This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Following on from Monday's Young Adult themed Novelicious Picks post, I thought it'd be fun to go back to the Young Adult novel from my teenage years. And no, it wasn't about a girl being seduced and bitten by a vampire. It was about a 17 year old girl who falls in love and has her first ever sexual adventure. And it was fascinating.
It was called Forever by Judy Blume. Now surely everyone has read this, right?
As a teenager I remember nicking my sister's copy, which she'd got from the library. We knew which page number Ralph would make an appearance on and many of us would just turn there before starting at the beginning. We would snigger about the name Ralph and the boys at school would have no idea. This novel was such a big thing (no pun intended, honest) at the time. It would be hidden under our mattress or at the back of the wardrobe. And what was so great was the main character, Katherine, was not at all submissive. She took charge of her own life. She had guidance, yes, from her parents and Grandma, but it was she making the decisions about her body and her life.
The book was published way back in 1975 and was censored in many libraries and schools. But it is just as popular today as it was back then. As Judy says in this Guardian interview, "…the story itself is timeless. There will always be first love, first sexual feelings, first sexual relationships. Here we are, 30 years later, and just as many young people are reading the book today as when it was published."
But, we don't care about all the sex do we? We want to know about the food!
There is much food mentioned in the novel. Katherine and Michael meet at a New Year's Eve cheese fondue party (this was the 70s after all) when Katherine had cheese on her chin. Katherine was then picking raisins out of her breakfast bun when Michael turns up the next day – something he remembers later in the novel. But it is mainly the dishes Katherine's sister, Jamie, makes that steal the scene. From chocolate mousse with almondine sauce to lemon chiffon pie, the dishes capture the attention of both the reader and Michael – who devours everything. Which makes Jamie think Michael is the nicest boy in the whole world.
It was also an introduction to American food. Which as a teenager in the 80s and 90s from the middle of England, I was rather fascinated with. After all, what is chiffon pie? Chiffon is a fabric, right? I don't much fancy eating that. But apparently chiffon can also mean a light, fluffy cake. And chiffon pie is an American classic of sweet pastry combined with a light, mousse-like filling. Or in this version, a biscuit base with a light, mousse-like filling.I've adapted my chiffon pie from the channel 4 website. Probably not authentic, but easy.
Equipment
One flan tin, greased, with removable bottom (though I used a 20cm cake tine with removable bottom). Saucepan, rolling pin.
Ingredients
150g ginger biscuits
75g butter
1.5 tbsp caster sugar
2 large lemons
170g condensed milk
140g double cream
140g double cream
Method
- Place the ginger biscuits in a food bag and bash with a rolling pin, until they are fine.
- Melt the butter and caster sugar in a pan, then add the biscuits. Mix well.
- Press into the greased flan tin then refrigerate so it sets.
- Grate the zest off the lemons then slice in half and juice. Set aside.
- Whisk the condensed milk and cream then add the zest.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- Remove the biscuit base from the fridge and scoop the lemon mixture on the top.
- Smooth and finish off nicely, then place back in the fridge for 2-3 hours.