Mining for meal plans in literature, with a healthy dose of Emily Gilmore.
I am a voracious reader, but a reluctant cook. The introduction of two small dictators in my home has impelled me to spend much more time in the kitchen than I prefer. Follow me on a journey to blend the world of books with the minutiae of daily life. We’ll look at the role food plays in literature and use that knowledge to put supper on the table.
Oh, and let’s recreate all of Emily Gilmore’s Friday Night Dinners. What a good excuse to watch more Gilmore girls!
Food in Literature
“Of course reading and thinking are important but, my God, food is important too.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Sea, the Sea
On days where I would much rather read than slice three more strawberries for Things 1 & 2, I have a fantasy that some brainy scientist would finally develop a pill that we could take once a day, providing all of the nutritional intake necessary for life and health. My guess is that it would wreak havoc on global economics. But what would it do socially?
Humans thrive physically, mentally, emotionally, and interpersonally on food. When was the last time a friend texted you about meeting up? Nine times out of ten, I bet the suggestion somehow revolved around food. “Let’s meet for lunch!” “Coffee tomorrow morning?” “Are you up for happy hour today?” And what about dating? Consider the awkwardness of a first date if there was no chewing to distract you from the fact that he may be hot, but he obviously hasn’t read a book in his life. Dinner and a movie has become the American fall-back standard for date nights. Even nights in are routinely spent in front of the TV with snacks in hand.
As food has played an integral role in our culture, it has invariably crept into our writings and entertainment. I’m not just talking about food blogs, cookbooks, and the Food Network; I’m talking about the description of what Jane Eyre ate for breakfast (burnt porridge) and the contents of a Gatsby mansion buffet (glistening hors-d’oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold). Did you notice? No? The fact remains that this most basic of elements often lies hidden in the classics as well as in pop lit. As I progress through the blog, we’ll examine food references in literature and recreate some meals. No particular order or plan– I only hope that the kiddos will eat some of it. Also on a mission to raise little readers. Are you with me?
Dinner with the Gilmores
If you know me, you know that Gilmore Girls is my show. They are my homegirls, my escapism, my standard for witty dialogue. Emily Gilmore is my favorite character, and Kelly Bishop is the Queen. She’s complex, bitingly sharp-witted, and always classy. Her Friday night dinners, though at times coerced, are masterpieces of elegance and delectableness every week.
(Unfamiliar with Gilmore Girls? Read my intro here.)
My quiet little dining nook can never match the grace and splendour of the Gilmore home. Pictures, then, will require a bit of added imagination. Follow me as I lead you on a journey through seven seasons of Gilmore Girls’ Friday night dinners. After all, don’t we deserve a little bit of luxury?
