Born Round (Penguin Press, $25.95) is a remarkable memoir about Frank Bruni’s lifelong struggle with two obsessions: fitness and food. For many of us, Bruni, as chief restaurant critic for The New York Times, has helped frame our dining-out and eating-in habits. His descriptions of elaborate Thanksgiving dinner preparations and the various “food periods” that marked his childhood are every bit as mouthwatering as his retelling of a 20-course dinner at the French Laundry. But what makes this book so compelling is Bruni’s ability to take our most wistful “wouldn’t-it-be-great-to-get-paid-to-eat” daydreams and disenchant us. His tips on selecting the perfect ice cream treat, guidelines for taking Mexican diet pills, and accounts of the chronic yo-yo of weight loss-and-regain, draw a vivid and unexpected self-portrait.
Leon Krier’s Drawing For Architecture (MIT Press, $24.95) is the perfect fit for any stocking—or any coffee or drafting table. Krier’s work is humorous and enlightening, putting complex ideas into simple terms with minimal text and maximum effect. This collection of wonderfully rendered line drawings is at once a playful exploration of the art in architecture and an argument for the better use of public space.
With The Fat Duck Cookbook (Bloomsbury, $50), Heston Blumenthal brings his culinary alchemy home. Like his cooking, Blumenthal’s book defies classification: a history of his Michelin three-star restaurant, a stunning art collection, a scientific how-to on molecular gastronomy. While the recipes may intimidate all but the most serious of home cooks, the blend of narrative and science invites the reader into his world. The perfect gift for cookbook collectors and true food-lovers everywhere.
