Non-recipe Foodie Books (well almost...)

[Sakkarin Profile]

I couple of weeks back I spotted an intriguing book in Homesense (the non-clothes TK Maxx), a recipe book full of Tweeted recipes (i.e created using a (TK?)max of 140 characters), along with another lighthearted book, "Men's Cooking", created to mimic a classic Haynes car maintenance manual. Both fun, but almost pointless as bona fide reference books.

Then a couple of days ago I discovered the Tweet book in a charity shop for £1.99, so I bought it. 1,200 recipes crammed into 240 pages!

Then I looked at the publication date, which was 2010; but the book in Homesense was a current book. When I thought back, I remembered that it was the photos that had sold me on the first book, whereas the 1200 recipe one I'd bought was text only. So I popped back to Homesense, and bought the other one too, so I now have a collection of two very different Tweety recipe books.

In practice, absolutely zero real use, fun rather than real reference material.

Anyone else got any non-recipe foodie books of note? I've got loads that come under that banner. I guess even Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" fits the bill, as it has no recipes...

1200 Tweety recipes:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eat-Tweet-1000 ... 1579654266

Only 75ish Tweety recipes, but nice pix:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/RecipeShorts-D ... 0857834215

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I've got a heavy culinary travel book that was a gift.
Very short on food, but beautiful pictures. I haven't the inclination to read it, but sometimes pick it up and have a flick. (curry book).

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

I've got a couple. One is called The Book of Ingredients, the other is a Food Encyclopaedia compiled by Clarissa Dickson-Wright of Two Fat Ladies fame. The latter is signed by her as well, because I went to a Foodie Festival that she appeared at.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I have an old Fanny Craddock book somewhere bought centuries ago that was called something like a Cook's Alphabet - lists of info basically - if I remember rightly, some good tips in there - I'll have to dig it out when I get a minute ( it will be in my second book-store - the garage!)

[Joanbunting Profile]

I was bought the following a couple of years ago. I love it - having eaten there not so long before:
https://www.amazon.fr/Mere-Brazier-Moth ... 0847840964

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I've few non0recipe food books

The Cooks Handbook by Prue Leith (or rather the whole cookery school team) has a few recipes in it, but basically explains techniques, so you can use other cookbooks with more sketchy instructions with some confidence

The Oxford Companion to Food by Alan Davison

Larousse I suppose

And an odd American one, that I can't find at the moment, that is reminiscences from a Harper's Bazaar writer about food with a few menus form a cook. Can't find it at the moment and no trace of it on t'internet

Couple of biographies as well, Elizabeth David and Antonin Careme

[Sakkarin Profile]

On that book you linked to Joan, I see that in the "people who bought this also bought" section it has "Salt is Essential" by Shaun Hill - that amused me because I also have a non-recipe book on salt, "Salt - Grain of Life" by Pierre Laszlo.

I had to dig it out to check it wasn't the same book - it was a charity shop impulse buy, I've never read it

[kavey Profile Website]

Is one of mine in that tweet cookbook by any chance (under Kavey or Kavey Eats or Kavita Favelle)?
I know I contributed one to such a book many years ago but can't remember what the book was called or even what recipe I gave them!!!

[Alexandria Profile]

Good Morning,


The only cookbooks I have that are all text and no photographs are the Spanish Historian & Chef Simone Ortega, which are 2 volumes each of 1, 080 recipes in each with amazing explanations of the best of regional Iberian Peninsula cuisine classics dating back to 1972 ..

Published By: Biblioteca Temática Alianza - Ediciónes del Prado ..


The series contain 12 categories: Appetisers, Cold dishes, Sautéed & Canapes, Vegetables, Sauces, Soups & Potajes ( stews ), Eggs & Soufflés, Fish & Shellfish, Meats, Game (feathered and hoofed ), Poultry, Dairy, Cakes, Pastries and Desserts, Eggs, Rices, Pastas and Wines, Brandies and Beers ..

If you can read Spanish, it is definitely a must have for those interested in Iberian classic regional cuisines ..


Have a lovely day ..

[Alexandria Profile]

Non recipe Gastronomic Books:


I have several in Spanish and English, which are predominately auto-biographies and biographies or historic on specific regions of the world ..

Some of my books in this category include ( off top of my head ):

The Tio Pepe Guide to the Seafood of the Mediterranean ..

The Tio Pepe Guide to the Seafood of Spain & Portugal ..


Published By: Santana Books .. Málaga, Spain ..


Chelsea, London Author: Alan Davidson .. The great grandson of José Antonio Gonzaléz .. Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, Andalusia ..


These guides are amazingly useful and contain the names of each species in several languages including: English, Latin, Spanish, Basque, Catalan, French, Portuguese, Galician, Italian and German .. Extremely useful ..


However, I have literally, hundreds of books ..