Reading Recommendations: Perfect Pairings
A new month means another batch of reading recommendations! January’s theme is Perfect Pairings and we are talking about all food-themed books. Here are foodie reads I’ve enjoyed and recommend to you. And if you’re looking for more recommendations check out a similar list I did in the past here.
Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family’s bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas’ bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari’s world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.
Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable—she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought—and she maybe even likes what she learns—but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another?
If you love Romance novels about food and family this story will surely appeal to you. It’s a beautifully written story that showcases the beauty and culture of Brazil through sights, sounds, and smells. I myself wanted to travel to Lair and Pedro’s cozy little town and taste the food Salt and Sugar were creating. I was so envious of the cooking club (since they didn’t have one at my school growing up) and loved the friendship and teamwork they developed through making food. (Review)
Madang is an artist and new father who moves to a quiet home in the countryside with his wife and young baby, excited to build a new life full of hope and joy, complete with a garden and even snow. But soon reality sets in and his attention is divided between his growing happy family and his impoverished parents back in Seoul in a dingy basement apartment. With an ailing mother in and out of the hospital and an alcoholic father, Madang struggles to overcome the exhaustion and frustration of trying to be everything all at once: a good son, devoted father, and loving husband.
To cope, he finds himself reminiscing about their family meals together, particularly his mother’s kimchi, a traditional dish that is prepared by the family and requires months of fermentation. Memories of his mother’s glorious cooking—so good it would prompt a young Madang and his brother into song—soothe the family. With her impending death, Madang races to learn her recipes and bring together the three generations at the family table while it’s still possible. This is a beautiful and thoughtful meditation on how the kitchen and communal cooking—in the past, present, and future—bind a family together amidst the inevitable.
Reading this novel was an emotional read and made me think about loved ones who have since passed in my own life. The narrative of the novel shows readers how food can be such a powerful thing. It brings us together, helps us cope (as Madang remembers his mother’s heart dishes to deal with grief), and has traditions that are passed down from one person to another. It is also a story about dealing with grief and feeding support in hard times. There were so many delicious recipes featured in this novel that made me want to seek out some new Korean foods to try. (Review)
When seventeen-year-old small-town waitress Rose impresses a famous food critic, she and her best friend, Fred, find themselves thrust into the tough world of competitive baking. The contest is an intense ten days of bizarre challenges, and the competition is cutthroat. Some competitors are willing to lie, cheat, and sabotage their way to the top. Rose may be in over her head, but she is determined to show that she can become a top chef.
I love food-themed stories that center around sweets especially. Batter Royale is about a talented young chef who is selected to participate in a baking reality show. It’s a fluffy read despite it being centered around a baking competition and there’s a bit of romance thrown into the story too. Rose is such an admirable main character for how she keeps striving to be the best baker she can be even though she has many naysayers around her. Her creative spirit is infectious and will inspire to you get baking!
Kamilah Vega is desperate to convince her family to update their Puerto Rican restaurant and enter it into the Fall Foodie Tour. With the gentrification of their Chicago neighborhood, it’s the only way to save the place. The fly in her mofongo–her blackmailing abuelo says if she wants to change anything in his restaurant, she’ll have to marry the one man she can’t stand: his best friend’s grandson.
Liam Kane spent a decade working to turn his family’s distillery into a contender. Now he and his grandfather are on the verge of winning a national competition. Then Granda hits him with a one-two punch: he has cancer and he has his heart set on seeing Liam married before it’s too late. And Granda knows just the girl…Kamilah Vega.
If they refuse, their grandfathers will sell the building that houses both their businesses. With their futures on the line, Kamilah and Liam plan to outfox the devious duo, faking an engagement until they both get what they want. But soon, they find themselves tangled up in more than either of them bargained for.
For the most part (except for some serious topics) this book is really light-hearted and I found myself laughing out loud many times. It’s a food book due to its restaurant and distillery setting, so readers prepare for lots of ale and pages filled with delicious homemade Puerto Rican dishes! I love the banter, the snarky replies, and the cheeky sibling fights. Overall it was just a very entertaining book. I never wanted to put this novel down and I definitely consider this novel to be a good beach read or a comfort read for summer reading. Most of all besides the main couple I really loved the family in this book and how colorful their personalities are. (Review)
Seventeen-year-old aspiring chef Isabella Fields’ family life has fallen apart after the death of her Cuban abuela and the divorce of her parents. She moves in with her dad and his new wife in France, where Isabella feels like an outsider in her father’s new life, studiously avoiding the awkward, “Why did you cheat on Mom?” conversation.
The upside of Isabella’s world being turned upside down? Her father’s house is located only 30 minutes away from the restaurant of world-famous Chef Pascal Grattard, who runs a prestigious and competitive international kitchen apprenticeship. The prize job at Chef Grattard’s renowned restaurant also represents a transformative opportunity for Isabella, who is desperate to get her life back in order.
But how can Isabella expect to hold it together when she’s at the bottom of her class at the apprenticeship, her new stepmom is pregnant, she misses her abuela dearly, and a mysterious new guy and his albino dog fall into her life?
This is a coming-of-age YA novel filled with so many delectable foods and a tender coming-of-age narrative. It also sparks wanderlust in the reader as you get to travel through France throughout Isabella’s journey. I listened to the audiobook for this novel and the story had me hooked from the beginning. I appreciated that is discusses topics such as divorce, family dynamics, and heritage/culture among many things. The food descriptions were so mouth-watering that I wanted to try all of the foods and the romance was very cute.
England. France. Germany. What common thread binds these three nations together? Answer: each is famous for producing unique, distinctive, delicious bread. But what about Japan, home to rice and delicacies of the sea? Is there not a doughy, gastronomic delight they can claim as their own? The answer is no…until now! Kazuma Azuma, a 16-year-old-boy blessed with otherworldly baking powers, has taken it upon himself to create Ja-pan, the national bread of the land of the rising sun!
The stakes are high and the competition is fierce, but Kazuma won’t let anything prevent him from achieving his nation-changing, freshly baked goal. Relocating to Tokyo, Kazuma seeks to further his studies at Pantasia, a famous bakery chain. But will he rise to the challenge and pass the entrance examination, or will his best intentions fall flat?
You would think by first looking at this manga that it would be a simple baked goods story, but it is anything but that. Reading the book (and watching the anime) is so entertaining, with its tense baking competitions and a string of memorable characters. Kazuma is a very skilled baker, but his interactions with others allow him to become a better cook and motivate him for future recipes. I love his journey of growth throughout the series and how the characters encourage novice bakers like me to try new recipes.
That concludes my reading recommendations for food-themed reads! What books do you recommend or what are your favorites? Comment below!
