Rating: 
Summary: Great food for your own partners in crime
Review: I first heard about this book in 1993, when Hefner's mag Play-Boy (sorry about the hyphen--this is an adult publication and my review usually edits it out) published an excerpt from the book. I thought it was so great, I immediately went out and bought a copy, and everyone I've shown it to has wanted to steal it from me. Although my edition went out of print, they came back with this version, which includes 37 more recipes. I bought it as a gift for a friend of mine and I hope it stays in print for awhile because I want a copy for myself. Joe Dogs has some very interesting stories, not for the squeemish, about his time in the mob and his relationship with his boss, Tommy Agro (rest in peace), and ultimately, the Feds. The mob is full of scary people, like any organization, but they share one common trait that we can all identify with--the love of a good meal. Since they lived their lives on the edge, where every meal could be their last, they wanted it to be the best last meal that it possibly could. I've used numerous recipes from the book on dates at home, when I've cooked for my girlfriends, and I always get praise, both verbally and horizontally, capish?
Rating:
Summary: my favorite
Review: I have had this book for years...In fact I am ordering it from a freind because I can't bear to let it go!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent & Scary!
Review: I loved this book! The recipes are simple and relatively traditional Italian American fair but they are easily adaptable to suit everyone's taste. "Joe Dogs" doesn't use too many ingredients but one can add extra spices and build off the recipes he's mastered. Either way, the book is enthralling and completely entertaining and very vivid. I found myself transported into his world. I love to be transported by a good book and this one does the trick. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Cooking On The Lam
Review: I've read and enjoyed all of Joe Iannuzzi's books. They've all been terrific, and this last effort ranks high on the "gangster meter".
Although I haven't seen Joe "Dogs" but once in the past 22 years, we've been good friends since 1972, so naturally, I get a kick out of reading his stories -- I even included some others about him in my own book. Look it up. . . "From The Piano Bench: Memorable Moments With Mobsters, Moguls, Movie Stars and More" (Aslan Publishing).
I suggest the reader buy Joe Iannuzzi's book for the fun of it, AND the recipes. Cinque stella. Molte buono!
Rating: 
Summary: The Mafia Cooks
Review: Joseph Iannuzzi tells a shorter version in this book of his life in the mafia.About meeting the one person who brought him into the life.And showed him the ways of it.About how much they enjoyed his cooking ability.He shares the recipes he made for them as they met.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a recipe book
Review: Joseph Iannuzzi tells us, "I learned the hard way. How to cook that is". I don't doubt him much. Each recipe is accompanied by a narrative about what dish he served to which gangster. The stories are probably true, but I think you will find them weakly supsicious (author admits facts are rearranged at will to fit recipes). If you're looking for a novelty cookbook with some very good and very basic Italian recipes, this is your thing. If you are looking for a standard or definitive Italian cookbook... move on.
Rating:
Summary: Great stories, great artery clogging recipes
Review: The stories are great. The food is great. But unless you want an early cardiac arrest don't eat like this regularly. Joe was a saucier early in his career, so all his recipes are heavy on the sauce. For instance, he calls for several sticks of butter plus a few cups of cream for 2 pounds of shrimp scampi. Even he jokes about this several times in the book. of course, you can always lighten them somewhat on your own.I'd say get this book for the stories more than for the recipes. (I am biased being half Sicilian). It makes a great gift.
Rating:
Summary: Great food with intrigueing stories!
Review: The stories that accompany the menus in this book make trying the recipes a lot of fun. To top that, the dishes taste great! I've really enjoyed my "Mafia Cookbook" and feel sure anyone who likes to experiment in the kitchen will too.
Rating:
Summary: Simple excellence
Review: This book is simply amazing. I was just developing a taste for cooking when this book was purchased for me, and I originally thought it was just supposed to be funny - which it is, certainly. Each recipe is followed or preceded by an interesting story that relates, somehow, to the delicious dish. I realized, though, that the dishes were good enough that even a novice like me could make delicious, Italian-American meals. While the recipes are not authentically Italian and may call for some non-traditional but readily-available ingredients, do not let this turn you off from the book. The recipes all turn out exactly as described, and yes - they are almost all very fattening and very, very tasty. Even the side dish recommendations are good. Not all the dishes are specifically Italian - cheesecake, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Lobster Newburg are all particularly good, non-traditional recipes. The instructions are clear and easy to follow for every item, and there are enough recipes in here to last quite some time. I highly recommend this book; I have seen many cookbooks since I was first introduced to cooking, and this is still one of my favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, Entertaining, Well-written Cookbook
Review: This book is simply amazing. I was just developing a taste for cooking when this book was purchased for me, and I originally thought it was just supposed to be funny - which it is, certainly. Each recipe is followed or preceded by an interesting story that relates, somehow, to the delicious dish. I realized, though, that the dishes were good enough that even a novice like me could make delicious, Italian-American meals. While the recipes are not authentically Italian and may call for some non-traditional but readily-available ingredients, do not let this turn you off from the book. The recipes all turn out exactly as described, and yes - they are almost all very fattening and very, very tasty. Even the side dish recommendations are good. Not all the dishes are specifically Italian - cheesecake, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Lobster Newburg are all particularly good, non-traditional recipes. The instructions are clear and easy to follow for every item, and there are enough recipes in here to last quite some time. I highly recommend this book; I have seen many cookbooks since I was first introduced to cooking, and this is still one of my favorites.
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