Rhody Reads: Six Food-Focused Books to Fill Your Appetite

Hungry for new books? This month we’re sharing a half-dozen picks with local connections to whet your appetite for food-focused reading. From cookbooks and guidebooks to entertaining essays, Rhode Islanders love to write about what they know, and what they know is food! Find or request books at your local seller and pick them up before or after a stop at your favorite eatery.

In Food Lovers’ Guide to Rhode Island: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings, Patricia Harris and David Lyon capture all the gastronomic idiosyncrasies of the smallest state with a sense of joy and appreciation for the rich food culture we all cherish. Broken down by region, the authors share recipes and highlight everything from local lore to kitchen wisdom.

Marianne Kelly of Johnston gets the spotlight in GetSetUp Kitchen: A Global Culinary Journey. Released in February, 50 healthy recipes are presented, submitted by home chefs from around the globe. Learn how to make things like Kelly’s own Tofu Chicken Nuggets, a healthy, plant-based take designed for her grandchildren to make the bites plant-based and nutritious.

Elizabeth Rau’s The Good Slope is jam packed with stories showcasing food, including “Winter Clamming,” “Garden Peppers” and “Chef Peder.” Enjoy cherished tales from Rau’s time as a columnist for East Side Monthly (since merged with our sister pub Providence Monthly). As our publisher Barry Fain explains, “these well-crafted narratives produce smiles of recognition regardless of where one lives. Do yourself a favor and dig in. A great read.”

In Goodbye Pound Cake by Cranston’s Pat Mitchell, middle-schooler Michelle combats her own negative self-image to become healthier and more confident, while taking a unique approach to achieving self-acceptance that does not involve a crash diet. It’s a great read for anyone who has struggled to see themselves as fit – or to simply fit in. 

Make your own treats at home with a little help from Icy, Creamy, Healthy, Sweet: 75 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream, Fruit-Forward Ice Pops, Frozen Yogurt, Granitas, Slushies, Shakes, and More by Providence writer and photographer Christine Chitnis. Summer weather is right around the corner, so it’s time to start mastering these flavorful, unique, refreshing, and healthy delicacies.

All summer long, Rhode Islanders hop in their cars, touring the coast to find the best clam cakes and chowder. Part of the Images of
America series, Christopher Scott Martin and David Norton Stone take you on a ride through history in Rhode Island Clam Shacks. Explore how the simple bivalve became such a critical part of our seafood economy and remains a central ingredient in our culinary scene.