A Four-Course Meals Worth of Food Books

A Four-Course Meals Worth of Food Books It was seven years ago that I convinced a regional magazine to give me actual money to write an article about wine in New Jersey. At the time, I knew nothing about wine, and I had a garbage palate. But I certainly enjoyed drinking wine, and I thought it could be fun to write about the types of places at which you could enjoy a tasting, even if there were no vineyards nearby. The editor I pitched took this small-scale idea and instead charged me with writing up the ULTIMATE NEW JERSEY WINE TOUR. My mission: visit every vineyard in New Jersey, plus the best wine shops, wine bars, and restaurant wine cellars. Gulp. Okay. What followed were several months worth of day trips, long weekends away, and even several weeks during which my husband and I made wine with a group of complete strangers. My palate evolved. My wine collection grew.  On one day, we even hit up seven wineries (the seventh of which stopped serving us because my husband was sooo drunk). Good times, you guys. Good times. I was fondly remembering all of this the other night as I tore my way through Bianca Boskers recently-published  Cork Dork. A witty and entertaining piece of immersion journalism that takes readers through the world of sommeliers, wine snobs, and smell-obsessed scientists, it was more fun than Id had with a book in at least a month. I myself hadnt done any food writing since that single wine article seven years go. But I certainly loved  reading  about food. In fact, as I was reminiscing, it occurred to me that Ive read so much food journalism, and so many culinary memoirs, that I could probably put together a list containing a whole meals worth of food books. So I did. Soup/Salad I dont eat a lot of leafy greens, as Id rather be licking the bowl while baking Nutella pound cake or applesauce cake with salted caramel frosting, but Barbara Kingsolvers  Animal Vegetable Miracleâ€"her homage to the locavore movementâ€"made me  almost  want to eat healthier. Ive read the book three times now and, well, I sometimes think of making my own cheese or finding the time to bake bread from scratch. But lets be real here. If given the choice between soup and salad, Ill usually choose the soup. Which is why Im eyeing Yemisi Aribisalas forthcoming  Longthroat Memoirs,  which contains essays on Nigerian food (and Nigerian life), including one on the cultural history of soup. Appetizers I tried to find a book that was all about clams oreganata, which is my favorite food of all time but, apparently, no one has written it yet. Perhaps its time for me to reconnect with that editor In the meantime, may I recommend Michael Paternitis  The Telling Room  (a tale of love, betrayal, revenge, and the worlds greatest piece of cheese) and Kristin Jacksons  Its Not You, Its Brie  (a tale of love, tradition, technique, and the worlds greatest cheese pun). Cheese: the universally adored appetizer! Main Course The other year, I read Dana Goodyears  Anything That Moves,  a fascinating look at food culture that highlighted the trend toward extreme ingredients. The book was highly entertaining and, if you enjoy food journalism, you should definitely pick it up. But lets be real. When it comes to main courses, I will always fall back on my old standby: Italian food. Was it the allure of running away to Europe that made me love Frances Mayess  Under the Tuscan Sun  so damn much? No! Well, yes it was. But part of the allure also came from the array of fantastic meals she described throughout her memoir. And speaking of Italian food, I was charmed by Michelle Maistos  The Gastronomy of Marriage,  a memoir in which she uses food as a vehicle to explore the dynamic that exists between partners from different cultures and upbringings. Dessert Oh look! Its my favorite course! (Just kidding. Every course is my favorite course.) Because I love baking, I first have to mention  Aimee Benders The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, even thoughâ€"within the context of the bookâ€"the aforementioned cake tastes likewellsadness. Despite the role food plays in this playful novel, that cover always makes me so  hungry. Deeper than my love of baked goods, however, is my love of candy. Of the pure sugar variety.  Candy buttons. Lucky Charms marshmallows.  Cotton candy. You get the picture. While Steve Almond seems to prefer chocolate, Im still quite fond of his book  Candyfreak,  for which he traveled to a number of candy-making factories. And paired with dessert (and breakfast, and all of life, for that matter), we must of course have coffee. For that, I present to you  Ryoko Iwatas Coffee Gives Me Superpowers: An Illustrated Book about the Most Awesome Beverage on Earth.  It sports a cover that makes my toddler say Look at all the pretty stars, and that makes me say, Look at all the pretty coffee. Compliments to the Chef I would feel remiss if I didnt give a nod to the ridiculous number of chef memoirs Ive read. My favorite?  Marcus Samuelssons  Yes, Chef, an  account of a chef who spent  years feeling like an outsider, but who established an identity for himself as someone who was skilled at creating and melding flavors that transcended cultural boundaries. Sign up for True Story to receive nonfiction news, new releases, and must-read forthcoming titles. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.