Give a taste of Atlanta with these 5 cookbooks
One of the first things I did after moving to Atlanta a few months ago was become a card-carrying member of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.
Before, I had a great gig with the librarians in University City, an inner suburb of St. Louis. “Great gig” means that the librarians would put me first in the queue for new cookbooks, food memoirs and cocktail reads, without me even asking. I would constantly get emails notifying me that books were ready for pickup. It was like Christmas every day.
Cookbooks are near and dear to me because they heavily influenced my path into the food world, much earlier than I entered any sort of dining scene. In fact, there was a time when I put up a stink if my husband and kids wanted to eat out, because I considered my dinners to be pretty darn healthy but also pretty darn tasty. Credit the cookbooks.
Cookbooks are on my mind right now because this is a big shopping weekend. The books I’d like to give as presents to food-loving family and friends this holiday season are all cookbooks of the South. In 2015, Atlanta chefs have published some standout books that offer a mouthwatering snapshot of the city’s culinary pulse. The books are well designed, the personalities of the chefs spring to life, and the recipes are ones that even novice cooks are capable of preparing.
About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
