Why I Cook

by Tom Colicchio, Joshua David Stein (With)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

From the public to the private, acclaimed chef and television personality Tom Colicchio shares the story behind his love of cooking — and his successful career.

From Emmy Award-winning chef Tom Colicchio—a cookbook and memoir that shares an exclusive look inside the mind and kitchen of the beloved restaurateur and TV personality * An Amazon Best Book of 2024 * A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2024 

Tom Colicchio cooked his first recipe at 13 years old—a stuffed eggplant from an issue of Cuisine magazine that he picked up out of boredom—and it changed his life. Now for the first time ever, Tom recounts the extraordinary personal journey that brought him from his working-class Italian background in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to the award-winning kitchens of New York City’s best restaurants, to the set of Top Chef and the stage of the Emmy Awards. 

Through 10 memoir chapters and 60 recipes, Why I Cook shares Tom’s personal reflections of more than 40 years behind the stove. From pre-dawn fishing excursions with his grandfather to running the flat-top at the snack shack of the local swim club, to finding his way as a young chef in New York City, Tom chronicles the dishes and memories that have shaped him as a person and chef.

Through these meaningful dishes, gorgeous recipe shots, and images from Tom’s childhood, Why I Cook is the most personal look into Tom’s life yet.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781648291289
Publisher:	Artisan
Publication date:	10/08/2024
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	26,157
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.60(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Tom Colicchio is an 8-time James Beard Award-winning chef, and the owner of Crafted Hospitality, which includes New York City’s Craft, Temple Court, and Vallata; Las Vegas’ Craftsteak; and Small Batch in Garden City, New York. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001.
 
A vocal and outspoken social justice advocate, Tom executive produced the 2013 documentary A Place at the Table about the underlying causes of hunger in the United States. This eye-opening experience led Tom on a journey to Washington, D.C. where he has been a mainstay in our nation’s capital in the years since. From holding members of Congress accountable on their voting records around food to working with former FLOTUS Michelle Obama on the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, Tom has established himself as the leading “Citizen Chef” advocating for a food system that values access, affordability, and nutrition over corporate interests.
 
Tom is a frequent contributor on several television shows and networks, including MSNBC, CNN, ABC, and Bloomberg and is the host of the iHeart Radio podcast, Citizen Chef. Tom is the head judge and executive producer of the Emmy-winning Bravo hit series, Top Chef. He is the host and executive producer of a new interactive cooking show, The Pantry, on Spirits Network.
 
Tom lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their three sons. When not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending his North Fork, Long Island garden, fishing, or playing guitar.

Joshua David Stein is a writer based in New York City. He is the author of Cooking for Your Kids: At Home with the World’s Greatest Chefs and the coauthor of Notes from a Young Black Chef and My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef, both with Kwame Onwuachi; The Nom Wah Cookbook, with Wilson Tang; Il Buco: Stories and Recipes, with Donna Lennard; Vino: An Essential Guide to Real Italian Wine, with Joe Campanale; and Food & Beer, with Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø and Daniel Burns. He is also the author of To Me He Was Just Dad: Stories of Growing Up with Famous Fathers and a number of award-winning children’s books, including Can I Eat That?, What’s Cooking?, and Solitary Animals.
 

Editorial Reviews

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. . . . This cultivated collection of tales from a storied culinary career will elevate cookbook shelves and deliver lots of family meals along with hours of reading enjoyment.—Library Journal

Chronicles the James Beard Award winner’s ascent from a working-class New Jersey childhood to becoming a New York City restaurateur and Top Chef fame, and includes recipes he mastered along the way.—Publishers Weekly

Part memoir and part cookbook, this tome will have the Top Chef host's fans engaged for the ride. Chapters are organized by the chronology of Colicchio's life in and out of the kitchen. Entrepreneurship and human behavior dominate Colicchio’s rise in the restaurant industry and the trials and tribulations that emerge when friendship and business intersect. His interpersonal relationships—from love life to partnerships at Gramercy Tavern and beyond—are the heartbeat of the book, woven around a seasonal smattering of comfort recipes that he developed for home cooking and to reconnect with his family during the pandemic. An Italian American influence can be found in his grandfather’s frittata and his mother’s pasta with broccoli. Comfort foods such as "Not Imitation Crab Rice" or one-pot pork chops with cherry peppers and potatoes will please those looking to cook for loved ones. Glimpses of Colicchio in his home kitchen or cuddling family members are reminders that this foodie celebrity is human and that cooking for others is the way he gets back to what truly matters to him.—Booklist

“Why I Cook is a beautiful tapestry of Tom’s life and culinary journey. I am deeply moved by his candid reflections. Each section reveals a new facet of his remarkable career and personal growth. Tom’s heartfelt stories and exceptional recipes showcase the flavors that have shaped his culinary identity. Why I Cook is an inspiring read that captures the essence of who Tom is, both in and out of the kitchen.”—Eric Ripert

“From Tom’s gritty New Jersey beginnings as a stoner line cook to his mega-successful career as a restaurateur, Why I Cook shows us the importance of family, food, figuring out what you are good at, and following your passion. Tom’s advocacy and leadership on ending food insecurity are inspirational.”—Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi

“A captivating blend of memoir and cookbook. It’s a one-of-a-kind exploration of Tom’s life and culinary journey, a collection of recipes and a deeply personal narrative brought to life with stunning recipe shots and images from his childhood. Through his compelling storytelling, Tom transports you to his past, crafting a vivid portrait of the profound inspiration behind his culinary passion today.”—Emeril Lagasse

“Tom has spent decades not only honing his craft and making delicious memories but providing mentorship, structure, and inspiration to generations of cooks. Why I Cook begins with the best part of a chef: where they come from and what shaped them. May we all be inspired because of it and because of Tom.”—Kristen Kish

From the Publisher

09/01/2024

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. VERDICT This cultivated collection of tales from a storied culinary career will elevate cookbook shelves and deliver lots of family meals along with hours of reading enjoyment.—Sarah Tansley

Library Journal