Books for the Cooks: I use these regularly
Looneyspoons,
Crazy Plates, 
and Eat, Shrink & Be Merry!
by Janet and Greta Podleski. These three books helped me transition from basic university-student fare to healthy, easy, and inspired cooking. The latter is the most well-developed of the three, and since there is a lot of overlap between them, is my chief recommendation. These books are full of colourful, adaptable, nutritious food, and has made me laugh out loud many times. Some might find the humour over the top, but if you like cheese in your sense of humour as well as in your burritos, these are for you!
Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
by the Moosewood Collective. This is my first (of hopefully many more!) cookbooks from the venerable vegetarian restaurant in Ithaca, NY. Chock full of gourmet vegetarian options from stews and sauces to light lunches and brunches, this cookbook also features many useful tips on ingredients and going organic. It’s visually pleasing and conversational.
More-With-Less Cookbook
by Doris Janzen Longacre. This is a staple of every Mennonite’s kitchen, and though I am not Mennonite, I’ve had the pleasure of living with many of them. I eventually bought my own copy of this book, with information about ethical consumption as good as it’s recipes. It’s full of globally-influenced foods that are affordable, healthy, and easy to prepare. Cooks from all over the world offer their stories and tips throughout the book, making it read like a conversation around a harvest table. The recipes aren’t gourmet, but they are simple and delicious. Besides, any book that taught me the granola basics deserves representation here!
Books for the Thinker-Eaters: how’s that for a new Myers-Briggs category?
Real Food: What to Eat and Why
by Nina Planck. This book really challenged me to think differently about all the industrialized food out there. The daughter of farmers, Nina continued her legacy by starting up the urban green markets London, England. She often takes unpopular and unconventional positions, defending butter, eggs, and whole, unpasteurized milk. Whether or not you follow her wacky, “back to the 1800s” way of eating, her book is an entertaining and informative read for those willing to be challenged on the notion that our food is progressing along with our technology. Includes great sections on fat, Omega-3s, and cooking oils.
A Natural History of the Senses
by Diane Ackerman. Ackerman writes poetically of the world we encounter every day through the five channels of our senses. She brings philosophy, history and psychology to the table, making this book an educational as well as sensual escapade. Always wondered where the word avocado came from? You might not want to know!
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals currently reading . . .
Women Who Eat: A New Generation on the Glory of Food
This book, edited by Leslie Miller, is the tastiest collection of food writing I’ve read in a long time. All the contributors are contemporary female writers, editors, and authors, and this is their collective manifesto on the joys of being a woman and savoring the edible world. Working to dismiss the notion that all women are on a diet, the voices of these women rise to sing the praises of nostalgic childhood meals, cooking for the men they love, and even “being food” for the children they birth. This book is divided into essays, which makes it great indulgent bedtime reading. I would highly recommend it for female “foodie” friends. Although peppered with the occasional recipe, the strength of this book lies in the writing: gorgeous, evocative, and vulnerable as it reflects the passions of feeding ourselves and our loved ones.
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