The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages That Feature Them by Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet Kay Jensen List Price: $21.95 Pages: 352 Format: Hardcover Genre: Cooking ISBN: 0345465008 Publisher: Ballantine Books

James and the Giant Peach. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Funny how even the title of a book can make a person hungry. After reading about Willy Wonka's strawberry-flavored chocolate-coated fudge, just about anyone with a sweet tooth would dive for the nearest bag of cookies. And now with Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet Kay Jensen's The Book Lover's Cookbook, you can whip up those special treats described in your favorite books.

The Book Lover's Cookbook features hundreds of recipes accompanied by excerpts of the books and poems that inspired them. It includes recipes for breakfast, main and side dishes, soups, salads, appetizers, desserts, cookies and sweets, and even unique coffees and teas. Create the carrot pudding that the Cratchit family enjoyed in A Christmas Carol or share Bridget Jones's love of "British Home Cooking" with your own shepherd's pie. Whatever your taste, from the somewhat unusual (stuffed pig stomach with oyster filling) to the plain and simple (macaroni and cheese), The Book Lover's Cookbook has something for everyone. It will even satisfy readers' diverse literary palette.

The literature that inspired the dishes ranges from classics like Gone With the Wind to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. All of the recipes follow a passage from the book mentioning the particular dish and are accompanied by quotes from famous literary figures and world leaders, including Jonathan Swift and John F. Kennedy, about the joys of literature and reading.

The Book Lover's Cookbook is a must-have for anyone who enjoys a good book and a good meal. Wenger and Jensen's collaboration has produced a cookbook that should be in every book and food lover's pantry.

   --- Reviewed by Sara Shapiro


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