In a recent article in the New Yorker, Adam Gopnik states that there are four kinds of food in books:
- food that is served by an author to characters who are not expected to taste it;
- food that is served by an author to characters in order to show who they are;
- food that an author cooks for characters in order to eat it with them; and, last (and most recent),
- food that an author cooks for characters but actually serves to the reader.
The whole article makes for a pleasant reading with plenty of examples of the different categories. We may or may not agree with Gopnik’s classification, but we may have a dish that is associated in our mind with a novel.
In recent weeks Lisa of Champaign Taste and myself have been talking about food mentioned in the Montalbano novels and Lisa came up with the idea of launching a food in novels event. We are co-hosting it and look forward to hearing interesting literary and culinary stories.
Here are the rules for the event:
- Prepare a dish of your choosing that has a connection to a novel.
- Post it on your blog by midnight on September 21, 2007.
- Send an e-mail to either Lisa (webrina AT gmail DOT com) or myself (simosite AT mac DOT com) and include your name, blog name and blog address, and a link to your post.
We will do a roundup the following weekend.
What a great idea! I’ve already started going through my favorite novels in my mind.
Simona,
You and Lisa must have read my mind! I’m IN!
Dear Burcu and Susan, I am so glad you like our idea and are planning to participate.
Great idea..I’ll see what I can come up with 🙂
I’ll play! Simona, you might remember that I wrote a paper for Jeannette Ferrary’s class about this very subject. My book group meets over a pot-luck meal every month, and we always try to match the food to the book.
Hi Maryann, I am glad you are joining.
Dear Julia, I did not remember before you mentioned it, but now I do: I read your paper and enjoyed it a lot. I am so glad you’ll play with us.
Very cool event!
Paz
evento molto carino!
I love it! I’m in! And I always get so hungry when I read Camilleri novels, the fish…
Hi Simona, this is a great idea. the first thing that came to my mind was “como agua para chocolate” tonnes of recipes in there i’d love to try out..but it’s vacation for me soon and i actually get to visit your native land for the first time — this time venice. A presto. Thx for the comment on my purple-turned-green beans post 🙂
What a yummi idea!:P
I’m very busy those days, but I do hope I will make it for Sept the 21st!
Finger crossed ^-^
Thank you Paz and Francesca: I hope you’ll participate.
Hi Ilva, glad to read that you are participating and that you are another one of Camilleri’s fans.
Hi Kel and welcome. I read the book and watched the movie and liked them both. Venice is my favorite city in the world: I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Hi Fabdo. I hope you’ll make it. ^-^
Thoroughly enjoyed the Gopnik piece – thanks for the link.
Great idea for an event. Count me in.
What a great blog – a fun and interesting read (especially for those us in love with all things Italian). I especially liked the recent post on gelato and gelaterias. I’m noticing more of these popping up in Los Angeles and Northern California. But, they don’t match the taste and ambience of Rome’s gelateria’s, which seem to be on every corner. Thanks to LoriLynn of “Taste with the Eyes” for recommending this blog. I’ll check back often.
Hi Lucy and welcome: I am glad you will join us for the event.
Thank you so much Adam for your kind words: I am glad you found briciole. It it true: new places pop up, but they are not the same as Italian gelaterie.
Ciao Simona,
this is a great idea, and if I weren’t soon leaving for a month I would definitely participate!
I remember making several dishes when I first read Under the Tuscan Sun and saw them described in that novel.
I bet this will be a very successful event and I look forward to reading about it when I return in October.
All the best.
Ciao Anna Maria. I am reading Under the Tuscan Sun now, but I have not yet reached the point where she cooks. Thanks for the good wishes and have a pleasant and safe trip, wherever you are going.
Ouch!!! I’ve just found out about this wonderful idea!!! I wish I could have enter, I was thinking of Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta… I hope there will be a next time!!!!
Oh, I’m too late! I just discovered this event via Batter-Splattered’s site. Despite this woeful tardiness, may I still second Imma’s comment about hoping that there will be a next time?
Dear Imma and Aileen, Lisa and I are planning to do this again and we will announce it as soon as we decide on a time frame. Thanks for your interest!