*After you read Christy's post below,
click on the 2011 cover above to get your FREE copy of the first cookbook!
click on the 2011 cover above to get your FREE copy of the first cookbook!
There’s only one thing I love more than eating delicious food, and that is reading amazing books. I love it when characters enjoy good food in their adventuring. I love it so much that I created a set of cookbooks that combine my loves of reading and eating.
Each
year I review the books that I am reading (mostly YA, but a smattering
of all genres), including in the review a recipe that complements the
book in some way. For example, in The 2012 Book Blogger’s Cookbook, there are delectable recipes like “Caramel Crack” from Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi, "Everliving Soup" from Brodi Ashton's Everneath, and "Jagged Ham" from Elana Johnson's Possession.
To pick the recipes, I will often get my inspiration from something the characters eat, or a smell, or food mentioned. But I will also create recipes based on the theme, or tone of the book, or find some creative twist to play off of the title. After cooking the recipe for my family, I photograph it and post it on my blog. Every spring I compile a list of books and recipes and walla! A cookbook for book lovers.
The 2013 Book Blogger’s Cookbook is slated to release in May of 2013.
If you love food and books as much as I do, you probably like “reating” What is reating? Read on.
To pick the recipes, I will often get my inspiration from something the characters eat, or a smell, or food mentioned. But I will also create recipes based on the theme, or tone of the book, or find some creative twist to play off of the title. After cooking the recipe for my family, I photograph it and post it on my blog. Every spring I compile a list of books and recipes and walla! A cookbook for book lovers.
The 2013 Book Blogger’s Cookbook is slated to release in May of 2013.
If you love food and books as much as I do, you probably like “reating” What is reating? Read on.
5 Tips for “Reating”-the Fusion of Books and Food.
One
of the greatest pleasures in life is the combination of good food and
good books. When all of the kids are in bed and the lights in the
kitchen are off, get ready for some “me” time. Snuggle up with a good
book and something yummy! Some people say that it is unhealthy to eat
while you are reading, but if you follow these helpful tips, you can
give yourself permission to enjoy the fusion of great reads and great
eats.
5 “Reating Fusion” Tips
1. Choose a Great Book—one
that you can’t wait to get into. If you need help choosing a read,
there are loads of great book bloggers out there that give honest
reports about what’s great and what’s not.
2. Pick a food that is a treat for you.
My favorite reading treats are chocolate if I’m craving sweets, or
chips and salsa when I want something salty. My husband prefers to have
seconds of dinner for his dessert—especially when we have tacos.
3. Portion out your treat into a serving size that makes sense for you.
If you are going to have a treat that comes in a large container, such
as a bag of potato chips or a box of malt balls, take out a sensible
amount and put away the extra. That way you won’t mindlessly munch
during the intense action scene in your novel.
4. Find a comfortable place to snuggle up.
Some of my favorite spots include my bed, a cozy couch with a soft-glow
lamp, the back deck, a bench in the forest or park, and a hammock on
the beach (I wish!).
5. Relax and enjoy yourself. Immerse yourself in the experience of a tasty read and adventurous foods.
Share your thoughts with Christy in the comments below,and/or find her here:
Thanks for stopping by to share your
food for thought, Christy!
Hi Shelley & Christy!
ReplyDeleteI think this is such a fabulous idea. Someone actually asked me to do this earlier this year (take a scene from my novel & come up with a recipe). I'd never thought of it before but it turned out to be a fabulous idea.
Here's the recipe in case you have an interest: http://shellijohnson.com/2012/01/very-berry-coffee-cake-or-muffins/
Christy, I will be grabbing a copy of your cookbook as I love cooking & trying new recipes. Congrats on the upcoming publication of the new edition.
Cheers,
Shelli
Thanks Shelli. I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteWhoa! I have been "reating" since I was eight, so glad to know it finally has a term! :) Chocolate is my favorite reat treat, particularly chocolate-in-the-middle M&Ms.
ReplyDeleteI love these types of book "tastings." As an ESL teacher, I like to pick YA books from around the world and read them with my students. The students then bring in dishes from their country and it really brings about a lot of cross cultural understanding and a chance to taste authentic regional cuisine from around the world. Can't wait to check out your book!
ReplyDeleteHave you ladies read any of the Kay Scarpetta books by Patricia Cornwell. There are even a couple Kay Scarpetta Cookbooks. Reading this post put me in mind of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reating tips...I'm a messy eater sometimes so I try to not eat and read at the same time. With your suggestions maybe I'll give it a go with something not so messy.
Happy Reating!
Love this idea. I remember Shelly Workinger had a post about what are they eating....I think about the food in all the books I read now!
ReplyDeleteChristy's been busy in the two years since this guest post!
ReplyDeleteHere's an update directly from the author herself:
I released my first novel, Awakening: Book One of The Geis in September 2014(It's free right now on Amazon) There will be 3 novels and three novellas in this series. The first novel will come out this holiday season, and Displaced: Book Two of The Geis will be out early 2015! Also, Awakening was just released as an audiobook! If any of your readers want to stay caught up with what I'm doing, they are welcome to sign up for my newsletter at www.tinyurl.com/christydorritynewsletter.
Here's the link on Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B00F996AGU
I haven't released any more cookbooks, but I'll be teaching a class on Food in Fiction at the LDSStorymakers Conference in April 2015.:)