Books make great holiday gift ideas for the traveling foodie who has everything. Here are my suggestions for recently published “foodie lit” and nonfiction cultural books. All are available on Amazon.com
Trail of Crumbs Hunger, Love and the Search for Home (Grand Central Publishing, 2009) by Kim Sunée: Trail of Crumbs is Sunée’s story of “finding herself,”through cooking and eating in France. This memoir focuses on Sunée’s descriptions of herself as an “outsider” looking in on French culture. There are also some wonderful descriptions of international kitchens, meals and shopping at the colorful outdoor Provençal markets.
Au Revoir to All That Food, Wine and the End of France (Bloomsbury, 2009) by Michael Steinberger: American journalist Michael Steinberger examines the state of French food today. He uses French culinary culture as a wide-angle lens through which to view France’s challenges in the face of globalization. Written in an engaging manner, Au Revoir to All That is an interesting read for foodies, sociologists, and those interested in French culture and politics.
The Man Who Ate the World In Search of the Perfect Dinner (Holt, 2009) by Jay Rayner: Rayner chronicles his culinary travels in this well-written memoir. The book covers his experiences dining in the world’s best restaurants, enjoying the creations of international culinary masters.
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious and Perplexing City by David Lebovitz (Broadway, 2009): David Lebovitz, the celebrated American pastry chef and Chez Panisse alumnus, is the author of thi hilariously engaging memoir/recipe book. I could read this book over and over, both because of Lebovitz’s cheeky writing style and the variety of the recipes he inclues.
Feasting on Asphalt (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2008) by Alton Brown: In Feasting on Asphalt, Alton Brown takes to the open road as he and his “motorcycle crew” traverse the United States by following the Mississippi, stopping along the way to enjoy roadside delicacies and chat with the folks who prepare this homey fare.
Flickr: etherealdawn
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