4 Cookbooks That Will Transform How You Make Meals

I never understood how people say they love to "read" cookbooks.  The idea of just looking at recipes upon recipes is enough to make me order take out.

But then I came across some cookbooks that are almost like novels.  Delicious paragraphs about how food matters, and how cooking it should bring us joy.  Not something that drives us to eat cereal and Hamburger Helper because we feel overwhelmed.

Here are 4 that are definitely worth your time.

1.  Heart of the Artichoke     &     2. A Platter of Figs
                 

Both written by David Tannis, I found Heart of the Artichoke at the goodwill years ago.  It was my first experience with a cookbook that was more than a cookbook.  So lovely and the recipes are arranged by season.  The way he writes about food is completely different than anything I've ever been exposed to.  It makes me want to just travel the world and stay for extended periods immersing myself in a country's food culture.  Both of these can be bought used on Amazon cheap.

3.  How to Eat


This book actually is out of print so you have to buy a used copy.  Which works out wonderfully because you can get it for a song.  I love this book.  Even more than the above two.  Her book is filled with thoughts on cooking, and she is ever pragmatic.  "As I eat, so I write", which is how you end up with a recipe for an appetizer made out of duck liver.  Don't let that gross you out.  This book makes eating an art, which really, is how it should be.  We eat three times a day and shouldn't they be the most amazing food we can make?  Not arranged like traditional cookbooks, so this could be slightly annoying for some.

4.  Bountiful


The most recent of the four, and the most traditional cookbook as well.  This one is done by a husband and wife duo who are also food photographers.  She's Vietnamese so that pops up in the recipes a smidge as well.  They share small thoughts on each recipe, but I have to say it's one of the most gorgeous cookbooks I've seen.  Heavily slanted towards vegetables, it gets you so excited to eat them you almost don't even think of anything else!  I don't own this one yet.  But used copies can be had for about $12 including shipping and handling.  When my library loan of this ends you can bet I'm going to by it.