Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

Use this space to discuss books you're reading or that might fit the 13th Read Harder task.

As a foodie, this task was the one that stumped me the most. Then I stumbled upon The Island Kitchen: Recipes from Mauritius and the Indian Ocean by Selina Periampillai. It seems wonderful, and I can't say that I've eaten the cuisines of Madagascar, Mauritius, or the Seychelles.

This is s killer. I have eaten most every current cuisine. I think I am going to go with A Taste of Ancient Rome, The Food of a Younger Land: The WPA's Portrait of Food in Pre-World War II America or The Founding Foodies: How Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin Revolutionized American Cuisine

What a great topic! The Food of Morocco or Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert is my pick.

Mine's not technically a perfect fit, but I am going for Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat

Michael Booth writes a fair few food books, mostly about France and Japan, which I guess are fairly common cuisines!

A book on my TBR that might be a stretch is The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats.

I read Meal by Blue Delliquanti and Soleil Ho earlier this year, and it was super cute, fun, and informative for anyone who prefers the comic medium. I think it would count for many readers, and it would have for me. I'll be finding something new for the challenge though (as much as I would enjoy a reread, I don't count rereads for these challenges for myself since I use them to try to push boundaries and explore new stuff as much as possible).

I've been wanting to read more food books, and I've definitely needed the push to do it. I've been looking through a few that seem promising. I'm not entirely sure what I want to read yet, but I'm thinking maybe North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland, tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food, If I Can Cook/You Know God Can, Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa, The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South, or Kaukasis: A Culinary Journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan Beyond.

This is the most daunting prompt for me. I have a food book prompt on two of the challenges I'm doing this year, so I need to find one that's written by a woman so I can use for both. I'll be following this thread closely. I am considering Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today's Kitchen and The Finnish Cookbook.
Ideally, the book I select will have food in it that I can eat. I'm allergic to the chemical (capsaicin) that gives spicy food its heat.

No capsaicin in Jewish food, and that is a very good book. its on my shelf. I have eaten a bit of Finnish food, and it was very very not spicy. There was a lot of vinegar though.

Thanks for fentioning Tawaw! My indigenous food experience has been limited to Ojibiwe and Sioux so this is one I haven't had. You made my day.

Would Tradewinds and Coconuts: A Reminiscence and Recipes from the Pacific Islands count?

Bonnie G. wrote: "No capsaicin in Jewish food, and that is a very good book. its on my shelf. I have eaten a bit of Finnish food, and it was very very not spicy. There was a lot of vinegar though."


I thought as much, but thanks for verifying.

OK, you all are going to think I'm crazy, but nothing says this has to be non-fiction, right? Also for anyone wanting a comic option, I read this for the 2019 manga topic.

I highly recommend Delicious in Dungeon 01. I guarantee NO ONE has eaten these foods.

I'm not sure I understand. Do I need to read a cookbook? I'm not a foodie. Any lists to help out with this? Thank you.

No, a food book. A cookbook will do it, but there are tons of other books about food. Lets say you had never eaten American low country food, you could read Edna Lewis: At the Table with an American Original or you have never eaten Ukranian food, you could read Food Was Her Country. There are thousands of food books that are not cookbooks. Just Google Food Books.

This was actually really a hard one for me, but I finally found this Survival in Samiland: Cultural cookbook and stories after seasons

Bonnie G. wrote: "No, a food book. A cookbook will do it, but there are tons of other books about food. Lets say you had never eaten American low country food, you could read Edna Lewis: At the Table with an America..."

I will be looking. Can't figure how a book can be about food, though unless it is incumbent. Prompts this year are challenging me.

I haven't tried any Native American food & I found this book on NPR's 2019 Book Concierge, so it has to be good, right? :) It's a children's book, so I may read something else as well, but this will be my starting point.

I read a fair amount of food based books, although going through my list it looks like most are generic food-based. I've put a few more specific, and everyone has probably eaten all of these, but it might give people ideas
The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy
Sourdough technically the specific type of sourdough is from a fictional people. It made me think that there may be some cozy mysteries centered around unique cuisines.
Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews
Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails Is there a type of alcohol I haven't had yet? There may be options here, like with pisco being so big in Peruvian culture.

I have a cajun book at home about eating your way through the NOLA French Quarter. I'll link that when I remember it.

I think of myself as a casual foodie, but I'm ashamed to admit I haven't had any indigenous cuisine that I can remember. So, I'm planning on reading The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, which won a James Beard award and is a double dipper for the challenge. I hope to find some recipes to try too

This challenge is probably easier for those of us with food based allergies :D I found out the hard way I was allergic to shellfish so I've never touched Sushi

I just want to recommend two books. One is Sharks Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop which is about going to chef school in China. Obviously most people have tried Chinese food as served by where ever you are in the Western World and it is not necessarily authentic. This book is about real Chinese food. Parts are revolting but absolutely fascinating. The second book is The Year of Eating Dangerously by Tom Parker Bowles and isn't about one cuisine; each chapter is a different food adventure most of which I would never undertake myself. Eels? Uurghh!!!! Both books are old so might be off your radars. I look forward to exploring all your recommendations

Krista wrote: "OK, you all are going to think I'm crazy, but nothing says this has to be non-fiction, right? Also for anyone wanting a comic option, I read this for the 2019 manga topic.

I highly recommend [boo..."

Sooo...does the World of Warcraft cookbook work for this one? lol

Going with Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today's Kitchen.

I'm not interested in cookbooks or chef's memoirs, so this is a bit of a challenge. Here are a few I found at my library. Some are a stretch, but they all look intriguing.

-The Joy of Foraging: Gary Lincoff's Illustrated Guide to Finding, Harvesting, and Enjoying a World of Wild Food

-Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste
I drink wine, but whatever is sweet and cheap. So maybe I can get away with "Fancy, expensive wine" being a cuisine I haven't tried.

-The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese
About the world's greatest cheese (supposedly). I'm sure I've never had this particular cheese before

-What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories
One of the women featured only ate diet gelatin. I am confident that is not a cuisine I've tried.

-The Wonder
A historical fiction based on a true story about a girl who claimed to live off of no food, only "manna from heaven". I've yet to try manna from heaven, so this counts, right?

Shelley wrote: "I read a fair amount of food based books, although going through my list it looks like most are generic food-based. I've put a few more specific, and everyone has probably eaten all of these, but i..."

I read Salt and Sugar Fat this year and it was very good. It was scary and it made me angry but was very insightful as well.

I know it isn't a "cuisine," but do you think a book about cannibalism would count? I've never tried eating human flesh...

I plan to read a book about prison cuisine. For years I’ve been fascinated by the creative recipes that prison inmates come up with and prepare in their cells using whatever ingredients they can obtain in the commissary (mostly single-serving snack foods) and basic cooking equipment such as a hot pot. I’ve found several books on the topic, although sometimes it’s hard to tell whether the book is about food served to prisoners in the dining hall, which is not something I’m interested in.

Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook, by Albert Prodigy Johnson

Jailhouse Cookbook the Prisoner's Recipe Bible, by Artie Cuisine

Creative Snacks, Meals, Beverages and Desserts You Can Make Behind Bars:: A Cookbook for Inmates (and others on a tight budget) looking to put the fun back into food, by Kevin Bullington

Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars, by Clifton Collins

The Prison Gourmet: Written by an Inmate, for Inmates, by Nicholas Terrell

Cell Block Cookin, by Troy Neal Traylor

The Cell Chef Cookbook, by Tanner George Cummings

Bobby wrote: "I plan to read a book about prison cuisine. For years I’ve been fascinated by the creative recipes that prison inmates come up with and prepare in their cells using whatever ingredients they can ob..."


How interesting -- and what a list.

This has reminded me that several challenges ago I wanted to read a book about wartime cooking at the Crimean battlefront --- in this case the groundbreaking health improvements for military cooking made by Alexis Soyer --Chef At War. I think it fits this prompt.

A cuisine is not a food, it is a style of cooking. A single food in a cuisine is like a single book in a library. Love the prison cuisine idea. thanks Bobby.

IMO, worst RHC prompt ever. I appreciate the idea of the prison food, as there are bound to be stories involved and I'm not just stuck reading a cookbook.

After some googling, top of my 'interested in' list would be Four Kitchens: My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris by Lauren Shockey.

How to Eat Fried Worms? :D

Marie wrote: "How to Eat Fried Worms? :D"

Definitely not a food book.

Chelsea wrote: "I'm not interested in cookbooks or chef's memoirs, so this is a bit of a challenge. Here are a few I found at my library. Some are a stretch, but they all look intriguing.

-The Joy of Foragi..."</i>

[book:The Wonder by Emma Donoghue was a rather fascinating book. Not exactly enjoyable, but engaging, if that makes sense. I would say it fits for this prompt, but I tend to be more than happy to stretch a prompt... :)

Bonnie G. wrote: "Marie wrote: "How to Eat Fried Worms? :D"

Definitely not a food book."

You're saying two boys daring each other to eat gross stuff isn't a cuisine?? There goes my cookbook idea. ;)

Just saw book riot's suggestions for this task, even they seem to be playing fast and loose with this prompt. Maybe they realize how much this task sucks too.

Amy J. wrote: "Just saw book riot's suggestions for this task, even they seem to be playing fast and loose with this prompt. Maybe they realize how much this task sucks too."

I did not see the the BR list. Do you have a link? This has been a challenging prompt for me. I eat out a lot (Serbian tonight!) and cook too and I have traveled a good bit and eaten everything from mutton jerky in Mongolia to tater tot hotdish in North Dakota. I was going to read a historical food or a prison food book, but maybe they have another suggestion I would enjoy more.

Marie wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Marie wrote: "How to Eat Fried Worms? :D"

Definitely not a food book."

You're saying two boys daring each other to eat gross stuff isn't a cuisine?? There goes my ..."

LOL! I am not a boy, but I raised a boy foodie and when he was 4 he challenged me to join him in downing a giant order of menudo and then ordered beef heart skewers as a follow up so this resonates. Honestly worms are less gross than tripe! (I have since goaded him into chowing down on rather delicious grasshopper curry, so I feel like I sort of win.)

Bonnie G. wrote: "Amy J. wrote: "Just saw book riot's suggestions for this task, even they seem to be playing fast and loose with this prompt. Maybe they realize how much this task sucks too."

I did not see the the BR list. Do you have a link?"

Bonnie, here’s the link. I think they are trying to make it clear that “food book” can cover a wide range of titles and styles: food history, food science, travelogues, personal memoirs of food-oriented people, etc. Not just cookbooks! :)

https://bookriot.com/2019/12/20/food-...

Mya wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Amy J. wrote: "Just saw book riot's suggestions for this task, even they seem to be playing fast and loose with this prompt. Maybe they realize how much this task sucks too."

I d..."

Thanks

Bonnie G. wrote: "LOL! I am not a boy, but I raised a boy foodie and when he was 4 he challenged me to join him in downing a giant order of menudo and then ordered beef heart skewers as a follow up so this resonates. Honestly worms are less gross than tripe! (I have since goaded him into chowing down on rather delicious grasshopper curry, so I feel like I sort of win.)"

Wow, what an interesting kid. You should write your own book! We can probably use it in a future BR challenge, like a food memoir featuring a child who's eaten grasshoppers or something. :D

Same here on being stumped. I love trying new cuisines, and our local historical society offers historical cuisines. I have Indian and Russian in-laws, and our diversity committee regularly offers "cuisines of the world" potlucks. I wish the word "never" wasn't in this challenge. I've only eaten one grasshopper. :)

I don't think BR is playing fast and loose on this one because they are suggesting non-cookbooks, but rather I feel like they're ignoring the "cuisine you've never tried before" part of the prompt.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking... what cuisine is that?! It just seems to be a book on how to cook any food well...

And Everyday Super Food has the same problem.

To be sure, the task becomes a lot easier if you ignore the second half of the prompt and just read a book about food.

Amy J. wrote: "I don't think BR is playing fast and loose on this one because they are suggesting non-cookbooks, but rather I feel like they're ignoring the "cuisine you've never tried before" part of the prompt...."

Yeah, I'm more confused than before after their recommendations about what exactly they were going for with this prompt.

I'm considering reading The Food of a Younger Land: The WPA's Portrait of Food in Pre-World War II America for this, since it's about pre-highway localized cuisines.

Marie wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "LOL! I am not a boy, but I raised a boy foodie and when he was 4 he challenged me to join him in downing a giant order of menudo and then ordered beef heart skewers as a follow up..."

Haha. I will suggest to my son that we coauthor a chronicle of our gastronomical adventures. I guess there are worse problems to have than ours. Those prison cookbooks mentioned up the chain might be just the thing for you.

Amy J. wrote: "I don't think BR is playing fast and loose on this one because they are suggesting non-cookbooks, but rather I feel like they're ignoring the "cuisine you've never tried before" part of the prompt...."

I agree with this entirely. What cuisine would you have never tried to make Salt Fat Acid Heat work? Every cuisine in the world? Good food?

Hello all! Our rec post for this task is now live. https://bookriot.com/2019/12/20/food-...

Marie wrote: "How to Eat Fried Worms? :D"

If you'd actually be interested in reading about insect cuisine, Meal by Blue Delliquanti and Soleil Ho was a genuinely fun fiction graphic novel where insect cuisine is an important part of the plot.

This prompt is the most challenging for me because of the 'cuisine you've never tried before' part. The recommendations provided by BR are not so useful because they seem to ignore that part.

Prison food is a good idea! That may be an alternative for me.

I'm looking into indigenous cuisine either from the Americas or Oceania, but also hoping to find books that are more a memoir or journal than a cookbook. I don't feel like reading through a hundred recipes really fulfills the point of the exercise...

Elizabeth wrote: "Marie wrote: "How to Eat Fried Worms? :D"

If you'd actually be interested in reading about insect cuisine, Meal by Blue Delliquanti and Soleil Ho was a genuinely fun ..."

That's a really good pick, but I did have a grasshopper once. I may choose one of the prison books. I haven't yet had that cuisine. All the more incentive to stay out of prison. :)