Some Food (Books) for Thought
Not to be confused with cookbooks, 'food books' can be memoirs, fiction, non-fiction, or any combination of the three. They may include recipes, but their focus is on the food itself – not how to make it.
Does that make sense?
Food books are often written/inspired by food people: chefs, servers, critics, small plates enthusiasts, wine bar regulars, and Maps guide curators, who may also be book people: hardback hoarders, MFA hopefuls, tote bag collectors, thesis writers, and journal keepers.
They are typically set in or centered around restaurants (front, back, or a combination of houses), the cookbook imprint of a publishing house, on patios, in grocery store aisles, or in the minds of eaters and appreciators alike.
They also tend to be some pretty great stories. You might find a new restaurant or recipe to try, but you'll also come away with a different perspective on an industry you didn't know much about, a new city to add to your list, or like any good book - food or otherwise, the sense that someone else might see and feel things the same way you do.
Our Literary Recommendation Qualifications:
One of us has literally a Masters in books (food included, recipe not)
Both of us are book collectors and cover connoisseurs
We typically (usually) ((pretty much always)) know what we're talking about
Here are a few of our favourites…
What I Ate in One Year (And Related Thoughts) by Stanley Tucci
The plot:
Stanley Tucci documents (almost) everything he ate over the course of 2023, including recipes and anecdotes about what he ate, where, and with who. Highly recommend the audiobook version.
Why you'll like it:
It's entertaining, easy, and surprisingly earnest.
Why you should read it:
You'll learn more about food (specifically the good kind) but you'll also learn more about London, Rome, craft services, cookware, menu design, blended families, Emily Blunt, and grief.
Service by Sarah Gilmartin
The plot:
You can't beat this back-cover copy: “The waitress. The chef. The chef's wife. Three different stories but one contains the truth? When Hannah learns that famed chef Daniel Costello is facing accusations of sexual assault, she's thrust back to the summer she spent as a waitress at his high-end Dublin restaurant.”
Why you'll like it:
It's Irish! That's enough for some readers (us)
Why you should read it:
It's incredibly well-written, emotional, and dark.
The Upstairs Delicatessen: On Eating, Reading About Eating, and Eating While Reading by Dwight Garner
The plot:
TUD is equal parts memoir, guide, and ode to the wonderful life of an Eater and Reader (necessary capitals)
Why you'll like it:
It's a love letter to books and restaurants. What's not to like??
Why you should read it:
Long-time critic for the New York Times, you could say Dwight Garner is an expert in the field of eating, reading, reading about eating, and eating while reading.
Family Meal by Bryan Washington
The plot:
After losing the love of his life, Cam has lost himself; he's sleeping with strangers, struggling with substance abuse, and isolating himself from any kind of real intimacy or introspection. Seemingly against his will, Cam reconnects with TJ, a ghost of his past with a bakery to run and his own shit to deal with. The book follows Cam and TJ over the course of the next year, slowly coming back together and to reality.
Why you'll like it:
Family Meal is gentle, heartbreaking, and hopeful.
Why you should read it:
Everyone should read Bryan Washington.
Supper Club by Lara Williams
The plot:
Two friends start a midnight supper club, commandeering empty restaurants and inviting other women to celebrate their appetites instead of suppress them.
Why you'll like it:
Genuinely funny writing, vivid descriptions of the club's many menus,, and the lack of apologies from its hosts and guests alike.
Why you should read it:
Supper Club poses some interesting (and important) questions about consumption and occupying space; i.e. why are we (women, hi) so self-conscious about both?
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
The plot:
New to New York City, Tess (22, no idea what's coming her way) is hired at one of the city's hottest restaurants. So unfolds her journey from back to front of house; Tess spends the next chapter of her life navigating the restaurant's web of relationships and rules, exploring the city by night, and entangling herself in a love triangle she can't (and may not want) seem to find her way out of.
Why you'll like it:
It hosts a cast of fully formed cast of characters, workplace drama a bit too dark for Bravo (think Vanderpump Rules if they showed the cocaine breaks), and a glimpse into a New York you may not know
Why you should read it:
Sweetbitter offers a different take on the much beloved 'girl-moves-to-New-York-to-find-herself' trope, and twists it into an age-appropriate coming of age novel with more grit, glamour, and truth.
Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain
The plot:
A follow-up to and reflection upon Kitchen Confidential, Medium Raw invites readers back into the alleyways, walk-in refrigerators, bars, delivery trucks, and kitchens of some of the world's best (and worst) restaurants and the minds behind them.
Why you'll like it AND why you should read it: The national treasure that was (and still is) Anthony Bourdain. Read it? Sure. Listen to it? Even better. Get the audiobook.
Eat a Peach by David Chang
The plot:
The Momofuku memoir… David Chang built this empire through sheer force, obsession, and existential dread. This is a brutally honest memoir about success, failure, and the absolute chaos of the restaurant world.
Why you'll like it:
You like his noodles.
It's raw, compulsively readable, and full of Chang's signature self-deprecating humour
Why you should read it:
It’s about food, yes, but it’s also about ambition, identity, and what it actually means to "make it." Bonus: Watch Ugly Delicious on Netflix for more food, culture, and Chang’s (very strong) opinions – especially about pizza.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
The plot:
Less cookbook, more food philosophy. This book breaks down why food tastes good - salt, fat, acid, heat - so you can stop living by recipes and actually start cooking (and know how to save what you're making when your lemon squeeze turns into lemonade or your salt pour turns oceanic)
Why you'll like it:
It's fun! And full of aha! moments that’ll make you think and feel like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen
Why you should read/watch it:
Either way, Samin will convince you that you're capable of the culinary impossible (roasting a perfect chicken)