Pat Mora is the author of many beautiful bilingual books. This book is all about foods that are native to the Americas including: chile, corn, peanut, potato and pumpkin. Each food is presented with a haiku-style poem along with a side bar of information about the food. The colorful illustrations by Rafael Lopez are really a treat.

This is a Readers to Eaters pick!

Readers to Eaters is a nonprofit who's mission it is to promote food literacy from the ground up. They use books and a strong connection to the publishing world to promote knowing about food and where it comes from. They are currently working with schools and libraries to promote good eating and good reading.

Fans of Like Water for Chocolate and Joanne Harris may enjoyLa Cucina by Lily Prior.

In 1946 Mr. Nichols longed to escape post-war London, so he went looking for a small Georgian House, not too far from the city, with about 5 acres of land where he could create a garden.  He found Merry Hall.  It fit all his requirements, and he bought it, even though the Georgian lines of the building had been ruined by remodeling and additions, the interior was in shambles, the five acres were mostly weeds and nettles, and the gardener who came with the house was devoted to all the mistakes of the former owner.  With the help of his incredibly efficient factotum, Gaskin; the reluctant but expert aid of the gardener; the company of his cats, One and Four; and the occasional interference of neighbors, he turned Merry Hall into his dream house and garden.  He tells the story with classic deadpan British humor.

You don't have to be a gardener to enjoy this book.  (My favorite garden activity is to recline gracefully in the shade on a hot day with a cool drink and a good book.)  You do need to be prepared for strong prejudices, mostly about plants, but also about women and what Nichols considers the lower classes, and accept that he was a creature of different times.  He brings the best of those times alive most enchantingly.

As a child, I loved fall, but these days it often means too many activities in too little time.  The last thing I want to think about when I get home is what to cook for dinner, so I'm a perfect candidate for make-ahead meals.  You know the concept.  You prepare a big batch of something and freeze it in individual meals, then just thaw and cook a meal when you need one.  I first tried this years ago, but most of the recipes were heavy on the cream of mushroom soup--not a good fit for my household.  I've continued to try each new make-ahead-cookery book, and my favorite is Fix, Freeze, Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik.  

One thing that sets this book apart is that their recipes are based on quantities that you would find in your local warehouse store.  Rather than standing in the meat section trying to work out how many packages will give you enough chicken breasts for the recipe, you're already armed with a list that is in warehouse-tray multiples.  As someone who wants to spend as little time shopping as possible, I fully appreciate this feature. 

The recipes themselves are straightforward, with only a few steps and generally not requiring unusual ingredients.  If you aren't sure whether you'll like a recipe, it is usually simple to try it out by making only one meal.  It is also easy to adapt the recipes to allow for food allergies and family preferences.  Are you a fan of cream of mushroom soup?  They have a great recipe for that.  The authors write in a clear, friendly style that is a pleasure to read and inspires confidence. 

While others may spend Labor Day enjoying one last outing, I'll be freezing batches of chicken curry and snickerdoodles, thanks to Fix, Freeze, Feast. 

"Do you really need a recipe for a platter of figs? No. Is that the point? Yes."

Thus begins the new cookbook, A Platter of Figs, by author and Chez Panisse chef David Tanis. Although this is primarily a cookbook, it is also a kind of manifesto about the joys of eating and the benefits of simple cooking based on ingredients used only at their peak. To highlight this, the book is organized into four sections corresponding to the seasons and each starts with six sample menus to help readers get the most out of their ingredients and their cooking. Each suggested menu begins with a brief essay about its inspiration and the thoughts behind pairing certain ingredients or a particular method of preparation, which really helps the reader visualize the menus and dishes before they even start chopping. And, although most of the recipes are based in European cooking traditions (and somewhat heavy on the meat), some do touch on North American and African cuisines, making the book a little more flexible for vegetarians.

I like a cookbook with lots of illustrations, and the lush color photographs throughout this book do not disappoint. At least half of the recipes are accompanied by a full page photograph that really brings the food to life.  Even if you don't end up actually cooking anything, it's still a fun book to look through and is certain to inspire even the most reluctant of cooks. Lucky for us, there are still some fresh figs to be had in the markets, but hurry up, because they won't be here for long!

One of the reasons for my lifelong fascination with France is that everything sounds so much nicer when it's said in French.  Case in point--crème brûlée.  It's only baked custard with melted sugar on top, right?  But just the name conjures up the richness of vanilla and cream, with that sharp flavor of caramel.  I can almost taste it.  Not surprising, then, that I devoured (figuratively) Crème Brûlée: More Than 50 Decadent Recipes, by Dominique & Cindy Duby. 

This is the kind of cookbook that is fun to look at even if you don't try any of the recipes.  There is a photo of every crème brûlée variation, from Classic Vanilla, to modern White Chocolate & Green Tea, to savory Mushroom, Bacon & Gruyère.  They are gorgeous, with garnishes of spun sugar, fruit, nuts, and herbs.  Almond-Roasted Apple Brûlée and Spiced Bread Pudding Brûlée are reminiscent of home-style comfort food.  And while Peanut Butter Brûlée might cause the traditionalist to cringe, for me it somehow brought back memories of searching Paris for that elusive staple of the American college student. 

It's not just a pretty book, though.  It will inspire both the novice and the experienced cook.  There is information on ingredients, equipment, and basic technique, but there are also sections on pairing crème brûlée with wine and developing your own variations of the dish.  The only difficulty with Crème Brûlée is deciding which recipe to try first.  Bon appétit!