Six culinary history reads to get you through the summer

And inspire you to tell those family food stories

Via Unsplash

I’m always on the lookout for a good book, and I’m guessing you might be, too.

So, here are some of my favorites that fall under the broad category of Culinary History, defined by me as combining food, history and storytelling in a way that inspires, informs and entertains.

You’ll notice a few of the books contain recipes, but not all of them.

They’re written by foodies, historians, poets, journalists and chefs.

And the topics covered and writing styles are all over the place — a great reminder, I think, that there’s room for a lot of different voices and viewpoints in the wonderful world of culinary history — including YOURS!

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The foods that migrated to NYC

97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman (2010)

This is the true story of the lives and foods of five immigrant families who lived in a tenement at 97 Orchard Street over a period of about 80 years, and it’s filled with fabulous historical context on everything from seasonal food traditions and the politics of immigration to the role women play in maintaining continuity in the New World and the complex culinary histories they carry with them.

If you enjoy the book, you’ll love the Tenement Museum associated with it!

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How the Great Depression changed American food

A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression by Jane Ziegelman & Andrew Coe (2016)

This books reveals all the ways the Great Depression changed the American diet and the way we think about food. It explains so many things about the generation that lived through this time period, but also the recipes and food traditions they passed down to the next generations. To us.

Of all the books I’ve read over the last twenty years, this is the one I bring into conversation most often.

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A love affair with duck confit and beans

Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France, Family and the Stew That Saved My Soul by Sylvie Bigar

A few years ago after a day of exploring in Carcassonne, France, we stopped at local restaurant and asked the waitress to bring us her favorite dish. She brought us a thick, rich stew called cassoulet, and it was love at first bite!

This book is all about that iconic stew — the history, the technique, the rivalries, the customs and culture, the ingredients and the local stories and family histories around it, including the author’s.

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Stories of food and family

Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks by Crystal Wilkinson (2024)

Beautifully written and well researched, this one hits all the right notes for me — as a memoir, a book of recipes, a commentary on family and culinary history, and a record of resilience. Reading it feels like sitting down at an old kitchen table and listening to a friend tell stories.

Plus, who hasn't felt the presence of ancestral cooks — kitchen ghosts — when putting together a cherished family recipe?

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The story of America in pies

Sweet Land of Liberty: A History of America in 11 Pies by Rossi Anastopoulo

When I think about pies, I think about the crust or ingredients, maybe the family memories they hold, but never the stories they can tell about America. That’s what this book does — it explores the complex historical, cultural and social context of eleven different pies.

You’ll never look at pies the same again.

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Connecting food, family and African American history

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty (2017)

This book is an education in the ways food, social history, politics, race, generational memory and family history come together to create the foods we eat. It’s also an incredibly engaging story of one man’s journey to know more about who he is.

Long and complex, but brilliantly plotted and great storytelling, this book is the one that launched me on my culinary history journey.

Copyright 2025 Lori Olson White

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Reader Recommendations

• French Taste in Atlantic Canada 1604-1758: A Gastronomic History by Anne-Marie Lane-Jonah and Chantel Vechambre

• Le Festival Cookbook: A Book of Franco-American Recipes by Ken Lefebvre

• The Last Night on the Titanic: Unsinkable Drinking, Dining, and Style by Veronica Hinke

• Last Dinner On the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner by Rick Archbold and Dana McCauley

• Consuming Passions by Philippa Pullar

• The New Book of Middle Eastern Food: The Classic Cookbook, Expanded and Updated, with New Recipes and Contemporary Variations on Old Themes by Claudia Roden

• The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York: A Cookbook by Claudia Roden

• The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis by Amitav Ghosh

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Your turn and your culinary traditions

• What are five books that awakened your interest in the history behind the food we eat—and how did they change your understanding of culinary traditions?

• Which cookbooks on your shelf go beyond recipes to reveal stories of migration, resilience, or family legacy?

• Who are the authors or historians whose work changed how you think about food, culture, or ancestry?

• What books helped you rediscover or better understand your own cultural or familial food traditions?

• If you were to curate a shelf titled The History of Food as I See It, what titles would you include—and why?

• What books have helped preserve or resurrect lost or overlooked food traditions in your own family?

• What are the go-to titles you suggest to friends when they ask about food history, ancestral recipes, or cultural traditions?

• Looking back, what was the first book that made you realize food had a history worth exploring?

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In case you missed it

If stories at the intersection of food and family history are what you’re looking for, look no further than our archives! Here are a few of our favorites.

Tied together with apron strings

Saying Goodbye with Minnesota Funeral Food

A family love story that tastes like chocolate

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