Books for the Valentine in Your Life

Join author Alison Fortier for a walk through our United States Capital and it's iconic locations.

This tour of the nation's capital goes beyond the traditional guidebook to offer a historical journey through the federal district. Visit the White House, the only executive home in the world regularly open to the public. Travel to President Lincoln's Cottage and see where he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. Look around lesser-known sites, such as the grave of Pierre L'Enfant, the city's Botanical Gardens, the Old Post Office and a host of historical homes throughout the capital. From George Washington's Mount Vernon to the Kennedy Center, trek through each era of Washington, D.C., for a tour of America's most beloved sites. Join author and Washington insider Alison Fortier as she carefully curates an expedition to our shining city on a hill.

Local author Andy Peter Antippas presents a walking history of the Vieux Carre, one alley, corner and street at a time.

Walking through the French Quarter can overwhelm the senses--and the imagination. The experience is much more meaningful with knowledge of the area's colorful history. For instance, the infamous 1890 "separate but equal" legal doctrine justifying racial segregation was upheld by the Louisiana Supreme Court at the Cabildo on Jackson Square. In the mid-twentieth century, a young Lee Harvey Oswald called Exchange Alley home. One of New Orleans' favorite drinks--the sazerac--would not exist if Antoine Peychaud had not served his legendary bitters with cognac from his famous apothecary at 437 Royal.

With more than fourteen thousand eating establishments covering seventy different ethnic cuisines, Houston is a foodie town. But even in a place where eating out is a way of life and restaurants come and go, there were some iconic spots that earned a special place in the hearts and stomachs of locals. Maxim's taught overnight millionaires how to handle meals that came with three forks. The Trader Vic's at the Shamrock offered dedicated homebodies a chance for the exotic, and Sonny Look's Sirloin Inn maintained the reputation of a city of steakhouses. From Alfred's Delicatessen to Youngblood's Fried Chicken, Paul and Christiane Galvani celebrate the stories and recipes of Houston's fondly remembered tastemakers.

Early settlers of the Big Bend honed a culture of self-reliance, resilience and creativity. Today, this is reflected in the diverse art, music and cuisine of the area that draw visitors undeterred by its isolation. Though sparsely populated, Big Bend is home to nationally acclaimed restaurants and chefs, as well as generations' worth of family recipes. Travel town by town and plate by plate in this culinary and cultural tour through the Big Bend. Indulge in a slice of jalapeno chocolate cake from Lajitas. Taste the way Big Bend Brewery's beer makes beef stew irresistible. Take a bite of an innovated classic with the rich pistachio fried steak in Marfa. From barbecued cabrito in Marathon and pozole in Fort Davis to adventures foraging in the desert, savor a part of Texas unlike any other. Author Tiffany Harelik guides the journey with interviews, history and, of course, recipes.

New York runs on coffee. Read of coffee's past in the city and how it wove its way into the everyday.

The coffee industry was made for New York: complex, diverse, fascinating and with plenty of attitude. Since arriving in the 1600s, coffee held patriotic significance during wartime, fueled industrial revolution and transformed the city's foodways. The New York Coffee Exchange opened tumultuously in the 1880s. Alice Foote MacDougall founded a 1920s coffeehouse empire. In the same decade, Brooklyn teenager William Black started Chock Full o'Nuts with $250 and a dream. Third wavers Ninth Street Espresso and Joe made the latest latte craze mainstream. Through stories, interviews and photographs, coffee professional and Tristate native Erin Meister shares Gotham's caffeinated past and explores the coffee-related reasons why the city never sleeps.