Food in my writing

Food doesn’t appear very often in The Crafter Chronicles. I put food elements in my stories somewhat sparingly. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love food! (Follow my Instagram account and you’ll see what I mean!)

But when I do include food in my writing, you can be sure it will be something memorable! Here are just a handful of moments in my stories where I’ve included mention of something special in the world of culinary excellence!

There’s a scene in A Monk’s Tale (this is not a spoiler) where Cedric and his companion, Ydenia, are enjoying an impromptu meal of fresh bread and mushrooms all toasted together over an open fire with melted cheese. That meal is an homage to a street vendor’s panini I had while walking alongside the Circus Maximus in Rome (not far from the Colosseum). The original sandwich from which I drew my inspiration was made with fresh sage and local mushrooms, along with a generous helping of fontina cheese. And butter. Butter to spare. It represents one of those foods and moments that together created a memory I will carry with me for the rest of my days!

If you’ve ever been to a really good Thai place and ordered their chicken or beef satay, you know that the art form can be elevated above the typical “catered” satay you may have had at a function—especially when served with a similarly exceptional peanut sauce. That’s not just Kestrel’s favorite food. It’s also one of mine!

In Book Three (ultra-mini-spoiler), there is a scene where a dwarf introduces Cedric to a new spirit the monk has never tried before. It is made from the berries of a local evergreen bush that grows on the side of the Dvargheim Mountains. For those who’ve been on my newsletter for a while, you may recognize Cedric’s “aha” moment when he first tastes the dwarven spirit as a parallel to the first time I tried Stonecutter gin!

All of this musing, of course, makes me wonder if there was a bakery somewhere in Birmingham where they made a godcake so etheric that it inspired Tolkien’s lembas bread!

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading!