Today, Agabiti’s Chet’s Kitchen: 77 Italian-American Recipes (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and his official site, chetskitchen.com) is more than a compilation of dishes. It’s a living legacy steeped in family tradition, culinary curiosity, and the humble joy of feeding others. Now, as one of the personalities featured in the March 2025 Collection of America Inspire Magazine, Agabiti is being celebrated for more than his recipes. He’s being recognized for his story.
A Family Grilled Legacy
Agabiti’s culinary roots trace back to 1967 when he began cooking in his family’s restaurant under the tutelage of his father. “I was shy,” he says, “but cooking helped me connect with people. It made me realize how good it felt to make someone happy, not just with food but by helping in any way.”
His grill master dad taught him the art of gauging the doneness of a steak by touch. His home kitchen queen mom taught him how to experiment. Both of them instilled in him an improvisational spirit in the kitchen. “They made food an adventure,” he remembers.
By the 1990s, Agabiti was working in school cafeterias throughout South Jersey, overseeing as many as six. Preparing salads for the lunchtime boom and doing the occasional family party on the side, he was confronted with a constant question: “Can I get that recipe?” And so he started writing them down.
Recipe by Recipe, Memory by Memory
Although Agabiti never set out to make a cookbook, friends and relatives encouraged him to put together his favorites. It wasn’t until he began constructing a collection based on 55 recipes in his wife’s birthday honor, May 5, 1955, that things got underway. “Then I kept experimenting,” he says. “I didn’t want to forget them.”
Among the 77 recipes that made the cut are seven family or friend hand-me-downs, each with a note so that everyone knows what’s what. The others are straight-up Chet, creations born of curiosity, instinct, and innumerable kitchen experiments. Highlights include “Chicken and Shrimp Mascarpone” with a dash of brandy, the sausage-and-wine-spiced “Chicken Neapolitan,” and the delightfully cooling “Festive Salmon” with kiwi and avocado.
But perhaps none is more intimate than the cheesecake.
The Cheesecake That Traveled Generations
The cheesecake recipe, a plain and creamy delight, was first handed to Agabiti’s mother in 1958 by her sister Lil. It was a holiday-only treat until Chet adopted and reinvented it in the 1980s. Over time, he developed a dozen variations, adjusting cooking times and layering in fresh fruits. “I even started selling them,” he laughs. “It turned into a little side business.”
He recalls the cake not only as dessert but as something else, a bond, a piece of continuity in a shifting world. “It became part of every celebration,” he says. “It meant family was together.”
That practice continues to this day. Like his own Sundays as a child at Grandma’s, Chet now entertains family dinners. “Not every Sunday,” he says, “the grandkids are busy, but when they come, it’s special.”
And although his wife has not cooked since they got together 32 years ago, he is still her full-time chef and best culinary influence. “I completely took on that job,” he laughs.
From Frankfurt to America Inspire
In 2024, Chet’s Kitchen was showcased at the world-renowned Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, where it brought his type of soul food to international readers. “I was amazed and thrilled,” Agabiti recounts. “I sold copies abroad. That was out of this world.”
Soon thereafter, America Inspire Magazine’s editorial staff learned about his book while searching for standout writers of the fair. What intrigued them wasn’t so much the cuisine. It was the humanity. “Chet’s story is all that we celebrate,” notes an AIM editor. “Hard work, passion, heritage, and humility. He connects us through food.”
As part of the March 2025 Collection, Chet’s feature will spotlight his life’s journey. From a quiet child in the kitchen to a man who now feeds hearts, not just stomachs. It’s a moment he never saw coming. “It still doesn’t feel real,” he says. “But I’m grateful.”
Beyond the recipes, Agabiti’s message is clear: write it down. Whether it’s a family dish or a personal memory, he urges others to preserve their legacies. “You never know who will cherish them later.”
He also advocates home cooking as a healthier, more fulfilling option to packaged food. “No preservatives, no dyes. Just real food made with care,” he says. And for beginners, his advice is straightforward: “Don’t be afraid to mess up. Keep trying. Experiment.”
What’s Next?
If Chet’s Kitchen is successful, he intends to bring out a second book. He’s also working on an autobiography, a more in-depth look at the man, not just the cook. “It should be done by next year,” he says, beaming.
Until then, readers can reach him directly by email at [email protected]. “I love when people write to me,” he says. “If you try a recipe, let me know. I answer every message.”
It’s not just a cookbook, though. Chet’s Kitchen is an invitation to come back to the table, to respect family, and to celebrate in small acts of devotion. “Food has always been my love language,” Agabiti explains. “It’s how I connect. It’s how I say, ‘I’m here for you.”
In an age of fast food and faster lives, Chet Agabiti reminds us to slow down. To cook intentionally. To feed more than just the body. And in doing so, he’s nourishing something precious and lovely: our sense of belonging.
As America Inspire Mag tells his story to a national and international community, one thing is certain. Chet’s kitchen isn’t only where meals are prepared. It’s where memories are created.
Links:
Buy the book: Amazon Book Link
Visit Chet’s official site: http://www.chetskitchen.com/
