don't wonder anymore. The recipes are wonderful. I grew up cooking most of the dishes written about in this book and must say Henry's recipes taste just like "mom's" - in fact just a bit better.... I think this book is extremely well written not only for the "advanced" cook but also for the "novice" cook as I bought a copy for my son and he now uses it to prepare dinner for his family. If you want to cook real "Italian" food - this is your book.

This is two books in one! Wonderful, amusing, and exciting stories of Henry Hill's life accompanied by mouth-watering recipies. The text is very well written; the recipes clear. The different indexes of recipes are a great idea and very helpful.

I've glimpsed someone else's copy and can't wait for my own to arrive! I highly recommend this book.

This cookbook rocks! I was actually looking for another cookbook at the bookstore when this caught my eye. As I thumbed through it, it looked to be a great mix between autobiographical storytelling and authentic Sicilian-inspired Italian cooking from a man that knows what he's talking about when it comes to this type of cooking. I had to buy it! I am not Italian, so his insider's know-how is extremely helpful. Hill provides lots of hints and tips to make these dishes a success. I'm reading through it like a novel, actually, and his background stories are as entertaining as his recipes are mouthwatering. Don't get me wrong though. The main component of this terrific book is that it's a cookbook loaded with recipes he either grew up with, or had to improvise on while on the run. Most seem surprisingly easy and made with simple ingredients...not any fancy schmancy unrealistic recipes nobody has time to make. If you love this type of food, you will LOVE this cookbook. It's well worth the money.

I got this for my husband last Christmas and we haven't found anything that wasn't totally delicious. The only problem is, we can't eat Italian in a restaurant anymore! We cook better at home!! With Henry's precise step-by-step directions, and his delightful autobiographical inserts, this is our favorite cookbook.
If you can stomach it, a viewing of "Goodfellas" really makes the cookbook a lot of fun and brings the voice of Henry Hill to life. Sometimes we can feel him running around our kitchen in his drug-induced haze, preparing his Michael's favorite meatballs just like in the movie!

Wow was I amazed. I'm italian and have never seen a true italian cookbook. Whats contained in here are things strictly only italian families from New York would have. If you have been to olive garden, and 99% of other italian italian restaurants you never had real italian food. Get this book, make some real italian food, and you'll never be able to eat at any italian restaurant unless its in New York area after this.

That means "good eats" in Italian, and that's what you get with this nifty tome! I hope you're not expecting a primer on how to toss a package of Ronzoni into a pot of boiling water - as Mr. Hill might say, "puh-leese"! Lobster Fra Diavolo, Pizza Margherita, Braciole, and Paulie's Striped Bass are some of the highlights, so you know these recipes are no joke. Apron and funny hat are recommended for full enjoyment of the secrets contained within...

If you want to learn how to cook the most Italian of all American Italian food -- New York style Italian -- buy this book. The conversational style was so enjoyable, I hated the book to end. Not your average cookbook experience.

The way The Wiseguy Cookbook is set up: there are lots of bold insets to give you tips on improving the dish or sometimes more importantly what NOT to do. Between recipes, Henry gives an account of his considerable kitchen experience, beginning in his childhood. This gives a story-telling feel to the book which is quite entertaining.

I learned lots of helpful advice in this book and my Italian food, which was already good, has finally earned an A rating from my husband. If you're reading this, thanks Henry!