Calling all readers! Slow Food Chicago's Food Book Club brings people together for fun and casual discussions around a variety of food-focused reading material.
Book Club gatherings are FREE to attend and held at rotating locations around the city. Keep your eye on our Events page for the most up-to-date information.
So far, we've read:
March 3, 2015 - The Carnivore's Manifesto by Patrick Martins
We are so thrilled to be kicking off our brand new Book Club with the book The Carnivore's Manifesto, by Patrick Martins. Martins has some serious Slow Food chops, as the founder of Slow Food USA, Heritage Foods USA and the Heritage Radio Network.
May 19, 2015 - Provence, 1970 by Luke Barr
In honor of the James Beard Awards coming to Chicago for the first time ever in May, our next book will be Provence, 1970 by Luke Barr.
July 14, 2015 - Best of Food Writing
What better time than summer to catch up on some of the best food writing you missed over the last year? For our July gathering, we're going to discuss a selection of works curated by Graze magazine, including fiction, nonfiction and more. We'll share the works on our Facebook page over the next few weeks, so you can leisurely read them while you're out and about savoring your summer—at the beach, perhaps, or lounging on a picnic blanket in the park?
Our readings are:
"Chicken of the Trees" by Mike Sula of the Chicago Reader
"A Toast Story" by John Gravois of Pacific Standard
"Old School" by Cynthia C. Scott of Graze
"The Empanada Theory" by Lauren Clem of Graze
"The Quinoa Quarrel" by Lisa M. Hamilton of Harper's
Want to know how you can eat more sustainable seafood? Curious about how fish gets to your plate? This is the book for you. Greenberg explores the four most common fish - salmon, sea bass, cod and tuna.
"A necessary book for anyone truly interested in what we take from the sea to eat, and how, and why." -Sam Sifton, The New York Times Book Review.
March 20, 2016 - An Everlasting Meal
If an introduction written by Slow Food championAlice Waters isn't enough to make you want to pick this one up, Ms. Adler's delicious writing certainly will. With the farmers market season approaching quickly, this is a book that will get you excited and planning ahead for the simple but divine meals you can prepare into the summer and beyond.
If you have questions about the Food Book Club, or suggestions for future books, please email info@slowfoodchicago.org.
April 28, 2016 - Silent Spring
First published as excerpts in the New Yorker in 1962, Rachel Carson's now historic text became known for it's influential activism - resulting in the banning of DDT as well as spurring revolutionary changes to environmental law. Today, we are still having many of the conversations posed by Carson in this novel - primarily, how do we undo the damage that has already been done by our overuse of pesticides and insecticides while still ensuring that our planet is a safe and flourishing place to live for generations to come?
June 30, 2016 - The Art of Eating
Eating well is an art and (Mary Frances) Fisher reminds us that this is at the essence behind this renowned food writer with this collection of essays. A 50th Anniversary edition printed in 2004 brings together this 784-page text of five works originally published under separate titles : "Serve it Forth," "Consider the Oyster," "How to Cook a Wolf," "The Gastronomical Me" and "An Alphabet for Gourmets." With recipes scattered throughout, this James Beard award winning text is sure to get you excited about the practice of sourcing good food and being an active participant in good eating.
August 4, 2016 - Seedfolks
Stick around after volunteering at the preSERVE garden on Thursday, July 28th for a micro edition of our book club programming. While noshing on a community snack with fellow gardeners, we will discuss the book, Seedfolks. This heartfelt book about a community garden in Cleveland, Ohio told from the varying perspectives of 13 narrators from the neighborhood.
Gorgeous header photo by Alexandra's Kitchen
