Hosting my book club in the winter feels especially lovely—it gives me an excuse to plan a cozy meal to pair with a cozy book. Our group is made up of eight educators, and we’ve been meeting consistently for several years. Since I only host once a year, choosing the right book always feels like a bit of pressure. Last year, we read Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten, which was a big hit. I tend to gravitate toward books centered around food, since it makes planning the menu even more fun.
I made a Mexican theme meal with chicken enchiladas, tamales, autumn bisque soup, a colorful salad and of course, I had chocolate! I made Chocolate Pots de Creme for dessert.
While my guests were coming in, I had warm apple cider and the Like Water for Chocolate ballet on the television. It was mesmerizing and a good thing that I don’t have a TV near my dining room table because we wouldn’t have talked about the book. Here are the questions that we discussed as we ate.
I’m including some of my recipes from the night in case you’d like to try them. These are two of my favorites!
Pumpkin Autumn Bisque
2 large onions, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 stick of butter
1 can of pumpkin
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
4 tablespoons of almond paste
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cream
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons amaretto
Saute onion and celery in butter in a large pot. Add pumpkin, tomato paste and almond paste. Blend until smooth. Add chicken broth and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Before serving, add cream, nutmeg and amaretto. Optional garnish; roasted pumpkin seeds or chives.
Chocolate Pots de Creme
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
- Combine the chocolate chips, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, and vanilla in a blender.
- Blend at high speed for a minute or until smooth.
- Pour immediately into 8 dessert glasses.
- Chill in the refrigerator.
- top with whipped cream.
Mrs. Maisel’s Marvelous Brisket