The fall equinox marks the changing of the season. The light has already acquired a warmer tone here and winter squashes and apples have started contributing their cheerful colors to the farmers' market offerings. I have already discussed pumpkin patches with a couple of our local farmers, but in the meantime I am roasting tomatoes and peppers, wishing they will last a little longer.
About a month ago, Lisa of Champaign Taste and I announced the 11th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that we created three years ago, following a lively exchange of messages about the novels, whose protagonist is Inspector Salvo Montalbano, a Sicilian police inspector with a passion for good food.
Novel Food is about literary works (prose or poetry) that inspire the preparation of dishes. Like all its predecessors, the current edition presents an interesting set of both readables and edibles, of which I will introduce half. Please, follow me on a short literary/culinary tour.
As in previous editions of this event, Ruhama of rumahama takes us to the world of children's literature. This time she tells us about R. L. LaFevers' Flight of the Phoenix (Book One of Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist). The orphan Nathaniel is sent to live with his last known living relative, who brings him with her on a trip to watch the phoenix die and be reborn in Arabia.
En route, they stop in Budapest, where Nathaniel is given a bowl of stew for supper. Ruhama was thus inspired to make Goulash Soup, "warm and comforting, and great as a leftover meal."
Tracy of Vanilla Bean Cafe read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle with her book club and then they had a potluck dinner: "In keeping with Kingsolver’s theme about eating local, we attempted to buy all the ingredients and products in season from local vendors."
From that evening, Tracy shares with us Butternut Bean Soup, "which a bookclub member decorated so elegantly with local organic thyme" (see photo) and Sweet Potato Quesadillas, in flavor and texture likely the best quesadillas she's ever had.
Marta of Mangiare è un pò come viaggiare (Eating is a bit like traveling) read Marsha Mehran's Rosewater and Soda Bread (in Italian: Pane e acqua di rose), a novel of three sisters, two countries and the language of food. The two countries are Iran and Ireland: the three sisters flees the first and take refuge in the second.
The detailed description of Tacheen in the book inspired Marta to reproduce the layered dish of baked saffron rice and chicken (post in Italian). Ingredients include almonds, spinach and yogurt (here you can find an English version of the recipe.
In reading Elio Vittorini's Conversazione in Sicilia (Conversation in Sicily), Cynthia of The Smiling Eggplant found a passage where the protagonist's passion for lentils takes on biblical dimensions, as his mother reminds him that he loved lentils made with onion, dried tomatoes, lard and a twig of rosemary:
"You were like Esau... You would have given away your birthright for a second plate of lentils."
Cynthia labeled her recreation of Vittorini's lentils as "not noteworthy." In her post, you will find an interesting explanation, following an introduction on Sicilians and lentils.
Simona of briciole (that would be me) read Chourmo, the second volume of Jean-Claude Izzo's Marseilles Trilogy, whose protagonist, Fabio Montale, is a former cop, who loves good food and good wine.What makes Izzo's "work haunting is his extraordinary ability to convey the tastes and smells of Marseilles, and the way memory and obligation dog every step his hero takes."
A reference to fish soup, inspired me to make a version of Bouillabaisse marseillaise.
My event partner, Lisa of Champaign Taste, read David Fulmer's Chasing the Devil's Tail: A Mystery of Storyville, New Orleans, a story set in late 19th-century New Orleans, whose protagonist, a private detective named Valentin St. Cyr, is half Sicilian and half African-American.
The story inspired her to make Muffuletta "a large, round sandwich filled with meats, cheeses, and olive salad, drenched in olive oil and reeking of garlic." "Yep, it was quite an endeavor to assemble all of the ingredients, but so worth the effort."
You have not one, but two reasons to go over to Lisa's blog now: to read the details of her submission for the event, and to enjoy her portion of the roundup. Many thanks to all who contributed to our event and to my partner Lisa. As always, the event has provided an excuse to exchange emails and ideas.
The next edition of our event will be next year: we will announce it on our blogs and on other venues (including The Food Blog Diary and Is My Blog Burning?), so stay tuned. In the meantime, read good books (maybe with the next Novel Food in mind), cook good dishes, and otherwise savor life's local and seasonal offerings. Arrivederci!
Yay! Looks like a great bunch of contributions! Now to start another list of books and recipes to further investigate... :)
Posted by: ruhama | September 22, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Wonderful, Simona!! Thank you so much for hosting this great event...everybody's dishes look so inspired...and I'm looking forward to the next round :)
Posted by: girlichef | September 23, 2010 at 04:19 AM
Thanks Ruhama: I am glad you enjoyed the roundup. I'm also always adding to my reading list and my recipe list after an edition of Novel Food.
You are more than welcome, Heather. I am glad you enjoyed participating and I am looking forward to reading your future contributions.
Posted by: Simona Carini | September 23, 2010 at 09:48 PM
Thank you for another great edition of Novel Food, partner! Until next time...
Posted by: Lisa | September 24, 2010 at 06:36 AM
Yo, Briciola!
While perusing the Web I came upon this novel and thought about you and your cheese-making. It's called Blessed are the Cheesemakers (mildly blasphemous) and sounds really interesting. If you've already read it, let us know what you think.
Posted by: Cynthia | September 24, 2010 at 10:27 AM
As usual, a wonderful lineup!
Paz
Posted by: Paz | September 25, 2010 at 08:06 PM
You are welcome, Lisa. It's always a pleasure to do this with you.
Hi Cynthia, thank you so much for the pointer! I had not heard of the book and I immediately ordered it. I'll let you know how it is.
Thanks, Paz.
Posted by: Simona Carini | September 25, 2010 at 10:36 PM
Thanks so much for keeping Novel Food going, Simona. It is one of my favorite events, a rare venue where the words share center stage with the table.
(Aside: "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" sounds like one of the bits in Monty Python's "Life of Brian.")
Posted by: Susan | October 02, 2010 at 05:30 AM
You are welcome, Susan. I am glad you like our event. We will certainly organize Novel Food again next year.
I have the book and I am very curious to read it: I'll let you know how I like it.
Posted by: Simona Carini | October 04, 2010 at 01:01 PM