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Workman Publishing

Why I Cook

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Description

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. 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. Winner, IACP Award, Best Book of the Year in Literary Food Writing Named a Best Book of 2024 by Amazon and Barnes & Noble Named a Best New Cookbook / Gift Book by Food & Wine, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Post, and more Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Artisan


Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 8, 2024


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1648291287


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 89


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.14 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.9 x 1.18 x 9.75 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #71,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #64 in Gastronomy Essays (Books) #89 in Culinary Biographies & Memoirs #199 in Television Performer Biographies


#64 in Gastronomy Essays (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Page-Turner of a Not Cookbook!
Format: Hardcover
I love this book. I'm a Top Chef fan from season one and Why I Cook gave me fascinating insights into Chef Tom Colicchio's character, influences, and how he became the chef he is today. If you're interested in Tom and want to know how he got where is and understand his viewpoint on food and life, this book is for you. In many places, you can hear Tom's voice in the text and the text is easy to read. After reading the book, I like Tom even more and would love to try his food someday. However, if you're looking for a straight cookbook, this isn't it, although many recipes are included. The recipes are "real" in that I think I could cook many of them and they mostly rely on ingredients you can easily find or swap for local ingredients. I love Tom's viewpoint that if you like certain ingredients, it's fine to tilt a dish toward them or to swap something out. The recipes aren't prescriptions, they're much better: they're a guide to finding your tastes and experimenting in your kitchen. That comes through not only in the recipes but in the story of Tom's life and views. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2025 by Writer Steve
    • One of the Best cookbook's of 2025
Format: Hardcover
A great cookbook for mostly Italian food. Tom cooks food without any pretenses. Recipes are for food people that like to cook but mostly eat. Growing up in New Jersey, this what we all yearn to eat. The chef's writing style is easy to follow and his stories add to the color and background of North Jersey. Buy this book! The recipes really work! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2025 by JJE
    • Perfect Gift for Food Lovers! Beautiful, Delicious, and Informative
Format: Hardcover
Review Image by sarah
I bought this cookbook for my brother’s birthday, and he absolutely loves it! We’ve tried several recipes together, and everything has been delicious. The book itself is hardcover with a soft fabric cover, which feels high quality and looks great on the kitchen shelf. I also appreciate that many recipes include nutrition information and helpful tips, making it easy to cook thoughtfully. It’s a wonderful gift for anyone who enjoys cooking or wants to explore new dishes with family and friends. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2025 by sarah
    • Love the book
Format: Hardcover
I love this book ! I knew very little about Tom Collechio - I watched top Chef from the first season on and it was obvious he knows what he’s talking about but I didn’t know who he was or his experience. I’m glad I read his book and now I understand why he is on top Chef. I truly enjoyed this book. There are a lot of recipes that I will never attempt but I appreciate reading about them. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2026 by JKJ
    • too short padded by recipes and conversions charts
Format: Kindle
The stories that Colicchio tells are great, he evokes NYC in the 80s and his growing up as a Jersey boy. But this is a highly curated and abbreviated memoir, a lot has been left out. He has spent 20 years on top chef and it gets a few mentions. He describes how Danny Meyer tried to screw him over twice, but they departed amiably. I feel shorted changed as a reader, paid for an entree and only got an amuse bouche ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2024 by S. Mahon
    • Great read for all of us want to be chefs
Format: Hardcover
I enjoyed the format of this book with carefully selected recipes intermixed with the author’s autobiographical reflections. It’s fascinating to understand how and why great chefs become chefs and the difficult path forward. Chef Tom humbly summarizes his not so easy rise to the top. The recipes are reasonable and well explained with most being achievable for a novice chef. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2025 by Robert Wong
    • Wonderful!
Format: Hardcover
I ordered this book thinking I’d love the recipes (which I do), but it’s so much more than your typical cookbook. It’s an amazing biography that explains why us obsessed cookbook owners can never get enough. Whenever a new cookbook shows up at our house, my husband tosses it to me saying “your new porn just got here”. The minute I finished reading this book I ordered his 1st book, Think Like a Chef, & I can’t wait to receive it. I’ve made 5 of his recipes and they’ve all been wonderful. Order this book! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2024 by M. Evon
    • Tom is awesome
Format: Hardcover
Great book! Gutsy great storytelling.
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2025 by markymark

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