Book excerpt: Perfect for book lovers and foodies alike—a splendid cookbook featuring recipes inspired by classic works of literature and modern favorites Wake up to a perfect breakfast with Mrs. Dalby’s Buttermilk Scones, courtesy of James Herriot’s All Things Bright and Beautiful and Ichabod’s Slapjacks, as featured in Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. There’s homey comfort food like Connie May's Tomato Pie, created with and inspired by Connie May Fowler (Remembering Blue); Thanksgiving Spinach Casserole (Elizabeth Berg’s Open House); and Amish Chicken and Dumplings (Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth) . . . Sample salads, breads, and such soul-warming soups as Nearly-a-Meal Potato Soup (Terry Kay’s Shadow Song); Mr. Casaubon’s Chicken Noodle Soup (George Eliot’s Middlemarch); and Mrs. Leibowitz’s Lentil-Vegetable Soup (Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes) . . . After relishing appetizers and entrees, there’s a dazzling array of desserts, including Carrot Pudding (Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol); Effie Belle’s Coconut Cake (Olive Ann Burns’s Cold Sassy Tree); and the kids will love C.S. Lewis's Turkish Delight from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Sprinkled throughout with marvelous anecdotes about writers and writing, The Book Lover’s Cookbook is a culinary and literary delight, a browser’s cornucopia of reading pleasure, and a true inspiration in the kitchen. TASTY RECIPES AND THE BOOKS THAT INSPIRED THEM Jo’s Best Omelette . . . Little Women by Louisa May Alcott No Dieter’s Delight Chicken Neapolitan . . . Thinner by Stephen King Extra-Special Rhubarb Pie . . . The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas Grand Feast Crab Meat Casserole . . . At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon Persian Cucumber and Yogurt . . . House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III Tamales . . . Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Bev's No-Fuss Crab Cakes . . . Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell Macaroni and Cheese . . . The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler Veteran Split Pea Soup . . . The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane Alternative Carrot-Raisin-Pineapple Salad . . . Midwives by Chris Bohjalian Summer’s Day Cucumber-Tomato Sandwiches . . . Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence Refreshing Black Cows . . . The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton Dump Punch . . . Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Not Violet, But Blueberry Pie . . . Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Innocent Sweet Bread . . . The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Daddy's Rich Chocolate Cake . . . Fatherhood by Bill Cosby . . . and many other delectable dishes for the literary palate!