We have Dames Who Drink, so how about Dames Who Read?

We all have our favorite food-themed books and are usually looking for more. Here are three current favorites. You are invited to read them and discuss them with other Reading Dames over the next year.

This is NOT a traditional book club. No pressure to finish the book, no big reports due. Just a fun reason for some of us to get together and chat about what we are reading. Our host chefs will be there to add their comments too.

Since we are, after all, Les Dames d’Escoffier, it’s only fitting that we start with a book about the great chef’s life. WHITE TRUFFLES IN WINTER by N. M. Kelby is an historical novel filled with kitchen intrigue. Whet your appetite while reading about the origins of some familiar recipes credited to Chef Escoffier and get into the historical kitchen and the chef’s motivation as the recipes are being created.

Later, we will move to another cuisine with THE LAST CHINESE CHEF a novel by Nicole Mones, author of “Lost in Translation”. The book follows the dedication, frustration, focus and tradition of one young Chinese chef hoping to win a cooking competition and is as spellbinding as King of Pastry.

And to round out the first season of books, we will get into our own American History by reading THOMAS JEFFERSON’S CRÈME BRÛLÉE by Thomas Craughwell. Go with the President to France and bring back with him his food and wine discoveries which later became American favorites.

We will meet in a restaurant appropriate to the book for a glass of wine and small tastes of items referenced in the books. Cost of $29 (bring cash please for anything other than what is included). Participants may want to stay for dutch-treat dinner following the discussion; we will make those reservations so be sure to indicate on your rsvp if you intend to stay.

To see the details of our first meeting, click here:  WHITE TRUFFLES IN WINTER.