I’ve always loved the idea of cooking. From a young age, I remember waking up in the golden hour on Saturdays and tuning in to my favorite station: Food Network. While most kids my age were watching Cartoon Network or Disney Channel, I was watching brilliant chefs cook up a meal in their own homes (to be fair, I was also watching Drake and Josh, One Tree Hill, and Boy Meets World in my spare time). To me, the most compelling were Giada De Laurentiis and Ina Garten. I fell in love with their knife skills, the way pancetta would crisp and turn golden brown as it cooked, how basil could instantly add a photographic element on top of any dish, and the importance of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano on hand. Although my love of delicious food has never gone away, the idea of becoming a chef isn’t a lifelong goal of mine. However, that doesn’t mean that I can’t whip up a gourmet dish from time-to-time or relish over images of restaurant-worthy dishes in a good book.
Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings” is indeed, a good book. Chrissy is a model, tv show host, food blogger and wife of singer John Legend. After releasing “Cravings”, I’m sure she can now add chef to her resumé as well. I’ve been a huge fan of Chrissy’s after discovering her blog So Delushious and realizing that this swimsuit model knows her food. Whether she’s eating In-n-Out burgers at 2 a.m. or making her favorite Spicy Stew and Smashed Potatoes, Chrissy’s A-List lifestyle seems a bit more relatable. “Cravings” is full of recipes for food that normal people like you and I would want to eat. It’s not your typical ‘model’ cookbook filled with rabbit food and kale (although there is some kale in it…don’t even get me started on the fad), but rather recipes for meals like cheesy cheeseless eggs with burst tomatoes, split pea soup with crispy hot dogs, lemony spaghetti cacio e pepe, jok moo (thai pork and rice porridge), and husband John’s famous fried chicken. Whether or not you’re an actual model or just someone who loves a good homemade meal, I highly recommend “Cravings” for easy to make dishes and treats.