Carla Lalli, once a well-known face in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, has released her third cookbook, Food Is a Feeling: Recipes and Stories, With Love. This book marks a new chapter in her career, focusing on the emotional aspect of cooking rather than the practical techniques she previously emphasized. Unlike many cookbooks that prioritize step-by-step instructions, Lalli’s new work highlights how food can serve as a source of comfort and emotional support during difficult times. She describes the book as one that is meant for healing and self-discovery, especially after personal challenges like divorce. Lalli left Bon Appétit in 2020 amid controversy surrounding pay and treatment of nonwhite staff. Since then, she has shifted her focus to independent platforms, publishing her work on Substack and reducing her presence on YouTube. Her new cookbook is a reflection of her personal journey through this period of change. The first recipe in the book, buttered rice with greens and garlic, is one she associates with eating alone after her sister left, symbolizing a time of solitude and reflection. The book includes 65 recipes, all designed to be adaptable by the home cook. From simple dishes like a large bowl of popcorn to more intricate meals like lobster with spicy mayo and seared scallops with chile-cumin butter, the recipes vary in complexity. Throughout the book, there are personal photos of Lalli with her family and a younger version of herself in a humorous chef’s hat. These visuals are paired with personal lists and reflections, such as “Things I Tell Myself When I Feel Out of Sorts,” which accompany photos of Lalli enjoying fruit cobbler on a Brooklyn sidewalk. Lalli’s journey through divorce has led her to rediscover her own culinary preferences. She once avoided tomatoes because her ex-husband disliked them, but after the divorce, she began eating what she wanted and reconnecting with her own tastes. She describes this period of solitude as liberating and emphasizes that the book is about cooking for the right vibe rather than perfection. Her new phase of life involves shedding the image of a "het married woman" she once portrayed and embracing a more authentic self. Though she acknowledges that some of her core audience may not fully embrace this new version of herself, she remains committed to creating work that reflects her current life and experiences.