Now more than ever, cookbooks and food memoirs are becoming incredibly popular. Chefs, home cooks, and foodies alike are all diving into pages of reading material that touch every taste bud. If you’re looking for a tasty recipe to wow your family, or if you’re looking for a memoir to make your mouth water, check out any of these delicious reads.

COOKBOOKS

1) The Flavor Bible By Andrew Dornenburg and Karen A. Page 
One of my favorite cookbooks of all time is The Flavor Bible by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen A. Page. The substantial yet stunning book lists all of the best flavor combinations ever discovered, plus some that you’ve probably never encountered before. It’s a great book to expand your culinary knowledge and give you some ideas for your next cooking experiment.

2) Prune By Gabrielle Hamilton
For comfort food done right, check out Gabrielle Hamilton’s cookbook Prune. This cookbook contains recipes from her restaurant in NYC, as well as some of her favorites she’s accumulated over the years. There’s even hand written notes from Gabrielle herself so you’ll never mess up a recipe again. It’s a great cookbook for foodies.

3) Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics By Ina Garten
The title explains itself; back to basics! Ina Garten compiled some of her favorite recipes that use basic yet classical cooking techniques, so the average Joe can become an experienced cook. For solid recipes that will teach you some skill along the way, definitely read Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics.

4) Smoke and Pickles By Edward Lee
There’s a special place in my heart for Chef Edward Lee because of his home in Kentucky, but I also respect him for his amazing food. Smoke and Pickle’s is a collection of southern, classic recipes with a Korean twist. Innovation and creativity is definitely not lacking in this cookbook.

FOOD MEMOIRS

1) Sous Chef By Michael Gibney
Ever wonder what it’s like to work in a professional kitchen? Better yet, are you curious how the leadership works in a kitchen, and who is the person running the show? Read Sous Chef by Michael Gibney to learn all about the sous chef, and to get an inside look into the life of their day-to-day tasks.

2) Under the Table By Katherine Darling
I first read Under the Table when I decide to attend The International Culinary Center (formerly known as The French Culinary Institute). Katherine Darling attended the school as well, and wrote this memoir as a diary of her experiences learning to cook. It’s a fun read if you’ve been or are planning to attend culinary school.

3) Blood, Bones and Butter By Gabrielle Hamilton
If you love the cookbook and restaurant Prune, then you’ll love Gabrielle Hamilton’s memoir Blood, Bones and Butter. This memoir is all about her life growing up on a farm, then moving to New York, and finally how she opened Prune. It’s an emotional memoir that will make you appreciate Gabrielle even more.

4) The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry By Kathleen Flinn
I also read this memoir prior to entering culinary school because it’s about a young girl’s journey in Paris to study at Le Cordon Blue. While the book does a little bit more personal story telling than Under the Table, it’s still stuffed full of cooking stories and mouthwatering food.