Cooking Memories & Serving Love - Hardcover

by Craig McNary (Author), Darrias Thomas (Photographer), K. Lafleur-Anders (Designed by)

Anthony Bourdain once said, "You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together." That truth has resonated with me since I read it. Holidays and special occasions in my family were always filled with laughter, love, and food. I noticed early on that everyone naturally gathered at the homes of the best cooks. I cherished those moments and made it my mission to keep that tradition alive as I grew older. It gave me another reason to spend time with my grandmother, Margaret, who embodied what it meant to bring people together through food. From birthdays to funerals and everything in between, food was always at the center, a constant thread in the fabric of our lives. For me, being surrounded by family, friends, and good food has always been medicine for the soul.

This book is about that connection between food, family, and happiness. There was a time when I felt deeply disconnected after my deployment to Iraq in 2004. Coming home wasn't easy. Some days I lived half-awake, startled by loud noises, always on edge. Cooking gave me a way back to a world that felt foreign. It wasn't everything I needed, but it was the first step toward healing. I cooked too much for myself, so my broke college friends would stop by for leftovers. Sharing those meals forced me to reconnect with people, and something so simple made a profound impact on my life.

I'll never forget a conversation with Chef De'Anthony Colbert, who once told me I was a chef. I pushed back, saying I never earned that title in school and didn't want to claim it without the training. I told him I called my kitchen "My Lab," and he started calling me "The Madd Chemist" because of our deep conversations about food and the science behind it. That friendship, like so many others in my life, was forged over food.

So here's to community, to healing, and to learning about one another the best way I know how, by sharing a meal together.