There are two great sources of comfort in the world, among a few other things: books and food. Books that invite us in to stay awhile and recipes that bring together family and friends for unforgettable experiences.
Books that embody both aspects are often incredibly satisfying, but I’ve learned something: don’t read them on an empty stomach. You’ll likely need to stop reading to satisfy your food cravings. =)
Here’s a list of books NOT to read when you’re hungry…but perfect to read when you want to explore the connections between food, family and friendship.
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Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan
Jenny Colgan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. She whisks (yes, pun in intended….hold on) me away to another country, another life, another secret desire to tap into my creative side and does so with such compelling, loveable and relatable characters. I adored The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris and fell in love with Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe in just a few chapters. The story follows Issy and her path to starting over with a dream to bake as her grandfather so lovingly taught her. Colgan captures her dreams, her fears, her inner monologues and the connections she has with others and even better, she also gives us a glimpse into the lives of all of them, too. Start to finish, this was a sweet delight and now, I’m off to tackle the cupcake recipes that were included. You better believe I’ll be reading Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’s Sweetshop of Dreams right after that. I. AM. HOOKED.
Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
This epistolary novel will have you yearning to break out your old-fashioned note cards and get writing. I promise. It all begins when Joan, a young aspiring writer writes to her long-time mentor, Imogene with gratitude for her inspiration and a pouch of saffron as a token of her appreciation. This single letter starts a long distance friendship bound by their love of words and delicious food. Their new connection helps them experience new ideas and flavors and opens their eyes to new possibilities in their own lives, too. Joan said it best: the less we cement ourselves to our certainties, the fuller our lives can be. This book showcased how we can do just that through writing, food, friendship and love.
The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere
Life From Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness by Sasha Martin
Over the course of 195 weeks, food writer and blogger Sasha Martin set out to cook—and eat—a meal from every country in the world. As cooking unlocked the memories of her rough-and-tumble childhood and the loss and heartbreak that came with it, Martin became more determined than ever to find peace and elevate her life through the prism of food and world cultures. From the tiny, makeshift kitchen of her eccentric, creative mother to a string of foster homes to the house from which she launches her own cooking adventure, Martin’s heartfelt, brutally honest memoir reveals the power of cooking to bond, to empower, and to heal—and celebrates the simple truth that happiness is created from within.
