reading

brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies / biscotti al burro nocciola con fiocchi d’avena e uvetta

| Simona

jump to Recipe

brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies / IMG_4545

just baked
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I had fun reading again Alice’s adventures. For example, I paid more attention to the way she talks to herself and about herself. Truly one of those books that tell us something more or a bit different each time we read them.

Soon her eye fell on a little glass box that was lying under the table: she opened it, and found in it a very small cake, on which the words “EAT ME” were beautifully marked in currants.

I knew immediately I’d make cookies for Alice: when I like a cookie, it’s like it has EAT ME written on it. Also, in my opinion, the best foods with tea are cookies and scones, and Alice really goes with cookies. After deciding to bake cookies, the question was: which kind? 

brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies / IMG_4553

the right size, the right shape, balanced flavor
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Some time ago, I developed my version of chocolate chunk cookies, so I turned my attention to another traditional sweet morsel of goodness: oatmeal raisin cookies. They are made with ingredients I like, but not necessarily in a way that appeals to me. 

Guided on one hand by my Brown butter chocolate chunk cookies1 and on the other by the recipe for Oatmeal raisin cookies in Stacy Adimando’s The Cookiepedia2, I experimented with various versions until I settled on the recipe below, which includes a few steps to execute ahead of preparing the cookie dough: browning the butter, re-hydrating the raisins, and toasting rolled oats and sliced almonds. Additional personal touches include the use of coconut sugar, rye and whole-wheat flour (farina integrale), and okara flour3, a protein-rich, gluten-free flour derived from the soybean pulp (okara) generated during soymilk (latte di soia) production.

ingredients for oatmeal raisin cookies / IMG_4543

some of the ingredients, ready for use
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The cookies are tender, sweet enough, with a contrast between plump raisins and crisp sliced almonds (mandorle). The rolled oats give the texture more body. I like them a lot.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies

Ingredients for 11 cookies:

  • 1/4 cup / 2 ounces  / 56 grams unsalted butter (to make brown butter, recipe below)
  • 1 1/2 ounces / 42 grams raisins
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml warm apple juice OR tea OR water
  • 3 ounces / 85 grams rolled oats
  • 1 ounce / 28 grams sliced almonds
  • Avocado OR other mild-flavored vegetable oil to add to the brown butter to obtain 2 ounces
  • 1 3/4 ounces / 50 grams sugar: 1/2 coconut sugar and 1/2 light brown sugar 
  • 1 egg about 2.1 ounces / 60 grams, at room temperature 
  • 1 teaspoon / 5 ml vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces / 56 grams total of a combination of flours:
    • 1/2 ounce  / 14 grams okara flour 
    • 1/2 ounce / 14 grams whole rye flour
    • 1/2 ounce  / 14 grams whole-wheat pastry flour
    • 1/2 ounce  / 14 grams sprouted whole-wheat pastry flour OR whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (cannella)

Prepare the following four ingredients ahead of making the cookies: brown butter, plumped raisins, toasted rolled oats, toasted almond slices.

1) Cut the butter into small pieces and put them into a small saucepan. Melt the butter while stirring then keep the melted butter on the heat, stirring. The butter will foam as water evaporates then the solids will caramelize. Remove the saucepan from the heat, pour the brown butter into a ramekin and let cool. The process is fast and requires full attention as the solids go from brown to burned in a few seconds4.

2) With your fingers, separate the raisins that are clumped. Place the raisins in a ramekin. Pour the warm liquid over them and stir well. Stir again a few more times.

3) Heat the oven to 350 F / 170 C. Spread the rolled oats on an unlined baking sheet. Toast rolled oats in the oven for 4-5 minutes, shaking the sheet half-way through.

4) Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the skillet to ensure even toasting and prevent burning. Transfer the almonds onto a plate.  

Finally, make the cookies. Let the brown butter soften in a mixing bowl. Weigh the butter and add enough vegetable oil to get to 2 ounces / 56 grams. Add both sugars to the mixing bowl. Cream the butter and sugars. I do all the mixing with a spatula or wooden spoon, but you can use an electric mixer until otherwise noted. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and stir until combined.

Sift the flours into a small mixing bowl. Sift in the baking soda, then add salt and cinnamon. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir briefly. Add the rest and mix just until the flour is incorporated. Add the toasted oats and incorporate them `using a spatula. Finally, add the raisins and incorporate them using a spatula.

Cover the mixing bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so to firm up the dough (it will be easier to handle and the cookies will remain chubby), but not too firm, since there is one last ingredient to incorporate. 

Heat the oven to 350 F/177 C.

Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Add the toasted almonds to the dough and stir to incorporate. Weigh approximately 1.2 ounces / 34 grams of dough for each cookie. Shape each piece of dough into a half dome, tap the top to flatten it slightly and place on the baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2-2 inches / 4-5 cm of distance between them.

Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate the backing sheet. Bake for another 6 minutes. The cookies will still be soft. The edges should be golden brown.

Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Store the cookies in a sealed container.

brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies / IMG_4550
hard to photograph them without nibbling on one or two
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

I imagine Alice’s EAT ME cake was prettier than my cookies, but they make up in flavor what they lack in good looks. I enjoy one in the afternoon with roiboos tea—and so far there has been no change in my height.

1 From briciole’s archive: Brown butter chocolate-chunk bookies and review of The Cookiepedia
2 Recipe for Oatmeal raisin cookies from The Cookiepedia by Stacy Adimando
3 The Okara flour I use
4 A more detailed post on how to brown butter

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

biscotti al burro nocciola con fiocchi d’avena e uvetta

or launch the biscotti al burro nocciola con fiocchi d’avena e uvetta audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Debra of Eliot’s Eats. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

cookies, oatmeal, raisins, oatmeal raisin cookies, brown butter

recipe: brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies

| Simona

Print Friendly and PDF
 

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

| Simona

Novel Food logo by Keith
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.

Newrule

IMG_3821-2

a light, flavorful side dish
(linen napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Simona of briciole read Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor
and prepared a Vegan zucchini side dish

"Taylor's novels are centered around strong female characters. Her writing style is enjoyable and the stories keep the reader's attention. If you are looking for a summer read, this is a good candidate… Libby's love interest, Colton, is a widower with two young boys. Their food preferences are what one would expect… When zucchini season starts I am reminded how much we disliked that vegetable, regardless of how it was prepared… That gave me the idea of preparing a zucchini dish… This dish is light and has a delightful 'green' flavor, with a chees-y nuance provided by the nutritional yeast. It pairs well with various main courses, including frittata and legumes."

Newrule

image from 1.bp.blogspot.com

Judy of Judy's Gross Eats read Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus
by Yasmin Khan and was inspired to prepare Pomegranate Chicken with Broccolini

"It seems like more and more cookbooks feature travel and personal stories along with recipes, and this is one such book.  In between the chapters are stories that talk about the culture, the people, and the politics of the region, and how sharing food and recipes is an act that brings everyone together, allowing differences to disappear… This meal is delicious:  chicken marinated in pomegranate molasses, sumac, cumin, Aleppo pepper, and allspice.  The broccolini is cooked with red onion, red bell pepper, dill, and Aleppo pepper.  Both dishes were so flavorful." Recipe for the chicken on this page.

Newrule

WhiteBreadPoolish

Elizabeth of blog from OUR kitchen read the novel Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
and baked some White Bread with Poolish

"I could not put the book down. And yet, because of the sheer beauty, I wanted to read and savour it as slowly as possible. I found myself backtracking to re-read sections, before going forward… Texas. Just at the very end of the American Civil War and the months following. Before instant electronic communication, when men could still be conscripted into the army, when battles would still be raging… What is most memorable about this book is the music. The desolation of war and its legacy are pervasive, of course. Perhaps that is why the music is so heartbreakingly beautiful… This recipe makes a palate-sparkling, almost buttery-flavored bread with a thin, crisp crust… I was diligent. I measured everything correctly and the bread turned out brilliantly. "

Newrule

IMG_3888

the simple charm of chocolate chunks
(napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Simona also read the mystery The Whispering City by Sara Moliner
and baked Brown butter chocolate chunk cookies

"Circumstances catapult Ana, a young journalist, into the middle of a murder investigation and she ends up becoming entangled in it, together with her older cousin Beatriz… a linguist who has fallen on hard times due to her political leanings… One of the recurring themes in the book is scarcity, partly as a result of the time (post WWII in a dictatorship) and partly as a result of Ana's limited economic means… While nibbling on half of a chocolate chunk cookie (it was pretty big), I decided to try making my own version… less sweet, softer, and have a fuller, whole-grain flavor… I have come to rely on them as energy recharge after a long run or bike ride."

Newrule

My special "thank you!" to the event's contributors: I hope you enjoyed participating as I do hosting the event.

You will find a link to this roundup and to those of all the earlier editions on this page. If you are looking for additional reading suggestions, head over to the Cook the Books Club website. For the June-July edition we are reading 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman.

Arrivederci!

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

| Simona

jump to Recipe

IMG_3888

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 king of Spain), so as dictatorships go, this one is clear in my memory. The civil climate described in the book is typical of dictatorships, where freedom of expression, information and thought are outlawed. Ana Martí Noguer is a young journalist aspiring to do more than write the society column for a newspaper that strives to maintain a certain amount of independence from the regime without running afoul of it. She is figlia d’arte, as her father was also a journalist.

Circumstances catapult Ana into the middle of a murder investigation and she ends up becoming entangled in it, together with her older cousin Beatriz, whom she had recently met. Beatriz is a linguist who has fallen on hard times due to her political leanings.

chocolate chunk cookies / DSCN0075

post-exercise energy recharge
(napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

I enjoyed the story and the historical setting. As the NPR review2 says

The mental sepia tones evoked (and used on the cover — good job, Pegasus designers!) aren’t just those of vintage photographs, but those of a city blanched of its color and vivacity by a right-wing regime.

One of the recurring themes in the book is scarcity, partly as a result of the time (post WWII in a dictatorship with mostly democracies as neighbors) and partly as a result of Ana’s limited economic means. Sugar (zucchero) is a luxury food item, so when she is in a coffee shop, she indulges in it, adding it liberally to her coffee and licking the cup clean after finishing the liquid.

While reading the novel, I spent a weekend on a bicycle ride around San Luis Obispo, on the Central California Coast. In the oceanside town of Cayucos, The Brown Butter Cookie Company3 makes cookies and shortbread. I don’t have a sweet tooth and was skeptical about the cookies, but after tasting a few options I had to admit that they are quite good. While nibbling on half of a chocolate chunk cookie (it was pretty big), I decided to try making my own version.

Serendipitously, a few days later, this recipe4 came to my attention and I chose to use it as my base because it was neither overly sweet nor overly buttery and also made a manageable number of cookies. Of course, I would change several things to make the recipe suit my taste. First of all, I use brown butter, like the bakery in Cayucos. Then, I substitute 3/4 of the white flour with whole-wheat / whole-grain flour (farina integrale). I decrease the amount of sugar slightly and omit the finishing sea salt. Finally, I choose good-quality chocolate and chunk it by hand.

I imagine Ana would dive in and enjoy my cookies. I have made them several times and everybody who has tasted them (my husband and some friends) has given them thumbs up. I like them a lot.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Brown butter chocolate chunk cookies

Ingredients for 16 cookies:

  • 1/4 cup / 2 ounces  / 56 grams unsalted butter (to make brown butter, recipe below)
  • Avocado OR other mild-flavored vegetable oil to add to the brown butter to obtain 2 ounces
  • 2 tablespoons / 25 grams granulated OR superfine sugar AND enough light brown sugar to obtain 3 1/2 ounces / 100 grams total
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons / 1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml vanilla extract
  • 1 large pastured egg at room temperature
  • 6 ounces / 170 grams of a combination of flours:
    • 1 1/2 ounces  / 42 grams pastry flour OR all-purpose flour 
    • 4 1/2 ounces / 128 grams whole-grain flours: 1/3 whole rye, 1/3 whole-wheat pastry, 1/3 whole spelt AND sprouted whole quinoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 5 1/4 ounces / 150 grams extra-dark chocolate (I use 88%), cut with a knife into small pieces

Brown the butter5 in advance. Cut the butter into small pieces and put them into a small saucepan. Melt the butter while stirring then keep the melted butter on the heat, stirring. The butter will foam as water evaporates then the solids will caramelize. Remove the saucepan from the heat, pour the brown butter into a ramekin and let cool. The process is fast and requires full attention as the solids go from brown to black in a few seconds.

Let the brown butter soften in a mixing bowl. Weigh the butter and add enough vegetable oil to get to 2 ounces / 56 grams. Add both sugars to the mixing bowl. Mix with a spatula until the sugars are well blended into the butter. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix until well combined. While I prefer to mix butter and sugar with a spatula, I like to use the electric mixer to mix in the liquids.

Sift and weigh the flours into a small mixing bowl. Sift in the baking soda and baking powder, then add the salt. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix briefly, using either a spatula or the electric mixer. Add the rest and mix just until the flour is incorporated. Finally, add the chocolate chunks and incorporate using a spatula.

Cover the mixing bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up the dough, longer if possible (it will be easier to handle and the cookies will remain chubby).

Preheat the oven to 350 F/177 C.

Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Weigh approximately 30-32 grams of dough for each cookie. Shape each piece of dough into a half dome, tap the top to flatten it slightly and place on the baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2-2 inches / 4-5 cm of distance between them.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Check the cookies after 12 minutes and bake longer if needed. The edges should be golden brown.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.

Store the cookies in a sealed container.

chocolate chunk cookies / DSCN0073

or enjoyed with a cup of tea
(napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

My cookies neither look like nor taste like those I ate in Cayucos: they are less sweet, softer, and have a fuller, whole-grain flavor. They are excellent. I have come to rely on them as energy recharge after a long run or bike ride.

1 The novel’s page on the publisher’s website
2 A review of the novel on the NPR site
3 Brown Butter Cookie Company
4 Recipe for Chocolate chunk cookies with sea salt on Culinary Ginger
5 A more detailed post on how to brown butter

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

biscotti al burro nocciola con pezzetti di cioccolato

or launch the biscotti al burro nocciola con pezzetti di cioccolato audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

Small_NFlogoThis is my second contribution to the 42nd edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started over 14 years ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

cookies, chocolate, chocolate cookies, brown butter

recipe: brown butter chocolate chunk cookies

| Simona

Print Friendly and PDF
 

Announcing Novel Food #42

| Simona

Novel Food logo by Keith

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 Novel Food:

  1. Prepare a dish of your choosing that has a connection to a published literary work (novel, novella, short story, memoir, bio, poem, other nonfiction) you've read.
  2. Publish a post about it on your blog between today (Monday, May 31) and the end of Sunday July 4, 2021 (midnight, Pacific Time), referencing the Novel Food event (i.e., no archived posts). Include a link to this announcement. If you wish, you can use the Novel Food logo.
  3. Link your post by using the linky tool at the bottom OR send an e-mail to simosite AT mac DOT com and include your name, blog name and blog address, and a permanent link to your post. Please, include the words "Novel Food" in the email subject, so I can more easily retrieve the message in my inbox.
  4. Non-English submissions are fine. If possible, include an introduction in English.

If you don't have a blog, send me an email telling us about the dish, the literary work that inspired it, and, if you have it, a picture of what you made: I will add it to the roundup as well.

Note #1: If you send me an email and don't receive an answer to it within two days, please contact me again: sometimes email messages get lost in cyberspace. Or leave a comment on this post.

Note #2: If you follow this link, you will be able to browse the roundup of all previous editions.

Note #3: I am also one of the co-hosts of Cook the Books Club, where we also read and cook. While the rules for participating in the Club (see here) are different from the rules for Novel Food, posts written for the Club can also be submitted to Novel Food. For the current edition (April-May), we are reading the novel Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor (announcement here) and for the next edition (June-July) we will read 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter



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

| Simona

Novel Food logo by Keith
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 in your reading and in your kitchen.

Newrule

image from eliotseats.com

Debra of Eliot's Eats read Falling From Trees by Mike Fiorito
and made Dandelion Jelly

"All of the stories revolve around changing environment and the fate of the planet and I imagine it could be classified as science fiction. But it is not a depressing book even though the Earth implodes during the first tale. That sense of hope is honestly prevalent… None of the stories revolved around food in any way so that made my food pairing for this book a bit tough. I went back to The Love of a Dandelion: 'When we discover the love of a dandelion and have compassion for even the sun, we will arrive at these truths.' The hope and vision the young boy has in the tale continued to make me want to highlight this story."

image from eliotseats.com

Debra also read Where I Come From by chef Aarón Sánchez
and made Tio Mario’s Famous Chile Con Carne Colorado-Style Burritos

"Sánchez doesn’t romanticize the trials and tribulations of working in and owning restaurants or his Food Network celebrity rise… I also appreciated his honest narration. Not pulling any punches he lays it all out there—failed restaurants and failed relationships alike… Sánchez is honest about his cooking, his choices, and his personal life (and relationship with his mother)… Uncle Tio’s recipe uses three kinds of dried chiles (Arbol, Guajillo, and Ancho) and a slow braising process. I learned something from Sánchez’s recipe: only sear the meat on one side to help it stay more tender in the braise. Did not know that. These were delicious. Even though it was an afternoon process, it’s worth it."

image from eliotseats.com

Debra went back to her copy of Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
and made a Roasted Vegetable Frittata

"'Very Full Tart' [is] full of roasted vegetables and Mediterranean goodness. Here’s the problem, I didn’t want to make a pastry crust… So instead of a tart, I decided I would make a crustless version, hence the 'frittata' title to this recipe… This is a great brunch dish as well and leftovers keep well for a couple of days. I also think you could throw in whatever vegetables you have on hand like summer squash. Japanese eggplants would definitely work as well… The book is divided into almost every kind of vegetable there is from Roots to Leaves… The photographs are tremendous."

Newrule

Scones1

A Promise of Ankles by Alexander McCall Smith (44 Scotland Street series)
inspired Judy of Judy's Gross Eats to bake a Spicy Cheese Scones

"Even though our public libraries are still not open for walk-in browsing, there is still a way to peruse the new books… During a recent visit, I spotted my title book in the window, and immediately checked it out… One of the characters, Angus, is out walking with his dog, Cyril, when Cyril runs off into the bushes and makes a great discovery… a Neanderthal skull!… A representative from the Department of Neanderthal Affairs, Dr. Colquohoun, has agreed to come over and verify the authenticity of the skull. In honor of his visit, Angus makes his famous cheddar cheese scone, liberally laced with cayenne pepper… To find out what the outcome was, you’ll have to read the novel."

Newrule

lentil spread / IMG_3706

small lentils, big flavor
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Simona of briciole read The Lighthouse by P.D. James
and prepared Lentil spread

"I love P.D. James's novels: her writing is evocative, exact, engaging. I particularly enjoy her descriptions of landscapes and interiors. James's descriptive skills are in full display in The Lighthouse which is set in the (fictional) Combe Island off the Cornish coast 'a restful haven for the elite'. The immediate reason for Dalgliesh's presence on Combe is the violent death of a famous novelist, Nathan Oliver…What inspired me are various occasions in the story where characters come together: there are beverages (wine or tea), but never a bite to eat. I wanted to enter the story and bring a tray with foods, like a spread with crackers."

Newrule

red beet, avocado, orange and daikon salad / IMG_3716

before tossing
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Simona also read Where I Come From by chef Aarón Sánchez
and prepared Red beet, avocado, blood orange and daikon salad

"I didn't know [Sánchez] 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!… A few recipes [of Mexican salads] I found online made me draw up a list of ingredients: red beets, avocado, oranges and jicama. I couldn't find the latter, so I used daikon instead and was introduced to red and purple daikon, which are sold alongside their more famous white relative."

Newrule

My special "thank you!" to the event's contributors: I hope you enjoyed participating as I do hosting the event.

You will find a link to this roundup and to those of all the earlier editions on this page. If you are looking for additional reading suggestions, head over to the Cook the Books Club website. For the April-May edition we are reading Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor.

The next edition of Novel Food will be in the summer: stay tuned for the announcement. In the meantime, take good care of yourself, your loved ones and your fellow citizens, read good books (maybe with the next Novel Food in mind), cook good dishes, and savor life's flow in its myriad expressions.

Arrivederci!

Announcing Novel Food #41

| Simona

Novel Food logo by Keith

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 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 Novel Food:

  1. Prepare a dish of your choosing that has a connection to a published literary work (novel, novella, short story, memoir, bio, poem, other nonfiction) you've read.
  2. Publish a post about it on your blog between today (Thursday, February 25) and the end of Sunday April 4, 2021 (midnight, Pacific Time), referencing the Novel Food event (i.e., no archived posts). Include a link to this announcement. If you wish, you can use the Novel Food logo.
  3. Link your post by using the linky tool at the bottom OR send an e-mail to simosite AT mac DOT com and include your name, blog name and blog address, and a permanent link to your post. Please, include the words "Novel Food" in the email subject, so I can more easily retrieve the message in my inbox.
  4. Non-English submissions are fine. If possible, include an introduction in English.

If you don't have a blog, send me an email telling us about the dish, the literary work that inspired it, and, if you have it, a picture of what you made: I will add it to the roundup as well.

Note #1: If you send me an email and don't receive an answer to it within two days, please contact me again: sometimes email messages get lost in cyberspace. Or leave a comment on this post.

Note #2: If you follow this link, you will be able to browse the roundup of all previous editions.

Note #3: I am also a co-host of Cook the Books Club, where we also read and cook. While the rules for participating in the Club (see here) are different from the rules for Novel Food, posts for the Club can also be submitted to Novel Food. For the current edition (February-March), we are reading the memoir Where I Come From by Aaron Sanchez (announcement here) and for the next edition (April-May) we will read the novel Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter



Novel Food #40: the finale (readings and recipes)

| Simona

Novel Food logo by Keith
I am proud to present the roundup of the 40th edition of Novel Food. I repeat that number to myself: 40th! I have been hosting the event for  13 years and it's been a constant pleasure. Particularly in a year like this, I like to pause to contemplate small successes.

I am happy to celebrate this important milestone with a group of book-loving food bloggers, who have contributed posts to the event. Each post describes a work of written words and the dish that the reading inspired. You are invited to 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 in your reading and in your kitchen.

Newrule

image from eliotseats.com

Debra of Eliot's Eats read Recipe for a Perfect Wife  by Karma Brown
and made Smoked Meatloaf

"Many of Nellie’s chapters begin with vintage recipes and totally dated and misogynistic quotes about housewifery. There’s recipes for the classics like meatloaf, chocolate chip cookies and even fancy Baked Alaska… For this post, I decided to pull out two family cookbooks to see if I could find a retro meatloaf recipe. I found this recipe in the compilation from my maternal grandmother’s stacks of recipes… Around here, we will certainly make this again (and again)! It was a great dinner! I plan to experiment by adding maybe blue cheese and a few walnuts, or adding some jalapenos with the colby-jack cheese and topping with salsa. The possibilities are endless…"

image from eliotseats.com

Debra also read THINKING & EATING: Recipes to Nourish & Inspire by the School of Life
and prepared an Orzo Pasta Bake

"Both a cookbook and a manifesto for living, [the book] pairs compelling essays about philosophy and psychology with more than 150 recipes… Warm, insightful and beautifully written, THINKING & EATING reveals the foods we should eat in order to feel like our best selves… Now, for some substantial food to feed your spirit and soul. I think we need more calm because life seems to be 'getting too much' right now so I tried the Orecchiette Pasta Bake. But, because of all the uncertainty (and hoarding) in our lives right now, there was no orecchiette in the pasta aisle. I used orzo for this recipe instead."

Newrule

Cheesecake1

Both of Judy of Judy's Gross Eats readings, As the Pig Turns, An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M. C. Beaton and
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, inspired her to bake a Cheesecake

"I was familiar with the Agatha Raisin series from British television, but it was my first time reading one of the novels. It is very light, escapist reading, a good thing in these challenging times. Based on the title, I thought there would be some discussion on food, but that wasn’t the case. (The pig turned out to be a policeman. On a spit.)… [Bryson's book] was a memoir about his childhood in Iowa… when he spoke about Johnny and Kay’s and their cheesecake, I knew it was a sign. So cheesecake it was… chill overnight. That was the most difficult part! Waiting! It was, however, delicious for breakfast."

Newrule

IMG_4509

Claudia of Honey from Rock read Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley
and was inspired to fry Chicken Lime Avocado Soup

In this tale reminiscent of the old Upstairs, Downstairs TV show, a youthful, though excellent chef, in Victorian London, finds herself stretched to her limits with cooking, shopping, (earning enough to support her little girl) all while helping solve the murder of her young assistant. I thought the ambitious and feisty cook was an engaging and well-drawn character… Early on Kat prepares an asparagus soup for the family. I'm not growing asparagus, however we do have avocados… I found this hot version [of avocado soup] on the side of a chicken broth carton. Yes, yes, I do make my own, but keep a few cartons for emergencies. And few of the ingredients that were included caught my eye – shredded chicken, and lime. So we have Chicken Lime Avocado Soup. "

Newrule

image from eliotseats.com

Questions of Perspective by Daniel Maunz inspired Debra of Eliot's Eats
to bake something special Cat Treats for her household's special feline, Eliot

"[The book] was presented to me as 'Metaphysical fiction—contemporary fiction with a speculative element, which gets a bit philosophical (not in a heavy handed way).' I loved this book. It is a totally irreverent look at spirituality… The bigger question here is probably what would you do with god-like powers if you had them? Would you solve the world’s problems or maintain free-will? These are all questions of perspective… There wasn’t a meal or a dish that really seemed relevant (per my previous comment) so I decided to embrace the love both John and Dave had for Peaches the cat. I would make cat treats." Go to Debra's post to read Eliot's review of the treats.

image from eliotseats.com

For her final contribution, Debra read A Borrowed Life by Kerry Anne King
and was inspired to prepare BPT Sandwiches

"[The novel] shows a world of reverent hypocrisy, one that is rigid and stifling… Elizabeth (or Liz) does get her life back (sort of) and she keeps a humorous outlook. Her stoic ability to find humor in dire circumstances made me love her… I remember a craving Liz had for a bacon sandwich with pickles. I was in. I also wanted to comment on the fact that she loved pickles growing up but since Thomas did not care for them he did not allow them in his house. Liz, here’s a sandwich I wish you would have served Thomas, with extra spicy pickles. You go girl, and eat all the pickles you want in this new life!… BPT might sound like a psychological disorder but it actually stands for Bacon, Pickle and Tomato!… The results? Deliciousness!!!!!"

Newrule

image from 1.bp.blogspot.com

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen read The Outlook for Earthlings by Joan Frank
which inspired her to prepare Shredded Tofu Egg-less Salad

The most surprising thing about [the book] is the amount of story that the author packs into about 230 pages. She covers decades in the friendship between two very different women, and their lives and their choices… Women's friendship is an interesting thing–who we choose as friends, who we choose to stay friends with, and how that friendship ebbs and flows over the years, changing and evolving. Frank captures the story of these two women in beautiful, slightly melancholy prose… Since it is such a short book, I wondered if there would be much food in it and there actually was… For my bookish dish I decided to go with the 'fake egg salad made of tofu'. I found a couple of recipes online but I ended up making up my own. "

Newrule

2020-10-18NotKD_800x725-500x453

Elizabeth of blog from OUR kitchen read Son of Trickster by Eden Robinson
and prepared Macaroni and Cheese

"I really liked the first half of this wonderfully written novel. I liked the boy, Jared,… in spite of his alcohol abuse and drug taking… then things got quite surreal, with shape shifting and ravens and sea otters and talking fireflies and grizzly bears that could walk through walls… Still, it held my interest to the end, and I’m eager to read the second part of the Trickster trilogy… I suddenly thought about shape shifting. Because that’s really what we do with ingredients, isn’t it?… J’adore macaroni and cheese. From autumn to late spring, I could eat it every day – breakfast, lunch and dinner. But not macaroni and cheese out of a box. No. No. No. It has to be from scratch…"

Newrule

IMG_344tromboncino squash soup / 4

creamy delight
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Simona of briciole read The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell
and prepared Tromboncino squash soup

"The book opens with a horrific mass murder in a remote Swedish village. Judge Birgitta Roslin, who is connected to some of the victims, gets involved the case, whose roots go back in time and space to the construction of the Pacific Railroad, which relied on the labor of, among others, Chinese workers. The novel travels also to Canton, Beijing, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Copenhagen and London… Tromboncino squash's long, curvy shape is eye-catching and its dense flesh and delicate, pleasant flavor make it a winner. Tromboncino squash does not belong to the Cucurbita pepo species like zucchini and other summer squashes, but rather to Cucurbita moschata, like butternut squash. Like its more famous relative, zucchetta has seeds only in the lower part of its body: the long neck is seedless."

Newrule

My special "thank you!" to the event's contributors: I hope you enjoyed participating as I do hosting the event.

You will find a link to this roundup and to those of all the earlier editions on this page. If you are looking for additional reading suggestions, head over to the Cook the Books Club website. For the October-November edition, which I am hosting, we are reading The Secret, Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams.

The next edition of Novel Food will start in late winter 2021: stay tuned for the announcement. In the meantime, take good care of yourself, your loved ones and your fellow citizens by observing health officials' instructions, read good books (maybe with the next Novel Food in mind), cook good dishes, and savor life's flow in its myriad expressions.

Arrivederci!

Announcing Novel Food #40

| Simona

Novel Food logo by Keith

Summer is quickly moving to fall in the Northern Hemisphere, which means it is time to launch a new edition of the culinary/literary event Novel Food, the 40th to be precise. Novel Food is a voyage of literary discovery and a party featuring literary-inspired dishes contributed by event's participants. This is the 13th anniversary edition: this is a hard year for the world and for California right now it is even more so. Still, I think it is important to focus on the small joys of daily life and certainly reading and cooking have been a comfort to me in the recent months, even more than usual.

I hope you will join. 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 Novel Food:

  1. Prepare a dish of your choosing that has a connection to a published literary work (novel, novella, short story, memoir, bio, poem, other nonfiction) you've read.
  2. Publish a post about it on your blog between today (Tuesday, September 15) and the end of Sunday October 18, 2020 (midnight, Pacific Time), referencing the Novel Food event (i.e., no archived posts). Include a link to this announcement. If you wish, you can use the Novel Food logo.
  3. Link your post by using the linky tool at the bottom OR send an e-mail to simosite AT mac DOT com and include your name, blog name and blog address, and a permanent link to your post. Please, include the words "Novel Food" in the email subject, so I can more easily retrieve the message in my inbox.
  4. Non-English submissions are fine. If possible, include an introduction in English.

If you don't have a blog, send me an email telling us about the dish, the literary work that inspired it, and, if you have it, a picture of what you made: I will add it to the roundup as well.

Note #1: If you send me an email and don't receive an answer to it within two days, please contact me again: sometimes email messages get lost in cyberspace. Or leave a comment on this post.

Note #2: If you follow this link, you will be able to browse the roundup of all previous editions.

Note #3: I am also a co-host of Cook the Books Club, where we also read and cook. While the rules for participating in the Club (see here) are different from the rules for Novel Food, posts for the Club can also be submitted to Novel Food. For the current edition (August-September), we are reading Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown (announcement here) and for the next edition (October-November) we will read The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter