My stepmom is an amazing chef, expert musicologist and avid reader. She has an entire wall at home dedicated to cookbooks and food related books. Conversely, I never considered cookbooks as a entertaining read, the same way I never saw myself as someone who could cook. But when I saw Cravings in the bookstore a long time ago, I was smitten. I got Cravings as a Secret Santa gift in 2017 and my lovely coworkers (and friends) got me Cravings: Hungry for More for my birthday last December.

I love Chrissy Tiegan’s captions, the pictures that seem to truly reflect her and her family, food that looks amazing and within reach of anyone. I reread like a favorite novel, sometimes going page by page, sometimes opening it at random for inspiration on gray days and sometimes looking for something specific.

I’ve made some delicious meals from her books and aspire to make more, crave some special flavor, and hope to feel more confident in the kitchen.