A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

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.   Why is Grand-Mere's Friday Night Chicken the book-inspired recipe for The Gown? Main character Miriam mentions her grandmother's traditional Friday Night chicken dish in The Gown, and it sounded so interesting that I decided to make it. The original recipe for Grand-Mere’s...

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...

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.   Why is Arugula Salad with Watermelon and Feta the book-inspired recipe for The...

Orange Blueberry Muffins (Recipe Inspired by ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE)

These homemade Orange Blueberry Muffins are WAY better than anything you’re going to find at a bakery. If I do say so myself. (And I do). You may remember my Instagram post when I declared I had found the BEST muffin recipe ever. Ever since then, the urge to make an orange blueberry version has been overwhelming.   Why are Orange Blueberry Muffins the book-inspired recipe for Eleanor Oliphant is Completely...

Apple Butter Crumble Bars (Recipe Inspired by THEME MUSIC)

I’m officially kicking off the baking holiday season with Apple Butter Crumble Bars! We’ve now entered my favorite time of year: the season of cinnamon-scented air, platters of cookies piled high on tables, festive decorations everywhere you look... ...and yoga pants becoming acceptable attire at all holiday functions because, by god, they’ll stretch to fit EVERYTHING you consume between now and New Year’s Eve. That’s right, folks....

Citrus Breeze Ice Cream (Recipe Inspired by HELLO, SUMMER)

Nothing says “Hello, Summer” like Citrus Breeze Ice Cream. Confession: I've wanted to do an ice cream riff on the ever-popular Man Catcher Cake for awhile. That cake's subtle hints of orange, lemon, and vanilla have everyone scraping their dessert plates and asking for seconds. However, I didn’t have a book to pair with this culinary brain child. So, the idea for “Man Catcher Ice Cream" just kinda sat around for a bit. Until......

Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes (Recipe Inspired by LITTLE DARLINGS)

These Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes are plucked straight from my childhood tea party dreams.   Why are Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes the book-inspired recipe for Little Darlings? Little Darlings is about a woman whose babies are snatched away by fairies. As soon as I finished reading the book, I started scouring the Internet for fairy-related recipes. I quickly stumbled upon Fairy Cakes and immediately fell in love...

Pantry Staples Recipes: A Coronavirus Meal Planning Survival Guide

Hello, Tartlets! We interrupt our regularly scheduled book review and book-inspired recipe posts to bring you this specially curated list of Pantry Staples Recipes, designed to help you figure out what the heck to cook each day while you're spending 24/7 with those you love...with, um, rather limited resources. My grandmother always kept a well-stocked pantry and freezer in her basement. Whenever I would visit her, we would go downstairs and...