Food Fiction

When Rita McCall discovers her husband’s affair, there isn’t a lick of surprise—not a single tear or broken heart. Just a wife and mother who’s over it and ready to watch her twenty-three-year marriage go up in flames. Sticking close, thick as thieves since childhood, Rita’s unfailingly loyal cousins Jemel and Sharae become her lifeline. They stand beside her as she contemplates a new career and navigates the murky waters of being a preacher’s daughter disgraced by scandal.

Ellie Agresti's not sure anything could be worse than being dumped by her boyfriend, Hunter, the first day of senior year. But sharing a "life skills" class with him and his new girlfriend, Brynn? And getting partnered with a "family" of misfits (A.J., the loudmouth; Isaiah, the horse-racing obsessive; and Luke, the tattooed stunt-biker)? It's a recipe for certain disaster...until an in-class competition allows Ellie to channel her angst into beating Hunter and Brynn's team, and she unexpectedly bonds with her own group - especially Luke - in the process.

Genevieve, a single mother, flies from New York to Port-au-Prince with her teenage son, Miles. The trip is meant to be an education for fifteen-year-old Miles—a chance to learn about his family’s roots while coming to terms with his father’s departure—but it’s also an excuse for Genevieve to escape the city, where her life is dominated by her failed marriage and the daily pressures of raising Black children in America.

Running and hiding is looked upon as a way out for the weak. It is something Omar never thought he would do. As a child, he didn't even play hide-and-seek for that very reason. Unfortunately, after being sentenced to death by his cousin, Demarcus, Omar was left with no choice. Moving to Detroit wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. It didn't take long for him to reign supreme. The change of location didn't change his conniving and coldhearted ways, however.

This is a collection of 30 short stories, each with a message and storyline designed to be filling and rewarding in and of itself.

The Beijing Duck House in Rockville, Maryland, is not only a beloved go-to setting for hunger pangs and celebrations; it is its own world, inhabited by waiters and kitchen staff who have been fighting, loving, and aging within its walls for decades. When disaster strikes, this working family’s controlled chaos is set loose, forcing each character to confront the conflicts that fast-paced restaurant life has kept at bay.

A is for Aronia, berry member of the apple family, clothes-stainer, super-fruit with reputed healing power. D is for Durian, endowed with a dramatic rind and a shifting odor - peaches, old garlic. M is for Medlar, name-checked by Shakespeare for its crude shape, beloved by gardeners for its flowers. In this work of unique invention, these and other difficult fruits serve as the central ingredients of 26 lyrical essays that range from deeply personal to botanical, from culinary to medical, from humorous to philosophical.

Cat and her family road-trip all the way to Arizona for Thanksgiving break to find the answers they need at the family bakery. Instead of resolving her bazillion questions, Cat finds herself in the middle of a bakery showdown with suspicion as the main ingredient. Emotions are all over the place as Cat and Robyn learn the hard way that reckless baking and magic is a recipe for disaster.

Hoping for some good publicity, Hayley’s boss at Key Zest magazine signs her up to help judge the Key West Topped Chef contest. Stakes are high as the winner could be the next cooking-show superstar. Hayley shows up for the filming nervous but excited, until she sees who’s on the judging panel with her: Sam Rizzoli, big shot businessman—and owner of the restaurant she just panned in her first negative review. When Rizzoli turns up dead, the police assume his killer is one of his business rivals.

After the death of her brave Harlem Hellfighter husband during the First World War, young widow Nola Ann Jackson returned to her hometown of Agate, Illinois, to live with her Aunt Sarah, a known local psychic. Under her aunt's care and tutelage, Nola has been learning how to tap into her own intuitive gifts and communicate with the spirits. And she will rely on their insightful guidance when she's asked to help investigate a woman's disappearance.

Soul Food is a multi-voice performance of a short story called Fillet of Souls by D. Glenn Millar, in which strange, disembodied beings share a meal at a restaurant on the edge of galaxy. The menu? It's to die for.

Sofarende is at war. For 12-year-old Mathilde, it means food shortages, feuding neighbors, and bombings. Even so, as long as she and her best friend, Megs, are together, they'll be all right. But the army is recruiting children, and paying families well for their service. If Megs takes the test, Mathilde knows she will pass. Megs hopes the army is the way to save her family. Mathilde fears it might separate them forever.

Hannah Malfa-Adler is Jew...ish. Not that she really thinks about it. She'd prefer to focus on her favorite pastime: baking delicious food! But when her best friend has a beyond-awesome bat mitzvah, Hannah starts to feel a little envious...and a little left out. Despite her parents firm no, Hannah knows that if she can learn enough about her own faith, she can convince her friends that the party is still in motion. As the secrets mount, a few are bound to explode.

In Muffuletta, being good at eating is the key to success. French fries and grilled cheese? Beginner food! Haggis and truffles? Delicacies! After failing a school eating test, picky eater Minerva is placed in the lowest eating track of all: Remedial Eating to Change Habits. RETCH class is full of kids with weird personalities and even weirder food preferences. And to make matters worse, Minerva's best friends, in the Gifted and Gourmet class, no longer speak to her.

For the Nameless Restaurant, once a discreet hole-in-the-wall meant for a cast of supernatural regulars, the increasing levels of background magic has brought with it that most dreadful of locusts—new customers. The staff of the Nameless Restaurant are finding the influx of new customers—both mortal and magical—to be a challenge. They're reaching a breaking point, and something has to give. The only question is, will it be Mo Meng's rules on magic or the restaurant itself?

In The Market Has a Thousand Flavors, a joyful young girl explores the sights, smells, and tastes of a bustling multicultural market. From sizzling street food to fragrant spices and sweet mango juice, every page invites readers to celebrate community and discover the flavors of the world.

When Josie Welford settles in the idyllic West Country village of Kings Duncombe, she honestly believes she can bury her past. The widow of one of Britain’s most wanted criminals, she knows what it’s like to be an outsider and fervently wishes for a fresh start in life. But she soon finds herself on the wrong side of the locals and she begins to wonder just how far their threats will go... A feisty and highly likeable character, Josie leads the listener through a tantalizingly twisted murder mystery to a deliciously rich ending.

Join us for a delightful journey into the culinary world of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel Little Women. In this special episode, host Niina is joined by writer Jenne Bergstrom, author of The Little Women Cookbook, as they explore the heartwarming and relatable chapter, “Domestic Experiences.” Perfect for fans of Little Women, history enthusiasts, and food lovers alike, this episode offers a delicious blend of literature and gastronomy. Tune in and let your imagination feast on the tastes and textures of a cherished classic!

我们一生要遇到很多人，要吃很多顿饭，我们会因为一道美食，想起一个人，也会因为一个人，想起爱的味道。美食与爱，是我们生活中最温暖的所在。……我們一生要遇到很多人，要吃很多頓飯，我們會因為一道美食，想起一個人，也會因為一個人，想起愛的味道。美食與愛，是我們生活中最溫暖的所在。

A settant'anni suonati, dopo aver passato oltre un ventennio a raccogliere, e provare (!), le tante ricette regionali, Artusi pubblica "La Scienza in cucina e l'Arte di mangiar bene", destinato a diventare una vera e propria bibbia popolare. Spartiacque nella cultura gastronomica italiana, ha subito conquistato, con la sua prosa limpida e vivace e i gustosi aneddoti, un posto nei cuori, nelle biblioteche e nelle cucine dell’intero paese. Con questo titolo debutta la collana AudioCook a cura di Luisanna Messeri, talentuosa scrittrice e volto amato della cucina in tv. Ospite fisso alla Prova del Cuoco, dove sforna con vulcanica allegria piatti ispirati alla grande tradizione nostrana.