605961 Sun Mar 22 19:37:16 -0700 2009 90 33 Food Media and News 0 4528701 I hope I'm putting this post in the right place. This year I'd like to read almost exclusively food-related books. I don't mean cookbooks, though I love to read those too. So I'm looking for some suggestions. Here's what I have on my list so far: Cornbread Nation Vol. 1-4: The Best of Southern Food Writing An Omelette and a Glass of Wine - Elizabeth David Fried Chicken: An American Story - John T. Edge Apple Pie: An American Story - John T. Edge The Tummy Trilogy - Calvin Trillin The Art of Eating - M.F.K. Fisher My Life in France - Julia Child Any suggestions for additions to this list? I've read most Bourdain and Ruhlman books. I've also read Heat by Bill Buford. I've just added Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin to my wish list. I seem to keep eyeing The Kitchen Diaries: A year in the Kitchen with Nigel Slater but it hasn't made it to my wish list for some reason. Any thoughts and/or suggestions for me? Many thanks in advance. Sun Mar 22 19:37:16 -0700 2009 61135 Boudleaux 1 4528711 Michael Symons' The Pudding That Took a Thousand Cooks: The Story of Cooking in Civilisation and Daily Life My fave food book yet. Sun Mar 22 19:39:53 -0700 2009 4528701 86137 purple goddess 1 4528761 I can't wait for the late September release of "Far Flung and Well Fed: The Food Writing of R. W. Apple" Johnny Apple was a foreign and political correspondent for the NYT, but he indulged his love of food from the most humble to the haute everywhere he traveled, and wrote about it with joy and skill. It didn't matter if he was discussing a Michellin-starred meal or the joys of Silver Queen corn on Maryland's Eastern Shore, he loved it all. Sign up in advance http://www.amazon.com/Far-Flung-Well-Fed-Writing/dp/0312325770/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237780286&sr=8-2 Sun Mar 22 20:57:16 -0700 2009 4528701 32444 MakingSense 2 4756144 Thanks for telling us about the new Johnny Apple book coming out in September. Both my bf and I are big fans. One of his favorite restaurants, Equinox, is also one of my personal favorites in DC. Can't wait to read this new book! Tue Jun 09 08:13:14 -0700 2009 4528761 76776 Elyssa 2 5170635 I'm just finishing Far Flung and Well Fed and absolutely loved it, one of my two favorite books on food this year (the other being Gastropolis, on food in New York). What a treat to read him again. The man could blow your socks off write: describing pho broth as "It glittered in the mouth, the way homemade bouillon does and beef stock made from a cube doesn't.", "vegetable dumplings, as sheer as a stocking", and so much more. It also includes his appreciation of Taillevent under M. Vrinat, where it was my great good fortune to celebrate a signal anniversary with one of the best meals of my life, in true luxe, calme, et volupté. The book took me back to the glory days of food writing, when such stars as George Lang, Lilian Langseth-Christensen and Joseph Wechsberg were active. Read this book! Tue Nov 10 12:15:26 -0800 2009 4528761 13709 buttertart 1 4528835 You are going to love Elizabeth David, MFK Fisher, Julia Child and Calvin Trillan. The classics. I just read Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilema, very well written and compelling. I would also recommend Ruth Riechl and John Thorne. Sun Mar 22 21:42:43 -0700 2009 4528701 206109 pamf 1 4529541 "The Perfectionist" by Rudolph Chelminski is a good one. I'm about to read his "I'll Drink to That" about Beaujolais wine. Mon Mar 23 08:19:54 -0700 2009 4528701 235489 ktb615 2 4539475 I didn't know he had written another book. If you can get a copy of his "The French at Table" , that's a good one, too. It's a little older, but timeless. Thu Mar 26 04:25:35 -0700 2009 4529541 160726 luvarugula 1 4531165 I thoroughly loved The Saucier's Apprentice by "The Beatles" author Bob Spitz about his quest to become a better cook by spending a few months in the great kitchens of Italy and France. Here's a review: http://tinyurl.com/dhv94s Mon Mar 23 15:21:17 -0700 2009 4528701 193007 StuartRebDonald 1 4531627 Five stars on the clever title "The Saucier's Apprentice" I have not read it yet, but high on my list is a book by my favourite cookbook author. It is not a cookbook. Sharks Fin And Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop. Mon Mar 23 17:40:44 -0700 2009 4528701 262680 margshep 2 4531641 Thread about Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/513705 Mon Mar 23 17:44:57 -0700 2009 4531627 10074 Caitlin McGrath 3 4532814 Love this book - perhaps the best book ever on Sichuan cuisine! Fuchsia Dunlop is an unbelievably astute observer of Chinese dining & cooking habits. After reading this book, I went out & bought her "Sichuan Cookery" and "The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook"! Tue Mar 24 07:07:37 -0700 2009 4531641 143097 klyeoh 4 4737832 I enjoyed it too. Her cookbooks were cookbooks of the month, and very popular, so lots of discussion of the recipes, and people still update the threads. Master thread w/links to others: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/494660 Tue Jun 02 21:32:37 -0700 2009 4532814 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4532654 Re Five stars on the clever title "The Saucier's Apprentice" Ray Sokolov was clever back in 1976. That was also the title of his cultural cookbook on classic French sauces for the home ccook. Tue Mar 24 06:06:09 -0700 2009 4531627 54833 ClaireWalter 2 4540009 Add Jen Lin-Liu, Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey through China. Also The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family by Laura Schenone. She tracks down her hallowed family recipe to the batterd old handwritten card--which calls for Philadelphia cream cheese--huh? And winds up chasing the recipe back to its roots in the chestnut-eating Ligurian highlands. Facinating take on food Americanization. Thu Mar 26 08:08:49 -0700 2009 4531627 10400 Aromatherapy 1 4531644 I'm writing down all of these. Thanks for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming. :) Mon Mar 23 17:45:09 -0700 2009 4528701 61135 Boudleaux 2 4532193 I'm working on one of my own right now. I have the preface and fist chapter finished. It will probably be a year or two before I finish the whole thing. I will let you know when it's published if you want. Mon Mar 23 21:00:15 -0700 2009 4531644 193007 StuartRebDonald 3 4532297 Sure. That would be great! Mon Mar 23 22:05:12 -0700 2009 4532193 61135 Boudleaux 1 4532322 "Cod" by Mark Kurlansky is wonderful. Mon Mar 23 22:24:30 -0700 2009 4528701 111267 meatn3 2 4533739 I love his book "Salt: A World History," as well. Fascinating read. Tue Mar 24 11:17:57 -0700 2009 4532322 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 4532354 One of the best. "Beautiful Swimmer" by William Warner about the Blue Crab of the Chesapeake Bay and the life of the watermen who catch them. Warner won a Pulitzer for this wonderful book, and although it's not actually about food per se, you'll get an appreciation for where your food comes from, the culture of the watermen, and life on the Chesapeake. It also details the biology of the crab, a fascinating creature, unfortunately threatened by overfishing and environmental problems in the Bay watershed. One of the best books I've ever read and re-read. And given as gifts time and again. Mon Mar 23 22:53:49 -0700 2009 4528701 32444 MakingSense 2 4540677 I heartily second this recommendation. I was swept away by this book, feeling I knew my adversary-on-the-coastal plate better than ever. Thu Mar 26 10:58:08 -0700 2009 4532354 113176 jmckee 3 4724591 Along the same lines as "Beautiful Swimmer" is "The Secret Life of Lobsters." Can't remember the author's name off the top of my head, even though it's on the tip of my tongue. But it is a fascinating book. Fri May 29 06:48:03 -0700 2009 4540677 57199 clamscasino 4 4726202 It's Trevor Corson. I read The Story of Sushi by him - he's got this tremendous gift with words. Fri May 29 14:55:38 -0700 2009 4724591 143097 klyeoh 1 4532404 You have a great list already. I'd add "Perfection Salad," by Laura Shapiro. It's a well-told account of the "scientific cookery" movement in the early 20th century in our country (popularized by, among others, Fanny Farmer), and the processed food industry it fostered and encouraged. A very interesting counterpoint to Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma." Mon Mar 23 23:57:34 -0700 2009 4528701 81822 Old Spice 1 4532767 I liked the Art of Eating by MFK Fisher Tue Mar 24 06:55:07 -0700 2009 4528701 263674 penang_rojak 1 4532796 Some of my faves: Memoirs of My Life - Auguste Escoffier The Physiology of Taste - Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin Cooking for Kings - Ian Kelly My Gastronomy - Nico Ladenis The Wilder Shores of Gastronomy - Alan Davidson Molecular Gastronomy - Herve This An Alphabet for Gourmets - MFK Fisher Seven Centuries of English Cooking - Maxime de la Falaise All Manners of Food - Stephen Mennell Rituals of Dinner - Margaret Visser Food, A Culinary History - Jean-Louis Flandrin/Massimo Montanari Charlemagne's Tableloth - Nichola Fletcher Dear Francesca - Mary Contini Table Talk - A A Gill Breakfast at the Wolseley - A A Gill Feeding Frenzy - Stuart Stevens Last Dinner on the Titanic - Rick Archbold/Dana McCauley Toast - Nigel Slater The Short Life & Long Times of Mrs Beeton - Kathryn Hughes Fish, Flesh & Good Red Herring - Alice Thomas Ellis Plenty - Digressions on Food - Gay Bilson Wild Weed Pie - Janni Kyritsis French Damien Pignolet Recipes & Stories - Kylie Kwong A Life in Three Courses - Beppi Polese/John Newton Kafka's Soup - Mark Crick Don't Try This At Home - Kimberly Witherspoon/Andrew Friedman Finding Betty Crocker - Susan Marks Why We Are What We Eat - Raymond Sokolov Why Do Donuts Have Holes - Don Vorhees Great Cooks & Their Recipes - Ann Willan The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining - Colleen Rush Tinglish in Thai Cuisine - Boon-Song Klausner-Nathan Al Dente - William Black The Land That Thyme Forgot - William Black Tummy Trilogy - Calvin Trillin Rare Bits, Unusual Origins of Popular Recipes - Patricia Bunning Stevens Ladyfinger's & Nun's Tummies - Martha Barnette Choice Cuts - Mark Kurlansky Pedant in the Kitchen - Julian Barnes Are You Really Going to Eat That? - Robb Walsh The Fearless Diner - Richard Sterling Food, True Stories of Life on the Road - Richard Sterling Spotted Dick, S'il Vous Plait - Tom Higgins Eating India - Chitrita Banerji The Collected Writings of Vir Sanghvi Curry - Lizzie Cunningham A Matter of Taste, Penguin Book of Indian Writing on Food - Nilanjana S Roy The Gourmet Club, a Sextet - Junichiro Tanizaki Julie & Julia - Julie Powell It Must Have Been Something I Ate - Jeffrey Steingarten The Man Who Ate Everything - Jeffrey Steingarten Fork It Over - Alan Richman The Book of Salt - Monique Truong In Search of Perfection - Heston Blumenthal Life Is Meals, a Food Lover's Book of Days - James & Kay Salter Everybody Eats There - William Stadiem/Mara Gibbs The Story of Sushi - Trevor Corson Eating with The Victorians - C Anne Wilson The Sex Life of Food - Bunny Crumpacker The Garrulous Gourmet - William Wallace Irwin British Bouquet, An Epicurean Tour of Britain - Samuel Chamberlain The Devil in the Kitchen - Marco Pierre White Tue Mar 24 07:03:12 -0700 2009 4528701 143097 klyeoh 2 4533777 Great list, klyeoh - Boudleaux could satisfy his or her year (or two) here. I have to say, though, I was underwhelmed by Don't Try This at Home. Some of the stories were funny and truly about culinary disasters, but most were decidly ho-hum. And Curry: Of Cooks and Conquerers was interesting but I felt there was some of it that could easily have been cut - an all-too-common case of the academic throwing in everything she turned up, even when it didn't add much to the history. I think you would definitely enjoy Mark Kurlansky's histories of cod, salt, and oysters. Tue Mar 24 11:28:20 -0700 2009 4532796 10074 Caitlin McGrath 3 4535476 I do agree with you - and each author has his/her own style, which makes food books so interesting. Oh yes, I heard about Kurlansky's "Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World" definitely on my to-read list. I'm currently reading Paul Arnott's wonderful "Let Me Eat Cake". Tue Mar 24 19:49:33 -0700 2009 4533777 143097 klyeoh 2 4534106 Wow! Many thanks klyeoh! Tue Mar 24 12:49:59 -0700 2009 4532796 61135 Boudleaux 2 4537937 I second The Land That Thyme Forgot. He also has a book about France, which I don't yet have. And, I love Table Talk - can't believe you mentioned it! Picked it up on a whim and what a wonderful read. Wed Mar 25 14:14:12 -0700 2009 4532796 10985 MMRuth 3 4538527 Oops - I confused Table Talk by Gill with Table Topics by Julian Street - that's the one I loved. Wed Mar 25 17:16:25 -0700 2009 4537937 10985 MMRuth 1 4533629 Just finished Moira Hodgson's new "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" (great title), her very interesting memoir with culinary reminiscences and some recipes. What a life (lived all over the place primarily because of her father's career in British civil service). Also would recommend Gastropolis, on NY food, the best book I've read this year on food - from an anthro/sociological perspective. I posted in detail on it on this board to resounding lack of response. Would seem to be just the ticket for you, however. Tue Mar 24 10:49:55 -0700 2009 4528701 13709 buttertart 2 4535488 "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" IS a great title. I'm headed to NYC for my annual business trip in May so maybe I should read Gastropolis just prior. Tue Mar 24 19:52:52 -0700 2009 4533629 61135 Boudleaux 2 4537934 I read it Hodgson's book too - definitely a fun read. I would also recommend Artemis Cooper's bio. of Elizabeth David, which I am just about to finish. Laurie Colwin is another favorite of mine - not sure if she has been mentioned yet. Wed Mar 25 14:13:21 -0700 2009 4533629 10985 MMRuth 3 4539080 Oh, Laurie Colwin, I just put her Home Cooking book on my Amazon wish list a few days ago! Thanks for your suggestions! Wed Mar 25 20:33:28 -0700 2009 4537934 61135 Boudleaux 1 4535483 Thanks for all of these wonderful suggestions. I knew I could count on fellow hounds! Tue Mar 24 19:50:46 -0700 2009 4528701 61135 Boudleaux 2 4535557 Haven't read it yet but I'm looking forward to "The Fruit Hunters", think it's out in paperback soon. Tue Mar 24 20:24:22 -0700 2009 4535483 10947 middydd 1 4535640 Just finished "The Fruit Hunters"; it was a pretty fascinating read. Dunlop's "Shark's Fin & Sichuan Pepper" is next up on my list. I'd second all the recs for anything by Calvin Trillin, MFK Fischer, and Ruth Reichl. I know "Omnivore's Dilemma" is big right now, ad I enjoyed it, but you might want to look at some of his older stuff too - try "Botany of Desire". "United States of Arugula" is a little superficial but good. Add to that "Eating My Words" by Mimi Sheraton, "Climbing the Mango Trees" by Madhur Jaffrey, and the anthologies "Endless Feasts" from Gourmet, "Secret Ingredients" from the New Yorker, and the annual "Best Food Writing" series (I've got 2007 and it's great). Tue Mar 24 21:02:42 -0700 2009 4528701 131105 Emmmily 2 4535719 We seem to have similar reading lists. One fascinating book I treasure is Christine Mackie's "Life and Food in the Caribbean". http://www.thenile.co.nz/books/Christine-MacKie-Christin/Life-and-Food-in-the-Caribbean/9781561310647/ Tue Mar 24 21:52:23 -0700 2009 4535640 10947 middydd 2 4535873 I quite liked Madhur Jaffrey's "Climbing the Mango Trees" , too, although she sounded pretentious & annoyingly snooty at times. Wed Mar 25 00:20:58 -0700 2009 4535640 143097 klyeoh 3 4536118 I met her once and have to say that that was the impression I carried away as well...charming voice in the cookbooks though. Wed Mar 25 05:56:20 -0700 2009 4535873 13709 buttertart 2 4569459 I was disappointed w/ "Secret Ingredients" from the New Yorker. Most were old, and few stories grabbed my interest. Sun Apr 05 12:58:35 -0700 2009 4535640 33755 NYchowcook 3 4575475 I liked the older ones better, since I hadn't already read them in the magazine. But you're right, they're all reprints, so if you've been a long-time faithful reader many of the pieces will be repeats for you. (Though not all, unless you've been reading it since the 1920's.) Tue Apr 07 11:11:38 -0700 2009 4569459 131105 Emmmily 1 4538134 "Fashionable Food" by Sylvia Lovegren. A culinary history of America in the 20th century. Required reading if you somehow thought that we only started a love affair with processed foods, short cuts, and convenient labor-saving methods in the 50s and 60s. It details the spread of "ethnic" foods in America, cocktail parties, casseroles, what defined "elegance" at various points, and how our national tastes evolved. A great read even if it stops at its publication date of 1995. Wed Mar 25 15:09:09 -0700 2009 4528701 32444 MakingSense 1 4539453 Boudleaux...good list. Don't forget Hamburgers & Fries by John T. Edge. And, Klyeo...fantastic list! My library is pretty big, too, but I'm definitely going to see what I'm missing. I'd like to add "American Pie: Slices of Life (and Pie) from America's Back Roads" by Pascale Le Draoulec. I really enjoyed this book, even though I don't know anyone else who's read it . Thu Mar 26 03:56:38 -0700 2009 4528701 160726 luvarugula 2 4543213 I have American Pie, just haven't read it yet! LOL Fri Mar 27 06:48:34 -0700 2009 4539453 10532 LindaWhit 1 4540088 The Raw and The Cooked by Jim Harrison Thu Mar 26 08:28:18 -0700 2009 4528701 14730 Tugboat 2 4756660 This was a book that I just didn't enjoy. I thought there was way too muc d-ck-swinging involved in his writing. Tue Jun 09 10:20:08 -0700 2009 4540088 59951 thinks too much 1 4540691 "The United States of Arugula", a wonderful examination of the gourmet-ing of America. A worthy counterpart is Jane & Michael Stern's "American Gourmet," which covers the same topic in a very different way, with recipes. "Pure Ketchup" by Andrew Smith. Yup. A history of ketchup. You'll be surprised at how interesting it is. "Southern Cooking" and "Side Orders" by John Egerton. Two indispensable books on the topic. "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. I really put off reading this for a long time. I'm glad a read it. He's a natural storyteller. "Don't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs" is a collection of great chefs showing us they're as fallible as we are. Thu Mar 26 11:01:54 -0700 2009 4528701 113176 jmckee 1 4545104 Thank you so much for all of the suggestions! I am looking forward to a year of yummy reading! Fri Mar 27 17:14:10 -0700 2009 4528701 61135 Boudleaux 2 4545156 I have another one for you - Auberge of the Flowering Hearth. Yes, it has recipes, but it is a book that really inspired me when I started to cook, although I have only made a couple of things from it. http://www.amazon.com/Auberge-Flowering-Hearth-Andries-Groot/dp/0880015047 Fri Mar 27 17:34:59 -0700 2009 4545104 10985 MMRuth 3 4585895 I was skimming the list to see if anyone had yet listed it, and here it is, finally! Re-reading The Augerge of the Flowering Hearth invariably puts me into a dreamy, benevolent mood, wanting to paint. Not how books about food usually affect me. Lots of great books mentioned here. I also have several years' worth of the Holly Hughes' edited Food Essays of 200x, and would recommend them. Swallowing Clouds, by A. Zee, about Chinese food, culture and etymology (characters). Thoroughly enjoyed the old Clementine in the Kitchen, a Modern Library Food reissue. Am trying to remember the names of some others that come to mind. Since I'm not at home but still in the office, I have to rely on my memory instead of being able to rummage through my shelves. One exceptional book that I liked very much is by a young newly observant Jewish woman who learned kosher cooking from her mother-in-law. Wish I could remember the title. Another is The Raw and the Cooked, by Jim Harrison, a collection of his essays. Great book, even if I couldn't sit down and read it all at once. I've got a robust appetite, but Harrison makes me feel downright delicate by comparison. Fri Apr 10 17:51:01 -0700 2009 4545156 85422 clepro 1 4564875 I can recommend Jeffrey Steingarten's THE MAN WHO ATE EVERYTHING. It is very funny. Also, anything by M. F. K. Fisher, who's the classic food/ memoir writer. Also, Jacques Pepin's MY LIFE AS AN APPRENTICE. Fri Apr 03 11:37:55 -0700 2009 4528701 233226 batchoy 1 4564889 Garlic and Saphire by Ruth Reichl was one of the best books (of any kind I have ever read). Fri Apr 03 11:43:34 -0700 2009 4528701 124339 bnemes3343 1 4568713 the books I liked the best have already been mentioned or you said that you had already read them: "Kitchen Confidential," " Heat," "Garlic and Pearls," "The Man Who Ate Everything," and "On Food and Cooking." (I had to mention these because they're so great.) Other, more obscure books which you might enjoy are: "The Best of DeGustibus" by Marian Burros, a collection of articles by the long-time "New York Times" food columnist; "Won Ton Lust," a man goes searching for the world's best Chinese restaurant; and "Julie and Julia," about a New York City twenty-something who decides to cook all the recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I" in a year and describes her experiences. (I recommend "Julie and Julia" with some trepidation because the author's attitudes can be irritating and the book starts out only tangentially discussing the author's project. But as the book proceeds, it picks up steam and becomes more oriented to the project at hand.) I also liked "Culinary Artistry" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, a somewhat unfocused book about flavor pairings, chefs' tips about what works well together, lists of the ten ingredients famous chefs can't do without, descriptions of the development of menus, chefs' philosophies, etc. It isn't the sort of book that you read cover to cover, but it is a great book for dipping into for ten minute reads while waiting at the dentist's office or waiting for your girlfriend/boyfriend to meet you somewhere. Sun Apr 05 05:53:22 -0700 2009 4528701 22427 gfr1111 1 4569463 "Cooking for Mr Latte" by Amanda Hesser was lots of fun to read. Sun Apr 05 13:00:16 -0700 2009 4528701 33755 NYchowcook 1 4569530 Thanks again for these recent additions! Sun Apr 05 13:29:54 -0700 2009 4528701 61135 Boudleaux 1 4573588 I've just read "A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table," by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette blog fame. It's a quick read, sweet but slight. Lots of short chapters, each with stories of her life, plus associated food memories and a recipe to go with. Now I want to make pickled grapes... Mon Apr 06 19:46:07 -0700 2009 4528701 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4588926 Thanks for the suggestion -- I just reserved at my library. It got a great, starred, reviewed from Publishers Weekly. Sun Apr 12 06:55:29 -0700 2009 4573588 33755 NYchowcook 1 4722936 Several new and notable books in some cases posted on here: - the new Mark Kurlansky, with the fiendishly long title The Food of a Younger Land: A Portrait of American Food--Before the National Highway System, Before Chain Restaurants, and Before Frozen Food, When the Nation's Food Was Seasonal - have not yet read this - Simon Majumdar's Eat My Globe, which is quite hilarious in spots (I wish he enjoyed being/eating in China more though) - How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham, reviewed in yesterday's NYTimes - have not yet read this - David Lebowitz's The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City (reading this, a little too golly gosh about the French in my opinion) - Spiced: A Pastry Chef's True Stories of Trials by Fire, After-Hours Exploits, and What Really Goes on in the Kitchen by Dalia Jurgensen (will be reading this next) - Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table (of Orangette blog fame, reading this now too and like it a lot) Lots of wonderful books out at the moment! Thu May 28 14:22:38 -0700 2009 4528701 13709 buttertart 2 4723735 Thanks, Buttertart. I am interested in the David Lebowitz book because I like him and follow him on Twitter but a friend had the same reaction as you to the book. I'll put it on my list though. I've been doing lots of yummy reading. I'm in an Elizabeth David vortex at the moment. Don't read that like it is a bad thing. :) Thu May 28 19:20:58 -0700 2009 4722936 61135 Boudleaux 3 4725051 Few if any better places to be! I love ED. Fri May 29 09:09:05 -0700 2009 4723735 13709 buttertart 2 4756634 Further to the above, I finished the three books I was reading and the Jurgensen book was my favorite - a very good description of real life in the restaurant kitchen and some personal revelations which were integrated into the story in a way that they often aren't (thinking of Phoebe Damrosch's book on Per Se which would have been better titled Dear Diary...in my estimation). The Lebowitz book was entertaining but the slant on the French was consistently irritating throughout. Nice recipes though - I made the Absinthe Cake and it is delicious. The Wizenberg book was fun but cloyed toward the end when she ventured into Cooking for Mr Latte territory in the descriptions of meeting and marrying Mr Right. Tue Jun 09 10:14:06 -0700 2009 4722936 13709 buttertart 2 5175940 I'm reading The Sweet Life in Paris, and absolutely enjoying it. Of course, one needs to be gaga about Paris, and love to bake. I think he is a great writer in addition to being a great pastry chef, and has a keen sense of detail and irony. Other recommendations: Monsoon Diary, by Shoba Narayan and two anthologies by Traveler's Tales: Food, and The Adventure of Food, both edited by Richard Sterling, whose own travel memoir, The Fire Never Dies, I think is better than anything Bourdain ever wrote. Thu Nov 12 10:11:32 -0800 2009 4722936 16906 pitterpatter 3 5176165 The Sweet Life is fun (and I am both those things). The Absinthe Cake recipe in it is super. Thanks for the other recommendations, all sound v interesting. Thu Nov 12 11:16:47 -0800 2009 5175940 13709 buttertart 1 4724137 Just finished this one. Highly recommend. "The Food of a Younger Land" (edited by Mark Kurlansky) Thu May 28 23:06:19 -0700 2009 4528701 11583 ipsedixit 1 4724876 Two of the most romantic and wonderful foodie books on my re-read list are by Marlena DeBlasi...A Thousand Days in Venice and A Thousand Days in Tuscany. Another of hers is The Lady in the Palazzo. All are about her life in Italy, her husband, the food they make, serve and eat. Each is a terrific stand-alone read but reading them in order is a real treat. Currently, I'm reading her "That Summer in Sicily" and loving it also. Sooooo many good titles, soooooo little time! Fri May 29 08:21:18 -0700 2009 4528701 12094 amazinc 2 5186285 I loved Marlena's books and haven't met many people who have read them. They are wonderful reads!! Mon Nov 16 13:24:32 -0800 2009 4724876 1110184 kjselner 1 4726219 Some other books, and I apologize if they have been mentioned. Both have recipes as well as lengthy non-recipe text: The Jews of Poland: Recollections and Recipes by Edouard de Pomiane - http://maefood.blogspot.com/2009/04/pomiane-and-jewish-cooking.html Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) - http://www.amazon.com/Biscuits-Hostess-Gowns-Southern-Specialties/dp/0312359578/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243634508&sr=1-2 Fri May 29 15:02:33 -0700 2009 4528701 10985 MMRuth 1 4727929 A bit of a different focus here but I love: Stalking the Wild Asparagus - Euell Gibbons; a beautiful discussion of foods you can find in the woods and what to do with them; The Scavengers Guide to Haute Cuisine - Steven Rinella; a hunter finds a copy of escoffier and makes a feast using only proteins he hunted himself. I heart MFK Fisher. Happy reading, great thread Sat May 30 10:59:17 -0700 2009 4528701 215278 corneygirl 2 4734264 Yes, yes! Forgot all about Stalking the Wild Asparagus. It blew me away when I first read it, I was rarin' to get out there in the woods, to the seashore.... Mon Jun 01 19:12:15 -0700 2009 4727929 137881 BerkshireTsarina 2 4739225 One more I forgot, Spade Skirret and Parsnip The curious history of vegetables - Bill Laws; also discusses the history of kitchen gardens. Wed Jun 03 11:07:01 -0700 2009 4727929 215278 corneygirl 1 4734258 Lots of the new has made it into these lists, but nothing by or about one of the oldest and best! James Beard is arguably the father of American cuisine in the same way that Julia Child perhaps is the mother. His Delights and Prejudices is one of the most delightful and fascinating and mouth-watering books imaginable, and it's a real treat for anyone who hasn't come across it yet. Mon Jun 01 19:10:43 -0700 2009 4528701 137881 BerkshireTsarina 2 4734272 Yes, thank you for mentioning that! I have never read James Beard. I'll go look for something right now. Currently I'm reading M.F.K. Fisher! Mon Jun 01 19:14:07 -0700 2009 4734258 61135 Boudleaux 3 4735184 Beard is a treat and would be a contrast after MFKF (nice direct prose style). And Stalking the Wild Asparagus is very fun, I was happy to see it mentioned here. It was one of the very first books I read about food. Tue Jun 02 07:02:40 -0700 2009 4734272 13709 buttertart 1 4737898 My faves- Serve it Forth- MFK Fisher It Must've Been Something I Ate- Jeffrey Steingarten Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant- a collection from various writers Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- Barbara Kingsolver Tue Jun 02 22:27:24 -0700 2009 4528701 161870 Cinemaverite1 1 4756135 I highly recommend all of Ruth Reichl's books: Tender to the Bone, Comfort Me With Apples, and Garlic and Sapphires. All are highly entertaining and give beautiful descriptions of food and the food industry. Eat, Pray, Love also includes some wonderful food scenes---especially when the author is in Italy. I also enjoyed Bourdain's Nasty Bits (a collection of essays) and A Cook's Tour. United States of Arugula was also interesting. Tue Jun 09 08:10:01 -0700 2009 4528701 76776 Elyssa 1 4781725 Another book I've enjoyed recently: http://www.amazon.com/Delights-Delicate-Eating-Food/dp/025206920X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1 Elizabeth Pennell - "The Delights of Delicate Eating " - written in the late 19th century. Wed Jun 17 12:13:06 -0700 2009 4528701 10985 MMRuth 2 4783506 I've read that, too - an absolute delight in every sense of the word! Wed Jun 17 23:42:14 -0700 2009 4781725 143097 klyeoh 1 4781982 I just saw this thread after I posted myself about two books I just finished. I don't know if you're looking for "beverage" books in addition to "food" books ... "Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause" by Tom Gjelten "The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It" by Tillar Mazzeo And I second the Kingsolver; the Reichl; and the US of Arugula; and of course the usual Fast Food Nation and Omnivore's Dilemma. For something different, try "Boogaloo on Second Avenue: A Novel of Pastry, Guilt and Music" by Mark Kurlansky. It's a great read and offers a fun take on the changing ethnic history of the lower east side (NYC) and its food. Wed Jun 17 13:18:39 -0700 2009 4528701 104084 LNG212 2 4782163 Oh, LNG212... I LOVED Boogaloo....the love scenes with the baker's daughter are hilarious and you can smell the yeast! Wed Jun 17 13:57:38 -0700 2009 4781982 12094 amazinc 3 4783792 Exactly, it's a very fun book. I liked it much beter than the one serious book I started and never finished, Salt. Even though the subject is something I could live off. Thu Jun 18 06:20:48 -0700 2009 4782163 13709 buttertart 2 4783043 Thanks! That second book, "The Widow Clicquot" sounds very interesting as does "Boogaloo..." I am avoiding Omnivore's Dilemma. I don't know why. It seems so...heavy. Wed Jun 17 19:16:23 -0700 2009 4781982 61135 Boudleaux 3 4783542 I enjoyed the omnivore's dilemma, although didn't necessarily agree with everything written Loved the man who ate everything - Jeffery Steingarten Thu Jun 18 00:45:03 -0700 2009 4783043 283388 waytob 1 4782873 Jacques Pepin's MY LIFE AS AN APPRENTICE is a very, very good book. Wed Jun 17 18:10:20 -0700 2009 4528701 233226 batchoy 2 4783045 I LOVE Jacques Pepin! I need to add this one too! Thanks! Wed Jun 17 19:17:19 -0700 2009 4782873 61135 Boudleaux 1 4788676 I just finished a couple of books which I found informative but hilariously entertaining as well: The Food of a Younger Land - Mark Kurlansky. Basically a look at the eating habits of Americans of a bygone era. Chapters range from Maine clambakes to NY Automats to Montana Fried Beaver Tail & Nebraska Buffalo barbecue. I found this book "unputdownable" :-) Cuisines of the Axis of Evil - Chris Fair. A really, REALLY entertaining foodie look at the eating habits of not just North Korea, Iraq & Iran, but other "irritating states" (as per the author). Another book which made me laugh out loud. Fri Jun 19 15:57:34 -0700 2009 4528701 143097 klyeoh 2 5170916 I just went to a panel discussion last night (moderated by Kurlansky) with four European writers whose novels are decidedly food-centric. I've added all the books to my list! Chez Moi - http://www.amazon.com/Chez-Moi-Agnes-Desarthe/dp/0143113232/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257889522&sr=8-2 Gordo - http://www.amazon.com/Gordo-Spanish-Jesus-Ruiz-Mantilla/dp/8478714774/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257889652&sr=1-1 - not yet available in English Keeping House - http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-House-Recipes-Writers-Translation/dp/0791464792/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257889783&sr=1-1 Mitsukos Restaurant by Christoph Peters - not available yet, but I think it is going to be published in English. This was the panel: http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?article2883 Tue Nov 10 13:52:30 -0800 2009 4788676 10985 MMRuth 3 5176195 Ok, I'll take the hit.... 'Heat' Bill Buford.......I am enjoying it very much....ashamedly so. Thu Nov 12 11:30:47 -0800 2009 5170916 17055 EAH 1 5186322 Lots of good recs here....on MFK Fisher, if you can find a copy of "A Soup or a Story" it is an incredible book with lots of obscure articles she wrote for the numerous publications over the years. I think it contains some of her best writing. And everyone talks about "Omnivore's Dilemma", but I think Pollan's "In Defense of Food" is more engaging. I also recommend "A Slice of Life" Contemporary Writers on Food, and also Laura Shapiro's biography of Julia Child. There is also Judith Benn Hurley's "Savoring The Day" which is all about utilizing the power of food to keep your body functioning in top form. And although not about food, Natalie MacLean's "Red, White and Drunk All Over" is a hilarious and highly informative read about wine. Mon Nov 16 13:34:04 -0800 2009 4528701 1110184 kjselner