Zibby’s Bookshop is thrilled to host Yasmin Fahr as she celebrates the launch of her new book, Cook Simply, Live Fully. Jen will be joined in conversation by Aishwarya Iyer, Founder and CEO of Brightland!

About the book:

From New York Times Cooking contributor Yasmin Fahr comes a guide to tackling weeknight dinner, with simple, delicious recipes that suit the needs of even the busiest home cooks.

What’s for dinner? It’s a question we ask ourselves most nights—pressed for time or groceries, searching through the fridge for inspiration. Dinner can be a time to unwind and connect with family or friends, but it can also feel like a chore.

Recipe developer and cookbook author Yasmin Fahr gets it, and is here to help readers create nourishing meals even when real life seems to have other plans. In Cook Simply, Live Fully she offers 120 recipes for taking the grind out of dinnertime, with dishes that span the range of “too tired to chop vegetables” to “up for a challenge but please make it snappy.”

Yasmin’s approach is all about simplicity and flavor while keeping things nutritious and vegetable-forward. Cook Simply, Live Fully is organized into three progressive sections based on energy level and mood. Lap Dinners includes low effort/high reward hits such as Sheet Pan Asparagus with Tomatoes, Eggs, + Feta. Readers can take things up a notch in Coffee Table Dinners with satisfying dishes that require a little more prep work, like Roasted Chicken Thighs with Grapes, Feta + Mint. At the Dinner Table is for those days when time and energy are not at a premium, or when entertaining is on the menu, including Roasted Mustard Salmon with Hint-of-Mint Escarole Salad with a side of Blistered Olive + Asparagus Salad with Feta + Turmeric-Stained Onions (with suggested wine pairings!).

Yasmin’s recipes are designed to teach readers how to become better, more intuitive cooks, and are open to creative substitutions (and some trial and error). Throughout, she shows readers how to transform the familiar by creating new pairings and flavor combinations that will inspire endless iterations—all while keeping prep and cleanup time to a minimum. An inviting, beautifully styled cookbook featuring 75 full-color photographs, Cook Simply, Live Fully is the answer to the most difficult question home cooks face every day, and is sure to become a trusted resource for years to come.

About the speakers:

Yasmin Fahr is a food writer and regular contributor to New York Times Cooking. Along with Cook Simply, Live Fully, she is also the author of Keeping It Simple and Boards & Spreads. Her writing and recipes have appeared online and in print publications such as Epicurious, Food52, The Kitchn, The Guardian and The Washington Post. She currently lives part time in Menorca with previous stints, both lengthy and brief, in NYC, Los Angeles, London and Miami. Please say hi to her online at @yasminfahr!

Aishwarya Iyer is the Founder and CEO of Brightland, the first celebrity and cult-favorite olive oil brand known for making the freshest, highest-quality olive oils, honeys, and vinegars on the market. Since its inception, Brightland has been featured by The New York Times, Vogue, Food & Wine, Fast Company, and many more. Aishwarya has been named on Create & Cultivate’s 100 and in Inc.’s Female Founders 100. Aishwarya also hosts a podcast, Recent Eats, where she speaks with interesting people about what they’ve been eating lately. Previously, Aishwarya spent over a decade in public affairs and corporate communications at various technology companies in both New York City and LA. She started her career at L’Oreal in the luxury products division at Lancome and is a graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.