A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

Creamy Tomato Pasta [Recipe Inspired by A (NOT SO) LONELY PLANET: ITALY]

Hello, please meet my new best friend: Creamy Tomato Pasta. Because carbs are our friends, right? (If you disagree, please unsubscribe from this blog. #Kiddingnotkidding... ) We all know that I love carbs. If I could eat pasta every day for the rest of my life without gaining 5,742 pounds, I would totally do it. And Creamy Tomato Pasta would make a weekly appearance on my dinner table. Okay, maybe twice a week since this recipe could feed an...

Chicken Saltimbocca (Recipe Inspired by SUNRISE BY THE SEA)

I can't believe I've just tried Chicken Saltimbocca for the very first time. Much like with Bara Brith, this is another moment when I can't believe I've lived this long (in Northern New Jersey, no less, with Italian genes) without ever tasting this classic Italian dish. Sure, I’ve seen saltimbocca on menus before; it's pretty much a staple for Italian restaurants. But, it's never been a dish I wanted to eat. I think I shied away from it...

Smothered Chicken and Broiled Broccolini (Recipe Inspired by MEG & JO)

Say hello to your new comfort food dish: Smothered Chicken and Broiled Broccolini. This book-inspired recipe for Meg and Jo was an easy pick. One of the things I loved about this novel is that it contains no shortage of delicious food. At one point, Jo March is asked to make “family dinner” for the restaurant crew where she works, and she whips up a Southern staple of smothered chicken, cornbread, and collard greens. I swear my eyebrows shot...

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Recipe Inspired by A SINGLE THREAD)

Who loves Sticky Toffee Pudding? THIS GIRL. You will, too, after you taste this amaze-balls recipe for one of the most decadent and delicious desserts known to man. Yes, this post absolutely needed all that alliteration. BECAUSE THAT IS JUST HOW FANTASTIC THIS STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING IS. *Takes deep breath and calms down * Welcome, Tartlets, and let me introduce you to my book-inspired recipe for A Single Thread. As a "surplus" woman in 1930s...

Firehouse Chicken Wings (Recipe Inspired by THINGS YOU SAVE IN A FIRE)

For dinner tonight, we're making WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGS. a.k.a, Firehouse Chicken Wings. Just so you know, I pronounce the aforementioned, drawn-out spelling of “Wings" with an exaggerated Southern twang, making the word sound more like -- well, there's no other way to put this: "wangs." Wings are always referred to as "wangs" when I'm talking about them, and, yes, my husband has informed me that I do this a little too loudly in public....

Salsa Verde Shrimp Pasta (Recipe Inspired by SUMMER RENTAL)

It's official: I'm welcoming in all things spring and summer with Salsa Verde Shrimp Pasta. This recipe was originally created to be a stand-alone. However, I dreamt it up while I was reading Summer Rental, and soon this flavorful dish was screaming to become the book-inspired recipe for this great summer read. Even though the ladies of Summer Rental are on a beach vacation, they're still on a budget, which means they do a lot of cooking at...

All Day Apple Butter

Not going anywhere for awhile? No, this is not a recipe for homemade Snickers bars. But, this is a recipe for All Day Apple Butter, which, you may have already surmised, will take you all day to make. We’re talking 10-12 hours, people. However, there’s only about 30-40 minutes of active cooking time, and the rest is all passive time until you’re ready to blend and jar the finished product. So, winter storm have you holed up inside? Make...