The Delicious Foodie Novel: A Guest Post by Jenn Bouchard
I’m on maternity leave! During this time, a few of my favorite authors offered to step up and write guest posts so that this blog would remain active while I adjust to my new role as a mother. I may also be a bit slower to respond. Thanks for understanding and for being so supportive of me, my family, and my blog. Want to donate a few dollars to keep this blog running or perhaps contribute to my diaper fund? You can do so on Venmo or Paypal.
The Delicious Foodie Novel: A Guest Post by Jenn Bouchard
Whether you love to cook or just enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor, a well-crafted foodie novel can certainly whet your appetite.
As someone who has been cooking consistently for over twenty years out of both hobby and necessity (houseguests! hungry children!), food plays an important role in my life. My culinary hero is Ina Garten, and I once stood in a line for hours so she could sign a cookbook (how excited are you about her latest?!). I drool over Smitten Kitchen’s (Deb Perelman) Instagram posts. A Melissa Clark recipe has never let me down. When I decided to give fiction writing a go about eight years ago, I knew I would be integrating cooking and a love of great food into this new endeavor.
First Course, my debut novel that was published in 2021 by TouchPoint Press, centers around the main character Janie and her quest to find her second act, all while helping her sister Alyssa through life’s challenges and discovering a new love of her own. Cooking for the people who she cares about the most becomes the vehicle for showing them love and moving them forward. Reminiscent of Nora Ephron’s classic Heartburn, there is grief and heartache paired with much humor. One of the best compliments I have gotten from readers is that First Course made them incredibly hungry. In writing it, I drew upon my memories of cooking for friends in my mid-twenties, which is Janie’s age, and what kinds of things fit into that life stage. The biscuit recipe from the book has taken on a life of its own now, as I have given out hundreds of recipe cards at book events and through various promotions. Check out my website (jennbouchard.com) to give it a try! (Hint: use a mixer or handheld pastry cutter)
My second novel Palms on the Cape will be published by TouchPoint Press in summer 2023. Set at an upscale beach bar on Cape Cod, main character and bar owner Rachel has created a beautiful life for herself, surrounded by a chosen family of staff and bar regulars. I spent hours in the kitchen to better write about menu items, focusing on the ingredients, the processes, and the ultimate delicious outcomes. The most fun I had was thinking about the different characters and what they would enjoy eating. What are their go-to items? What do they crave when they’re having a bad day? What foods do they dislike? These all contribute to the depth of their characters and how they experience life.
Ice cream and homemade cookies are taking center stage in the boarding school romantic comedy I am currently working on. After the past few years, I craved something sweet and fun. As we enter spring and the reopening of many ice cream stands, there is no better time than to write about a waffle cone stuffed with vanilla toffee… or whatever your character’s favorite flavor may be!
Bio: Jenn Bouchard’s debut novel First Course was published in 2021 by TouchPoint Press and has been the recipient of fourteen awards. It will soon be an audiobook from Tantor Media. Her second novel Palms on the Cape will be published by TouchPoint Press in summer 2023. A high school teacher of twenty-three years, she lives with her family in the Boston suburbs.
The Delicious Foodie Novel: A Guest Post by Jenn Bouchard
