Lakeland Public Library discussion

This post was inspired by a debate I’ve had several times among book-minded people. Do cookbooks count as books for reading? Some people don’t believe so; even to the point of saying they are “looking” at a cookbook instead of “reading” it. I am on the other side of the argument. Cookbooks can be wonderful things to read. I really love the ones that go out of the way to tell me a story. That, coupled with gorgeous photography and tasty recipes can make a cookbook one of the most satisfying things you can read, even if you don’t plan on cooking from it.

Here I’m presenting a tasting of different kind of books you can find in the 641 section at your Lakeland libraries.


As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto: Food, Friendship and the Making of a Masterpiece by Joan Reardon, Avis DeVoto and Julia Child

You won’t find any recipes or photos here. Instead, you’ll get a treasure trove of letters between Julia Child and her dear friend Avis DeVoto. You’ll get to know these remarkable women through their correspondence, but also witness the difficulties of getting Julia’s masterwork, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, published.


On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome with Love and Pasta by Jen Lin-Liu

Come along with the journey of food writer Jen as she travels the ancient silk road in search of the origin of pasta. Along the way she meets people from a variety of places and cultures, and is brought into their homes and kitchens to experiences just how much a simple thing like pasta can do and mean so much.



The Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Book: Scrumptious Recipes, Fabled History From Toll House to Cookie Cake Pie by Carolyn Wyman

As American as a chocolate chip cookie? This book argues that instead of the much-famed apple pie, chocolate chip cookies are quintessentially American, in all their forms. This book discusses the origins and impact of our favorite cookie, including tons of recipes for every different kind of chocolate chip cookie you could want.



Nigella Christmas: Food, Family, Friends, Festivities by Nigella Lawson

Okay, anything by Nigella Lawson, really. Not only do you get a cookbook, but you also get Nigella’s lovely writing about food. Seriously, nobody writes about food like Nigella. The recipes are great, don’t get me wrong, but her words should be savored just as much.



The Great American Burger Book: How to Make Authentic Regional Hamburgers at Home by George Motz

I love this book because you get to travel across the country and try regional burgers unlike anything you may have seen before. You also get the story behind some of these unique and sometimes bizarre concoctions, with a recipe to craft one of your very own. An interesting read, but I know deep in my heart I’ll never eat a Nutburger (with apologies to the State of Montana).



In The Kitchen with The Pike Place Fish Guys: 100 Recipes and Tips From the World-Famous crew of Pike Place Fish by The Crew of Pike Place Fish

Have you seen videos of people at a fish market hurling huge fish at each other? That’s Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, Washington. Here you’ll get the story of Pike Place and an education in seafood basics, as well as the fine art of hurling your seafood across the room. Plenty of recipes, too.



The Nightmare Before Dinner: Recipes and Drinks from the Beetle House, the Time Burton and Salvador Dali-Inspired Restaurant by Zach Neil

Calling all Nightmare Before Christmas aficionados! Did you know there is a restaurant devoted to all things Burton, with some Dali thrown in for good measure? This book isn’t much for the stories, but it is full of inventive recipes and gorgeous pictures that would appeal to Nightmare fans.



A History of Food in 100 Recipes by William Sitwell

Be it a recipe for bread taken from the walls of an Egyptian tomb, stew from a cuneiform tablet, peach melba or Rice Krispies Treats, this book gives you the history of 100 different foods, and the “recipes” on how to cook them. (What’s a gil of cream?) This is such an interesting book, it would be enjoyable as simply a work of non-fiction.