Recipe for a Perfect Wife Round Up

Thanks for being patient, all.  I know that this round up is a few days late but here it finally is.    Let's jump right in.   

Some of us enjoyed Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown, others...not so much.

Of course, Camilla (Culinary Adventures with Cam) was first up with a not only a delicious sounding meatloaf but she also found a very fitting wine.  

"If you read the book, you'll know why foxglove is important to the plot. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say that foxglove is poisonous in large doses...or repeated small doses. It's a dangerous beauty for certain."  

Camilla further writes that she is not a fan of the book.  "I liked how the book started; I hated how it ended. Two things I found amusing throughout though: the misogynistic quotations at the beginning of each chapter - with an attribution to an actual person or publication (Someone actual wrote that? And someone actually valued the sentiment enough to put it in print?!?) and Nellie's recipes."

I am a fan of her bacon-wrapped mini meatloaf dish that accompanied the Foxglove Cabernet Sauvignon.

Next up is Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm made Lemon Lavender Muffins.   (Wendy also hosted this novel for Lit Happens, too.)  Wendy read the book in two days and writes:  "This novel grabbed my attention and held it.  That being said, I'm not sure I liked the book.  Perhaps it was that none of the characters were that 'real' to me.  But that's not it.  They were real, with good traits and bad.  Perhaps it was just Alice that I didn't care for.  She got on my last nerve with her lies, secrets and martyrdom.  She reminded me of a sullen, sulky teenager who always wanted things exactly her own way."  

Maybe Alice needed more of these muffins!

Amy's Cooking Adventures went retro with Hot Cheese Puff Canapes.   Amy felt similar to Wendy:  "I had very mixed feelings about the book.  I loved it at the beginning and was disgusted by the end." Regardless, she went to her Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook for this recipe.

I love that she went with a vintage cookbook and presented her recipe in this retro way.

Simona from briciole presented Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomatoes (melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia). She points out the sections devoted to Nellie and their paired recipes. Simona mentions tuna casserole (another retro favorite) but comments "In the summer, when fresh vegetables abound, I prefer to eat fresh vegetables. Still, I held to the idea of making a baked dish with a small number of ingredients."

This looks fresh and delicious!

Claudia from Honey from Rock did enjoy the book: "I especially loved her exhumation of some old recipes, harking back to my own childhood, and my mom's and mother-in-law's cooking.  Vintage cuisine I guess you could call it. And, an enjoyable, very worthwhile read." Claudia did focus on the tuna casserole.

She used the recipe from the book but did make some adaptions.

Next up is Deb from Kahakai Kitchen. Deb writes, "I like a food book and a book with dual narratives so I really liked those aspects of Recipe for a Perfect Wife. The little retro book and magazine excerpts from homemaking books are fun too."  She created a Tomato Soup with Porcupine (no-meat) Meatballs.  

"This Tomato Soup with (No-Meat) Porcupine Meatballs is really delicious, even if I should have probably called it deconstructed due to some meatballs structural challenges."  It does look like great comfort food.  

Since I am late with the round-up, I am putting my contribution last.  I tried to go retro, too, and used a family meatloaf recipe.   To change it up a bit, I smoked it.  

Click here for my smoked meatloaf recipe and instructions.

I enjoyed the book and like many of you, I found Alice to be totally unlikable.  One of the connections between Alice and Nellie is deception.  But, Nellie has to lie to survive.  I'm not sure what Alice's motivation is.

Thanks to all for reading along and cooking some great recipes.  Some are retro and some are inventive and modern.

I can't wait to dive into the October/November selection,  The Secret, Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams.   Simona is hosting and you can read her announcement post here.