I’m big into cookbooks. Here are a few that I’ve found interesting beyond just recipes or ideas of things to cook.
Salt Fat Acid Heat was/is a blockbuster smash hit for a reason. More than any other cookbook I’ve read, I think this actually has significantly improved my general ability and cook.Samin has a lot of thoughtful discussion on how and why certain techniques or ingredients work, and some interesting thoughts and diagrams about parallel dishes from different geographies. (related but a little less successful is Lateral Cooking by Niki Segnet).
I think lines people may be more interested than most in the book Eat Your Sidewalk by the architecture/design collective SPURSE? Really interesting investigation on what cooking is and could be. The most interesting chapters (for me) are on indigenous cooking in the Northwest of the North American continent but there’s lots and lots to think about here.
The Night+Market cookbook has a really refreshing perspective/voice that effortlessly and humorously makes discussions about tradition/authenticity in “ethnic” cuisine irrelevant. Also offers pretty interesting perspectives on American and Thailand from a Thai-American. Also has some really excellent descriptions of technique that make the recipes actually useful and excellent.
On Cooking by Harold Mcgee is a cool reference book to have around. I’ve never made it through as a sit-down read but it’s great to check out whenever you get curious about what browning butter, or whipping egg whites is actually doing at a molecular level, etc.
I could literally go on for pages but those are a few recent faves. Curious to hear others.
