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The Hungry Bookworm

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Arsenic and Adobo + Ensaymada

May 25, 2021 by Megan 1 Comment

Mia P. Manansala’s debut novel, Arsenic and Adobo, is the first book in a new culinary cozy mystery series. Though I’ve never read a cozy mystery, I have always been intrigued by them — especially since there seem to be a lot of culinary cozy mysteries where food is front and center. When fellow blogger, Elizabeth from Dinner and a Novel, suggested we do a buddy read and each cook something to go with it, I didn’t hesitate! Not only is Arsenic and Adobo my first cozy mystery, it’s my first culinary buddy read too. 

Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

In the story, Lila moves back home from Chicago to help her Tita Rosie save her restaurant. Right away, a local food critic heads into the restaurant to cause trouble and then drops dead at a table — oh, and he happens to be Lila’s ex-boyfriend too. Lila is quickly caught up in the investigation and trying to conduct her own so she can clear her and her family’s name. 

[Read more...] about Arsenic and Adobo + Ensaymada

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: book of the month, books about food, cultural, dessert, fiction, mystery, quick read, snack

Review of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

April 6, 2021 by Megan Leave a Comment

I requested this story from NetGalley when I was in a very "I need an easy read" mood. Amy E. Reichert's latest novel, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, has a touch of magical realism, a lot of food, and a quirky rom com love story.

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert
Available at Bookshop.org and Amazon
[Read more...] about Review of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club

Filed Under: recipe Tagged With: fiction, quick read, rom com

The Midnight Library + Broccoli and Ricotta Toast

March 23, 2021 by Megan 2 Comments

Like so many hyped books before it, The Midnight Library excited me and gave me pause. I was immediately drawn to it from the description — a story about multiple lives lived and making right on past regrets — but the over-enthusiasm I saw everywhere pushed me away. I was, of course, afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Ultimately, though, I knew I would regret not picking it up, and so I did. It was amazing.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

Matt Haig created a novel about a library in which every book contains another life Nora Seed could’ve lived. She is free to explore as many lives as she chooses, until she finds one that suits her, where she’s fulfilled, and then she will stay. In one life, Nora is famous; in another, a scientist; and in another, she just eats toast. In some lives, she is married or single, a mother or not. Family and friends who have died are now alive, and sometimes those who were living have passed on. When picking a regret to correct, Nora never quite knows what will happen in the new story of her life — she must open the book and live it. 

I loved the concept. I loved the execution. Of course, I also loved that inside every book was a different life to live. And that Nora had a wonderful librarian to guide her in her journey. I was absolutely riveted and finished the entire novel within 24 hours. It made me think and feel… lots and lots of emotions. 

“Librarians have knowledge. They guide you to the right books. The right worlds. They find the best places. Like soul-enhanced search engines.” 

The Midnight Library, Matt Haig

The life where Nora eats toast is literally one line in the novel — "In one life she only ate toast." — but it stood out to me in a story where food wasn’t paid much attention. 

The other exception being a life in which Nora has a husband who "tended to put a whole bulb of garlic in every meal he created." (Sounds like an excellent husband to me!) In that same life, she enjoys "a great garlicky pasta-and-broccoli meal." Together, these things brought me to my recipe: Broccoli and Garlic-Ricotta Toasts.

If you love roasted garlic and roasted broccoli and snackables, you will love this recipe. I couldn’t get enough and was really sad when they were gone. Thankfully, making them was easy; I fully plan to make them again.

First, I toasted the baguette slices and roasted the broccoli and garlic. I sliced the baguette into thin (half inch) cuts on the bias and made sure the broccoli was cut into smallish florets so they would fit on the toasts later. 

Broccoli and garlic for roasting

Once the bread was golden, I took it out of the oven and let the broccoli continue roasting.

Toasted baguette slices

When the broccoli and garlic were done — a little brown on the edges — I pulled the pan out and let it cool enough to handle the garlic. While it cooled, I quickly mixed together the drizzle, which was just honey, white wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. Then, when it was cool enough, I squished the garlic out of the peel and into a bowl. 

Roasted garlic and hot-honey sauce

I mixed the garlic with ricotta cheese to make the spread for the toast.

Roasted garlic and ricotta spread

Then, I assembled the toasts. I spread each piece generously with the garlic-ricotta mixture, placed 2-3 pieces of broccoli on each, and then arranged them on a tray, drizzling them with the hot honey sauce before serving.

Broccoli and ricotta toasts

I know if I ever lived a life where all I ate was toast, this would be the one I want. I could eat this forever and ever. 

Broccoli toasts inspired by The Midnight Library
Broccoli and ricotta toasts
Print Recipe

Broccoli and Ricotta Toasts

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 baguette sliced ½" thick on a diagonal (about 12 slices)
  • 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 head of broccoli florets chopped into ½" pieces
  • 1 head of garlic cloves separated
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1½ cups fresh ricotta
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil. Toss on baking sheet to coat, then arrange again in a single layer. Place broccoli and garlic on another rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with remaining 4 Tbsp. oil. Season generously with salt and toss to combine.
  • Place broccoli on top rack and bread on bottom rack and roast until bread is golden brown and crisp, 10–12 minutes. Remove bread from oven and continue to roast broccoli and garlic, tossing once, until broccoli is browned all over and garlic is tender, another 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, whisk honey, vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
  • As soon as garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves out of their skins and mash in another small bowl to form a paste. Add ricotta and mix well; season with salt and black pepper.
  • Spread ricotta over toasts and top with roasted broccoli. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with honey mixture.

Notes

From: Bon Appetit

This post contains affiliate links. This does not increase the price you pay, but I may receive a small commission for any products you choose to buy. Purchases made through affiliate links help to cover my blogging costs. Thank you for helping to support The Hungry Bookworm! Full disclosure here.

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: appetizer, dinner party, easy prep, fantasy, favorites, fiction, science fiction, vegetarian, veggies

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies + Peach Cobbler

March 13, 2021 by Megan 1 Comment

It’s well-documented over my years blogging here that short stories aren’t for me… usually. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of short story collections I’ve truly enjoyed. That being said, Deesha Philyaw’s The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is one such collection. And I didn’t just like it — I loved it. It was my first 5-star read of the year and my first 5-star short story collection ever. 

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

It’s a slim volume, so I expected to get through it quickly but it ended up going even faster than I thought — I finished it the same day I started. I couldn’t put it down, which is unusual for me with a short story collection since it has several natural "take a break" points. The stories in Church Ladies focus on Black women and their varied relationships. They are told with insight and nuance, each word chosen with precision. Each story quickly drew me in, kept me engaged and then ended without leaving me wanting. 

The best part of this collection is that there was a clear food tie-in, which meant I got to write a review-recipe pairing for it! That food? Peach cobbler. There is, in fact, a story titled for the dessert in which it plays a feature role, and it’s mentioned in at least one other story too. It was possibly my favorite story, though I loved so many of them, it’s hard to pick a true favorite. 

Anyway, "Peach Cobbler" starts as such: 

My mother’s peach cobbler was so good it made God himself cheat on his wife. 

The main character watches her mother making the cobbler covertly, longing "to perfect the sweetness and textures" of her mother’s recipe. She also describes eating it:

I grabbed a handful of the cobbler and shoved it all in my mouth at once. The sugary juice dribbled over the corner of my mouth down to my chin as I chewed. I savored the peaches and the soft bits of crust soaked through with the syrup. 

Now, if that doesn’t make you want to gobble down your own peach cobbler, I don’t know what will. But I absolutely had to have some. I googled around to see if Philyaw herself shared a recipe somewhere, since she wrote about the "best cobbler in the world" with some authority, but I couldn’t find one. So, I settled for a Southern peach cobbler recipe that the creator says she spent an entire summer perfecting. 

I can’t help but agree that it is very delicious, even though I had to use canned peaches because fresh aren’t in season right now. (In the story, the mother uses fresh, except when not in season and is described as taking great care to drain the canned peaches, so I felt okay doing the same. But I can’t wait to try making it with fresh fruit this summer!)

As I mentioned before, I started with canned peaches. I used 5 cans, or what ended up being just over 6 cups. I drained 3 of the cans and used the juice from the other two, as the recipe creator recommended using about half the juice when using canned peaches. I cut them into bite-size chunks, except when the slices were already small or thin.

I tossed them with lemon juice, white and brown sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch. Then, I poured them into a 9x13 glass baking dish. 

Peaches for cobbler

I baked the peaches for 10 minutes in a 425-degree oven. Meanwhile, I made the topping. 

I grated cold butter using my food processor.

Grated Butter

Then I combined the dry ingredients — flour, white and brown sugars again, salt and baking powder. To them, I added the grated butter and then a half cup of boiling water, stirring it all together until just combined. 

Crust topping for cobbler

I used a small spoon to drop the crust in dollops onto the peaches. 

Crust on unbaked cobbler

I sprinkled the whole thing with cinnamon sugar and then slipped the dish back into the oven to bake for just under a half hour, until the crust was baked through and golden. 

Peach Cobbler

It was a mouthwatering pairing for The Secret Lives of Church Ladies — one that I will absolutely be making again.

Peach Cobbler inspired by The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
Peach Cobbler Piece
Print Recipe

Peach Cobbler

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Peach Filling

  • 8 medium-size fresh peaches* (about 9-10 cups) sliced into thin wedges or bite size chunks
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch

Crust Topping

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter chilled and grated
  • 1/2 cup boiling water

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a large baking sheet covered in foil on the lowest rack in the oven, as the cobbler may overflow. The baking pan will catch the drips and prevent a mess in the oven.
  • In a large bowl, combine the peaches and the lemon juice and then add the rest of the filling ingredients. Stir to coat and then pour into a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Bake the peach mixture in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. While the peaches are baking, combine the dry topping ingredients and whisk to combine. Toss the grated butter in the flour mixture. Stir in the boiling water, just until combined, leaving plenty of little lumps of butter.
  • Remove the peaches from the oven and drop the topping over them in spoonfuls. Sprinkle the cobbler topping with the cinnamon sugar topping. Bake until the crust is golden and a toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

From: Barefeet in the Kitchen
*If using canned peaches, use about 5 cans, or 6-7 cups. Drain about half of the juice (or 3 out of 5 cans worth). 
Use a cheese grater or grating attachment in a food processor to cut the butter in quickly.

This post contains affiliate links. This does not increase the price you pay, but I may receive a small commission for any products you choose to buy. Purchases made through affiliate links help to cover my blogging costs. Thank you for helping to support The Hungry Bookworm! Full disclosure here.

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, dessert, easy prep, favorites, fiction, fruit, short story

Show Us Your Books Reading Recap — What I Read in February

March 9, 2021 by Megan 6 Comments

I’m shocked to report that I’ve already read 20 books this year! At this rate, I should probably up my 2021 reading goal, but I’m kind of loving that it can give me the luxury of finally checking out some of those reallllllly long books that have been sitting on my TBR forever — so for now I’m leaving it. This last month also gave me my first AND second 5-star reads of the year, which is awesome. Let’s dive into what I read and see if there’s any you’d like to check out.

[Read more...] about Show Us Your Books Reading Recap — What I Read in February

Filed Under: book review, of interest Tagged With: book club, book list, fiction, historical fiction, memoir, mini review, science fiction, short story, show us your books

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue + Sweet and Savory Madeleines

March 2, 2021 by Megan Leave a Comment

I can’t remember when I first heard of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, but no sooner than I did, it was suddenly everywhere. People couldn’t stop talking about it, and with the description, I could see why. Still, I was a little hesitant to pick it up because we all know how I feel about high expectations — they can ruin many a reading experience. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

Addie LaRue is about a young woman in 18th century France who makes a bargain with the devil to live forever — and in that bargain she is doomed to never be remembered by anyone she meets. Until someone does remember her. 

[Read more...] about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue + Sweet and Savory Madeleines

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, chocolate, contemporary, cookies, fantasy, fiction, historical fiction

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The Hungry Bookworm brings together literature and food. Megan has an insatiable appetite for both.

As C.S. Lewis said, “Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” Enjoy!

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  • The Midnight Library + Broccoli and Ricotta Toast

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