Victoria Gotti is known for many things, but cooking is not one of them. Until now.
Gotti, who has previously written columns for Star Magazine and the New York Post, in addition to a number of novels, has released a cookbook, “Hot Italian Dish,” chock full of family recipes.
“It was not something I did consciously,” Gotti told GO Brooklyn of her decision to write the book. “In Italy, cooking is a prerequisite for womanhood. You have to cook for your family, or you’re considered inferior or inept.”
Gotti hopes that her own brood will serve as an example of the importance of families dining together. Since age 8, she has spent hours in the kitchen daily, learning how to cook from her mother and grandmother. Now she regularly hosts dinner parties, cooks six days a week and has successfully instilled a love of food and cooking into her children. Her youngest, Frank, has become a food author in his own right, penning “The Gotti Diet: How I Took Control of My Body, Lost 80 Pounds, and Discovered How to Stay Fit Forever.”
Readers of her book will discover recipes for quintessential Italian meals like Chicken Rollatini, Rigatoni in Sunday Gravy and Italian Wine Pudding. While the latter is “not for the weak-stomached,” most of the recipes are easy to prepare and enjoy.
This isn’t to say that Gotti doesn’t occasionally give other chefs a chance to compete with her kitchen skills. She admits, “There is nothing like Brooklyn pizza. It is in a class all by itself.”
Victoria Gotti will be signing copies of “Hot Italian Dish” on March 17 at 3 pm at BookMark Shoppe (8415 Third Ave. in Bay Ridge). Subway: R train to 86th Street. For information, call (718) 680-3680.
