Carla Lalli is the New York Times bestselling author of That Sounds So Good and received a James Beard Award for her first cookbook, Where Cooking Begins. She is a producer, writer, cookbook author, podcast host, and video host.

Before making the move to food media, Carla spent 10 years in restaurants, first as a line cook and kitchen manager, and later as a general manager. She was the food director at Bon Appétit, where she hosted the YouTube series, Back to Back Chef, and appeared in dozens of BA Test Kitchen videos.

Carla’s third book, Food is a Feeling, is a genre-expanding cookbook memoir that combines personal essays and recipes. Rooted in her experiences as a cook, a parent, and a recently divorced person, it explores the emotional connections between cooking, eating, and feeding others. It will publish in September, 2026.

At home in Brooklyn, Carla reigns supreme over two humans, a cat, a dog, and three houseplants that aren’t looking too hot, if we’re being honest. She shares a birthday with Julia Child and Napoleon, and her natural sleep cycle is from 2am to 10am.