Welcome to Something to Eat and Something to Read, a podcast for people who love reading and cooking and reading about cooking. In this episode, we’re talking about Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake, the shape it left on us, and the comfort and joy it brought us.This book, this episode is all about celebrating the small happinesses;“The things that are important in life, are the things that are so easy to overlook: family and kindness and homework and lunch and conversation.” Ann Patchett in conversation about Tom Lake on the New York Times podcast The Book Review.And then we’ll answer a listener ‘letter’ with a book and recipe ‘prescription’.Recipes and show notes will be sent to our subscribers shortly. Join them here!A quick note - we don’t think you have to have read the book yet to enjoy this episode but wanted to flag that we do chat about what happens in it quite broadly. So perhaps not a full-blown ‘spoiler alert’ just something to be aware of!We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people.Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Hello! And welcome to our episode dedicated to the joys or otherwise of cooking and/or eating on our own. This one is rich in books celebrating, observing and offering advice for the art of feeding ourselves and ourselves alone. It’s full of stories about how people eat, what they cook for themselves, how they feel about eating alone - how some relish in it, some avoid it, some do it beautifully and some gleefully have marmalade on toast for dinner when she’s home alone (that’d be me/Sophie). We each bring two books to the table and chat about how the authors use the idea of eating and cooking solo to make a point, develop character or evoke emotion.We hope you enjoy this one and as always, all the links and shownotes will be sent to our subscribers shortly. Thank you, Germaine and Sophie We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people.Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is in honour of dinner parties - with all their stress, drama, and magic, all for that perfect moment, when you’re all at the table, the candles are flickering and good food is smoothing the edges of life. We cover small miracles, kitchen disasters, dinner party scenes in books we love and the wonder of a good repertoire. We hope you enjoy this mini-episode. Shownotes with recipes, links and all the books we cover will be sent to our subscribers. Join today if you’d like to receive them! Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

This month we are discussing a book of essays that could be described as a “literary potluck”.My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings was edited by actor and writer Zosia Mamet (fellow fans of the series Girls will remember her as the character Shoshanna).We both loved this collection of short stories about food and all the feelings we attach to and around how we cook and share meals. And it sparked a conversation covering sad food vs solitary food, cooking your way back to life after grief, joy toolboxes, reclaiming custody of problematic foods and whether really good food can be enjoyed in a vortex or do you need the whole package (ie atmosphere, time and company) to enjoy a meal (we’re definitely in the latter camp).Plus, as always, we answer a listener letter with a book and cooking ‘prescription’.We hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode.All the links to everything we mention, recipes, and book recommendations will be sent to our lovely subscribers later today. If you’d like to become a paid supporter of Something to Eat and Something to Read for $5/month and receive all of the above plus more, please click here. Thank you so much.Germaine and Sophie xWe acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

So much goes on at the breakfast table, especially in books. Don’t you think? We do. So much so that we dedicated a whole (mini) episode to our favourite breakfast scenes in some favourite books; from Helen Garner to Maggie O’Farrell, there are some great scenes in this episode.Show notes with all the books, links and a breakfast recipe Sophie is particularly fond of will be emailed to our subscribers on Friday afternoon, May 5.Please click below if you’d like to become a paid subscriber and receive all the snow notes and extra bits and bobs.With thanks to the wonderful podcast Literary Friction for inspiring this ‘minisode idea’.Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode.Germaine and Sophie x. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe