Suggestions on books which can inspire dinner

[lupaglupa]

My book group discusses books over dinner. In the last year we've twice had books which inspired the dinner. Everyone agreed that combining the two added to the fun. Now we're looking for some good books that have food as a major or minor part of the story so we can do this again. Any ideas? All cuisines are welcome - we're game!

[Ruth Lafler]

A new book (copyright 2009) I'm reading right now: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. It doesn't contain any recipes, because part of the theme of the book is that food should touch you in a variety of deeply personal ways, but they do cook a lot of specific dishes and there is at least one complete menu.

http://lisamm.wordpress.com/2009/01/2...

[buttertart]

I enjoyed this book as well.

[nmurawsk]

An obvious choice, and one you may have already done, is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. A year spent divided through 3 different counties - Italy, Indonesia and India.

[jeanmarieok]

Any of the Kay Scarpetta books, by Patricia Cornwall - she cooks some yummy sounding food in the her books, when she's not autopsy-ing bodies.....

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a good one, for creating an all locally produced meal.

[lupaglupa]

We did a local organic after Omnivore's Dilemma - it was great and I'm sure we'd enjoy another go at that...

[sharkgirl88]

The Language of Baklava

The Last Chinese Chef

Bento Box in the Heartland

Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India

Tender at the Bone

Enjoy :)

[lupaglupa]

Thank you! We did The Last Chinese Chef - we even found a local restaurant to duplicate many of the dishes! We had a feast of about 15 dishes, all excellent. That's one of the things which is inspiring our search for other culinary books ;)

[sharkgirl88]

Happy to help.

Here's another title I failed to add:

Cooking and Screaming: Finding My Own Recipe for Recovery

Inspirational and a good read if you like "I will prevail" type of books.

Follow up Tender at the Bone with Comfort me with Apples and Garlic and Sapphires and you pretty much have Ruth Reichl's life story in front of you.

I also enjoyed The Man who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten but it's more of a collection of essays he wrote for Vogue where he was (is?) a food writer.

[cuccubear]

Second the "Climbing the Mango Tree". After reading it all I craved was _real_ Indian food.

[fern]

Have you read Jacques Pepin's "The Apprentice: My life in the Kitchen"? Or Julia Child's "My Life in France". They could be fun.

[kattyeyes]

Have you read "Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies" by Laura Esquivel?

[lupaglupa]

That's just the kind of thing we would like. My guess is most people have read it already - but it will defeintely go on our possible list!

[LaLa]

or her appetite for passion

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...

[Pylon]

How about "Heat" by Bill Buford? It's about his journey into the culinary world. Good book, lots of food inspirations likely to be found.

Another might be "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. Same kind of stuff, but from a different angle.