First in Food Writing

After seeing the very popular movie Julie & Julia, I started thinking about the food writing trend. I thought about all the food books that came before and I loved every one of them. So I began thinking about which one was the first one, and I remembered Like Water for Chocolate. It was originally written in Spanish Como agua para chocolate by Mexican author Laura Esquivel. It was a huge hit in Spanish and in English in the early nineties and if you like food reading and writing it should not be passed over. The reader is drawn to the recipes and the food which assumes a sort of magical quality. The book was adapted for the screen with the same title and is a good interpretation of the book.

Here is a short list of other good food writing, both fiction and nonfiction.

Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser
Rosewater and Soda Bread by Marsha Mehran
Pomegranate Soup By Marsha Mehran