8 Delectible Books for Foodies

Foodies and travelers will both be enthralled by Lin-Liu's mouthwatering descriptions of bites and meals around the world. Her culinary adventure from China to Italy focuses on her quest to discover the history of the noodle, but along the way she delves into the psyches of people cooking and eating around the world. The result is a thoughtful commentary on regional differences and similarities, gender roles, and her own marriage.

Blue Plate Special follows Christiensen's engrossing exploration of writing and food from her 1960s childhood in Berkeley, her upbringing in Arizona, and her following adventures in Portland, New York, and beyond. The book is told with brilliant and evocative prose, and not afraid of facing head-on the more dark and lonely moods of the writer.

While a crime thriller may be an unexpected pick for a foodie book list, by course five of the outrageously elaborate dinner, its deserving place will be evident. Two brothers and their wives meet at a fashionable Amsterdam restaurant to discuss what to do about the terrible crime their teenage sons have committed. It's fast-paced, smart, and perfect to discuss over appetizers... and possibly just mind-bending enough to last you until desert.

The Book of Salt is a fictional memoir following Binh, a Vietnamese man who cooked for Gertrude Stein and Toklas in Paris in the 1930s. Truong's descriptions of Binh's cooking experiences are told as poignantly and sensuously as those of Stein's literary salon. The narrator provides a witty commentary of the "Steins" and Paris, making this novel an enjoyable feast of words.

Lauren Shockey blends travel, cooking, culture, and history in this charming narrative of her experiences working in four kitchens around the world. Her rich descriptions alternate between inspired menus, colorful coworkers and clientele, and the tedious hours of a culinary apprentice.

The Colour of Food is part memoir, part social commentary, and part recipe collection strung together in an enthralling and easy to read narrative. Elise candidly shares about marriage, motherhood, divorce, becoming a feminist, and, of course, her food adventures along the way.

The Lost Art of Mixing is a followup to Bauermeister's best-selling novel The School of Essential Ingredients. It follows a chef's work at her restaurant, search for love, and involvement in the lives of her co-workers and regular customers. The delicious descriptions and lovely prose make this a dream read for every foodie.

If giblet soup happens to be more up your alley, than Joyce has you covered. His classic Ulysses features countless scenes of someone thinking about an amazing meal, shopping for food, or cooking. Some of the vivid descriptions of meals make us wish we were invited, but, alas, we'll have to settle for a re-read.