I read, therefore I am hungry

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!!!!)

Fictitious Dishes by Dinah Fried

Moby Dick

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Catcher in the Rye

Source

Books All Girls Should Read

So, this is a list consisting of books about girls that I think girls should read. Of course they should read all books, but it's nice to relate to strong, female characters every now and then, am I right?

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This is the first book that came to my mind when compiling this list. The Bell Jar is the 1963 epitome of angsty teenage girl book-- a female Catcher in the Rye, if you will. Anyway, I've probably read this book about three times. If you don't know, it's a semi-autobiographical novel about Esther Greenwood, who is based on Plath. She struggles with post-collegiate life, serious depression and what seems to be an addiction to suicide attempts. The writing is beautiful, simple, and the reader genuinely roots for this unlikely protagonist. Maggie Gyllenhaal narrates the audiobook and if anyone can capture Esther Greenwood, it's she.


Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I've just recently started reading this book, but I totally saw the Winona Ryder version in theaters when I was in second grade and cried my eyes out. Forever I've had this gorgeous hardcover illustrated copy that I used to peruse, but never commit to reading. Anyway, I'm reading it now and the story is written in such a way that it seems personal and kind. But really, who doesn't love Jo March? I, like, want to name my daughter Josephine kind of (idk). She's the independent and smart-- almost fearless-- girl you've always admired. Apparently a poll was done in the 1920s or so asking high school students what book was most influential to their lives and Little Women was ranked second, after the Bible. How crazy is that? But it makes sense, because it rules. Also, Jo March is based on Alcott... holla.


The Hours by Michael Cunningham

One thing that's pretty cool abou this book is that it's like reading Virginia Woolf but way easier. Cunningham tells a rather haunting story weaving the lives of three different women in different eras: Virginia bb, a real-life Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway in present time and a 1950s pregnant woman reading Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. This book is fabulous. Obviously it would have to be, in order for ~Queen Meryl~ to be in the screen version... which is also fabulous.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

I recommend this book to all my mixies out there. Zadie Smith's first novel is dripping in gorgeous language, telling the stories of two families from different cultures. This book spoke to me because, as a mixed black-white girl, I wanted to see how they talk about the hair issue. Smith totally does and I rarely read a book where I so completely identified with the thoughts and feelings of a main character (Irie) so much. I want to be friends with Zadie Smith in real life!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Okay, so I haven't read this one yet, but I am going to! I have it and it's in the queue. HOWEVER, I've seen the movie, seen Bridget Jones' Diary, so I think I'm good, yeah? Every girl needs their Mr. Darcy :)