Themed Menu for Book Club
How do you figure out if a themed menu is right for you? Maybe your book mentions specific types of foods the characters eat.
Or maybe you have been inspired by the subject or culture represented in your book.
Either way, you've decided to create a themed menu based on the book for your meeting.
There are many ways you can do this. I'll give you five examples of ways that various members of our group have based their menus on their book choice.
If you get stuck and want some help, contact us and we can work on a fabulous menu for your meeting together!
Menu 1: Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
This book lends itself well to actual items. You dont have to use these as part of your menu but it would be fun to present them during the appetizer.
Things that actually got their start at the Great Chicago World Fair of 1893:
Cracker Jacks
Shredded Wheat Cereal
Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer
Your Menu Theme: Fair Foods
Appetizer: Bags of roasted, salted peanuts and/or bags of buttered popcorn
Main Course: Corn Dogs with Chili Cheese Fries
Desert: Funnel Cakes
Menu 2 Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
Your Menu Theme: Southern Style
Appetizer: Hush Puppies
Main Course: Fried Chicken, Peas in butter, Cheesy Potatoes
Desert: Pecan Pie
Menu 3 Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald
Your Menu Theme: Iranian Cuisine
Appetizer: Pomegranate with Pita Bread
Main Course: Rice and Khoresht which is a curry made of meat or chicken in a thick sauce plus vegetables or fruits with Iranian spices and herbs.
Desert: Bastani Akbar-Mashti which is vanilla ice-cream with thick cream and rosewater.
Menu 4 The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Your Menu Theme: Old English
Appetizer: Biskets (a biscotti style biscuit)
Main Course: Mince Pie with Eggs
Desert: Trifle
Menu 5 The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Your Menu Theme: West Virginia Style
Appetizer: Gold Delicious Apples and Apple Butter
Main Course: Chicken Pot Pie
Desert: Spoon Bread
A way to further spice up your themed menu is to ask your guests to come in book costume. Some books lend themselves to this easily. Think about The Other Boleyn Girl - you could have everyone dress up like a lady in waiting and you are the Queen! Or Devil in the White City could have guests arrive dressed like one of their favorite attractions at the fair (belly dancers for the brave?!). Costuming doesn't work for every book, but if you want to give it a try make sure to communicate this ahead of time so your group can get ready!
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trBCQ is Reading...
We are currently reading these titles; therefore, we can't say we recommend them or not. Just a chance for you to read along with us! Send us your questions about these books here: CONTACT trBCQ!
For Book Clubs
Some books are meant to be discussed in detail. Here are some we recommend:
