How do you spell ratatouille? “Educating Rita” by Willy Russell
Going to see a production of “Blood Brothers” at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal last year brought me back to Willy Russell, whose plays I love but – sadly – didn’t form any part of my degree course. Today’s post is about what is probably his best known work – “Educating Rita”. Written in 1985, the play tells the story of just two characters – Rita and … Continue reading How do you spell ratatouille? “Educating Rita” by Willy Russell
“Always a tea-drinker”? You’re in for a spooky night with Bram Stoker
As a dedicated lover of Gothic fiction (as I’m sure you’ve found out if you are a regular reader), my favourite time of year is when I get to read spooky short stories to my students. Stories such as Poe’s “The Black Cat” and Wells’s “The Red Room” should always be read aloud and as dramatically as possible in order to build up tension and … Continue reading “Always a tea-drinker”? You’re in for a spooky night with Bram Stoker
What’s That Food? Jollof Rice in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus (2003)
Deliciously spicy jollof rice from Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus… Continue reading What’s That Food? Jollof Rice in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus (2003)
Happy Christmas from Milan: Dino Buzzati’s Il panettone non bastò (Panettone Was Not Enough, 2004)
This December I stumbled across a collection of short stories by a twentieth-century Italian author, which immediately intrigued me for its title: Il panettone non bastò e altri scritti natalizi, or Panettone Was Not Enough, and Other Christmas Writings. Being a fan of food in literature, I was attracted to that “panettone” in the title and was eager to read the story. This month … Continue reading Happy Christmas from Milan: Dino Buzzati’s Il panettone non bastò (Panettone Was Not Enough, 2004)
Against Spaghetti: Orange Risotto from F. T. Marinetti’s Futurist Cookbook (1932)
Against all commonly believed stereotypes, Italians can hate pasta. Indeed, let me confess: if I had to choose between a plate of spaghetti and a nice homey risotto, with whatever seasoning, I’d pick risotto again and again. Quite a few blog posts ago, I was telling you how to fix a nice tomato sauce for your spaghetti, and how pasta was of course portrayed as … Continue reading Against Spaghetti: Orange Risotto from F. T. Marinetti’s Futurist Cookbook (1932)
Time to go veggie? Max Barry’s “Jennifer Government”
Max Barry’s novel “Jennifer Government” (2003) is one of the best novels I have read recently. Similar in style to Huxley’s dystopian, satirical “Brave New World”, Barry’s comic exploration of modern society is full of brilliantly humorous moments and scarily possible (or probable?) predictions about the future. According to this account of the not-so-distant fate of the USA, the balance between the power of the … Continue reading Time to go veggie? Max Barry’s “Jennifer Government”
Failed visionaries?: Sebastian Faulks’s “Human Traces” (2005)
Growing up, I became used to the covers of Sebastian Faulks’ novels, which were frequently strewn over our living room coffee table, or lay on the back seat of the car during our long summer drives across Europe. The face of the “Girl at the Lion D’Or” particularly haunts my memory; the cover photographer captured that sense of “lostness”, isolation and emotional intensity which Faulks … Continue reading Failed visionaries?: Sebastian Faulks’s “Human Traces” (2005)
Come Rain or Shine: Gin and Tonic in Philip Larkin’s ‘Sympathy in White Major’ (1974)
This month the Literary Kitchen is taking an alcoholic turn: it is that time of the year when many of us would like to be outside and enjoy a perfectly cold beer or cocktail; and for me (Nico – but maybe Amy too), when that time comes, it has to be a gin and tonic. Gin and tonic was not at all a popular choice … Continue reading Come Rain or Shine: Gin and Tonic in Philip Larkin’s ‘Sympathy in White Major’ (1974)
Anyone for a take-away?: Aravind Adiga’s ‘The White Tiger’
My favourite bookshop in England is Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland (http://www.barterbooks.co.uk/). It is a magical emporium of second hand books, which are stashed in every nook and cranny of a converted railway station. My love for this shop may have something to do with the copy of Louis MacNeice’s poem, ‘Posterity’, emblazoned on one of the walls (!!!) and the lines from T.S. Eliot … Continue reading Anyone for a take-away?: Aravind Adiga’s ‘The White Tiger’
‘There is Always The Other Side’: Fried Plantains in Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea (1966)
Until last month, I had never been to the Caribbean. Or the Tropics. Or something that could be vaguely classified as either, except perhaps the North-East of Australia. Then, a few weeks ago I had the chance to go to one of the Canary Islands for a short holiday and its beauty struck me with the strength of a long-awaited revelation. I have to say, … Continue reading ‘There is Always The Other Side’: Fried Plantains in Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea (1966)
Nico and Amy's Literary Kitchen 