The most recommended books about food

Who picked these books? Meet our 292 experts.

292 authors created a book list with books about food, and here are their favorite books for foodies.

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Book cover of Slow Drinks

Frank Caiafa Author Of The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book

From Frank's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Curious Taster Historian Educator Barman

Frank's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Frank Caiafa Why did Frank love this book?

Much more than a cocktail recipe book, “Slow Drinks” helps open the natural world up for the reader, lending real, hands-on expertise to the art of foraging, preserving and seasonal drinking and eating. Danny Childs’ knowledgeable voice is one of calm mentorship as he guides you through long-held traditions and new techniques for all sorts of modern uses. I learned more about berries than I ever thought I needed to know but am now grateful for the education. From jams and shrubs to Amari and bitters, “Slow Foods” is a must have for both home and professional drink makers (with and without alcohol) and cooks that will be a staple in your bar and kitchen for years to come.

By Danny Childs,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Slow Drinks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE 2024 JAMES BEARD AWARD FOR BEST BEVERAGE WITH RECIPES BOOK
WINNER OF THE 2024 GUILD OF FOOD WRITERS AWARD FOR DRINKS BOOK
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 ANDRE SIMON AWARD

Slow Drinks teaches home cooks, industry pros, homebrewers, and foragers how to transform botanical ingredients - whether foraged or purchased from the store - into incredibly unique beverages and cocktails.

Organised by season, Slow Drinks demonstrates how to make drinks that tell a story of botany, history, culture, and terroir, while honouring beverage traditions both old and new. Each season will highlight eight new ingredients with recipes that…


Book cover of Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight

Margaret Paul Author Of Lonely No More: The Astonishing Power of Inner Bonding

From Margaret's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Healer Facilitator Creative artist Entrepreneur Empath

Margaret's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Margaret Paul Why did Margaret love this book?

I love learning about health and nutrition and this book is amazing.

By William Davis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Super Gut as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


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Book cover of An Italian Feast: The Celebrated Provincial Cuisines of Italy from Como to Palermo

An Italian Feast By Clifford A. Wright,

An Italian Feast celebrates the cuisines of the Italian provinces from Como to Palermo. A culinary guide and book of ready reference meant to be the most comprehensive book on Italian cuisine, and it includes over 800 recipes from the 109 provinces of Italy's 20 regions.

An Italian Feast is…

Book cover of A Thousand Notable Things On Various Subjects

Shirley McKay Author Of Queen & Country

From my list on connecting with the thinking, feeling past.

Why am I passionate about this?

The Hew Cullan stories are historical crime fiction set at the university of St Andrews, Scotland, in the late sixteenth century. I was a student at St Andrews in the 1980s and now live nearby in the East Neuk of Fife, where the imprint of the town and its surrounding landscapes have remained unchanged since medieval times. What interests me most in writing of the past is how people thought and felt, lived and died and dreamt, and I have chosen books which capture that sense of the inner life, of a moment that belongs to a single time and place, and make it true and permanent.

Shirley's book list on connecting with the thinking, feeling past

Shirley McKay Why did Shirley love this book?

A Thousand Notable Things was first published in 1579, coincidently the year in which my first Hew Cullan story is set. A miscellany of marvels, magic, myths and medicine, ‘facts’ and household tips designed to entertain rather than instruct, it’s a fascinating glimpse into the sixteenth-century mindset to be taken, like its remedies, with a pinch of salt. Where else can you find, in the space of a heartbeat, that robins will cover dead faces with moss; that a married man made impotent by witchcraft should ‘make water’ through his wedding ring to remove the spell; or that basil causes scorpions to breed inside the brain? "Take heed therefore ye smellers of basil." A thousand times diverting. "This is proved and true."

By Thomas Lupton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Thousand Notable Things On Various Subjects as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.


Book cover of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing

Ruthie Robinson Author Of Games We Play

From my list on learning about beer.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Ruthie Robinson, and I write romance because I love romance. I also love to research and learn new things, so if I can find a topic I know nothing about, study it enough to throw it into a love story, then life is golden. Games We Play is a love story first, but there’s also beer and bingo. I wrote it just after the start of the craft-beer craze. Games We Play is also a book about bingo halls, which I also enjoyed attending and learning about. So many of the interesting characters who find a home in my stories can be found at both beer joints and bingo halls.

Ruthie's book list on learning about beer

Ruthie Robinson Why did Ruthie love this book?

The natural next step was, of course, brewing my own beer. I took myself to the local beer, home-brewing store and purchased a starter kit. The process wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, nor was the beer I produced as bad as I thought it would be. This book was helpful in making both processes easier. Everything you need is inside, from the history of beer to how to do it yourself, plus loads and loads of recipes for more serious beer brewing.

By Charlie Papazian,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Complete Joy of Homebrewing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is the essential guide to understanding and making beer, from stouts, ales, lagers, and bitters, to specialty beers and meads. Everything to get started is here: the basics of building a home brewery, world-class proven recipes, easy-to-follow instruction, and the latest advancements in brewing. Master brewer Charlie Papazian also includes the history and loreof beer, the science behind brewing, and tips on how to create your own original ale. The fully updated edition of the book expands on various styles of beer using easy to follow charts, different varieties of hops and their uses, and…


Book cover of The Book of Cookies

Monica Wellington Author Of Mr. Cookie Baker

From my list on for people who love baking cookies.

Why am I passionate about this?

Monica Wellington was born in London and lived in Switzerland and Germany as a child. She has written and illustrated many books for young children, including Apple Farmer Annie, Zinnia’s Flower Garden, My Leaf Book, and Mr. Cookie Baker. She now lives in New York City. Some of her favorites things are: baking desserts, eating chocolate, traveling to France, going to the ballet, and reading at home with her cat on her lap. She teaches at the School of Visual Arts.

Monica's book list on for people who love baking cookies

Monica Wellington Why did Monica love this book?

In addition to the essential photo of each cookie, there are also excellent photos showing the stages of preparation. The recipes include a lot of fancy-looking cookies that are actually very simple: favorites include Marbled Shortbread, Madeleines, Pinwheels.

By Pat Alburey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Book of Cookies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Few can resist the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked cookies, and The Book of Cookies features every kind, from the old-fashioned favorites to elaborate holiday cookies. Clearly illustrated with step-by-step pictures, all the secrets of successfull cookie-making are revealed in this book.


Book cover of Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora

Edy Massih Author Of Keep It Zesty: A Celebration of Lebanese Flavors & Culture from Edy's Grocer

From my list on diverse Middle Eastern cultures and cuisines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Lebanese-born, New York-based Caterer, Chef, and Owner of Edy’s Grocer in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Born and raised in Lebanon, I have a passion for Middle Eastern food, culture, and, cookbooks. Growing up with a grandmother who never wrote one recipe down, it's been a journey to nail each recipe she used to make. When I moved to America, it was so hard to find good Middle Eastern cookbooks. Fast forward to 2024, a plethora of talented chefs have written books to help transport me back to Lebanon, sharing our Middle Eastern cultures, flavors, and heritage in such a beautiful way. I am proud of these cookbooks representing the Middle East.

Edy's book list on diverse Middle Eastern cultures and cuisines

Edy Massih Why did Edy love this book?

I just love all of Reem’s stories about her upbringing in Palestine and her journey of bringing amazing Middle Eastern food to the West Coast through Reem’s California.

So many of our recipes overlap, as do our stories and paths, and it’s really beautiful to see what she did with it.

By Reem Assil,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Arabiyya as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

IACP AWARD WINNER • A collection of 100+ bright, bold recipes influenced by the vibrant flavors and convivial culture of the Arab world, filled with moving personal essays on food, family, and identity and mixed with a pinch of California cool, from chef and activist Reem Assil
 
“This is what a cookbook should be: passion, politics, and personality are woven through the fabulous recipes.”—Ruth Reichl, author of Save Me the Plums

ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: San Francisco Chronicle
ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Food & Wine, Los Angeles Times, Saveur, Epicurious

Arabiyya…


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Book cover of Steamed and Steamy: Recipes from the Steampunk World of Industralia

Steamed and Steamy By Lori Alden Holuta, Tanya Paterson (illustrator),

After writing The Flight To Brassbright, I realized that my characters spent a lot of time enjoying a wide variety of foods and beverages. I suppose it couldn't be helped since their author is such a foodie.

I thought it would be fun to spin off a cookbook with…

Book cover of The Talisman Italian Cookbook

Elisabeth Luard Author Of European Peasant Cookery

From my list on cookbooks published at moments of change.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a home cook, not a restaurant chef. I add a pinch of this and splash of that. As a chronicler of other people's culinary habits, I need to understand why we cook the way we do. At its simplest and most basic, what goes into the ancestral cooking-pot depends on who we are, where we live, and where we come from. Which is why whenever we want to remind ourselves who we are, we look for traditional recipes in culinary bibles produced at moments of change. I was born at a moment of change myself, in bombed-out London in 1941, at the height of the Blitz.  

Elisabeth's book list on cookbooks published at moments of change

Elisabeth Luard Why did Elisabeth love this book?

Ada Boni's culinary bible, Il talismano della felicità, first saw the light of day in 1928, six years after Benito Mussolini had succeeded in uniting Italy's quarrelsome regions under the banner of fascism.

Specifically targeted at the nation's housewives - ordinary folk on whose support El Duce rose to power in 1922 - this collection of nearly a thousand simple, practical traditional recipes for regional dishes became the dictator's favourite cookbook, as it did for generations of Italian women (still does). 

I first came across it on an Italian friend's recommendation while researching European Peasant Cookery and attempting to unravel the complicated traditions of a land that remains as fiercely partisan in the kitchen now as then. 

By Ada Boni, Matilde La Rosa (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Talisman Italian Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Il Talismano is and has been for over 50 years the one great standard Italian cookbook. It is to Italians what Joy of Cooking is to Americans. Containing in simple and clear form the best recipes for all the foods that we associate with Italian cuisine, it covers all the regional variations of Italian cooking: Milanese, Bolognese, Venetian, Neapolitan, Sicilian, Veronese, and Florentine.

Appetizers range from the simply elegant, like Cantaloupe and Prosciutto and Artichoke Hearts in Olive Oil, to the sublime, like Tunnied Veal and Crostini of Mozzarella and Anchovies. Soups include Stracciatella, Fish Brodetto Rimini Style, and Tuscan…


Book cover of Chinese Technique: An Illustrated Guide to the Fundamental Techniques of Chinese Cooking

David Waltuck Author Of Staff Meals from Chanterelle

From my list on Chinese cookbooks that have influenced my cooking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a chef, author, and consultant, living and working primarily in New York City,  best known for my restaurant, Chanterelle, which I owned and operated for 30 years. Chanterelle was much loved and highly regarded, receiving numerous accolades including 4 James Beard Foundation awards and 2 four-star reviews from the New York Times. I also wrote 2 cookbooks, Chanterelle, the Story and Recipes of a Restaurant Classic, and Staff Meals from Chanterelle. Though my first love is French cuisine, I have had a long-standing affair with Asian, primarily Chinese food. I love cooking Chinese for myself, friends, and family, and have also incorporated elements of the cuisine into my professional cooking.

David's book list on Chinese cookbooks that have influenced my cooking

David Waltuck Why did David love this book?

An excellent primer in the ingredients and techniques of Chinese cooking, with very instructive step by step photos from the pre youtube era by an experienced, knowledgeable and encouraging teacher. This book was one of the first Chinese cookbooks I acquired many years ago, and I still refer to it often.

By Ken Hom, Willie Kee, Harvey Steiman (photographer)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chinese Technique as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A comprehensive, illustrated guide to the art of Chinese cooking provides step-by-step instruction in the basic techniques of Chinese cuisine and more than one hundred traditional recipes


Book cover of The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage

Lizzie Collingham Author Of The Hungry Empire: How Britain's Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World

From my list on food and history.

Why am I passionate about this?

I first became interested in food when I was researching my PhD on the use of the body as an instrument of rule in British India. The British in India developed a language of food to demonstrate their power and status. I discovered that food is a rich subject for the historian as it carries a multitude of stories. I have since written five more books exploring these complex stories, always interested in connecting the broad sweep of historical processes to the more intimate level of everyday life and the connections between the food world of the past with the food world of the present.

Lizzie's book list on food and history

Lizzie Collingham Why did Lizzie love this book?

I love this book as it enables me to travel vicariously. It is not a conventional travel book, even though it is filled with the stories of a kaleidoscope of Hawaiian people. Nor is it a straightforward cookery book although it contains plenty of recipes for intriguing dishes such as ‘Okinawan Pig’s Feet Soup’ and a biscuit version of bread and butter pudding known as ‘Nihau pudding’. Nor is it a conventional history book although we learn a great deal about Hawaii’s history while Laudan tells us about ‘plate lunches’ and poke (a sort of sushimi), musubi (rice balls), and ‘shave ice’. Instead, The Food of Paradise is a delightful combination of all three genres which captures the flavour (in every sense of the word) of Hawaii.

By Rachel Laudan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Food of Paradise as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Recent winner of a prestigious award from the Julia Child Cookbook Awards, presented by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Lauden was given the 1997 Jane Grigson Award, presented to the book that, more than any other entered in the competition, exemplifies distinguished scholarship.

Hawaii has one of the richest culinary heritages in the United States. Its contemporary regional cuisine, known as "local food" by residents, is a truly amazing fusion of diverse culinary influences. Rachel Laudan takes readers on a thoughtful, wide-ranging tour of Hawaii's farms and gardens, fish auctions and vegetable markets, fairs and carnivals, mom-and-pop stores and…


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Book cover of A Mediterranean Feast: The Story of the Birth of the Celebrated Cuisines of the Mediterranean from the Merchants of Venice to the Barbary Corsairs, with More than 500 Recipes

A Mediterranean Feast By Clifford A. Wright,

A groundbreaking culinary work of extraordinary depth and scope that spans more than one thousand years of history, A Mediterranean Feast tells the sweeping story of the birth of the venerated and diverse cuisines of the Mediterranean. Author Clifford A. Wright weaves together historical and culinary strands from Moorish Spain…

Book cover of Classic Indian Cooking

Manju Malhi BEM Author Of Easy Indian Cookbook: Over 70 Deliciously Simple Recipes

From my list on easy peasy cooking with easy to find ingredients.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up as an Asian girl in the UK has its ups and downs. I was bullied at school but sought solace in cooking and learning from my mother about Indian cuisine. Now in my adult life, I’ve been awarded the British Empire Medal for cooking services to the community during the pandemic. A straightforward approach to cuisine has won me fans globally and a TV series broadcast to over 80 million viewers cooking British dishes for an Indian audience. After writing 6 books on the subject of easy cooking, I hope you like the choices on my very personal list which are dog-eared and spice stained with overuse and love. 

Manju's book list on easy peasy cooking with easy to find ingredients

Manju Malhi BEM Why did Manju love this book?

I interviewed Julie about her book many years ago for BBC Radio and I remember that time that I was so impressed with her details and historical background to the dishes she featured. Even the glossary was informative, but above all, the recipes were versatile and easy to follow. The book inspired me to cook beyond my comfort zones and allowed me to experiment further.

By Julie Sahni,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Classic Indian Cooking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This extraordinary cookbook is a complete course in Indian cuisine. When it was first published it was hailed by both Jane Grigson and Elizabeth David, who said of it.. 'This is a marvellous book. Julie Sahni tackles the daunting task of presenting the multiple, complex traditions of Indian cookery to the English-speaking world and brings it off triumphantly.' Illustrated throughout with explanatory line drawings it introduces all the basic spices and special ingredients so fundamental to Indian food, then explains the techniques employed in using them. So brilliant a teacher is Julie Sahni that it is immediately obvious that Indian…


Book cover of Slow Drinks
Book cover of Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight
Book cover of A Thousand Notable Things On Various Subjects

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