Recommendations based on The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchenby Jacques Pépin

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. My Life in France

    by Julia Child
    A memoir of Julia Child's life in Paris, cooking and exploring French cuisine.

    The bestselling story of Julia's years in France–and the basis for Julie & Julia , starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams--in her own words. Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach ... (Goodreads)

  2. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

    by Anthony Bourdain
    A humorous and unflinching account of life in restaurant kitchens, exploring the culture and camaraderie of the culinary world.

    A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute ... (Goodreads)

  3. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

    by Harold McGee
    A comprehensive guide to the science and history of cooking, exploring the fascinating world of food and flavors.

    Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984, On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and ... (Goodreads)

  4. Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

    by Ruth Reichl
    A memoir of a food critic's childhood, filled with eccentric characters and culinary adventures that shaped her love for food and writing.

    At an early age, Ruth Reichl discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world. . . . If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were." Her deliciously crafted ... (Goodreads)

  5. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

    by Eric Schlosser
    An exploration of the industrial food system and its effects on U.S. society.

    Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list ... (Goodreads)

  6. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

    by Ruth Reichl
    A restaurant critic's journey to understand the art of food and dining, while hiding her true identity.

    Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be ... (Goodreads)

  7. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

    by Anthony Bourdain
    A journey through the culinary world, exploring the chefs and cultures that inspire its cuisine.

    A lot has changed since Kitchen Confidential. For the subculture of chefs and cooks, for the restaurant business as a whole—and for Anthony Bourdain. Medium Raw explores those changes, taking the ... (Goodreads)

  8. Mastering the Art of French Cooking

    by Julia Child
    Step-by-step guide to creating French cuisine, with accessible instructions and helpful tips.

    For over fifty years, New York Times bestseller Mastering the Art of French Cooking has been the definitive book on the subject for American readers. Featuring 524 delicious recipes, in its pages ... (Goodreads)

  9. Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany

    by Bill Buford
    A culinary journey of personal & professional growth, from apprentice to master.

    The book that helped define a genre: Heat is a beloved culinary classic, an adventure in the kitchen and into Italian cuisine, by Bill Buford, author of Dirt . Bill Buford was a highly acclaimed ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. A Year in Provence

    by Peter Mayle
    A humorous memoir of a British couple's first year in Provence, France, adjusting to the culture shock and idiosyncrasies of their new home.

    In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron ... (Goodreads)

  11. Just Kids

    by Patti Smith
    Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.

    In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)

  12. A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

    by Anthony Bourdain
    A globe-trotting exploration of exotic dishes and cultures, told with wit and humor.

    From the star of, No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain's, New York Times-,bestselling chronicle of travelling the world in search the globe's greatest cuilnary adventures The only thing "gonzo ... (Goodreads)

  13. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

    by Cary Elwes
    Behind the scenes stories from the making of the cult classic film, The Princess Bride.

    From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride , comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with ... (Goodreads)

  14. Joy of Cooking

    by Irma S. Rombauer
    A comprehensive guide to cooking techniques, recipes and culinary wisdom.

    In the nearly ninety years since Irma S. Rombauer self-published the first three thousand copies of, Joy of Cooking, in 1931, it has become the kitchen bible, with more than 20 million copies in ... (Goodreads)

  15. Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef

    by Gabrielle Hamilton
    A memoir of a chef's journey from childhood to adulthood, exploring the struggles of creating an independent life.

    Before Gabrielle Hamilton opened her acclaimed New York restaurant Prune, she spent twenty hard-living years trying to find purpose and meaning in her life. Blood, Bones & Butter follows an ... (Goodreads)

  16. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

    by Barbara Kingsolver
    A family's journey to eat locally grown, sustainable food.

    Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life—vowing that, for one year, they'd only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it ... (Goodreads)

  17. Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table

    by Ruth Reichl
    Culinary and cultural exploration of the world, experienced through food.

    In this delightful sequel to her bestseller Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl returns with more tales of love, life, and marvelous meals. Comfort Me with Apples picks up Reichl's story in 1978, when ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

    by Michael Pollan
    Exploration of the modern food chain, examining the impact of food choices on our health and the environment.

    What should we have for dinner? The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire , how we answer it today, at ... (Goodreads)

  19. How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food

    by Mark Bittman
    Comprehensive cookbook of easy-to-follow recipes for every occasion.

    Mark Bittman's award-winning How to Cook Everything has helped countless home cooks discover the rewards of simple cooking. Now the ultimate cookbook has been revised and expanded (almost half the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  20. Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States

    by Bill Bryson
    A comprehensive look at the history and evolution of the English language in America.

    In Made in America , Bill Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood; how the Wild West wasn't won; why Americans say ... (Goodreads)

  21. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

    by Marcella Hazan
    An exploration of Italian cuisine, featuring time-honored recipes and techniques.

    The most important, consulted, and enjoyed Italian cookbook of all time, from the woman who introduced Americans to a whole new world of Italian food. Essentials of Italian Cooking is a culinary ... (Goodreads)

  22. Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share

    by Martha Stewart
    A comprehensive guide to baking cookies with over 175 recipes, tips, and techniques from the queen of home cooking.

    A perfect Mother’s Day gift! Cookies are the treat that never disappoints. Whether you’re baking for a party or a picnic, a formal dinner or a family supper– or if you simply want something on hand ... (Goodreads)

  23. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

    by David Sedaris
    A humorous collection of autobiographical essays reflecting on family relationships.

    David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters. He goes on vacation with his family. He gets a job selling drinks. He attends his brother’s wedding. He mops his sister’s floor. He gives directions ... (Goodreads)

  24. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    by John Berendt
    A journalist's exploration of a mysterious murder in Savannah, Georgia.

    A sublime and seductive reading experience. This portrait of a beguiling Southern city was a best-seller (though a flop as a movie). ~ Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty, ... (Goodreads)

  25. Assassination Vacation

    by Sarah Vowell
    A comedic travelogue exploring the history of presidential assassinations in the United States.

    Sarah Vowell exposes the glorious conundrums of American history and culture with wit, probity, and an irreverent sense of humor. With Assassination Vacation, she takes us on a road trip like no ... (Goodreads)

  26. Naked

    by David Sedaris
    Collection of humorous essays exploring the absurdities of everyday life.

    Welcome to the hilarious, strange, elegiac, outrageous world of David Sedaris. In Naked , Sedaris turns the mania for memoir on its proverbial ear, mining the exceedingly rich terrain of his life, ... (Goodreads)

  27. Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt

    by David McCullough
    Biography of Theodore Roosevelt, tracing his humble beginnings to his rise to power.

    Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous recounting of a boy's childhood in the 1950s and his fantastical adventures.

    Bryson was born on December 8, 1951. He spent his childhood growing up in Des Moines, Iowa , part of the baby-boom generation born in the post-war years. He describes his early life and his parents, ... (Wikipedia)

  29. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous account of a man's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, reflecting on the beauty and history of the American wilderness.

    The book starts with Bryson explaining his curiosity about the Appalachian Trail near his house. He and his old friend Stephen Katz start hiking the trail from Georgia in the South , and stumble in ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Travels with Charley: In Search of America

    by John Steinbeck
    A road trip across America, exploring the culture and landscape of the country.

    A quest across America, from the northernmost tip of Maine to California’s Monterey Peninsula To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the ... (Goodreads)