Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat

\>While some celebrity cookbooks come with dubious credentials on the part of the “writer” – a short introduction describing how they really do love to cook when they actually have time to do so – Chrissy Tiegen has more than proven herself as a food lover over the years by maintaining a wonderful food blog of her own, So Delushious, on top of her modeling career and gig as one of the hosts of the popular show Lip Sync Battle. As a cookbook consumer, I want to know that the person writing the book loves food and that the recipes in the book work – and both things are true of this Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat.

The book is loaded with dozens of recipes that Chrissy eats and tweets (and posts on Instagram). While she is a professional model, these recipes are not diet recipes. Instead, the book offers a wide range of recipes that include indulgent treats you can cozy up to on a cold night and simple dishes that are perfect for weeknight cooking or even for afternoon snacking. The book is divided into chapters by category, and includes Breakfast All Day, Soupmaster, Salads, Noodles & Carbs, Thai Mom, Party Time, Sh*t on Toast, Vegetable Things, Things That Intimidate People But Shouldn’t, and Supper. The toast chapter is the shortest, but the recipes you’ll find there might be the first ones you start with – each offering a delicious and easy combination of toast-topping items that are definitely social media-worthy.

Each recipe starts with an introduction from the author, describing the dish or the inspiration for it. Her style is friendly and fun, and it really feels like you’ve discovered a close friend’s notes on the recipe. The recipes themselves are clearly written and easy to follow along with, whether you’re an experienced cook or a beginner, and there is such a great variety in the recipes that you’re sure to find some new favorites. The only thing missing from this book, for me, is a chapter on desserts, but fortunately I was able to get my making fix from some of the wonderful breakfast/brunch recipes in the first chapter. I recently made Chrissy’s Yellow Cake Baked Oatmeal and it is a fun, easy brunch dish to make for a crowd and a good recipe to try before picking up a copy of the book yourself.