Saturday Seven is hosted by Long and Short Reviews.
I’m a pretty quiet person in real life. One of the topics that I always like to talk about with anyone who is interested, though, is food. For example, I might ask you what your favourite food is or talk about a delicious meal I made last week. This week’s list is all about books that gave me cravings when I read them.
1. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan.
I could almost do an entire Saturday Seven post on Michael Pollan’s books alone. I really appreciate the fact that he takes such a well-rounded approach to figuring out what and how humans should eat from a nutritional, environmental, and cultural perspective. Then you also need to factor in any medical restrictions (diabetes, food allergies, interactions with certain drugs, etc) you might have on what you can eat. The answer won’t be exactly the same for every person or geographical region on Earth. I like the flexibility of that. It makes me hungry! Hehe.
2. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver.
Imagine spending an entire year trying to eat nothing but food you’ve either grown or bought from people who lived nearby. It’s not something I could do year-round in Canada without risking vitamin deficiencies from barely having any vegetables or fruit to eat for months on end, but I do follow many of this author’s principles when the weather allows for it. And now I’m craving Ontario-grown strawberries. They’re mouthwateringly delicious, and they’ll be in season in a few short months.
3. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky.
Salt is common and inexpensive now, but it used to be so valuable that it was used as a form of currency. This is the kind of book I’d only recommend to people who are extremely interested in this topic. It wasn’t a light, fluffy read at all, but it did make me crave salty foods like homemade soft pretzels.
4. French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano.
I loved the common sense messages in this book about moderation, fitting walking and other forms of exercise into your daily routine, and never being afraid to enjoy what you eat. There’s something about this easy-going approach to life that makes me look forward to my next meal regardless of what it happens to be.
5. Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel.
When I first read this a decade ago, I wondered if I’d live to see the day when the Cavendish banana went extinct. It hasn’t happened yet, and I sure hope it never does. Doesn’t the banana on the cover make you wish you could eat a banana right this second? That sure was my reaction to it.
6. Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit by Barry Estabrook.
This actually made me seek out one of those old-fashioned tomatoes that hadn’t had so much of its flavour bred out of it. It was really good. If only that kind of tomato wasn’t in season for such a short time. I could go for one of them right about now.
7. Tea: The Drink That Changed the World by Laura C. Martin.
I drink a decent amount of caffeine-free herbal tea, especially during the winter when I want to warm up. If caffeine didn’t make me so jittery, I’d branch out and try more of the teas that this author talked about. They sounded delicious.
Do you read nonfiction books about food or beverages? What are you craving right now?
This is a theme today! And it’s the second time two of them showed up (the exact two I was thinking about adding to my TBR list! Coincidence? Maybe not). I love bananas and tomatoes…and agree with you about the tomatoes. Ready for a nice tomato sandwich! Thanks for playing!
You’re welcome. A tomato sandwich sounds delicious right about now.
I hope you enjoy reading those books that you’ve been thinking about adding to your TBR.
Well Lydia, You did it again. What a great list and boy would we get along if that’s what you like to discuss. I haven’t read all of your books but am familiar with them. I put some on my list for sure.
Another I like so well is “When French Women Cook” by Madeleine Kamman
Thank you very much. Yes, you and I would get along famously in person. 🙂
I’m checking my local library now to see if they have “When French Women Cook.” That book sounds fabulous.
If there’s nothing else to read, I read cookbooks. I love reading recipes! So, your list has a LOT to offer for the foodie reader. Thanks!!!
I didn’t know that about you! How cool. How often do you try new recipes?
How often do I try?
Not as much anymore because I come home too late in the day during the week and we’re often just as busy on the weekends.
Lately, I’ve been reading slow cooker/ crock pot recipes and I HAVE tried new ones for that. I’m happy to say they were resounding successes, especially the whole chicken and the Savory Hungarian Goulash. 🙂
What I’m looking for is a book about different things I can make in a rice cooker. My hubby gave me one for Christmas and I’m fascinated on what a difference it’s made regarding my family. My kids, who hated rice, now eat it without a qualm. It’s pretty awesome! If you ever come across a good recipe or book for rice cookers, please let me know. 🙂
Yes, I’ll definitely do that.
Savory Hungarian Goulash sounds delicious, by the way.
Funny we have some of the same books! I tried growing heritage tomatoes a few years ago. It’s HARD. They just don’t grow as easily as the hybrids. But boy do they taste amazing!
I didn’t know they were hard to grow. How interesting.
Yes, it’s not a widely enough explored theme.
Do you know Tristram Stuart? His books Waste & The Bloodless Revolution sound like they’d appeal.
No, I’ve never read anything from him. My local library has one of his books, Waste, and I just requested it. Thanks for the recommendation.
I am struggling to get my tomato plants healthy this year. There is fruit on one of them, but the leaves look awful, so I fear it’s not going to survive. Those all look like very interesting books, thank you for sharing and thank you for visiting my blog!
My post is here: http://lydiaschoch.com/saturday-seven-books-that-might-give-you-cravings/
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the books I shared this week. Good luck with your tomato plant! I sure hope it perks up soon.