Chefs share their favorite books

Many chefs are avid readers, eagerly devouring cookbooks as well as other food-related books. Have you ever wondered which books rise to the tops of their reading lists? Tasting Table did, and asked several top chefs and restaurateurs to name their favorites, and the chefs responded with several book recommendations. 

The responses were varied, with a few classic cookbooks like Larousse Gastronomique, but the majority of the recommendations were not cookbooks. A few were memoirs such as Perfectionist: Life And Death In Haute Cuisine by Rudolph Cheminski, a favorite of chef brothers Bruce & Eric Bromberg. The latter says this book provides “[a]mazing insight into the world of high pressure stated in the  Michelin-starred restaurant world. Incredibly well written. A must-read if you are a food-focused person.” 

Other chefs preferred tomes with a more environmental or political bent, like The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food by Dan Barber. Celebrated chef Daniel Boulud chose an a 1976 French book by Fanny Deschamps (Croque-en-bouche), as well as a newer tome, The United States of Arugula: The Sun Dried, Cold Pressed, Dark Roasted, Extra Virgin Story of the American Food Revolution by David Kamp.

See all of the responses at Tasting Table, and be prepared to add to your Amazon wishlist.