Writers & Lovers
“If we didn’t have fear, imagine the creativity in the world. Fear holds us back every step of the way.”
Synopsis: Casey Peabody is trying to figure it out. She is a 31 year old woman who has moved to Boston in the summer of 1997 with the chief goal of completing the novel she has been working on for the last six years. She’s struggling in a lot of ways: she recently lost her mother to an unexpected death, she is financially strapped with crushing student debt, and is barely getting by as a waitress. She is also fresh off a failed romance. Casey begins to date two very different men which only makes her life more confusing. This is an introspective, intimate story of a young woman trying to realize her dream of the creative life.
Nicholette’s Review: I really, really enjoyed this novel. I found it to be a refreshing and fairly realistic story of a young woman just trying to figure out what kind of life she wants to live. Casey is an imperfect heroine (aren’t we all), and has a few failures to contend with. This novel is a thoughtful exploration of what happens when life doesn’t turn out exactly the way you planned, and trying to make it work anyway. While it’s a novel about writing, ironically I most enjoyed the parts of the novel set in the restaurant, Iris. The social politics between wait staff, hostess and chef, the effort to look presentable when you have to ride a bike to work, dealing with customers of every stripe. I suspect the author must have worked as a waitress herself, it was so realistic. This is my first reading of Lily King, and now I’m inspired to visit her previous novel Euphoria.
Rating: 4/5
Corey’s Review: I didn’t read this book, but it sounds like it was a great read. I love books based in New England and the self discovery aspect of this novel sounds endearing. One thing I will not pass up is the meal we curated for this book!
Menu: Casey works at restaurant called Iris. It’s where a number of important plot points occur, including one where she waits on a widower out with his two young sons. The description of creme brûlée was perfect! The shellac of the caramelized sugar topping, “like ice but really just the opposite, made from heat not cold.” It’s one of my favorite desserts ever. You may be tempted to skip the step where you strain the egg and cream mixture, but I implore you not to cut that corner! It keeps it silky smooth.
Creme Brulee
8 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar for topping
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2) In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until mixture is thick and pale yellow and sugar is dissolved. Add cream and vanilla and continue to whisk until well blended.
3) Strain the mixture to skim off any foam or bubbles.
4) Divide mixture among 6 ramekins and place in a water bath. I usually use a lasagne pan or roasting pan, and fill it with hot water until the level reaches about half way up the ramekins.
5) Bake until set around the edges but still loose in the center, about 40-50 minutes.
6) Remove from the oven and leave in the water bath until cooled.
7) Remove cups from water bath and chill for at least two hours.
8) When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with 2 teaspoons of sugar, and use a small hand held torch to melt the sugar.
