Carla Lalli's 'Food Is a Feeling' Cookbook Chronicles Post-Divorce Culinary Journey
This month, Carla Lalli, a former editor at Bon Appétit and acclaimed cookbook author, will release 'Food Is a Feeling,' a unique blend of memoir and cookbook that intertwines recipes with her journey through divorce after 24 years of marriage. Following her previous works, 'Where Cooking Begins' (2019) and 'That Sounds So Good' (2021), this new book carries a more reflective tone. Among the recipes are 'Greens, Garlic, and Mom Rice,' 'Separation Pork Chops,' and 'Night Cereal,' which she believes can elevate her spirits. Lalli persuaded her editor of the healing power of food during difficult times. The book's candid narrative includes mantras and draws inspiration from divorce-themed memoirs by authors like Sharon Olds, Nora Ephron, Isabel Gillies, and Elizabeth Gilbert. It will be featured in The New Yorker's September 14, 2026 issue.
Key facts
- Carla Lalli's 'Food Is a Feeling' is a cookbook-as-divorce-memoir published this month.
- Lalli is a former Bon Appétit editor and author of 'Where Cooking Begins' (2019) and 'That Sounds So Good' (2021).
- The book follows the end of Lalli's 24-year marriage.
- Recipes include 'Greens, Garlic, and Mom Rice,' 'Separation Pork Chops,' and 'Night Cereal.'
- Lalli had to convince her editor and publisher that the conversation around divorce had changed.
- The article references Sharon Olds's 'Stag's Leap' (2012), Nora Ephron's 'Heartburn' (1983), Isabel Gillies's 'Happens Every Day' (2009), and Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Eat, Pray, Love.'
- Lalli's ex-husband disliked tomatoes, leading to recipes that celebrate them.
- The article is from The New Yorker, issue dated September 14, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Carla Lalli
- Sharon Olds
- Nora Ephron
- Isabel Gillies
- Elizabeth Gilbert
- Carl Bernstein
- Rachel Samstat
Institutions
- Bon Appétit
- The New Yorker
- Vogue
- Clarkson Potter
- Penguin Random House
Locations
- New Orleans
- Italy
- Brooklyn
- United States