11 Delectable Reads For Foodies And Those Who Love To Cook

Whether you're a life-long foodie or are just beginning to really appreciate the work that goes into a perfect meal, the appetizing works listed here should leave you hungry and ready to spend a day in the kitchen. These books include novels and memoirs where food and cooking are at the center of the story, as well as cookbooks full of delectable recipes. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

Books About Food: Our 11 Picks

Title Author(s)
1. The Christmas Cookie Cookbook Ann Pearlman & Marybeth Bayer
2. A Recipe for Disaster Belinda Missen
3. Spoonful Chronicles Elen Ghulam
4. How to Bake a Perfect Life Barbara O'Neal
5. Dolci di Love Sarah-Kate Lynch
6. The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook Dinah Bucholz
7. Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots Jessica Soffer
8. Dirty Sugar Cookies Ayun Halliday
9. Plus One Mae Wood
10. The 2012 Book Blogger's Cookbook Christy Dorrity
11. A Recipe for Romance Lara Van Hulzen

Different Types of Cookbooks

8 Great Movies for Food Lovers

  1. Chef (2014)
  2. Nina's Heavenly Delights (2006)
  3. Ratatouille (2007)
  4. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
  5. Chocolat (2000)
  6. Julie & Julia (2009)
  7. Big Night (1996)
  8. Mostly Martha (2001)

Tips & Tricks for Vegetarians & Vegans

  • Get some vegetarian & vegan cookbooks, so you don't have to modify recipes and have plenty of dishes to choose from.
  • Experiment with how you prepare tofu. It has a bad reputation, but it can be a great component of a meal if it's flavored and cooked right.
  • Stock up on vegan snacks. Just because you're on a plant-based diet doesn't mean you can't have fun with your food.
  • Consider a meatless diet for your dog, although of course you should talk to a vet before making this major change.
  • It's not hard to get the protein you need from whole foods, but if you're a body builder or just concerned about protein intake, try mixing a vegan protein powder into a shake or smoothie.
  • If you're making this change for health reasons, remember to create sustainable habits so that you don't lose steam after a week or two.

How to Write a Good Restaurant Review

In Depth

From cookbooks to fiction novels with a food emphasis, the titles included on this list have the ability to get the taste buds salivating. For those looking for new cooking ideas, or for those perfectly satisfied with feasting on succulent literary descriptions, here, in no particular order, are eleven reads that will make foodies and home chefs smack their lips with delight.

At #1 is "The Christmas Cookie Cookbook" by Ann Pearlman and Marybeth Bayer. Inspired by Bayer's own Christmas cookie club, which she hosts for her friends, this cookbook and party planning guide teaches readers how to start their own sweets-themed holiday groups. Along with diverse recipes, Pearlman and Bayer include anecdotes and an array of tips for putting on festive parties. They also make sure to account for Chanukah and Ramadan in their mix of cookie ideas.

For #2 we get "A Recipe for Disaster" by Belinda Missen. With a peaceful life by the ocean and a thriving career as a brilliant baker of wedding cakes, Lucy is able to look past the fact that she's estranged from her husband Oliver. But when Oliver, now a world-renowned celebrity chef, returns after three years to offer her work at his new restaurant, Lucy is thrown off balance. As she questions his real motivation for coming back, the former lovers must decide if they should give their relationship a second chance.

With a peaceful life by the ocean and a thriving career as a brilliant baker of wedding cakes, Lucy is able to look past the fact that she's estranged from her husband Oliver.

Showing up at #3 is "Spoonful Chronicles" by Elen Ghulam. An ordinary mother and hospital worker in Vancouver, the last thing Thaniya expects is to become an internet sensation. But that's exactly what happens when a video of her making hummus goes viral. Bewildered by the reaction and curious as to how it happened, she scours her memory for past culinary-related experiences that might have led to this moment. Finding patterns in her whimsical encounters with tomatoes and cauliflowers, Thaniya discovers how much different foods, and the cultures they come from, have shaped her life.

For #4 we find "How to Bake a Perfect Life" by Barbara O'Neal. Professional bread-maker Ramona has long relied on her baking to get her through tough times. But now, on the verge of losing her grandma's crumbling Victorian home and the business she runs out of it, things are looking dire. To make matters even more complicated, her daughter Sophia has taken off to aid her soldier husband who was wounded in Afghanistan, leaving Ramona to look after Sophia's surly teenage stepdaughter. Overwhelmed by troubles old and new, she must dig deep into her recipe book to find the ingredients to persevere.

Arriving at #5 is "Dolci di Love" by Sarah-Kate Lynch. Distraught after learning that her husband has a second family in Italy, corporate executive Lily sets out to find them. Arriving in the small Tuscan village where they live, she catches the attention of a coterie of old matchmakers who won't let her stay heartbroken for long. Filled with the scrumptious baked delicacies of sun-kissed Tuscany, this tasty novel honors the power of love, family, and great cuisine.

Filled with the scrumptious baked delicacies of sun-kissed Tuscany, this tasty novel honors the power of love, family, and great cuisine.

For #6 we have "The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook" by Dinah Bucholz. Featuring meals eaten by the characters in J.K. Rowling's beloved fantasy series, this magical cookbook allows readers to make a variety of treats from the world of the boy wizard. Included are recipes for Molly's meat pies, rock cakes, pumpkin pasties, and Harry's most cherished dessert, the treacle tart. Bucholz also provides the stories behind the confections, and indicates the parts of the "Potter" books where they appear.

At #7 is "Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots" by Jessica Soffer. In a final bid to sway her distant chef mother from sending her to boarding school, fourteen-year-old food lover Lorca attempts to find the rare recipe for her mom's favorite Middle Eastern dish. Meanwhile, widowed Iraqi-Jewish immigrant Victoria is teaching cooking classes nearby and longing for the daughter she gave up decades ago. When Lorca signs up to take lessons with her, the two women find themselves sharing a profound connection that goes well beyond their baking.

For #8 we come to "Dirty Sugar Cookies" by Ayun Halliday. A zany gastronomical coming-of-age journey, Halliday's witty book traces her formative eating experiences throughout her life. Beginning as the picky daughter of a cooking connoisseur mother, she recounts the various culinary episodes that have turned her into the most unlikely and adventurous of foodies. With humorous insight, she demonstrates how a fussy eater can grow into an adult who's happy to scarf down insects.

A zany gastronomical coming-of-age journey, Halliday's witty book traces her formative eating experiences throughout her life.

Landing at #9 is "Plus One" by Mae Wood. Set in the Memphis restaurant world, this sweltering romance focuses on the burgeoning passion between divorced restaurateur Bert and young, spunky wine representative Drennan. A nearly forty-year-old single father of a son who's about to leave for college, Bert is prepared to accept that his romantic days are behind him. But Drennan, who has the hots for the tattooed hunk, is about to change that. Overcoming their initial hesitations, the two become swept up in a steamy relationship filled with plenty of great eats and even better booze.

For #10 we get "The 2012 Book Blogger's Cookbook" by Christy Dorrity. As she did in her unique 2011 cookbook, Dorrity combines literature and cuisine by pairing young adult novels with recipe ideas they have inspired for her. Summaries of the novels and pictures of their covers accompany the recipes, as do comments from various book review blogs. Throughout, readers will be enticed to discover both new titles and new meals.

Finally, coming in at #11 is "A Recipe for Romance" by Lara Van Hulzen, the fifth installment in her bachelor romance series. Traveling to Marietta, Montana to assist his dad with closing a business deal, New York billionaire Wes doesn't plan to stay for long. But when his father signs him up for Marietta's famous Bachelor Bake-Off competition, he realizes he won't be leaving any time soon. Especially not when former ballerina Noelle, who's just moved to the city to open a dance studio, attracts his attention. As Noelle aids the inexperienced Wes with his baking, the two fall in love, and help each other confront their true desires.