Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way through Great Books (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
In her preface, Nicoletti writes, "I fell in love with cooking through reading." I know exactly what she means. Some of my favorite scenes from literature involve lengthy descriptions of food. Remember the hot, buttery pancakes eaten by the stack in Pippi Longstocking's kitchen? Or Almanzo Wilder tucking into a farm-fresh Sunday dinner? Chocolate frogs aboard the Hogwarts express, and mouthwatering Turkish delights? (And I didn't even know what a Turkish delight was!) Growing up, books were Nicoletti's comfort food. Later, working as a chef, she started inventing dishes inspired by the the novels she and her friends devoured -- and a Book-Supper-Club was born. You'll drool over the recipes, but even better, after reading vignettes about the ways these novels shaped her life, you'll have a ready-made reading list the next time you visit!
— EmmyDescription
Stories and recipes inspired by the world's great books
As a young bookworm reading in her grandfather's butcher shop, Cara Nicoletti saw how books and food bring people to life. Now a butcher, cook, and talented writer, she serves up stories and recipes inspired by beloved books and the food that gives their characters depth and personality.
From the breakfast sausage in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods to chocolate cupcakes with peppermint buttercream from Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, these books and the tasty treats in them put her on the road to happiness.
Cooking through the books that changed her life, Nicoletti shares fifty recipes, including:
The perfect soft-boiled egg in Jane Austen's Emma Grilled peaches with homemade ricotta in tribute to Joan Didion's Goodbye to All That New England clam chowder inspired by Herman Melville's Moby-Dick Fava bean and chicken liver mousse crostini (with a nice Chianti) after Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs Brown butter crv?pes from Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl
Beautifully illustrated, clever, and full of heart, Voracious will satisfy anyone who loves a fantastic meal with family and friends-or curling up with a great novel for dessert.
About the Author
Illustrator Marion Bolognesi lives and works in New York City and has exhibited her paintings around the globe. Her website is Marion-B.com.
Praise For…
"Voracious is charming, poignant, and mouthwatering-a book for anyone who has craved a meal in a novel. Cara Nicoletti's writing captures the nourishment of literature and all the magical and tempting ways food and books enrich our lives."—Kate Christensen, author of Blue Plate Special and The Great Man
"Voracious satisfies two powerful appetites: for great food and for great books. We come to know Cara and her family as she digs into the lives of beloved authors-Homer, Melville, Woolf, Tartt-and discovers the best techniques for making donuts and braising lamb in wine. Her debut is a feast: warm, big-hearted, and inviting."—Nina MacLaughlin, author of Hammer Head
"It's not the type of book you'll ever want to put down.... But more than this, Voracious functions as a remarkably fresh take on coming-of-age."—National Post
