Welcome to The Lit Kitch!

Hello and welcome to The Lit Kitch! My name is Cass, and when I am not curled up on the couch with a book, you are most likely to find me donning my apron and concocting new recipes in the kitchen. On this blog I am going to attempt to combine my two greatest passions, literature and food.

A Proustian Origin Story

It all started one day when I was reading Proust (a statement that, I realize, makes me seem both pretentious and far more erudite than I actually am–this event occurred over a year ago, and I have still only finished one chapter of Proust). Anyways, as I came upon the famous scene with the madeleines, I realized that I had never eaten a madeleine, and wasn’t even really sure what a madeleine is, beyond some vague form of baked good. Which led to the thought that perhaps I should try a madeleine. Which led to the thought that perhaps I should try baking my own madeleines. Which led to, well, this moment, right here.

Proust’s experience with the madeleines is one of the most well-known scenes in literature, so I knew to expect it even before reading the first sentence. But this idea of recreating a recipe from a work of literature led me to start paying attention to what the characters were consuming in other books.

Some Intergalactic Inspiration

At the same time I was attempting Proust, I was also in the midst of reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a pairing that probably offers a clearer picture of the inner workings of my brain, and a good idea of the spectrum of works I intend to feature on this blog. When The Hitchhiker’s Guide lists all of the absurd ingredients in the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, it practically begs the reader to attempt to make this bizarre space drink. Or at least that’s how I felt when I stumbled upon it very shortly after my Proustian moment.

The fact that my two current reads at the time both mentioned something that I could recreate in the kitchen made me wonder if other books might also offer this possibility. And they do! I have been taking note of the sustenance I come across in works ever since then, and it amazes me that I never noticed the frequency and variety of fares mentioned in nearly every book I read.

Let the Cooking Begin!

So now it is time to apron up and start cooking! I will be back tomorrow with my very first Lit Kitch recipe, and while it will not be madeleines or Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters this time, you can look forward to seeing these and many other recipes in the future.