For the at-home chefs who are ready to create delicious meals and memorable moments for themselves and their loved ones, the perfect holiday gift for everyone’s list is no doubt the latest project by chef extraordinaire turned author, Clive Berkman of Charley’s 517 fame.

He has outdone himself once again, this time on paper instead of on a plate. Fortunate enough to have dined at Charley’s 517 in the early 90’s and to have recently met him at a book signing, I was eager to have a cookbook in my collection from a chef that I have admired so much, but this is not your ordinary cookbook. In fact, I wouldn’t even call it a cookbook at all.

His award winning literary project titled Empty Bottle Moments is a recollection of stories as well as recipes giving an honest and heartfelt timeline of the incredible journey of this hometown hero and the memories he shares with so many. Empty Bottle Moments not only gives readers the incredible recipes offered by the chef to recreate at home, but the intimate details of his life’s journey through the feast and the famine, offering a life lesson for those who choose to hear it.

For more information on his book and to see what Clive Berkman is up to these days, check out cookingwithclive.com.