Shannon here: Sharon Wilharm shares how food plays into her debut Historical Novel, The Amazing Crab Alley Revival – available Junly 15th, plus a recipe for raw oyster stew. Comment or answer the question in any post dated June 2nd – 16th to enter the drawing for 4 titles in my June Bundle #1 Giveaway. Deadline: June 27th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Sharon:
Food plays an important role in my debut novel, The Amazing Crab Alley Revival. The story is set in 1897 in Port Royal, Florida, a fictional town along the Forgotten Coast, so I wanted to include period foods as well as regional favorites. I had a lot of fun scouring ancient cookbooks looking for ideas and recipes.
In one scene, Emily, a young finishing school instructor, is invited to dinner with Charles Cogsworth’s family. Though she’s presented herself as a rich debutante, she is, in fact, the daughter of a humble gardener.
Fortunately, her mother came from wealth and made sure Emily was taught proper etiquette. All that training is put to the test when she’s served a six-course meal at the Cogsworth home.
Since I’ve never attended such an elaborate meal, I had to do my research. In my etiquette books, I learned what dishes would be served for each course, then chose the most Southern sounding options.
Cogsworth Dinner Menu
Course One
Raw oysters
Course Two
Piping hot bowls of consommé
Course Three
Deviled crabs
Course Four
Roasted chicken with creamed potatoes
Course Five
Roast beef
Course Six
Ice cream
Can you imagine eating that much food?
I thought it was interesting that the first course is supposed to be oysters because the Forgotten Coast is known for its oysters. How appropriate! Then I learned the proper way to eat raw oysters. They’re to be eaten with a tiny oyster fork, stirring the oyster around in its shell, then slurping down the oyster without chewing.
At the end of The Amazing Crab Alley Revival, I include recipes, including oyster stew, which is enjoyed by each of the three main characters.
Opal’s Oyster Stew
Rinse a quart of oysters in cold water, drain through a sieve. Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a stew pan, and when melted add a pint of milk and let it come to a boil; add the oysters, and the moment the edges curl remove from the fire; season with salt and pepper. Serve with small crackers, or on thin slices of buttered toast.
From Soup and Soup Making by Emma P. Ewing, 1882
Reader Question: Have you ever eaten a six-course meal? If so, what did you eat?
June Book Bundle #1
Winning Over the Cowboy by Shannon Taylor Vannatter, Contemporary Romance, print
Streams in the Wasteland by Susan Tigert, Historical Romance, print
Dangerous Shadows by Gail Pallotta, Romantic Suspense, digital
Beach House Rescue by Hope Toler Dougherty, Contemporary Fiction, print
About Sharon: Through the years, Sharon Wilharm has worn many hats– author, speaker, Bible teacher, podcaster, radio host, and filmmaker. The common thread of all her activities is women and storytelling. She loves to tell stories that inspire and encourage women in their walk with the Lord.
Sharon is the author of Women of Prayer, a 10-week Bible study about praying women in the Bible, and The Amazing Crab Alley Revival, her debut novel, a Southern historical retelling of Lydia in the Bible that releases July 15, her 60th birthday. Her debut novel, The Amazing Crab Alley Revival, a Southern story about Victorian church ladies, releases July 15th, on her 60th birthday.
She’s also the host of All God’s Women podcast and syndicated radio show heard daily on Moody Radio Network and Faith Radio Network.
Sharon and her husband live in a 127-year-old Victorian house in a small town north of Nashville, Tennessee. Learn more & connect:
Sharon’s Website Sharon’s Substack Sharon’s Facebook
Sharon’s Instagram Sharon’s Pinterest Sharon’s Goodreads
About the book – The Amazing Crab Alley Revival:
Port Royal, Florida Will Never Be The Same After Three Unlikely Women, A Boy, And A Dog Join Forces
The year is 1897 and wealthy widow Lydia Culpepper is evaluating her mundane existence. For sixty-three years, she’s faithfully gone through the motions of fulfilling everyone else’s expectations for her life, but nothing she does is ever enough. She longs for something more. When a young boy comes to her house in search of his missing coon dog, she gets her wish. She meets Emily Reed, a young finishing school instructor, and Opal Jackson, an Irish single mother, and the three women join together on a mission that turns the First Community Church on its head. Suddenly, the town is in an uproar as lives are being changed. When Yellow Fever hits, it looks like their efforts may have been in vain, but the epidemic isn’t enough to thwart the fruits of the Crab Alley Revival.
Can’t wait for the book to release? Interested in Sharon’s other titles? Need extra books for gifts?
Get your copy/copies now!
Sharon will be back July 21st.
In the meantime, come back June 6th for Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup!
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