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For those still deciding what to give their favorite food-enthusiast bibliophiles, we’ve compiled a list (in no particular order) of our favorite non-cookbook books released in 2012. Some were referenced in our articles over the last few months, and the list does not include three books written by local authors that may already rest on your shelves—Maddie Earnest and Liz Fathman’s Missouri Harvest and Helen Fletcher’s European Tarts—or will soon be there—Matt Seiter’s The Dive Bar.
Skirt Steak: Women Chefs on Standing the Heat and Staying in the Kitchen, Charlotte Druckman
Not since the 1997 release of Ann Cooper’s A Woman’s Place Is in the Kitchen has there been a book focused solely on women in the restaurant industry. Druckman, a journalist who’s well versed in the topic, interviewed over 70 women chefs to reveal what the current industry is like for the “fairer” sex. Some may find the author’s voice a bit too intrusive, but one can easily skip over her asides on the way to her cogent discussions of why so many pastry chefs are women and the politics behind snagging a James Beard award, whether you’re a man or a woman.
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf, Aaron Bobrow-Strain
Although he’s an academic, Bobrow-Strain’s style remains accessible as he traces the evolution of white bread through American history, illustrating how inextricably linked food, culture, politics, and identity are. Given white bread’s current associations with poor nutrition and lower socioeconomic status, it may be surprising to learn that it was once pushed as the ultimate health food for discerning, upper-class consumers.
Best Food Writing 2012, Holly Hughes (ed.)
With so many talented people writing about food, it’s difficult to stay abreast of all that’s published. Hughes’ collection offers one-stop reading with some of this year’s best, including notable authors Tamar Adler, Jeff Gordinier, Christine Muhlke, and Corby Kummer, and Hank Shaw.
The Middlesteins, Jami Attenberg
The only novel on our list, The Middlesteins has at its center a woman—Edie Middlestein—who seems destined to eat herself to death. With an endorsement from Jonathan Franzen, this book will surely please literary buffs interested in how a family navigates through dysfunctional waters by way of food.
The American Way of Eating, Tracie McMillan
Reporter McMillan worked undercover in the produce fields in California, the stock room of a Detroit Walmart, and on the line of a NYC Applebee’s to chronicle how food is produced, sold, and cooked in the United States. Along the way, she exposes the many problems attached to American food production often hidden from the average consumer.
Taco, USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, Gustavo Arellano
With his characteristic wit, “¡Ask a Mexican !” columnist Arellano provides a history of Mexican food as it made its way from Texas across the country. Chapter titles (“Is the Tortilla God’s Favored Method of Communication?”) will pique your interest, but the book’s comprehensive content and Arellano’s engaging voice will keep you reading—especially when he dishes the dirt on Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless.
Greenhorns: 50 Dispatches from the New Farmers’ Movement, Paula Manalo (ed.)
A must-read for anyone interested in how farms work, this book collects 50 individuals’ first-hand accounts of farming, with stories divided into sections such as “Money,” “Purpose,” “Beasts,” and “Ninja Tactics.” Resources on business planning, taxes and accounting, and job/internship opportunities will prove invaluable for those leaning toward an agrarian lifestyle.
The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship with Food, John S. Allen
We referenced this book in a couple of articles with good reason: Allen writes about the science of food for the layperson interested in how taste and humans evolved together. As with many of the books on our list, his bibliography alone is reason enough to buy it.
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat, Bee Wilson
For those who have ever pondered their eating utensils, this tome will help explain why we eat the way we do. As the title suggests, Wilson takes the reader on a historical tour through the kitchen and at the table to decode our cooking and eating practices, which reveal just as much about our collective identity as the foods we eat.
The Art of the Restaurateur, Nicholas Lander
Lander, a restaurant owner himself and food columnist for The Financial Times, profiles 20 successful restaurateurs, including St. Louis native Danny Meyer, in a fascinating examination of what it takes to make a restaurant not only survive but thrive in what can be a punishing industry. The simply chic line drawings interspersed throughout the book echo its overarching theme: running a great restaurant is truly an art.
