I enjoyed reading this cookbook, not sure it is one I have to own, many of the recipes seemed a litlte more complex than what I would normally make.

LOVE THIS COOKBOOK - but I always want MORE PICTURES!
There should be a rule that when a cookbook has any photos, ALL recipes should have a pic to show the dish as a final result.

Great recipes, easy to follow and delicious outcomes!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Joey Campanaro and Chronicle Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I loved the cover of this cookbook from the moment my eyes caught a glance at it. That dish on the cover was definitely calling my name and the title caught my eye. The title never promised me anything, in fact, the author was giving me something personal and I had to see if they were really something I wanted.
I liked immediately how the book was printed on bright white, heavy paper. To me, the heavy paper and the bright paper give off an upscale and elegant appearance. Although there weren’t as many pictures of the recipes as I would have liked, those that were present, looked fresh and delicious. I felt as if there were about 1 picture for every 4 recipes in this book which was disappointing.

In this book, you will find a Foreword, Introduction, Big Love Pantry (flours, spices, cheeses, pasta, etc.), Big Love Cooking Essentials (kitchen tools & gadgets), 8 Chapters of recipes, Afterwards, Acknowledgments, and an excellent Index. In each chapter, you’ll find some personal information about that chapter’s topic and a list of recipes with page numbers at the beginning. I have to say, this book is very personal and I enjoyed reading about this famous chef and his various topics. Opening up his family pictures to us, we’re allowed to get a look inside at his family and see how they inspired him and what their life is like today. There are 8 chapters in this book: Brunch, Soups and Salads, Vegetables, Pasta, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Seafood, Sunday Supper, and Dessert.

Each recipe has a list of ingredients needed, how many it was make, and how to prepare it, in paragraph form. The ingredients are listed in metric also (1 cup (140 g) whole wheat flour and 1/3 cup (45 g) fresh blueberries). Looking over the ingredients for these comfort dishes, I see that they’re not complicated, “there’s no wild goose chase here,” for what the author states is true. They’re made from “fresh ingredients that are readily available at the supermarket,” which I see is true, for the most part. Some of the items may be seasonal and some items may depend on where you shop, but most items I can find at my local store.

I thought the commentary before each recipe was interesting. These personal stories felt as if he was actually talking to me, giving me advice about the recipe. Sometimes his personal touch continued into the recipe when I read the recipe and he’d mention why something was done a certain way or he’d mentioned options and tell me the difference between the options. I liked that. So, what did I find? Snickerdoodles with Salted Carmel, Monday Baked Ziti (I love pasta), Little Owl Gravy Meatball Sliders (I have to try these as he mentions them a lot), Little Owl Pork Chops with Parmesan Butter Beans, Chicken Cacciatore, Fontina Sausage Biscuits, (there’s a bunch more). This cookbook looks doable, I can’t wait to get started. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing a copy of this book for me to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

I received an arc of this cookbook from NetGalley for an honest review. I have looked through this book a few times and I think I could make some of the recipes, but the book has a pretentious feel to it that just turns me off. The inside cover, however, was fun to look at.

This book was like a warm bowl of pasta, comforting and sustaining all at the same time. The stories made me feel like I was sitting at the table with close family. The recipes reminded me of my Nona's Sunday meals. I thoroughly enjoyed cooking my way through this book.

Perfect recipe book for those days when you just want to eat comfort food!

Italian food tends to be my go-to for days when I wanted to feel happy and content—as if my grandmother is giving me a hug. The recipes in this reflect that perfectly. Super easy to make and extremely versatile :)

Easy to follow instructions and simple recipes make this a good go-to book for people in a hurry. The photos are excellent and helpful.

This handsome book is full of home-style Italian recipes from Chef Joey Camparo of NYC’s Little Owl Restaurant, where the emphasis is on hearty, traditional fare, lovingly prepared. The atmosphere of this beloved spot is conveyed by Joey’s friendly, conversational prose style and lavish, colorful illustration. The photos are really special: you will be compelled to cook just by looking at them. Diners rave about Little Owl’s Brioche French Toast with Stewed Strawberries; Crispy Chicken; Ricotta Cavatelli with Tomato Broth, Bacon, and Fava Beans. You might not be able to visit the Little Owl, but these accessible recipes help you bring the flavor and feel of this trattoria into your own home. While reading Big Love Cooking, I thought often about a long-gone favorite “red sauce” restaurant I loved back in grad school. Little Owl is a step up from those places, but for a tyro or a pro, this book has much to offer: a big. rich family feast, and in Joey, a steady, assured guide to help you create. Highly recommended. I received a digital copy from NetGalley.

An absolutely beautiful cookbook! This cookbook made me feel comfortable, from the stories to the recipes everything was heartwarming and wholesome. I loved the beautiful photos of the food, I wished there were more for every recipe! You can tell that every recipe (all 75 of them!) were chosen out of a love for food and sharing meals with family and friends.

This is a wonderful cookbook on Italian, homemade comfort food that will make you belly rumble. It is well organised, with a good overview of chapters, and it inspires the novice cook to try out some new ideas and bring them to the family table. Fresh and inviting photography, where the colours leap off the page. Mouth-watering, simple, authentic and a family feast. Great for family sharing.

Recipes include Gravy Meatball Slider Buns, Pork Chop with Parmesan Butter Beans, Ricotta Cavatelli with Tomato Broth, Bacon, and Fava Beans—accessible, delicious meals to make at home and serve to loved ones.

Big Love Cooking was a beautiful cookbook that balanced amazing food photos with recipes I loved and will incorporate in my meal planning. Thank you for the Advanced Reader Copy.

I received this Arc from Chronicle Books for an honest review.
I found this book to be more than just a cookbook. Yes, there are recipes and instructions for them but along with most are also stories that add to each one. Though the author is the owner of a restaurant named “Little Owl” what you have is a book that feels like when I was learning how to cook Italian food from my father and him telling me the family history, or stories that went along with the different dishes that we would make or how his grandmother who came over from Italy had taught him. I got that same feeling with this book. This only wants me to read the book again after I finished it the first time to see if I had missed anything from the author.
You do get everything for a meal, soups, salads, pasta, poultry, seafood, desserts. Which were all good. I did find out growing up that each Italian family made dishes different depending on what region they came from. My family came from Southern Italy along the coast and ate a lot of seafood, vegetables of course pasta but not a lot of meat. until they came to America. When I would visit them in New York I found myself have a meal that was like the different sections in this book so really, I was revisiting relatives that have passed, very good memories. This book reminded me of that plus added new recipes or takes on others that I already make. This book is a must for the home cook and would be a great addition for anyone or a gift for a cook that you know.

This cookbook feels like home! Even though we grew up in different areas with different traditions, it reminds me of all the things I love about growing up in an Italian family. From big family dinners to watching my great-grandmother make her famous ravioli, this cookbook brings me right back to that time and place.

A cookbook loaded with delicious looking recipes, it is divided into Brunch, Soups & Salads, Vegetables, Pasta, Meat & Poultry, Fish & Seafood, Sunday Supper and Desserts. It includes a pantry list and essential cooking utensils and puncuated with full-color photographs. The cover photo of My Mother's Ziti with Cherry Tomatoes, Sausage, and Zucchini looks absolutely scrumptious. Cinnamon Sugar Beignets with Raspberry Sauce and Nutella would make a fantastic brunch. How about Crab Cakes with Beefsteak Tomatoes followed by Snickerdoodles with Salted Caramel?

I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Full of the Italian-American comfort foods that many love. Author/chef Joey Campanaro even gives the recipe for his spice mix used in his restaurant The Little Owl. Invaluable.

This cookbook is by the owner of a well-regarded restaurant in NYC. It's primarily Italian recipes, meant to be served home style with family and friends. The recipes look delicious, and I'm going to purchase the book so I can try some at home. Lots of great pictures, I especially loved the old pictures of NYC. 5 stars.

Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Big Love Cooking is one of those wonderful cookbooks that is more than just a collection of recipes, it is one of those wonderful cookbooks that reads like a book. We've enjoyed looking at and trying the recipes. They really are comfort food and isn't that something we all need these days?

There were so many delicious sounding recipes, but unfortunately I did not have time to write them down before my copy expired.
The pictures in the book are amazing and makes you want to try the dishes. I’m not crazy passionate about cooking but I enjoy it sometimes and the recipes seemed really easy to follow.

The one recipe I did try turned out to be delicious and now I’m contemplating actually purchasing the physical copy as I’m crazy about cookbooks.

This is the type of cookbook you want to use when you've got friends or family over and you want to impress. It's not really you're everyday cookbook. The recipes usually have a detailed story behind them with other family stories spread throughout. I also found most of the recipes being quite long and involved with most recipes not fitting on only 1 page.
I havent made any of the recipes yet but I plan to in the future.
Overall its a good coffee table type cookbook that you might pull out occasionally but wouldn't be an everyday one.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Chronicle Books for my complimentary eARC copy.