Cooking on the Lam

October 3, 2005
Mob informant "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi follows his bestselling Mafia Cookbook with this slim and breezy update on what went down after he went into hiding. It turns out that the Witness Protection Program isn't all it's cracked up to be. Shuffled from city to city, Iannuzzi rarely had time to put down roots or make friends. But when he does meet someone, out comes the olive oil. The narrative is interspersed with recipes for food ranging from Italian to Mexican. It's a far cry from Mario Batali, and Iannuzzi's recipes are sure to raise some eyebrows with the incorporation of Cheez Whiz, canned stock and Ritz crackers. That said, recipes like Fettuccine Alfredo, Orecchiette di Pollo and Apple and Blueberry Cobbler call for ingredients found in just about every kitchen, and the instructions are simple and to the point. Iannuzzi's direct style aids the recipes, but makes for a slow read as he details the move from city to city in an encyclopedic fashion. The disjointed recipe organization makes it difficult to incorporate as your go-to cookbook, but fans of his earlier work will want to give this one a look.

October 15, 2005
Iannuzzi ("The Mafia Cookbook") cooks up another story about life on the lam, along with a hodgepodge of 53 Italian American and Mexican recipes provided by family and friends. The result is certainly not to die for, especially with no index. His account of time spent in the Federal Witness Protection Program, while occasionally engaging, is not compelling enough to sustain interest; the recipes, whether using Cheez Whiz in a casserole or cottage cheese in an enchilada, are uninspiring fare. Readers will be better off sticking to the recipes and family food stories found in Allen Rucker and Michele Scicolone's "The Sopranos Family Cookbook." Iannuzzi's latest is recommended only for public libraries where his other books are popular." -Christine Holmes, San Jose State Univ. Lib., CA"

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