Through 150 decadent and smart recipes, the Food Network icon explores how the relationships with her family have shaped her as a chef and home cook.

“This book is who I am now–it is a road map to who I am as a cook, parent, and daughter. These recipes are the evolution of me.”

For Alex Guarnaschelli, cooking has never been just about getting dinner on the table. With a legendary cookbook-editor mother (Maria Guarnaschelli) and a food-obsessed father, the Food Network icon and Iron Chef has always been immersed in the culinary world. Now with a daughter of her own, food and cooking mean even more to her.

In Cook with Me, Alex charms readers with 150 honed, smart recipes complimented by insightful and heartfelt reflections. She shares dishes she grew up with, like her mom’s classic roasted chicken with barbecue sauce, the Baked Ziti that she wishes she grew up with (she had to experience it first in a restaurant–her mom refused to make it!), her dad’s steamed pork and rice dumplings, as well as the recipe for broccoli that encouraged her daughter to embrace and devour this divisive vegetable. You’ll find two ways to make spaghetti and meatballs–Godfather-style and Goodfellas-style–as well as luscious desserts like a Blueberry Crumble inspired by the version her mom made during blueberry season every summer. Alex’s passion for food and heritage sparkles in this deliciously poignant tribute to the food that defines a family.