1. Novel Treats: Recipes for Book Groups
Resources
The Book Club Cook Book, by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp
http://www.bookclubcookbook.com/
Reading Group Choices (several years) from http://www.readinggroupchoices.com
Reading Groups Cook Up Themed Meals for Book Clubs by Beth D’Addodano
http://articles.philly.com/2013-01-25/news/36529229_1_book-club-book-groups-food-items
A Feast for Fiction: Donna Hay’s Book-Club Meeting Menu by Kara Zuaro
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/entertaining/partiesevents/bookclub
Reading Group Guides
http://www.readinggroupguides.com
Ideas for Meetings
Food
 Themes, Appetizing Reads
 Finger Foods
 Eating Out Before/After
 Recipe Exchange
 Books with Recipes
 Healthy Choices
 Beverages
 Ironic Choices
Books
 Book Club in a Bag
 By genre or author instead of title
 Favorite recent read, audio
 Favorite Childhood Read, Classic
 E-reader title
 Nonfiction – even cookbooks
 Virtual Book Clubs/Recipe Exchange
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Icebox Cake
1 large box Instant Jello Vanilla Pudding
1 large box Instant Jello Chocolate Pudding
Vanilla Wafers
Make each pudding in separate bowls using 2.5 cups milk instead of recommended 3 cups. Layer them in
a loaf pan alternately with wafers in between each layer. Let set in refrigerator overnight.
Chicago Themed
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
V.I. Warshawski series by Sara Paretsky
Shaw’s Crab House Wild Turkey Manhattan from The Book Club Cook Book
Clara Cannucciari and the Depression Era
Clara’s Kitchen by Clara Cannucciari:
Pasta with Peas www.greatdepressioncooking.com
The Mother of Invention
Cotton Tops from Little Heathens by Mildred Kalish

2. Bad Food is Good Memories
In the Castle of the Flynns by Michael Raleigh
Rocket Boys
From Cooking the Coalwood Way & Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
Mountain Mama Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
2 quart water
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounce package of elbow macaroni
4 cup shredded cheddar, sharp and mild mixed
8 ounce carton sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tablespoon chopped pimiento
1 cup cheese crackers
Bring water and salt to a boil in a large Dutch oven, stir in macaroni. Return to boil, cooking for eight to
10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water, drain. Combine macaroni, cheese, sour cream,
mayonnaise and pimento. Spoon into greased baking dish and sprinkle with crushed crackers. Bake at 325
degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
This is called 'Real Original' because it is based on the recipe taken directly off the back of a 1950s Chex
cereal box.
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3 cups Wheat Chex square cereal
2 cups Rice Chex square cereal
1-1/2 cups peanuts
1-1/2 cups small pretzel rods
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Melt butter in a shallow pan. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt,
and garlic salt (not garlic powder). Add Wheat Chex, Rice Chex, nuts (peanuts, pecans or cashews), and
pretzel rods. Mix until all pieces are coated with the butter mixture. Place on a shallow baking pan with
sides. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Wayside Inn Pecan Pie
The Wayside Inn, in Middletown, VA, since 1797, is famous for its maple pecan pie.
2 tablespoons butter or margarine softened
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 unbaked (9-inch) pastry shell
Combine butter, sugar, syrup and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Add eggs, and beat well. Stir in
pecans. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Bake at 325F for 1 hour or until set.
Match the Theme: Freshwater Road by Denise Nicholas
Match the Era: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler

3. I Like You by Amy Sedaris
Cheese-Pate Pineapple
The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
Crabby Casserole, From Saucepans and the Single Girl, by Jinx Morgan and Judy Perry
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Maryann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Potato Peel Pie Recipe from the Random House- the Guernsey website
1 potato
1 beet
1 Tablespoon milk
Peel the potato and put the peelings in a pie pan. Don’t cook the peels, because you’re in the middle of an
Occupation and you don’t have any fuel. Boil the potato and the beet together in salty water, but not for
very long, due to the fuel problem. Just until you can stick a fork in the potato. Take them out and mash
them up with the milk. Pour the glop in the pie pan. Bake at 375 for as short a time as is consonant with
digestion (fuel again), say, fifteen minutes.
The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy
Gingersnaps
Selections About Clubs
Bunco Babes Tell All by Maria Geraci
Whack N Roll: A Bunco Babes Mystery by Gail Oust
Something on the Side by Carl Weber
Bunco Bon Bons: Make a 9x13 sheet cake and cut into squares. Frost on all sides except bottoms. Make
dice numbers with chocolate chips.
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Debbie Macomber
The Shop on Blossom Street
A Turn in the Road
The Peculiar Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Also Pies and Prejudice (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery) by Ellery Adams
Lemon Gold Cake
Lemon Fluffy Frosting
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Also Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Personal Chocolate-Port Fondues, from Gourmet Game Night by Cynthia Nims
The Kite-Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Inspired by the wedding scene: http://butterybooks.com/desserts/fimi-milk-custard-recipe/
Fimi Milk Custard
3 cup whole milk
Pinch of salt
3/4 cups sugar
½ cup cornstarch

4. 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup pistachio nuts, finely ground
In a saucepan over a medium heat, combine all ingredients except pistachio nuts. Bring just to boil,
stirring continuously. Pour into martini glasses or custard cups and refrigerate several hours. Sprinkle
with pistachio nuts and serve.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Oatmeal Biscuits from The Book Club Cook Book by Judy Gelman and Vicki Krupp
Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
Garlic and Chili Chinese Eggplant http://avocadopesto.com/2012/11/10/garlic-and-chili-chinese-eggplant/
Serves 1
8 ounces Chinese or Japanese eggplant (1/2-1 eggplant)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1-2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon chili paste (or to taste)
1 teaspoon oyster sauce (use soy sauce or gluten free tamari for gluten free or vegan version)
3-4 tablespoons water
Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Take each half and cut it into quarters vertically down the middle.
Then cut each quarter into thirds. You should end up with 24 long pieces of eggplant. Heat wok over high
heat until smoking. Reduce heat to low and add oil. Add eggplant and cook over medium heat until
browned and soft. Move eggplant to the side of the wok. Reduce heat to medium low and add garlic,
ginger and chili paste. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.Mix garlic and ginger with the eggplant and add
water, turn the heat to high and add oyster sauce. Wait until the water is bubbling and then start mixing
the vegetables. Cook 2-3 minutes or until water is almost gone.Sprinkle with green onions and serve.
Classics & Cooking
Sherlock Homes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Any series by Agatha Christie
Mini Sheperd’s Pies, from Gourmet Game Night, by Cynthia Nims
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Honey-Crisp Coffee Cake
Pop Classic + Movie
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Low Fat Cannoli Cream http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=469960
Number of Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 lb low fat ricotta (can use nonfat instead or a blend)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1TB orange rind
1 tsp orange flower water or orange extract
Optional - mini chocolate chips
Mix ingredients and fill purchased cannoli shells or put between Pizelle cookies sandwich style.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

5. Dude Ranch Potatoes
4 tablespoons melted Spry (shortening)
4 medium sized cooked potatoes
2/3 cup cornflakes finely crushed
1/2 cup grated American cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
Pinch of cayenne
Pour 3 tablespoons melted Spry into oblong baking pan, 7 1/2 x 12 x 2. Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/2″
slices and place close together in pan. Brush tops with remaining Spry. Mix cornflakes with remaining
ingredients and sprinkle over potato slices. Bake in hot oven (425F) 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Makes 4 servings.
Classics Vs. Modern
Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James
McCall’s Do It Party Book Petit Fours
1 pkg. white cake mix
2 egg whites
1 can. Fluffy white frosting
2 drops green food color
maraschino cherries
toasted coconut
currant jelly
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of an ungreased 15 1/2x10 ½ x1 inch jelly roll pan with waxed
paper. Make cake as package label directs, using 2 egg whites and amount of water specified on package.
Turn into pan; bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Let cake cool, in pan, 5 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack;
remove paper. Let cool completely. Brush off crumbs. Meanwhile, make frosting as package label
directs. Add food color to ¼ cup frosting. Cut the cake lengthwise into 5 2-inch strips.
Coconut Squares: cut a cake strop into 7 – 2 inch squares. Smoothly frost tops and sides with white
frosting. Decorate sides with coconut. In center of each, arrange 4 cherry pieces to resemble the petals of
a flower.
Jelly Jewels: Cut another cake strip into 7 2-inch squares. Spread tops with currant jelly. Then
smoothly frost sides with white frosting, bringing it over top edge to make an uneven border around jelly.
Napoleonettes: Smoothly spread top of remaining cake strip with white frosting. With green frosting in
small pastry bag, using small, straight tube for writing, pipe 3 green length-wise stripes on white frosting.
Cut Napoleonette strip into 7 2-inch squares: To make the feather effect, pull wooden pick crosswise
through the green stripes, alternating the direction each time. Makes 37 petits fours in all.
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinete Kobal
Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
The Wedding Dress by Virginia Ellis
Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
Pie of UnCooked Apples, http://civilwarinteractive.com/cook/?category_name=baking
Tart apples, sliced
2 sheets pie crust
Butter
Nutmeg or lemon
Sugar
To eat immediately, the following is excellent. Lay the slices into the plate upon an under crust; fill it
quite full; sprinkle the rim with a little flour, to prevent the upper crust from adhering to the under one.

6. Bake forty minutes, or till the apple is tender, and then slide off the upper crust and add a small bit of
butter, some nutmeg or lemon, and sugar to your taste. Mix them well with the apple with a silver spoon,
and return the upper crust to its place. From The Young Housekeeper’s Friend by Mrs. [M. H.] Cornelius,
1863.
Food Mysteries & Romance
Cupcake Bakery Mysteries by Jenn McKinlay
Cupcake Club Romances by Donna Kauffman
S’More Cupcakes: Bake Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix in paper baking cups as directed
on package. Just as cupcakes come from oven, place a half marshmallow on top of each. Put back in oven
3 to 5 minutes, or until marshmallows soften and start to melt. Remove from oven and press a chocolate
kiss in the center of each marshmallow. Serve warm or cold.
Sugar ‘N Spice Cupcakes: Prepare Betty Crocker Honey Spice Cake Mix as directed on package. Pour
batter into paper backing cups. Sprinkle batter lightly with confectioners’ sugar, a little cinnamon (so
some white sugar is still visible) and chopped nuts (about 1 tsp. for each cupcake). Bake as directed for
cupcakes. Serve warm or cold.
Coconut-Jelly Cupcakes: Bake Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix in paper baking cups as directed on
package. Cool. Spread tops with tart red jelly and sprinkle with coconut.
Paranormal Cuisine
Vampires: Bloody Marys, Juices
Werewolves: Burgers, Steak, Shish Kabob
Angels: Angel Food Cake
Mermaids: Seafood
Teen Favorites
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Holiday Themes
Mardi Gras/New Orleans: King Cake, Paczkis, Moon Pies, Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice
Halloween/Horror: Doughnuts, Salsa, Pumpin, Apple
Inspirational Series
Let Them Eat Cake (French Twist series) by Sandra Byrd
Book Club in a Bag
Library Book Clubs
Edible Books