1. The Tummy Trilogy by Calvin Trillin
2. Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
3. The Gastronomical Me by M.F.K. Fisher
4. The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten
5. Home Cooking and More Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin
What they're about: Laurie Colwin champions the kind of food that we all really want to eat: simple and comforting, made with basic ingredients, some invested time, and love. Tackling subjects from cooking for one to the dinner party disaster, with recipes written in the voice of a friend perched on a stool in your kitchen, these books are best read with a pen in hand, to make a grocery list for what you’ll want to cook.
Best enjoyed with: a simple dish of hot buttered noodles, dressed with parsley, and a hint of cheese.