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Original poster

Nonfiction about food(besides Hungry.)

42 replies

ThreeApplesHigh · 28/05/2022 17:55

I've just finished Hungry and though I didn't especially care for it, though I enjoyed some parts, it's made me remember how much I love nonfiction about food.

I'd appreciate any recommendations on the subject. Anything from memoirs to the food culture of a particular country, the history of a particular food or anything in between.

TIA

OP posts:
starlingdarling · 28/05/2022 19:49

Glad I'm not the only one who likes it @SoggyPaper

My DH's best friend came to visit a few months ago and watched me throw a fistful of salt into boiling potatoes. His immediate reaction was "have you read salt, fat, acid, heat? Me too"

DahliaMacNamara · 28/05/2022 19:48

Where Did It All Go Right? by Andrew Collins is strictly speaking a childhood memoir, but there's a lot of food talk in every chapter.

SoggyPaper · 28/05/2022 19:40

starlingdarling · 28/05/2022 18:50

The reviews for Stanley Tucci are great but I haven't read it yet. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat is brilliant. Not a story about food history but the first half of the book about how to balance flavour is still fascinating. The other half is recipes to take what you've learned and practice it and as a salad hater I have to admit, her salad dressings have changed my mind. If you have Netflix watch the show. Her enthusiasm was infectious and made me buy the book.

I was going to suggest salt, fat, acid, heat too.

it’s not a book, but the serious eats website has lots of food history/personal reflections on food etc articles on it.

TerrifiedandWorried · 28/05/2022 19:32

The man who ate everything - collection of Jeffrey Steingarten's food columns. Really good.

HeathenPlayingHouse · 28/05/2022 19:29

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn- it's an American's account of studying at Le Cordon Bleu.

DanceWithYourBalloon · 28/05/2022 19:23

Also if you're into your history then Clarissa Dickson-Wrights book on the History of English Food is brilliant!

Also Penguin have done a volume of food excerpts from the diaries of Samuel Pepys.

DanceWithYourBalloon · 28/05/2022 19:21

Julie and Julia is great. About a blogger who set out to cook every Julia Child recipe.

ClutterofStarlings · 28/05/2022 19:09

Cod - can’t remember who it’s by sorry
food in England by Dorothy Hartley

StellaOlivetti · 28/05/2022 19:09

Eating for England, v nostalgic.

TeddyTrucks · 28/05/2022 19:07

What She Ate by Laura Shapiro.

starlingdarling · 28/05/2022 18:50

The reviews for Stanley Tucci are great but I haven't read it yet. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat is brilliant. Not a story about food history but the first half of the book about how to balance flavour is still fascinating. The other half is recipes to take what you've learned and practice it and as a salad hater I have to admit, her salad dressings have changed my mind. If you have Netflix watch the show. Her enthusiasm was infectious and made me buy the book.

PermanentTemporary · 28/05/2022 18:43

Toast by Nigel Slater
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden

It's a bit niche but I personally find the piece about funeral food in Feast by Nigella Lawson beautiful and moving in a raw way. There's one person for whom I would like to read it at their funeral.

theotherfossilsister · 28/05/2022 18:42

I heard the new Stanley Tucci is good and I want to read it

muddyford · 28/05/2022 18:37

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David.

NannyR · 28/05/2022 18:01

I came on to recommend First Bite too! Very interesting book.

CaliforniaDrumming · 28/05/2022 17:58

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl.

Luredbyapomegranate · 28/05/2022 17:58

First Bite by Bee Wilson has lots of interesting things to say