I am a foodie. It’s just that simple.
A good risotto makes my heart sing. A perfectly
pan-seared fillet of sea bass? Pure heaven. Belgian chocolates? Verdicchio di
Matelica wine? Caciocavallo cheese? Red wine flavoured gelato? You betcha.
It’s not
just gourmet delights that tempt my tummy. A good bowl of cheese grits or
fluffy pancakes with maple syrup? Yup, I’m in.
A chocolate chip cookie? Yes, yes, yes! I love good food. And my hips are proof
of it.
So it’s not
so surprising that when I write, my characters also love good food. In my
holiday romance, Snowbound, Mia and Jake both have
childhood memories triggered by food.
For Mia, so many of her memories of her deceased
grandparents revolve around food. Back at her grandparents’ house for the first time since her grandmother
died, a neighbour’s visit reminds Mia of
the holiday baking her grandmother used to do. The pumpkin pies and applesauce
cakes that scented the house with cinnamon and vanilla…the pound cakes and butter cookies… the sticky buns and fresh donuts for the
Christmas caroling practice…all
of these remind Mia of Grandma Ruth and make her long for her grandmother’s comfort and love.
For Jake, the South African photographer whom Mia
initially sees as an interloper, his memories of South Africa are also
bittersweet. Whenever he thinks of Cape Town and his life there, he is reminded
more of what he lost. But what still reminds him of his childhood and his
parents, is the stew his mother used to make for him, potljiekos—a layered stew often made with lamb, pork or
cured beef. One evening, he makes it for Mia, not expecting the unwanted guests
who’d turned up earlier.
Even during the snowstorm that throws them
together, food and strong cups of coffee bring them together. Throughout the
novel, food elicits memories for Jake and Mia and eventually helps them make
new memories together.
I’ll be
giving away an autographed paperback of Snowbound and a $15 Amazon gift card. To
enter to win, like my author page on Facebook and then tell me: which food brings back cherished
memories for you? Leave your food memory in the comments
here. The person whose food memory really speaks to me will be the winner! :)
The giveaway runs from 25 July until 3 August!
Thanks for stopping by to share your food for thought, Kim!
You can find Kim here:
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