It's time for the roundup of
Cook the Books' Club June-July 2015 edition for which we read
The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch.
For each contribution (given in order of publication), I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a brief quote from it — a teaser that will entice you to follow the link and read the details of the dish prepared and of how the reading inspired the activity in the kitchen.
Now, please, make yourself comfortable, then follow me on a little literary / culinary journey to the queendom of bees.
Rachel was flat out not prepared to like the book, "but then, this book snuck up on me... I had to make a
Hungarian-inspired meal. One of the things I've always wanted to make
was stuffed cabbage. Despite threads of Eastern European heritage that I
carry in my DNA and have married into, no one in my family ever made galumpkes, though the word was thrown around now and then in relation
to someone making a dumb decision; as in, 'Don't be such a galumpke!'."
Amy loved this month’s book: "It is an absolutely perfect summer read! It’s a light, happy romance (without the smut) that leaves the reader happy and hopeful!... And as much as I wanted to choose a recipe with honey, I ended up making ice cream! It’s been on my bucket list for ages plus there’s a lovely ice cream scene in the book, full of quirky characters that had me laughing out loud!"
Wendy read this book in one sitting, which tells you know just how much she
loved it: "It is a love story with absolutely no smut included... The Wedding Bees is filled with tons of delicious food all described in
mouthwatering detail. The dish I decided to make was Baklava, a dish
that showed up a few times in the story."
Alicia would not have cared for the novel under normal circumstances, but "reading it with the back-drop of a white supremacist trying to
instigate a race war by murdering African Americans in Charleston meant
that it was not the best of times... I think the
shootings at Emanuel AME church have opened up so many conversations
about race, heritage and different experiences of the deep South that I
felt obliged to post. And I felt compelled to look for a recipe from
African American food traditions."
Claudia "loved how a little thoughtfulness, love and attention were so
effective in working changes in those around [Sugar]. Actually, we could
all benefit from application of the Sugar Wallace technique on those we
encounter day to day... I love pavlovas, but had never made one with pineapple, or with mint and
chocolate... They are also called Angel
Pies, for good reason."
Although "about a little over halfway through the book" Debra "wanted to slap Sugar," she still "admired her sweet (pun intended) demeanor and eagerness to help all around her... I would classify The Wedding Bees as the perfect summer beach read.
Of course I was inspired to make something sugary sweet and I thought these cookies fit the bill. Despite all the honey in these cookies, they are not as sweet as I
imagined."
Deb is "a fan of Sarah-Kate Lynch and her books--she has a talent for writing books that are
filled with quirky, fun characters, a little bit of magic, and usually some pretty mouthwatering food mixed in, The Wedding Bees was no exception... I decided to make the drink and use some of the leftover burnt honey to make some Spicy-Sweet Honey-Glazed Pecans to nibble on while imbibing."
When Cathy enjoys a book "it’s fun to read all the way to the end because you
often find interesting post-scripts." The dish she shares "is not sweet really but made with a honey dressing. Folks don’t think about grilling green beans. But that charred flavor is really something, especially when you pair it with the dressing."
Among the characters, Simona was particularly taken by "Ruby, a young woman robbed of their smile by anorexia. The few 1/8 of a rice cracker portions she doles out to herself daily made me want to bake bread for her, the quintessential nourishing food of the culinary tradition in which I grew up, and sweeten it lightly with honey. Its yellow color is a way of bringing a ray of light in Ruby's life."
A great Thank you! to everyone who joined in this edition of Cook the Books.
I believe all the submissions I have received are presented in the roundup. However, mishaps are part of life, so if you find anything missing or in need of amendment anywhere in the roundup, please do let me know.
And now, I’ll turn things over to Rachel of
The Crispy Cook for the August-September 2015 selection:
Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson.
Arrivederci a presto!
