I got lots of great gifts for Christmas this year – and I love when you actually get the change to start using the gifts you got, and see just how great they are! One thing I was really excited to get was Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook, “Cravings: Recipes for all the food you want to eat“.
Like her husband John Legend, most of us fell in love with Chrissy on Twitter – she’s the saucy, smart-mouthed chick we all wish we could be. And hey, it wouldn’t hurt if we could also have a body like hers and be a supermodel, jet-setting to the coolest places on earth. But, who’s jealous? Not me. Just kidding, so jealous!
If you follow Chrissy on Instagram, there’s a large possibility you’ve been hit with a pic of one of her amazing homemade concoctions, whether its the pan-roasted bacon, crispy baklava, or creamy tomator soup – it all looks delicious.
I sure thought it was cool that Ms. Teigen not only cooked, but was whipping up some impressive stuff! But the truth is, I didn’t really take her seriously until last Christmas, when John Legend bought her a massive cheese wheel so she could serve pasta, tableside.
If you’ve never been to Italy, perhaps you haven’t seen a cheese wheel in action – I haven’t been to Italy, either, but it is a method of serving pasta. The center is cut from a large cheese wheel, where warm pasta is placed. As the pasta is stirred, the fresh cheese melts into the pasta and then is served. Yum!
Chrissy’s excitement over the cheese wheel was perfection – I knew she was a real foodie. And in her cookbook, she talks a lot about her food experiences as a child; how she helped her mom in the kitchen from a very young age. She also was lucky enough to experience all sorts of foods from her Thai mom and American father.
“Cravings” reflects that, even featuring a Thai chapter with some of her mom’s recipes. And there’s tons of other unique things, such as a tuna casserole topped with jalapeno chips, and how to make a Frito pie bar. Yes!
- Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage – This one looks impressive, yet easy, and very affordable (always a consideration when I’m choosing recipes)!
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps – These look like delicious kin to P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps, which I have always loved.
- Lemony Arugula Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe – Listed as one of the book’s top recipes by Teigen herself, this one combines all the best things: pasta, greens, and ham.
- Vegetable Tortilla Stew – I’ll never turn down tortilla soup!
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Crust Crackers – I love chicken pot pie and this deconstructed version sounds easy and so cozy…
…So, there’s way more than five recipes in the book that I’ll be cooking, but I didn’t want to give too much away. And probably a majority of these picks are clearly reflective of the fact that I’m still in my “Winter Body” phase and am in no hurry to get skinny. Oh well!
Did you get any cookbooks over the holidays? Or perhaps you’ve dusted off your old ones in attemps to tackle a New Year’s Resolution? I’d love to hear what recipes you’re working on this week (or year)!
The Bitter Lemon 
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