Food isn’t just about sustenance—it’s also about family, friends and fellowship. It is the thread by which we’re all tied, breakfast through dinner, those moments in our lives that flow from circumspect to celebratory. Here are several great books that celebrate the importance of a good meal.
Fresh Off the Boat
Eddie Huang
Before it was a television show, it was a book—Huang’s hilarious memoir finds its center in two things: family and food. Isn’t that how it usually goes?
Coffee Gives Me Superpowers
Ryoko Iwata
Well, of course. This read is the byproduct of the much-loved website, I Love Coffee—Ryoko’s blog about being a coffee-lovin’ Japanese woman living in Seattle. It doesn’t hurt that she has a great partner in Matthew Inman, the brainchild behind The Oatmeal.
Yes, Chef
Marcus Samuelsson
An eloquent memoir that illustrates that family doesn’t recognize racial or ethnic boundaries, Samuelsson’s story starts where so many do—in the kitchen with Grandma.
Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table
Ruth Reichl
Reichl gets to the heart of her culinary passion as she introduces her readers to those characters from her past that influenced her upbringing. Plus, recipes. Who can resist?
Cinnamon and Gunpowder
Eli Brown
Perfect for your summer bucket list—a renowned chef is taken hostage by a beautiful pirate. His only chance for survival? Cook her a kick-ass meal every Sunday using just what the boat’s paltry galley has to offer. Top Chef meets the high seas!
Lizzy & Jane
Katherine Reay
A person’s passion for all things culinary can be consuming, but does it come before personal happiness? Read what happens when one sister puts her dream on hold and discovers there may be another one worth chasing.
Lives of Notorious Cooks
Brendan Connell
Food and cultures clash in fantastic ways in this impressive piece of historical fiction—readers play Peeping Tom to 51 chefs ranging from early historical times through World War I.
My Year of Meats
Ruth Ozeki
A modern take on Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” Ozeki’s debut novel is mesmerizing—as a documentarian taking on the American meat industry and its use of dangerous hormones.
