“A small, quirky, and insanely kind collection, Elsbach's first cookbook combines elements of Mollie Katzen’s The Moosewood Cookbook and Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything oeuvres. With a unique tone and caring approach, Elsbach identifies eight different lifecycle occasions, from births to passings, that demand lovingly delivered food. Her audience is everyone who wants to help their friends and loved ones during such times, and she provides 70–plus recipes for doing just that."—Booklist, starred review 

"The gift of a pot of hot, nourishing soup; a loaf of bread still warm from the oven; a salad of bright, crisp greens; or a rich chocolate pudding says “I care” in a way that words cannot. Written for those for whom cooking is an act of love, Janet Reich Elsbach’s cookbook [presents] recipes designed to soothe a new mother’s frazzled nerves and welcome the new arrival; others are designed to comfort the grieving, nourish and cheer someone recovering from an illness, or celebrate life’s milestones."—Foreword Reviews 

"These are recipes to give to a friend who has lost a loved one, a student facing exams or the neighbors who have just moved in next door. As she simmers the soup, Elsbach shares experiences as a mother and a counselor for nursing mothers and her own times of loss. With warmth and humor, she reaches out to people in pain and all those who care for them."—Berkshire Magazine

“Entering a community of people, being held, is far more compelling than [what someone brings to eat],” Elsbach explains. “Feelings of being abandoned can stick with you; so, too, can feelings of having been met. You go forth into the world and pay it forward. Knowing you are not alone—that is most nourishing.” —Berkshire Edge

“At the risk of sounding hokey, it made me want to be a better neighbor, better sister, better friend – a better person. The sort of person who, no matter how busy she is herself, makes the time to bring considered and tempting food to the people in her life in profound need of nurturance and nourishment. This is a cookbook with a very kind heart.” —Portland Press Herald