January in the Midwest.
Say it with me now: “Ugggggggghhhhhh.”
It’s cold. It’s dreary. There’s snow. Ice. Snow over ice, a certain tailbone-cracking trap I seem to forget every winter. There’s also freezing rain. And snain (yes, Freida Florida, there is such a thing). Oh, and did I mention it’s cold? ANYway, all of this cold weather makes me want to sit inside and read and eat and maybe knit a row or two, then read and eat some more. Soon, however, I know I’ll tire of my own company, and my own cooking. And I can’t – well, shouldn’t – eat an entire carrot cake all by myself. What’s a hungry reader gal gonna do?
She’s going to host a book club, that’s what! She’s going to cook something ON THEME with the book and invite all of her reading and eating buddies – woot! But what to cook? Fortunately, some food-loving authors have done the work for us, including recipes right between the covers! Sound ymmy to you? Well, here are just a few to get you started:
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE by Laura Esquivel, a book about family and food, with some magical realism thrown in. After being born on the kitchen table, food became a way of life for Tita, and she grew up to be a master chef. Each chapter of the novel begins with one of Tita’s recipes and her careful instructions for preparation. Published in 1992, adapted to the screen soon after. Read the book AND watch the movie. And gnosh!
HEARTBURN by Nora Ephron. A sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage. In this inspired confection of adultery, revenge, group therapy, and pot roast, the creator of “Sleepless in Seattle” reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter.
TENDER AT THE BONE by Ruth Reichl. A memoir. Tender at the Bone is a remembrance of Ruth Reichl’s childhood into young adulthood, redolent with the atmosphere, good humor, and angst of a sensualist coming-of-age. This is on my TBR stack!
For you cozy mystery fans: DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA, by Jennifer J Chow. A delicious exploration into family, culture, and above all, food. Yale and Celine serve small dishes and refreshing drinks, but one day, one of their customers turns up dead. Yale and Celine are prime suspects due to the gold flakes that Celine added to the sweet drink as a garnish. Though the two cousins are polar opposites in every way, they must work together to find out what really happened to the victim or the only thing they’ll be serving is time.
If you like your memoirs a little more light hearted (and your cakes a little boozy), I recommend CAKE WALK – A FULLY BAKED MEMOIR, by sisters Susan Katein, Carole Algier and Kathy Lanyon. A hilarious adventure involving one-way streets, security guards, and the NYPD, all in an effort to get their cake into the hands of the producers at The Food Network and Rachel Ray.
If none of those appeal, just ask our friend Google for some version of “Novels that include a recipe.”
Now, go forth and cook! (And bring me a little smidgen, would you?)
P.S! Want to know more about hosting a book club? And the peach pie recipe I included with my novel? Scroll down or simply click HERE!