1. Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.) by Anthony Bourdain
2. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain
3. Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food by Jeff Potter

Once you get past salads, desserts, eastern cooking and pesto, the general knowledge or interest of cooking with nuts begins to dwindle. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

For those looking to expand their familiarity and comfort of cooking with the fruit, (yes, nuts are considered a fruit), consider the latest title from Susan Herrmann Loomis, renowned chef and food writer. In "Nuts in the Kitchen," the author of "On Rue Tatin" lays out some of her favorite nut-based recipes that go beyond the traditional. How about Parsnip and Walnut Fricassee? Or Quinoa, Hazelnut and Cornmeal Pancakes? Or even your own homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread?

1. "Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook" by Anthony Bourdain

2. "Health The Carb Lovers Diet: Eat What You Love, Get Slim For Life" by Ellen Kunes, Frances Largeman-Roth. Publication Date: August 3, 2010

3. "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" by Michael Pollan

4. "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain

For many, healthy eating is a good idea. But for an unfortunate few, it can be a matter of life and death.

Take for example, author and British television personality Sally Bee. The healthy, energetic wife and mother of three experienced the unimaginable horror of facing death at the age of 36. It was only after living through three heart attacks in a week that she was diagnosed with an extraordinarily rare heart defect. The one in a million diagnoses is a death sentence to many, but only served as a wakeup call for Bee. So began her crusade against the high-fat, low-nutrition, processed junk food of Britain and the obesity epidemic it’s caused.