BVBook Verdict

Nonfiction

Food Writing Worth Devouring

More than recipes — culture, memory and appetite on the page.

14 books · ranked

  1. 1

    The Omnivore's Dilemma

    Michael Pollan · 2006 · Food & Drink

    Where our food really comes from, traced through four meals; the book that changed how many people eat.

  2. 2

    Kitchen Confidential

    Anthony Bourdain · 2000 · Food & Drink

    The wild, profane underbelly of professional kitchens; a memoir that made a chef a household name.

  3. 3

    Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

    Samin Nosrat · 2017 · Food & Drink

    Cook better by mastering four elements rather than memorising recipes; a modern teaching classic.

  4. 4

    Mastering the Art of French Cooking

    Julia Child · 1961 · Food & Drink

    The book that taught a generation to cook French food at home; meticulous and beloved.

  5. 5

    The Food Lab

    J. Kenji Lopez-Alt · 2015 · Food & Drink

    The science of why recipes work, tested obsessively; a doorstop reference for curious cooks.

  6. 6

    The Art of Eating

    M.F.K. Fisher · 1954 · Food & Drink

    Elegant, sensuous essays on food and appetite; the foundation of modern food writing.

  7. 7

    Afrodita

    Isabel Allende · 1997 · Food & Drink

    Isabel Allende trae sus poderes mágicos como cuentista a un nivel muy personal y con un encanto peculiar a las entrelazadas y sensuales artes de la comida y el amor. Mezclando recuerdos personales con

  8. 8

    American wildlife & plants

    Alexander Campbell Martin · 1951 · Food & Drink

    "'Prepared under the direction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, at the Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, Maryland.'"

  9. 9

    Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

    Barbara Kingsolver · 2007 · Food & Drink

    Bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver returns with her first nonfiction narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat."As the U.S. population made an u

  10. 10

    Bread and jam for Frances

    Russell Hoban · 1964 · Food & Drink

    "Jam on toast," sings Frances about the food she likes most--until she has it for the sixth meal in two days

  11. 11

    Bug food

    Charlotte Guillain · 2010 · Food & Drink

    Descibes in text and photographs food habits of insects and inverterbrates. Includes notes to parents and teachers. Suggested level: junior, primary.

  12. 12

    Chew on this

    Eric Schlosser · 2006 · Food & Drink

    A behind-the-scenes look at the fast food industry. This book reveals the truth about what lurks between those sesame seed buns, what a chicken "nugget" really is, and how the fast food industry has b

  13. 13

    Come to the Table

    Doris Christopher · 1999 · Food & Drink

    Pour some tea, grab a sugar cookie, and join a journey through the dining room and into the heart.In this heartfelt and helpful book, Doris Christopher shows families how to honor and celebrate one of

  14. 14

    Cooked

    Michael Pollan · 2013 · Food & Drink

    "Fire, water, air, earth--our most trusted food expert recounts the story of his culinary education In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he d

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