Ripe

English food writer Nigel Slater uses such lush language for his yard: “I have ended up with a back garden laden with sensual pleasures.” The sensory stimulation of his verdant plot and its riches is inspiration enough to grow your own. Even those without gardens will feel compelled to find the best possible fruit and cook with abandon, because "Ripe: A Cook in the Orchard" is more than 500 pages of Slater’s irresistible, informative descriptions and recipes. For example, “a baked apple, its skin split, the top half rising like a beret, is best achieved with an acidic variety.” Even the simplest preparation, like the book, is mesmerizing and transporting.