A Method to the Madness

In the book By Any Other Name, Emilia has to suffer through an abusive marriage. She spends much of her time doing whatever she can to provide bread for her family. In one scene of the book, Emilia stands up to her husband, Alphonso, while taking a swig of ale and a bite of bread….

A Filtered View of the Marvel Universe

In the book Breaking the Dark, Jessica spies on Amber’s teenage son, Fox, while he is at a restaurant for his friend’s birthday dinner. She hasn’t eaten a proper meal in days, and the author goes out of her way to describe the warm, flaky bread that was served. We hope to give Jewell’s description…

Amuse Bouche: The Fragile Threads of Power

I’m introducing a new segment in my blog called, “Amuse Bouche.” These books will not have a full review, but rather a tasting of my opinion. There is still a food or drink pairing below, though! Check out the smoky cherry bourbon to go along with this book! Book: The Fragile Threads of Power by…

Corporate Calamity

In the book The Same Bright Stars, Jack struggles with the decision to sell his family restaurant to the corporate juggernaut DelDine. As he wrestles with navigating life after the restaurant, he starts teaching himself how to make pies. One of the first pies he shares with his friends, Andie and Deacon, is a lemon…

Sisters Banding Together

In the book Sisters Under the Rising Sun, Norah and Ena care for a little girl named June whose mother had died when their ship, the Vyner Brooke, wrecked. After being imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp, the women and children suffered through fierce starvation and abuse. A few times in the book, the women find opportunities…

Deserve to Die

In the book No One Can Know, Emma Palmer finds herself pregnant and moving back to her mudered parents’ house with her new husband, Nathan. At the height of her morning sickness, Emma’s sister, Daphne, breaks into the house and leaves her some toast. In light of the story as well as the Christmas holiday, I chose…

The Best Of Your Soul

We Are the Light BY Matthew Quick In We Are the Light, Mark and Tony invite Jill an Lucas over to their house for dinner. Since Jill is always taking care of people through her cooking, they surprise her by hiring a private chef for the evening. Jill eagerly chats with the chef all night…

Generational Deceit

The Heiress BY Rachel Hawkins In The Heiress, Camden and Jules face nothing but bitterness and spite when they pull up to Ashby House. The only person who seems to welcome them is Cecilia, the housekeeper, who leaves a comforting homemade casserole in the fridge for them. Jules describes the casserole as “something with chicken,…

Locked in Silence

Happiness Falls BY Angie Kim In Happiness Falls, Mia’s boyfriend, Vic, visits the Parsons right before Eugene begins telling his story. Knowing the family is exhausted after the long interview, Vic makes them the only thing he knows how to cook– macaroni and cheese with salad on the side. Bake up the ultimate comfort food…

Where Credit is Due

A Likely Story BY Leigh McMullan Abramson In A Likely Story, Isabella’s godmother, Glenda, takes her out for a birthday dinner at Barney’s. Glenda orders to pair Dom Perignon along with two Madison Avenue Salads. Replicate this famous salad using this recipe for Mark’s Madison Avenue Salad Recipe, an excerpt from The Freds at Barney’s…