Kitchener Public Library recommends 5 books for hungry summer readers

The lazy, hazy days of summer are here in Waterloo region and that makes a good opportunity to set aside a bit of time to do some leisure reading. What better topic is there to dip into than food?

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Here are five books to settle in with during your summer vacation, as selected by Dani Paschert-Ward at the Kitchener Public Library.

Paschert-Ward picked books published in 2018 that cover a wide range of interest when it comes to a very popular topic: food.

"I wanted to select books that people who are passionate about food would want to read," Paschert-Ward said. "They would want more than just recipes but the background of foods, the history and the health aspects."

Paschert-Ward said she has tracked food trends she saw develop this year and include those in her picks.

"I've found that a lot of people are doing more fermenting. They're going back to canning and finding healthy foods again, so I tried to focus on authors that also have that diversity in cooking," she said.

The books are all available at the Kitchener Public Library.

How to Eat a Peach: Menus, Stories and Places by Diana Henry

Henry's title is derived from an observation she made while at a restaurant in Italy where a couple were slipping peach slices into sparkling wine for dessert: the wine took on a peach flavour, while the peaches absorbed the wine.

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Henry notes how simple and perfect this dessert was.

"This book in particular had some really great book reviews," Paschert-Ward said. "It's filled with stories about how to create menus that are good for specific occasions. It's very atmospheric and about time and place."

The Evolved Eater: A Quest to Eat Better, Live Better and Change the World by Nick Taranto

Taranto is co-founder of the food delivery service "Plated."

The book examines how we eat and the food system that has absorbed us.

At the same time, it is a template for changing the way you eat and think about food.

Feast: Food of the Islamic World by Anissa Helou

The book covers food in many Muslim countries from the Middle East and Mediterranean to Africa and to lesser known or lesser understood places at least in the West like Uzbekistan.

"There's colourful recipes in this book, and the photography is amazing," said Paschert-Ward. "It was one of the most anticipated food books of 2018 and was reviewed by Bon Appetit, Food and Wine and Epicurious. The author explains the development of traditional recipes and how they were developed differently in different countries. It definitely talks to diversity in foods and how they developed."

Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? By Mark Hyman

While he is a bestselling "healthy diet" author and physician, Hyman's book provides information about the benefits of eating fresh, local and, when possible, organic food.

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As many other writers and researchers have found, refined and processed foods can cause health problems, and Hyman recommends knowing what those foods are and avoiding them.

The Story of Food: An Illustrated History of Everything We Eat

Take a trip around the world through 200 foods.

In illustrated fashion, the book explores individual foods, humanity and its cultures and how they intersect and diverge.

"This book celebrates how humans developed food over the centuries to assimilate with their region or area and the fascinating stories about food throughout the world. It's a book about the story of food," said Paschert-Ward.

More food columns from Andrew Coppolino