Today I’m starting something new and exciting: a post series devoted to fiction-inspired cookbooks!

If you’re a regular around here, you know all about my cookbook, A LITERARY TEA PARTY, filled with yummy teatime recipes inspired by classic literature. You might also know that my next book, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK, comes out next month! I’m super excited, though I must admit that figuring out how to promote this book during the pandemic as been complicated, since I can’t do my usual in-person author events.

I know lots of other authors who have the same problem, in addition to dealing with the chaos of layoffs from their 9-5 jobs, unexpected homeschooling, and/or working from home. I wanted to find a way we could all promote each others’ books without the worries of social distancing, monetary costs, or a huge time investment. My solution: a virtual author event series, right here on my blog!

For this series, I will publish a blog post every 2nd Thursday from August to December, describing my experience making a recipe from a cookbook. Each post will feature a different author/book and end with a brief promotion of my upcoming book. Since my blog and books focus on classic lit, the series will stick to fiction-inspired cookbooks. A few of the authors will even publish posts on their own blogs with recipes from MY book!

I’m thrilled to announce that our first book is BREAK AN EGG: THE BROADWAY COOKBOOK by Tara Theoharis of the blog The Geeky Hostess. It comes out September 1st (the same day as mine!). Today’s recipe is a sneak peek at all the mouthwatering theater-inspired dishes you’ll find within its pages.

I decided to go with the recipe My Shot, a set of shot recipes inspired by the musical Hamilton, each one based on a different character in the show. There are seven shots total, but don’t worry, we taste-tested responsibly. 😉 I cut the proportions of most of them in half (some by 3/4) and my husband and I split them, so we only got a few sips of each.

We had so much fun comparing the flavors and ranking our favorites. With the movie of the play available on Disney+, I think these would be especially fun to make for a watch party, especially since a few of them make larger batches and must be made ahead. That way, you can spend time enjoying the show instead of mixing drinks the whole time! You can serve each shot when its namesake first appears on stage or during their most dramatic moment. So don’t throw away your shot—instead “raise a glass to freedom, something they can never take away!”

 A

My Shot: Hamilton Inspired Shots from BREAK AN EGG!

“I am not throwin’ away my shot
I am not throwin’ away my shot
Hey yo, I’m just like my country
I’m young, scrappy and hungry
And I’m not throwin’ away my shot“

— Hamilton

 

 

THE SHOTS:

 

MY RANKING:

1. 1. THE ELIZA. My top three were all close contenders for #1. After much thought, I decided Eliza takes the crown! Smooth with a cinnamon-ginger punch, it hit all the right notes.
   2. THE THOMAS JEFFERSON. Sweet, smooth, and super tasty. There’s almost no burn from the alcohol. I actually missed the sensation a little, so I bumped this one down to #2 even though it was probably my favorite flavor profile.
   3. THE AARON BURR. This one was fun to mix, since it uses homemade honey syrup (don’t worry, it’s easy to make!). I think if I were to make it again I’d use a bit more syrup, since it was more bourbon-forward than I like. Still tasty, though. This was my husband’s favorite!
   4. THE ALEXANDER. This one was probably the most complicated but also the most fun to make. I did a terrible job layering the coffee over the rum-amaretto mix, but it still tasted great so I’m calling it a win. 😉 The whipped cream topper was a cool touch!
   5. THE ANGELICA. This had a similar flavor profile to the Alexander but more muted, so it ranks lower for me. My husband dislikes coffee, so he preferred this over the Alexander (this was his #2 pick).
   6. THE KING GEORGE. The only one I didn’t like, but then again, I don’t like gin. For those who DO like gin and wanna give it a try, I recommend steeping the Earl Grey for the maximum recommended time, since the flavor of the alcohol is so strong.

 

For more recipes from your favorite Broadway shows, including Laurey’s strawberry rhubarb tarts from Oklahoma! and Tradition-al Challah from Fiddler on the Roof, preorder BREAK AN EGG! Available Sept. 1st!

 

For more fictional food, check out my cookbook, A LITERARY HOLIDAY COOKBOOK, which comes out the same day! 🙂 It includes full menus of food for Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Years, including recipes for delectable gifts you can give your guests.