Love “The Bear”? Try These Delicious Culinary Books

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

Pour yourself an ice-cold drink and get ready for this deliciously steamy novel. From childhood best friends, to unrequited lovers, to a perfect couple, to exes, Theo and Kit have been on a complicated journey. They haven’t spoken since their breakup on the flight to a romantic European food and wine tour. Instead, they have gone their separate ways and honed their skills — Theo as a bartender and aspiring sommelier, and Kit as a Parisian pastry chef.

Four years later, they each decide to use those food and wine tour tickets — without realizing they both had the same idea. Stuck together for three weeks on the most romantic trip of their lives, tasting food beyond their wildest dreams, there’s only one way to quell that lingering tension. Make a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first — which then becomes a full-on competition to sleep their way through Europe.

Notes from a Young Black Chef by  Kwame Onwuachi and Joshua David Stein

Looking for a true story from a real-life chef?  Kwame Onwuachi didn’t just star on Top Chef. He opened and closed a highly popular restaurant by the time he was 27, launched his own catering business, and lived in both New York and rural Nigeria. He has always retained a love of food and cooking, despite the food world’s unwillingness to open doors for people of color — particularly chefs.

Onwuachi’s memoir covers everything from race to fame to food as he shares the intimate details of coming of age in the culinary world and chasing his dreams. Questlove says, “Kwame Onwuachi’s story shines a light on food and culture not just in American restaurants or African American communities but around the world.”

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler 

This novel expertly captures the adrenaline and drama-filled world of restaurants. New York Times Book Review called Sweetbitter “the Kitchen Confidential of our time.” It was also adapted into a TV show! Twenty-two-year-old Tess moves to Williamsburg in 2006 and quickly falls prey to the sights around her. After landing a job at one of the most exclusive restaurants in Manhattan, Tess learns that life is so much more than she could have ever dreamed.

Add in a new friend, Simone, and a tattooed bartender, Jake, who everyone warns her about but she can’t seem to stay away from. Inevitably, a fiery love triangle blossoms and life becomes more exhilarating. During Tess’ year of ups, downs and learning experiences, she immerses herself in the restaurant business and gets a taste of growing up — something that can be both sweet and bitter.

Tastes Like Shakkar  by Nisha Sharma 

Workplace tension meets family drama as a chef and a wedding planner pair up in this retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Bobbi Kaur’s best friend’s wedding is just around the corner, and she’s going to throw a party to remember. Or she’s trying to, but there are two things in her way.

Benjamin Bunty Padda, the groom’s best friend, is the chef helping with the menu, and he’s frustrating (and frustratingly sexy). And, someone is making threats, canceling cake orders, and doing whatever they can to sabotage the wedding. Can the pair do what it takes to keep their careers safe and their growing attraction in check while saving the big day from total disaster?

Nobu: A Memoir by Nobu Matsuhisa

With more than a dozen restaurants open under his name all over the world, a list of celebrity clientele, and a reputation as one of the greatest chefs of all time, meet Nobu Matsuhisa.

Just because his current restaurants are a success, does not mean that they always were: his first restaurant burned down, and when they were up and running, they made no money during the first three years. But the support and love of his wife and family ensured that he kept and trying – and eventually succeeded.

Born in Saitama, Japan, he and his brother were raised solely by their mother. After graduating high school, Nobu worked at a restaurant for seven years, in Tokyo, before moving to Peru to open a Japanese restaurant. What followed has created history: unable to find the Japanese ingredients he has used for so long, Nobu was forced to improvise, using local Peruvian ingredients to create Japanese dishes, which would ultimately become Nobu’s signature flare.

Read the review on BookTrib.

A Dish to Die For by Lucy Burdette

If you loved the twist in The Bear season one finale, this cozy foodie mystery is right up your alley. On a Florida beach, a food critic, Hayley, finds her dog digging up the body of a local developer, who likely had a few enemies. When Hayley’s mother caters for the funeral, she and a friend plan to stick close by in hopes of uncovering some clues about his death.

But a vintage Key West cookbook turns out to hold more than just recipes. It might be the key to solving the entire mystery, and Hayley is determined to find out. In A Dish to Die For, this food critic uses her keen eye to uncover the truth.

If You Can’t Take the Heat by Michael Ruhlman

You know what they say — if you can’t take the heat of high school football, get yourself into the kitchen. Isn’t that how the saying goes? In the summer of 1980, it is for Theo Claverback, a football star whose broken leg and devastating heartbreak throw a massive wrench in his summer plans.

Instead, he finds a new life as a prep cook in the kitchen of an upscale French restaurant. As his heart and his leg heal, Theo gains Chef’s trust. Soon, he discovers what it truly costs to run a restaurant — and what happens when you get into hot water with the wrong people. But sometimes, you end up meeting the one person who will fix your broken heart.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, Translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Who isn’t sentimental about those homecooked meals they had as a child, or the delicious entree they tasted on vacation? What would you do to experience that dish again? On a quiet street in Kyoto sits the restaurant of customers’ dreams. Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare are “food detectives” who expertly recreate those long-lost dishes that diners have only dreamed of tasting again.

By unlocking the past through taste, texture and flavor, the restaurant builds a reputation for recovering lost recipes and creating happiness for each and every guest who dines there. This Japanese bestseller celebrates good company and the power of a delicious meal.