Caroline Manzo Remembers Cooking for Her TV Crew on Christmas: “I Felt Terrible… I Made Sure They Had Dinner”

Lucky were the film crews who got to work with Caroline Manzo. While appearing on the Kitchen Chat podcast, The Real Housewives of New Jersey and Manzo'd With Children alum remembered the deliciously Italian way she'd take care of her film crew. 

When talking about fame with her brother, chef Jaime Laurita, Caroline said: "It's not all it's cut out to be. I didn't really enjoy it, because I never understood it... I never understood what the big deal was. And I think the network, always with me, was like that one... Because I go on national television and say listen, I don't know what the big deal is." 

Caroline added that she refused to act like anyone different from who she truly is. "I remember filming many years ago, on Christmas Eve, they filmed, and I was heartbroken for the crew. Because it's Christmas. What are you doing in my house on Christmas? You shouldn't be at my house on Christmas. So, Christmas dinner is always a big thing, and I came down how I'm usually dressed on Christmas, it's like a bum, because I'm using my shirt as a cloth. So I'm cooking and I'm using my shirt as an apron. So I'm not going to come down in heels and say OK, I'm going to cook for 30 people now! That's not how you cook for 30 people." 

She added: "I also cooked the identical meal and set in on a table in the dining room that wasn't being filmed, for the entire crew. And I also gave each of the crew members a gift. Because I felt terrible that [my job] took Christmas away from these people. It just killed me. And I made sure that they had dinner and they had gifts."

What'd she get them? "You don't know the likes and dislikes of the sound guy or the guy that's getting you coffee each day, so... I made each of them a box of chocolates, and I got them each a scarf, a pair of gloves, and a hat... You gotta keep it real."