Born in California and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, television host, chocolatier, and food writer Vanessa Lavorato graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in art history and Italian. But the biggest lesson she took from school was that her calling sat at the crossroads of entrepreneurship, food, and cannabis. In 2010, she founded Marigold Sweets, creating a market for edibles that prioritizes flavor and sourcing while maintaining artisanal quality. Lavorato built her business on the strength of her premium product, despite the added challenge of navigating the ever-changing laws governing cannabis edibles. Starting in 2016, Lavorato cohosted and culinarily-produced three seasons of VICE’s James Beard Award–nominated cannabis cooking show Bong Appétit. These days, her stoner-at-a-stove cooking show, The Edibles Club, brings together members from around the world to learn to make dishes like Hash Tortellini and Weed Hollandaze. She lives in Los Angeles.
“How to Eat Weed and Have a Good Time is the ultimate master class on getting baked with food. Vanessa explains everything from the science of getting high to how and where you can physically buy weed to, obviously, how to cook with it like a true expert. She spares no details, and while I’ve never cooked with weed myself, this is where I’d want to learn.”—Henry Laporte, author of Salt Hank “When I first met Vanessa on the set of Bong Appétit, I was instantly charmed by her cool attitude, beauty, and charisma. We bonded over food, weed, and everything in between. Vanessa’s cookbook embodies her personality—fun and whimsical, but also serious about good food (and, of course, weed!). Her recipes are stellar, and you can learn so much about cooking with weed.”—Esther Choi, chef and restaurateur “Books like this are necessary! Especially coming from someone like Vanessa, who has been passionate about educating people on how to cook with cannabis for many years. She is one of the most knowledgeable people I know in the field. It’s a must-read!”—B-Real, Cypress Hill “As someone who’s no stranger to both the kitchen and the occasional puff, I can’t say enough good things about Vanessa Lavorato’s How to Eat Weed and Have a Good Time. This book isn’t just about cooking with cannabis, it’s about elevating your entire experience. Vanessa breaks down the science and the art of it all, making it feel like you’re cooking alongside a friend who just happens to be a total expert. If you love good food and a good high, this is the cookbook you didn’t know you needed.”—Tess Sinatro, @Lamb_Chop97 “If there is anyone that I'm gonna trust to take me on a fun, weed-filled journey, it's Vanessa. Not only is her book educational and filled with exciting, clever recipes that you'll want to cook over and over but the photography is gorgeous and the recipes are dosed in a way that allows you to control your cannabis intake and consume enough weed to get you stoned but also eat as much of the dish as you'd like. And believe me, you're going to want to make everything in this cookbook.”—Farideh Sadeghin, cookbook author and content creator