By Melanie Evans – Rivera

In what has become a tradition at Madison Square Garden, Amar’e Stoudemire, along with his wife Alexis, hosted their Third Annual Garden Staff Appreciation Breakfast event on January 20th.

This year more than 500 MSG employees – ushers, security staff, grounds crew and many others were treated to a breakfast served by the Stoudemire family that featured a special of the day: a breakfast frittata created using a recipe taken straight from the pages of a brand new cookbook that showcases Amar’e’s passion for cooking healthy food.

“Cooking with Amar’e: 100 Easy Recipes for Pros and Rookies in the Kitchen” is a collaboration between Stoudemire and world class chef Maxcel Hardy, who most fans know is also Amar’e’s personal chef. Over the years Chef Max has helped Amar’e transform himself from a man who could barely light a stove to a confident cook more than capable of whipping up a healthy meal for his family when Chef Max is not around to help.

The cookbook is an engaging chronicle of their informal cooking lessons that covers a huge variety of cuisines, everything from classic French and Asian offerings to the flavors of the Caribbean and the American South. Featuring more than 100 delicious but not over complicated recipes, it is a step-by-step guide for anyone who wants to enhance their skills in the kitchen and broaden their culinary horizons.

The book is also a treat for Amar’e fans in general. This is because it also features personal anecdotes from both men, not only about their often humorous adventures in cooking together but about their lives overall and how two boys from the South grew up to realize their dreams; one as an All Star basketball player and the other as a highly respected chef.

“Cooking with Amar’e: 100 Easy Recipes for Pros and Rookies in the Kitchen” goes on sale on January 23 via Amazon.com.