Serious Eats Recommends: 5 Food-Focused Books, Podcasts, Movies, and More We Love Right Now

[Image courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment]

What if there was a place where the Serious Eats editorial team could tell you about the things in the food world we're reading, listening to, and watching? A place where we could tell you about the podcasts we're engrossed in as we rumble along on the subway to the office, the books we curl up in bed with at night, and the movies and TV shows we watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon? Welcome to Serious Eats Recommends, a new series in which we'll share the food-centered media we're loving and just why we think it's so great.

One Damn Good Book About American Barbecue

Race relations, religion, the New South versus the Old: These are just a smattering of the heavy issues James Beard Award nominee (and Serious Eats contributor) Rien Fertel writes about through the lens of—well—smoked meat in his new book, The One True Barbecue: Fire, Smoke, and the Pitmasters Who Cook the Whole Hog. And, while you might be thinking, "Oh, man, another book about barbecue?", this one stands out from the crowd thanks to Fertel's superb writing and storytelling skills. In a book that's part culinary history, part personal narrative, and part tale of an American road trip (via RV, no less), Fertel travels throughout the South, documenting the men who have long stood behind the fires practicing the time-consuming pursuit of whole hog barbecue—the ones who have been keeping alive the embers of what once seemed like a dying art, and the ones who are inspiring a new generation of pitmasters today, even as far north as Brooklyn. —Keith Pandolfi, senior features editor

A Fascinating Podcast Story About Ice

If you're anything like me, you've never paused to really ponder how ice moved around the globe in the years before home refrigeration became an international norm. But travel it did, and astonishing distances at that. Imagine a world in which ice harvested from New England lakes made its way along colonial trade routes to the Caribbean, South America, and South Asia in the holds of barges and steamships, all thanks to the questionable scheming of one ambitious Massachusetts-based entrepreneur. Pretty nuts, right? Hear producer Sam Greenspan tell the surprisingly rich—if relatively short—history of the frozen-water trade in "The Ice King," a captivating 22-minute episode from Roman Mars's phenomenal podcast, 99% Invisible. —Niki Achitoff-Gray, features editor

Dave Arnold's Cocktail Science Bible

The world of mixed drinks is full of tall tales, murky history, and assumptions that aren't true. Dave Arnold (you might know of his bar, Booker and Dax in NYC) won't just accept the myths about cocktail technique—his mission in his book, Liquid Intelligence, is to dig into the science of how drinks are best made. He'll show you why it matters that you use a tall, skinny jigger—and pour consistently to the top. He'll explain why your ice is always cloudy, and why you should care. He'll introduce you to a crazy way to muddle herbs without letting them get brown and oxidized. And he might just get you to consider making your own bitters in a whipped cream whipper. This book isn't new or hot, but it deserves a little more attention. If you like The Food Lab and you like to drink, you'll love this book.—Maggie Hoffman, managing editor

Drink Up!: Imbibe Magazine Celebrates 10 Intoxicating Years

"In 2006, the cocktail renaissance was just starting to blossom, coffee's third wave was still a novel idea, and while craft brewing and wine culture were already well-established, those worlds were changing in tremendous ways, as well." So writes Paul Clarke, executive editor of Imbibe magazine, which just released its fantastic 10-year-anniversary issue this month. While things have changed drastically during the past decade, Imbibe has covered everything—bitters, craft beers, pourovers, and all—through some of the world's best drink writers, including David Wondrich and Robert Simonson. Along with providing a history of how we arrived at the cocktail renaissance we're still experiencing today, the anniversary issue helps answer the question "where are we now?" and, moreover, "what's next?" One of my favorite pieces is an exploration of the changing role (and look) of neighborhood bars, as well as some Q&As with Trish Rothgeb, of San Francisco's Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters, who weighs in on the future of specialty coffee, and Sam Calagione, of Delaware's Dogfish Head, who does the same on craft beer. The mere fact that this outstanding print (!) magazine (whose thick paper stock makes it as enjoyable to hold as it is to read) has made it 10 years is good enough reason to raise a glass and, in fact, imbibe, to many, many more. —Keith Pandolfi, senior features editor

Jon Favreau's Upbeat Comedy About Cooking

If you haven't seen Jon Favreau's utterly charming, profoundly joyful 2014 comedy, Chef, you're missing out. Favreau plays an LA chef who quits his job and decides to open a food truck. A journey of self-discovery ensues, complete with plenty of brash, profanity-laden repartee, a generous dose of feel-good family drama, and some seriously stunning food imagery. With a stellar cast (Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert Downey Jr.) and Chef Roy Choi overseeing all the food scenes, you'll laugh, you probably won't cry, and you'll most definitely salivate. The movie's currently streaming on Netflix or available for rental and/or purchase on Amazon, iTunes, and Blu-ray/DVD. —Niki Achitoff-Gray, features editor