Sept 6, 2021
Does food play an important part in your writing? How about sharing a favorite recipe of one of your characters, or maybe one of yours? (We haven’t done this in forever!)
None of my main characters are bakers or chefs or work in a restaurant. But food is an important part of my writing with many conversations happening over a shared meal. Here’s a bit from The Ranger’s Dog Tags, in a scene between Harmony and Vanessa Salters, an ATF special agent.
She waited while Bea brought our food. The slice of meatloaf was so thick I wondered if I’d be able to eat even half of it.
The rich aroma of the gravy alone made me realize how hungry I was. I’d have to bring Eli here someday. I put down my fork, my appetite suddenly gone.
Vanessa noticed but didn’t comment. “Now, about your living arrangements. You said you’re in a hotel? You aren’t staying at Mr. Hennessey’s place?”
I shrugged. “I’m not comfortable with him not being there.”
“Got it.” She chewed on a forkful of corn. I took a tiny bite of the meatloaf. It was better than what I make, so I took a second, bigger bite.
From there Vanessa goes on to outmaneuver Harmony into allowing Vanessa to become her bodyguard, (and Harmony hates bodyguards) but you’ll have to read the book for that.
I’m not going to give you the recipe for the restaurant’s meatloaf—I don’t have it. Frankly, I suspect the real secret was in the way they made their gravy. Instead, here’s a recipe for Hamburger Soup. I love it because it’s so flexible and it makes a large enough of a batch that there’s plenty of leftovers for later. It’s great for a cold winter day, which we may be seeing sooner than we are ready for! (depending upon where you live, naturally)
Hamburger Soup
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs lean ground beef (or substitute ½ lb Italian sausage for an extra kick)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
1 tbls minced garlic
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
4 cups beef stock ( I usually use more)
½ tsp seasoning salt
½ tsb basil
¼ tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, brown the beef, onions celery, garlic and pepper until the meat is no longer pink. Add the cabbage and cook together for a couple of minutes. Drain. (I find it easier to add most of the vegetables after draining the fully cooked meat.) Add the seasoning.
Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to a stock pot, add the beef stock and tomato sauce. Mix. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-45 minutes and serve. (I like it with shredded cheese on top.)
I’ve used both yellow and green peppers at the same time to give it some added color. I also like to add sliced carrots.
As a bonus, here’s one of my favorite food scenes from the book, when Jake gets Eli to eat hospital food.
“Here, let me help you,” Jake said, reaching for the bedside table.
Eli shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
Jake lifted the covers from the various dishes. “Jello. Naturally. Some sort of broth. How original. No wonder you don’t want to eat. I need to sneak in some real food. A steak or a big juicy cheeseburger. Applesauce? What was I expecting? It’s sprinkled with cinnamon. That’s a good place to start.”
Eli shook his head and looked away. “I’ll pass. Save it until you leave. I don’t want to eat in front of you.”
Clear as day, he was lying. I crossed my arms and glared. “You love applesauce. Tell me the truth. Why don’t you want to eat?”
He rolled so his back was to us. “I can’t do it. Last time I tried, I ended up with food all over me. The nurse had to clean me up and change my gown, then feed me like a baby.”
“Hurt your pride, did it?” Jake asked. “Was she cute, the nurse?”
“If you go for the grandmotherly type.”
Jake snorted. “Okay, here’s the deal. Roll over. I’m going to help you. You hold the spoon, and I’ll guide it where it needs to go. Ready?”
Then I watched the most amazing thing ever. Jake propped himself on the bed, opened the silverware packet, removed the spoon, and placed it in Eli’s shaking hand. Together, they dipped out a spoonful of applesauce and, ever so carefully, Jake helped Eli put it in his mouth.
Not a drop spilled. In fact, Eli may have licked the spoon.
No recipe to go with this one – only a link where you can find out more. The Ranger’s Dog Tags
Now I’m hungry, so I’m going to check out the other posts in this hop and see what everyone else is cooking up.
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
Sept 6, 2021
Does food play an important part in your writing? How about sharing a favorite recipe of one of your characters, or maybe one of yours? (We haven’t done this in forever!)
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That soup sounds nice. All I need now is somebody to make it for me!
Next time I make it I’ll invite you and your hubby over. 🙂
Cheers! However, there’s a big pond in the way…
My dad would say people like you are job security for people like him.
Lol! Is he a chef then?
He was.
Good point on characters not having to be chefs – and that sharing the food is equally important as making it.
That Hamburger soup recipes looks delish.
Tweeted.
I love the sound of the soup, definitely a winter project.
How people eat food is perhaps as important as what they eat. It says so much. Do they shove food in their mouth like they’re afraid it’ll disappear? Do they pick at it like they know they should eat it, but they don’t really want to? One says they’re hungry and the other says they’re either a picky eater or depressed.
I have found myself caring about food less and less this past year. I think I resent the work it takes to make a good meal when I could be writing!
I experience that sometimes too. My husband’s always asking for “variety” and “I’m like, yeah, that takes a lot more time to produce than the old standbys.” I’ve compromised by trying to give him a different dish about once a week. Sometimes, after I’ve made it a few times, it becomes an old standby. Still, like everyone else, I rely on about 10 recipes that get recycled over and over.