Food They Wrote

food+drink from YOUR HOUSE WILL PAY by Steph Cha

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.)

...taking small but steady sips from her screwdriver.

“I got us some Yamazaki Single Malt.”

...Aunt Sheila’s celebratory red velvet cupcakes.

Shawn remembered the vile taste of stale prison meat, discolored and chewy and wet smelling. For years, food had brought him no pleasure, only sustenance. Powdered potatoes and canned beans. Endless slices of plain white bread turning to mush in his tired mouth.

...Shawn knew he was thinking about a cheeseburger with bacon and French fries.

The table sagged with mac and cheese and fresh buttermilk biscuits, potato salad and baked beans. There was a whole tray of pork ribs glistening with barbecue sauce, another of roast chicken. A large Domino’s pizza, too, with pepperoni, jalapeño, and pineapple.

...the adults shared a bottle of champagne in the living room.

...stack fresh chocolate chip cookies on his plate and carve out a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The house smelled like miyeok...

...Yvonne transferred the miyeok-guk, eundaegu-jolim, banchan, and rice to the table.

Grace loved eundaegu-jolim...

...bowl of honeydew, sliced into pale green wedges.

...treating them to fried chicken.

They ordered fried chicken livers, an Obama Special, and a Herb’s Special with gravy and onions. Shawn had been hungry, and he was glad enough to keep his mouth full of chicken and waffles...

“We have leftover kimchi jjigae, right?”

I’ll pick up some kimbap.

...Yvonne was going to make a big batch of kkakdugi ...

...pulling out containers of rice and banchan and leftover kimchi jjigae.

“Good old KTown scotch,” 

...corn dogs at the mall...

There’s beers in there. 

Aunt Sheila said to go get milk. 

...still got their butter and eggs.    

...ran the all-you-can-eat sushi joint...

...the best Halloween candy...

...drinking his disgusting kombucha. 

...she ventured out for a glass of water...

Jazz set coffee down in front of him. 

I got you a rice bowl with like teriyaki tofu. 

...a side plate of kimchi, and a can of Diet Coke.

“This rice is trash. I thought the seitan was bad. Fucking vegans can’t even get rice and tofu right.”

...and given her hot tea...

Darryl shuffled over and sat obediently while he got fries and drinks...

...he took them out for chicken nuggets and chocolate milkshakes.

...a tray crammed with naengmyeon, ddukbokki, kimbap.

He was prepping her lunch—tuna sandwiches cut into tiny triangles...

Ordered pizza, had another drink.

...plastic-wrapped packages of ddukbokki, soondae, and kimbap, with a sweet potato cake...

He unpacked the takeout—orange chicken and beef with broccoli, fried rice and chow mein...

Miriam made dinner: spaghetti with tomato sauce...

“Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

Shawn had coffee waiting for her ...

...a cream soda Dum Dum when they left.

...chomping down a burrito.

She got green tea soft serve in a waffle cone.

...sipping his tea.

...offering her water and coffee and cookies...

food + drink from NIGHT THEATER by Vikram Paralkar | audiobook narrated by Raj Ghatak

(these are all audiobook bookmarks. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.)

...must have spent the day eating mutton at his aunt’s place...

...she carried lunch and ice water to the surgeon.

Go get sahib a glass of water...

...it still had some bhindi in it.

...extra chapatis for lunch that day.

...some tea at least? Biscuits for the boy?

Will you cook me mutton?

...spicy and with plenty of coconut.

Will you make me sour curry?

And we’ll have mango pulp?

food+drink from PEW by Catherine Lacey

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.)

1. When dawn came that morning in the gas station, the cashier gave me a carton of milk...

2. Plates of gravied meat and bread and stewed-soft vegetables were passed around...

3. Great heaps of fried animal parts. A bowl of potatoes, rolls, plates of meat and casseroles...

4. Everyone’s in the den having cheese and crackers...

5. There’s some lemonade here and Cokes...

6. ...can I get you a glass of white wine? I’ve got a pinot grigio open and Butch can fix Steven up with a glass of Scotch...

7. ...took out a red soda can...

8. Nelson stabbed the whole chunk of black meat from my plate...

9. ...refilling glasses with water or ice tea or wine.

10. ...it’s pecan pie.

11. Whiskey, he said...

12. ...Roger gave me a sandwich on a plate.

13. ...watched children eating bowls of cereal...

14. Roger offered her a coffee.

15. He took a small handful of candies...

16. ...with a glass of cold milk, and something sweet...a square of black cake...

17. ...with a bowl of potato chips and a dark red drink for him, ice singing in the glass.

18. ...you can have a Coke.

19. Well, I guess that’s good because we’re having chicken-fried pork chops...

20. After dinner Nelson and I were given two bowls of ice cream...

21. Nelson pulled a metal flask from his pocket, took a swig, poured some over his ice cream...

22. ...whatever it is, bourbon.

23. ...drinking from a silver can.

24. There’s cold drinks in the kitchen. I drank lukewarm water...

25. I was given a glass of ice tea...

26. ....a woman said as she layered ham on a platter.

27. A woman said with a great pile of hair gave me a crowded plate-tow slices of pie, a thick sandwich, a mess of fruits...

28. Across the room a man carefully chewed the roasted leg of what was once a bird.

28. I could hear jaws chewing crackers and people putting soft little cakes...

29. The pie bled dark syrup into the sandwich bread.

30. He bit into the sandwich as if to kill it...

31. Marlena Dean made her famous pimento cheese, so don’t miss that. There’s pie on the side table...

32. ...took a cube of cheese from a ravaged platter.

33. Come have some grits when you’re ready.

34. ....pushing a sandwich into their mouth.

35. ....forking into a slice of pie and the other staring into a coffee.

36. Nice vegetables, and every day different ones.

37. Then he wouldn’t eat meat, not even fish or anything, then it was eggs and dairy...

38. Someone brought over two blue plates heavy with stewed vegetables...

39. ....and cakes caving into the spaces where slices had been cut.

food+drink from AYESHA AT LAST by Uzma Jalaluddin

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.)

This book also had a number of food-making sequences but those are dense (one more reason to read it!)

1. ...took a bite of the clammy scrambled eggs Farzana had prepared for breakfast.

2. Farzana neatly flipped another paratha flatbread onto her son’s plate, though he had not asked for more.

3. Humming to herself, she placed a small pot on the stove, adding water, milk, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and tea leaves for chai.

4. I sneak them rice and dal sometimes.

5. ...Maple donuts and Tim Hortons hot chocolate.

6. Which meant takeout pizza and...

7. Their community also boasted the best kebabs, chicken tikka, dosa, sushi, pho, and roti in the city...

8. ...stirring a fragrant curry and sprinkling minced coriander on top...

9. Are we going for bubble tea this weekend?

10.  When he was younger, he would make desserts and simple pasta dishes for Zareena.

11. The pakoras were delicious...

12. She accepted the tea...

13. ...wiping down counters and frying samosas in the kitchen...

14. “I’ll get chai all over my new shalwar.”

15. ...a bowl of spicy Indian chaat mix, and a plate overflowing with samosas.

16.  I made the cookies...

17. ...cook at least three different types of rice, twelve or more meat dishes, and at least as many vegetable curries.

18. ...you just had tea...

19.  I wish to purchase an apple fritter...

20.  “Two steeped teas double-double, and one apple fritter please.”

21. She placed two overcooked paratha flatbreads on his plate...

22. ...silently mopped up his spicy tomato and egg curry with the second paratha and washed it all down with the watery chai...

23....eaten the kheer I made.

24. It was probably the extra-large helping of chicken curry...

25. His biryani burps kept him staring at the ceiling for hours.

26. He removed some sourdough bread from the fridge and beat three eggs...

27. ...fried the French toast, spreading each slice with a peanut butter and Nutella mixture.

28....a large mug of chai.

29. ...slid over his ears like caramel.

30. Nani already fried the samosas...

31. ...Saleha offered tea. Nilofer requested sparkling water—“Perrier, if you have it.”

32. ...tray laden with water, tea, and cookies.

33. She ordered a lychee mango drink and waited.

34. ...makes a yummy pad Thai.

35. Your saag paneer and kofta kebab have become the stuff of Christmas party legend.

36. Your forgiveness for a kofta?

37. ...filled with rice and peas, kofta meatball curry, and a packet of homemade crispy papad lentil chips.

38. My sister always loved my pasta.

39. ...too busy to learn how to fry frozen samosas.

40. The first time I cooked an egg...

41. Ayesha could still taste the basmati rice on her lips...

42. ...compliment her on the chai she brings for you.

43. She balanced a tray of tea and snacks... 

44. My son loves pasta.

45. ...help me make some more chai for Farzana Aunty.

46. Can I pour you some more tea?

47. ...give him a lesson on how to make your delicious parathas.

48. ...Nani got out some canned mango pulp, and they all sat to eat at the kitchen table. She told them she hadn’t known how to cook when she was first married. “We ate a lot of eggs,” she said.

49. ...a plate of samosas in front of him.

50. Best butter chicken in the city.

51. ...revealing teeth stained red with betel nut.

52. ...offered her a plate of sizzling chicken tikka.

53. ...but he kept his gaze on the lamb biryani.

54.  ...taking a bite of spinach pakora.

55. He took a bite of the biryani—it was quite good, though heavy on the ghee. “Butter chicken is popular...

56. ...who was sipping a cup of tea.

57. ...ladled out a generous serving of rice, chicken, and naan.

58.  Khalid swallowed the rice, which was too salty, and took a bite of chicken...

59. ...looked at the stale bagel she had packed that morning. In her rush to be on time for school, she hadn’t even prepared it with cream cheese or peanut butter.

60. “Rob made pad Thai,” Clara said, wheedling. “He bought halal chicken...

61. Maybe there would be time between the faux-wine and pad Thai to apologize.

62. ...Khalid said sugar dates are a superfood. I’m gonna put them in your morning smoothie...

63. ...offered her the noodles first, before serving himself.

64. Rob took a big swallow of cola.

65. ...two iced slushies and a box of Twinkies. “Blue watermelon or red raspberry?”

66. ..boxes of sweets were being passed around.

67. Ayesha’s mother sat down beside her, nibbling on a chum chum.. 

68. She silently filled a glass with water and handed it to Ayesha.

69. Nana sipped his chai, his face unconcerned.

70. ...I brought chickpea salad.

71. ...offered her water or tea.

72. Farzana returned with a small cup of tea, and Nani noted the absence of the usual cookies or snacks.  

73. She took a sip of the tea—it was weak and lukewarm.

74. The uncles expect tea.

75. ...plates with biryani, butter chicken, and aloo gobi.

76. Would you like tea?

77. How about coffee?

78. ...putting another greasy, overcooked aloo paratha...

79. ...held out a granola bar to Khalid.

80. I want butter chicken, vegetable tawa, palak paneer, veal korma, and meat biryani. ... We’ll have Amritsar fish pakoras and channa chaat for appetizers.

81. ...I want mango kulfi and ras malai.

82. ...lecture on the right brand of paneer.

83. Would madam like some chai?

84. Would sahib like chicken tikka instead?

85. Hafsa was sitting in the food court of the mall, a container of fries in front of her...

86. Tarek suggested they grab coffee...

87. ...after they’d ordered their drinks and donuts.

88. The group broke for coffee and cookies...

89. Amir filled a Styrofoam cup with strong coffee, grabbed a jelly cookie...

90. What if I bring you some kofta and paratha...

91. She was surrounded by half-empty cups of tea...

92. ...in the food court eating chili-cheese fries.

93. ...a small carton of 2% milk, almond Daim cake, and vegetarian meatballs. Khalid’s stomach felt queasy, and he settled for a cup of coffee, black with three sugars.

94. She took another sip of chai...

95. ...an overcooked egg that had somehow cooled to freezing, paired with dry toast.

96. His chicken karahi is amazing...

97. “He made me donuts,” she said simply. “All the things I was craving: poutine, pizza, spaghetti, cheeseburgers.”

98. Khalid was sipping his double-double when Amir and Idris slouched into the Tim Hortons.

99. ...finished their coffee and donuts.

100. Hafsa was waiting for Ayesha with chicken wings, two pizzas...

101. Make me a tea too...

102. Not even a cookie?

103. They split a frozen pizza and bagged salad...

104. ...walked past with a tray of mango lassi.

105. ...steel dome–covered dishes of mutton biryani, haleem, and Mughlai chicken.

106. He handed a cup of tea to Nana.

food+drink from IT’S NOT ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE by Terry McMillan

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.)

1. buffet of fried chicken, BBQ ribs, baked beans, au gratin potatoes, some kind of salad, collard greens, and cornbread.

2. chocolate cake

3. angel hair pasta with prawns, some garlic bread, and a good salad

4. We could have some raspberry sorbet and not too many glasses of wine so that we still have energy...

5. glass of water with a slice of cucumber resting between tiny ice cubes.

6. ...a large plate of figs, squares of dark and white chocolate, green grapes, and four or five different types of cheese. Beige crackers are spread out like cards on a blackjack table.

7. ...all kinds of casseroles and bowls of fried chicken and a honey-baked ham and macaroni and cheese on the table, and all four burners had pots with steam bursting out of the tops of them. I saw squares of yellow cornbread and collard greens and sweet potatoes in chafing dishes.

8. ...two glass pitchers of lemonade and iced tea.

9. We both laughed, and I remember throwing a piece of French bread at him and missing. B. B. King—who still was very quick at the time—grabbed it in his mouth and took off. Carl was lucky I didn’t grab a handful of my delicious spaghetti and meatballs, or he’d have been covered in it!

10. ...candied yam.

11. ... fried chicken and collard greens. Lucky also had macaroni and cheese, which I passed on.

12. She then bit off a big piece of honey cornbread. “Neither one of us should even be in here,” I said as I looked down at my plate. The chicken was fried. I could see the ham in the collard greens. The candied yams had brown sugar and butter oozing out of them. And then there was my beautiful cornbread. Did I really need to eat all this?

13. ...double cheeseburger, some soft fries, a diet Coke, and three farewell Twizzlers.

14. “I made lasagna and a salad and as you can see, French bread and steamed asparagus.”

15. When I went to put my registration back inside the glove compartment, staring at me was a brand-new package of Twizzlers.

16. “I’ll have the pizza with ground beef, but with no beans, no sour cream, and no avocado.” “Anything else?” “I would like to try the fried ice cream.” “To drink?” “I’ll have a virgin margarita.” “What kind, sir?” “A normal one.” I winked at her, so she knew I wanted my regular: combination chicken tacos and chicken enchiladas with sour cream. All the combos come with beans and rice and I almost always end up taking something home. I ate guacamole and chips and Kwame drank what was really just lemonade...

17.  I grabbed the tasteless granola, some raspberries, and low-fat milk...

18.  ...string beans and that stuff with the scrambled eggs in it again?”

19. ...pot stickers and various types of chow fun

20. ...the white boxes that we knew were pot stickers and brown and white rice, and the fortune cookies, at least ten of them.

21. But I ordered a low-fat mocha latte with no sugar instead.

22.  I just made a strong pot of Peet’s Sumatra and I baked a delicious apple pie for Joe.

23.  I could hardly eat the stroganoff, which was terrible, and also because I had snuck a hamburger (not cheeseburger) with small fries before I came over...

24. “I got lasagna and sourdough bread, and a Caesar salad and asparagus for you...

25. Kwame lifted the wide lasagna noodles and let them fall back on top of the red meat sauce. Then he pulled on the cheese to form a string...

26. ...from about eight different salads, we chose four and a bowl of chunky homemade vegetable soup.

27.  ...red miso short ribs, Thai chicken meatballs, and shredded jerk chicken floating in thick golden sauce...

28. We had to order the seasoned rice and bread. At checkout, we decided to get the salad and soup to go and bought two of those little round macaroon cookies that come from France. I ordered watermelon mint lemonade...

29. ....finest halibut for you along with baked sweet potatoes and a salad and brown rice.

30. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a drumstick and a wing on hand for a late-night snack.

31. ...last two kosher hot dogs and a few French fries and a half hour later, I scraped the vanilla out of the ice cream sandwich and put it on a saucer...

32. ...sweet potato pies, peach cobbler, bread pudding, and apple pies—

33. ...I sliced apples. I opened ten cans of peaches. I boiled sweet potatoes and mashed them with cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, eggs, vanilla flavor, and a drop of bourbon. I made bread pudding that was so fluffy it almost floated out of the little baking dishes I bought. The peach juice boiled onto the aluminum foil I knew to put under the cobbler because it happens every year.

34. lobster tails with butter and baked potatoes with chives, sour cream, and butter and a salad and sourdough bread

35.  I did not want to go out for cake and ice cream.

36. I was overdue for a cheeseburger and fries. I had been good. I could count how many I’d had since I got back from Las Vegas, which was almost two months ago: five. I could also count how many times I went to Carol’s and had their French toast with bacon: three.

37. ...once she had it, she would have to pretend fried chicken and candied yams and honey cornbread would kill her.

38. “Yes, I would like to have a double cheeseburger with a purple onion and a small order of fries.” “What kind of cheese would you like on that burger?” the voice said. “Cheddar. Oh, and can you also put pickles on it?” “You got it. Any of our delicious desserts strike your eye? Our apple pie is killer and our ice cream sundaes are made with the best chocolate syrup. And there’s a new flavor of ice cream to choose: strawberry cheesecake.”

39. ...two thick pieces of French toast with butter, drenched with maple syrup, two strips of bacon, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee. With two packets of Splenda.

40. We’re having marinated rib-eyes, steamed brown rice, no bread, a salad with oil and vinegar, and sparkling water for me and Loretha, right, Lo?”

41.  “And for dessert?” Sadie asked suspiciously. “Fruit salad. Take it or leave it.”

42. ...bought a slice of pepperoni pizza, a salad, a Diet Coke, and a chocolate chip cookie.

43. ...cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, a small piece of chicken breast, and a peach that she was already cutting.

44. I took a long sip of my detoxifying apple-cucumber-celery-spinach-cranberry-pomegranate drink, and then stared at my steel-cut oatmeal with no raisins and definitely no brown sugar.

45. ...that Hawaiian French toast with the rum-battered Kona-coffee whipped cream and pineapple marmalade

46. I ate an apple. And half of a whole wheat English muffin that I toasted and spread this stuff called ghee that Jonas told me to buy instead of butter. It tasted like butter but better. I wanted a glass of orange juice so bad

47. ...chocolate chip cookie or a juicy cheeseburger with fries and a vanilla shake.

48. ...did not put any sugar in my coffee but I did put in cream. I was starting to get used to it. And instead of eating French toast or pancakes topped with bananas and hot syrup or waffles with hot syrup or eggs and bacon with hash browns and toast with butter and jelly, I had plain yogurt with berries and whole wheat toast.

49. ...salad with a thousand different vegetables and cooked prawns and then chunks of chicken and oil and vinegar dressing. I did eat a breadstick.

50. ...baked chicken. Brown rice. A salad. Steamed vegetables. I passed on the sourdough bread and butter.

51. Jonas has made an amazing tofu stir-fry if you’d like to have dinner with us.” “No thanks.” “It’s also got ginger, carrots, string beans, and garlic, and a little soy sauce. You won’t even know it’s good for you.”

52. ...chipotle grilled pork tenderloin with strawberry-avocado salsa. And this is spicy brown rice. That’s spinach and onion couscous. Those are salmon fishcakes. And the salad is spinach, feta, and goat cheese.

53. ...triangle turkey sandwich...

54. ...eat the savory teriyaki beef I ordered along with a cup of hot water and lemon

food+drink from MRS. FLETCHER by Tom Perrotta

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.) 

1.  The people with the six-figure salaries could buy their own damn macchiatos

2. ...she roasted a chicken with fingerling potatoes and brussels sprouts

food+drink from EROTIC STORIES FOR PUNJABI WIDOWS by Balli Kaur Jaswal

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.)

1. ...diet (vegetarian except for the occasional fish and chips).

2.  Kulwinder’s own roti was dipped in achar...

3.  ...chickpea and spinach curry.

4.  Kulwinder set out the plates and the bowl of dal and took the achar out...

5.  The smell of sweet fried jalebi rose from a cart nearby.

6.  The smell of dal and sweet jalebis mixed in the air with the clatter of utensils and voices. She took her tray through the line and was served roti, rice, dal and yoghurt.

7.  ‘Which one do I use for making tea?’ she asked. The correct answer was cardamom and fennel seeds

8. ‘The dal is made with God’s love. And it’s full of ghee.’

9.  ‘Gulab jamun and barfi all fifty percent off,’

10.  ‘I enjoy a cup of chai. I just don’t live at home.’ The aroma of cloves made her surprisingly nostalgic...

11.  ...buy some gulab jamun, ladoo, barfi, jalebi – whatever they have – and bring them here? I also need some cardamom for tea.

food+drink from FAMILY TRUST by Kathy Wang

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book )

1.  butter garlic shrimp and poached flounder mains

2.  ...a chocolate fondue, which he ordered unique combinations of each night. Dark with almond slivers. Milk with toffee chunks. Add a splash of Amaretto.

3.  ...her impression of dating culture in the United States was constructed around entirely different ideals: red roses and lobster entrées and warmed desserts à la mode. She had little excitement for popular peer-reviewed eateries with $7 tapas and yuzu sangria—to her these were just cheap outings, designed to land her in bed with the least amount of spent resources.

4.  ...caviar and black truffle supplements.

5. ...the sea bream appetizer course

6.  It was Friday, which meant $20 lobster noodles...

7.  Would she order her normal Spaghetti Classico, even though it had red sauce and could be messy?

8.  Norman looked down and speared into a piece of penne covered in clam sauce.

9.  ...she always used just the right sort of rice noodles in the soup.

10.  Stanley picked at his fried chicken...

11.  Fred tore the crust from his baguette and used the soft innards to sop up the last remnants of gravy on his plate. He felt Stanley’s eyes on him. “She also eats many vegetables. Not too much fruit. 

12. ...forcing down ten California rolls to soak up the alcohol before driving home.

13. ...her mother tsked and made her chicken noodle soup with goji berries.

14.  At dinner, they opened a bottle of Krug Jack had left as a gift...

15.  her Danish had turned out to be both savory and vegan, filled with leeks and mushrooms.

16.  ...double-boiled soup.

17.  Mary made him special egg drop soup, soft foods like the lamb dumplings he liked so much (she adapted them to have less meat and more cabbage), and allowed a small piece of dark chocolate with dinner.

food+drink from LOVE HER OR LOSE HER by Tessa Bailey

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.)

1.  ...making dough for her mother’s medialunas. Focus on the food. Using the pizza wheel, she cut the dough in half and made two long rectangles.

2.  They came in all ages, carrying bottles of prosecco and wine.

3.  ...went back to arranging empanadas on a tray, adding a little bowl of pickled onions as garnish and sprinkling parsley over the top of everything.

4.  Rosie pressed a finger to the center of her crumbly biscuits and deemed them cooled enough. She peeled the plastic wrap off two bowls containing a homemade blackberry jam, another brimming with fresh dulce de leche. She’d added a touch of lemon zest to her alfajores, trying to put her own twist on her mother’s recipe.

Well, this is something I’ve been contemplating since I started highlighting bits featuring food in books earlier this month. It may be a function of a time when one can’t really go out and eat with friends…or the fact that I like food :)

Either way, this will be updated with highlights from e-books (and occasionally physical copies - I’ll tag each sort) without comment.