When you finish a novel that includes a strong food theme, you may want to make a dish that continues those yummy good book feelings. Or maybe you’re part of (or want to start) a combo book club/potluck. Some of the books below already include recipes, but here are some suggestions to go even further, pairing novels and cookbooks.
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis J. Hall
+ The Great British Baking Show: Kitchen Classics
A passionate baker, Rosaline Palmer jumps at the chance to compete on the reality TV baking competition Bake Expectations, hoping to realize her dreams and also attain a more secure future for herself and her 8-year-old daughter. In addition to the regular pressures of the baking tent, Rosaline finds herself attracted to two very different fellow contestants: charming architect Alain, and gentle electrician Harry.
The fake food show in Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is, of course, a callback to the very popular Great British Baking Show. So go ahead and dig into these 80 recipes from Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, and the bakers of the 2023 GBBO season.
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood
+ Gohan: Memories and Stories from My Family’s Kitchen by Emiko Davies
In Kyoto, father-daughter duo Nagare and Koishi Kamogawa run a very special diner, where they dig into diners’ memories to recreate meaningful meals – food that might unlock long ago pasts and future happiness.
If The Kamogawa Food Detectives has you craving Japanese food made with love, try Gohan, which blends recipes for home-cooked Japanese food alongside the memories and family stories the food evokes for the author.
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski
+ Homestead Recipes: Midwestern Inspirations, Family Favorites, and Pearls of Wisdom From a Sassy Home Cook by Amanda Rettke
In the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Esther Larson has long been part of the “funeral ladies,” a group of women who cook for families grieving a loss. But now Ester herself has fallen on hard times. Her granddaughter, Iris, is determined to help Esther while also finding her own future path. Iris isn’t the only only one looking for a path forward; Cooper has sought refuge in the small town as he grapples with his own tragedy. Will a community cookbook bring them together?
Midwestern home cooking is legendary – casseroles, pastas, pies – often rich food that has a comforting element. Whether you’re cooking for others or yourself, enjoy the regional classics in Homestead Recipes.
Happy Reading, and bon appetit!
~ posted by Andrea G.
Shelf Talk 