Hoggirl Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 We will soon be signing up for our year for book club. When one hosts, she chooses the book and decides what to do about food. Lots of time everyone brings appetizers and desserts to share. However, last year, I just decided to cook dinner for everyone. We range anywhere from 6 to 16 in number. Anyway, when I last hosted we read The Help. I fixed brisket, hash brown potato casserole, grape salad, and CHOCOLATE PIE (which ties in with the book quite nicely - tee-hee). I would like to do this again. BTW, we have already read Eat, Pray, Love, so I can't have them read that and then cook Italian - though that is the kind of idea I am looking for. Anyone have a suggestion for a great read that has some food in it that could be incorporated into the dinner I fix for this (potentially) large-ish group? Our books run the gamut, though we do read quite a bit of fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 The School of Essential Ingredients (Erica Bauermeister) would give you a lot of options, as it's set in a cooking class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Julia Child's My Life in France? Or Welty's Delta Wedding describes a lot of meals (and is one of my favorite books). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cat in black Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 My Life in France by Julia Child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 A Year in Provence http://www.amazon.com/Year-Provence-Peter-Mayle/dp/0679731148 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Maybe Larry's Party? It culminates in a dinner party, and the menu (squash soup, lamb, lima beans...all lovely things) is even written out on one of the pages. Our book circle read Red, White and Drunk All Over and had tastings of some of the wines mentioned in the book. You could do that with a bunch of appetizers or you could go all out and do food pairings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirth Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Tender At The Bone http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Bone-Growing-Random-Readers/dp/0812981111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294454006&sr=8-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Comfort Me With Apples or Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichel, former editor of Gourmet. They are not about food, per se; they are wonderful memoirs of a very interesting life, with several recipes thrown in for fun. http://www.ruthreichl.com/books.html A Girl Named Zippy would also be fun; it isn't about food, either, but a 70's-themed meal would fit nicely. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Better do this one in spring or summer, though! It's about seasonal local eating. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. It made me so hungry!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 I love this thread and all the great suggestions. This one is a really nice book and has a recipe in between every chapter. Absolutely delicious recipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 8, 2011 Author Share Posted January 8, 2011 Pomegranate Soup - what kinds of recipes are included? Are there hard-to-find foods in them? Can someone describe Water for Chocolate? Essential Ingredients sounds good, too! Can anyone compare these three? A lot to ask, I realize. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I loved this book.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 My son is reading this book in a "Food in Fiction" class right now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I loved this book.... Couldn't tell to what you were referring :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Oh, sorry, I use the threaded mode so I can see who I'm responding to but I guess you can't in other modes. It's the Year in Provence book..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Pomegranate Soup - what kinds of recipes are included? Are there hard-to-find foods in them?Can someone describe Water for Chocolate? Essential Ingredients sounds good, too! Can anyone compare these three? A lot to ask, I realize. ;) Pomegranate Soup is about 3 Persian/Iranian sisters setting up a mouth-watering restaurant in rural Ireland. Very nice story. The recipes - some are easy-to-find ingredients. Others, depending on where you live - you may need an international store. Stuff like: Baklava - need pistachios Abgusht - a delicious meat stew - leg of lamb and some other optional ingredients How to make PERFECT Persian Rice - and trust me, IMHO, no one makes rice like they do. Then again, I'm biased. ;) Fesenjoon - our favorite - to die for - serve with rice above - needs pomegranate paste (and I always use more than the recipe calls for) In other words, most of the ingredients are do-able, some need an international store, which all large cities and most small cities in the U.S. have Water for Chocolate - only saw the movie and absolutely loved it School of Essential Ingredients - nice book, but not a "wow" book for me, personally. Nice enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) Five Quarters of the Orange Babette's Feast In Defense of Food Julie and Julia Edited January 9, 2011 by flyingiguana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Pomegranate Soup is about 3 Persian/Iranian sisters setting up a mouth-watering restaurant in rural Ireland. Very nice story. The recipes - some are easy-to-find ingredients. Others, depending on where you live - you may need an international store. Stuff like:Baklava - need pistachios Abgusht - a delicious meat stew - leg of lamb and some other optional ingredients How to make PERFECT Persian Rice - and trust me, IMHO, no one makes rice like they do. Then again, I'm biased. ;) Fesenjoon - our favorite - to die for - serve with rice above - needs pomegranate paste (and I always use more than the recipe calls for) In other words, most of the ingredients are do-able, some need an international store, which all large cities and most small cities in the U.S. have Water for Chocolate - only saw the movie and absolutely loved it School of Essential Ingredients - nice book, but not a "wow" book for me, personally. Nice enough. I really like the sound (and potential taste!) of Pomegranate Soup, but I am doubting my ability to find some of the ingredients. We are NOT in a big city or even a small city. We do have one "fancy" grocery store that I could check out. Thanks for the comparison. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooooom Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and my mom made up a potato peel pie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Like Water for Chocolate was a big hit for my mom's night out club. We read the book, ate some food from the book (and a few others adapted for my group) and discussed the book. Later, those of us who could stay watched the movie - one of my favorite foreign films of all time. I made the chicken in rose petal sauce (substitute for the quail), a chocolate cake with cayenne pepper and a ganache frosting and some chipotle chocolate covered nuts. Delicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Under the Tuscan Sun has recipes in it. The name is about the only thing the book and movie have in common. What about an historical fiction book and fixing something from the time period? Or an historical non-fiction like John Adams or 1776? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairytalemama Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 In my book club, everyone always tried to tie either the snack or dessert served to the book just read. Sometimes it's nearly impossible so people get creative. We went through our Afghanistan phase (i.e. Kite Runner, The Bookseller of Kabul, etc.) and ate a lot of hummus and pita. There was the time we read A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail and the host produced some protein bars and dehydrated food. And we read Pomegranate Soup too and used that as an excuse to eat prolific amounts of baklava. We're reading Grand River and Joy right now and the protagonist is Jewish. Lots of talk in that book about matso balls and macaroons. I think I have an inkling about what we'll be eating at book club this Wednesday night. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 There is a book called The Book Club Cookbook. Inside it connects popular books to recipes that could be made. For instance, Peace Like a River has the author's family recipe for cinnamon rolls (a minor part of the story). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imprimis Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I love this thread and all the great suggestions. This one is a really nice book and has a recipe in between every chapter. Absolutely delicious recipes. I really enjoyed Pomegranate Soup. I also really liked The School of Essential Ingredients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 There is a book called The Book Club Cookbook. Inside it connects popular books to recipes that could be made. For instance, Peace Like a River has the author's family recipe for cinnamon rolls (a minor part of the story). For what it's worth, this is one of my favorite books ever. Always happy to hear of someone else reading it, and I've given away more than my share of copies just so I'll have more people to love it with me. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 There is a book called The Book Club Cookbook. Inside it connects popular books to recipes that could be made. For instance, Peace Like a River has the author's family recipe for cinnamon rolls (a minor part of the story). This could be an "issue" for me, as I have a bit of a "problem" with cookbooks...as in, I already have waaaayyy too many 'cause I love them. Off to look at Amazon. What is Peace Like a River about/like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 What is Peace Like a River about/like? Please read the reviews for PLAR while you're on Amazon. It is the one by Leif Enger, not the bodice-ripper that also comes up when you search for it. If the reviews don't make you want to rush out and read it, I'll ... well, I don't know, but they will. Everyone to whom I have given this book (half-a-dozen people, easily) has then passed their copy along to or bought a new copy for someone else. It's just one of those books you read and want to share. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 A girl I know started a blog about cooking dishes inspired by books she was reading. www.jessica-thebookcook.com She has some great looking stuff here, but it's relatively new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Under the Tuscan Sun Chocolat The Hindi Bindi Club Climbing the Mango Trees Apricots on the Nile The World in My Kitchen The Summer of my Greek Taverna Blackberry Wine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I just finished reading "Winter Garden." I really enjoyed it. You could make Russian food. The mom in the book is Russian and is constantly cooking homemade traditional Russian food. What a fun idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thea Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I didn't see this one listed A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg I read this for my book club and everyone brought a recipe to the meeting to share. I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard Although I'm not sure what dish one would cook after reading this one, cooking is somewhat central. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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