Cooking Audiobooks | Non-Fiction

Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Qu

From one of our most interesting literary figures – former editor of Granta, former fiction editor at The New Yorker, acclaimed author of Among the Thugs – a sharp, funny, exuberant, close-up account of his headlong plunge into the life of a professional cook. Expanding on his James Beard Award-winning New Yorker article, Bill Buford gives us a richly evocative chronicle of his experience as “slave” to Mario Batali in the kitchen of Batali’s three-star New York restaurant, Babbo. In a fast-paced, candid narrative, Buford describes three frenetic years of trials and errors, disappointments and triumphs, as he worked his way up the Babbo ladder from “kitchen bitch” to line cook . . . his relationship with the larger-than-life Batali, whose story he learns as their friendship grows through (and sometimes despite) kitchen encounters and after-work all-nighters . . . and his immersion in the arts of butchery in Northern Italy, of preparing game in London, and making handmade pasta at an Italian hillside trattoria. Heat is a marvelous hybrid: a memoir of Buford’s kitchen adventure, the story of Batali’s amazing rise to culinary (and extra-culinary) fame, a dazzling behind-the-scenes look at a famous restaurant, and an illuminating exploration of why food matters. It is a book to delight in, and to savour. From the Hardcover edition.

Bill Buford (Author), Bill Buford (Narrator)

Audiobook

My Life in France

In her own words, here is the captivating story of Julia Child's years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found her true calling. From the moment the ship docked in Le Havre, en route to Paris, in the fall of 1948, Julia had an awakening that changed her life. Soon this tall, outspoken gal from Pasadena, California, who didn't speak a word of French and knew nothing about the country, was steeped in the language, chatting with purveyors in the local markets, and enrolled in the Cordon Bleu. This memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia embraced so wholeheartedly. Here, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became. From the Cassette edition.

Alex Prud'homme, Julia Child (Author), Flo Salant Greenberg (Narrator)

Audiobook

My Life in France

In her own words, here is the captivating story of Julia Child’s years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found her “true calling.” From the moment the ship docked in Le Havre, en route to Paris, in the fall of 1948, Julia had an awakening that changed her life. Soon this tall, outspoken gal from Pasadena, California, who didn't speak a word of French and knew nothing about the country, was steeped in the language, chatting with purveyors in the local markets, and enrolled in the Cordon Bleu. This memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia embraced so wholeheartedly. Here, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became.

Alex Prud'homme, Julia Child (Author), Kimberly Farr (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

The best-selling author of The Botany of Desire explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the 21st century. "What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another, this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't, which mushrooms should be avoided, for example, and which berries we can enjoy. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance. The cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet has thrown us back on a bewildering landscape where we once again have to worry about which of those tasty-looking morsels might kill us. At the same time we're realizing that our food choices also have profound implications for the health of our environment. The Omnivore's Dilemma is best-selling author Michael Pollan's brilliant and eye-opening exploration of these little-known but vitally important dimensions of eating in America. We are indeed what we eat, and what we eat remakes the world. A society of voracious and increasingly confused omnivores, we are just beginning to recognize the profound consequences of the simplest everyday food choices, both for ourselves and for the natural world. The Omnivore's Dilemma is a long-overdue book and one that will become known for bringing a completely fresh perspective to a question as ordinary and yet momentous as "What shall we have for dinner?"

Michael Pollan (Author), Scott Brick (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell

Before New York City was the Big Apple, it could have been called the Big Oyster. Now award-winning author Mark Kurlansky tells the remarkable story of New York by following the trajectory of one of its most fascinating inhabitants the oyster, whose influence on the great metropolis remains unparalleled.For centuries New York was famous for its oysters, which until the early 1900s played such a dominant a role in the city's economy, gastronomy, and ecology that the abundant bivalves were Gotham's most celebrated export, a staple food for the wealthy, the poor, and tourists alike, and the primary natural defense against pollution for the city's congested waterways.Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the island hunting ground of the Lenape Indians to the death of the oyster beds and the rise of America's environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the rough-and-tumble Five Points slums to Manhattan's Gilded Age dining chambers. Kurlansky brings characters vividly to life while recounting dramatic incidents that changed the course of New York history. Here are the stories behind Peter Stuyvesant's peg leg and Robert Fulton's Folly; the oyster merchant and pioneering African American leader Thomas Downing; the birth of the business lunch at Delmonico's; early feminist Fanny Fern, one of the highest-paid newspaper writers in the city; even Diamond Jim Brady, who we discover was not the gourmand of popular legend. With The Big Oyster, Mark Kurlansky serves up history at its most engrossing, entertaining, and delicious.From the Compact Disc edition.

Mark Kurlansky (Author), Tom Stechschulte (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell

Before New York City was the Big Apple, it could have been called the Big Oyster. Now award-winning author Mark Kurlansky tells the remarkable story of New York by following the trajectory of one of its most fascinating inhabitants–the oyster, whose influence on the great metropolis remains unparalleled. For centuries New York was famous for its oysters, which until the early 1900s played such a dominant a role in the city’s economy, gastronomy, and ecology that the abundant bivalves were Gotham’s most celebrated export, a staple food for the wealthy, the poor, and tourists alike, and the primary natural defense against pollution for the city’s congested waterways. Filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight–along with historic recipes, maps, drawings, and photos–this dynamic narrative sweeps readers from the island hunting ground of the Lenape Indians to the death of the oyster beds and the rise of America’s environmentalist movement, from the oyster cellars of the rough-and-tumble Five Points slums to Manhattan’s Gilded Age dining chambers. Kurlansky brings characters vividly to life while recounting dramatic incidents that changed the course of New York history. Here are the stories behind Peter Stuyvesant’s peg leg and Robert Fulton’s “Folly”; the oyster merchant and pioneering African American leader Thomas Downing; the birth of the business lunch at Delmonico’s; early feminist Fanny Fern, one of the highest-paid newspaper writers in the city; even “Diamond” Jim Brady, who we discover was not the gourmand of popular legend. With The Big Oyster, Mark Kurlansky serves up history at its most engrossing, entertaining, and delicious.

Mark Kurlansky (Author), John H. Mayer (Narrator)

Audiobook

Superfoods Audio Collection: Featuring Superfoods RX and Superfoods Healthstyle

HealthStyle is the 21st Century program for promoting vigor, preventing disease and extending your lifespan. If, up until now you have relied on luck, genetics and a few healthy practices to achieve this goal, "SuperFoods HealthStyle will be your authoritative, engaging, introduction to a new, better, life. Like SuperFoods Rx, the authors' bestselling book, SuperFoods HealthStyle takes the most recent, cutting-edge, research on what lifestyle practices have actually been proven to achieve disease prevention and improve daily functioning -- both physically and mentally -- and translates this information into simple recommendations that you can use to improve your physical and mental health now and in the future. It is about making simple, but significant changes to get the most out of life for the rest of your life. SuperFoods Rx is based on a simple but profound premise: some foods are dramatically better than others for our health and longevity. Steven Pratt, M.D., witnessed the positive results that occurred when his patients changed their diets to include certain powerhouse foods -- those he has identified as SuperFoods. Backed by research on 14 of the most nutrient-dense foods, this audio gives you the tools to more energy, protection against disease, and a healthy lifestyle.

Kathy Matthews, M.D. Steven G. Pratt, Steven G. M.D. Pratt, Steven G. Pratt, Steven G. Pratt, M.D. (Author), Eric Conger (Narrator)

Audiobook

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure

Stylish, convincing, wise, funny–and just in time: the ultimate non-diet book, which could radically change the way you think and live. French women don’t get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals. In her delightful tale, Mireille Guiliano unlocks the simple secrets of this “French paradox”–how to enjoy food and stay slim and healthy. Hers is a charming, sensible, and powerfully life-affirming view of health and eating for our times. As a typically slender French girl, Mireille (Meer-ray) went to America as an exchange student and came back fat. That shock sent her into an adolescent tailspin, until her kindly family physician, “Dr. Miracle,” came to the rescue. Reintroducing her to classic principles of French gastronomy plus time-honored secrets of the local women, he helped her restore her shape and gave her a whole new understanding of food, drink, and life. The key? Not guilt or deprivation but learning to get the most from the things you most enjoy. Following her own version of this traditional wisdom, she has ever since relished a life of indulgence without bulge, satisfying yen without yo-yo on three meals a day. Now in simple but potent strategies and dozens of recipes you’d swear were fattening, Mireille reveals the ingredients for a lifetime of weight control–from the emergency weekend remedy of Magical Leek Soup to everyday tricks like fooling yourself into contentment and painless new physical exertions to save you from the StairMaster. Emphasizing the virtues of freshness, variety, balance, and always pleasure, Mireille shows how virtually anyone can learn to eat, drink, and move like a French woman. A natural raconteur, Mireille illustrates her philosophy through the experiences that have shaped her life–a six-year-old’s first taste of Champagne, treks in search of tiny blueberries (called myrtilles) in the woods near her grandmother’s house, a near-spiritual rendezvous with oysters at a seaside restaurant in Brittany, to name but a few. She also shows us other women discovering the wonders of “French in action,” drawing examples from dozens of friends and associates she has advised over the years to eat and drink smarter and more joyfully. Here are a culture’s most cherished and time-honored secrets recast for the twenty-first century. For anyone who has slipped out of her zone, missed the flight to South Beach, or accidentally let a carb pass her lips, here is a buoyant, positive way to stay trim. A life of wine, bread–even chocolate–without girth or guilt? Pourquoi pas? From the Hardcover edition.

Mireille Guiliano (Author), Kathe Mazur (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hidden Kitchens: Stories and More from NPR's The Kitchen Sisters

Food is our common ground, a universal experience. -James Beard The saga of the Chili Queens of San Antonio, NASCAR kitchens tucked away in the crew pits at race tracks, the story of an unexpected kitchen-the George Foreman Grill-these stories and more from Hidden Kitchens, the popular and highly acclaimed radio series on NPR's morning edition, is now being released on a 3 CD set based on the new book Hidden Kitchens: Stories, Recipes & More from NPR's The Kitchen Sisters. Produced by the Peabody Award winning radio team, The Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva, (creators of NPR's Lost & Found Sound and The Sonic Memorial Project) with Jay Allison, Hidden Kitchens explores the world of street corner cooking, kitchen traditions and visionaries, and how communities come together through food. These stories of secret, underground, unofficial and off the radar kitchens come alive in these sound rich stories full of an array of voices, music, and archival audio that capture a strong sense of place and time-stories that travel the country chronicling kitchen cultures past and present. Hundreds of listeners called the NPR Hidden Kitchens Hotline with intriguing messages and hot tips about underground kitchens at nuclear test sites, secret civil rights kitchen, family recipes and more. Many of these funny, passionate and poignant messages are featured on this beautifully crafted, richly layered audio edition.

Davia Nelson, Nikki Silva (Author), Frances McDormand (Narrator)

Audiobook

Stuffed: Adventures Of a Restaurant Family

This funny and charming memoir tells about a bigger-than-life New York family that owned fourteen restaurants, including Morgen's in the garment district. Sharing life and good food for three generations, the family exhibited a voracious appetite for life. "What the book really memorializes so beautifully isn't just a restaurant, or a now-vanished style of eating, but a city in its rich and juicy prime: New York."-New York Magazine

Patricia Volk (Author), Barbara Rosenblat (Narrator)

Audiobook

Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger

TOAST is top food writer Nigel Slater's eat-and-tell autobiography. Detailing all the food, recipes and cooking that have marked his passage from greedy schoolboy to great food writer. In December 2010 the BBC will bring out a film of Toast starring Helena Bonham-Carter and directed by Lee Hall, who won an oscar nomination for Billy Elliot. Britain's most popular cook describes his personal culinary odyssey, from dangerous encounters with his mother's weevil-seasoned cakes to being harangued by readers who think he deliberately styles Yorkshire puddings to look like a woman's private parts. Hilarious, irreverent and mouthwatering, TOAST captures thirty years of British cooking and the recipes that we have grown up with since the days when a grilled grapefruit was the last word in dinner party chic. Everyone has gorged on cake mix, endured disastrous dinner parties, and put up with the loved one who can only ever produce burnt toast. Nigel Slater is no different. Hair-raising accounts of hotels modeled on Fawlty Towers, the mystery of the disappearing condom and the seafood cocktail, and many more, take readers behind the scenes of British cuisine to reveal the unlikely origins of our foremost cook.

Nigel Slater (Author), Nigel Slater (Narrator)

Audiobook

MaryJane's Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook

MaryJane Butters' sense of purpose is as big as the Idaho landscape where her organic farm is nestled. She wants nothing less than to reconnect us all with the food we eat and the heritage of farming that belongs to all of us, and nothing more than to empower and encourage rural women everywhere ... she is cultivating not just a farm but a philosophy of living. - Body & Soul Carpenter, waitress, janitor, upholsterer, secretary, milkmaid, wilderness ranger, environmental activist, entrepreneur-the founder of MaryJanesFarm has worn many hats in her day, but none more proudly than that of modern-day farmgirl. Speaking to the farmgirl in all of us, MaryJane Butters offers a captivating introduction to the organic lifestyle, resurrects forgotten domestic arts, and shares lessons gleaned from her diverse background and two decades of life as an Idaho farmer. Whether you simply need encouragement to embrace a more authentic, wholesome lifestyle or you're looking for guidance on building a greenhouse, chopping firewood, hosting a town event, caring for a flock of chickens, making your own butter, growing a winter salad, or choosing a water filter, MaryJane's Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook is both an inspiration and a practical road map for farmgirls of all stripes. Dreams are MaryJane Butters' business, and she has always pursued them without pausing to consult conventional wisdom. - House & Garden MaryJane Butters, a natural teacher, has a gift for simplification, and makes it seem that everything she does is easy and attainable. - The New Yorker

MaryJane Butters (Author), MaryJane Butters (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cooking Audiobooks in Non-Fiction