I’m an emotional eater. If I’m happy, I’m reaching for the chocolate. If I’m sad, well, I’m reaching for the chocolate as well. My waistline will tell you this isn’t a healthy reaction, but I’m betting I’ve got lots of company in the “women who eat their feelings” department.
I had a book group once give themselves a party where they brought (and ate) all the food in BAD HEIRESS DAY. I hadn’t even realized there was that much food until they showed me the list! It felt like an odd, grown up version of THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR. But they assured me, it was a festive night.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to me that food shows up in lots of my books. In my world—the real one and the ones I make up—life often happens over food. People relate over broken bread (or broken Mint Milano cookies). Frankly, I think food is romantic.
I’ve already gotten lots of emails and letters about Jesse’s exquisite cooking skills in SAVED BY THE FIREMAN. How can you not love a man who turns Brussels Sprouts into what Charlotte calls “the chocolate cake of vegetables”?!?
Romantic and memorable food scenes are everywhere: The heartwarming dogs-eating-spaghetti scene from LADY AND THE TRAMP. Julia Robert’s amusing airborne escargot in PRETTY WOMAN. The hysterical deli scene in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. What about you? What are your favorites?
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I love brussels sprouts! And chocolate, but not together. You're so right about movie and book scenes over food. Think of all the holiday meal and kitchen scenes in both. In real life, those are the gathering places. At my house, guests prefer to eat at the kitchen table rather than the formal dining room, which is separate from the kitchen. There's just something about gathering around food and hanging out together while preparing it.
ReplyDeleteRemember Mystic Pizza. I wanna go there and eat
ReplyDeleteWell, I remember one scene with you at a BBQ restaurant in Kansas City. Ah, pie and Allie. The best combo in the world. And those burnt ends. We must do a book about burnt ends one day, darling. :)
ReplyDeleteLenora--I finally found a BBQ place near me that serves burnt ends. Come on up here and we'll give it a try :)
ReplyDeleteThat's funny I just came to your post after thinking of having a heroine who's big on cooking. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll check out your book!
I'm not a foodie. I would be happy if my house had a drive-through window where my meals could be dropped off. Even so, I loved the movie Julie and Julia. The way those ladies coupled their love of food and their love of writing was wonderful. I bawled during the answering machine scene. That veritable feast of offers was AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm officially hungry now. Off to the kitchen to grab something to much on during my late-night writing session. =)
Happy Birthday Allie, I love to eat but hate to cook. I have found crock pot cooking though and that does make it easier....
ReplyDeletePaula O