Rebecca Bloom, a Menlo Park resident from the Willows neighborhood, has released a cookbook with co-author (and college roommate) Shelley Onderdonk.

Cafe Zoe will host a launch for their book, called "The Anti-Cookbook: Easy, Thrifty Recipes for Food-Smart Living," on Monday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m. at 1929 Menalto Ave. in Menlo Park.

As roommates, Bloom said, the duo "blundered through learning how to cook well and healthily on our budget."

Now working moms, their oldest kids are through college and living on their own. So they wrote the book, in part, to give advice to their kids.

Bloom works as a writer, editor and writing coach, and is a former attorney, tutor and activist. Onderdonk is a veterinarian, writer, equestrian and yoga instructor who currently lives in South Carolina.

"So far, we've found that the book appeals to anyone starting anew, starting again or just in a food rut," Bloom said.

Learn more about the book here.