Books for the Valentine in Your Life

From a one-story cabin in the piney woods of the Panhandle to a high-rise condo along the glistening waterways, Cracker cooking in Florida has evolved with our tastes and times.

When supplies were limited and the workday arduous, black coffee with leftover cornbread might serve as breakfast. Today's bounty and life's relative ease bring mornings with lattes and biscotti, biscuits and sausage gravy. What's on the plate has changed, but our heritage infuses who we are. As we follow the path laid out by gastronomic pioneers, this culinary quest, guided by sixth-generation Cracker Joy Sheffield Harris, will whet your appetite with recipes and sumptuous reflections. Pull up a chair and dig in.

Every New Orleanian knows Leah Chase's gumbo, but few realize that the Freedom Fighters gathered and strategized over bowls of that very dish.

Or that Parkway's roast beef po-boy originated in a streetcar conductors' strike. In a town where Antoine's Oysters Rockefeller is still served up by the founder's great-great-grandson, discover the chefs and restaurateurs who kept their gas flames burning through the Great Depression and Hurricane Katrina. Author Alexandra Kennon weaves the classic offerings of Creole grande dames together with contemporary neighborhood staples for a guide through the Crescent City's culinary soul. From Brennan's Bananas Foster to Galatoire's Soufflé Potatoes, this collection also features a recipe from each restaurant, allowing readers to replicate iconic New Orleans cuisine at home.

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.

While today, foodies flock to the flavors of Logan Circle and the H Street corridor, Washington's first true restaurants opened around 1830.

Waves of immigrants introduced a global mix of ingredients to the capital's eager palates by opening eateries like the venerable China Doll Gourmet and Cleveland Park's Roma Restaurant. By the twentieth century, the array of dishes to tempt hungry residents was astounding. Diners could have tea at Garfinckel's Greenbrier or lunch at local favorites such as Little Tavern Diner or Ben's Chili Bowl. For an elegant evening, fine restaurants like Rive Gauche and the Monocle satisfied the most sophisticated gastronome. With careful research and choice recipes, ""Streets of Washington"" blogger John DeFerrari chronicles the culinary and social history of the capital through its restaurants, tasting his way from the lavish Gilded Age dining halls of the Willard Hotel to the Hot Shoppe's triple-decker Mighty Mo.

Every food truck in Columbus has a story. Jim Pashovich, godfather of the local scene, honors his Macedonian heritage with his fleet of Pitabilities trucks. After working as a New York City line cook, Catie Randazzo returned to Columbus to open Challah! and wow the hometown crowd with her reimagined Jewish comfort food. Chef Tony Layne of Por'Ketta serves up rotisserie-style porcine fare in his tin-roofed truck. Established favorites like Paddy Wagon and Explorers Club pair with the city's best nightlife venues and breweries to extend their offerings at permanent pop-up kitchens. With insider interviews and over thirty recipes, food authors Tiffany Harelik and Renee Casteel Cook chew their way through the thriving food truck scene of Columbus.

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.

Albuquerque's commercial brewing scene dates back to 1888, when the Southwestern Brewery & Ice Company was launched. It later churned out thirty thousand barrels of beer per year and distributed throughout the region. Nearly thirty years later, Prohibition halted brewing save for a brief comeback in the late 1930s. In 1993, the modern era emerged with a handful of breweries opening across the city. However, Marble Brewery's 2008 opening revived Albuquerque's dormant craft beer scene. Since its opening, the city has welcomed dozens of breweries, brewpubs and taprooms. Writer Chris Jackson recounts the hoppy history of brewing in the Duke City.