Carla Lalli

An intimate, story-driven cookbook that explores the idea of cooking and eating as an act of self-care, with 65 time-tested and nourishing recipes from the James Beard Award–winning author of Where Cooking Begins and New York Times bestseller, That Sounds So Good

Carla has been writing about food, family, and feelings for many years, and she’s always known that her recipes were about more than sustenance. The 65 recipes and 30 essays in Food Is a Feeling are a powerful reminder of the nurturing, fulfilling, and joyful role that food plays in all of our lives, a very human account of beauty and challenges balancing each other like butter and salt.

For her, cooking is an expression of love. That core belief was put to the test the year she got divorced. As Carla started figuring out who she was going to be on the other side of a 24-year marriage, she took note of the cravings she was having and the meals she wanted to make, and honored those desires by making herself something to eat: Lemony Chickpea Stew with Rice; Personal Pot of Beans and Greens; Salad Sandwich, to name a few. She was flooded with delicious memories—her mom’s Saturday Night Alfredo, the Extremely Floofy Vanilla Pancakes she makes for her children, and the Crispy-Skinned Fish with Olives and Lemons and Burnt Caramel Rhubarb Compote she learned on the line in some of New York City’s most demanding restaurant kitchens. Over time, she realizes the creative, transformative work that happens in the kitchen is a potent antidote for the hurdles she has yet to overcome.

The food, the passage of time, and the lessons gained—all of it became perfectly intertwined. In writing that is revealing, relatable, and funny, Carla uses rich context from her own life to make the case that food is so much more than just fuel, and yes, we should eat our feelings. After all, they’re delicious.