One thing you should know about me before we go on: I love food. I love eating it. I love cooking it. And I especially love reading about it. There’s not really anything that I don’t like about it, and I always want to try something new – even the scary stuff (I’m looking at you, caviar and tripe). The same goes for books about food – fiction, nonfiction, long, short, old, modern, culinary histories, cookbooks – you name it, I’ve probably read it (or at least have it queued up in my Amazon cart).
Since it’s almost summer (and summer usually makes me very hungry), I’ve compiled a few of my favorite food-centric books. Bon appétit, buon appetito, and happy reading!
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Heat by Bill Buford
Honestly, I first heard about this book in the wake of the Mario Batali scandal. Bill Buford (a journalist, amateur cook, and friend of Batali), finds himself wanting to learn more about what it takes to be a cook in a real NYC restaurant, which happens to be Batali’s Babbo. Buford learns the ropes of a bustling (read: chaotic) three-star Italian joint by working different stations and traveling to Italy to learn how to make pasta and butcher meat under the tutelage of some of the most colorful characters in Italy.
Read If You Love: Gritty restaurant details, the history of pasta, and why never to order dinner as the kitchen is closing.
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Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink by David Remnick
I absolutely devoured this anthology of the best food and drink articles written from The New Yorker‘s archives. With pieces by Dorothy Parker to Calvin Trillin on topics ranging from the origin of the martini to New York’s best bagel to an obscure Michelin-rated bistro in an equally obscure French village – Secret Ingredients is an epicure’s (and a bibliophile’s) dream. And because it’s all shorter pieces, you can easily pick it up if the mood to learn more about ketchup strikes.
Read If You Love: Short stories, chef profiles, and culinary minutiae that no one else would be interested in.
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Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
I’ll admit, I avoided reading this book for a long time – the only reason being that I didn’t feel like reading another story about an early 20-something from a broken home who finds themself in New York. But I wanted something fluffy for a plane ride, and I’m actually really glad that I picked this up. It’s sexy in every way, from the descriptions of food to the actual romantic plotlines. I wouldn’t take it too seriously, and the characters are underdeveloped, but it’s a fun read for everyone who’s ever worked in food service.
Read If You Love: New York, emotionally unavailable guys, and great sensory descriptions.
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Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
As a fan of the 1920s literary scene in Europe, I love anything from writers who actually experienced it. Down and Out is a semi-autobiographical account of Orwell’s destitute years in London and Paris, where he spent time in a Parisian kitchen doing scullery work. It’s an intense account – as you can only imagine the conditions of a 1920s restaurant kitchen in Paris. Anthony Bourdain even used Down and Out as inspiration for his notorious restaurant industry exposé-slash-memoir, Kitchen Confidential.
Read If You Love: Social history and stories by 1920s-era America expats.
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Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova
So this is as straightforward as it gets. As someone who loves to cook (and quite frankly would use the scent of garlic sautéed in butter and white wine as perfume), I found Butter a really interesting read. Khosrova writes in engaging detail about the origins of butter and its place in food around the world, from France to Tibet. There’s also a little section with essential butter-based recipes like buttercream frosting and croissants. And as the world’s biggest butter lover, Ina Garten, would say – who wouldn’t love that?
Read If You Love: Butter.
By Emma Lifvergren, Staff Writer
