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My French mother, never much of a baker, used to hunt high and low in New York City in the '80s for madeleines, which we would eat while she read me the stories of Madeleine, the little French orphan girl. I loved them! Later, in college when I read Proust's Recherche du Temps Perdu, I realized that my madeleine moment was indeed one of madeleines and Madeleine. They became even sweeter.

As someone who lives entirely for two things, literature and food, I'm very excited to see where this thread goes. As I wrote in the Turkish Delight post and comments, Turkish Delight, even now, holds a wonderful mythicism for me--nothing but snowy delight would have been appropriate for the white witch. And when I discovered Framboise--my version of Anne of Green Gable's raspberry cordial--well I think it was worth it for her to intoxicate all her friends with the stuff! I have yet to decide that if I were a mouse, if I would like to die by drowning in plum pudding, for I've never seen the stuff.

I'd say, there's a reason that food commands us in life, and as literature reflects life, it commands us in stories as well. Even though Turkish Delight has never thrilled me, I have never been disappointed by anything I tasted by reading, because they are all little Proustian madeleines for me.

I recently won a giveaway on foodtv.ca Called Olaf's Kitchen by Canadian master of German cuisine and executive chef of three Ontario restaurants and a catering company and the book inspired some real brainstorming at home. I love that there is a whole chapter on cooking with Beer! I'm excited to experiment :D

here's his bio if anyone is interested

@lo82070 - That does sound wonderful! I've read about that before, but only in cookbooks. And they always suggest cheating, because the original recipe is very delicate and time-consuming.

@junie, haha Little House was the first thing I thought of. I've always been fascinated that someone wanted to soak corn in Lye (seriously poison) and make hominy. What?!

There are so many wonderful books out there that there are almost too many to mention. Perhaps that's why I like 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.
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Lovers-Cookbook-Celebrated-Literature/dp/0345465466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227127011&sr=1-1

This summer I read Bill Buford's Heat. It made me want to relive my restaurant days all over again. He's a terrific writer and really conveyed the true challenge an amateur faces in a professional kitchen. I was truly inspired by his culinary journey and personal transformation along the way.

When i was very small my Daddy would take me to the drug store every Sunday and buy me two comic books. In one of them, Donald Duck's nephews were eating butterscotch cream pie. I have dreamed of it for nearly 60 years now and have never made it because it would never live up to the sublime flavor I imagined as a child.

the fully-functional toy kitchen scene in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Men." Also, all the scraps that Templeton brings back in "Charlotte's Web!" Delightfully disgusting....

@dhorst - I really want that book for Christmas now! I was browsing the table of contents, and was reminded of many other books I've read and the roles that food played: the Mitford series, Narnia series, Cold Mountain, Jane Austen, etc. I really can't wait. My two favorite things: Literature and Cookbook all in one!

@eleeb -- I know what you mean! That's one of my favorite books, and just a fantastic scene. And now that I think of it, the scene in Little Women where Jo is trying to cook all by herself, and messes up in every conceivable way, has always made me wary of planning big dinner parties. I much prefer to cook in the spur of the moment!

Mine are a bit less in the way of fine fare in terms of children's books--I remember Ramona, from Ramona Quimby Age 8, knocking an egg for lunch on her head that her mother forgot to hard-boil and getting runny egg all over her hair--and eating at the WhopperBurger, crisp french fries at the end of the book. Also, Ramona as a very little girl baking her doll in her sister's birthday cake when pretending she was Gretel from Hanzel and Gretel

19th century books are wonderful for horrid meals, LoCo! Who can forget Dora from David Copperfield serving oysters that couldn't be opened, or David having his whole meal consumed by someone who was supposed to be taking care of him at a restaurant, and then being blamed for being a glutton by the waiter. And Jane Eyre being served inedible gruel as a child in boarding school...

Well, it wasn't the written story but the movie Babette's Feast based on a story by Isak Dinesen (pen, Karen Blixen), . Although most of the dishes are interesting and historical, I've used it as inspiration to go beyond food as sustenance and to always aspire to a higher level. It piqued my interest in how food motivates a person and what strong emotional feelings it propels. From a kid and mom's favorite dishes to those things we eat as adults that trigger mental and physical joy.

Ha! I thought of Little House in the Big Woods! When they made maple candy by pouring the hot liquid in little molds made in the snow.

There was also this book called "No Beansprouts Please!" that I used to read in elementary school. It was about a boy with a magic lunchbox-- his health-nut mother would pack him sick health food in the lunchbox and by lunch time it'd turn into chili dogs, pizza and fried chicken.

I thought of another one: In Island of the Blue Dolphins, where she pounds abalone to eat... I always wanted to try it, after reading that. I was very disappointed when I heard it was chewy, though I suppose I should have gathered that from the book. I still haven't tried it.

Early years -- the Little House books -- I vivdly remember them making maple snow. I also was always facinated by Green Eggs and Ham -- Thank you Dr. Seuss.

In later years, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle -- A beautiful book. I know their have been others, but that is what pops in my head right now.

Oh, I just thought of another one -- Cake by Jeanne Ray. Not real heavy reading, but a good story with humorus characters.

I love to read and I love food. I love coming accross a book that combines the two.

@carol--the process of soaking corn in lye to make hominy is what allows our bodies to access the nutrients in the corn. When Europeans started eating corn they missed that little trick the Aztecs used and started dying of a nutritional deficiency called Pellegra. Also, you do know olives are cured with lye, right?

There is a Little House cookbook!
http://www.amazon.com/Little-House-Cookbook-Frontier-Ingalls/dp/0064460908/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227237272&sr=8-1

When Laura discovers that the lemonade at Nellie Olson's party isn't as sweet after she has some cake...sigh...

I'm thrilled to find other fans of "Little Men," and agree with @tmj529 about Heidi!

@lo82070 and @Junie: we had the mother of our riad hotel manager in Fes, Morocco, cook dinner for us on our last night's stay, and she made pastilla. It was every bit as the quote describes - delicate textures and the most amazing constellation of flavours. Somehow eating with fingers completes the deliciousness.

Back to topic - my first food-literature experience was the Gingerbread Man. After much begging mum and sis baked a gigantic (to a 4-yr-old) one for me. Before it had even cooled down I was already chomping at the legs - so that it won't run away...

@buffy!!! I've read that series about five times myself!!! LOVE them! (Only they did start getting rather repetitive by the time Shelters of Stone came out). I've gotten good ideas for tea from those books, and I like trying to figure out which common tuber or root she's referring to in the old way.

And Hemingway's got some good stuff. A.J. Liebling too.

Don't forget the scene where Ma makes popovers for the girls' party to the envy of Nellie Olson and the town kids. I've read many popover recipes since but haven't gotten around to buying the necessary baking gear - popover pans.

A book series I read as a child I can't remember the title of but it was a about a New York Jewish family's life at the turn of the century and described the various foods during Seder, Purim and items like latkes, gefilte fish, matzoh, etc. Later on, I was invited to Jewish friends' houses for meals and their parents were always delighted that this Asian kid was familiar with their foods in name if not taste.

Turkish Delight: yeah, I remember this. Years later, I was given Turkish Delight by a travelling colleague. I was underwhelmed - probably because my sugar taste buds have been jaded by processed candies and the availability of sugar. Imagine that sugar, honey, raisins, etc. were once luxury items.........................................

Other childhood book: "My Side of the Mountain" - about a boy who lives by himself in the woods and learns to forage. Later on, went on a ranger-guided hike and got to taste horsetails (celery-like), fiddlehead ferns, and Scottish broom (like peas) in the wild.

Fun book biography with recipes to boot: The Apprentice by Jacques Pepin.

@darkchocolatefan: My Side of the Mountain ruled! I had totally forgotten about it. I loved reading about what he foraged and always wanted to try things like grinding up acorns for acorn pancakes, etc.

@darkchocolatefan, are you thinking of All of a Kind Family?

Fizzy Lifting Drinks, and every other Wonka Creation. I would love the gum that chews like a three course meal, but would not like to end up a blueberry.