Book club spread adds flavor to the discussion
It started innocently enough with a note on an online neighborhood message board.
The author was new to the area, and she missed her book club. Her message carried the title, “Book clubs out there?” Could she join one? Any interest in starting one? It landed like a firecracker. Interest? Oh yeah. The replies began to pile up. At first, I kept track of names and email addresses. Then we came up with a new plan. Rather than send mass emails to an ever-growing group, we decided to meet at a community room in a nearby park.
And there, instead of forming one book group, we formed three — with the strong possibility of a fourth.
Of the current three, one group (the one I joined) reads contemporary works, another does historical fiction, and the third is open to any good book, just nothing too heavy.
Today happens to be the 20th annual World Book Day, a day for celebrating great books, authors and illustrators — and reading in general. And so a Back to the Books book club gathering seems appropriate.
When book groups meet, something must be served. (I once belonged to a book group where food and drink were all but banned.
I remember mineral water,
pretzels and cucumber slices. See ya!)
It could be as simple as wine and cheese. Many groups draw on the book for menu ideas: Southern fare such as ham, biscuits and lemonade for “To Kill a Mockingbird,” for instance.
Our group’s first book, “Moonglow” by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon, offered few such clues.
The novel, described as “fictional nonfiction,” was inspired by the author’s visit with his dying grandfather and the tales told by a tongue “loosened by powerful painkillers.”
The foods mentioned in this tour de force story include raspberry Jell-O and a mild chicken soup flavored with a bit of lemon juice, though a coq au vin described in one chapter was inspiring. We’ll see what the host comes up with.
Happily, my turn to host doesn’t come up for a few months, so I have time to plan. Because the book is yet unknown, I came up with an easy buffet spread that could work with any book.
It consists of portable nibbles that can be assembled ahead of time and set out with a minimum of fuss so we can get right to the book at hand.
The Potato Frittata is hearty but not heavy. It can be made a few hours ahead or even the evening before and served at room temperature or warmed in the oven. Ham can be substituted for prosciutto, or it can be left out entirely for a vegetarian spread.
Two types of crostini — one with blue cheese, the other with a whipped feta cheese spread — offer a savory cheese element. These can be assembled just before readers arrive.
And the popcorn is the perfect munchable snack — spicy, salty and sweet. And for dessert? No doubt someone will ask, “May I bring something?”
I’ll say, why yes! How about brownies, cookies — anything that doesn’t require a fork.