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Novel Food #42: the finale (readings and recipes)

The 42nd edition of Novel Food is ending with the customary roundup. I have been hosting the event for over 14 years and it's been a constant pleasure. This time we'll have a small party still rich in reading suggestions. Each post describes a work of written words and the dish that the reading inspired. Join me on a literary/culinary tour. For each contribution, I offer a small bite to whet your appetite: follow the link to read the details of the literary work and the dish. We hope you'll be inspired in your reading and in your kitchen. a light,... Read more →

brown butter chocolate chunk cookies / biscotti al burro nocciola con pezzetti di cioccolato

jump to Recipe the simple charm of chocolate chunks (napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO) Recently, during one of my customary browsing of the sale shelf of a local bookstore, I picked the mystery novel The Whispering City by Sara Moliner1 (pseudonym for the writing duo Rosa Ribas and Sabine Hofmann). The title and subtitle (Barcelona 1952) piqued my curiosity and the back-cover blurb made me decide to purchase the novel. The story is set during the regime of dictator Francisco Franco, who was still alive when I was born. I remember his death in 1975 (after which Juan Carlos became... Read more →

vegan zucchini side dish / contorno di zucchine vegano

jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] a light, flavorful side dish (linen napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO) Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor1 an author I featured in a post last year with her novel Winter Cottage2. Both novels are centered around a mansion, whose walls know secrets that the reader learns as chapter follows chapter and the story moves back and forth between present and past. In Honeysuckle Season, the protagonist, Libby, finds out who her biological parents were and also finds love and the realization of her wishes.... Read more →

Announcing Novel Food #42

I have eaten the first apricots, peaches, tomatoes and zucchini of the season: summer is approaching in the Northern hemisphere and with it, the time to launch a new edition of the culinary/literary event Novel Food, the 42nd to be precise. Novel Food is a voyage of literary discovery and a party featuring literary-inspired dishes contributed by the event's participants. I invite you to join the event. I am looking forward to learning about a published literary work (a novel, novella, short story, memoir, bio, poem, etc.) that provided you with culinary inspiration. Here are the simple rules for participating in... Read more →

spinach with cheese and chocolate / spinaci con formaggio e cioccolato

jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] fresh spinach with cheese and a touch of chocolate (linen placemat from La FABBRICA del LINO) The inspiration for this dish came from three sources: 1) fresh spinach leaves from the farmers' market1 (see photo below), 2) a recipe for spinach and goat cheese quiche2 and 3) my husband's use of grated chocolate on leafy greens. After reading the quiche recipe quickly I thought it called for the goat cheese (caprino) to be layered under the spinach: a closer reading revealed a misunderstanding on my part, but I stuck to the idea. My husband uses... Read more →

leek gratin / porri gratinati

jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] leeks and cheese: nothing else needed (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) I love leeks both as an ingredient and on their own1. Leeks make every dish to which you add them more flavorful, but in a delicate way as they are not overwhelming. Given my preference, I consume large amounts of leeks, particularly when I can get them fresh at the farmers' market. an abundance of leeks The first dish I ate made with leeks, many years ago, was a gratin. One of my roommates in Milan made a version on the rich side.... Read more →

Novel Food #41: the finale (readings and recipes)

The 41st edition of Novel Food is ending with the customary roundup. I have been hosting the event for over 13 years and it's been a constant pleasure. This time we'll have a small party still rich in reading suggestions. Each post contributed by a book-loving food blogger describes a work of written words and the dish that the reading inspired. Join me on a literary/culinary tour. For each contribution, I offer a small bite to whet your appetite: follow the link to read the details of the literary work and the dish each participant describes. We hope you'll be inspired... Read more →

red beet, avocado, blood orange and daikon salad / insalata di barbabietola rossa, avocado, arancia rossa e ravanelli

jump to Recipe before tossing (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the memoir Where I Come From by chef Aarón Sánchez1. I didn't know him before reading the book, but a few pages into it, I realized a few year ago I had met his mother, Zarela Martinez. She had been described to me as the chef who introduced Mexican cuisine to New York. It was interesting to read her story told by her son: what an amazing woman! On July 21, 19822 the NY Times published an article by Craig Claiborne titled... Read more →

lentil spread / crema (da spalmare) di lenticchie

jump to Recipe [versione in italiano] small lentils, big flavor (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) After reading the first six Adam Dalgliesh novels by P.D. James in order of publication, I skipped to #11 Death in Holy Orders which I purchased some time ago at a library sale. Then last month, at a local bookstore, I picked The Lighthouse which is #13 (2005). Death in Holy Orders ended with Commander Dalgliesh (Metropolitan Police Service at New Scotland Yard) in love with Emma Lavenham and I was glad to see her still in his life in The Lighthouse. I love P.D.... Read more →

Announcing Novel Food #41

Days are longer and spring is definitely in the air where I live, which means it is time to launch a new edition of the culinary/literary event Novel Food, the 41st! Novel Food is a voyage of literary discovery and a party featuring literary-inspired dishes contributed by event's participants. We are marking the one year anniversary of our lives upended by the pandemic. I don't know for you, but for me reading and cooking have been even more important than usual to keep me focused, grounded, hopeful. I invite you to join the event. I am looking forward to learning about... Read more →