Find Your Inner Child with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Eccentric inventor and chocolatier Willy Wonka, once opened the largest chocolate factory in the world, but spies stole his recipes, so he closed the factory to the public. The factory mysteriously started producing  again, and now Wonka is reopening it, but only to the five lucky children who find a golden ticket, hidden inside the wrappers of his Wonka bars. Charlie Bucket lives in poverty with his mother and his four elderly grandparents and there is barely enough money to buy food, let alone chocolate bars. After his birthday chocolate bar and a bar purchased with a coin his Grandpa Joe gives him do not yield the coveted golden ticket, Charlie thinks he has no chance to win a tour of the factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate candy. At the last minute, with money found on the street, Charlie buys a final bar and finds the last golden ticket. Now he and Grandpa Joe are headed to visit Wonka’s factory, along with some obnoxious companions. Wonka’s wonderland is full of amazing inventions, fabulous candy treats and mysterious little workers called Oompa-Loompas–but beware–dangers lurk there for bratty. misbehaved children!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is my pick for our February-March Cook the Books round. I read and re-read this book as a child, along with Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, but I had not revisited it since reaching adulthood. I thought it would fun to find my inner child by going back to this fun classic and I hope you will join in. With all the fantastical and mouth-watering treats imagined in the book, I can’t wait to see what sort of scrumdillicious treats and dishes everyone makes!

The deadline for your entry for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is Monday, March 26. To join in the fun, simply read the book, make a dish (or dishes) inspired by it,  and post your thoughts about the book and what you cooked up. Let me know when your post goes live by leaving a comment below and/or by sending me an email at debinhawaii@gmail.com. Judging information will be forthcoming.

Happy (& delicious) reading!