Every chapter is a reason to gather, and every recipe is written the way you’d tell it to a friend standing beside you at the stove — what to watch for, when to taste, how to know a dish is ready. Measurements are given in cups and ounces so nothing slows you down, and the food has a generous, playful spirit: shrimp tucked into potato, chicken glazed with orange, tomatoes hollowed and filled, little dumplings pressed into the shape of flowers.
You don’t need a special reason to cook from these pages — but if you’re looking for one, look at the calendar. There’s almost always something worth celebrating, and almost always someone worth feeding. Pull up a chair. Let’s gather, and let’s feast.