Food in Books

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I have a hobbit-level obsession with reading about, tasting, and sometimes cooking food. I used to watch Food Network for hours (back when it actually aired cooking shows and wasn’t the Guy Fieri Network). My Instagram is feed is chock-full of posts from my favorite food bloggers. And I’ve already confessed my love of collecting cookbooks. So it should come as no surprise that I love reading books that include lots of descriptions of food, whether they are books about food or not.

I do read food-themed books every once in a while, and I have a fair amount of foodie memoirs on my TBR list. But more often, I notice and enjoy descriptions of food when they occur in the books I read, no matter what genre those books fall into. So for anyone else out there like me, here’s a list of some of my favorite books with delectable descriptions of yummy eats.

1. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. You probably expected this one since I started this post describing myself as a hobbit. I love how Tolkien writes about food, not just because I want to try most of the dishes in the books, but because it’s part of a larger appreciation for simple things. One of the most central concepts of the hobbits is their ability to take great pleasure in normal, everyday things like good food and drink, gardening, and living a quiet, productive life.
2. The Redwall series by Brian Jacques. I didn’t read these children’s books until I was an adult, but they are so much fun. Talking animals going on heroic quests? Yes, please! But along with being awesome fantasy stories, these books have some of the best food descriptions I’ve ever read. Similar to Tolkien, Jacques has his characters find their rest and fellowship around the table, enjoying simple, wholesome meals.
3. The Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. Set in a tiny town in Quebec, these “cozy mystery” books follow both the Inspector and his team as well as the residents of the town. The town’s bistro serves as a central meeting place throughout the stories, and Penny’s stunning descriptions of the rich French cuisine enjoyed there make me hungry whenever I’m reading. I need to learn how to make croissants!
4. Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist. This is technically within the food genre, but it’s more than a cookbook. While there are some recipes, most of the text is dedicated to food-related essays, many of which center on the important role food plays in various aspects of life. From bolstering celebrations to bringing comfort during grief, food can be more than just sustenance. I loved the writing and the tone of this book.
5. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. While food doesn’t play as big of a role in these books, I can’t think of anything that’s made me want to eat waffles and chocolate as much as these books did.

Do you like descriptions of food in the books you read? Do you have any favorites? I’d love to hear about your recommended epicurean reads!

Collecting Cookbooks

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I think I’ve made it clear by now that one of the things I collect is books. Most of the shelves (and other horizontal surfaces) in my house hold books. Textbooks, fiction, nonfiction, series, there’s a pretty good mix. But I also love collecting cookbooks, and I definitely have many more than I will ever consistently use.

I love reading good food writing. Aside from book-related sites, the only other blogs I follow consistently focus on food. And what makes good food writing even better? Great food photography. Cookbooks are the perfect pairing. Plus, I do cook on a fairly regular basis, so I can convince myself that purchasing cookbooks is a “household” expense!

So, I have lots of cookbooks. And honestly, I have lots of cookbooks that I never use for recipes. Sometimes I use my reading time to just browse through a stack of my favorite cookbooks, looking at the pictures and reading the recipe descriptions. For example, Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home. I love reading through the descriptions and drooling over the pictures. Have I made any of the recipes? Nope. (Mostly because the ingredient cost and time commitment are too much for a standard weeknight dinner.) I have the same problem with many of the Williams-Sonoma cookbooks I have. Enjoy the pictures and descriptions, but don’t really use them to cook very much.

On the other hand, I absolutely love my copy of Smitten Kitchen Every Day. I cook dishes from the blog all the time, and I love using the hardcover cookbook every few weeks. My Cook It in Cast Iron book from America’s Test Kitchen also gets a good workout. I’ve found a lot of favorite recipes in my Taste of Home binder-style cookbooks too (The Cookbook and The Baking Book).

I also have a soft spot for novelty cookbooks. I have at least three of them sitting on my Amazon wishlist right now. My husband got me The Redwall Cookbook for Christmas a few years ago, and it’s one of my favorite ones to look through. No pictures, but it’s full of adorable illustrations.

I’ve been trying to pare down my collection in the last few years. I’ve gone through all the cookbooks and given away those that I never use and don’t enjoy as reading material. I think I still have too many. But it’s not going to stop me from buying more! I’ve just accepted that I like collecting cookbooks as a hobby, and I’m OK with that.

What about you? Am I the only one who collects cookbooks for fun, even if I don’t use all of them for the recipes? I’d love to hear about your favorites!