It's true: You can finally emerge from that cocoon you call your couch. It's time to pack a picnic, pour some wine into a water bottle, and head to the park. Just be sure to bring one of these books with you.
My Mother's Kitchen: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and the Meaning of Life by Peter Gethers (Out Now)
After his mother suffered a stroke, writer Peter Gethers found a new way to communicate with her: through food memories. He chronicles conversations and meals with his mother, the celebrated cook Judy Gethers, that focus solely around her favorite meals. It made Judy happy to talk about tarte tatins and eggs Benedict when other topics proved challenging. My Mother's Kitchen is a touching tribute to Judy.
Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker (Out Now)
Up until a few years ago, writer Bianca Bosker wasn't really into wine. At all. But instead of chatting up the employees of her local bottle shop to learn a bit more, she decided to go in deep. Real deep. While attempting to ingratiate herself in the often weird world of wine, she meets sommeliers who don't brush their teeth (it affects their palate) and sensory experts obsessed with... urine. Mostly, she learns that drinking for a living is surprisingly hard work. Cork Dork is an informative and riveting read that doesn't take itself too seriously—a much needed dose of reality the wine world could benefit from.
At Balthazar: The New York Brasserie at the Center of the World by Reggie Nadelson (April 4)
How does a New York restaurant become an institution? Is there a specific moment, a void it fills, a certain collection of regulars? Whatever that special sauce is, Balthazar has it all (and a lot of tourists as a result...). Nadelson, a regular herself, captures the very specific Balthazar vibe, from the celebrity diners to the crew of ever-changing breakfast patrons. Even if you've never eaten at the brasserie, you'll feel like you have after reading this.
Notes on a Banana: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Manic Depression by David Leite (April 11)
David Leite of Leite's Culinaria chronicles his childhood struggle with understanding he was gay, all while experiencing signs of mania and depression. This isn't a memoir strictly about food, it's a memoir about mental health, family, and relationships. But once Leite finally finds balance both mentally and romantically, he begins to write about food professionally and realizes that's where his passion lies. The book introspective and poignant, but never sappy.
Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire by Barbara Lynch (April 11)
Barbara Lynch proves that yes, we do in fact need another chef memoir. While Lynch's story echoes the classic pull-yourself-up-from-your-bootstraps trope, it's an irresistible read thanks to her attention to detail. The best parts are early on, when she shares details about her Southie upbringing. Becoming a chef literally saves her, but it doesn't mean there aren't constant hardships along the way. Read an excerpt here.
The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South by John T. Edge (May 16)
There's an overwhelming amount of information in John T. Edge's 300-page book about food in the American South from the 1950s to today. The transformation in diet, social structure, and perception of Southern food is huge—and this book proves it. Edge, the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of all the factors that have contributed to such a rich food story, from bus boycotts to new waves of Hispanic immigration. While the history isn't always pretty, the Southern table remains complex and fascinating.
Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America by Michael Ruhlman (May 16)
Michael Ruhlman isn't one to just scratch the surface. When he writes, he goes deep (see: Egg, Charcuterie, etc.). It's no different with Grocery, a book chock full of facts of one of the most oft-overlooked food experiences. The outpouring of information is intermixed with a lot of personal anecdotes, which keep the narrative moving. His overall Michael Pollan-esque point is perhaps best exemplified toward the end: "Cooking food at home is important, and we get the food we cook primarily at the grocery store. Thus have grocery stores become more important in my mind even than I'd originally supposed." Grocery might just change the way you walk through the supermarket aisles.
Give a Girl a Knife by Amy Thielen (May 16)
Most chefs don't leave well-respected New York restaurants to move to the middle of the woods in Minnesota. Think of this memoir as half behind-the-scenes of a restaurant kitchen and half city-girl-moves-away-to-embrace-her-roots. Even if you've read versions of those topics before, Give a Girl a Knife proves the midwest has all the drama of a big NYC restaurant.
Wine. All the Time. by Marissa A. Ross (June 27)
If you clam up when it’s time to order off a wine list because, for all the drinking you do, you feel like you don’t really know all that much about wine, then let Marissa A. Ross—BA’s own wine columnist—be your guide. She schools you on the fundamentals—how to talk to a sommelier, how to figure out what kinds of wines you actually like, whether it’s okay to buy a bottle just because the label looks cool—with humor, not judgment or pretension. -Meryl Rothstein
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food that Tells Their Stories by Laura Shapiro (July 25)
Can you learn more about women like Eleanor Roosevelt and Helen Gurley Brown by the foods they ate? Arguably... yes. While one's diet doesn't necessarily indicate personality, it does add to a more complete picture of these historic female figures. Plus, it's simply a fun read: I do find it interesting that Gurley Brown not only recommended using canned ham in recipes, but also foresaw the hummus obsession that had yet to capture the culinary world's interest. We all know that food is fun, and here, it serves as a vehicle to provide context to these women's complicated identities.
Because all that reading will make you hungry:
A previous version of this article referenced romance novels in a flippant way. We've removed the reference and support people reading whatever they want!