Let me share with you what books have educated and inspired me over the years to launch my 14+ year journey as a food blogger.
All of us have had inspirations in our lives. We have learned from others. Even the best chef started by learning from someone else.
I have drawn from many different sources throughout my career and today I thought I would compile a list for you to read and hopes that you also will be inspired from these amazing sources.
The list is divided into core books which are ones that taught me a ton and then the "niche" books which go into more specific topics.
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The "core books"
- Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating by Ari Weinzweig
- Alton Brown's Gear For Your Kitchen
- I'm Just Here For the Food by Alton Brown
- Alton Brown: EveryDayCook
- How To Pick A Peach by Russ Parsons
- Cookwise by Shirley O. Corriher
- Bakewise by Shirley O. Corriher
- Bob's Red Mill Baking Book
- 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer
The "niche books"
- The Niman Ranch Cookbook
- Homemade Soda by Andrew Schloss
- Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials
- Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carrol
- The Ulimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein
- The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen
- Soup Galore by Elisabeth Luard
- Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer
- Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers
- Christmas 101 by Rick Rodgers
- The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
- The Complete Book of Garlic by Ted Jordan Meredith
- Rachel’s Irish Family Food
- The Pho Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen
To read more of my thoughts on each of these books jump down to the book you want to hear about.
Jump to:
- Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating by Ari Weinzweig
- I'm Just Here For the Food by Alton Brown
- Alton Brown's Gear For Your Kitchen
- Alton Brown: EveryDayCook
- The Niman Ranch Cookbook
- Cookwise by Shirley O. Corriher
- Bakewise by Shirley O. Corriher
- Homemade Soda by Andrew Schloss
- Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials
- Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll
- How to Pick A Perfect Peach by Russ Parsons
- The Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein
- The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen
- Soup Galore by Elisabeth Luard
- Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer
- Bob's Red Mill Baking Book
- Thanksgiving 101 & Christmas 101 by Rick Rodgers
- The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
- The Complete Book of Garlic
- Rachel’s Irish Family Food
- The Pho Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen
Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating by Ari Weinzweig
One of my very first food inspirations came from the city I was living in when my "food revolution" began. I couldn't start this list without "Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating" by Ari Weinzweig.
Zingerman's is a famous deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan (just a short drive from my house). They aren't just a deli though, they have a creamery, bakehouse, roadhouse (a sit down restaurant), and a very popular mail order service. Ari Weinzweig is the founder of Zingerman's and the author of this great book.
This is one book I think every food lover should read. It truly is what it says it is, a guide to good eating.
Ari is all about quality. He uses quality ingredients in everything he makes. That doesn't mean cheap, so Zingerman's is not the place to go with you are on a rice and beans budget (although he could tell you the best rice and beans to get!).
The book itself is covers a wide range of topics from:
- oils
- vinegars
- cheeses
- grains
- rices
- meat
- fish
- seasonings
- honey
- vanilla
- chocolate
- tea
Ari tells you what it the best of each of these foods and how to shop for them. He also includes one hundred recipes, so you can utilize those quality ingredients. The book is truly a fun read, with color characters, background stories, and history.
The most valuable lesson I learned from this book is a simple one. Good pasta tastes good. I normally bought the cheapest thing I could find, but when you spend a little extra money for a higher quality pasta, you will know the difference.
A lot of the lessons of this book are simple like that, but just might not have been something you thought of. That is why I recommend this book to anyone no matter what their level of experience or talent in the kitchen is.
I'm Just Here For the Food by Alton Brown
There has been no one more inspiration in my food journey than Alton Brown. I probably wouldn't be here today writhing this blog over a decade if it wasn't for him.
If someone asked me how they could learn to cook, I would encourage them to buy "I'm Just Here For the Food" by Alton Brown. This is a book that will teach you the science behind cooking.
I love how the book is divided into sections based on type of cooking:
- Searing
- Grilling
- Roasting
- Frying
- Boiling
- Braising
- Brining
- Sauces
- Eggs
- Microwaving
It teaches you the basics about each method and which food is the best to use. If you've ever been to the grocery store, looked at the beef counter and wondered what to choose and how to cook it, this book will help you.
The book is a teaching book but still contains plenty of great recipes. I recommend his recipes for Marinated Flank Steak and Skirt Steak. There is also a magnet set included that show you where each cut of meat comes from on the animal, which can help you determine whether a cut needs to be cooked for hours or just a few minutes.
Alton Brown's Gear For Your Kitchen
To be an effective cook in the kitchen you need the right tools. Alton Brown's Gear For Your Kitchen will help you to pick out the tools that will make your life in the kitchen most efficient and easier.
In this beautifully layed out book, Alton explains not only what you need but why you need it. He explains what the best item for the job you are looking to do. He covers it all in this book from mixing bowls to small appliances to everything you will need to bake anything your heart desires. There is also a section on sanitation that will hopefully keep you and your guests from unncessary hospital visits.
The only downside to this book is that it will tempt you to want to buy tons of things for your kitchen.
But before you do I would recommend what the book says in the beginning, sort through your current collection of kitchen gear. If you haven't used it in 6 months, get rid of it. Or if it's a unitasker and another device could do it's job, get rid of it. Then you let your temptation lead you to the store to buy all the wonderful gear Alton speaks of in this book.
Check out my post on Kitchen Tools That Alton Brown uses.
Alton Brown: EveryDayCook
The newest Alton Brown book I have is EveryDayCook. I got it because there are recipes that were published in the book that weren't anywhere else including his Good Eats show.
My favorite two recipes in this book are Oat Banana Bread and Chocolate Cheese Pie. Of course with an Alton book it's not just a list of recipes. My favorite part is the list of ingredients that Alton loves to have on hand like Maldon Flake Salt and fish sauce.
The Niman Ranch Cookbook
Niman Ranch started with a ranch near San Francisco in the 1970s. They have expanded to include a network of independent family farmers and ranchers. They are dedicated to treating their animals humanely, practicing sustainability for future generations, and producing high quality, delicious meat.
Niman Ranch meat can be found in stores across the country. They have a lot of different products from different cuts of meat to your cured meats like bacon and ham. Everything I have ever tasted of theirs has not disappointed.
When I buy a cookbook, I want a book that is more just recipes. You can find recipes anywhere. I want stories. I want good content. I want to learn. This book fulfills all those wants.
Read through my extensive review I wrote about this book back in 2018.
Cookwise by Shirley O. Corriher
The best cooking books shouldn't just give you recipes but should teach you how to cook. The saying goes, "give a man a fish he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish he will eat for a lifetime."
When it comes to cookbooks I want to know why I am using an ingredient and why I am performing a certain step at a certain time. This is why I highly recommend Shirley O. Corriher's book "Cookwise".
I first encountered Shirley talking about sugar crystals in fudge on Alton Brown's "Good Eats". She is an expert in the science of food. In this book (which I love) she puts a small box of information right before the recipe that explains why she is using certain ingredients and how they will improve what I am about to cook.
The book covers a variety of topics from making the perfect risen loaf of bread to juicy roasted chicken. I also enjoyed her information sections on topics such as how long vegetables and fruit last, the reason why, and how best to store them. I believe everyone who enjoys cooking should have this book on their book shelf. I borrowed this book from the library for as long as I could.
Bakewise by Shirley O. Corriher
Baking can be one of the biggest challenges in the kitchen. But do not fear, you can know the hows and whys to all your baking questions with Shirley O. Corriher's follow-up to Cookwise, "BakeWise".
This book is as good as her previous work. The book contains over 200 recipes, but it's not just a recipe book. This book will teach you to cook and why some the common failures in baking take place. The book contains chapters on cakes, muffins, quick breads, leavening via steam, pies, cookies, and yeast breads. She also talks about baking equipment like pans, rolling pans, and more.
What I like best about the book is that for each recipe, Shirley tells you why she is using certain ingredients. For anyone that wants to be a serious baker, this is a must have book for your cooking library.
Homemade Soda by Andrew Schloss
Have you ever thought about making your own soda pop, then I have a book that you should check out. If you haven't thought about making your own soda pop, then I have a book that you should check out. "Homemade Soda" by IACP award winning author, Andrew Scholoss is the best book that I have found on the subject.
The book contains 200 recipes including recipes for:
- sparkling water
- fruit sodas
- root beers
- colas
- herbal sodas
- fizzy juices
- sparkling teas
- coffees
- chocolates
- cream sodas
- egg creams
The book is laid in a logical fashion. The author begins the book with talking about the ingredients, including an extensive section on sweeteners, including artificial ones. He also weights in on high fructose corn syrup. All the equipment you would need to make your own soda is covered as well.
The thing I like most about the book is that for most recipes he gives alternative ways to carbonate, either using seltzer water, using a soda siphon (which he teaches you how to use in the book), or the old fashion way with yeast. It gives the reader options to do whatever they feel most comfortable with.
If your just starting out the seltzer water method is the best way to go. He likes how he doesn't just say mix with seltzer water, but gives a portion of syrup to use, then you can adjust from there whether you want or less in the future. I also like that a lot of the recipes use ingredients that are easy to find with the others being things you can order online (like sassafras root for root beer).
Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials
Cheese is my favorite food. Nothing can beat good cheese. I have been searching for good resources on cheese, but everyone I found didn't have the information I wanted. Until I stumbled upon "Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials".
The thing that all other cheese books lacked that I have seen is a listing of cheese by flavor (mild, medium, strong, etc.)
This book has that and a wealth of other great information. The book is broken down into categories for each type of cheese:
- fresh
- semi-soft
- soft-ripened
- surface-ripened
- semi-hard
- hard
- blue
- washed rind
For each cheese she explored where they come from, the characteristics of their type, how to use them, how to store them and specific recipes. She even includes a little tidbits on how is making the best cheeses across the country.
The book itself is easy to read, visually appealing, and well laid out. If you are cheese lover, this is the must have book. It even comes with an endorsement from Alton Brown.
Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll
In my mission to make as many things from scratch as possible, I had to check out a book on how to make my own cheese. I found a good one in Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll. This book contains 75 different recipes for cheese. A lot of them are challenging (in making and in finding the ingredients). But if you can pull it off and have fun doing it, then why not give it a try.
The book contains everything from soft cheese like cream cheese and ricotta to hard cheese like cheddar and gouda. The recipes include cheese made from not only cow's milk but goat's milk as well.
But before you get into those recipes you have a chance to dive into some cheese making history and a lesson on the ingredients and equipment you will need to create your own.
How to Pick A Perfect Peach by Russ Parsons
Fruit is my biggest passion. I chase the best fruit around the country. And this book is what spurred my passion for searching out different varieties. I found out about a bunch of citrus varieties from this book and learn why Red Delicious apples almost destroyed the American apple industry.
If you have a love of fruit, this book is going to expand and grow the love even more!
The Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein
While searching the shelves of my local library, I came upon this offering from Bruce Weinstein (at least new at my library) called the "The Ultimate Brownie Book". My first thought is how many brownies recipes could there be. Is there enough to fill an entire book? Apparently there was.
The book is packed full of recipes for slightly different takes on the classic brownie, such as malt brownies, banana brownies, and sweet potato brownies. Those that love cakey brownies will find something for them as well as for the fudgy brownie lovers.
What you won't find is pictures, minus the one on the front cover, so if you need to have a picture to go long with your recipes, then you might want to move on to another book. The book also contains recipes for blondies, icings, frostings, and drizzles.
If you are a brownie lover and are just looking for some new ideas on how to get your chocolate fix, give this book a read.
The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen
The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Molle Katzen is a book packed full of various mixed vegetable dishes. Although most of the recipes are not something that appeals to me, I still think people who like mixed vegetable dishes would get a lot of ideas from this book.
Some of the recipes include:
- sesame-braised cabbage with leeks
- green beans w/crunchy peanut-lemon coating
- portobello parmesan
- roasted butternut squash with roasted walnut oil and pomegranate seeds
The book uses a non-traditional font. It looks like someone's writing, which makes the book fun. There are also hand drawn pictures at the bottom of the page of a lot of the recipes. I am sure a lot of vegetarians would enjoy this book.
Soup Galore by Elisabeth Luard
We are in the heart of winter now. So what's better to warm up with than a nice bowl of soup. The book "Soup Galore" by Elisabeth Luard provides a lot of different recipes to try.
The book begins with sections on traditions, seasonal ingredients, equipment, and how to make stocks. The section on stock making it the most useful as the best soups are made with homemade stocks.
The recipe section contains recipes for soup featuring fish & shellfish, poultry & game, meat, vegetables, and pulses & grains. Each recipe comes with a short introduction, colorful photos, and serving sizes. With plenty of recipes this book should keep you turning out batch after batch of soup throughout the winter and all year long.
Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer
Many, many ago while in Southern California, I got to taste the Italian treat known as gelato. So of course when I first got an ice cream maker, I wanted to make my own gelato. But so far I haven't been able to make anything that matches what I had those many years ago.
For one Christmas, my sister in law, gave me this book: Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopper. The book includes techniques on how to make the best gelato you can at home.
The author knows that you can't replicate what is made in gelato shops at home, since those machines can churn gelato faster and at great quantities by far, than anything you could do in your own kitchen. So the author focuses in on how you can make the best homemade gelato possible, giving you all the tips and techniques you need.
Torrance does a through job of covering all the ingredients, why you need them, and what is it important to have the proper ratio of ingredients. The book includes 45 recipes, that also includes sorbet recipes. I haven't gotten to try any out yet but am excited to do so. I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed a tasty treat in a gelato shop and wishes to make something similar at home.
Bob's Red Mill Baking Book
Bob's Red Mill is known for the line of whole grain products (I particularly like their stone ground corn meal). If you ever wanted to know what to do with these products, then Bob's Red Mill Baking Book was the answer. It contains more than 400 recipes for whole grain yeast breads, muffins, sourdough, flatbreads, crackers, pies, and more. For those that have to eat a gluten free diet it also had many recipes to go along with their gluten free products they sell in stores.
The book also covers the company history, information on whole grains, all the varieties of flour, and even some information on baking equipment. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is into whole grain baking or is looking to go that way. I have tried several of the recipes, and enjoy them all.
The only trouble is that some of the ingredients may not be easy to find at a standard grocery store (a bulk food store would be a good place to look) and some can be quite pricey (especially if you have to go the gluten free route). But if you can find them and afford them, you have many flavorful baked treats coming your way.
Thanksgiving 101 & Christmas 101 by Rick Rodgers
When I was first learning how to cook a Thanksgiving meal there was two things that helped me a lot - the Romancing the Bird episode of Good Eats and Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers.
The book makes sure to hit on all the popular Thanksgiving dishes - turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc. The book has helped me plan meals and given me new ideas.
In his sequel to Thanksgiving 101, Christmas 101 helps celebrate the Christmas season with many fine recipes. You can find everything from beverages to main courses to festive breads to candies and desserts. He covers all the aspects of a Christmas meal. Learn how to make Christmas classics as well as some recipes with a new twist. Rick also includes personal stories, giving you a behind the scenes look.
He also gives practical advice such on how to mail cookies, temperatures for candy making, how to make bread, and much more. It's a great book to have around when you are looking for ideas for that next Christmas party.
The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
I have been trying to get my hands on as many different ice cream books that I could find and so far, "The Perfect Scoop" by David Lebovitz is the cream of the crop. It is laid out very clearly with sections on the basics, ice cream, sorbets & sherbets, granitas, sauces & toppings, mix-ins, and vessels.
It contains many great recipes. All the basics you would want like vanilla and chocolate and some unique flavors like cinnamon (click here to see that recipe) and green tea. Each recipe also contains a little snippet by the author giving you background information or commentary on each treat. There are also many pictures that will get your mouth watering and get your body headed into the kitchen to churn up some frozen goodness.
The Complete Book of Garlic
Did you know that are actually different varieties of garlic? You wouldn't know this going to the grocery store. But you would if you picked up a copy of Ted Jordan Meredith's "The Complete Book of Garlic". It contains the answer to all the garlic question you had and the ones you didn't know you had.
I picked this book out at my library in order to learn how to grow garlic. The book also includes information on the benefits of eating garlic, the history of garlic, and a plethora of beautiful photographs. I recommend just borrowing this book of your just interested in learning to grow garlic, but if you are a real garlic enthusiast then it's the book to have. "The Complete Book of Garlic" is exactly what it says it is - complete!
Rachel’s Irish Family Food
Back in 2020, I picked up this book while I was siting at home like the rest of the world. My wife's family is Irish and we always celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I found the book at a library before the world shut down but didn't check it out. So I just ordered it from Amazon and set out to cook as many recipes as I could for that St. Patrick's Day (and the days afterward).
Some of the dishes I made included: buttered leeks, cabbage & bacon, cheddar Irish soda rolls, pea puree with lemon, braised chicken & potatoes, and apple cake
The Pho Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen
The last book on my list is the newest edition to our library, in particular my daughter's. She feel in love with pho at a restaurant in Virginia back in 2021. And she wanted to learn to make it herself.
This teach you how to make pho from techniques to ingredients. It does so in a way to help the beginning pho maker grow to be a pho expert. We are loving trying out different recipes together.
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