Ten Books To Awaken Your Appetite
A Book Roundup with “The Cook’s Book” Author Bri McKoy
By Bri McKoy
Give me a book I can sink my teeth into—and I mean this quite literally. Give me all the memoirs, novels, and even cookbooks in which food takes center stage. All of a sudden, I’m not on my couch; I'm in France sipping the most effervescent Champagne, letting the bubbles flirt with my nose while a friend tears open a warm, crusty baguette studded with flaked sea salt.
I’m not on my front porch anymore; I’m in a dive bar in lower Manhattan letting grease become part of my skin while I shovel the best smashburger into my mouth. No napkins, no grace, just pure desire for that melty cheese and a secret sauce that’s been secret for five decades.
Something transcendent happens when an author can write about food so truthfully that I can taste it on my tongue.
But here’s the real magic of it all: books centered around food make me want to try new foods, learn about different cultures, and become just a bit more adventurous in the kitchen. They remind me of my childhood and take me back to that first kiss and leave me wanting more, more, more of life. With a side of truffle fries.
Here are ten books centered around food that will have your mouth watering and your world expanding.
Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef
by Gabrielle Hamilton
In this memoir Hamilton explores how she came to find meaning and purpose in her life through reliving the kitchens of her past. Each kitchen, from the rural kitchen of her childhood to the kitchens of France, Greece, and Turkey, brings her one step closer to finding her calling. Hamilton’s journey to opening her restaurant Prune in New York City was fascinating and engaging and almost unbelievable in parts. It was a book I read slowly because I wanted to savor every story, every description of a meal, every experience with food. If you love food memoirs and coming-of-age stories, you will devour this book.
by Ruth Reichl
It doesn’t matter how full I am before I sit down to read a book written by Ruth Reichl, my mouth will be watering just a few pages in. This memoir does not disappoint. Reichl writes about her time as the food critic for Gourmet magazine in New York City. As she begins her job she quickly realizes that chefs and restaurant crews know to look out for her. Because of this, she starts to notice she is being treated with unfair advantage. This book is Reichl’s journey to write the most honest reviews from elaborate costume disguises, to dropping at the last minute, to shaking up the industry with her cut-throat reviews which made or disgraced some of the top restaurants in New York. Come for the stories, stay for the recipes!
by Jasmine Guillory
Guillory is known for weaving food into her romance novels. And really, what love story doesn’t have some defining moment involving food? This playful and steamy novel kicks off with Alexa getting stuck in an elevator with a stranger from out of town (bonus: she has a cheese plate and Champagne in her purse). Just a few days later she’s showing up with this stranger to a wedding as his fake girlfriend. But their chemistry goes beyond pretense and they try to see if this is more than just a chance encounter despite their differences and the miles between them. Prepare to be hungry and love-obsessed while reading this novel.
by Michelle Zauner
This vulnerable memoir will leave you tender and also have you googling the nearest H Mart. With startling honesty she tells all from finding her own identity as an Asian American growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, to life at twenty-five when her mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This is her story of examining more of her Korean heritage as well as the foods, culture, and history her mom handed to her. It’s equal parts coming-of-age and forging one’s own path through identity, through food, and through family.
by Michelle Wildgen
This book is new and I cannot wait to sit down with a big glass of Bordeaux and drink it in! For anyone interested in the wine industry–from the making of wine to the distribution and all that goes into getting wine into the hands of wine lovers–this is the book for you. Wren and Thessaly are two women who land coveted jobs at the prestigious New York City boutique wine distribution company. They could not be more different but on a trip to Europe a friendship is forged, one that will shake up this male-dominated industry. Grab your favorite bottle of wine and let this book become your best friend for the weekend.
by Bri McKoy
Not to be missed on this list is a cookbook! When I set out to write my first cookbook I didn’t want it to just be brimming with recipes (although it is); I also wanted to share about the love of cooking and the magic of finding joy and confidence in the kitchen. At its core it is a cookbook about what it takes to show up as ourselves in our kitchens to bring together the meals that we love. This foolproof, upbeat, and at times humorous kitchen companion helps home cooks go beyond recipe reading, giving them the skills they need to master the art of confident cooking so they can bring more people to their table.
by Stanley Tucci
Tucci writes about his life growing up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the table. You follow him into adulthood as he shares his life becoming an actor and his full-on love affair with food. I laughed out loud reading this, craved al dente pasta with garlicky sauce, and grew in my love for how food brings us together. I’ve also tried so many of the recipes in his book including his signature martini (spoiler: it is STRONG). If you’re a fan of food and Stanley Tucci, this is the pairing you’ve been waiting for!
by Kim Fay
This little book was such an unexpected pick for me but it was insanely cozy and has stayed with me for months. Be prepared to crave literally every dish mentioned including a cold glass of chablis and clams. Also saffron risotto. Twenty-seven-year-old Joan sends a fan letter to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen who is a columnist for a magazine in another state. Surprised to receive a return letter from Imogen, Joan writes back and a friendship is formed through years of letters. No stone is left unturned in these funny, tender, and mouthwatering letters. From recipes to sickness,racism, and love, two unlikely women face the worlds they live in and find comfort in each other.
Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes
by Shauna Niequist
You’ll want to settle in with this work of art. I love a book that takes me to a place of reflection and thought almost effortlessly while also awakening my appetite. Niequist does this brilliantly in her book Bread and Wine. Her essays on friendships, life, and loss were all studded with the thing that brings us together: a meal. This book will leave you reminiscing while also reaching for the phone to invite your people to a table to create new memories. This is a book you will return to again and again not just for the writing but also for the recipes.
by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
This is a book that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Olivia seeks a fresh start as she decides to take her son and leave her abusive husband. She relocates to her hometown and takes over her parents' beekeeping business. Her son, Asher, grows and they find roots where they are. Until one day Asher’s girlfriend is found dead and the whole town works to piece together the mystery of what happened to Lily. The magic of this book is how much detail there is about bees and beekeeping. It was stunning and brilliantly written. I could not put this book down, and the bonus was all the recipes for honey at the end of the book.
Bri McKoy is an accidental home cook, the author of The Cook’s Book and a lover of gathering people around her everyday table. She is the creator of The Everyday Kitchen Masterclass, a five-week online course that teaches people how to become more confident home cooks. Find stories and recipes on her food blog at OurSavoryLife.com or watch her videos with recipe tips and tricks and read her reflections on Instagram @brimckoy.
Posted September 5, 2023