When Stephanie Valentine’s children left home for university, she packed more than just their suitcases—she sent them off with a binder brimming with beloved family recipes, a culinary anchor to home. What began as a mother’s gesture of care has blossomed into a new cookbook that’s already winning hearts: Love What’s On Your Plate: Wholesome Recipes to Cherish and Share.
This curated volume is more than the typical straightforward cookbook. It’s an invitation to rediscover joy and connection through food: the recipes that define home, the stories and memories they evoke, and the satisfaction of cooking and eating together. Valentine’s book stands out for its accessible recipes and the artistic photography of the finished product that infuses every page.
“What made me want to write the book was basically when my kids went away to university,” Valentine, a nutritionist, explains. “I put together all of the recipes from the food that I made. My mom made the foods that we felt made our house a home, and I sent them away with a binder so they themselves could duplicate that.”
This kernel of nostalgia blossomed: Valentine realized these recipes weren’t just instructions. They were a legacy of care and tradition, oftentimes through the lens of old country heritage. “I wanted them to have a tangible piece of home,” she reflects, “something to nourish them—not just with food, but with memory and love.”
With that purpose in mind, Valentine set out to expand the family’s recipe binder into a book for anyone yearning to bring a little more home to their table.
Unlike some cookbooks that can intimidate with obscure ingredients and elaborate instructions, Love What’s On Your Plate is approachable for anyone. Valentine’s recipes run the gamut from soul-soothing soups and hearty mains to bright salads and homey desserts. Each dish has been road-tested over years of family meals—there are no pretensions here, only food that works and delights.
“In our house, food was always about bringing people together,” Valentine says. “These are the dishes you can actually make on a weekday or for a special occasion. Nothing fussy. The point is to enjoy making it and to eat with the people you love.”
Readers will find classics like her mother’s roast chicken, bubbling casseroles, and vibrant grain salads dotted with herbs and feta. Valentine’s gentle, guiding voice walks even novice cooks through preparation, suggesting variations and shortcuts, and always encouraging customization.
What differentiates Valentine’s book is the emphasis on the emotional resonance of recipes. Each recipe comes with a note or story: the time her youngest requested the same birthday cake four years running; how a simple vegetable stew became a tradition for the first chilly night of the year. These touches transform the cookbook from a kitchen manual into a conversation with a dear friend.
“The individual and blend of tastes come together and make you remember,” Valentine writes in the book’s introduction. “What matters most is who’s around your table.”
That spirit runs through the entire collection, inviting readers to relive their own food memories while discovering new favorites.
In making the book, Valentine also considered those with growing families or those setting off on their own, much like her children did. She’s careful to offer substitutions for allergies or dietary needs, and many recipes are flexible enough to accommodate a changing pantry. There’s a section on “pantry saviors,” those comforting meals you can make even on a night when groceries are running low. (“It’s not about perfection,” Valentine laughs. “It’s about showing up, maybe with soup and toast, and making it into a feast.”)
What’s refreshing is her refusal to chase trends. There’s no pressure to plate, no specialty gadgets required. Instead, the book is a gentle rejoinder to the culture of comparison: “Food is not a competition,” she insists. “Food is how we care for each other. If all you have is a pot and a pan, you can make something wonderful.”
In a world preoccupied with speed and convenience, Love What’s On Your Plate is a gentle nudge to slow down, invite a friend, or simply savor a quiet meal. “We’re so used to rushing through meals,” Valentine says. “But I think there’s magic in slowing down, sharing a story, and tasting what you made.”
The final section of the book offers menus for gatherings both large and small: a cozy fall supper, a relaxed weekend brunch, a backyard picnic for friends. Each menu is thoughtfully composed to foster ease, not stress—evidence of Valentine’s home cook’s wisdom.
In the end, what shines brightest in Love What’s On Your Plate is the heart behind them. As readers flip through its thick coffee table pages, they’re gaining an inside track to a mom’s instincts, her nutritionist training, and of course, decades of food adventuring.
As Valentine says, “If this book helps one person feel more at home, or inspires them to invite someone to their table—they’re already winning, and so am I.”
Love What’s On Your Plate: Wholesome Recipes to Cherish and Share is available now wherever books are sold and online. For cooks of all ages and skill levels, it’s a comforting companion—for both the kitchen and the soul.