Monday, July 20, 2020

Tolstoys Macaroni and Cheese and Other Recipes from Classic Authors

Tolstoys Macaroni and Cheese and Other Recipes from Classic Authors Its not unusual to find a contemporary author that includes recipes within a books pages (see Sarah McCoys The Bakers Daughter)  or to even publish an entire cookbook (see Patricia Cornwells  Food to Die For). Authors share recipes and food photos via social media. We see how food affects their writing, and we pick up some great tips for the kitchen or restaurant recommendations. This is just one of the many ways that we connect with authors today that just wasnt an option before. Its a good thing, then, that we have access to the letters and journals and recipe cards of the great authors like this recipe from Leo Tolstoy for Mac N Cheese  (via the fine folks at Open Culture). When I saw that link reposted over the holidays, it got me wondering what other great recipes I could find out there from some of our favorite authors.  Take a look: Emily Dickinsons recipe for coconut cake (via NPR) Allen Ginsbergs Summer Borscht (via The Allen Ginsberg Project) Beatrix Potters recipe for Gingerbread (via The Kitchn) Ernest Hemingways Wild West Hamburger (via Saveur) Theres also    Sylvia Plaths Tomato Soup Cake (via The Guardian) and  George Orwells unpublished essay on British Cookery, including recipes for a Christmas Pudding, Treacle Tart, and other British delicacies (via UCL Library Special Collections). On my little trip down this particular literary rabbit hole, I also discovered a super-cool blog called Paper Salt that attempts to recreate and reinterpret the dishes that iconic authors discuss in their letters, diaries, essays, and fiction. Its definitely worth checking out. ____________________ Follow us on Pinterest for drool-worthy covers, Book Fetish-y lit swag, bookish inspiration, and more! ____________________ Book Riot Live is coming! Join us for a two-day event full of books, authors, and an all around good time. Its the convention for book lovers that weve always wanted to attend. So we are doing it ourselves.