Italian-American: The Scorsese Family Cookbook Book

One evening at a prestigious film-award ceremony, Catherine Scorsese turned to her son director Martin Scorsese and said, "If anyone ever told me that we'd have a life like this, I would never believe it." Italianamerican: The Scorsese Family Cookbook tells the story of this extraordinary life through cooking, following three generations as they move from Sicily to New York's Little Italy to Hollywood. For years, Catherine Scorsese has captivated her relatives and friends with her irresistible charm and delectable dishes, and delighted moviegoers with memorable cameo roles in such films as Mean Streets, GoodFellas, and Casino. Now, for the first time, she has collected the recipes she learned from her mother and - on the eve of her wedding - her mother-in-law. Passed down orally through the years, these dishes and their ingredients were never measured. "If it came good," says Mrs. Scorsese, "it came good. If it didn't, too bad." To such all-time favorites as Lasagne, Veal Spiedini, and Calzone are added Catherine Scorsese's specialties: Lemon and Garlic Chicken, Potato Frittata, and her Tomato Sauce with Meat, which enjoys the distinction of being the only recipe ever to be featured in the credits of a movie. There are dishes for special occasions (Panelle, eaten on Saint Lucy's Day) and unique cooking tips (slice pizza with a scissors instead of a knife). The food is hearty, fresh, and always delicious.

Remember the scene in GoodFellas when Catherine Scorsese fixes pasta for Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta after they'd committed bloody murder? Now director Martin Scorsese's Mama (aided by Georgia Downard) shares her culinary skills in Italianamerican: The Scorsese Family Cookbook, a collection of family recipes for dishes (Veal Spiedini; Macaroni with Lamb and Veal in White Sauce; Sicilian Cake) gathered from her mother and her mother-in-law. Accompanying the recipes are photos and anecdotes covering three generations of Scorseses, moving from Sicily to New York's Little Italy.