HONEY RICOTTA PLUM GALETTE

Enjoy a mini-vacation from the chaos of parenting by curling up with a good book, this Honey Ricotta Plum Galette, and a nice cup of hot tea!

A good book inspires me to eat. Especially if it is set in London or the English countryside in the olden days like The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock is. There is something romantic about this setting that makes me want to just curl up with my book, a hot cup of English Breakfast tea, and a little delicious treat or “trinket”, as I like to call it (Yes, I realize that “trinket” is the wrong vocabulary word…perhaps I’ll go into my struggles with words someday.).

I’m so excited to introduce this fun new series called Fare & Fiction, where I create recipes that are inspired by the fiction books that I read. Today, I am featuring a Honey Ricotta Plum Galette that was inspired by The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock and it is simply divine! Book recommendations are welcome! Post below. 🙂

Of course, this inspiration to eat brings on a whole new meaning to the concept of “emotional eating” for me. Rather than having a negative connotation, it carries a deliciously positive one. In this sense, “emotional eating” means to eat food that is inspired by the book I am reading, causing an emotional reaction inside of me and thus allowing me to connect on a deeper level to the story and characters I am reading about. 

Since I have been a mom, my time for reading comes only when I intentionally carve it out. My favorite morning ritual is to get up before my son wakes up and sip a cup of coffee while reading a book. Of course this means I have to get up at 4:00 a.m. This is my version of self-care and gives me a sense of peace as I begin my day, so it is worth it. I have noticed a HUGE difference in my attitude and presence with my son when I wake up this way versus when I wake up begrudgingly because he has woken me up. 

Supermoms – I know it is SO hard to find time to practice self-care! I find that I have to be very purposeful about making the time. How do you practice self-care and how do you make time for you? Tell me your secrets below!Since my love affair with books and food always seems to begin and end with England in the olden days, I wanted to share my most recent book obsession and the recipe it sparked. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock is set in London in the 1780s and intertwines myths of mermaids and reality into a clever and unique story that brings together a most unlikely pair – a moral merchant and a self-absorbed courtesan (a nice way to say prostitute). The courtesan, Miss Angelica Neal, actually turned out to be my favorite character! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to historical fiction fans, British book fans, and “literary-type” folk (people who like fancy words – you know the kind)!

Historical England has a whimsical nature to it that creates an element of magic for me. It transports me vividly to that time, completely entertaining and relaxing me. More than my love for the setting in The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock, was Imogen Hermes Gowar’s beautiful use of words. To say that she is an eloquent writer would be an understatement. Gowar uses 18th century British language that helps the reader understand what it was like in that time period. If you are on a mission to expand your vocabulary, like I am, then this book is perfect for you. I would recommend reading it via your Kindle so that you can easily look up the definitions of words…I used this feature A LOT. 

My favorite word I learned in the book was, “poppycock”. Definition: nonsense; originally from the Dutch dialect meaning “soft dung”. Maybe you all already knew what that meant, but it was new to me and it just makes me smile. I am smiling right now. I am now trying to find all sorts of ways to use the word. 

Me: “I’m tired.”

My husband: “Maybe you should eat meat.”

Me: “Oh, poppycock! I have a 9 month old!”

The word “poppycock” in this statement completely emphasizes how utterly ridiculous my husband’s argument about eating meat, not the 9 month old part of the statement. Supermoms – if you want to win arguments with your significant others, you should adopt this delightful word into your everyday vocabulary as well. It’s bound to shut them down one way or another. 😉

As featured in most British books, having tea is a recurring event in The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock. Particular to this book, was an abundance of plums from the main characters’ plum trees. To emotionally transport me into this lovely book, I knew I had to create a little “trinket” out of plums to pair with a nice cup of tea. This inspired me to dream up this Honey Ricotta Plum Galette.

The imperfectness of the shape of the crust, not only assists in making the assembly easier for you as you can fold the pastry however you please, but it also complements the whimsical nature of the book and the setting. The contradicting flavors of the tanginess of the plums and the sweetness from the honey resemble the character development of Angelica Neal as well as the ups and downs of the plot. Meanwhile, the subtle flavors of the ricotta and cinnamon ground the Honey Ricotta Plum Galette, just as Mr. Hancock and Angelica surprisingly ground each other in the story. 

I hope that reading The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock and eating this Honey Ricotta Plum Galette with a nice cup of tea will give you a mini-vacation from the chaos of parenting, even if just for a moment.