It only takes two things to transport me back to my fondest childhood memories: a whimsical book and my mom’s cooking. Many of the stories I loved as a kid featured characters that embarked on fantastical adventures, whether through a magical tollbooth or a mystical world down a rabbit hole. However, it was not these journeys that I delighted in the most, but the mouth-watering descriptions of tables laden with pastries, feasts of cheese, and stacks of pie that filled the pages. When my mom cooked meals like the ones I read about, it was a way for me to feel closer to the characters. With that memory in mind, I present eight of my favorite childhood books, along with a dish inspired by each one.
- Redwall series by Brian Jacques (Martin the Warrior, Book 6)
Autumn Cheese Board “Dishes went this way and that from paw to paw, snowcream pudding, hot fruit pies, colorful trifles, tasty pasties, steaming soup, new bread with shiny golden crusts, old cheeses studded with dandelion, acorn and celery. Sugared plums and honeyed pears vied for place with winter salads and vegetable flans.”
The Redwall series is a fantasy saga consisting of twenty-two novels. Centered around Redwall Abbey, a peaceful community inhabited by mice, squirrels, otters, and other woodland creatures, the group must defend against threats and vanquish evil. Filled with epic quests and thrilling battles, the elaborate feasts at Redwall Abbey are a way to celebrate their victories– and nothing says woodland celebration quite like a comforting array of cheeses, figs, caramel, and jam.
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Roasted Garlic Butter Parmesan Potatoes “Dickon made the stimulating discovery […] there was a deep little hollow where you could build a sort of tiny oven with stones and roast potatoes and eggs in it. […] Very hot potatoes with salt and fresh butter in them were fit for a woodland king—besides being deliciously satisfying.”
The heart of the story is the discovery of a neglected garden hidden within the grounds of Misselthwaite Manor. With the help of her friend Dickon and her sickly cousin Colin, Mary works hard to restore the garden. Initially presented as spoiled, sour, and neglected, Mary’s tending of the garden gradually transforms her character – and appetite. She, along with the other two, discover a place to build an oven for preparing buttered, roasted potatoes.
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Mini Lemon Tarts with Blueberries “In the next moment, her eyes fell on the White Rabbit that was serving the court as a herald and was reading the accusation that the Knave of Hearts had stolen the Queen’s tarts. In the middle of the court, a large platter of tarts was on display.”
The novel takes place in a fantastical realm called Wonderland, where Alice encounters strange and whimsical creatures like the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts. Tea parties abound, and of course, what pairs better with a cup of tea than a fruit tart? The Queen of Hearts’s obsession with tarts leads to a comical trial where the Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing them.
- The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Loaded Alphabet Soup “Milo nibbled carefully at the letter and discovered that it was quite sweet and delicious—just the way you’d expect an A to taste.
‘I knew you’d like it,’ laughed the letter man, popping two G’s and an R into his mouth and letting the juice drip down his chin. ‘A’s are one of our most popular letters. All of them aren’t that good,’ he confided in a low voice. ‘Take the Z, for instance—very dry and sawdusty. And the X? Why, it tastes like a trunkful of stale air. That’s why people hardly ever use them. But most of the others are quite tasty. Try some more.’”The story follows a young boy named Milo who is bored with his everyday life and finds a mysterious package containing a tollbooth in his room. Intrigued, Milo drives through the tollbooth and finds himself transported to the Kingdom of Wisdom, which is filled with wordplay, puns, and imaginative adventures. As he wanders the word marketplace, he discovers how different letters taste.
- Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Brown Sugar Pancakes “And they shouted with delight when they saw all the good things Pippi had set out on the bare rock. There were lovely little sandwiches of meatloaf and ham, a whole pile of pancakes sprinkled with sugar, little brown sausages, and three pineapple puddings.”
Pippi Longstocking is unlike any other child in her town. She lives alone in a colorful house called Villa Villekulla, except for her pet monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and her horse, Old Man. She has no formal schooling, no bedtime, no rules to follow, and soon forms close friendships with the children in her neighborhood, Tommy and Annika. As she has learned well from the cook on her father’s ship, she prepares a brunch spread for all three to indulge in.
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Strawberries and Cream “Jo’s one strong point was the fruit, for she had sugared it well, and had a pitcher of rich cream to eat with it. Her hot cheeks cooled a trifle, and she drew a long breath as the pretty glass plates went round, and everyone looked graciously at the little rosy islands floating in a sea of cream.”
The novel explores the lives of the four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – as they navigate through adolescence and young adulthood. When Jo March prepares a meal for Laurie, her sisters, and their neighbor, Miss Crocker, she has high hopes for the strawberries and cream. Alas, nothing turns out to plan – salt instead of sugar and cream that had turned sour renders the dessert a culinary disaster.
- Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Honey Cornbread “There was stewed jack rabbit with white-flour dumplings and plenty of gravy. There was a steaming-hot, thick cornbread flavored with bacon fat. There was molasses to eat on the cornbread…”
The Little House series follows the lives of the Ingalls family as they pioneer their way across the American frontier. Food availability is closely tied to the seasons, with the Ingalls family harvesting crops and preserving food during the summer and fall months to sustain them through the winter. Family meals are simple, wholesome, and hearty, with staples like cornbread, beans, salt pork, and potatoes.
- James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Old Fashioned Southern Peach Cobbler “And when they saw the great golden peach floating past them not fifty yards away in the sky, they gave a great yelp of surprise and dropped their shovels to the ground.”
The story follows the adventures of a young orphan boy named James Henry Trotter who escapes his miserable life with his cruel aunts by embarking on a magical journey inside a giant peach. James, along with his insect companions, happily discovers that the peach’s flesh is juicy and sweet – perfect for cobbler and a scoop of ice cream.
Sources:
Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Tauchnitz, 1876.
Collier, Mary, and Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Secret Garden. HarperCollinsPublishers, 1998.
Dahl, Roald, and Quentin Blake. James and the Giant Peach. Puffin Books, 2007.
Jacques, Brian, and Gary Chalk. Martin the Warrior. Red Fox, 1994.
Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. Penguin Books, 1965.
Lindgren, Astrid, and Sue Palmer. Pippi Longstocking. Oliver & Boyd, 1988.
Sabuda, Robert, and Lewis Carroll. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Little Simon, 2003.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House on the Prairie. Oliver & Boyd, 1987.
Image Credits:
Annalise. “Honey Buttermilk Cornbread.” Completely Delicious, 14 June 2023, www.completelydelicious.com/honey-buttermilk-cornbread/.
Basil, Sweet. “Old Fashioned Southern Peach Cobbler Recipe.” Oh Sweet Basil, 8 Feb. 2024, ohsweetbasil.com/old-fashioned-southern-peach-cobbler-recipe/.
Finks, Amanda. “Brown Sugar Pancakes.” Amanda’s Easy Recipes, 10 Apr. 2023, www.amandaseasyrecipes.com/brown-sugar-pancakes/.
Foster, Kelli. “Loaded Alphabet Soup.” Kitchn, Apartment Therapy, LLC., 15 Sept. 2022, www.thekitchn.com/alphabet-soup-recipe-23411732.
Hackworthy, Kate. “Strawberries and Cream.” Veggie Desserts, 2 Aug. 2021, veggiedesserts.com/strawberries-and-cream/.
Jessica. “Autumn Cheese Board with Bourbon Crackling Caramel.” How Sweet Eats, 2 Oct. 2020, www.howsweeteats.com/2020/10/fall-cheese-board/.
“Mini Lemon Tarts with Blueberries Recipe.” The Feedfeed, thefeedfeed.com/kitchnkid/mini-lemon-tarts-with-blueberries-1. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.
“Roasted Garlic Butter Parmesan Potatoes.” Eatwell101, 23 Mar. 2024, www.eatwell101.com/roasted-garlic-butter-parmesan-potatoes-recipe.
Wow…all these delicious foods…and I’ve read at least half of these novels.
This is such a great idea for an article! I love the Redwall one especially because when I read the books the descriptions of the food were so mouthwatering 😂
Yum! I’ve read all of these books
Eyyyy Autumn Cheese Board and Alphabet Souuuup.
I love Redwall so much. Each book is so satisfyingly long and all the various plot lines in each novel are masterfully kept up during the whole story. Every book has a similar theme, but at the same time every plot is also so unique. The charm and personality of characters is of a caliber that I rarely see in books today. They contain a surprising amount of violence for a children’s book, but that makes it all the more enjoyable for me. The fact that there are 22 whole books in this series that each have an amazing amount of quality and detail makes this my favorite series. The first book (not in chronological order) is sort of an outlier to the others but not in a bad way. It was the first written and has a distinct feel compared to the others along with some elements that never repeat in the rest of the books. The food in Redwall is amazing, and I’m glad you like it too.
wow this is such a good idea! I love this article!