Best of
Food-Writing

2021

Black Food: Stories, Art, and Essays


Bryant Terry - 2021
    "A beautiful, rich, and groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world, curated by food activist and author of Vegetable Kingdom Bryant Terry"--

Living the Château Dream


Dick Strawbridge - 2021
    With enormous tasks, like installing a lift, plus the beginnings of lifelong traditions, this much-anticipated follow-up includes many firsts for the Strawbridge family. As Dick and Angel recount stories of the next two years at the château, we start to understand the true extent of the work and skill that it has taken to make this incredible house into a much-loved home.With never-before-told stories of remarkable discoveries, amazing transformations and once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, this book is sure to delight and inspire in equal measure!

A Cook’s Book


Nigel Slater - 2021
    . .. . . from the first jam tart Nigel made with his mum standing on a chair trying to reach the Aga, through to what he is cooking now. He writes about how his cooking has changed from discovering the trick to whipping cream perfectly, to the best way to roast a chicken. He gives the tales behind the recipes and recalls the first time he ate a baguette in Paris and his first slice of buttercream-topped chocolate cake.These are the favourite recipes Nigel Slater cooks at home every day; the heart and soul of his cooking. Chapters include: the solace of soup, everyday dinners, a feast of green and a slice of tart. Then there are, of course, the ultimate puddings and cakes with sections on the silence of cheesecake and biscuits, friands and the brownie. This is Nigel Slater at his finest.

Rodney Scott's World of BBQ


Rodney Scott - 2021
    He cooked his first whole hog, a specialty of South Carolina barbecue, when he was just eleven years old. At the time, he was cooking at Scott's Bar-B-Q, his family's barbecue spot in Hemingway, South Carolina. Now, four decades later, he owns one of the country's most awarded and talked-about barbecue joints, Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston.In this cookbook, co-written by award-winning writer Lolis Eric Elie, Rodney spills what makes his pit-smoked turkey, barbecued spare ribs, smoked chicken wings, hush puppies, Ella's Banana Puddin', and award-winning whole hog so special. Moreover, his recipes make it possible to achieve these special flavors yourself, whether you're a barbecue pro or a novice. From the ins and outs of building your own pit to poignant essays on South Carolinian foodways and traditions, this stunningly photographed cookbook is the ultimate barbecue reference. It is also a powerful work of storytelling. In this modern American success story, Rodney details how he made his way from the small town where he worked for his father in the tobacco fields and in the smokehouse, to the sacrifices he made to grow his family's business, and the tough decisions he made to venture out on his own in Charleston.Rodney Scott's World of BBQ is an uplifting story that speaks to how hope, hard work, and a whole lot of optimism built a rich celebration of his heritage—and of unforgettable barbecue.

Chewing the Fat: Tasting Notes From a Greedy Life


Jay Rayner - 2021
    They are glorious dispatches, seasoned in equal measure with both enthusiasm and bile, from decades at the very frontline of eating.

What She's Having: Stories of Women and Food


Dear Damsels - 2021
    . .What we eat can fill us up, satisfy our needs or leave us hungry for more. It connects us to our culture, defines our routines and flavours our fondest memories.Whole stories are made across a dinner table, and in What She’s Having, sixteen writers explore the complex and meaningful relationships that women have with the food we cook, eat and share.From an essay about elaborate meals for one, an ode to eating with your hands, a story about the love to be found in a plateful of pasta, and a tale exploring the darker side of what we crave: this is a collection that explores food and all its nuances – and celebrates each and every mouthful.For anyone who loves reading what women have to say about food, this collection of fiction, non-fiction and poetry is something to savour.

Why We Cook : Women on Food, Identity, and Connection


Lindsay Gardner - 2021
    In it, artist Lindsay Gardner brings together stories, essays, kitchen profiles, interviews, and more, featuring 112 women restaurateurs, food producers, activists, writers, professional chefs, and home cooks—all of whom are dedicated not only to their craft but to changing the world of food.There are profiles on changemakers, like Cristina Martinez, a chef who emigrated from Mexico and who brings her Philadelphia community together through food while using her platform to champion immigrants’ rights; and Leah Penniman, who describes a day in her life on Soul Fire Farm, which she co-founded to combat racism in the food system. Evocative reflections on food and memory, like Rachel Khong's ode to her mother's love of fruit. And narrative recipes, like restaurateur Nicole Ponseca's Bibingka.With her rich visual storytelling gifts—the book is filled with beautiful watercolour illustrations and portraits—Gardner not only captures a sense of what is unique about each of the women, bringing them to life but adds layers of nuance and insight to their words and their work. Together, their voices reveal the power of food to uplift and nourish, reveal complex questions, and effect change, and offer us all the opportunity to learn about each other and about ourselves.

Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue


Adrian Miller - 2021
    Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and beyond, barbecue is one of the nation's most distinctive culinary arts. And people aren't just eating it; they're also reading books and articles and watching TV shows about it. But why is it, asks Adrian Miller--admitted 'cuehead and longtime certified barbecue judge--that in today's barbecue culture African Americans don't get much love? In Black Smoke, Miller chronicles how Black barbecuers, pitmasters, and restauranteurs helped develop this cornerstone of American foodways and how they are coming into their own today. It's a smoke-filled story of Black perseverance, culinary innovation, and entrepreneurship. Though often pushed to the margins, African Americans have enriched a barbecue culture that has come to be embraced by all. Miller celebrates and restores the faces and stories of the men and women who have influenced this American cuisine. This beautifully illustrated chronicle also features 22 barbecue recipes collected just for this book.

Cooking as Though You Might Cook Again


Danny Licht - 2021
    Cooking. Licht's lyrical recipes turn our attention away from strict measurements and towards the sights and smells of our own pantries, our own fridges, and our own imaginations. A new book that feels oddly like a familiar classic. A reminder of the pleasure and the importance of living with what we have.COOKING AS THOUGH YOU MIGHT COOK AGAIN is like an impossibly lucky yard sale find: a personal kitchen journal that was somehow written just for you. Like a handful of dry beans, Danny Licht's recipes grow, with a rustic everyday magic, to fill all your pots. Follow the rhythm, as I have, of this stern and sweet set of instructions and it will become your daily beat.--Cal Peternell

At Christmas We Feast: Festive Food Through the Ages


Annie Gray - 2021
    But where do our traditions come from - and when modern writers 'reinvent' the Christmas meal, are they really doing anything so very different?Annie Gray presents a delectable trip through time, from the earliest mentions of gluttonous meals at Christmas to the trappings and traditions of the present day. Tracing the birth of the twelve-day celebration under Edward I to the restoration of holiday splendour under Victoria, At Christmas We Feast is organised by festive dish, and features classic recipes alongside vibrant cultural and historical context.From the familiarity of plum pudding and mince pies to the extravagance of boar's head and brawn, At Christmas We Feast is stuffed full of recipes, doused with history and tradition, and sprinkled with the joy of the feasts of Christmas past.

Appetite: A Memoir in Recipes of Family and Food


Ed Balls - 2021
    

Grand Dishes: Recipes and stories from grandmothers of the world


Iska Lupton - 2021
    It’s about what it’s like to have lived.There is no food quite like a grandmother’s time-perfected dish. Inspired by their own grandmothers – and the love they shared through the food they served – Anastasia Miari and Iska Lupton embarked on a mission: from Corfu to Cuba, Moscow to New Orleans, and many more in between, they set out to capture cooking methods, regional recipes and timeless wisdom from grandmothers around the world.The result is Grand Dishes, a journey across four years of cooking with the world’s grandmothers, a preservation not just of recipes but of the stories – told through the dishes – that have seasoned these grandmothers’ lives. Featured alongside are contributions from celebrated chefs and food writers, each with their own grandmother’s recipe to share.Rich with the insight that age brings, elegant portraits, diverse recipes, and techniques unique to a region, a grandmother and her family, this is a book to pass down through generations.

What’s Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients


Peter Hoffman - 2021
    “A locavore before the word existed” (New York Times), Hoffman tells the story of his upbringing, professional education, and evolution as a chef and restaurant owner through its components—everything from the importance of your relationship with your refrigerator repairman and an account of how a burger killed his restaurant, to his belief in peppers as a perfect food, one that is adaptable to a wide range of cultural tastes and geographic conditions and reminds us to be glad we are alive.   Along with these personal stories from a life in restaurants, Hoffman braids in passionately curious explorations into the cultural, historical, and botani­cal backstories of the foods we eat. Beginning with a spring maple sap run and ending with the late-season, frost-defying vegetables, he follows the progress of the seasons and their reflections in his greenmarket favorites, moving ingredient to ingredient through the bounty of the natural world. Hoffman meets with farmers and vendors and unravels the magic of what we eat, deepening every cook’s appreciation for what’s on their kitchen counter. What’s Good a layered, insightful, and utterly enjoyable meal.

The Hidden Beauty of Seeds Fruits: The Botanical Photography of Levon Biss


Levon Biss - 2021
    Levon Biss’ striking photography captures the breathtaking and beautiful details of the world of carpology, the study of seeds and fruits. Each picture reveals minute features and textures that are normally invisible to the naked eye, providing the audience with an insight into strange and often bizarre adaptations that have evolved over thousands of years. After spending months searching through the carpological collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Biss selected over a hundred striking samples to be featured in this book. Captioned with scientific text that provides the backstory for each specimen, The Hidden Beauty of Seeds & Fruits is guaranteed to amaze, entertain, and educate.

Living Within the Wild: Personal Stories & Beloved Recipes from Alaska


Kirsten Dixon - 2021
    Their lodges and restaurants are known not just for the rare adventures and incredible views of the Alaskan wilderness, but also for appealing dishes created from the freshest local seafood and produce.Chefs Kirsten and Mandy Dixon's combined culinary experience has been recognized nationally and internationally, from cooking at the famed James Beard House in New York City to serving private dinners for National Geographic guests. In this book, mother and daughter offer their favorite recipes, featured on their menus at the lodges and caf� but specially recreated for the home chef's kitchen. They also share their unique experiences of life at the lodges--from embracing entrepreneurial challenges to working with family, to sharing the deep purpose and meaning in living in the natural world and wilderness.Chapters are organized thematically, weaving through stories about the seasonal shifts that make this women-run business unique. A final chapter honors the men in Kirsten and Mandy's lives by sharing quick profiles along with a favorite recipe.From your own kitchen, learn to make delicious dishes such as Black Bean Reindeer Chili or King Salmon Bowl with Miso Dressing; snack on Dried Tomato Sesame Cookies, or dine on Smoked Caramel Blueberry Brownies. And along the way, experience a sense of backcountry Alaska through the flavors of seasonal and regional ingredients as the Dixons welcome you into their secret world in the remote wilderness.