200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

To Taste

On Cooking and the Good Life
By Scott Samuelson
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
A philosopher-chef's moving meditation on the pleasures of our shared humanity and how it can be most fully experienced in making and sharing food. Our daily rhythms and most meaningful relationships centre on the dining table, and so nothing is more essential to a good life... Read More
Format: Hardback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of To Taste. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A philosopher-chef's moving meditation on the pleasures of our shared humanity and how it can be most fully experienced in making and sharing food.

Our daily rhythms and most meaningful relationships centre on the dining table, and so nothing is more essential to a good life than satisfying meals with friends and family. In To Taste, philosopher and sous-chef Scott Samuelson invites us into his kitchen, where he blends moving personal stories with insights from some of the world's greatest thinkers into a rich but simple argument: our daily labour, in making food or otherwise, should connect us with other people.

For Samuelson, the pleasures of excellent cooking illuminate this value in particularly compelling ways. When we embrace the work required to prepare and share a good meal, we learn to honour tradition, practise hospitality, respect nature, cherish festivity, and nurture skill—all ethics that resist our increasingly dehumanised world. Ultimately, Samuelson argues that cooking, especially the elusive decision to season a dish "to taste," contains the full mystery of human life.

Whether you're a professional chef or your best culinary feat involves a can opener, To Taste can help you cook up a life that elicits a glorious mmm.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780226853666

Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 16 November 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Chicago Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 426g

Pages: 224

Collections

Cook Books & Recipes Cooking & Food Non-Fiction Scott Samuelson

About the Author

Scott Samuelson holds a joint position at Iowa State University in Philosophy and Religious Studies and Extension and Outreach. His books include Rome as a Guide to the Good Life: A Philosophical Grand Tour, also published by the University of Chicago Press. For many years, he worked as a sous-chef at a farm-to-table French restaurant.

Also by Scott Samuelson

View all
  • Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering
    A reflection on the role of suffering in human existence. It's right there in the Book of Job: "Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward." Suffering is an inescapable part of the human condition—which leads to a question that has proved just as inescapable throughout the centuries: Why? Why do we suffer? Why do people die young?...
    By Scott Samuelson
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering
    It’s right there in the Book of Job: “Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward.” Suffering is an inescapable part of the human condition—which leads to a question that has proved just as inescapable throughout the centuries: Why? Why do we suffer? Why do people die young? Is there any point to our pain, physical or emotional?...
    By Scott Samuelson
    Hardback
    $5899
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Rome as a Guide to the Good Life
    A unique, portable guidebook that sketches Rome’s great philosophical tradition while also providing an engaging travel companion to the city. This is a guidebook to Rome for those interested in both la dolce vita and what the ancient Romans called the vita beata—the good life. Philosopher Scott Samuelson offers a thinker’s tour of the Eternal City, rooting ideas from this...
    By Scott Samuelson
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

Browse lists from our team

The Latest at Book Hero

View all

More from Cooking & Food

View all
  • Always Delicious
    New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Always Delicious
    The bestselling Vanya Insull, one of our favourite foodies and the creator of VJ Cooks, returns with her fourth cookbook—her best and tastiest collection yet. Packed full of the approachable, reliable recipes she's famous for, Always Delicious covers every occasion with Vanya's signature laidback style. Begin with some light bites, perfect for sharing platters, relaxed lunches, and easy entertaining. Fire...
    By Vanya Insull
    Paperback
    $3999
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Ottolenghi SIMPLE TOO
    New Release
    Ottolenghi SIMPLE TOO
    For the three million home cooks around the world who loved Simple, Ottolenghi brings us 135 brand-new easy recipes that are full of flavour, intensity and creativity For the millions of home cooks who loved Ottolenghi SIMPLE, discover the pleasure of keeping things SIMPLE TOO.It’s a noisy world out there, so stop, take a minute or two, listen to the soup...
    By Yotam Ottolenghi
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Dish Chook Book
    The dish Chook Book is designed to banish boring with a huge range of chicken dishes that will become regulars on the menu for years to come. Created by dish editor Sarah Tuck and food editor Claire Aldous, these recipes range from simply scrumptious to elegantly sensational. With chicken as a base, New Zealand s most loved protein is showcased...
    By Sarah Tuck
    Paperback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Thyme to Cook
    Free Gift
    On Sale
    11% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Thyme to Cook
    Thyme to Cook is a practical guide to growing, harvesting and cooking real food at home to nourish our bodies and minds! From successful cookery writer Emma Galloway. 'A treasure trove of a book - an approachable and very beautiful guide to growing your own food and easy and original ways to cook and eat it.' Anna Jones, author of...
    By Emma Galloway
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • How We Cook
    On Sale
    14% off
    New Release
    How We Cook
    Welcome to How We Cook: The Two Raw Sisters' best cookbook yet, with more than 100 ridiculously good recipes that will help you cook with confidence. The Two Raw Sisters are here to make healthy eating feel easy and genuinely achievable. Inside, you'll find adaptable base recipes, from granola and smoothies to salads and soups, to muffins and rocky road,...
    By Margo Flanagan and Rosa Power
    Hardback
    $3700
    Elsewhere:
    $4999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • 20 Minute Meals
    On Sale
    14% off
    New Release
    20 Minute Meals
    Fast food is good food in 20 minutes or less with Jamie . . . 20-Minute Meals solves all your dinner dilemmas, giving you quick, tasty meals every night of the week. These incredible recipes will be on the table in just 20 minutes or less. With a maximum of ten ingredients in each recipe and 70% hitting daily nutritional...
    By Jamie Oliver
    Hardback
    $4800
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Saint Peter Saint Peter
    Free Gift
    New Release
    Saint Peter
    In 2026, Saint Peter marks a decade at the forefront of global dining – a restaurant that has quietly but decisively reshaped the way we think about fish. In Saint Peter: Chapter & Verse, Josh Niland brings that world to the page for the first time: a landmark work that captures the philosophy, precision and daily rhythm of one of...
    By Josh Niland
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $9000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Soph's Plant Kitchen 30 in 30: 30g of protein, 30 minutes or less
    An essential cookbook for anyone looking to increase the amount of plant protein and fibre they eat without spending hours in the kitchen. Instagram sensation and Sunday Times bestselling author @Sophsplantkitchen has created her very best plant-based, high fibre recipes: all with at least 30 grammes of protein, all on the table in 30 minutes or less and all mouth-wateringly...
    By Sophie Waplington
    Hardback
    $4800
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    11% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Lunchbox Bible
    From the team behind the bestselling sensation Baby Food Bible, Lunchbox Bible is your go-to recipe book for feeding children healthy, allergen-friendly, and nutritionist-approved food that’s guaranteed to please. With 75 recipes and a visual library containing 75 different lunchboxes, this comprehensive guide has been carefully created with time-poor parents in mind. The recipes are simple, quick, nutrient-dense, and get...
    By Julia Tellidis and Lauren Skora
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $5999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    On Sale
    22% off
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    24% off
    Fitwaffle's Easy 6
    Discover how simple cooking can be every day with over 100 easy, tasty recipes using only 6 ingredients. "My mission is simple. I want to help people feel more confident in the kitchen and show that baking and cooking don't need to be complicated. Whether you're brand new in the kitchen or you've been doing it for years, my goal...
    By Eloise Head
    Hardback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    21% off
    So Good Express
    Simple, nutritious recipes for when time is of the essence. Bringing together delicious and easy-to-follow recipes with the sound advice of a fully qualified nutritionist, number one bestselling author Emily English shows us that good food can make you feel amazing and bring you joy, every single day. Blending her nutrition expertise with a love of simple, fresh food, Emily...
    By Emily English
    Hardback
    $3800
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.