We've all done it ... snacked while we worked. Not only does food provide basic energy to our brains, but consuming our favorite foods can fire up the pleasure centers in our brains and spark the creativity that we need to really produce top-notch work.
Did you know that many of your favorite authors relied on some pretty unusual foods to fuel their creative engines while they worked? Have a look at our rundown of the favorite foods of seven well-known authors and see if any surprise you ...
Author: Mark Twain
Famous Titles: Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn
Favorite Food: Turtle
Mark loved his fried chicken and biscuits, but apparently was also a fan of more esoteric foods including diamondback terrapin turtles, raccoon and prairie chicken, a variety of grouse that is today almost extinct.
Author: Agatha Christie
Famous Titles: Murder on the Orient Express
Favorite Food: Devonshire Cream
This heavy condiment, also known as clotted cream, is meant to complement other dishes like scones, but Agatha loved it so much she would eat it by the spoonful from a bowl, as one would eat ice cream. She was also known to drink liquid cream by the cup as well!
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Famous Titles: The Great Gatsby
Favorite Food: Tinned Meat and Apples
In stark contrast to the elaborate feasts enjoyed by his characters in The Great Gatsby, F. Scott himself was partial to meat eaten straight from the can, with a raw apple on the side. Perhaps this sparse snack explains the long descriptions he wrote of delicious banquets!
Author: Sylvia Plath
Famous Titles: The Bell Jar
Favorite Food: Tomato Soup Cake (recipe)
Sylvia loved to bake, and often made popular 1950s specialties that seem odd to our current tastes, many of which leaned heavily on prepackaged ingredients, as was the custom of the time. Apparently this cake is reminiscent of carrot cake, and Sylvia topped it with cream cheese frosting.
Author: George Orwell
Famous Titles: 1984
Favorite Food: Plum Pudding (recipe)
Despite describing British food in general as “simple, rather heavy, perhaps slightly barbarous,” George did have a soft spot for this traditional English dessert, which doesn't actually contain any plums, but is full of dried fruit instead.
Author: Emily Dickinson
Famous Titles:
Favorite Food: Homemade Rye Bread (recipe)
As we know, Emily rarely left her house, so it makes sense that she would most enjoy a food that she made herself. She was, in fact, known for her prizewinning "Indian and Rye" bread.
Author: Daniel Handler
Famous Titles: Lemony Snicket
Favorite Food: Raw carrots
Daniel apparently enjoys snacking on fresh carrots that still have the greens attached to their tops, and his desktop is littered with these discarded greens as he writes.
What are your favorite snacks when you work? Let us know in the comments!
What an interesting post! My snacks while writing are mini Reese's cups if I want something sweet or Veggie Straws or Cool Ranch Doritos if I want salty.
I don't think I would eat any of these snacks; except maybe for the rye bread but even then I would not think of it as a snack. My favorite snacks usually include something with chocolate!
I am so curious about the tomato soup cake! Visiting you from the anything goes link up. laurensparks.net
How interesting! I love simple pasta dishes with olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese.
Ha! Very interesting! Agatha Christie's Devonshire cream and Emily Dickinson's homemade rye bread are not surprising. But Mark Twain's terrapin turtle seems quite exotic.
Carol
www.scribblingboomer.com