Resources for Making Peace with Food

If you’ve got some extra time on your hands, I’m sharing some of my favorite resources for making peace with food. The podcasts, books and TV shows that can help you see food in a different light.

Resources for Making Peace with Food: My Favorite Podcasts, Books and TV Shows for Rediscovering the Joy in Eating #intuitiveeating

I’m finding it very hard to start writing this post without resorting to one of the cliche first lines from every corporate email right now. In these uncertain times…as you know, many people are struggling…as we navigate the new normal. So let’s just go with this:

This all really blows.

Because of that, I thought I would share a little more of a lighthearted post. I’m fairly certain most of us have limited headspace right about now for doing the deeper work in healing your relationship with food and your body. When it comes to food, depending on where you live and food availability, you may be eating whatever it is you can find. I also know many of you all have some extra time on your hands (big hugs and major dose of empathy to those of you who do not. Whether you’re a frontline worker at a hospital, grocery store, delivering mail, etc, or a parent trying to work and homeschool/not murder your children, I honestly don’t know how you’re doing it). For those of you in the former category though, I thought I would share some of my favorite resources for rediscovering joy in food and eating.

When I think back on my own relationship with food, I realize the privilege I had in being exposed to food in a positive way growing up, through cooking, exploring new cuisines, and parents who were basically foodies before foodie became a term that went in and out of fashion. I can see just how protective it was from this diet culture we all live in to understand cultural connections to food and the basics of cooking. It formed a shield for me against diet culture’s most insidious messages.

So with that in mind, today I’m sharing some of my favorite cookbooks, podcasts, and TV shows that highlight food in a positive way that can help you rediscover the joy in eating.

Podcasts:

Taste of the Past - Hosted by a culinary historian, each episode covers a topic in the history of food with an expert guest. Some of my favorite recent episodes have been on the Coney Island hot dog, what a meal at Downton Abbey would actually look like, and an interview with a professor of African American studies and author of The Golden Arches in Black America.
Spilled Milk - A comedy podcast about food, and it is actually quite funny and charming! Each week covers a specific food. The hosts will discuss their memories of it, for example working at the fancy cheese counter for the cheese plate episode, and other fun factoids about the foods. They just seem like legitimately good friends eating and chatting about food!
Stuff You Missed in History Class - Technically not a food podcast - it’s a history podcast, and it’s one of my all-time favorites. However, there are quite a few episodes discussing the history of specific foods, like peanut butter, spam, and barbecue that are really fascinating!

Books/Cookbooks

Ottolenghi: The Cookbook - My absolute favorite cookbook author. Ottolenghi’s cookbooks will help you see vegetables in a totally different light. I especially love his cookbook Jerusalem (written along with Sami Tamini), which tells the history of the city through food. I read it almost like a novel!
A Kitchen in France - In psychologist Paul Rozin’s research on attitudes towards food in different countries, he (perhaps unsurprisingly) found that in France they were the most pleasure oriented and the least health oriented. The United States, by contrast, was the most health oriented and the least pleasure oriented. Yet, guess who has better health outcomes (hint: not us). This cookbook is one of my absolute favorites. The author and her family own an old French farmhouse in Medoc, a wine region in France. It’s beautifully photographed and makes me daydream of restoring an old farmhouse in the French countryside.
Rice, Noodle, Fish - Japan had one of the coolest food cultures I’ve ever visited. This beautifully photographed guide to their cuisine is worth a visit even if you’re not planning a trip.
The Cooking Gene - The story of a black culinary historian researching the history of southern food by tracing his family history. This is an essential read for anyone who thinks Paula Dean when you think of southern food.
Pleasure of the Vietnamese Table - Our trip to Vietnam almost 5 years ago now was my favorite food trip. This was the cookbook I picked up to recreate some of our favorite dishes, and I wish I read it before we went. Written by a Vietnamese chef returning to her home country to learn the secrets and stories behind classic Vietnamese dishes.

* The links in the book section are affiliate links using Bookshop, which supports local independent bookstores - super important right now when they’re mostly having to remain closed. If you purchase a book, I am paid a small amount by Bookshop (not by you!).

TV Shows

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - I’ve heard from SO many of my clients that this Netflix show has transformed the way they think of food. In this Netflix series, Samin Nosrat investigates the four basic elements of cooking by traveling around the world, sharing helpful cooking tips along the way. It’s also really lovely to see a woman eat with so much joy, and her laugh is just infectious. I haven’t read her book, but I’ve heard great things about it too!
Parts Unknown - I think I’ve seen every episode of Bourdain’s series at least twice, and I’m sure I’ll end up watching them all again sometime soon.
Chef’s Table. - One of the most beautifully shot series I’ve ever seen. Each episode profiles a different chef, their cuisine and their life, and perfectly captures their passion for food.
Ugly Delicious - If you loved Antony Bourdain (ugh, one of my favorite humans ever), you’ll love David Chang’s documentary series on food, travel and culture. Each episode covers a different food, cuisine or topic from a cultural/historical perspective.
Top Chef - I know it’s realty TV but whatever it’s fantastic and one of my all time favorite shows.