Ammazza!: Culinary Adventures from New York to Italy and Back Again (a Cookbook)

The long-awaited cookbook from four-time James Beard Award nominee Chef Hillary Sterling, featuring over 100 seasonal recipes showcasing the delicious dishes that have earned her acclaim at the helm of Ci Siamo, Danny Meyer's "flat-out fantastic" (The New York Times) restaurant.

A celebration of a life devoted to food, Ammazza! blends story, substance, and soul. Raised in a tight-knit Jewish household in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn--where her grandmother kept kosher downstairs and her family broke the rules upstairs--Sterling shares over 100 recipes that trace her path from her early days as a young cook, to her later love affair with Italian cooking, and her career spent in the kitchens of New York's most beloved restaurants.

Following the rhythm of the seasons, these recipes showcase Sterling's brilliance with flavor. Interspersed are menus rooted in family and tradition, with inspired twists--she brings an Italian spin to the Passover table, and shares a Mexican Thanksgiving feast influenced by her time at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill.

A standout cookbook for home cooks, Ammazza! offers smart, encouraging tips throughout--from how to clean artichokes to frying at home without fear.

Whether you're searching for the best pasta cookbook, a gift for foodies, or a coffee table cookbook as beautiful as it is practical, Ammazza! is packed with bold recipes, culinary storytelling, and the know-how of a chef who cooks with both precision and heart.

Author: Hillary Sterling
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
Published: 05/12/2026
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.31lbs
Size: 9.34h x 7.60w x 1.25d
ISBN: 9781668068717


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 04/01/2026 pg. 83

About the Author
Hillary Sterling is the four-time James Beard-nominated Executive Chef of Ci Siamo, a Danny Meyer restaurant with a focus on seasonal, live-fire Italian fare. After graduating from Chicago's Le Cordon Bleu, Sterling began her formal training in the kitchen of Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, and continued with Flay at the acclaimed Spanish restaurant, Bolo. Turning her attention to Italy, she joined the team at Lupa Osteria Romana, where she developed a lasting respect for the unifying power of food and the importance of intentionality in cooking. In 2010, she assumed the role of chef de cuisine at Michelin-starred A Voce. Working under Chef Missy Robbins, Sterling fell in love with the regionality and traditions of Italian cuisine. She would later return to her domestic roots as the executive chef and partner of Vic's, where her menu of thoughtfully prepared dishes gained a loyal following. Sterling was born and raised in Brooklyn, where she continues to live with her wife and their son.