Fiction for Food Lovers

Type A Fallon and happy-go-lucky Chloe couldn’t be more different. The girls used to be best friends, but last summer they hooked up right before Chloe left for college, and after a series of misunderstandings, they aren’t even speaking to each other. In fact, they are doing everything they can to avoid each other. Which is turning out to be easier said than done, since their moms run a business together — a gourmet ice cream truck where both girls work. As the two girls are forced to work together in the cramped truck, they face unexpected detours — and more than a little roadside attraction. A sweet book deserves a sweet treat! Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream showcases innovative flavors that bring the joy of the scoop shop into your home kitchen.

Ramón Montez is on a mission to grow his father’s fast-food empire, and nothing – and no one – is going to stand in his way. Celebrity chef Julieta Campos has worked so hard to build her sea-to-table taqueria, and is absolutely crushed to find that her new landlord is the family who stole her mother’s taco recipe decades ago. When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: Accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them. This steamy book pairs well with the flavorful, spicy dishes in Cooking con Claudia: Celebración!, which celebrates vibrant Mexican traditions with 100 authentic recipes.

Emily and Jessamine Bach are opposites in every way: 28-year-old Emily is the CEO of Veritech, 23-year-old Jess is an environmental activist and graduate student in philosophy. Pragmatic Emily is making a fortune in Silicon Valley, romantic Jess works in an antiquarian bookstore. Emily is rational and driven, while Jess is dreamy and whimsical. National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman has written a delicious novel about appetite, temptation, and holding on to what is real in a virtual world: Love that stays. A cookbook that would make a fantastic addition to Jessamine’s and Emily’s collection is Alison Roman’s gorgeous book, Something from Nothing.

Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past – and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake – in this immersive family saga. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch. Why not create a full meal that celebrates the wonderfully diverse flavors in Caribbean cooking with West Winds from food writer Riaz Phillips? From oxtail and butterbean to langoustine soup, all the way to infamous black cake.

Renowned cookbook writer Paul Stuart is desperately trying to finish his latest book, but life keeps getting in the way. So, when his eccentric cousin Chloe suggests that he join her at the house she’s rented in the French countryside, he jumps at the chance. But, as the two quickly befriend the locals, including the owners of an infamous local restaurant known to be the second-worst eatery in all of France, Paul soon learns that distractions are the same at home or abroad, and he’ll have to call upon all his experience – with food and with people – to bring order back to the village. And to feel like you’ve also absconded to France, get lost in the recipes of Mimi Thorisson’s French Country Cooking. Armchair travel has never been more delicious!

Liza Yang and her mom don’t always see eye to eye, especially when it comes to dating. But the one thing they do have in common is their love of baking. Mrs. Yang owns the popular Yin & Yang Bakery, and is getting ready to host the bakery’s annual junior competition. Liza has agreed to help out, but on the first day of the bake-off, she realizes there’s a catch: All of the contestants are young Asian American men her mother has handpicked for Liza to date! Will Liza realize that there’s no tried and true recipe for love? From one badass heroine to another, fall in love (and make a ton of delicious food) with Cassie Yeung in her debut cookbook, Bad B*tch in the Kitch.

This honest, laugh-out-loud novel brimming with body positivity, bite-sized nuggets of feminism, and commentary on eating will have readers rooting for 16-year-old BB as she navigates her world while maintaining her plucky zest for life even in the most trying of times. Indulge in exquisite sweet recipes — everything from the perfect éclair to the ideal, buttery croissant — with The Art of French Pastry. This cookbook is a master class in pastry from a master teacher.

In the middle of World War II, in an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is holding a cooking contest – and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would present a crucial chance to change their lives. These four women are giving the competition their all – even if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together only serve to break it apart? And for the ultimate show-stopping recipes with a historical twist, check out Cooking and the Crown, a perfect blend of history, monarchy, and gastronomy that provides a fascinating window into the world of royal tastes and traditions as far back as Victorian times.

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten. The competition gets even hotter when Callum James rudely sets up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. But as Nikki starts to learn more about Callum, she sees a much kinder side. But does trusting Callum with her heart mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire? You’d be sure to win the Maui Food Festival competition with any recipe from Alana Kysar’s Aloha Kitchen! This gorgeous cookbook features 85 fresh and sunny recipes that paint an intimate and enlightening portrait of Hawai’i and its cultural heritage.

In this intriguing dual narrative novel, a modern-day woman finds inspiration in hidden notes left by her home’s previous owner, a quintessential 1950s housewife. As she discovers remarkable parallels between this woman’s life and her own, it causes her to question the foundation of her own relationship with her husband — and what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal society. For the ultimate icon in party planning and house keeping who has successfully fought the patriarchy, look no further than the one and only Martha Stewart. In Martha: The Cookbook, she celebrates her landmark 100th book with a collection of 100 treasured recipes.

Eager to escape stifling small-town Indiana, Elliott Black moves to Prague, where he gets a job teaching English. Elliott meets his students in a variety of pubs and conducts his lessons over pints of local Radegast beer. This is where he meets Amanda, an English teacher from the UK, with whom he falls in love. Together, Elliott and Amanda explore the dark history and surprising wonders of their adopted city, touring the twisting ancient streets and encountering expats, movie stars, tobacco executives, a former Soviet informant, and the president of Poland. But soon they’ll realize that change is the only reality you can’t outrun. If you too are dreaming of the wonders of Prague, try making authentic dishes like goulash, apple strudel, and chicken paprika, with the classic The Czechoslovak Cookbook!

This effervescent debut takes readers on a journey to the place where trends are born – Seoul, South Korea – where Melody Lee unwillingly moves with her family and must start a new life. At first, Melody loves discovering the alluring aspects of living in Korea – trendsetting fashion, delectable food, and a cute boy to hang out with. But soon, cracks begin to form on its shiny surface. Claire Ahn’s charming novel lets you taste every bite of kalbi, bathe in the glow of Seoul’s neon lights, and feel every high and low of Melody’s journey across the world and within her heart. This book pairs perfectly with Koreaworld where chef Deuki Hong and journalist Matt Rodbard take readers into the bustling metropolis of Seoul and in Koreatowns around the globe!

Winnie and Helen have kept each other’s worst secrets for more than fifty years. Now, because she believes she is dying, Helen wants to expose everything. And Winnie angrily determines that she must be the one to tell her daughter, Pearl, about the past — including the terrible truth even Helen does not know. And so begins Winnie’s story of her life on a small island outside Shanghai in the 1920s, and other places in China during World War II, and traces the happy and desperate events that led to Winnie’s coming to America in 1949. For a culinary examination of identity across the Chinese diaspora, Jon Kung’s Kung Food offers a collection of recipes that blend cultural traditions, ingredients, and flavors with his ultimate goal of redefining what Chinese American food can be.

After 41 years stuck in a loveless marriage, Marianne has had enough and decides to leave her life and Paris behind for the coast of Brittany, also known as “the end of the world.” Not knowing what this new locale has to offer, Marianne is delighted with the locals’ warm welcome, and their natural ease at taking pleasure in life’s small moments. Here, Marianne learns it’s never too late to begin to search for what life should have been all along. Take your own pleasure in life’s small moments with Bon Appetit Paris, which offers a guide enjoying food the way the French do — from morning croissants to late afternoon apéros, and everything in between.

This classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy. While still in her mother’s womb, her daughter to be weeps so violently she causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes a way of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef, using cooking to express herself and sharing recipes with readers along the way. Similar to Tita, The Art of Mexican Cooking by Diana Kennedy is the ultimate guide to creating authentic Mexican food in your own kitchen, with more than 200 beloved recipes as well as evocative illustrations.

Kim Fay’s Love & Saffron, is the perfect embodiment of how food and a good life go hand-in-hand. When Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter to food writer Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that not only gets them through difficult times, but helps them appreciate all the good things already at their fingertips. A respite from our chaotic world, this novel is a reminder that food and friendship are the antidote to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating. This sentiment is echoed throughout Carolina Gelen’s Pass the Plate, a delightful cookbook that will bring comfort to your kitchen and have friends and family asking for seconds.

Following a horrible breakup, Lila moves home to recover and help out at her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who also happens to be Lila’s ex-boyfriend) drops dead at the restaurant, Lila’s life instantly becomes an Agatha Christie case. When Lila becomes the police’s one and only suspect, she sets out to conduct her own investigation, but soon finds her own neck on the chopping block … And for more delicious recipes to die for, check out Cook Real Hawai’i from two-time Top Chef finalist and Fan Favorite, Sheldon Simeon.

Mãn has three mothers: The one who gives birth to her in wartime, the nun who plucks her from a vegetable garden, and her beloved Maman, who becomes a spy to survive. Maman finds Mãn a husband — a lonely Vietnamese restaurateur who lives in Montreal. Thrown into a new world, Mãn discovers her natural talent as a chef. She creates dishes that are much more than sustenance for the body: They evoke memory and emotion, time and place, and even bring her customers to tears.  But when she encounters a married chef in Paris, everything changes in the instant of a fleeting touch, and Mãn discovers the all-encompassing obsession and ever-present dangers of a love affair.