You might not like a peanut butter and onion sandwich in the middle of the work day, but Ernest Hemingway apparently did.
Writers, as it happens, eat all sorts of weird, tasty and fun things as snacks as they write — or try to get past writer’s block, as we found when we talked to local authors about comfort foods.
From New York Times bestsellers and Pulitzer Prize finalists to James Beard Award winners, Charleston has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to those who create with the pen and those who create with the knife. And as it turns out, many of our locally based writers love cooking and food as much as they love to write.
“For me, writing and cooking are both nourishing, creative activities that require practice, patience and lots of trial and error,” said Stacy Willingham, Mount Pleasant native and New York Times bestselling author of three books. (Her fourth book, Forget Me Not, publishes on August 26.) “There’s a tangible reward when you’re finished with both, but the act of doing is where the fun lies.”
Heading to the snack drawer
When it comes to snacking while writing, there is a theme amongst writers: nuts. Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott, who lives in Mount Pleasant’s Old Village, grabs an apple and some peanuts or peanut butter which is just enough to keep the hunger away because he doesn’t want a heavy stomach to slow him down. Willingham turns to a sliced Gala apple topped with peanut butter, sliced almonds and some mini chocolate chips.
Asiah Mae, poet laureate of Charleston, loves a “snacky plate” while writing at home on the peninsula. A recent plate consisted of Rainier cherries, blackberries, black olives, pickles, a beet hummus dip, carrots and boiled peanuts, all sourced from Joseph Fields Farm.
James Island resident Victoria Benton Frank, whose second book The Violet Hour publishes on August 12, says she doesn’t eat while writing because her fingers get too dirty, but she binges wintergreen mints and chugs Diet Coke with lemon. She says she also takes her lunch breaks very seriously and always sits down to eat.
“It’s usually Campbell’s alphabet soup or a romaine salad with shredded Italian blend cheese from Trader Joe’s with a ton of fresh cracked black pepper,” she said.
Coffee as fuel
George Brewington, author of middle grade and adult-fantasy fiction, calls Folly Beach home. While writing, he depends on coffee to get him going, something many may find relatable.
“I tend to write throughout the day, usually starting early in the morning,” he said. “Really early, like 4 a.m., before my kids are awake and able to distract me. This means coffee. I really can’t do much of anything without coffee.”
Gervais Hagerty, born and raised in Charleston, published her debut novel In Polite Company in 2021. She writes first thing in the morning while drinking way too much fresh brewed coffee with oat milk. Her lunches are heavy on vegetables.
“Generally I eat avocado on toast with lemon and tons of red pepper flakes,” she said. “Or sometimes it’s a salad made of canned fish and kale from our garden.”
Snacking through writer’s block
And what happens when writers inevitably hit a block? Brewington looks for his trusty coffee and nuts, while Mae goes for a crunch like pickles or a good chip. “It’s something about the crunch that gets my brain going,” Mae said.
In terms of junk foods, Charleston authors have great taste. Willingham has a weakness for ice cream while Mae grabs gummy bears, Biscoff cookies, cheese puffs or the Circus Peanut, a “go-to granny candy.” Frank grabs Twizzlers and Scott goes for chips, pretzels or anything he can rustle up in the pantry.
Brewington confessed to an addiction to chips.
“I’ll eat a whole bag of Ruffles in one sitting, and then I swear off chips forever, a vow which lasts until my next trip to the grocery store,” he said.
Authors, they’re just like us!
Homecooked meals that power the page
But it’s not just snacking and junk food, of course. Many of these authors cook at home while they’re writing. A common thread is a reliance on a crockpot or instant pot for no-fuss recipes. Mae sears marinated chicken thighs and puts them in the crockpot with onions, peppers, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken for six hours in the morning so it’s a worryfree meal. Once finished, Mae eats it over rice.
Willingham said she often makes Mediterranean food for dinner. One favorite is a chicken shawarma gyro bowl in the instant pot. Meanwhile, Frank relies on a crockpot Mississippi roast since it’s an easy recipe that allows her to have dinner ready as soon as her kids get home from school.
Cooking and writing both take creativity, diligence and focus plus a dash of something extra.
“Both are acts of magic,” said Brewington. “Both cooking and writing mean taking everyday normal items like the things you find in your kitchen cabinet or the words you find in the dictionary and mixing them together to make something completely different and delicious and exciting.
“And no one else, no matter how hard they try, can write a story or bake a lasagna exactly like you did. Cooking and writing are both creative disciplines that require a lot of practice and a lot of swings and misses before you come up with something really awesome to share with your family and friends.”
Stacy Willingham’s Chicken Shawarma Gyro Bowl
Willingham says she doesn’t follow an exact recipe for this favorite go-to Mediterranean meal, but here’s the gist:
- Get some rice going on the stove.
- Mix together some Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, pepper, turmeric and cinnamon. Toss in chicken thighs and sliced white onions and coat everything with the yogurt mixture.
For the best flavor, marinate 20 minutes to 2 hours. - Put everything in an instant pot and cook on high for 12 to 15 minutes, letting the pressure release naturally.
- Shred the chicken, and if you want your shawarma crispy, spread it out onto a sheet pan and broil it for a few minutes.
- Spoon rice into a bowl. Then add the shredded chicken. Some good toppings include sliced tomatoes, avocado, pickled red onions, cucumbers, hummus, feta, tzatziki and pita wedges.
Victoria Benton Frank’s Mississippi Roast
Ingredients
- 1 large beef roast
- 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
- 1 packet McCormick au jus seasoning
- 1 jar of sliced pepperoncini peppers (save juice)
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup of water
Directions
- Put the beef in the pot.
- Mix together the au jus and the ranch seasoning and then sprinkle over the top of the roast.
- Place the stick of butter on top of the roast.
- Pour in the peppers all around and on top of the roast including the juice from the jar.
- Cook covered on low and slow for 8 to 10 hours.
Author’s note:
You can eat it with mashed potatoes.
You can eat it shredded over noodles.
You can eat it shredded on a roll with melted provolone cheese.
You can eat it in a taco.
You can eat it with your hands right out of the pot.
CP NOTE: You can eat it with green eggs and ham, too.
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