I’ve never been much of a cook, but I love to eat. Oddly enough, even though I rarely cook anything that doesn’t involve the microwave, I also love cookbooks, cooking shows, and reading about nearly anything food related. This March features five particularly intriguing books, each offering a distinct perspective on the world of food.

Mark Bittman and David L. Katz, How To Eat (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 3): In this straightforward, practical guide, two noted food experts answer a wide variety of questions about eating habits. Along the way, they dispel a number of myths (e.g., the concept of superfoods) and emphasize the importance of eating locally and avoiding processed foods. As our reviewer writes, “they deal with debates over questions such as eating eggs, avoiding foods that cause inflammation, adding probiotics to one’s diet, using artificial sweeteners, getting enough antioxidants, and whether to take vitamin and mineral supplements, which “should be supplements to a good diet, not substitutes for one.”

Teresa Lust, A Blissful Feast (Pegasus, March 3): A pleasing “combination of a culinary travel adventure and a search for the author’s Italian family’s home cooking,” Lust’s memoir smoothly incorporates elements of gastronomic history and family lore, resulting in a delicious portrait of Italy and its abundant gustatory pleasures. It’s a fascinating journey into rustic, regional dishes that will have readers salivating for their own adventure through the endlessly vibrant world of Italian cooking. “For foodies,” writes our reviewer, “Lust hits all the right notes; she demonstrates abundant love and respect for the food and the people dedicated to making it right,” delivering “an exploratory, celebratory memoir that elevates family repasts.”

Ben Katchor, The Dairy Restaurant (Schocken, March 10): Katchor, a MacArthur fellow who teaches illustration at the Parsons School of Design, brings his considerable cartooning talent to this gorgeous tribute to a unique element of New York City’s rich culinary history: “cafes, cafeterias, buffets, milk halls, lunch counters, diners, delicatessens, and, especially, dairy restaurants, a favorite destination among New York Jews, which Katchor remembers from his wanderings around the city as a young adult.” The book is not just visually beautiful across each vivid page; it is a consistently informative piece of historical excavation informed by the author’s meticulous research via “menus, memoirs, telephone directories, newspaper ads, fiction, and food histories.” It would make a perfect gift for any foodie interested in the intersection of Jewish culture and NYC food. 

Victoria James, Wine Girl (Ecco/HarperCollins, March 24): In 2013, James won the Sud de France Sommelier Challenge, the first American to do so, and at age 21, she was the youngest certified sommelier. But this book isn’t a mere celebration of wine. The author’s story is deeper, as she “endured a tumultuous upbringing due to an absent mother and an alcoholic father as well as verbal and sexual abuse from customers.” Even after finding success in the world of fine dining, she couldn’t escape the misogyny that permeated the restaurant business. So she set off to learn in the vineyards of France, discovering her purpose. Though “many of the details James shares about her experiences are disturbing and graphic in nature…her story also exudes warmth as she breezily weaves in her knowledge and passion for wine and shares the generous love she has for her siblings, friends, and husband.”

Thom Eagle, First, Catch (Grove, March 10): This is one for true food geeks. Eagle, a London-based chef, digs deep into the “craft, chemistry, and cultural history of cooking and the ‘inexorable currents of history and economics’ that influence taste.” From the absolute necessity of salt in the process of bringing out flavor to the mechanics of following a recipe—or not, since, as he writes, cooking is “a work in progress, one outcome of a long, silent conversation between cook and cooked”—Eagle takes readers on a graceful, beguiling journey.

Eric Liebetrau is the nonfiction and managing editor.