Love To Travel, Cook, And Eat? Read Chef Cindy Hutson's New Cookbook

Love to travel, cook, and eat? Then chef Cindy Hutson's new cookbook, From the Tip of My Tongue, is a must-read. With more than 75 fresh and flavorful recipes influenced by her passion for travel and lots of rich and thoughtful anecdotes from her own life experiences, this beautifully photographed cookbook is not only an indispensible part of any home cook's collection — it's also a great read.

We talked to chef Cindy about her new book and here's what she had to say:

The Daily Meal: Can you tell us a little bit about your philosophy on food?
Chef Cindy Hutson: My philosophy on food is all about the gathering of people around a table. Be it for a holiday, celebration, introduction, negotiation, or business meeting, food can become the common ground. I want my food to be a topic in the conversation, the ice-breaker at a silenced table, the conduit for warm memories of comfort with family and friends — and hopefully an inspiration to aspiring chefs. It must have great presentation, multiple levels of flavor, and it must satisfy those who have come to partake in its occasion.

And how does that carry over into your cooking/how does that influence the recipes in this cookbook?
The recipes in my cookbook are a product of the personal stories I tell in From The Tip of My Tongue. They are the end result of my passion for travel and flavor, and the results of my personal need to provide a common place, like a table, to share life's offerings and great pleasures.

What are you hoping readers will take away from this book?
I had hoped that the home cook, advanced or beginner, would have a chance to play around with multicultural ingredients. Perhaps he or she can cook them as I have them to start, and then alternate ingredients and experiment with his or her own creativities. After all, a recipe is merely a guideline to a quantity of ingredients that are interchangeable with one's own tastes and preferences. I want readers to have fun and release the artistic chef within!

Anything else we should know about your book?
Well, one of the funniest things and most satisfying things I have found about the book is that I was thrilled to hear that readers have enjoyed my stories as much as the recipes. I have been overwhelmed with responses of bringing tears to their eyes with my stories and my passion for life — an added bonus for me, for sure.