SUMMER READING LIST
Good morning, party people!
Time for your summer reading list (I know I’m a little late and most of you are already on your Greece trip). This is not a list of cookbooks, but more food stories (actually called “food writing” - since the genre already exists). Though I guess some are memoirs and some are between the two…
Anyway, here are some books that fascinated me, some that haunted me, some that made me laugh, and all that made me learn! Anyway, anyone reading this newsletter (blog? fanmail?) obviously loves an overly emotional storyline about food, love, and passion, so ENJOY!
NOTE: YES THERE ARE HOLES IN THIS LIST!! Which is why COMMUNITY MATTERS– read: comment your favorite books in the “food writing” genre, so this list can grow and grow … and we can all go to Greece and read on the beach!
Psss. This isn’t a ranking of “The greatest food books ever written.” It’s just the ones I keep lending out, buying again after forgetting who borrowed them, and recommending to anyone who can stand me.
The Fruit Hunters – Adam Leith Gollner
This book is hilarious. Gollner is a bit of a prick, but in the most readable way possible. He chases rare fruit around the globe, introducing you to an unforgettable cast of obsessive collectors (some of whom you may know!). Botanists, smugglers, growers, and eccentric fruit fanatics. Along the way, he unpacks the strange history of the fruits we love (and some we've never heard of), revealing how they have sparked wars, built fortunes, fueled dictatorships, and shaped cultures. Equal parts travelogue, science, history, and adventure, it's a surprise page-turner
On Food and Cooking – Harold McGee
This is less beach read, more life companion. It’s the kind of book you slowly chip away at for a decade or look up specific topics when the subject comes up. Equal parts science textbook and kitchen bible, it changes the way you think about food. McGee is singular in making food science readable - every time I pick it up I wonder why you don’t read it more often. He explains not just how to cook, but why food behaves the way it does—covering everything from eggs and meat to vegetables, fermentation, and flavor. The milk chapter blew my mind. This is a forever book: one that lives on your bookshelf, never gathers dust, and somehow brings you to an AH HA moment each time.
How to Read a French Fry – Russ Parsons
This is another one of those kitchen bible books, but more digestible than most. If Harold McGee is the reference book, Russ Parsons is the one you bring as a companion for a long plane ride. He answers all the questions you’ve probably wondered while cooking but never bothered to look up: Why do onions make you cry? Why does meat brown? Why can you stick your hand in an oven that’s 250F but not hot water that’s half that temp? It’s packed with witty tidbits, practical science, and genuinely useful cooking advice.
The Food Explorer – Daniel Stone
If you’ve ever wondered why we eat the foods we eat, this is the book for you. It tells the extraordinary story of David Fairchild, the adventurous botanist responsible for introducing thousands of plants to the United States, changing the American table forever. Avocados, mangoes, pistachios, soybeans, kale, and even Washington D.C.’s famous cherry blossoms all trace back to his relentless curiosity. Along the way, Fairchild survived disease, arrests, dangerous expeditions, and countless adventures in pursuit of remarkable plants. Part history, exploration, and botanical treasure hunt, it’s a really great read.
Eat Like a Fish – Bren Smith
I loved this book. Bren Smith is a fisherman turned seaweed farmer, and he shows us how kelp is the future… and also and a really good time? His story is equal parts memoir, environmental manifesto, and salty sea adventure, following his journey from commercial fishing to pioneering regenerative ocean farming. Along the way, he makes the case case that oysters, mussels, and seaweed could help feed the planet while restoring our oceans. I finished it wanting to move to the east coast, grow oysters and kelp, and spend my days in waders. Bonus points if you listen to the audiobook, his Newfoundland accent adds an extra dimension to the story.
Blood, Bones & Butter and Next of KIN– Gabrielle Hamilton
I’m a huge fan of Gabrielle Hamilton’s writing (and I can only assume her cooking, since I never did make it to Prune). Blood, Bones & Butter follows her story of family, heartbreak, ambition, and finding herself at the stove. From her unconventional childhood to kitchens in Europe and eventually opening her own restaurant, Hamilton writes with a level of honesty that is both brutal and beautiful. This isn’t really a chef memoir—it’s a story about identity, resilience, and the people who shape us through food. I absolutely loved it. Next of Kin came out last year too. Think of this less as a sequel and more as another conversation with Hamilton that really serves as the memoir. It reaches further into her family history and relationships while keeping the same brutally honest, beautiful writing that made Blood, Bones & Butter so unforgettable.
Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World – Dan Koeppel
It’s hard to believe an entire book about bananas could be this entertaining, but somehow it is. Koeppel unpacks the bizarre history of the world’s most popular fruit—from jungle origins and “banana republics” to the rise of companies like Chiquita and Dole, and the devastating diseases now threatening bananas worldwide. Along the way, he reveals just how political, fragile, and surprisingly weird our food system really is. It’s a fast-paced mix of history, science, agriculture, and investigative journalism that will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the humble banana.
John McPhee’s writing is less personal and more topic-driven, but somehow he can make almost anything fascinating. Oranges is a relatively quick read that unpacks the surprising history of one fruit, from early citrus cultivation and Florida’s orange groves to the rise of commercial agriculture and the people who built an industry around it. Along the way, McPhee introduces growers, botanists, pickers, and orange barons with his trademark curiosity and wit. It’s part history, part reportage, and part love letter to an ordinary fruit. It’s perfect for train rides.
Best Food Writing (Annual Anthology)
I’m a sucker for a “Best Of” collection and an even bigger sucker for a good short story. Every edition mixes laugh-out-loud pieces with heartbreaking essays and (sometimes wonderfully messy) food stories from writers all over the place. I wait for these every year.
The Core of an Onion – Mark Kurlansky
Part history, part cultural anthropology, part science, and part cookbook, Mark peels back the layers of one of the world’s most essential ingredients. From ancient civilizations and global trade to sulfur compounds and regional recipes, Kurlansky reminds us that the most ordinary foods often have the richest stories. Packed with fascinating facts, quirky historical anecdotes, and many recipes, it’s the kind of book that will have you reaching for an onion with a little more respect. Oh, and Kurlansky is the same author who wrote Salt and Cod and others you may recognize.
Yes, René Redzepi has become a complicated character in the food world. But this is still an incredible story. Gordinier follows Noma’s legendary Tulum pop-up from the inside, focusing on the sourcing—the relationships with foragers, fishermen, farmers, beekeepers, and Indigenous communities that made the pop-up possible. In many ways, the ingredients are the main characters, and Mexico itself becomes the story. It’s less about celebrity chefs than it is about curiosity.
Have fun! Happy reading! Send a postcard!
XOXO,
Sam Loves The Market
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
bookmarking all of these for later!