Food and drinks are some of the easiest ways — and the most fun— to vicariously experience another culture. When you add a great book to the mix, you've got the makings of a perfect evening. In Food+Fiction, we recommend a delicious read and a related recipe so you can try the taste of different destinations in your own kitchen.
This post is part of our Food+Fiction series.
In the beloved children’s picture book Where the Wild Things Are, Max wears his wolf suit and makes mischief and is sent to bed without supper. Then his room turns into a jungle, and he crosses a wide sea before finding himself at the heart of a wild rumpus, surrounded by dancing, teeth-gnashing monsters.
These things — jungles, seas, fire, monsters, rumpuses — are irresistible to little boys (and girls and grownups). But Max eventually becomes lonely, and the smell of good things to eat lures him home. When he arrives back in his bedroom, his supper sits on the table by his bed, and it’s still hot.
This simple recipe begins with roasted carrots, rather than boiled. Their time in the oven caramelizes the carrots’ natural sugars, rendering them tender and sweet. Then a quick simmer with caraway and garlic infuses the kitchen with an irresistible aroma. When you simmer a pot of this comforting soup, all of the friendly monsters will happily join you for dinner.
Serves 4. Prep 20 minutes. Roast 45 minutes.
Roasted Carrots:
Soup:
Roast the carrots. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Peel the carrots and cut into quarters lengthwise. Place on the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil; toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, until the carrots are very tender. Meanwhile…
Prep the soup base. Warm the ghee over medium heat in a large saucepan, 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, caraway, salt, and pepper; cook 10 minutes, until the onions are very soft. Add the broth, cover, and bring to a simmer.
Bring it home. Remove the carrots and carefully transfer them to the saucepan with the broth. Purée with a stick blender until smooth.
To serve, sprinkle the soup with crushed black pepper — and have extra napkins on hand for your monster friends.
The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another, his mother called him ‘WILD THING!’ and Max said, ‘I’LL EAT YOU UP!’ so he was sent to bed without eating anything. — Maurice Sendak
With just 338 words and the irresistible invitation ‘Let the wild rumpus start,’ this beloved picture book transports us to a magical world where walls turn into forests, monsters dance around a fire, and little boys can become king. Max is a classic antihero: He’s frustrated, lashes out in anger, and can’t understand why he can’t just do what he wants to do. And yet, we can’t help but want to give him a big hug. Dressed in his wolf costume, chasing the dog, and sent to bed without supper, he’s in a sorry state. But soon, his room has transformed into a jungle, and he sails across an ocean to an island ruled by beasts — where eye-rolling and teeth-gnashing abound. {more}
This charming picture book (48 pages) was published in November of 1988 by Harper Collins. The book takes you to a magical forest. Melissa read Where the Wild Things Are and loved it; it wouldn't be on our site if she didn't recommend it.
Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.
Top image courtesy of Maurice Sendak.
Want to keep up with our book-related adventures? Sign up for our newsletter!
Can you help us? If you like this article, share it your friends!
Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.
Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.
Join our Substack to get our FREE newsletter with podcast updates and behind-the-scenes info — and join in fun chats about books and travel with other lovely readers.
We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.
This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.
Content on this site is ©2024 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.
