This recipe is inspired by a conversation I had recently with author Peter Geye. I asked him about his favorite character from literature and his answer surprised me.

So I went in search of a dish from that novel that Peter loves and discovered a classic meal that is essential to the story.  

In fact, this dish appears in the opening chapters as our character prepares to set off on an epic journey.

He catches the scent of this food in a rundown tavern and tells us that the “warm and savory steam served to belie the apparently cheerless prospect before us.”

And when it is served, he finds it “surprisingly excellent.”

In fact, this dish’s origins are believed to date back to the 1600s when French and Canadian explorers showed up in North America.  

It was served in taverns and it still is! It appears in different colors depending on where you are in the United States.

In order to disguise what this dish is I’m going to have to withhold one key ingredient. But let’s see if the other ingredients give you some delicious clues.

This dish requires salt, bay leaf, corn and potatoes. Cut your bacon into quarter-inch pieces and dice an onion and some celery. 

Stir in a cup of heavy cream and two tablespoons of flour. Toss in a bit of black pepper and serve piping hot.

So, here’s your Foodie Fiction challenge: Can you identify the key missing ingredient? And do you know which novel this food appears in?

To guess, tweet me @KerriMPR or subscribe to the Thread newsletter, where the answer will appear next week. 

— Kerri Miller | MPR News