Nonfiction November: Be the Expert / Ask the Expert


Week 2 (November 10 to 14) : Be The Expert/Ask the Expert/Become the Expert

Love your nonfiction? Nonfiction November is hosted by an awesome bunch of peeps: Kim of Sophisticated Dorkiness, Leslie of Regular Rumination, Becca of I'm Lost In Books and Katie of Doing Dewey.

Be The Expert/Ask the Expert/Become the Expert: Three ways to join in this week! You can either share 3 or more books on a single topic that you have read and can recommend (be the expert), you can put the call out for good nonfiction on a specific topic that you have been dying to read (ask the expert), or you can create your own list of books on a topic that you’d like to read (become the expert).


This is a two-in-one post. I mentioned during the first post that I wanted to read more Foodie Reads and I've also got a few good ones under my belt. I've picked just 5 to elaborate on for this post and hope you can give me more recommendations!

Laurel's Kitchen: A Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition by Laurel Robertson 
No, I'm not vegetarian and it's unlikely that I ever will be. I credit this book for a better understanding of what it means to “eat intentionally.” Eating, after all, requires discipline, as does preparing what you eat. (This is a very old book, published 1976. In fact the Book Depository link goes to a revised version because its message has stood the past of decades!).

A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal by Anthony Bourdain 
My Review | Amazon.com
I adore the irreverence of Anthony Bourdain and I love that he can suffer a bad stomach to tell us about his eating experiences. In this book he travels to many Asian countries, through the US and Europe in his quest for the perfect meal. 

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano 
My Review | Book Depository
It's a lifestyle. French women love their food and there's a lot to learn from their attitudes toward food (no it is not the enemy), fashion, exercise, and life in general. They don't get fat and they don't feel guilty about eating butter. What do you think about that?

Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother's Tokyo Kitchen by Naomi Moriyama
My Review | Book Depository
This is an obvious copycat of the French Women spin, but it is a whole different world in the Japanese kitchen! Moriyama who lives in the US, returns to her mother's kitchen in Tokyo and examines why she doesn't get fat when she eats - and lives - the Japanese way. Lots of authentic Japanese recipes interspersed, and adapted for the American kitchen.
The Breadbaker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread by Peter Reinhart
My Friday 56 quote | Book Depository
Hubby and I swear this is the holy grail of breadbaking. If you love bread, you need this book! Become Reinhart's apprentice and you'll see the magic that you can wield with very simple ingredients.
 



And a few more to check out:
Hungry by Darlene Barnes 
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Julia Child: A Life by Laura Shapiro 
Eat Now; Talk Later by James Vescovi

So for the Ask the Expert... YOU! What foodie reads should I definitely get into my TBR? As you can see, I'm open to pretty much anything :) 

10 comments

  1. The bread books by Daniel Leader, Bread Alone and Local Breads have many fascinating stories about traditional bakers and bakeries as well as recipes. The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz is exhaustive and fascinating on one of the oldest traditional food preservation (and taste/nutrition improvement) methods. I'm getting hungry!

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    1. Thanks Lory! Nothing beats freshly baked bread. I'm putting your recs on my TBR! Btw, the Bread Baker's Apprentice covers both topics you mention and the photos are really detailed too (and they will make you hungry heehee).

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    2. Oh yes--I've read BBApprentice too as well as Peter Reinhardt's Whole Grain Baking, which is also terrific. I love bread books, especially with gorgeous photos!

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  2. Hey! I had a similar topic for my post! :P Thanks for posting about the bread book. I dabble a bit in making bread once in a while, and this looks great.

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  3. You've got some good picks here! I also LOVE reading about food, cooking, and eating. I wrote a post about a year ago with my favorites--a couple are fiction but most are NF. Here's the link it you'd like some more suggestions--
    http://bookmammalmusings.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/the-tuesday-ten-delicious-books/

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  4. I can also recommend Julia Child's Life in France (for the love of food and France!)
    In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore is a wonderful introduction to eating seasonal, local food. I'd even go so far as to say - life-changing!

    http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/my-year-in-non-fiction.html

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  5. I'd love to read A Cook's Tour - I loved Kitchen Confidential! I also really liked Julie and Julia - hope you enjoy it!

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  6. I would love to read My Life in France and Julie and Julia. Dashing Good Books recently joined our Travel the World in Books reading challenge and reviewed Kitchen today (set in Japan). As for my favorite foodie reads, I enjoyed The Forgotten Daughter (Indian food and recipes play large part in the story).

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  7. Great list...I'll be adding some to my TBR list!

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© guiltless readingMaira Gall