Cravings, Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen

I have to start off by saying I wasn’t expecting much out of this cookbook author. I picked up this book from the bargain table, flipped through it and was immediately put off by the glossy photos of Chrissy Teigen in various stages of undress, staring into the camera with a saucy come-hither look while wielding a provocative corn dog. But while Chrissy’s running commentary about herself and her family seems slightly if not charmingly self-centered, this book does have some good things to offer.

Chrissy’s co-author Adeena Sussman may be the real hero here, who knows? Many of the recipes have a distinct Asian point of view and none is complicated. This is pretty basic comfort food with big flavors. The instructions are actually well-written and well-organized. Pay attention to throw away advice like the suggestion in the Banana Bread recipe where Chrissy points out that beating the heck out of the batter with an electric mixer results in a texture different than that you will obtain from hand mixing. She doesn’t always emphasize the most important ingredient or technique… you have to filter out her cutesy little remarks about herself and her family.