Table of Contents: From Breakfast With Anita Diamant to Dessert With James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights From Today's Bestselling Authors by Judy Gelman, Vicki Levy Krupp Page B
Authors: Judy Gelman, Vicki Levy Krupp
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initially doubtful I can pull off (but definitely want to). Take the make-believe governor of New Mexico in The Whole World Over ; Clement Jardine's work with endangered grizzly bears in I See You Everywhere ; and, in The Widower's Tale , an illegal Guatemalan immigrant who works as a gardener.
Influences on My Writing Daniel Deronda , the last novel by George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Anne Evans), made me realize I wanted to write fiction. I was in my late twenties then, working primarily as a painter (even though I was paying the rent with my editorial and writing skills). The heroine of that book, Gwendolen Harleth, remains my favorite character in all the literature I've read, primarily because she is utterly contemptible at the outset, and yet wins (and breaks) the reader's heart by the end of the story after she faces the complex consequences of her vain, foolish choices. I found the experience of this emotional transformation haunting and provocative. Yes, Eliot's language is gorgeous, her characters rich, and her plotting brilliant, but this novel's gift to me was a profound understanding of how great fiction exerts its power by instilling empathy. It teaches us viscerally, again and again through endlessly diverse stories, how to stand in the shoes of people we might otherwise ignore, dismiss, or condemn. It opens our eyes and hearts to worlds beyond our own. What can be more important than that?
B ASQUE C HOCOLATE C AKE WITH C HERRY P RESERVES
Makes 8–10 servings
Adapted from Food and Wine (October, 1998)
The heroine of my second novel, The Whole World Over , is Greenie Duquette, a pastry chef whose signature dessert is an elaborate coconut cake. It will come as no surprise to readers that I have a treacherously irrepressible sweet tooth, but sadly I rarely have time to make complicated desserts.
This chocolate cake is outrageously rich, pretty when garnished, and easy to make. (The sour flavor of the crème fraîche is essential; don't substitute whipped cream.)
Note: I find that the surface of the cake cracks slightly, making the cake fragile, so I cool it in the pan on a rack. When ready to serve, I cut the pieces straight from the pan, then plate and garnish them in the kitchen.
12½ tablespoons unsalted butter
5½ ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 large eggs
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup black cherry preserves
Crème fraîche, for serving
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9″ round cake pan.
2 In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the butter and chocolate. Melt over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3 In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer and beat the eggs with the sugar at high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and beat at low speed just until combined. Fold in 1/3 of the melted chocolate, then gently fold in the remaining chocolate; do not overmix.
4 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a tooth-pick stuck into the center comes out clean. Place the cake on a rack and let cool.
5 Meanwhile, in a saucepan, warm the cherry preserves over moderate heat. Cut the cake into wedges (see note) and serve with the cherry preserves and crème fraîche.
T OURTE DE B LETTES (A PPLE , S WISS C HARD, AND P INE N UT P IE )
Makes 1 (10- or 11-inch) pie; 8–10 servings
Adapted from The Cuisine of the Sun: Classical French Cooking from Nice and Provence by Mireille Johnston (Fireside, 1990)
My first novel, Three Junes , features several meals lovingly prepared by chef Dennis McLeod, brother to Fenno. Though he's Scottish, Dennis is married to a Frenchwoman and owns a restaurant in Provence. Readers never get to visit the restaurant, but I'm certain Dennis would serve this unusual pie, a favorite of mine that always earns raves. It is a savory-sweet dish, a marriage of healthy and indulgent, and the perfect centerpiece for a brunch. It tastes
Influences on My Writing Daniel Deronda , the last novel by George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Anne Evans), made me realize I wanted to write fiction. I was in my late twenties then, working primarily as a painter (even though I was paying the rent with my editorial and writing skills). The heroine of that book, Gwendolen Harleth, remains my favorite character in all the literature I've read, primarily because she is utterly contemptible at the outset, and yet wins (and breaks) the reader's heart by the end of the story after she faces the complex consequences of her vain, foolish choices. I found the experience of this emotional transformation haunting and provocative. Yes, Eliot's language is gorgeous, her characters rich, and her plotting brilliant, but this novel's gift to me was a profound understanding of how great fiction exerts its power by instilling empathy. It teaches us viscerally, again and again through endlessly diverse stories, how to stand in the shoes of people we might otherwise ignore, dismiss, or condemn. It opens our eyes and hearts to worlds beyond our own. What can be more important than that?
B ASQUE C HOCOLATE C AKE WITH C HERRY P RESERVES
Makes 8–10 servings
Adapted from Food and Wine (October, 1998)
The heroine of my second novel, The Whole World Over , is Greenie Duquette, a pastry chef whose signature dessert is an elaborate coconut cake. It will come as no surprise to readers that I have a treacherously irrepressible sweet tooth, but sadly I rarely have time to make complicated desserts.
This chocolate cake is outrageously rich, pretty when garnished, and easy to make. (The sour flavor of the crème fraîche is essential; don't substitute whipped cream.)
Note: I find that the surface of the cake cracks slightly, making the cake fragile, so I cool it in the pan on a rack. When ready to serve, I cut the pieces straight from the pan, then plate and garnish them in the kitchen.
12½ tablespoons unsalted butter
5½ ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 large eggs
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup black cherry preserves
Crème fraîche, for serving
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9″ round cake pan.
2 In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the butter and chocolate. Melt over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3 In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer and beat the eggs with the sugar at high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and beat at low speed just until combined. Fold in 1/3 of the melted chocolate, then gently fold in the remaining chocolate; do not overmix.
4 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a tooth-pick stuck into the center comes out clean. Place the cake on a rack and let cool.
5 Meanwhile, in a saucepan, warm the cherry preserves over moderate heat. Cut the cake into wedges (see note) and serve with the cherry preserves and crème fraîche.
T OURTE DE B LETTES (A PPLE , S WISS C HARD, AND P INE N UT P IE )
Makes 1 (10- or 11-inch) pie; 8–10 servings
Adapted from The Cuisine of the Sun: Classical French Cooking from Nice and Provence by Mireille Johnston (Fireside, 1990)
My first novel, Three Junes , features several meals lovingly prepared by chef Dennis McLeod, brother to Fenno. Though he's Scottish, Dennis is married to a Frenchwoman and owns a restaurant in Provence. Readers never get to visit the restaurant, but I'm certain Dennis would serve this unusual pie, a favorite of mine that always earns raves. It is a savory-sweet dish, a marriage of healthy and indulgent, and the perfect centerpiece for a brunch. It tastes
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