For the Love of Food

Ya gotta eat. If we all have nothing else in common, we have this. Foodies are people who love food, love cooking, love the process and science of cooking, love to talk about, blog about and read about cooking. Admittedly there is only so much food you can (or should) eat, so foodies indulge their appetites in television (The Food Network), in sharing recipes (allrecipes.com) and reading about the world of food.

The Olive and the Caper: Adventures in Greek Cooking, by Susanna Hoffman. I regularly use the library's cookbook collection to test before I buy. This one left such an impression on me that I just had to own it. She makes an effort to capture an impression of traditional Greek life through the recipes. Some recipes are more challenging with hard to find ingredients. Others are tried and true "peasant" fare. I have recommended the vegetable stew to many and all have loved it.

Nigella Express: Good Food Fast, Good Food Fast, Good Food Fast, by Nigella Lawson. Nigella is a staple of the Food Network. She has been called the "Queen of food porn" and her fans enjoy her laid back and relaxed approach to cooking.Last month, on her website, they were talking about their favourite foodie books.

Don't Fill Up On the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook: With Memories of an Italian-American Family and 50 of the Their Best Recipes, by Tony Danza. I have this one on hold. Several people have recommended this book to me. It's part cookbook, part warm-hearted family memoir. Beginning cooks will be pleased with the family proven recipes. The sausages and peppers come highly recommended.

Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen, by Clothilde Dusoulier. Dusoulier has a blog with recipes and beautiful pictures. The book grew out of her blog and in it she shares her love of french cooking. Recipes are suitable for both beginners and those looking for more of a challenge. The Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding has been recommended.

Real Cooking, by Nigel Slater. Slater comes highly recommended by a foodie acquaintance of mine. She says, "I love him" and that she has a "serious crush" on him. He writes lovingly and beautifully about cooking. He makes her want to try food she would never normally touch (mushrooms). She tells me that he reads like a novel. Needless to say, I have placed my hold.

The Pedant in the Kitchen, by Julian Barnes. Julian Barnes is normally a very literary sort with numerous novels, histories and memoirs to his name. His latest, Nothing To Be Frightened Of turns up on several Best Of lists. His website describes the book perfectly, "This book is a witty and practical account of Julian Barnes' search for gastronomic precision. It is a quest that leaves him seduced by Jane Grigson, infuriated by Nigel Slater; charmed by the recipes of Edouard de Pomiane; and reassured by Mrs Beeton's Victorian virtues. The Pedant in the Kitchen is a perfect comfort for anyone who has ever been defeated by a cookbook."

Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living, by Julie Powell. In an effort to console herself about her monotonous job and her monotonous life, Julie decides to work her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Can't imagine doing this, but I've been told this is a very engaging story.

And so many more. Bon apetit.