Welcome to Litsy!

When you crack the cover of The Hobbit, the very first chapter is about an unexpected dinner party.Tolkien takes us on a journey through the rural village where he spent the happiest days of his childhood. This book makes your kitchen a stop on that literary journey with authentic period recipes from Tolkien's youth celebrating the best in English country cooking.These delicious recipes celebrate an earlier time when no one cared about carbohydrates, butter made everything better, and life stopped at 4 p.m. for tea and cakes.There are recipes for each of the seven Hobbit meals of Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenses, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea, Dinner, and Supper.If you're entertaining guests from outside the Shire, there are a dozen recipes with vegan variations, such as Apple Hand Pies, Mushroom Stuffing, and Ginger Oat Bread. A dozen more can be made gluten free, such as Shire Made Sausage, Mushroom Soup, and Roasted Apples. Meat lovers don't need to worry, because they can enjoy Braised Oxtail, Herb Crusted Lamb Chops, and Steak and Ale Pie.The Hobbit was Tolkien's love letter to the happiest parts of his childhood. This book is a love letter back, thanking him for taking us on that journey with him.So the next time you are faced with an unexpected party, lay out a nice afternoon tea with Plum Heavies, Shire Scones, and Mini Mincemeat Pies in preparation for a culinary adventure.