Zahra Tangorra’s memoir “Extra Sauce: The Good, the Bad, and the Onions” is presented as a must-read food memoir rooted in survival rather than celebrity culinary credentials. She opened her first and only restaurant at age 26 after a near-death experience. The title reflects her approach to pizza and to falling in love, linking cooking to emotion and relationships. Her writing is described as a reclamation of personal qualities that are often dismissed as “too much,” reframed as sources of pride. Her story includes intimate family moments, including the last sandwich she made for her dying father, and her Italian American heritage is portrayed as central to her identity.
"“Extra sauce is how I like my pizza, and also how I fall in love,” writes Tangorra. During the event, she elaborated on her memoir's title, which happens to be her philosophy for life, cooking, love and everything in between."
"“Writing 'Extra Sauce' was like a reclamation for me of the things that maybe we feel are too much about ourselves that we should actually be really proud of,” she said."
"This year's must-read food memoir isn't from a celebrity chef, a longtime restaurateur or even someone who finished culinary school. It's from a woman who survived a harrowing, near-death experience to open her first and only restaurant at 26 years old."
"Tangorra wrote an essay about the last sandwich she made for her dying father. It was so raw and full of heart that I felt compelled to message her."
Read at Los Angeles Times
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