Influential food books of the past 10-20 years
Someone on a list asked about influential food books of the past 10-20 years. Here’s my list:
Books that started the trend of deconstructing modern food chains:
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
This one is notable because it’s one of the first I’ve read that’s really well balanced with looking at balancing health, environmental impact, and worker welfare, but also taking into account taste and the fact that people really like to eat foreign foods:
Seminal books that explore the science of cooking:
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
The beginning of the restaurant insider expose:
Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.)
The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America
And the evolution towards bringing restaurant and cooking school techniques to the home chef:
Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking
There are many excellent recent cookbooks, but I don’t know how many of them really qualify as influential.
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