Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Round Up

Thanks to everyone who participated in the August/September edition of Cook the Books.  It was fun to revisit a childhood classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.   

Since I'm late in posting the round-up, let's just jump right in.

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm was first up with your Mock Turtle Soup.  Wendy says,  "It is the strangest soup I have ever made, containing cookies and hard boiled eggs, and it was surprisingly tasty."  That does sound strangely delicious.

Please note that Wendy has made real snapping turtle soup.  (I'm impressed.)  I also love that she mentioned her previous experience with Alice had been with the Disney version.

Camilla was up next with her colorful Mad as a Hatter Madeleines.  Her cookies look lovely but Camilla did not finish the book:  "Maybe my patience with nonsense is thinning as I get older. I found this a mind-boggling level of ridiculousness. The story wandered and the eponymous Alice was incredibly annoying."

Thanks for still persevering and participating, Cam!

Amy took a different spin and focused on Through the Looking Glass.  Amy further impressed by reading these books aloud to her teenagers.  

I decided to reread them aloud with the kids.  At 12 and & 14 they were not thrilled.  They’re both boys and all about the action, action, action.  Alice was not that.  But we were in the car on a 4000+ mile road trip (that was awesome - all in agreement) and they had no choice (my superpower is being able to read…aloud or silently…in the car).

 She focused on the Bread and Butterfly.

Toast and cheeseball!

Claudia from Honey from Rock (and one of the CTB co-hosts) was one of those among us that had never read the book in its entirety. (This seems to be a common theme.) Claudia's vintage edition included "A Christmas Greeting poem after the prologue was written 'from a fairy to a child.'"  That became her inspiration to make Fairy Cakes for the tea party.  

Tina had another vintage edition and reminded us all that "This book was a trip.  If you've ever listened to Jefferson Airplane's song White Rabbit it will sum up the feeling of traveling with Alice. 🐇"  While there were quite a few sweet treats in the tale, Tina went with trippy 'shrooms.  

Her One-Pot Mushroom Rice looks and sounds delicious.  

Marg from The Intrepid Reader reminisced about an event held for a milestone anniversary for the book. 

Reading this again reminded me of the White Night event that was held in Melbourne back in 2015. In honour of the 150th anniversary of the book being published, one of the themes for the event was Alice in Wonderland, with many of Melbourne's building being transformed into giant canvasses for projections. Here are a few of the Alice related pictures I took that night.

She posts some lovely pictures of this event.  Keeping with a tea party theme, she made a wonderful sounding Earl Grey Tea Chiffon Cake. 

Simona from briciole (another CTB co-host) was quickly inspired.   

I knew immediately I'd make cookies for Alice: when I like a cookie, it's like it has EAT ME written on it. Also, in my opinion, the best foods with tea are cookies and scones, and Alice really goes with cookies.

She whipped up some delicious Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.   

 Co-host Deb from Kahakai Kitchen enjoyed revisiting Alice.  

The whimsy and humor of Carroll's writing made more of an impression on me as an adult, I am sure there was much of it that went completely over my had as a child. It's both weird and wonderful, making it a fun afternoon escape.

Let's return to the savory as Deb did another take on the mock turtle soup---(Very Mock Turtle) Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Green Olives.

I love the olives!

I loved Alice’s wonderment as she wandered through Wonderland.   When she grows as big as a house (or even bigger) her only thoughts are “There ought to be a book written about me, that there ought” (34).    Of course an adult would be screaming, “What is happening!!!!”   Alice just goes along for the ride.  In her world, there are no worries.  

As the host for this round of whimsical Alice and her trippy adventures, I'll end with a final savory dish:  Mystical Mushroom Pate.

 

Thanks to all that participated.  There were some friends we haven't seen in a while.   

We have one more book in this cycle for CTB.  Simona is hosting Cooking with Fernet Branca.  Stay tuned because we have started discussions about our next four books.  There's a lot of thought going into our next selections.   I think you all will enjoy!