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Investigating Food Used in Novels

This month’s food scene and recipe comes from the WWII novel, The Road Remembered, by Kaye D. Schmitz

Here’s the scene featuring main character Sam Ryan:

We woke to find that in addition to a tent shortage, the camp also suffered a food shortage, so we scrounged for anything we could find. I was luckier than most. My mother had taught me to recognize edible greens, like watercress, and I pulled enough of it to make a scant salad. In the days that followed, the shortage continued, so I trapped a few rabbits—scrawny little things—and cooked them on my alcohol stove until our food supply caught up with us. My cooking abilities increased my popularity among the men and at the end of our famine period, I banked quite a stash of candy bars and cigarettes, traded to me for some of my rabbit stew.

                                                                   Rabbit Stew

Author Kaye D. Schmitz shares the recipe with these special notes:

The Road Remembered were actually my Dad’s experiences. And this was one of them. But in his real-life version, he found a farmer who raised rabbits and bought some from him using whatever currency he had for the country he was in at the time. He said he had no idea how the money translated to U.S. dollars, so he just handed the farmer a bunch of bills and the man’s eyes popped, so he figured he had probably given him enough money to buy his whole farm. He always laughed when he talked about that.

Sam’s version wouldn’t have included olive oil or Riesling, but probably would have included wild onions, an old potato from the mess hall and possibly a carrot or two if he could have gotten hold of them. No leeks, fennel, or tomatoes or fancy herbs like Rosemary. He may even have been able to get hold of a beer to add to the pot.

For the recipe Click Here.

More about The Road Remembered:

Love and humanity triumph amid the atrocities of World War II.

In the final months of World War II, Sam Ryan takes his place as a new soldier in the 89th Infantry Division on the front lines in Europe. He's trained to kill but struggles with the thought of taking the life of another human being, a contradiction with the way he was raised. How, he wonders, will he ever reconcile the action his head dictates with the way his heart feels about it?

On the other side of the war, Gerda Ziegler's heart aches over the monster her beloved Germany has become. But she confronts the Nazi soldiers who guard the Jewish-only sector in Zwickau and is appalled to learn that a Jewish baby will be killed because of a large birthmark. Can she manage to whisk the child away right under the noses of the brutal Nazis?

Sam and Gerda face their enemies head-on, but they also battle internal elements on their own sides of the fighting that violate their shared values of humanity. They meet under the worst of circumstances but find a way to help each other through the trauma of war.

About the Author:

KAYE SCHMITZ is the author of the award-winning novels, THE CONSORT CONSPIRACY and ON DEADLY GROUNDS, winning both the prestigious Literary Titans award and Florida Authors and Publishers Award. Active in the writing community, she is a member of the Florida Writers’ Association, Sisters in Crime national, Northeast Florida Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Women’s Fiction Writers’ Association. She is also an active speaker and teaches a writer’s workshop titled, “Fiction Writing Tips and Techniques That Work!!” Ms. Schmitz makes her home in St. Augustine, FL, where she lives with her husband, Michael, and close to their two grown children and four grandchildren. https://www.kayedschmitzauthor.com/

Investigating Food Used in Novels

This month’s food scene and recipe comes from the WWII novel, The Road Remembered, by Kaye D. Schmitz

Here’s the scene featuring main character Sam Ryan:

We woke to find that in addition to a tent shortage, the camp also suffered a food shortage, so we scrounged for anything we could find. I was luckier than most. My mother had taught me to recognize edible greens, like watercress, and I pulled enough of it to make a scant salad. In the days that followed, the shortage continued, so I trapped a few rabbits—scrawny little things—and cooked them on my alcohol stove until our food supply caught up with us. My cooking abilities increased my popularity among the men and at the end of our famine period, I banked quite a stash of candy bars and cigarettes, traded to me for some of my rabbit stew.

                                                                    RABBIT STEW

Author Kaye D. Schmitz shares the recipe with these special notes:

The Road Remembered were actually my Dad’s experiences. And this was one of them. But in his real-life version, he found a farmer who raised rabbits and bought some from him using whatever currency he had for the country he was in at the time. He said he had no idea how the money translated to U.S. dollars, so he just handed the farmer a bunch of bills and the man’s eyes popped, so he figured he had probably given him enough money to buy his whole farm. He always laughed when he talked about that.

Sam’s version wouldn’t have included olive oil or Riesling, but probably would have included wild onions, an old potato from the mess hall and possibly a carrot or two if he could have gotten hold of them. No leeks, fennel, or tomatoes or fancy herbs like Rosemary. He may even have been able to get hold of a beer to add to the pot.

For the recipe Click Here.

More about The Road Remembered:

Love and humanity triumph amid the atrocities of World War II.

In the final months of World War II, Sam Ryan takes his place as a new soldier in the 89th Infantry Division on the front lines in Europe. He's trained to kill but struggles with the thought of taking the life of another human being, a contradiction with the way he was raised. How, he wonders, will he ever reconcile the action his head dictates with the way his heart feels about it?

On the other side of the war, Gerda Ziegler's heart aches over the monster her beloved Germany has become. But she confronts the Nazi soldiers who guard the Jewish-only sector in Zwickau and is appalled to learn that a Jewish baby will be killed because of a large birthmark. Can she manage to whisk the child away right under the noses of the brutal Nazis?

Sam and Gerda face their enemies head-on, but they also battle internal elements on their own sides of the fighting that violate their shared values of humanity. They meet under the worst of circumstances but find a way to help each other through the trauma of war.

About the Author:

KAYE SCHMITZ is the author of the award-winning novels, THE CONSORT CONSPIRACY and ON DEADLY GROUNDS, winning both the prestigious Literary Titans award and Florida Authors and Publishers Award. Active in the writing community, she is a member of the Florida Writers’ Association, Sisters in Crime national, Northeast Florida Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Women’s Fiction Writers’ Association. She is also an active speaker and teaches a writer’s workshop titled, “Fiction Writing Tips and Techniques That Work!!” Ms. Schmitz makes her home in St. Augustine, FL, where she lives with her husband, Michael, and close to their two grown children and four grandchildren. https://www.kayedschmitzauthor.com/

Investigating Food Used in Novels

Fall is a great time for White Chicken Chili and a food scene from Caroline Powers’ novel, A Future and a Hope.   

Excerpt from Chapter 26 of A Future and A Hope

This scene takes place after Gabe returns from a visit with his family for Thanksgiving. He and Larkyn have finally broken through the barriers to having a relationship and they’re eager to see one another. Information about her first husband’s death has just been revealed.

Here’s the Scene:

“Come in.” She stepped aside to give him room and zinged him with a breathless smile that shot sparkles from her aqua eyes. Who was this woman? Where was the hand winging?

He took in the fuzzy sweater and stretchy, tight pants before his arms encircled her and pulled her against his chest. She nestled like a kitten.

“Hi,” he breathed into her hair.

“Hi yourself.” She drew back just enough for him to see her face. “I hope you’re hungry.”

Oh man. If you only knew. He released her slowly as a spicy aroma reached him. “You’re cooking?”

“Only some soup.”

Not any soup I’ve ever smelled before.” His empty stomach gurgled.

“The recipe’s called white chicken chili. Come and see.”

When she lifted the lid to the cast iron pot and stirred the contents with a wooden spoon, a tangy combination of cumin, onion, garlic, and something different wafted out. Mmm.

“I know chili, and this ain’t it.” He leaned over to sip from the spoon she offered. “Wow, this stuff’s got a kick.”

“I use green chili instead of red, and chicken instead of beef.” She covered the pot and turned to open the oven door. Gabe savored the sight of her willowy form as she bent to her task. More rich smells assaulted him.

“Cornbread.” She announced over the golden muffins emerging from the heat. With skill, she emptied them into a basket and closed the towel lining. “You can put them on the table.”

While she ladled the chili, Gabe obeyed. Then he carried both bowls to her new table. They were seated and Gabe blessed the food. The scene felt as natural as the sweep of her hand, brushing back her hair.

Gabe’s tongue tingled from the fire in his bowl. Green chilis, huh? They didn’t put these in lasagna. “Where did you learn to make this?”

“From a recipe I found online. I’ve always loved ethnic foods.”

He sensed that might be half the story, but tonight she’d made it for him. “Maybe I can taste the flavor better when my mouth calms down.” He picked up a muffin and watched as butter melted into the cornbread’s texture.

“Try your muffin with this.” She presented a jar of honey and watched him slather it on. “Honey helps dispel the heat.”

Gabe ate slowly, savoring the flavor of the soup while enduring the burn. Lots of cornbread and honey later, his tongue no longer noticed.

“Do you think they’ll have enough to arrest Martin?” Larkyn seemed to have stored this question until she couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Honestly, I have no idea.” And being honest, he had to ask, “What will you do if they don’t?”

Author Caroline Powers shares this recipe for White Chicken Chili served up by her heroine.

                         White Chicken Chili

For the recipe Click Here.

More About A Future and a Hope:

 A Lovely Widow, An Injured Veteran, a Hit-and-Run Mystery ...
When Larkyn Wagner barely misses hitting a bicyclist with her car, visions of her husband’s death by hit and run overwhelm her. The victim, Gabe DeSantis, a recently discharged Army veteran who lost his leg in Afghanistan is plenty ticked until he sees the remorse of his attacker. By the time the lovely widow departs, he’s almost sympathetic.
Neither expects to meet again, but another collision awaits.
While Gabe fights for a new start outside the military, Larkyn pines for the love of her life. What will it take to ignite the attraction they both refuse to acknowledge
The characters will draw you in, but it's the message of hope that will linger after the final page.

About the author:

Caroline Powers writes captivating romance, inspired by her own emotional healing. Her debut novel A Future and A Hope was a 2022 Genesis finalist and is currently a finalist for the Christian Indie Award.

You can find her blog and sign up for her monthly devotional newsletter at her website: carolinepowersauthor.com