One thing about the New Jersey Housewives, I believe they know how to cook! RHONJ is a go to comfort watch for me in the winter months, and I try to mostly watch it in the winter because I know I'm going to be craving big pots of sauce and red wine by the time I'm done.

This cookbook is a very fun read, with all the classics as well as some fresh takes on old recipes. The photography is mouthwatering and it was lovely to see her family showcased throughout.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Great for fans who loved seeing Caroline on the Real Housewives of NJ and those who love having "gravy" every Sunday.

Good recipes but I expected more?
I was hoping for new and different recipes but a lot of them were typical, Italian food 101 recipes.
The layout was not great: the table of contents and ingredients lists were too busy and the colors gave it a carnival/fun-fair kind of look that was difficult to ignore.

Bravo TV personality Caroline Manzo has released a cookbook, Food & Other Things I Love: More than 100 Italian American Recipes from My Family to Yours, with dozens of great Italian American recipes that she loves, as well as a few hints on setting the mood when entertaining with these dishes. Manzo is the epitome of the stereotypical “Italian Grandma,” and after seeing the mouthwatering dishes she creates, most readers will wish she were their own grandma.

While the recipes all have Italian roots, and there are dozens of popular and typical recipes, there are lots of unique dishes that are very appealing. The recipes are presented in the traditional way, with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions. The recipes are easy to follow, and there are plenty of quick and easy recipes, as well as some that are more involved. Manzo has also added her own comments, as well as tips at the beginning of each recipe, showcasing her fun personality.

While there are many beautiful, professional photographs of many of the dishes, as well as step-by-step photos of homemade pasta, each dish isn’t pictured, which is unfortunate. That is the only drawback to this excellent cookbook, since most cooks like to see exactly what their finished dish should look like. That isn’t a no-go, however, because the recipes sound good enough to risk making something that may not look like it should.

All told, this is a fun cookbook that shows the personality of the writer and includes something for every age and taste.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chronicle Books LLC and the author for a digital ARC of this book. Fans of Caroline Manzo of the Real Housewives of New Jersey and Manzo’d with Children are in for a treat (pun intended) with this
cookbook. Filled with beautiful photos, family stories and easy recipes, this is a wonderful addition to cookbook collections for both new and seasoned (pun intended, just couldn’t resist) cooks. Over 100 recipes are included ranging from quick breakfasts to late night snacks. Naturally, traditional Italian American meat and pasta dishes are included as well as tasty desserts. The recipes include readily attainable ingredients and the directions are clear and easy to follow. Recommended for fans of Caroline Manzo and Bravo, cooks who enjoy exploring Italian and Italian American cuisine and anyone who finds thumbing through cookbooks enjoyable and relaxing. A perfect gift for weddings, housewarmings and other gift giving occasions. Buon Appetito!

Caroline Manzo one of my favorite housewives! If you want to get your hands on a good cookbook, this book is the one you want. It will have your mouth watering and want to quickly run the kitchen and start cooking and baking! This book will make a great holiday gift! Thanks, NetGalley and Author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have never seen any of the Housewives series, but that didn't stop me from requesting an advanced readers copy. The best thing about this book is that anyone can find the ingredients, follow the directions, and turn out delicious food. It feels like getting a warm hug. The stories make you smile. The recipes are approachable. The photography lends itself to the material. All in all a very strong cookbook. Thank you to the author and publisher for the copy.

This is a neat cookbook with simple recipes that look delicious.The recipes I'm most excited to try are the Four Cheese Lasagna, Ultimate Chicken Parm,Pumpkin Banana Pudding and Deep Dark Chocolate Pudding Cake. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Caroline Manzo, Casey Elsass, Chronicle Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was like coming home again reading this cookbook. While my mom wouldn’t have used colorful language, I would and do. I loved the recipes and the family pictures. I didn’t love the font. At times it felt harder to read.

This was my first opportunity to “meet” Caroline Manzo. It is obvious from the commentary associated with this cookbook that family is the cornerstone of what she does in the kitchen. I found myself closing my eyes and picturing the big family dinners featuring Deep-Dish Sausage Pizza Pie and Crispy Broiled Chicken Thighs. Pasta dinners of Four Cheese Lasagna had me ready to grab a fork, napkin and the fam! What a delightful celebration of how food brings us together.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

Caroline Manzo was a staple on Bravo's Real Housewives of New Jersey and she was as known for stirring up delicious meals as she was stirring up trouble with her castmates. It only made sense for her to release an Italian cookbook. She opens the book by mentioning that her cooking is simple and the recipes reflect that. They bend toward traditional Italian with a few surprises, Nutella pizza anyone? Each recipe includes an introduction, an ingredient list, easy to follow directions and an enticing photo. She includes a note or tip on each entry. The photos of the food look delicious and it has a warm family vibe as most photos include her family. Overall this is a very nice cookbook of Italian favorites.

Food and Other Things I Love by Caroline Manzo is a heartfelt tribute to two of Caroline’s greatest passions: food and family. The cookbook offers a variety of classic Italian recipes and new twists, each accompanied by a personal anecdote. Written in a warm, conversational style, Caroline shares practical, straightforward advice, making the recipes accessible to both novice and experienced cooks.

In addition to the recipes, the book includes fun extras, like tips on setting a table and hosting a crowd, which showcase Caroline’s personality. The layout, resembling an old-school diner menu, and family photos add a personal touch, making readers feel welcomed into her home. Caroline also emphasizes that food is meant to be enjoyed, not just photographed, offering a refreshing reminder in today’s social media-driven world.

A big thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Having always been a Caroline Manzo fan, reading her cookbook was just another window into her heart. The love for her family and food filled each page. Cannot wait to incorporate some of these in our own kitchen.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I really struggled to get past the font and layout. It was very hard to read some words and the red color was hard on my eyes.

I’m a big RHONJ fan & this book is full of recipes that seemed easy enough to follow and replicate. Great photos and easy to follow instructions.

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful cookbook that is full of delicious looking recipes!

I have to admit I am not a Bravo viewer, so I was unfamiliar with Caroline, but the sample recipes I saw intrigued me, as they seemed so similar to ones that Italian friends of the family made, so I had to see if they were!

I wasn't surprised learning Caroline's background that the recipes were very similar, although I have to say I liked some of Caroline's better (like the above garlic bread- sooooo YUMMY!). She gives you plenty of comforting, family feeding, recipes, peppered with tips and tricks learned over the years, from cooking for her family and extended one! Even if you aren't Italian, there are soooo many recipes you will want to add to your dinner rotation- your family will definitely love them and ask for more! Also we found that the recipes make more than enough for a family of 4, allowing for leftovers for lunch the next day, or even a second dinner- which helps with your budget too! This is also a great book to give to kids moving out on their own, to make family favorites!

Bright, cheerful, fun, practical.....and if you have any nostalgia for Jersey food, Food & Other Things I Love by Caroline Manzo will give you serious cravings. The recipes in this book are simple to make with easy to find ingredient lists except for Taylor Ham which is really a Jersey thing!

You could learn to cook from this book, too. The recipes (some Italian, some American, some Italian-American) all work together and from a specific kind of family-oriented pantry. Because even though it's not a "what's for dinner?" book or a "quick and easy" book, it does fill those categories. It's a pretty healthy book too.. Many of the recipes are very veggie-oriented.

I'm a Californian but I lived in Central New Jersey for six years -- we were invited to Christmas parties, big sit down dinners at Italian-American restaurants, trips to the Jersey Shore. Oh yeah, all of it -- and this was the food we ate, and the hospitality and joie de vivre we experienced. Big lasagnas, a zillion other delicious easy pastas, deep dish sausage pizza. But not everything is a red sauce recipe. I love the "Down the Shore" section of the book with great hot weather, throw-it-on-the grill recipes like Grilled Artichokes and Italian Garden Salad. The Holiday section is full of delicious renditions of the holiday staples for a big but do-able family feast.

Throughout it all, the unique voice and recipe tweaks of Caroline Manzo shine through. I don't know her from television, but I do like her cookbook.

Thank you Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the opportunity for advance review of this book.

It’s a cookbook with Italian American food. I’m not a fan of the layout, the red color and the font used. I also don’t like the recipes that uses bad word like the F word and ‘warm-a$$’. The recipes look ok, some I would try but overall I didn’t like this cookbook. I didn’t find a recipe that would make it worth it for me to have it. The content is organized in eight categories: Staples (lemon aioli, pesto), Lazy Mornings (frittata, French toast), Warm and Cozy (Italian wedding soup, turkey chili), Al Fresco (linguini with clams, caprese salad), Molto Bueno (Chicken parm, bolognese), Home For The Holidays (antipasti spread, lemon chicken), Something Sweet (struffoli, pumpkin banana ‘pudding’), and Late Night Snacks (Nutella Pizza, Root Beer Float). I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Food & Other Things I Love: More than 100 Italian American Recipes from My Family to Yours by Caroline Manzo, with Casey Elsass

This cookbook is a wonderful compilation of primarily Italian recipes, along with Caroline Manzo's unique takes on classic American dishes. The book is filled with helpful tips, ranging from kitchen stocking advice to party-planning how-tos. Manzo’s writing style feels personal and warm, as though she’s speaking directly to family or friends.

I particularly loved the layout of the book—each dish is presented clearly, accompanied by delightful graphics and vibrant pictures. The recipes are approachable for beginners, yet detailed enough to engage more experienced cooks. Overall, it's a fantastic addition to any kitchen.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.