Ellen Kanner—award-winning food writer, Meatless Monday blogger for The Huffington Post, syndicated columnist Edgy Veggie, and now author of Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith and What to Eat for Dinner—has invited you to share a meal. You, and the 7 billion other people on this planet (or as she calls it, her “ideal dinner party guest list”), as she wants nothing more than for “everyone to be fed, nourished, and celebrated.”

With that desire, this ardent advocate for organic, sustainable, and accessible food has penned a glorious memoir/cookbook to satiate both our souls and our appetites. Because we so often resemble the hungry ghosts of Taoist lore—eating mindlessly, wandering aimlessly, and wanting more than food itself can provide—Ellen, with warmth, humor, empathy, and insight, offers that recognizing our relationship to food (how it’s grown, a recipe’s cultural and spiritual underpinnings) gives it as much depth and flavor as fresh ingredients or lavish spices, and ultimately provides the real sustenance we’re craving: meaning, emotional fulfillment, community. According to Ellen, “Saffron, tarragon, cardamom, and cumin make food taste better. Culture, connection, and faith do the same thing for our lives.”