A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

Classic Victoria Sponge (Recipe Inspired by GAD’S HALL)

I polished off this entire Classic Victoria Sponge in about a week. Yes, I gained five pounds afterward. Yes, it was worth it.  Worth it, do you hear me?    Why is Victoria Sponge the book-inspired dessert for Gad's Hall?  The Thorley family welcomes a lot of visitors to Gad's Hall. It feels like they're always hosting dinners or having tea, which means they're usually eating some kind of delicious-sounding treat. I bet you that many a...

New England Blackberry Cobbler (Recipe Inspired by THE SPARROW SISTERS)

We're almost in September, Tartlets, but you can keep the summer vibes going with this delicious and fresh Blackberry Cobbler.  There were a lot of book-inspired recipe options for The Sparrow Sisters. Patience, Nettie, and Sorrell grow their own vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and Patience and love interest Henry often share bowls of freshly picked blackberries. Since Patience's garden plays such a pivotal role in the book, I thought a New...

Quick and Easy Black Bean Burgers with Peach Guacamole (Recipe Inspired by BEST SERVED HOT)

I've been making Black Bean Burgers for years now, and I didn't think I could love them any more.  Then, I put Peach Guacamole on them. **mindblown** Prepare yourself, Tartlets, because you're never going to look at burgers the same way again.    WTF? Peaches in guacamole???  The first time I had fruity guacamole was at a Mexican restaurant called Toloache in midtown Manhattan. The guac contained pomegranate, not peach, but it blew my mind....

Easy Homemade Granola with Fruit and Nuts (Recipe Inspired By Lockdown On London Lane)

No lie: this Easy Homemade Granola with Fruit and Nuts is what I eat for breakfast every day. AND I LOVE IT. I've eaten granola for years now, but up until recently I always used the store-bought kind. The idea to make homemade granola often occurred to me -- I could save so much money, it's so much healthier, etc. -- but there was always a reason to put it off. I mean, why make something from scratch when it’s so easily available at the...

Raspberry Rose Profiteroles (Recipe inspired by THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LA RUE)

Making Raspberry Rose Profiteroles is back-breaking work. Wait, no, I’m totally kidding! These profiteroles are my first book-inspired recipe since my back surgery, so let’s just say that easing back into food blogger life is…interesting. I actually picked Raspberry Rose Profiteroles to launch my comeback because they are so super easy to make. There was a time I made profiteroles on the regular because they were one of the few...

Grand-Mere’s Friday Night Chicken (Recipe Inspired by THE GOWN)

Grand-Mere’s Friday Night Chicken is truth in advertising here, people. Or, truth in blogging, I guess. What you see is what you get. And what I cooked. Full warning: I took a lot of liberties with my book-inspired recipe for The Gown. The original recipe for Grand-Mere’s Friday Night Chicken is included at the end of the novel, and my version is based on that. I kept the flavor profiles the same, but I swapped out ingredients I didn’t...

Strawberry Pie (Recipe Inspired by THE COOKBOOK CLUB)

Who’s obsessed with Strawberry Pie? THIS GIRL. Who didn’t even know it existed until a few months ago? ALSO THIS GIRL. I mean, sure, I’d maybe seen it in a grocery store or at a farm stand sometimes, but it never really caught my attention. That luscious strawberry filling was always hidden by a flaky, golden top crust. Which is not a bad thing, mind you. I love crust. It’s my main reason for eating pie. I’ve never really preferred pie...

Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies (Recipe Inspired by THE LOST APOTHECARY)

Tartlets, you have no idea what I went through to bring you today’s Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies. For reals. If you only knew how many trial batches of cookies were tossed in the bin…. *sigh* As soon as I finished reading The Lost Apothecary, I knew what my book-inspired recipe would be. Author Sarah Penner included a recipe for Rosemary Butter Biscuit Cookies at the end of the book, and since apothecary Nella knows everything about...

Peach Ice Cream (Recipe Inspired by THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES)

Peach Ice Cream is one of my favorite ice cream flavors, so I was super-excited to make it as the book-inspired recipe for The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. Until I remembered I had to photograph it. *facepalm* If you're a food blogger, you feel my pain. If you're not, you can go here and read about why photographing ice cream is my least favorite thing to do. But here's the good news, Tartlets: you don't have to photograph...

Arugula Salad with Watermelon and Feta (Recipe Inspired by THE MAIDENS)

Freshen up your summer with Arugula Salad with Watermelon and Feta! Honestly, summers are made for salads. Mr Tart and I practically live on them during the hot, humid months. Mainly because we live in New Jersey, where summertime = tons of local, fresh produce, but it’s also because we want to spend as little time cooking over a hot stove as possible. This book-inspired recipe for The Maidens is a tribute to the “watermelon and salty Greek...