Sunlight and Breadcrumbs: Making Food With Creativity & Curiosity

James Beard Award–winning chef Renee Erickson invites home cooks to rediscover the joy of everyday cooking through more than 100 creative, approachable recipes inspired by curiosity, seasonal ingredients, and the beauty of simple food.

After more than 25 years running acclaimed restaurants, Erickson realized she had drifted away from the creative instincts that first drew her to cooking. Reconnecting with art, photography, ceramics, and home cooking, she found fresh inspiration in ordinary meals and everyday ingredients. In Sunlight & Breadcrumbs, she shares the recipes, ideas, and observations that helped her see food in a new light.

Part cookbook, part creative manifesto, this beautifully illustrated collection combines thoughtful essays with practical recipes for weeknight dinners, relaxed gatherings, simple appetizers, and satisfying desserts. "Work in Progress" sidebars offer a glimpse into Erickson's creative process, exploring how texture, color, seasonality, and small finishing touches can transform a good dish into a memorable one.

Discover recipes such as Melted Anchovy Toast, Oven-Dried Tomatoes with Whipped Feta, Mint, and Basil, White Beans with Pork Sausage, Lemon Peel, and Green Herbs, and Raspberry and Pecan Crumble Cake.

Whether you're looking for fresh weeknight inspiration, planning a dinner with friends, or simply hoping to fall in love with cooking again, Sunlight & Breadcrumbs offers a thoughtful and delicious guide to finding creativity in the kitchen every day.

Renee Erickson is the James Beard Award–winning chef and co-owner of numerous Seattle restaurants, including The Walrus and the Carpenter, The Whale Wins, Barnacle, Bar Melusine, Lioness, Westward, and more. She is the author of Getaway: Food & Drink to Transport You and A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus: Menus and Stories. Erickson currently serves on the board of the University of Washington’s School of Art + Art History + Design.