As an avid reader, I used to read a TON of fiction. I still do, however, when a good non-fiction food book comes my way, I have to put my copy of
NW by Zadie Smith down... for a while. I read cookbooks cover to cover, same with my issues of
Bon Appétit. Here are (some of) my favorite food books/reads:
My Life in France by Julia Child
Until I read this book, I didn't realize how inspirational Julia and Paul Child are. First of all, not many people know much about Julia's husband, Paul. Civil servant and diplomat by day, gourmand and polymath by night. Their relationship is so touching because you can see in this book how much they loved and supported each other. He wrote about wishing he could take cooking classes with Julia, and joined a men's gourmet club as a way of taking part in his wife's massive culinary interests. Without Paul, there is no Julia.
On top of being jealous of their love for each other, I'm also jealous of how much fun and affordably livable Paris seemed for government workers in the 40s and 50s.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck & Louisette Bertholle
You can't mention Julia Child books without listing this as well. As much as I disliked
Julie Powell's personality, I am so inspired to also cook my way through this book. When I have some type of food I don't know what to do with, I always consult this book for ideas. Always.
La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange: The Original Companion for French Home Cooking by Madame Evelyn Saint-Ange
Julia actually mentions this book in My Life in France, but I think she said it was out of print at the time... By a stroke of luck, my mom heard on NPR that it was going back into print, and promptly bought me a copy for Christmas. It's a great reference book to have, so I like to consult this as well for recipe inspiration.
Cooked by Michael Pollan
I'm a sucker for anything Michael Pollan-related. If you haven't read any of his work, get on it! He doesn't just write about food, but everything surrounding it-- agriculture, politics, social impacts.. everything. Read
The Omnivore's Dilemma,
The Botany of Desire, and this one.
I devoured half of this mighty tome in about two days. The book is sectioned into four parts: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Each relates to an element of how to cook your food these ways. The fermentation chapter is fascinating! I finally made starter.. that is currently sitting in my freezer and I need to finally make bread. Baking is hard :(
Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink by David Remnick
This is a compilation of all of
The New Yorker's articles about food, categorized by the focus, such as Dining Out, Dining In, Fishing and Foraging, etc. My favorite story so far was about the history of the
beefsteak parties thrown in New York by groups like Tammany Hall as fundraisers. TL;DR version: men are disgusting gluttons and women ruined it after joining by requesting formal attire and side dishes.
Lapham's Quarterly: Food
Another compilation of food-related writings. This is fascinating, because it's full of art, poems, short stories, essays and articles from any point in history and any place in the world. The feast scene in the
Odyssey has new meaning when read in the context of this collection. I highly recommend this.
Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
Layla gave me this book. I read it in a day. Then I gave it to my mother and she loved it and gave it to her neighbor. While I worry about making sure I get my book back (quite the feat), it makes me happy that this book is so good and that the people in my life enjoy it as much as I do. Ruth Reichl is the former
New York Times restaurant critic and the last editor of
Gourmet magazine. She also had a mother whose struggle with bipolar disorder affected the food she made. In a series of sweet and funny short stories, Ruth explains how she grew from having to eat rotting food her mother deemed edible to becoming a famous restaurant critic, through various jobs and experiences in food.
The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten
I could have used the book cover, but let's be real-- this is so much better. This might be the first food-related book I've ever read, and I couldn't be prouder. Though I no longer have my copy (see note above about getting books back), I am tempted to buy a new one. Steingarten is the food writer for
Vogue and occasional Iron Chef judge. He's a prickly guy, but endlessly entertaining.
MAGAZINES:
Bon Appétit,
Lucky Peach (Their Apocalypse issue changed my life. Not joking!!!!)
