Lately I've been trying to answer that very question for myself, and then I thought it would be fun to pose that question to Serious Eaters everywhere. We're not talking about cookbooks here, though it can be a book (like Ruth Reichl's or Jeffrey Steingarten's) that has a few recipes in it. I'm talking about a book of prose (or poetry, for that matter) that is about food, the culture of food, or someone's experiences in the food world. It could be a memoir or a collection of essays or just a single nonfiction narrative. Possibilities include The Tummy Trilogy by Calvin Trillin (American Fried; Alice, Let's Eat; and Third Helpings), The Man Who Ate Everything by Steingarten, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, Heat by Bill Buford, Reichl's three memoirs (Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires), Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin, any number of books by M. F. K. Fisher. The possibilities are practically endless.

So let us know what your favorite food book is and why. I can't wait to see what Serious Eaters have to say on this subject.