Chris linked to an interesting post in this week’s Linkity. It was to a group of pictures of fictional meals, and it made me think about memorable food from books I love. A few years ago, when I was going through what I like to call My Proust Period, I could not stop baking madeleines (here’s a good recipe). I love the things — light with a hint of brown butter and lemon and perfect with a cup of tea and a good book. Of course, it was also a way of connecting me with the story, because even after the famous madeleine scene in Swann’s Way, which is only about a 1/5 of the way into the book (which itself is the first of many), I had something tangible to connect to, a kind of shared experience between me and the books. It’s also a sensory connection. That and well, I love to bake and I love to eat even more.

What are some memorable foods or meals from books that you know? Have you ever cooked something you’ve read about in a book? Is there a meal that you’d love to try?

Last year, I read the book Man, Oh Man! Writing M/M Fiction for Kinks & Cash written by Josh Lanyon. One of the things I vividly remember about it was a passage by Sarah Black, where she talked about how she often cooks while writing. It helps her get into the characters, especially if a character is eating something — she makes it. So what about you authors out there — have you ever considered the importance of food in your books? Food and Sex in m/m romance is one thing, but what about food in general? Is it important to you?

I love reading books about chefs for this same reason, perhaps because I can connect with a character who treats food as art. Scarlet Blackwell’s Table for Two series is a great example, as well as Jessica Freely’s Dharma Cafe, which treats food like alchemy. But if I had to choose a character that could cook anything and I’d eat it, I think it would be Cole from Strawberries for Dessert — that man can cook! Plus, he’d be a great dinner companion ;)

Let me know what you think!


Posted by in Sunday Supper Tags: , ,