Hello and happy Friday afternoon!
Sophie here checking in with a few nice things for the weekend. But first on behalf of Germaine and I, a big huge thank you to everyone for listening to our podcast so far and sharing it with friends and writing nice reviews on our i-tunes page (this makes a big difference to our discoverability to new friends so thank you thank you).
One lovely listener messaged us just yesterday to say she was in a book shop in Queensland this week and overheard two other ladies saying nice things about the pod - amazing! Thanks Nic 😘..
We have big dreams for this still-small project, including live events and more author specials so it’s nice to know that we aren’t doing it all in a vacuum of our own love of talking about things to read and eat!
Anyway…here’s what’s in this newsy for you today.
Our book list - the next five books we’re chatting about on the pod if you’d like to read along. Though it’s good to note here that you absolutely don’t need to have read the book to get something, hopefully lots, out of each episode.
A very delicious pecan slice recipe for picnics and good times.by our episode sponsor and good friend Meredith Morschel of Kitchen to Table.
And a few links for your Friday afternoon.
Thank you again, and have a lovely weekend,
Sophie and Germaine x
Something to Eat and Something to Read book list
Here are the books we’re covering in our next five episodes, read along with us if you’re after something new!
Episode 3 (November 12) - Author special, a conversation with @sarahwinman about writing about food and feasting in her books and @emikodavies , who brought her expertise in Florentine cuisine to her role as Still Life’s food consultant.
Episode 4 (November 26) - Christmas Days, Jeanette Winterson
Episode 5 (December 10) - The Light Years, Elizabeth Jane Howard
Episode 6 - (January 7) - Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner
Episode 7 -(January 21) Leave the World Behind, Rumann Alam
Our sponsor for this episode, plus the one before and the one to come next is Kitchen to Table, a beautiful kitchen and cookery specialist store in Yamba NSW and online. It’s such a great source of beautiful goods and Meredith and her team go above and beyond to make sure we get great service and exactly what we want/need. Plus, she took a leap of faith to sponsor this new thing of ours and I think that speaks volumes about what a cool, supportive lady she is! The kind of lady we love to support right back.
Pecan pie slice
This recipe was inspired after reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, which is set in Southern United States in the 1950’s and 60’s. In most books I read I am drawn to any food references and throughout this book there are many references to Southern food including grits, beans, fried chicken, homegrown vegetables, corn fritters, creamed corn, crab cakes, and pecan pie. When I read about pecan pie I was like, oooh I have to make one! But sometimes I want something easier to make than a pie, so I got to thinking that perhaps a pecan pie blondie or slice may be just the thing to bake. So I’m sharing my recipe that has all the flavours of pecan pie that we know and love but in a slice that is quick and easy to bake. It begins with a vanilla shortcake base that’s topped with a buttery, nutty, maple topping then baked until golden. I hope you enjoy it with a cuppa and a quiet nook in which to read your book.
In this recipe the base is cooked partially first, then the liquid pecan topping is poured over and the slice is returned to the oven to bake until it’s golden and cooked through.
Base
125g plain flour
1 tsp (5g) baking powder
125g brown sugar
Pinch of salt
125g butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
Pecan topping
75g butter
100g brown sugar
75ml maple syrup
50ml cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
2 tsp lemon juice
125g chopped pecans
Pinch salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced. Lightly grease a 26 x 16cm slice pan and line with baking paper.
Prepare the base: combine the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the melted butter, egg and vanilla and stir until just combined. Transfer batter to the pan and spread into an even layer - I find a short off-set palette knife makes this job easy.
Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes (note: the base will only be partially cooked at this stage), remove it from the oven and pour over the pecan topping.
Meanwhile, prepare the pecan topping. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and melt together over low to medium heat then set it aside to cool slightly.
Place the maple syrup, cream, eggs, vanilla and lemon juice into a 1 litre pouring jug (or bowl) and whisk together. Add the melted butter and brown sugar and whisk to combine. Add the pecans and salt and mix through.
Pour the topping mixture over the partially cooked base and return it to the oven and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. When it’s ready, remove it from the oven and place it onto a cooling rack. When cool, lift the slice out of its pan and slice it into at least 12 bars.
Friday links
How to recommend a book (The New Yorker)
This year’s Food and Words Writers’ Festival on November 20 (which you can attend in person or virtually) looks so so great.
How food in fiction brings you closer to the characters (The Atlantic)
Novel ideas; the books, films and plays that inspired Still Life (Vanity Fair)