Ten good books on food

 

I was going through the cookbook section of my library yesterday, and I thought I would compile a list of 10 books I find indispensable and enjoyable.  Some may be familiar, but I hope some are new.  Here they are:

1. Catalan Cuisine  by  Coleman Andrews
2. Les Halles Cookbook  by  Anthony Bourdain
3. The Cook and the Gardener  by  Amanda Hesser
4. Mythology and Meatballs  by  Daniel Spoerri
5. The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth  by  Roy Andries de Groot
6. On Food and Cooking  by  Harold McGee
7. The Elements of Cooking  by  Michael Ruhlman
8. Letters to a Young Chef  by  Daniel Boulud
9. The French Laundry Cookbook  by  Thomas Keller
10.  Seven Fires  by  Francis Mallman

none of these are strictly recipe books, and some have no recipes at all.  They all, however, put forth a beautiful philosophy on food, cooking, and eating.  Check them out.

From our glass 13 March 2011

 

Last week, Kate and I drank a $10 Spanish red wine with pasta.  The Manyana 2008 Temperanillo de Cariñena was something of a disappointment, given we have had such wonderful luck with Spanish wines in the past. 

Kate’s grade: C-

Richard’s grade: C

The verdict: Unimpressive, but not quite undrinkable.