Food memories resonate with most people. Recipe for Disaster by Alison Riley includes stories by forty contributors about food memories with the theme of disaster. As with most book of this nature, some stories resonate with me more than others. Each story is accompanied by a recipe – some basic and some more complex. The book is not as much about the recipes as the stories. An interesting, relatable premise that leads to an interesting collection.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/08/recipe-for-disaster.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

Editor Allison Riley posed a question: “Can you name a low point, of any size and shape, and the food memory you associate with surviving it?” The result is this anthology of 40 essays and accompanying recipes from contributors with wide-reaching backgrounds. There are authors like Samantha Irby and Jacqueline Woodson; celebs like Bowen Yang, chefs, activists, and pop culture icons. My favorite recipe is Alice Waters' Classic Chez Panisse Vinaigrette. So practical. So delicious.
This anthology has a good heart. It aims to offer up comfort food with a side of memoir, "to remember, without hierarchy or judgment, that our lowest moments offer something worth sharing: stories, food, and the welcome reminder that we've all  been there."
But too many of the essays and recipes feel phoned in. Though it's an uneven collection, I would recommend this to those looking for a light, fun read, with stories that are relatable and a handful of recipes worth trying.
[Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

I think this book had a lot of promise. It just missed the mark for me. Some people’s stories were multiple pages while others I think wrote theirs on a post it note.

It just felt disjointed and missing something. I don’t know. I hope there’s another book because I love the idea of this book.

When I saw this book, I knew I would love it, and my prediction was right!

From Amazon:

Recipe for Disaster is a collection of stories and recipes—from a veritable who's who from the worlds of food, music, art, literature, activism, fashion, and pop culture—about finding comfort in food, surviving the unthinkable, and living to tell about both.

Discover how getting dumped led to author Samantha Irby's Rejection Chicken. Comedian Sarah Silverman tells of the power of the humble Pinwheel cookie that got her through bouts of crippling childhood depression. Culinary legend Alice Waters reflects on how a perfectly dressed salad has carried her and her chosen family through loneliness and uncertainty. Here are forty recipes—some traditional, some unconventional—that commemorate the low points with the same culinary conviction with which we celebrate the highs. Part cookbook, part candid confessions, this book of good food for bad times reminds us that even the worst of days yield something worth sharing.

INTERSECTIONAL FEAST OF PERSPECTIVES: This book of tales of truly comforting food features a highly diverse, all-star who's who from the worlds of music, food, art, literature, performance, activism, and pop culture.

ALL-STAR CONTRIBUTORS: Storytellers include Samantha Irby, Alice Waters, Bowen Yang, Michael W. Twitty, Cey Adams, Chelsea Peretti, Simon Doonan, Meshell Ndegeocello, Brian Lehrer, Gabrielle Hamilton, Becca Blackwell, Jacqueline Woodson, Sarah Silverman, Raul Lopez, Thundercat, and many more.

UNIQUE AND ENGAGING: Featuring funny, heartbreaking, bittersweet, but always relatable essays and interviews that inspire recognition and laughter, accompanied by inspirational (and sometimes unconventional) recipes, with evocative photography that upends traditional cookbook styles.

HUMOR IS HEALING: This book reminds us of the value of our experiences, good and bad, and their capacity to bring levity and purpose to the moments we need them most. Recipe for Disaster was conceived through the deeply held belief that there is humor, liberation, and universal truth to be found through the exchange of these stories.

Perfect for:

Arts and pop-culture aficionados
Foodies and followers of celebrity chefs
Quirky/gorgeous gift for birthday, anniversary, holiday, or any special occasion that celebrates life, love, and the power of food
A unique resource for home cooks and browsable keepsake for readers seeking diverse, funny, and inspiring books
Readers of Humans of New York: Stories, Cherry Bombe, Anthony Bourdain, and every juicy celebrity tell-all they can get their hands on

My Take:

What made me so sure I would love this book are the bright and funny stories and recipes from various people. I love that food helps us know a person even better than before. The photographs are amazing and help round out the rather blunt writing. You cannot help but develop a sense of community as you recognize your family and friends in the stories of others.

About the Author:

Alison Riley is a writer and creative director based in Brooklyn and Hudson, NY, and founder of the paper and text studio, Set Editions. Originally from Cambridge, MA, she moved to New York City to study creative writing at Barnard College and has spent the last twenty-five years working inside brands and businesses and as consigliere to creators of all kinds, from musicians to art directors, and writers to fashion designers. This is her first book.

Very funny and poignant. Food is often about more than eating and this collection proves it. This would make a great gift for a pop culture/foodie friend.

Recipe for Disaster starts off strong, with a funny and relatable story from Samantha Irby. The recipe and the story weave together so thoughtfully, and I was excited to continue reading the book. But honestly, I feel like Irby's story was the best one in the book, while as I read on, the stories and recipes got more disjointed. Some people's stories were only 2 paragraphs long and didn't mention food at all. Others were detailed over pages, with a recipes slapped at the end, often times a recipe that had nothing to do with their story. I totally understand what this book was trying to do, and as a baker myself, I love the connection of memories and food. But this book really needed a guiding light because it felt like some contributors understood the assignment, while others turned in a completely irrelevant piece of work.

I do think this book would make a good gift for the foodie in your life, since some of the recipes did look pretty good, but it wouldn't be my go to cookbook/memoir to recommend.

This was an interesting read. As with any collection, there will be some stories that sing and others that drag. Samantha Irby is always funny, and I've found myself thinking Alice Waters and her view on salad. "A good salad will buoy my spirits. A good salad, I now realize, will help see me through calamity." I am eager to try the vinaigrette from her famous restaurant, Chez Panisse, although I am certain it will pale in comparison to the real thing. Overall, this book gave me a nice collection of thinks to think about and foodstuffs to try.

Absolutely loved the concept> The editor's prompt was: “Can you name a low point, of any size and shape, and the food memory you associate with surviving it?”

But some of the stories left a lot to be desired. They were very short and some didn't involved food or weren't even food-adjacent. Other contributors didn't even write a mini-essay, it's just a short interview with the editor. This was disappointing, in addition to not knowing who many of the contributors were.

The ones actually written by authors were much better. Jacqueline Woodson's is absolutely lovely and the recipes she contributed were also put together with so much care, Samantha Irby's was very funny, and I really liked Michael W. Twitty's but it didn't have anything to do with the prompt! And what a missed opportunity, because the recipes in his book The Cooking Gene were so good, and he's an incredible storyteller.

Nice collection of stories with a recipe for each of them. Some are funny, some are sad and some of the recipes and tips sound fantastic.

I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading books about food and this one took a unique approach. I enjoyed it.

Okay. This is an esoteric and somewhat unique combination memoir-essay/ recipe book. It took me awhile of flipping through it to get the vibe, and I definitely appreciated some selections more than others. Some of the celebrity contributors are probably better known to a more pop-culture- savvy audience than I am. Some of the photography was lovely; the concept was worth exploring.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this part antidote/part cookbook by Alison Riley - 4 stars!

Food and hard times just seem to go together. Who hasn't grabbed a pint of ice cream to counteract heartache? The author has compiled short essays from celebrities from all avenues talking about their hard time and the food that helped them through. The pictures alone are worth picking this book up, but reading through some of the recipes definitely improved my mood. Samantha Irby's Rejection Chicken recipe will definitely make you laugh out loud - plus it sounds really good too!

A cookbook and yet so much more. It’s a collection of recipes each accompanied with a short story in which the authors share what each recipe means to them and why. Funny, sweet, poignant vignettes. A wonderful book to add to your own shelf or as a gift. A really nice addition to my cookbook collection.

Interesting mix of memories and food from some famous and not so famous people. Good coffee table book, not necessarily something to read front to back, in order.

This is a unique collection of recipes from a wide variety of contributors. Just a few of those whose food is featured include Samantha Irby, Sara Silverman, Alice Waters, Brian Lehrer and Jacqueline Woodson.

Many recipes and vignettes are in these pages.. There is something so comforting in knowing that anyone may be challenged at times or has a story to tell. Food is one thing that may help a person through and there are many things to try here. I liked that there were some simple recipes since when one is struggling, easy may be best. For example, I think anyone could make and enjoy the scrambled eggs.

This book is a nice resource and one that readers may turn to again and again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

This is a very unique book with essays by a variety of different people (40 superstars) on food, heartbreak, solace, and comfort. I really enjoyed some of the stories and as a bonus many of them share their recipes! I always love Samantha Irby's writing and was laughing out loud at her essay about rejection chicken. Another story reminded me of the time that I was heartbroken and my best friend made me eggs and French Press Coffee in her college apartment and I felt so cared for -- that is the essence of these essays. The photos in the book are interesting - sometimes beautiful and sometimes a little gross and I did not always know what the photos had to do with the essays if at all. This is a quick read and does not need to be read from cover to cover.

Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for an ARC. I have left a review voluntarily.

This book was not what I expected. The subtitle is "40 Superstar Stories of Sustenenace and Survival." Maybe I am not the target audience, but of all the essayists, I had only ever heard of a handful. I also thought that each essay would have a recipe, and many of them did not. I would not consider this a cookbook, rather a collection of essays that happens to have some recipes sprinkled in. The essays were also much darker than I expected - many were about topics like war, 9/11, AIDS, death, and the early days of COVID-19. Calling the book stories of "survival" to me implied that some of them would end on a more positive or optimistic note, but I didn't find this.

This short collection of essays was a fun read! Some of your favorite chefs share their recipes (I am hoping to try a few) that they have turned to heal them in disaster. In love, life, or whatever calamity we are facing, there’s always that one recipe that comforts us. I enjoyed the peek into their lives’!

Recipe for Disaster by Alison Riley combined several things I love into one book - heartfelt stories of reflection, food and recipes, known personalities in the writing and food landscape, and interesting visual images. Food and meals often play a large part in how and why we remember an event. The way we celebrate with special recipes or meals seems to be a regular thing to read about, but I really enjoyed the 'twist' this book provided in a focus on the food that brought comfort in a difficult time or how heartbreak brought forth a now-beloved meal. This book might not be for everyone, but it was for me in the Venn diagram of my interests.

If you don't want to see a picture of the food from the recipe but instead want to see a picture of broken champaign glasses or disposable gloves then this book is for you. I mean nothing makes me want to try a recipe more than a picture of a charred envelope or a gearstick.

I don't think this book was exactly what I thought it was going to be. It is trying to be more artsy and less a traditional cookbook. That format wasn't really working for me.

I also thought that all the authors were providing a story and a recipe. There really weren't that many recipes. Mostly stories...some funny, some sad. And the one I was really looking forward to was Sarah Silverman and her story was short and one I had heard many times before.

***Advanced copy obtained from Chronicle Books via Netgalley***