Thanks to the city’s ravenous community of food lovers, Portland is a must-stop destination on any cookbook tour. Check out these events coming to Powell's in August, featuring a local salt guru, Paleo treats for daily life, and a cookbook for cycling enthusiasts:

Mark Bitterman's "Salt Block Cooking: 70 Recipes for Grilling, Chilling, Searing, and Serving on Himalayan Salt Blocks”

Friday, August 2 at 7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St in Portland

Himalayan salt blocks, for years the stuff of Iron Chef panache, are today available at specialty retail stores around the world—and the market is growing. This is the first book to address this subject, along with 70 recipes designed for using this unique cooking tool, written by the James Beard Award-winning author of Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes. 

Danielle Walker's "Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well and Feel Great"

Thursday, August 22 at 7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St in Portland 

Having battled an autoimmune disease the modern-medicine way for many years, Danielle Walker took matters into her own hands and set out to regain her health through the medicine of food. A self-trained chef, Walker is the new face of grain-free cooking, tempting foodies of all stripes with her innovative, accessible recipes for delicious Paleo food. Paying homage to the dishes she loved from her pre-Paleo life, she has recreated all of her favorites without grains or dairy. 

Anna Brones's "The Culinary Cyclist: A Cookbook and Companion for the Good Life"

Monday, August 26 at 7:30 pm, Powell's on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland

The first cookbook of its kind, The Culinary Cyclist is a staple for any kitchen where bicycling and healthy, delicious food are priorities. Concocted by Brones, a Swedish Portlander currently living in Paris, this cookbook is your guide to hedonistic two-wheeled living. Recipes are all gluten free and vegetarian, and are paired with cheerful instructions for gracefully hosting a bike-centric dinner party, bulk shopping by bicycle, and two-wheeled picnics.

Michael Paterniti's "The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese"

Monday, August 26 at 7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St in Portland 

In the picturesque village of Guzman, Spain, in a cave dug into a hillside on the edge of town, an ancient door leads to a cramped limestone chamber known as "the telling room." Containing nothing but a wooden table and two benches, this is where villagers have gathered for centuries to share their stories and secrets. It was here, in the summer of 2000, that Paterniti found himself listening to a larger-than-life Spanish cheesemaker named Ambrosio Molinos de las Heras as he spun an odd tale about a piece of cheese. Made from an old family recipe, Ambrosio's cheese was reputed to be among the finest in the world, and was said to hold mystical qualities. Eating it, some claimed, conjured long-lost memories... Equal parts mystery and memoir, travelogue and history, The Telling Room is an astonishing work of literary nonfiction, a moving exploration of happiness, friendship, and betrayal.