This month I’ve chosen a memoir replete with gooey and melty descriptions of food from all corners of the globe.

But this is the first time I’ve ever encountered this particular dish in literature or in the film that was made from this memoir. 

The scene finds our narrator as she sits in an Italian Trattoria Al Fresco being tutored in the beauty of the language. Accordion music from a strolling musician plays in the background as waiters bustle and other diners settle in for a post-siesta feast.  

It sounds like a Donna Leon novel, doesn’t it?  

Our heroine cuts into her food, emitting a sound of delight as it gives way to her knife and fork. In the film, the camera lingers lovingly on the dish, steam rising as butter puddles over her plate. You can just imagine how good it smells.

The roots of this food run deep in cultures around the world. In Mexico, seeds of this plant have been found in ancient caves. In the U.S., Native Americans are believed to have planted and harvested it even before they planted and harvested beans and corn.

In other cultures, you’ll find it stuffed with fragrant herbs and meat or sautéed with spices.  

But in this memoir-turned-movie, this food is stuffed with cheese and dipped into a light tempura that probably includes a dash of wine.

To make it at home, you’ll need some mozzarella, egg for the batter, hot oil and salt.

So, can you guess what the dish is in this week’s Foodie Fiction challenge? Can you guess the memoir and movie it appears in?When you know, Tweet me @KerriMPR.

— Kerri Miller | MPR News