Come On Over: 111 Fantastic Recipes for the Family that Cooks, Eats, and Laughs Together

When Mauro, host of Food Network’s Sandwich King, was growing up, he writes, “come on over” meant two things: family and food. In this charming and utterly scrumptious collection, he shares recipes and humorous anecdotes that will entertain as well as sustain, offering an eclectic array of dishes suitable for brunch, game days, and holidays, and—naturally—a variety of intriguing and tasty sandwiches. Conventionality isn’t what Mauro strives for, which is why readers will find suggestions for pork chops for breakfast and combining pancetta and parmesan with popcorn. He cranks up the yum factor with his citrus-honey tequila shrimp, grilled pineapple guacamole, and cranberry-walnut Irish soda bread muffins with whipped maple-cinnamon cream cheese—all excellent options when feeding a crowd. There’s also a kid-focused chapter with killer recipes for burgers and The Most Perfect Grilled Cheese (for which home cooks are told to “get the good American cheese, sliced to order from the deli”) that will certainly have crossover appeal for adults. At heart, Mauro remains a sandwich devotee, and his General Tso’s crispy chicken sandwich, mortadella and fig melts, and The Greatest American Patty Melt in the Country of All Time make a strong case for his Sandwich King title. The author’s upbeat tone and smart mix of fare make this collection sing. (Apr.)