25 tasty and tantalizing food memoirs

Kitchen Confidential

by Anthony Bourdain

Fair warning: I've read this, and it's pretty intense. From the publisher: "Kitchen Confidential reveals what Bourdain calls "twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behavior and haute cuisine."

Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking

by Bill Buford

In his new memoir, foodie, food writer, and former New Yorker fiction editor Buford shares another first-hand account of his time in the kitchen. In a quest to deepen his culinary training, Buford and his wife, wine expert Jessica Green, move to France with their twin three-year-old boys. They intended to stay for six months so Buford could cook, but after settling in Lyon they extended their visit—and stayed for five years. A lush, detailed, and vividly drawn account of esteemed French kitchens, and the culture that makes their grand food possible.

Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen

by Laurie Colwin

I love foodie memoirs and have been meaning to read this essay collection for years. When Will and I visited a bookstore devoted exclusively to cookbooks and cooking books in Chicago last week, this was my impulse buy. I started it immediately and loved it so much. Colwin's chatty style is funny and endearing, and the book is so slim—and so enjoyable—I finished it in an afternoon. I'll be reading more of Colwin's work. Highly recommended for fans of Ruth Reichl and Molly Weizenberg.

Life, on the Line: A Chef’s Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat

by Grant Achatz

I knew of Achatz (chef at Chicago's Alinea) but I didn't know the whole story. I knew that in 2003, the James Beard Foundation named Achatz Rising Star Chef of the Year; in 2006, Gourmet Magazine named Alinea the best restaurant in America. But I didn't know that in 2007, Achatz was diagnosed with late-stage tongue cancer, and the treatment plan left the chef with no sense of taste–an irony his business partner Kokonas dubbed "Shakespearean." (Thankfully, his sense of taste later returned.) This memoir describes Achatz's path to founding Alinea from his childhood family-restaurant days, and his battle with tongue cancer. I could hardly put it down. (Warning: there's a little salty language.)

Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris

by Ann Mah

As a foodie memoir devotee, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Journalist Ann Mah moves to Paris when her diplomat husband is given a three-year assignment there. She's overjoyed at the opportunity until he's reassigned to Iraq for a year-long solo stint and must figure out life in Paris on her own. And so she does, one pain au chocolat and boeuf Bourguignon at a time.

The Comfort Food Diaries: My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend a Broken Heart

by Emily Nunn

In the span of a few weeks, former New Yorker editor Emily Nunn grieves the death of her brother, her fiance breaks up with her, and she's evicted from their apartment. She pours her heart out on Facebook and is stunned by the many friends and family members who invite her to stay with them while she figures out what's next. She seeks treatment for alcoholism and then begins her Comfort Food Tour. Wherever she stays, they talk about the role of food in our lives and try different recipes. Comfort food can't heal all wounds but it, along with people who love us, can get us started.

My Berlin Kitchen

by Luisa Weiss

Luisa Weiss launched The Wednesday Chef to document her goal of cooking her way through her massive recipe collection. Living in New York at the time, she never stopped longing for home in Berlin and this is her account of how she finally decided to move back and all that ensued from there.

The Language of Baklava: A Memoir

by Diana Abu-Jaber

Diana Abu-Jaber grew up with a Jordanian father who loved to cook. Her memoir explores the two cultures of her childhood—American and Jordanian—and what it was like to be a part of both. A rich story of identity, relationships, and the food that forms us.

Yes, Chef: A Memoir

by Marcus Samuelsson

World-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson went from helping in his grandmother's kitchen to cooking in some of the most cut-throat restaurants in the world. Ethiopian and adopted by a white Swedish family when he was three, he shares how his Scandinavian heritage influenced his cooking style, as well as how he ultimately drew in African influences and advocates for recognition of African cuisine. He shares honestly about the ups and downs of the food world and how it made him the person he is today. Ruth Reichl praises this one as "Such an interesting life, told with touching modesty and remarkable candor."

The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love

by Kristin Kimball

Kristin Kimball fell in love with a farmer and traded her NYC life for one in the country. She shares how they reached their ambitious goal of growing everything needed to feed a community. For anyone who's ever wondered just what all goes into running a farm. Spoiler alert: a whole lot of hard work.

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef

by Gabrielle Hamilton

Shauna Niequist called this one of her favorite books: "Hamilton is kind of 50% Reichl, 50% Bourdain—a fabulous writer, irreverent and honest, with lush language and such immediacy and likeability."

Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir

by Kwame Onwuachi

You may recognize Kwame Onwuachi's name from his stint on Top Chef. But before that, he started his own catering company with twenty thousand dollars he made selling candy on the subway in NYC and worked in notable restaurants across the country. By age 27, not only had he competed on Top Chef, he served dinner to President Obama at the White House and closed his fine dining restaurant shortly after opening it. He's honest about his mistakes but he also delves into the racism he's experienced in the various kitchens he’s worked in. His voice is a welcome addition to the food memoir canon.

A Homemade Life

by Molly Wizenberg

After her father died, Molly Wizenburg didn’t know what to do with herself. So she went to Paris, and later, she started a blog. No spoilers here, so let’s just say I especially loved hearing about how the internet introduced the author to new, life-changing relationships. This memoir made me laugh, cry, check airfare to Paris, and curse my low carb diet. Completely and utterly charming, accompanied by tasty recipes.

Life From Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness

by Sasha Martin

From the publisher: "Over the course of 195 weeks, food writer and blogger Sasha Martin set out to cook—and eat—a meal from every country in the world. Witty, warm, and poignant, food blogger Sasha Martin's memoir about cooking her way to happiness and self-acceptance is a culinary journey like no other. From the tiny, makeshift kitchen of her eccentric, creative mother, to a string of foster homes, to the house from which she launched her own cooking adventure, Martin became more determined than ever to find peace and elevate her life through the prism of food and world cultures."

Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home

by Jessica Fechtor

Jessica Fechtor had a brain aneurysm at age 28 and nearly died. The kitchen played a big role in her recovery: she can't work or study so instead, she cooks. She explores the restorative qualities of food and the ways we use it to nourish ourselves and others. A moving read.

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life Of A Critic In Disguise

by Ruth Reichl

When Ruth Reichl takes the plum job of New York Times food critic, she’s determined to let ordinary diners know what the city’s great restaurants are really like. What's so hard about that? But she soon discovers that the Times food critic is no ordinary diner: her headshot adorns the wall of every kitchen in the city so the staff can spot her—and wow her. Not you. So Reichl goes undercover, enlisting the help of an old theater friend to become a sultry blond, a gregarious redhead, and a tweedy brunette, each with her own backstory. Her mission: to experience the city's great restaurants as just another diner. A fascinating read for any foodie, or student of human nature.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

by Barbara Kingsolver

With growing concerns about the environmental impact of their food consumption, Barbara Kingsolver and her family vow to eat only what they can grow, catch, or locally source for an entire year. What follows is a family memoir, a gardening how-to guide, and a treatise on sustainability as Kingsolver chronicles their adventures in farm-to-table living.

Orchard House: How a Neglected Garden Taught One Family to Grow

by Tara Austen Weaver

Where others would see a long-abandoned property as a lost cause, Tara Austen Weaver saw promise. Through the course of fixing the house and overhauling the expansive garden and orchard, she and her mother learn to reconnect. As the garden blooms with the fruits (and vegetables) of their labors, so does their relationship. Reading this will make you want a garden of your own.

The Sweet Life In Paris: Delicious Adventures In The World’s Most Perplexing City

by David Lebovitz

If you're the type that tends to over-romanticize the City of Lights, let David Lebovitz snap you back to reality. As an American expat who chose to move to France, he loves Paris—but he also has no qualms about exposing the ridiculous, baffling, and frustrating side of le France. (I still laugh when I think of his claim that he didn't REALLY feel like he belonged until the day he put on dress pants and a freshly ironed shirt to take out the trash). Lebovitz's niche is food writing, and while you'll hear plenty of stories of navigating the city, you'll also find food on nearly every page. Plan to be inspired to make (or at least eat) French favorites like warm goat cheese salad, chocolate mousse, and macarons. A perfect read for those who have lived in Paris, been to Paris, or just want a good laugh.

From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home

by Tembi Locke

You find out at the very beginning that Tembi Locke's husband died young. Locke sets out to tell a story of how she fell in love with her husband though perhaps they didn't look on the surface like they belong together because of race, class, and culture; how they overcame a lot to be together; why he meant everything to her; why losing him was so painful for her; and why it's a story that needed to be told. Locke does a great job telling how she found him, how food and chance brought them together. His Sicilian family was not wild about him marrying an African-American woman from America and that splintered the family for many years and seemed like would break them forever. She shows how love and perseverance really did conquer all. This was beautiful; I'm glad I read it. If you love grief memoirs—and I'm not saying that ironically, some people really truly do—I thought this was excellent.

Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India

by Madhur Jaffrey

Writer Madhur Jaffrey is well-known for cookbooks and here she invites readers into learning about her upbringing in Delhi. Family dinners consisted of 40 or more relatives gathered together over flavorful dishes that impacted the way Jaffrey sees food. But she was also impacted by Partition, which tore her family's world apart. Her most enduring food memories are connected to the land: climbing mango trees, sampling street fare, and more, making for a unique and memorable read.

My Life in France

by Julia Child

Child was 36 when her husband's job necessitated a move to Paris a few years after WWII. This is the story of how she fell in love with the city and its cuisine—and it all began with the restlessness she experienced upon arrival. Child found herself at loose ends in the city, with no job or other obligations, and so began she began shopping the French markets, falling in love with the French approach to food, and finally enrolling in cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu. This joyful memoir is full of life: Julia’s tales will entertain, inspire, and make you laugh out loud.

Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir

by Ruth Reichl

I’ve adored Reichl’s food writing in the past, but if I wasn’t a devoted Gourmet magazine reader, would I be interested in reading the book aptly subtitled “My Gourmet Memoir”? The answer: YES!! Pure delight from start to finish.

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks

by Kathleen Flinn

While shopping one night, Le Cordon Bleu grad Flinn bumps into a woman whose cart is filled with hyper-processed food. They strike up a conversation, and it turns out the woman simply can’t cook. Following this grocery store epiphany, Flinn collects 9 volunteers--all non-cooks--for weekly cooking lessons, and The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is born. Flinn’s belief in the power of home cooking is contagious, and her foundational (and fantastic) recipes might just change the way you cook.

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South

by Michael W. Twitty

Renowned culinary historian Michael Twitty traces his family roots (both Black and white) from Africa to America and the history of Southern cuisine in this richly drawn memoir. It's a substantial, detailed read, which gives ample space to both personal and culinary history; I appreciated Twitty's distinctive style of storytelling.

25 tasty and tantalizing food memoirs

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