Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. The novelist and her family spends a year living mostly off their land. A great introduction to how local, seasonal and self-sustainable gardening and cooking can work. You may not be making your own cheese after reading this book, but you will look at your grocery options differently. www.animalvegetablemiracle.com
My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme. The back story to how the French master rose from regular life to her inspirational stature.
The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken by Laura Schenone. A culinary mystery in which the author looks to discover the recipes that shaped her Italian family’s history.