Devouring books

I was curious about what cookbooks people are buying these days. I talked to Don Kochis from The Avid Reader at the Tower to get his take:

“The two themes that I’ve seen recently in cookbooks have been eat locally and international cooking. Field Days [University of California Press, $24.95] by Jonah Raskin is about farming with the land in the Sonoma area, about that lifestyle and how to enjoy it. French Women for All Seasons [Vintage, $14.95] has personal stories and recipes from author Mireille Guiliano.

“Deborah Madison has a new one that’s been fairly popular, called What We Eat When We Eat Alone [Gibbs Smith, $24.99]. Anything by her sells well, and she grew up in Davis. Her brother Mike Madison’s book, Blithe Tomato [Heyday Books, $15], about farming continues to do well, too.

“One that I think is fun and generated a lot of buzz is Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook [Da Capo Press, $27.95] by [Isa Chandra] Moskowitz and [Terry Hope] Romero.”