Valastro - Family celebrations with the Cake Boss : recipes for get-togethers throughout the year

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THIS IS DEDICATED TO THE ONES I LOVE:

Sofia, Buddy, Marco, and Carlo

Let me ask you a question: Have you ever had a celebration that didnt involve food?

I havent. As far as Im concerned, a party just wouldnt be a party without something to eat and drink, and thats extra-true when it comes to family celebrations. My family, the Valastros, come together around food every daywhether around a table in the lunchroom at the Carlos Bake Shop factory in Jersey City, spontaneously gathering for dinner at one of our homes scattered among the nearby towns of New Jersey, or getting together on the weekend so the cousins can play together while the adults catch up over a glass (or three) of wine and some antipasti.

Like so many Italian-American families, we have a heightened sense of food and its place in lifeto us, certain beloved ingredients and dishes are a connection to our ancestral home of Italy, and also to relatives and friends, many of whom are no longer with us. And so, certain occasions inspire us to go all out, preparing and serving a number of dishes that are traditions in their own right, such as the lamb chops with pistachio crust we serve at Easter or the familys signature stuffing on Thanksgiving or the marinated seafood that we look forward to each Christmas Eve. And its not just holidays that bring out the nostalgia in us: We also have traditions around birthday parties, tailgate parties, and even things we bake and eat with the kids on bad-weather days every winter.

Thats all pretty typical of families that come from similar backgrounds. But when the Valastros get together for a special occasion, theres another dimension to the celebration, one thats uniquely us: These events in our lives are always punctuated by a special cake, cupcake, or dessert that captures the essence of the day with an unforgettable visual andof coursea taste that all in attendance wont soon forget. These desserts are to our celebrations what the halftime show is to the Super Bowl: a spectacle that makes an already special moment extra special.

Sometimes the cakes we make are simple, like the Fourth of July Flag Cake we serve on the nations birthday, with the stars and stripes made with blueberries and raspberries. Other times, they are over the top, such as the Easter Basket Cake. Sometimes we go for individual items such as the glitzy little cupcakes with top hats we put out or pass on New Years Day.

In this book, Im delighted to give you a look inside the Valastro family and how we mark the moments in each year with special food and unforgettable desserts. As always, my fondest wish is that my familys traditions and recipes help inspire good times for yours.

Photograph by Gloria Belgiovine

This book takes you through a delicious year in the life of the Valastro family, starting with New Years Day and running right through New Years Eve.

Along the way, it presents recipes for dishes that can be served at many special occasions including the big holidays such as Valentines Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving. It also shares my familys favorite go-to crowd-pleasers for birthday parties, cocktail parties, tailgate parties, and other celebrations.

And, of course, at the end of each chapter there is a recipe and decorating instructions for the main event: a theme cake or dessert.

A few notes before we dig in and start cooking and baking.

Use the Recipes as You Like

The recipes in each chapter were gathered together to complement one anotherafter all, weve been serving many of them together in my family for generations. But that doesnt mean that you have to serve all of them at the same time. In most cases, you should think of whats presented for each occasion as options, rather than a set menu. You can also weave these dishes into your own menus, blending my familys favorites with your own. Most of the dishes can be served at any time of year, or even as everyday lunches or dinners.

Make the Recipes Your Own

The recipes in this book are simple, because I believe that cooking at home should be easy and fun, allowing you to enjoy your time and the company of friends and family. So, when cooking from this book, please dont stress if you dont have the exact ingredients I call for: One type of herb can often be replaced with another, and the same goes for mushrooms, vinegars, and other ingredients. By the same token, if youre a comfortable and confident home cook, by all means improvise a little and bring your own flair to the recipes.

Cake Basics

Although they look dramatically different, most of the theme cakes and cupcakes in this book are made with the same basic cake recipes, fillings, frostings, and decorating tools and techniquesall of that information is included at the back of the book, starting . I suggest you read the basics there before making any of the individual cake recipes or doing any of the decorating.

NEW YEARS DAY BRUNCH

New Years Day used to be pretty funny at Carlos Bake Shop: The family business was open, as it was on so many holidays, but the employees, beat from celebrating the night before, were good for nothing, but it didnt matter, because the customerswhod been doing their own thing on New Years Evemostly stayed home. Finally, in the mid-1990s, we decided to keep the bakery closed on January 1, and Im glad we did because its really a day to be with the family and think about the year that just ended, and the one ahead. Ever since Lisa and I married, we have celebrated New Years Day at her Aunt Enzas house in Sayreville, New Jersey. Most of my mother-in-law Glorias family attends, and my favorite part of the afternoon is that everybody gets in the kitchen to help out with the cooking, or pitches in by bringing a dish of their own. In the following pages, youll find some of my favorite recipes for welcoming the New Year.