Book — The Raging Skillet

The Book

Chef Rossi grew up “orthodox light” (her family kept the meat and dairy dishes separate but ate McDonalds’ fish sandwiches). A rebellious daughter, she was shipped off from her Hungarian Yiddish family to live with a chasidic rabbi in Brooklyn. Feeling restless, Rossi broke free from religious and familial constraints to create a life of her own. What began as a revolt against the microwave turned into a quest to make food that is fearless, fun and, most importantly, delicious.

The Raging Skillet is one woman’s story of cooking her way through some of life’s biggest challenges in New York City’s most unlikely kitchens. Talking her way into any cooking job she could get, a self-taught and self-made Rossi ended up owning one of the most sought-after catering companies in the city. The book features anecdotes from a life of food plus recipes- ranging from pizza bagels to tuna tartare - to close each section. This tasty memoir shows us how Chef Rossi found a way to pay tribute to her roots while staying true to herself.

Reviews

The Raging Skillet: The True Life Story of Chef Rossi

By Rossi

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“Each of the author’s stories is well-rounded, redolent of salty sweat, sweet love, and the joy of food. The inclusion of numerous recipes related to each narrative is an added garnish to an already satisfying meal.”

— Kirkus Review

“A moving, witty memoir.”

— NIGELLA LAWSON

“A fun ride through the wild life of Chef Rossi. Her memoir is sweet, salty, and, ultimately, delicious.”

— DEBBIE STOLLER, editor in chief of BUST magazine

“Rossi is a true knockabout and delivers a rambunctious read that’ll have you laughing out loud, and longing for the days before celebrity chefs sanitized their profession for TV.”

— Curve Magazine

“No chef memoir has ever made me both laugh and cry, but this one did. I fell in love with Chef Rossi, her Orthodox Jewish Jersey family, and her unpretentious, creative way with food. Badass, heartfelt, hilarious.”

— KATE CHRISTENSEN, PEN/Faulkner award-winning novelist, author of Blue Plate Special

“With an insightful and irreverent voice, Rossi’s debut is well suited for foodies, feminists, and creative revolutionaries. ”

— Publisher's Weekly

“With gritty New York as a backdrop, the reader is taken from tearful moments of death, to laugh out loud moments of the lunacy of a kitchen. And thrown in are some great stories of Chef Rossi coming into her own. Chef Rossi paints the many characters in her life vividly, with a perfect mix of humor and heart.”

— Hadassah Magazine

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