Big Love Cooking: 75 Recipes for Satisfying, Shareable … (2024)

What a beautiful cookbook! The author, Joey Campanaro, is a celebrated chef with a restaurant called The Little Owl which he talks about in the book. The photographs are pictures of Italian American comfort food that makes your mouth water just looking at them!! I wish there were a photographs for every recipe!!!

The 75 recipe choices include brunch, soups and salads, vegetables, pasta, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, Sunday supper, and desserts. These great recipes include detailed step-by-step instructions. I feel like I would want to make most of the recipes on a weekend or special occasion because they are a little involved. They are doable because of the great instructions, but some of the prepwork is time consuming. Most ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.

Many of the recipes include a story which i enjoyed and gave me the feeling like i was talking to an old friend. The one recipe I made from the cookbook was Italian Wedding Soup which has always been a favorite of mine. There were a few twists in this recipe that I had never tried before, like adding an egg in the soup and forming the meatballs into spoon-size servings, baking them before adding them to the soup. I was amazed at how much more flavor the soup had compared to the Italian Wedding Soup I usually make. This will now become my go to recipe!!

I would recommend this book to anybody that loves Italian food. I reviewed the digital copy, but will be buying my own copy to add to my cookbook collection!

Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC of Joey Campanaro's cookbook in exchange for my review.

Big Love Cooking by Joey Campanaro is an amazing cookbook by the owner of Little Owl Restaurant in New York City. The book provides 75 recipes, including the pork chop and parmesan butter beans, one of Little Owl's most popular dishes. There is a recipe for the spice mix Campanaro uses in many of Little Owl's dishes, as well as brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert recipes. What I loved most are the stories that accompany the recipes. Campanaro tells us all about his family, life, and restaurant as he teaches us how to make delicious food.

Many of the recipes are complicated, but I feel will be worth the effort and will make me a more experienced cook. I will definitely buy a hard copy of this one.

I received a digital copy from the publishers via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I can't cook most of these recipes (Campanaro loves his meat and I cook mostly vegetarian, and I also cook gluten free, which this book is definitely not) but that doesn't stop me from appreciating everything about it. The author is a celebrated chef with several restaurants (The Tiny Owl is the one most often mentioned in this book, which happens to be downstairs from the famous apartment from Friends). He talks often of his Italian American upbringing in Philadelphia and the book is filled with stories, memories, cooking lessons, and amazing food that will take you hours to cook but will be worth it. Color photos accompany about half the recipes. A fantastic resource.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

I loved the cover of this cookbook from the moment my eyes caught a glance at it. That dish on the cover was definitely calling my name and the title caught my eye. The title never promised me anything, in fact, the author was giving me something personal and I had to see if they were really something I wanted.

I liked immediately how the book was printed on bright white, heavy paper. To me, the heavy paper and the bright paper give off an upscale and elegant appearance. Although there weren’t as many pictures of the recipes as I would have liked, those that were present, looked fresh and delicious. I felt as if there were about 1 picture for every 4 recipes in this book which was disappointing.

In this book, you will find a Foreword, Introduction, Big Love Pantry (flours, spices, cheeses, pasta, etc.), Big Love Cooking Essentials (kitchen tools & gadgets), 8 Chapters of recipes, Afterwards, Acknowledgments, and an excellent Index. In each chapter, you’ll find some personal information about that chapter’s topic and a list of recipes with page numbers at the beginning. I have to say, this book is very personal and I enjoyed reading about this famous chef and his various topics. Opening up his family pictures to us, we’re allowed to get a look inside at his family and see how they inspired him and what their life is like today. There are 8 chapters in this book: Brunch, Soups and Salads, Vegetables, Pasta, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Seafood, Sunday Supper, and Dessert.

Each recipe has a list of ingredients needed, how many it was make, and how to prepare it, in paragraph form. The ingredients are listed in metric also (1 cup (140 g) whole wheat flour and 1/3 cup (45 g) fresh blueberries). Looking over the ingredients for these comfort dishes, I see that they’re not complicated, “there’s no wild goose chase here,” for what the author states is true. They’re made from “fresh ingredients that are readily available at the supermarket,” which I see is true, for the most part. Some of the items may be seasonal and some items may depend on where you shop, but most items I can find at my local store.

I thought the commentary before each recipe was interesting. These personal stories felt as if he was actually talking to me, giving me advice about the recipe. Sometimes his personal touch continued into the recipe when I read the recipe and he’d mention why something was done a certain way or he’d mentioned options and tell me the difference between the options. I liked that. So, what did I find? Snickerdoodles with Salted Carmel, Monday Baked Ziti (I love pasta), Little Owl Gravy Meatball Sliders (I have to try these as he mentions them a lot), Little Owl Pork Chops with Parmesan Butter Beans, Chicken Cacciatore, Fontina Sausage Biscuits, (there’s a bunch more). This cookbook looks doable, I can’t wait to get started. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing a copy of this book for me to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'd never heard of Little Owl restaurant, but having read this recipe book, if I was ever in the area it'd be at the top of my list.

Described as comfort food recipes, there are a mix of recipes in terms of effort and time management. It has some tips for things that I already cook - for example their recipe for cheeseburgers is identical to what I make except for the addition of The Harrison Spice Mix (read the book to find out what that is, I'm not spoiling it for them but I will say I would NEVER have thought of adding this mix to burgers!), which I'll definitely be trying. I made the Old-school sweet potatoes (I never would have thought of cooking sweet potatoes in ginger ale!) and they were absolutely divine. Some of the more simple recipes, such as the Little Owl Crispy Chicken, aren't so much a recipe as a guide to how to cook it best, which I really liked - I gained some useful tips and things that I can apply to food in my kitchen.

But I'd say most of the recipes seem like a large amount of effort and may be comforting to eat, but a lot of work to make, something I'd definitely save for a special occasion or entertaining rather than family meals. I really want to try the Pork Chops with Parmesan Butter Beans, but I've never seen a Pork Chop recipe with 23 ingredients before! In a restaurant you will naturally be cooking large quantities of dishes and have all your ingredients. For people at home, it can be a bit fiddly to prepare just one meal that requires just a little bit of lots of things.

I was pleased to see that recipes were measured in grams and ml as well as my most hated measurement, the cup. There are a reasonable amount of photos; but not every recipe has a photo and I would have loved to see every meal pictured. Unfortunately there are no calculations for nutrition or calories, meaning anyone who is tracking dietary requirements will need to calculate this themselves.

The 75 recipes all seem pretty unique and special to me, so this is a great book to have on your shelf when you want to pull off some amazing Italian and Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Each recipe is clearly crafted with a great deal of thought and experience. Despite the complexity being generally higher than I expected, I look forward to making these recipes and using this book. In fact, I have plans to use it for our upcoming wedding anniversary!

Nice book! Very well organized and the photos are mouth-watering! It looks like a grandma cookbook! There are some recipes that I would try to recreate but honestly I would prefer going to their restaurant to eat it there. The recipes seems a little hard for everyday cooking, I would make them for special occasions. The instructions are long but well explained. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Loved this collection of recipes with gorgeous photos, lots of great salads and family vignettes!!!
I especially loved the sangria-marinated skirt steak and the brioche french toast recipes. They were big hits. I felt like part of the family, a gift worthy cookbook, in my opinion!

If you ever visit my house you may notice that I have a big bookshelf full of cookbooks in my kitchen. I love browsing through cookbooks and bookmarking recipes that I want to try. And occasionally, I even get around to trying them. I love cookbooks with easy to follow recipes and great photography.

Big Love Cooking by Joey Campanaro definitely fits the bill. This cook book contains 75 recipes inspired by the cuisine at his popular NYC restaurant Little Owl. There are many Italian recipes in this book for anything from brunch fare to soup and salad, veggies, main courses and desserts. I probably bookmarked around 20 recipes on my first go through the book and added a few ingredients to my online shopping cart so I can try out some of them. Up first we will try the snickerdoodles with salted caramel and the halibut with pesto.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for approachable yet elevated Italian fare inspiration.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There are a lot of reasons I love to read cookbooks. Sometimes I love the food (cake!) or the chef. Or Maybe it teaches me about a cuisine I know only a little about. And sometimes, reading a cookbook makes me feel like I am coming back home. Reading Big Love Cooking made me feel like that.

I have never been to Little Owl. I haven’t even been to Manhattan since the 1990s, but reading chef Joey Campanaro’s (and co-writer Theresa Gambacorta’s) cookbook, filled with recipes and stories from his restaurant Little Owl, I feel a little like I’ve gotten a chance to experience some of the warmth, the comfort, and the flavor that Campanaro brings to his diners. Big Love Cooking is a celebration of his Italian American heritage, his childhood in South Philly, and his 14 years at Little Owl.

The cookbook is filled with 75 amazing recipes, including the Whole Wheat Pancakes with Berries that Alton Brown loves, the Little Owl Pork Chop with Parmesan Butter Beans, Potato Fontina Fonduta, Veal Marsala, Littleneck Clams with Juicy Bread, Campanaro Family Lasagna, Little Gem Caesar Salad with Panko Crunchies, Sesame Seed Breadsticks, the Brandied Cherry and Apple Strudel based on the one that he made for Arnold Schwarzeneggar (who said it was just like his mother’s), and the Gravy Meatball Sliders that Calvin Trillin waxes poetic about in his foreword.

Sprinkled in between all these recipes are the true riches of this cookbook—the stories Chef Campanaro shares of his family, of learning to cook from his mother and grandmother, the moments that make you feel like an insider in his family kitchen. He shares how to butcher a chicken, what kind of flour he likes for his hand-made pasta, the recipe for his seafood spice mix, how to make a genuine Italian Sunday gravy, what it takes to make the best biscuits.

And the pictures! Photographer Con Poulos has captured the warmth of Little Owl, of these gorgeous dishes, and of the people around Campanaro laughing and loving and eating. And the food? Seeing these photos makes me want to lick my computer screen. That shot of the Philly Cheesecake with Blueberry Agave Sauce? I want to get a print of it framed to stare at every day. These photos just underline the warmth and comfort of Little Owl and the food they create there, that feeling of being at home but not having to be the one who cleans up, the joy of being a part of a larger family who feeds you really well.

I can’t get to New York to visit Little Owl any time soon, but with Big Love Cooking, I do get a glimpse into the experience of being there. And I can recreate some of that flavor and comfort here in my own kitchen in the middle of the country, and I can feel the love and belonging that those great Italian American dishes provide. In other words, even here, far away from Campanaro’s restaurant, I can still feel and share the big love in that Big Love Cooking. And that feels good.

Egalleys for Big Love Cooking were provided by Chronicle Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Big Love Cooking is a welcome collection of good recipes that reflect a love of good food that sets instead of follows trends. Joey Campanaro dedicated this book to his mother and grandmother and for good reason, their recipes and their food aesthetic form the foundation of his cooking, and many of their recipes are included. There are eight chapters with around ten recipes in each one. Most of the chapters, though, are organized by the main ingredients, not by the meals. The exceptions are the opening chapter on brunch and the closing chapters for “Sunday Supper” and desserts.

Big Love Cooking is full of the kind of recipes I want to make, pasta, meatballs, roasted chicken, pizza, and biscuits. There are exquisite details that elevate the recipes such as a dash of molasses and oregano in the pizza dough or sausage incorporated right into the biscuits. The recipes are amply illustrated with photos that make everything look delicious.

The recipes all have a bit of introduction and very detailed instructions. Ingredients are given in American and the rest of the world’s measurements. He also provides details on what you should stock your pantry and the kind of kitchen equipment necessary. This is a great idea. I would, however, move the chapter on stocking the pantry and buying equipment until the end simply because it takes several pages of reading before getting to the first recipe.

This book could actually be very helpful for inexperienced cooks because the instructions are so clear. However, it is designed in such a way that it might intimidate someone from even trying. These are almost all design elements, not part of the author’s recipes. The ingredients are double spaced and even salt and pepper have their own lines every time telling us Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Of course, he must include salt and pepper, but why not one line? The double-spacing makes the ingredient list feel longer than it is. A few times I nearly balked at a recipe, thinking it looked like more trouble than I wanted to deal with. However, reading the recipe, it was not that long or complicated, it just seemed that way.

Nonetheless, everything sounds delicious and I can vouch for the pizza dough. It’s spectacular.

I received an e-galley of Big Love Cooking from the publisher through NetGalley

Big Love Cooking at Chronicle Books
Joey Campanaro agency site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Big Love Cooking is a recipe collection by Little Owl restaurateur Joey Campanaro. Due out 8th Sept 2020 from Chronicle Books, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The introductory chapter is followed by the recipes arranged thematically: brunch, soups & salads, vegetables, pasta, meat & poultry, fish & seafood, Sunday supper, and desserts. Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US measurements, with metric equivalents in parentheses (yay!)), and step by step instructions. Many of the recipes are photographed, and they are photographed well and clearly. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate.

I was impressed by the level of detail in the preparation instructions. They're meticulously elucidated no matter how complex. I found the well written instructions reassuring and felt like I could achieve a good consistent result by following them closely. Many of them are deceptively involved; there are some which are definitely outside the realm of after-work-cooking. Ingredients are very specific, including specific cheeses and varieties of vegetables or types of meat. Some ingredients will require access to specialist grocers or cheesemakers.

The book is peppered with family photos and reminiscences which I found charming and fascinating. Mr. Campanaro's love for his culture and family background shines through in his writing. These reminiscences add a lot of flavor (sorry) to the book and provide anchoring context to the family and restaurant recipes he shares with a wider audience in his book. The website of the Little Owl restaurant refers to their customers throughout as "family" and reading this book, it really has the ring of truth. These are many of his treasured family recipes.

Wonderful Italian American comfort food recipes. These would grace any special gathering or special meal.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Personal Chef Cookbook

This lovely cookbook was written by a New York restaurateur that not only shares restaurant favorites but also family ones. The book is imbued with a strong sense of place, with photos from the restaurant's neighborhood and stories of some residents. The author shares some interior shots of the restaurant and his Italian family through the years. It feels like a very personal chef cookbook. The cookbook is divided into these chapters: brunch, soups and salads, vegetables, pasta, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, Sunday supper, and desserts. Certainly the pasta and Sunday supper (featuring meaty tomato gravy and all the trimmings) chapters put this cookbook squarely in Italian territory. As I don't eat meat, I like that the author had so many recipes that didn't have any. Plenty of vegetarian choices, which is often the case with Italian cookbooks. Throughout the book, the author has a few pages given over to mini-essays about particular food topics like how to make proper biscuits or choose meats for Sunday gravy. As this is a cookbook written by an NYC chef, some recipes are complex using some specialized ingredients that might be difficult for some of us outside of major metro areas to source. He also uses tools that are more apt to be in a chef's kitchen than a home cook’s one, like a mandoline, a food mill, or special pots and pans. Not every recipe had a photo—and I certainly wish that more did, especially for the unusual recipes—but the photos included look so yummy that I wanted to go in the kitchen and make some. I like it when a cookbook is so inspiring. If you like chef cookbooks where they share both personal and restaurant recipes as well as appreciate Italian-inspired dishes, you may enjoy this cookbook as much as I did.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Famed restauranteur Joey Campanaro shares his family-style recipes along with insights from his Italian grandmother’s kitchen, conversational advice, and stories from his NYC restaurant in his comfort food cookbook. A few of his simple, authentic, shareable dishes include the Campanaro Family Lasagna, Pork Chops with Parmesan Butter Beans, Little Owl Crispy Chicken, Littleneck Clams with Juicy Bread, and Mom-Mom Pizza. In addition to comforting entrées, Big Love Cooking includes a variety of brunch (Brioche French Toast with Stewed Strawberries), soup (Italian Wedding Soup with Mini Meatballs and Egg Drop), and vegetable (Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Soft Herb Salad) recipes.

I included this release in my October 2020 magazine feature "Eat, Drink, and Celebrate the Season" for Perimeter North Lifestyle Magazine, Alpharetta Lifestyle Magazine, Johns Creek Lifestyle Magazine, and Smyrna Vinings Lifestyle Magazine

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Let’s just say I hope this tiny little restaurant made it through this pandemic because I can’t say enough about this cookbook. I would love to sit at a table and order some of these mouth watering recipes. I am so absolutely amazed and hungry after making it through this cookbook not to mention humbled.

What did I like? I’m Italian food lover at heart and the combination of recipes..pictures, and stories just make this a wonderful book. There is all sorts of tidbits and founts of information in this book that just make me want it, not to mention the mouth watering pictures. The author also includes stories of his child hood and how the Little Owl restaurant came to be. How to butcher a chicken, and a cute song playlist. I just fell in love with this cookbook and added to my wish list on amazon! It doesn’t come out until September but I can’t wait to try the recipes.

Would I recommend or buy? YES...YES...YES. It’s on my buy list and I’m definitely getting a copy. All the recipes look delicious and it’s a five star recommendation too. The stories pull me in, the recipes look amazing, and given the fact that you could potentially visit the restaurant just makes this a winning combo. I just fangirl it... looks positively divine.

Thoughts for the author? I would love a signed copy! I rarely get an author to respond to my reviews but it does occasionally occur ...but this is one author I would love a copy from. Five amazing cookbook stars. Loved everything about it. Thanks so much for a sneak peek! Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion!

I received this Arc from Chronicle Books for an honest review.
I found this book to be more than just a cookbook. Yes, there are recipes and instructions for them but along with most are also stories that add to each one. Though the author is the owner of a restaurant named “Little Owl” what you have is a book that feels like when I was learning how to cook Italian food from my father and him telling me the family history, or stories that went along with the different dishes that we would make or how his grandmother who came over from Italy had taught him. I got that same feeling with this book. This only wants me to read the book again after I finished it the first time to see if I had missed anything from the author.
You do get everything for a meal, soups, salads, pasta, poultry, seafood, desserts. Which were all good. I did find out growing up that each Italian family made dishes different depending on what region they came from. My family came from Southern Italy along the coast and ate a lot of seafood, vegetables of course pasta but not a lot of meat. until they came to America. When I would visit them in New York I found myself have a meal that was like the different sections in this book so really, I was revisiting relatives that have passed, very good memories. This book reminded me of that plus added new recipes or takes on others that I already make. This book is a must for the home cook and would be a great addition for anyone or a gift for a cook that you know. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

I've gotten my hands on several cookbooks and have been trying my hand at several dishes, from vegan to deserts and snacks and am rolling myself over to my computer to share my opinions.

Big Love Cooking by Joey Campanaro is fun as both a recipe book and an interesting read. Okay, you have to enjoy going through all the recipes to catch all of the notes and stories, but they are well worth it. They make the book feel more like a personal gift from the chef instead of just borrowing his recipes.

I made the Baked Ricotta Crespelle, something I had never tried. It was a fairly straightforward recipe though not what I consider an easy recipe. Many cooks will likely find it easier than I did since my feeling is based on my experience and comfort level. That said, the recipe walked me through everything just fine and the result was fantastic. I used his marinara recipe, a basic one, and was very happy with it. I will be using his marinara from now on with my own dishes.

I also made a batch of his spice mix, the Harrison Spice Mix, which I have used in some other meals and it really does add a nice touch. I'll keep some of it on hand and experiment with what it might be good in. I am looking forward to trying a few more recipes in the near future, these are excellent for both family meals and entertaining, so very versatile.

I definitely recommend this for people who like to cook hearty meals as well as those who read recipe books like books of short stories. It is both a fun and useful book.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.

This is by no means an easy cookbook, but frankly I think it’s worth it for the brunch options alone. That said, the recipes in the entire book look amazing! I do wish there were pictures with everything, but even the descriptions do enough to leave my tastebuds salivating. Even though some recipes look like a challenge I’m beyond excited to take some of them into the kitchen with me. I’m also more hopeful about my being able to finish some of them because there are substitutes in the book that make it far easier to churn out these phenomenal recipes without labouring away at every detail when you simply don’t have the time or energy.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt though, what makes this cookbook stand out are the personal stories and details sprinkled throughout. This is clearly a cookbook that has come from recipes shared around the dinner table for years and it not only adds character but also depth to the recipes. In some cases, certain recipes even build on one another (eg. Monday Baked Ziti). Now while I wouldn’t ordinarily consider myself someone who likes cookbooks filled with a bunch of sentimental details, this book has it in just the right quantities and sharing just the right things. In many cases, the personal anecdotes give you cooking tips you wouldn’t ordinarily have while giving you a greater sense of who the chef is behind the recipes and I love it.

I’m certain this book won’t just result in good food, but will also result in me being a better chef for it.

Big Love Cooking by Joey Campanaro is an amazing cookbook by the owner of Little Owl Restaurant in New York City. I am hoping that this restaurant has survived these trying times because the next time I am in NYC visiting our grandson I am definitely making a reservation.

The book provides 75 Italian recipes that were passed down through his family and tweaked with his own flair. Definitely tons of comfort food which is awesome for this Italian. Most generational Italian cooks have tons of memories and stories that go with certain dishes. Well Joey does not disappoint. I love the way he phonetically says certain ingredients and dishes. (Schka-role) The stories resonate family and food.

Each recipe is created with a great deal of thought and experience. The photos are absolutely gorgeous. I wish there was one for every recipe.

I look forward to making these recipes and using this book. While there is time involved with each recipe (some might balk at that) I feel that “love” food is worth the time and effort. I can’t say enough about this cookbook. It is definitely something you should add to your cookbook collection. Absolutely five star recommendation. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. Well done!

I would like to thank Joey Campanaro, Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh the meals in this! Lovely!

Mom Mom Pizza was especially fabulous and made me think of childhood. I've been wanting to make biscuits from scratch and there's an entire page about making biscuits. I have before but his recipes just seem to have some extra oomph and bring a bit of pizzazz compared to older, less fun recipes.

The book has a lot of heart and a lot of recipes that I cannot wait to try. There is a lot about family and anecdotes about how and why the recipes are in here. Onion Soup Gratin is one that I laughed at, but specifically because I'm a home cook and still learning quite a bit, and Joey Campanaro makes this sound easy while also being honest. This particular recipe has a demi-glace, which he explains takes all night to cook. Fortunately he gives an alternative demi-glace which can be bought!

The pictures and the stories behind them made me want to jump in. I don't even like Italian Wedding Soup, but after his story and the fact that he makes mini meatballs so they can fit on a spoon!? This is just another recipe that I'm going to try and I cannot wait.

The recipes seem affordable with ingredients that are accessible, even for someone living in a remote location like I do. These are things I'd love to make for my hubby on our date nights. Definitely buying this for myself and some lucky friends!

This book is just full of wonderful food to share. There are chapters on Brunch, Soups and Salads, Vegetables, Pasta, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Seafood, Sunday Supper, and Desserts.

There are many photos inside that provide a sense of the origins of the recipes for this author. There are also photos of the food that will make readers hungry. The author is inspired by his New York City based, West Village, restaurant Little Owl. His story is told in the introduction.

The book opens with a chapter that suggests the things that one might want to have in a pantry. And then, come the recipes. Fontina Sausage Biscuits, anyone? How about a Warm Radicchio, Pancetta and Gorgonzola Salad or one with Spinach, Avocado and Strawberries with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing? There are so many other recipes in this book as well, seventy-five in all. Just to name a few; Baked Eggplant Parmesan, Baked Ricotta Crespelle and My Mother's Ziti in the pasta section. Keep paging through until you get to desserts like Birthday Rum Cake and Philly Cheesecake with Blueberry Agave Sauce.

This is a very personal feeling cookbook that will leave readers hungry! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

**I received an e-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review**

This is how a cookbook should be done!

Just enough story to make me feel that the author loves the food, but not so much as to make me dread the next paragraph. It’s obvious that Joey Campanaro loves food and loves to cook.

It’s nice that Campanaro gives us a breakdown of ingredients and also gives an explanation of why he chooses those specific ones. He also explains his cooking process, up to and including when to let the meals sit (such as the flu shot soup) for maximum benefits.

This book made reminds me of when I was growing up, and how my grandmother had certain cooking steps and processes that she followed and passed down, ones I still use to this day (even if I improved on them a little bit). It’s nice to relive the memories, and see how Almost all grandmothers, no matter their nationality, seem to behave the same way in the kitchen.

The recipes are wide ranging, and the ones I’ve tried have been excellent. It’ll take me a while, but I plan to try every single recipe in this book at some point.
The photography leaves you hungry, not only for food, but for more of the book as well!

5/5 stars!

Excellent cookbook from one of America's top chefs. Campanaro shares his own recipe secrets and family memories associated with them. The experience of this cookbook is like you are being invited to his family's table. The illustrations are gorgeous and absolutely appetite-inducing. Campanaro also shares pantry how-tos including brands, types of ingredients (which salts to keep on hand for example), and the where and how of fresh herbs. He even details how to use the herbs properly I will be using this book to create my next grocery list and for planning my next herb garden! Delicious recipes, readers will want to try every single one.

Yes, you can find all kinds of recipes on Pinterest. But the cookbook is not dead and this is a perfect example of why. You can't learn cooking from Pinterest the way you can from this book. Highly recommend.

I was given an advance reader copy of this title on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh My Gosh!!! I can't say enough about this book! First of all, I am obsessed with cookbooks! I have a couple hundred and my husband is on me constantly to weed some out and only buy digital from now on. Much to his disappointment, I ended up buying the hard copy of this one too. It is that good! The general theme is cooking a big family meal that brings everyone together. I love to cook, but am on time constraints due to my job and there are only 2 of us. Fortunately we like leftovers, as most of these recipes make a lot. I am a quick, easy and convenient cook, but this book made me want to want to slow down and cook from scratch occasionally. I absolutely loved all of the pasta choices! I was actually in NYC 2 years ago and wish I had known about Little Owl Restaurant then. Oh well, just an excuse to go back! Can't recommend this one enough!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Joey Campanaro and Chronicle Books for this digital ARC.

Caution: Do not read while hungry. Everything sounds delicious!

This cookbook is for serious eaters. And serious chefs!

I love the format - with straight talk about ingredients and cooking essentials. I love the stories behind the chef and his recipes. I love the photography - of the food and of the Little Owl restaurant. And I love the range of categories and recipes within each.

What I do not love is the amount of cooking required for each recipe. Ha! I would love to eat at Little Owl. And I would love to have Joey Campanaro cook for me any day of the week. I’m just not sure that I am up for cooking any of these recipes myself. The nuances and details are all perfect ... it just seems like a lot of work for the average home cook. Still, the cookbook would be a wonderful addition to any collection.

Joey Campanaro's book is simply delicious. Let me start by saying that the pictures on this book are probably the best pictures I have seen in a cookbook; I wanted to eat each page with a picture of food in it. The recipes are a perfect balance between casualness and thoughtful preparation: what a home cooked meal feels like, in other words. I also loved the family stories and pictures included, it definitely adds a touch of heritage and gratitude.
I had the pleasure of trying his dishes when I visited his restaurant, 'The Little Owl", about 10 years ago. I confess, I went there for the photo op of being the restaurant in the building shown to be Monica and Rachel's apartment in Friends. However, when I stood next to the door for the picture, and I the smell from the food hit me, I started salivating and simply had to try it. I was so glad I did!

With the most mouthwatering recipe titles and great photographs, this is a cookbook you must have in your library! I love to cook and these recipes gave me inspiration to try some new things. I made the Sangria Marinated Skirt Steak first and it turned out so incredibly good. I can see why Mr Campanaro won the Food Network Challenge. I truly believe 5 stars are not nearly enough to rate this wonderful cookbook.
There are a great mix of recipes, from simple to a little more in depth. This is like a bible for anyone who refers to themselves as a foodie! It will be a great read for anyone who likes to eat. It even includes a playlist to listen to while cooking.
Now I am going to try to find myself a cast iron sheet tray so I can make Mom-Mom's pizza next!!
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC and the chance to give my honest review.
#NetGalley #BookloveCookbook

I love a good cook book. This book is written by Joey Campanaro, the owner of Little Owl Restaurant in New York City. This cookbook is great because of the history and stories behind the restaurant the author worked at and the recipes themselves. The recipes sound delicious and many seem doable for an amateur chef, although many seem time consuming and not friendly to picky kids. I'd classify the cuisine as Mediterranean and Italian-American. The writing is well done, easy to follow, and the pictures are amazing! Would definitely be up for a visit to Little Owl if I'm ever in New York to try some of the recipes from a real chef!

Recipes that sound good to me:
Spinach, Avocado, and Strawberry Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Spicy Mexican Style Roasted Corn
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Gnocchi with Goat Cheese and Ratatouille
Birthday Rum Cake

For Lovers of Italian Food

Joey Campanaro, owner of Little Owl Restaurant in New York City has produced a cookbook that feels like a family get together. The recipes are mouth-watering, but I loved the stories and pictures that went with them. It felt like being gathered around an Italian family table.

For me, the recipes are a little too complicated for everyday, but would be wonderful for company or a special occasion. I particularly liked the Italian Wedding Soup recipe. It has always been one of my favorites and his suggestions like baking the meatballs before adding them seemed like a great idea.

The pictures are wonderful. Even if you don’t attempt to cook the food yourself, the book is definitely worth reading.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Big Love Cooking by Joey Campanaro is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late September.

Written by Campanaro, the chef of the Little Owl, a pleasant family-style Italian restaurant with pointed nods toward Mediterranean and South Philadelphia dining. He seems like a super jolly, let me take care’a you kinda guy - often, he lays on the exclamation points a little thick, but not in a way that’s annoying or overbearing. He honestly wants you to have a good time cooking and eating wonderful food. And, just as well, each recipe is truly marvelous. As a side note, I’d actually just found out about the concept of Sunday gravy when Pinterest subtly corrected me on a recipe to use with spaghetti noodles. Touché, ‘terest.

A cookbook loaded with delicious looking recipes, it is divided into Brunch, Soups & Salads, Vegetables, Pasta, Meat & Poultry, Fish & Seafood, Sunday Supper and Desserts. It includes a pantry list and essential cooking utensils and puncuated with full-color photographs. The cover photo of My Mother's Ziti with Cherry Tomatoes, Sausage, and Zucchini looks absolutely scrumptious. Cinnamon Sugar Beignets with Raspberry Sauce and Nutella would make a fantastic brunch. How about Crab Cakes with Beefsteak Tomatoes followed by Snickerdoodles with Salted Caramel?

I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.