When was the last time a cookbook made you cry? Recipes to Remember: My Epicurean Journey to Preserve my Mother's Italian Cooking from Memory Loss, by Barbara Magro, is a cookbook to read cover to cover.  If you are anything like me, have some tissues handy.

Recipes to Remember is a chock-full of interesting tidbits. It is an Italian cookbook, and, like the church potluck cookbooks of my youth, it is a fundraising cookbook.

It is also a memoir, and a family tribute. It is the story of one woman's spiritual journey. It is a poignant snapshot of cultural heritage with which all Americans will identify.

When the full reality of her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis hit Barbara Magro, she knew what she needed to do.  Although Barbara had traveled the world and could cook the gourmet delicacies of many cultures, she had never learned to cook her mother's traditional Italian meals.

As Barbara learned about her mother's disease, she felt the need to educate people about Alzheimer's and to help raise money for the Alzheimer's Association.

Barbara gathered her mother's recipes and made them the centerpiece of a beautiful book that celebrates family, culture and food.

Recipes to Remember includes holiday recipes, soups and desserts. There are discussions of Italian foods and where to find them. Both meat-lovers and vegetarians will be delighted with the offerings here. Those on a diet will appreciate Barbara's low-fat alternatives to the traditional recipes.

The graphic layout of the book is very appealing, and includes pictures from Barbara's own family celebrations. The recipes are written clearly - even a klutz in the kitchen like me could follow them and create an authentic Italian dish!

Barbara Magro's website is http://recipestoremember.net. Here you will find sample recipes, Alzheimer's Information and an opportunity to support the Alzheimer's Association with your purchase of Recipes to Remember.