To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas from now through Epiphany and to advocate for the idea of reading books to support New Year projects, resolutions, and goals, I’m writing a series of posts with themed book lists for various popular resolutions. So far…
Day 1: Be More Fit
Day 2: Be Happier
For Day 3 and Weekend Cooking, I have books to support resolutions like “cook more at home” or “improve my cooking.”
The book that improved my cooking the most in 2013 was Cooked by Michael Pollan. Not a cookbook, but more an extended essay on the deep satisfaction of home-cooking, Cooked provided inspiration for finding more pleasure in the daily tasks of the kitchen.
A book that Pollan recommends and I’ve been meaning to read is On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee, a classic work on how cooking works.
America’s Test Kitchen has a new book out that looks perfect for improving cooking skills: Cooking School Cookbook. According to Goodreads:
Whether you’re starting out in the kitchen or have been cooking for years, this essential guide to cooking fundamentals, featuring 3000+ step photos and 500+ recipes, will make you a better cook for everything from scrambled eggs and roast chicken to layer cakes and fruit tarts.
Have you read any of these books? Which did you like? Do you have other books on the topic to recommend?
If you’re reading books to improve your cooking in the new year (or for other goals, projects, and resolutions), join us at The New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge!
