***image1***Just quit your day job.
SOUND BITES: EATING ON TOUR WITH FRANZ FERDINAND
Alex Kapranos (paperback, Penguin, $13)
Did you know that the singer from Franz Ferdinand worked as a chef before he became a rock star? He's also a damned fine writer. This little book is a diary of sorts, documenting the things he's eaten on tour (bull balls!), the things he finds in his fridge after being on the road for two years ("a packet of vine leaves, a jar of chilli paste…and a carton of orange"), as well as some reminiscences of his days as a chef. The book is worth $13 just for this Glaswegian's loving description of haggis, the first such description that has even come close to convincing me to try it.
A HEDONIST IN THE CELLAR: ADVENTURES IN WINE
Jay Mcinerney (hardcover, Knopf, $24)
Yes, that Jay Mcinerney, the same one who wrote
Bright Lights, Big City
. Did you know that Mcinerney worked at a wine shop before he published his first novel? Well, you'd know that if you'd been reading his wine columns in House & Garden, or if you'd read
Bacchus and Me
, his previous wine book. But all of this has somehow escaped me until now, so if you're even slightly interested in wine and even slightly repelled by the snootiness of most wine writers, try this book. Salon calls the author the "best wine writer in America."
I LIKE YOU: HOSPITALITY UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Amy Sedaris (hardcover, Warner Books, $27.99)
She's no longer a stranger and she comes bearing a lot more than candy. In this hysterical book by Amy Sedaris, the star of
Strangers with Candy
proves that she's every bit as funny as her witty little brother, David (
Me Talk Pretty One Day
). Don't buy it for the recipes, just buy it for the laughs. You'll hear the sound of Amy's voice in your head the whole time.
Send your ideas for monthly food listings to:
.
