Truth, Fiction & Fennel
Where My Stories Really Begin (And One Delicious Chicken Dish)
It’s no secret I pull from my personal life to craft the stories I write. In fact, after my first book was released, I had several phone calls from friends and family members asking about specific details (some even felt a bit jilted by the narrative). It forced me to explain my process, which, for non-writers, can sometimes be hard to understand. I thought I’d share it with you here, too.
For A Recipe Called Home, I estimate that about 85% of the details were fictional. The remaining 15% provided the scaffolding the story was built around.
Here are a few of those true details:
I am close with my grandma—both, in fact. Though only one is Italian-ish (more on that later).
Riverbend, IL is a made up town, but I did grow up in a small farming town west of Chicago, where most of my family still lives.
I learned to cook Italian basics from my grandma, but expanded my palate and passion for cooking when I moved to Washington, DC, after graduating from the University of Iowa (not Nebraska!).
In high school, I did have a steady boyfriend, but Miles is not based on him. They are complete opposites in every way. This is a point of much gossip in my family and hometown friend group!
My family does come from Sicily, although we recently discovered we are Albanian. A large part of Sicily’s population descends from Albanians who fled the Ottoman Empire. Rarely did they intermarry with native Sicilians. Instead, they created their own villages and communities, but shared many customs and culinary traditions.
Sometimes I wonder if I missed my calling as a chef. To make up for that, I cook a lot at home and am constantly trying new recipes. It’s rare that I cook the same thing twice for my family, except for our passed-down family recipes.
Two fictional characters, inspired by real people:
The friendships in the book were mostly fictional, but I always added pieces of reality to inspire the writing. The main character’s best friend, Winnie, is a blend of three close friends I had growing up, two of whom I still call best friends today.
Grandma Rosa’s character is actually both of my grandmothers. She reflects the best of each of them, and I wanted to ensure they were both honored. They’ve shaped me more than anyone else.
My upcoming book, The Kitchen We Keep, will dive deep into Grandma Rosa’s backstory, what it was like growing up in Chicago in the 1960s, and her journey to find love. This book is largely fictional, as neither of my grandmothers grew up in Chicago, but elements of their immigration stories are woven throughout.
To honor my grandmothers, here’s a recipe for the Roasted Orange Chicken Thighs with Artichoke and Fennel that Jules makes at the Riverbend Bear Ball in A Recipe Called Home:
Roasted Orange Chicken Thighs with Artichoke & Fennel
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons toasted fennel seed, ground.
2 oranges, zested then cut into 1/3 inch slices
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 3 pounds
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 fennel, trimmed and sliced into 1/3 inch rings
3 shallots, peeled and sliced 1/3 inch
1 (18.34 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and halved (tag fratepietro)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix fennel seed, orange zest, Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large bowl.
Pat chicken thighs dry and place in the bowl. Sprinkle with 1½ teaspoons of the salt. Rub marinade over and under the skin. Set aside.
In a large oven-safe roasting pan (12–14 inches), place the orange slices along the bottom. Top with fennel and shallots. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
Add the artichoke hearts and pour the orange juice evenly over everything.
Nestle the marinated chicken thighs on top.
Roast for 40–60 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Thinking of trying this recipe? Tag me in your photos or tell me how you put your own spin on it. I’d love to feature a few of your creations in a future post.