If you’re a book club and reading one of my novels, I’d love to talk to you via Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts. I offer a free 30-minute Q&A session for book clubs.
Here’s how it works. Let’s say you’re reading Bone’s Gift. (BTW, my local indy bookstore, Book No Further, has a great book club discount program.) Drop me an email via my contact form to schedule a Q&A session. We’ll then set up a day and time for me to talk with your book club over the technology of your choice. Easy-peasy!
Food in the Ghosts of Ordinary Objects series
Every good book club needs treats, right? In my Ghosts of Ordinary Objects’ series, food plays an important role. Bone (the main character) is growing up in a relatively poor part of the world (Appalachia) that’s now experiencing war rationing. Yet, her childhood is filled with food: from sweet tea to ham biscuits to collard greens to preacher cookies. Appalachian and most of Southern cuisine, and in fact most cuisines worldwide, grows out of necessity: poor people making the most out of the ingredients they have around them. Food tells you so much about the culture and their part of the world.
In the books, one treat that Mrs. Price whips up is called a Preacher Cookie. (See below for the recipe.) They are so-named because they were something you could whip up really quickly when your minister dropped by for a visit! Of course, these would be super easy to make for your book club–and served with a little sweet tea, naturally.
If you’re looking for something more substantial to fix, you’re in luck. The traditional cuisine of Southwest Virginia is becoming hip. In 2016, the Washington Post declared humble Appalachian cooking the next big thing. (It is very farm-to-table oriented!) This article gives a good history of the region’s cuisine, including its influences, as well as a solid rundown on its recent resurgence in the world of fine dining. And it may give you some ideas for your menu. I’ll try to post some more recipes in the future!
Preacher Cookie recipe
Ingredients:
½ cup butter
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups of quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant, though!)
½ cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Directions:
- Mix the butter, cocoa, sugar, milk, and salt together in a saucepan.
- Boil the mixture for one minute. You just need to melt everything together. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in oatmeal, peanut butter, and vanilla.
- Drop dollops of the mixture (about a tablespoon each) on waxed paper.
- Let cool – and eat!
