Iceland is the No. 1 country in the world for gender equality, and while researching That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together in Iceland, I quickly became addicted to kleinur, a traditional Icleandic confection. Flavored with cardamom, they are similar to crullers or twisted doughnuts, and […]
Tag Archives | book club
Addie’s Crispy Salmon and Rice recipe from RESCUED
One of the most gratifying aspects of writing Rescued was speaking with so many thoughtful and insightful people about their second-chance dogs and their relationships with them. I spoke with Elissa Altman, the James Beard-award winning food writer at an especially tender time. Just a few weeks earlier, Elissa, her partner Susan, and their other rescue, […]
A Gentleman in Moscow Latvian Stew recipe from Amor Towles
In writing a novel, I work from an extensive outline that describes in detail the events of every chapter, the settings, and the psychological states of the characters. As a result, when I began composing the “Advent” chapter in A Gentleman in Moscow, I knew that the Count would visit the Piazza (the main restaurant […]
Alexandra Risen’s Maple Granola
I lived in Montréal for almost two decades and cherished its multicultural culinary treats. Traditional neighborhoods abound, and I wandered from French bistros to little Italy to Schwartz’s smoked meat deli to my favorite shawarma restaurant whose pita sandwiches fueled me through university. I carry two beloved Montréal memories with me: the sweet beauty of […]
Historical Dutch Apple Pie recipe from author Dominic Smith
Life is weather. Life is meals. I always recall this James Salter quote from Light Years whenever I think about food in fiction. Meals are also a signifier in novels and stories. What a character eats—and how they eat it, and with whom—tells us a lot about their background and worldview. In The Last Painting of […]
Ona Vitkus’ Tomato Soup Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Hello, readers. If you’re reading The One-in-a-Million Boy for your book club, here is a cupcake version of my main character Ona’s tomato soup cake. I know, they sound awful. But don’t leave before trying one! My publisher also puts out cookbooks, so the recipe went through their test kitchen. I got the idea for tomato […]