Diane Abu-Jaber

THE LANGUAGE OF BAKLAVA, 2005, 330 pp.
A vibrant and humorous memoir of growing up with a gregarious Jordanian father who loved to cook. This book gives us the chance not only to grow up alongside Diana, but also to share meals with her every step of the way–unforgettable feasts that teach her, and us, as much about identity, love, and family as they do about food.
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Anthony Bourdain

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL: ADVENTURES IN THE CULINARY UNDERBELLY, 2000, 307 pp.
The author holds nothing back as he describes what goes on behind the doors of a big city restaurant kitchen.
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Bill Buford

HEAT: AN AMATEUR’S ADVENTURES AS A KITCHEN SLAVE, LINE COOK, PASTA MAKER AND APPRENTICE TO A DANTE-QUOTING BUTCHER IN TUSCANY, 2006, 318 pp.
Part memoir, part ethnography of a subculture, this book engagingly recounts Buford's three years as an apprentice at Babbo, one of Mario Batali's New York City restaurants. The pacing is quick, and the writing often mirrors the intensity of the kitchen.
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Pierre Franey

A CHEF’S TALE: A MEMOIR OF FOOD, FRANCE AND AMERICA, 1994, 259 pp.
In these memoirs, legendary chef Pierre Franey reminisces over a rich life, placing an emphasis on hard work, playfulness, and great taste. 100 of his trademark recipes are included.
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Judith Jones

THE TENTH MUSE: MY LIFE IN FOOD, 2007, 290 pp.
The author, an editor of literary fiction and a senior vice-president at Knopf, has served as "midwife" to some of the most culturally significant cookbooks of our time, introducing readers to newly discovered talents like Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Madhur Jaffrey and Claudia Roden.
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Barbara Kingsolver

ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE: A YEAR OF FOOD LIFE, 2007, 370 pp.
When the author and her family move to rural Appalachia, they take on a new challenge: to spend a year on a locally produced diet, paying close attention to the provenance of all they consume.
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Jacques Pepin

THE APPRENTICE, 2003, 318 pp.
The author tells the captivating story of his rise from a terrified thirteen-year-old toiling in an Old World French kitchen to an American superstar.
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Julie Powell

JULIE AND JULIA: 365 DAYS, 524 RECIPES, 1 TINY APARTMENT KITCHEN, 2005, 307 pp.
Thirty years old, bored with her job, hating her Queens apartment, Powell decided to transcend her life by concocting all 524 recipes in Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking -- in a single year.
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Ruth Reichl

COMFORT ME WITH APPLES: MORE ADVENTURES OF THE TABLE, 2001, 320 pp.
This book begins where Tender at the Bone ended, tracing Reichl's evolution from chef to food writer while detailing the dissolution of her first marriage, the start of a second, and motherhood at the age of 40. A wonderful read--entertaining, but moving, too.
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Ruth Reichl

GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES: THE SECRET LIFE OF A CRITIC IN DISGUISE, 2005, 333 pp.
In this third volume of memoirs, the author records her amusing (and revealing) career as a covert critic in New York's most exclusive eateries.
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Ruth Reichl

TENDER AT THE BONE: GROWING UP AT THE TABLE, 1998, 282 pp.
The story of a life determined, enhanced, and defined in equal measure by a passion for food, unforgettable people, and the love of tales well told. Reichl introduces us to the fascinating characters who shaped her world and her tastes.
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Michael Ruhlman

SOUL OF A CHEF: THE JOURNEY TOWARD PERFECTION, 2000, 370 pp.
The author lays bare the vigorous competition necessary to become a Certified Master Chef at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America).
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Calvin Trillin

TRAVELS WITH ALICE, 1989, 195 pp.
With his wife Alice, and daughters Abigail and Sarah, the author roams through France, Italy, Spain and the Caribbean. Food is never far from his thoughts, whether it leads him to farmers' markets in Provence, to sampling ethnic specialties on a stroll through lower Manhattan, or taste-testing the latest fast-food offerings in Paris. These stories are sure to raise a smile.
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Kimberly Witherspoon

HOW I LEARNED TO COOK: CULINARY EDUCATIONS FROM THE WORLD'S GREATEST COOKS, 2006, 306 pp.
Forty chefs representing notable restaurants all over the world offer a bit of humorous history on how they cut their teeth in the kitchen.
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