One of the Washington Post ’s Best Cookbooks of 2024 “It is one of the most generous cookbooks I have ever read. It’s revolutionary; it’s a relief.”— Washington Post A trained chef teaches you how to keep yourself fed—and maybe even enjoy it!—in the face of stress, burnout, and exhaustion. Delivery is expensive. Eating a spoonful of peanut butter is depressing. You can’t imagine having the energy to chop an onion. But somehow, you gotta eat. How does anyone feed themselves under these conditions? Part cookbook, part pep talk, and part action plan, You Gotta Eat offers tips and tactics—plus ten “do exactly this” recipes—for making effortless food that’s nourishing, tasty, and even a little fun. Choose your current energy level and learn important kitchen hacks such as the following. If you can open a package : Turn instant ramen into a feast - If you can assemble a plate : Make a cheese board fit for a king - If you can press a button : Whip up perfect eggs in the microwave - If you can wield a knife : Turn any leftovers into a hearty casserole Plus dozens more ideas for living deliciously without impossible effort! Whether you’re burned-out, depressed, overscheduled, a new parent, living away from home for the first time, or some combination of the above, let food editor, classically trained chef, and nacho enthusiast Margaret Eby show you how to make your eating experience easier—and better—in every way. Featured on NPR’s Life Kit One of the Washington Post ’s Best Cookbooks of 2024 A Forbes Vetted Best Cookbook of Fall 2024 “Not only is it an incredibly practical book for times of depression, anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or simply being too busy to even think, but it’s written in a tone so kind and calm that I would read it over and over, even if it were about how to change the oil in your car.”—Linda Holmes, NPR ‘It is one of the most generous cookbooks I have ever read. It’s revolutionary; it’s a relief.”— Washington Post “Eby’s fabulously fun and incredibly informative guide is a treat for cooks wherever they are on the culinary spectrum.”—John Charles, Library Journal , starred review “ You Gotta Eat feels like the kindest permission slip to let go of guilt around not cooking while also providing good strategies for nourishing yourself when life is hard.”— Simply Recipes “[Eby] saw the need for a book like this and filled it with empathy, humor, and useful counsel for feeding yourself when you’re low, anxious, exhausted, burnt out, or otherwise not at your best.”—Molly McArdle, Food & Wine “It’s a generous book that I can’t wait to keep cooking from, no matter my mood.”—Mallary Santucci, Epicurious “If you’re finding yourself stressed, falling out of love with the act of cooking, or just needing a bit of a pep talk lately, Eby understands.”—Emily Ziemski, Well + Good “An encouraging, casual cookbook that invites goofing around in the kitchen until tasty dishes can be put on the table.”—Rachel Jagareski, Foreword starred review “Taking into account varying energy levels, budgets, and skill sets, Eby helps readers put a meal on the table no matter the limitations they feel surround them.”— Forbes Vetted Margaret Eby is the deputy food editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer . She has written for the New York Review of Books , Rolling Stone , Vanity Fair , Bon Appétit , the New Yorker , the New York Times , and the Los Angeles Times , among other publications. She is the author of South Toward Home: Travels in Southern Literature (Norton,2015). Margaret completed a certificate program at the International Culinary Center in 2019. Bean Salad, the Musical Salad      Canned beans are beautiful. They’re already cooked. They have a ton of protein and fiber. They’re filling. And they’re really inexpensive. You may think salad means “sad privation meal of lettuce,” but actually salad is a loose category that roughly translates to “haphazard assembly of things tied together by dressing,” and by this definition beans are the perfect vehicle. All you need to do is open them, drain them, rinse them if you have the energy but not if you don’t (they might just taste slightly more metallic), dump them in a bowl, combine with dressing and perhaps other stuff, and stir. Behold: lunch.      Precut veggies (including frozen—let the salad sit for a bit after mixing to let the frozen veggies defrost) work just fine here. So do bottled dressings, though if you don’t have those you can always use the time-honored classic of olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper (or, if you’re feeling very fancy, the Nora Ephron classic of a tablespoon of dijon mustard, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, whisked together with a fork). Try one of these combinations, or get creative! The more comfortable you get in the bean salad space, the more you’ll be able to branch out. • Chickpeas + cucumbers + cherry or grape tomatoes + tzatziki = Greek-ish salad • Black