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The Hungry Bookworm

reading + eating

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easy prep

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow + Strawberry and Cream Cheese Empanadas

January 9, 2021 by Megan 1 Comment

I first heard about Laura Taylor Namey’s young adult novel, A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow on one of my favorite book podcasts, All the Books! It was described as delightful and heart-squeezing by Liberty Hardy, and she said the descriptions of food made her so hungry. I knew I had to pick it up, and luckily, I was able to get a copy from the library nearly right away!

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Lila is a Cuban-American girl living in Miami. As she graduates high school, Lila knew exactly what was in store for her future, but unfortunately, life had other plans. Newly adrift, she is sent to England to live with her cousin for the summer. Lila doesn’t sulk for long and soon she is getting back in the kitchen (her cousin lives at a bed and breakfast), making friends, and discovering a new future. 

[Read more...] about A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow + Strawberry and Cream Cheese Empanadas

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: books about food, dessert, easy prep, fiction, five ingredients or less, young adult

Kids Edition: The Snowy Day + Snowball Cookies

December 19, 2020 by Megan 1 Comment

Jump to Recipe

When we brought my son home last December, we read to him constantly — mostly black and white books at first but we quickly moved to longer stories. One of my favorites was The Snowy Day, which I read to him to commemorate his first snowfall. I put it away in the spring and recently dug it out to add back to the bookshelf. Again, it was just in time for the first snowfall.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
[Read more...] about Kids Edition: The Snowy Day + Snowball Cookies

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, cookies, easy prep, kids edition, seasonal

Kids Edition: You're My Little Pumpkin Pie + Pumpkin Pie Crisp

November 21, 2020 by Megan 2 Comments

One of our favorite books this fall has been You’re My Little Pumpkin Pie by Natalie Marshall. With memorable rhymes and cute illustrations, it’s sure to become a fast favorite in your house too! My son especially loves the cut-outs and reveals on each page.

You're My Little Pumpkin Pie by Natalie Marshall
[Read more...] about Kids Edition: You're My Little Pumpkin Pie + Pumpkin Pie Crisp

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, children's, dessert, easy prep, kids edition

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School + Alfredo Sauce

November 17, 2020 by Megan 3 Comments

Kathleen Flinn’s The Kitchen Counter Cooking School is not what I expected. I bought it on a whim at a library used book sale (how I miss those!) because it looked food-related, and I love food-related reads. I think I thought it was fiction. Anyway, I recently picked it up as my selection for an alliterative read in my Long Distance Reading Challenge and realized it’s non-fiction. 

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn

In it, Kathleen teaches nine women (apparently there was one male participant who ended up dropping out before it started) to cook. She starts by going to their houses to get a sense of what’s in their cupboards and fridges and their level of cooking skill. Then, the group meets weekly in a commercial kitchen, and Kathleen imparts her wisdom. The women make everything from simple vinaigrettes and bread to soups and braised pork. They learn knife skills and how to prepare and use a whole chicken. 

[Read more...] about The Kitchen Counter Cooking School + Alfredo Sauce

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: books about food, easy prep, five ingredients or less, nonfiction, pasta, sauce

The Switch + Ooey Gooey Homemade Brownies

November 7, 2020 by Megan Leave a Comment

Could you use a lovely read right now? If so, The Switch is for you. I was supposed to post this on Tuesday, but let’s be honest, I was preoccupied. I still am… and haven’t read anything in the last few days, but I need a distraction, so I’m going to share this relaxing, cozy story with you.

The Switch by Beth O'Leary

Beth O’Leary’s The Switch seems made for the movies. It’s a rom com where Leena switches places with her grandmother, Eileen  — not in a Freaky Friday way, more in a The Holiday way. Leena moves out of her apartment in London and into her grandmother’s house in Yorkshire (the country). Eileen takes up residence with Leena’s roommates and decides to give online dating a go. They switch phones and find ways to busy themselves over the two months they’ve agreed to swap lives. 

[Read more...] about The Switch + Ooey Gooey Homemade Brownies

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, chocolate, dessert, easy prep, favorites, quick read

Mexican Gothic + Asada Mushroom Tacos

October 27, 2020 by Megan 1 Comment

I don’t like scary movies, but somehow, I still get a thrill out of watching them… sometimes, usually with a viewing partner and often in the daylight. I need the boundaries of someone else’s imagination to keep mine in check. So, it may go without saying that I don’t typically like scary books. My mind runs wild! But, it is spooky season, and if you’re going to give a creepy book a try, why not now? 

Mexican Gothic is a hot novel right now. Not just because it’s October, but that certainly doesn’t hurt. I’ve heard about it everywhere lately. One of my friends picked it as our current book club read, so I had no choice but to see what the fuss was all about. (Side note: we meet on Thursday and I can’t wait to see what they all thought!)

Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novel begins slowly, in classic gothic fashion. In 1950s Mexico, Noemí receives a frantic letter from her cousin, who recently married a man who lives in a mysterious house in the countryside. Noemí has no choice but to head to High Place to see her cousin. High Place is isolated and full of secrets and odd family members, which is really the perfect setting for a book I shouldn’t have been reading just before bed.

Noemí does have some hope in the youngest brother, who she comes across picking mushrooms which leads to a sort of bond. He proves himself to be willing to help her help her cousin, at least some of the time. I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll end here, but if you’re looking for something eerie and old-fashioned, this would be a great pick. This book is such a mood. Sort of Jane Eyre-esque in its setting. 

Since I don’t read really these types of books I’m not exactly sure how to rate it as I have very little to compare it to, and honestly I was so creeped out most of the time, I’m not even sure if I was seeing clearly, so to speak.     

The mushrooms I mentioned earlier actually pop up constantly in the novel because they grow on the High Place's property. Mushroom tacos seemed like a great pairing. In looking for a recipe, I learned from Epicurious that the earliest Mexican cuisine was, in fact, vegetable-based. I didn’t ultimately choose their recipe, but it sounds delicious and seems like it would definitely be worth a taste! I found a recipe from Half-Baked Harvest that looked amazing for Asada Mushroom Tacos and made those.

Unfortunately, my grocery store was all out of portobello mushrooms the day I was cooking, so I subbed in baby bellas instead. This totally worked fine, and if you can’t find mushroom caps and really want these, by all means, swap them in. But I really like think, if you have the larger portobello mushrooms available to you, that’s the way to go — primarily for texture, but also ease of cooking (especially if you’re wanting to grill them). 

Anyway, they’re super easy to make. First I made the marinade and got the mushrooms in there so they could soak up that flavor for at least an hour. 

Marinated Mushrooms

While those marinated, I made the pineapple salsa. (Not quite the same make-up but reminded me of my first post!) I used guacamole we already had on-hand, so I didn’t make that from scratch this time. 

Making Salsa

It was also colder the day I decided to cook these than I had anticipated, so I instead cooked the mushrooms on the stovetop. If you opt for this method, make sure to drain the pan a few times as you cook it so the mushrooms have a chance to develop some color. 

Sauteed Mushrooms for Tacos

I served these on corn tortillas that I warmed in a pan. 

Mushroom Tacos

We really enjoyed them, but like I said, I think the large portobello mushroom caps would’ve been even better. They were the perfect accompaniment to the novel for sure.

Mexican Gothic Book Club Tacos
Mushroom Tacos
Print Recipe

Asada Mushroom Tacos

Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican, Vegetarian
Keyword: vegetarian
Servings: 6 tacos

Ingredients

  • 6 portobello mushroom caps halved
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo chopped (or 2 teaspoons chili powder)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
  • corn or flour tortillas warmed
  • crumbled feta or cotija cheese for serving (optional)

SALTED LIME AVOCADO

  • 2 avocados mashed
  • juice and zest of 1 lime
  • Maldon sea salt

PINEAPPLE SALSA

  • 1/2 of a small pineapple cubed
  • 1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Add the mushrooms to a ziplock bag. Next add the olive oil, orange juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, paprika, lime juice, cilantro, and a large pinch of salt. Seal the bag and marinate 10 minutes or in the fridge up to overnight.
  • Meanwhile, stir together the avocado, lime juice and zest, and a pinch of salt.
  • To make the salsa. In a bowl, combine the pineapple, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro, and a pinch of salt.
  • Preheat your grill or grill pan to high. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade and sear for 5 minutes, flip and sear another 5 minutes or until lightly charred on both sides. Slice into strips.
  • Spread the avocado onto the warmed taco shells, and top with the mushrooms, salsa, and cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

From: Half-Baked Harvest

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: book club, dinner, easy prep, lunch, suspense

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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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