I love food books too. Rather more than cookbooks these days bescaue most of my cooking is vicarious. I enjoyed Heat and all of Reichl's autobiographical stuff. I particularly enjoyed the first, about her childhood and rise to fame (Of course I can't remember the title.)My all time favorite foodie memoir is The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook. The recipes are often over the top a pound of butter in a pound of spinach? but the gossip about Gertrude Stein's circle and life in France is priceless. I love anything by the English writer Elizabeth David. And of course Julia Child. I'm working my way slowly though her letters to her friend and publishing contact Avis DeVoto. The Steingarten book sound great. Thanks for the rec.