Chicago author Ellyn Caruso turns breast cancer journey into life-affirming mission with new cookbook, “Forkfuls of Flavor”

A life-altering breast cancer diagnosis changed everything for Chicago author and award-winning public relations professional Ellyn Caruso. Rather than allowing the experience to define her next chapter, Caruso turned fear into a life-affirming mission to take greater control of her health through nourishing food, mindful eating and healthier lifestyle choices.

The result is “Forkfuls of Flavor”, a new cookbook featuring more than 90 easy-to-prepare Mediterranean-inspired recipes designed to help breast cancer thrivers embrace flavorful, wholesome meals while moving forward after treatment.

“After completing cancer treatment, I wanted to find meaningful actions that could help me live my best life,” said Caruso. “I added more fitness and mindfulness activities, but I also learned the importance of what you eat. I became culinary-curious and began exploring how healthier cooking and eating should become part of my everyday life. I wanted to share what I learned with other breast cancer thrivers in a way that was practical, joyful, and delicious.”

With more than 4.3 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, Caruso created “Forkfuls of Flavor” as more than a collection of recipes. The cookbook serves as a practical companion for breast cancer thrivers seeking to make nourishing food and healthier habits part of their ongoing journey.

The recipes emphasize fresh, wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients, including seafood, lean poultry, select red meats, vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, and healthy olive oils, while minimizing heavily processed ingredients. The seven chapters cover seafood, poultry, vegetable mains, beef, pork and lamb, pasta and grains, sides, and salads.

Recipes include Parchment-Baked Mediterranean Halibut, Wild-Caught Cod with Lemon-Blueberry Sauce, Lemon-Parmesan Chicken with Roasted Vegetables, Three-Flavor Eggplant Pizzetta, Salmon & Spinach Lasagna and Bosc Pear & Butternut Squash Salad with Honey Orange Vinaigrette.

The cookbook also provides guidance for creating a Mediterranean pantry, shopping, cooking tips, nutritional highlights, and menu-pairing suggestions. Five curated menus featuring 23 recipes help readers create everything from easy weeknight meals to company-ready dinners. While the cookbook lauds a variety of lean protein and plant-based dishes,12 distinct types of nutritious seafood are featured across 20 recipes throughout the collection.

Caruso invited fellow breast cancer survivors to sample her recipes and share their experiences and insights on thrivership, adding a personal dimension to the cookbook’s message of renewal and vibrant living.

The foreword is written by Sarah Anzevino, DNP, ANP-BC, a breast cancer/medical oncology nurse practitioner. “Research is confirming what we have long suspected: what we eat matters. Not just for day-to-day wellbeing but for long-term health and longevity,” Anzevino writes.

Caruso brings four decades of communications experience and a lifelong passion for cooking to the project. A fourth-generation communications professional, she is founder and principal of CarusoPR, an award-winning Chicago boutique public relations firm.

She also serves as creative director for “Forkfuls of Flavor”, overseeing the cookbook’s look and design, photography, editing, production, website strategy, launch events, and activities.

“I wanted ‘Forkfuls of Flavor’ to feel like an invitation,” Caruso said. “An invitation to fill your fork with flavor, nourish your body, and embrace your vibrant next chapter.”

While created with breast cancer thrivers in mind, the recipes are designed to be enjoyed by family and friends around the same table. Forkfuls of Flavor is available for purchase directly through the author’s website, ForkfulsofFlavor.com. The cookbook can also be ordered online through booksellers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Walmart, Target, and Bookshop.org. Readers can also request a special order through their favorite local bookstore.

Hard Cover

ISBN-979-8996415304

Thyme & Zest Press, Chicago, Illinois

About Ellyn Caruso

Ellyn Caruso is an award-winning public relations professional, entrepreneur, author and culinary-curious breast cancer thriver. Founder and principal of CarusoPR, she brings 40 years of communications experience to developing strategic programs and crafting content that brings stories to life.

Caruso has received Gold and Platinum Hermes Creative Awards and Viddy Awards and earned an honorable mention in the Good Money Challenge Big Idea competition. She is a member of Public Relations Boutiques International and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She is a former board member of the Professional Women’s Club of Chicago and served on the Rush MD Anderson Cancer Center Patient and Family Advisory Council.

Caruso holds a Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University and a certificate in Master Grant Writing from the University of Illinois Chicago.

She lives in Chicago with her husband, attorney Carmen Caruso. They are the parents of three adult children and five grandchildren.

Nov. 12, 2026

Sheryl Bass

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