Eating Again
The Recipes That Healed Me
Alice Carbone Tench’s cookbook Eating Again couples delicious flavors with a deep sense of person and place.
Tench began to cook as a means of recovering from eating disorders and her loss of identity as wife and mother. This book shares bits of her story and tons of her recipes, inviting people to join her in her journey toward zest and health.
The book’s recipes are variously traditional and innovative. Many were inspired by Tench’s grandmother, as with Madri’s Semi-Sauerkraut, and mom, as with the Fennel Gratin with Béchamel Sauce. Others are favorites from episodes of Tench’s show Instagram to Table, including Semi-Sweet Chocolate Crackers. Some are grouped by influence; other are grouped by type, like cookies or pasta. Whatever the source or course, the recipes are inviting and delicious, rich with Italian influences and brimming with fresh, flavorful ingredients.
The recipes are well crafted and of easy to moderate difficulty, sharing all of the information that’s needed to learn to cook just as Tench did: with a willing spirit. Each recipe begins with a quick contextual introduction to give a sense of the dish. Next are lists of ingredients; most are short to moderate in length. Then careful instructions provide just enough details and to-the-point explanations to equip cooks in action. There are beautiful photographs, too, that show the delectable final products.
The recipes are the highlight of the book, but they wouldn’t be the same without the personal stories interspersed between sections. As the recipes invite people to Tench’s table, the stories open up her life and heart. They surround ideas of home and body image and venture from childhood to motherhood with grace, honesty, and compassion.
Eating Again is a cookbook that’s focused on whole-person health and infused with the flavors of Italy.
Reviewed by
Melissa Wuske
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
