I started cooking for one simple reason. My mother was a terrible cook. Super terrible. Like, I grew up in an Italian family and my mom can’t cook? Isn’t that supposed to be the big benefit? My best friend Tony Morretti was having Osso Buco alla Milanese for dinner and my sister and I are choking down my mom’s specialty. A little dish not-so-lovingly known as megamix: hamburger beef, celery, onions and syrup. Yes, you read that correctly, syrup. I have Mrs. Butterworth to thank for catapulting me into the world of the culinary arts (and basic food decency). Luckily, my desperate need to learn to cook, led me through the backdoor of the best kitchens in Los Angeles.  I washed dishes, chopped veggies, worked the line, and then, one day I woke up and I was the Executive Chef.  Fine dining is tedious; but the stuffy precision is educational.  So when they asked me to teach at Sur La Table, and Bon Appetit and for Gourmet magazine, I said yes. That’s where I discovered sugar. And I haven’t looked back.  Mom, these Cuccidati cookies are for you.

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-Christian Rinaldi