Food Inspiration to Influence a Novel

Bonn Germany - A city of inspirational food and music

Over the summer, I put a post on noveltravelist describing the trip that inspired my latest novel, Words In The Windowsill. I noted in that post, that writing the novel afforded me the opportunity to revisit my old journals and photos from that trip. Looking back, I quickly realized that along with the history and music which propels the plot of my story, so much of what inspired me had to do with foods of the regions we visited.

So I’d like to share a bit more with you today about Bonn, Germany along with some inspirational foods I ate while there. Some I even tried for the first time on that inspirational journey.

In some cases, connections were made! For instance, my novel takes place in Europe, in countries that have borders that are really close. It was amazing to see similarities to the recipes of my Italian heritage. Although the countries are different and the people speak different languages, some of the recipes are incredibly similar. I am including recipes for some of these as well. They are seriously worth trying!

Beethoven's House

Bonn, Germany was the capitol of Western Germany until 1990. It is the home to major universities and museums as well as Beethoven Haus, the birthplace of master composer, Beethoven. I reference this home quite a bit in my novel. In Bonn, there is a lot to see and do, even if you are not a music buff, as I am.

When I arrived in Germany, I was so bent on

Beethoven's personal pianos!
Oh, the music that emerged from these.

seeing the home of Beethoven I didn’t realize what more there could be to do. I reference Beethoven’s home quite a bit in my novel. The photo to the right, shows two of Beethoven’s piano’s from inside the home. The Beethoven Haus property also features gardens as well as a concert hall. It is glorious! 

Another aspect of Germany which meant a lot to me was the preponderance of musicians and artists in the towns. There were artists painting and selling their work along the streets. 

Street musicians

But while in Bonn, it is also worth noting a small eatery we visited, where rice pudding was served in a little cup with every meal ordered. I wish I could remember the name of the establishment, as I would love to know if it is still in existence.

Anyway, their homemade rice pudding was very creamy and not baked. It reminded me of the rice pudding my Italian Great Aunt Connie made. Growing up, I just assumed that hers was Italian Rice Pudding, but perhaps a better way to refer to it would be European Rice Pudding.
When I returned home, I asked my mother about Aunt Connie’s rice pudding recipe. With the exception of egg, the recipe below is very similar to the one from my family heritage. 

Aunt Connie's Rice Pudding Recipe

And below, is the German one:

Milchreis (German Rice Pudding)

(Courtesy food.com)

Ingredients:
1 cup short grain white rice
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups milk
1 cup cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 inches piece vanilla beans, split open ( or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Directions :
-Mix the rice, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. 

-Stir in the milk and cream, and add the whole piece of vanilla bean. 

-Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring often.
-Reduce heat and simmer the rice for 30 minutes, or until soft and milk/cream mixture becomes thick. 

-Stir often.
-Scratch out vanilla seeds and stir into pudding. Discard vanilla bean pod.
-Serve warm with cinnamon and sugar or fruit compote, or both.

My travel journal with great food notes and restaurant names

Another restaurant we visited in Germany was called “Caroline And Hans”. Here is what I wrote in my journal:

“Today we had some free time in Germany. Jenny and I had lunch at the cutest restaurant called Christine and Hans. The owners were the cooks and servers, and kept bringing out everything on the menu. We had a caraway soup, and zucchini soup, along with several different salads, and a plate of meats and cheeses.”

The service they gave us made a serious impression on me. The foods were absolutely delicious, and served up in a very homey atmosphere with special attention to detail. Christine and Hans were there to cook and serve the food. I got the feeling that the service we received was typical of their everyday business. Christine came out of the kitchen to seat us, and told us about everything on their menu. She told us how everything was prepared. Here are a few recipes that remind me of the foods I ate during my visit to the restaurant.

When writing Words In The Windowsill, I took my experience at Christine and Hans and molded it to create a fictitious youth hostel where the foods are laid out in a comforting way and remind my main character (also named Hans-strictly a coincidence!) of his past.

Try some of these recipes, similar to the ones served up by Christine and Hans:

Caraway Sour Cream Soup (Courtesy Taste Of Home)

8 Servings, Prep/Total Time: 20 min.
Ingredients:
2 medium onions, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:
-In a large saucepan, saute onions, celery, carrots and caraway in butter until vegetables are tender. 

-Remove from the heat; stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in broth. 

-Return to the heat; bring to a boil. 

-Cook and stir for 2 minutes. 

-Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. 

-Combine sour cream and milk; add about 1 cup broth mixture. Return all to the pan; heat through (do not boil).
Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 6-8 servings.


German Zucchini Soup (Courtesy of dollopofcream.com)
Serves 3 - 4 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. butter
2 onions, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt or 1/4 tsp. regular salt
1/8 – 1/4 tsp. black pepper, to taste
2 1/4 c. zucchini, shredded
2 c. vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. plain yogurt, preferably high fat
fresh basil, chopped

Directions:
-Heat thick saucepan over medium-low heat. 

-Melt butter and olive oil in pan. 

-Add onion and sauté. 

-Turn heat down to cook slowly. 

-After 5 minutes, throw in the garlic, salt and pepper. 

-Fry until onion is almost transparent, about 10 minutes. The onion will glisten and look almost soupy.
-Add zucchini and stock. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 12 minutes, uncovered.
-Stir in the wine. 

-Whir it all together with an immersion blender or regular blender until it’s creamy. 

-Return to heat. 

-Stir in yogurt and about half of the basil. 

-Heat gently, but don’t let it boil, for fear it will curdle.

Ladle into serving bowls. Place a few bits of basil on top. Serve.

It has been years since I took that trip. As I was writing Words In The Windowsill, my impressions from that trip came through in the prose. My familial connection to the rice pudding, and the service and homey atmosphere of Christine and Hans show up as I describe the fabled youth hostel and Fiddler’s Inn of my novel’s portrayal of 1820’s Vienna.

My next post will include more connections and findings, but from Vienna, Austria.

I would love to hear from you! How have you been inspired by experiences abroad? How might you use those experiences to craft a novel or story?

Contributor Susan Nystoriak is a music educator and writer from Upstate New York, and is a travel enthusiast. When not teaching her students, she spends time with her family and working on her writing projects. Connect with her on Twitter @smnystoriak, or on the web at smnystoriak.wordpress.com.

Old Travel - New Story

GUEST POST by Susan Nystoriak - Her blog, S. M. NYSTORIAK'S WRITER'S BLOCK is excellent!

I would like to introduce you to a new Novel Travelist I've recently had the pleasure to meet. Susan Nystoriak is working on her second book, but was recently inspired by old travel. Take it away Susan!

How my 20th Century Trip inspired a

21st Century Novel, about a

19th Century Secret...

My name is Susan Nystoriak, and I am a Novel Travelist, in retrograde.

Allow me to explain. This fantastic website is all about connecting travel and locations to novels. Most times, an idea for a novel comes, and the author completes the research to give the book authenticity. An author may have to travel to different locations during the research phase. In my case, however, the travel came first. My latest novel, WORDS IN THE WINDOWSILL got its start way back in 1994, but I didn’t realize it at the time.

In the summer of ‘94, I was a recent college graduate, and was frantically looking for a job in my career field, Music Education. I had taken a few interviews, and was anxiously awaiting the outcomes. Months prior, a friend and I had planned a trip to Europe for that summer, and I was glad, because waiting patiently for a job offer was a real challenge! The trip was a much needed escape.

Two of the many places we visited were Bonn, Germany, and Vienna, Austria. The entire trip was glorious, but it was these two destinations that became the seeds for my latest novel.   Here are a couple highlights from the trip: 

Beethoven Haus in Bonn, Germany

In Bonn, Germany, a visit to Beethoven Haus was a major thrill for me. I saw the pink façade of that building and fantasized about what it must have been like in the time of Beethoven. As a musician, I knew a lot about Beethoven’s contribution to history, so it was very exciting to see one of his homes.  Also, the overall feel of the place made an impression on me. The twentieth century Germany that I was visiting seemed like a throwback to an earlier, simpler time. The cobblestone streets, the gingerbread style buildings, and the general old world charm created a feeling of being swept back in time (See below, Rothensburg. This is a borrowed picture-Bing images. Mine came out a bit too grainy).

Rothensburg, Germany - Old World Charm

Vienna was equally delightful, as we visited Schoenbrunn Palace, and stayed at the former Schoenbrunn guest house. (Below, more borrowed pictures: Britannica. I am not a great photographer, it seems!) 

Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria

Again, if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I was back in the 1800’s. The stylized buildings and streets were the same as they had been all those years ago, and I felt a deep connection to it. I speak about inspiration and my connection to old Europe in another blog post, here: Inspiration - It's a Magical Thing

In both of these two places, I experienced people steeped in tradition. From the buildings and streets, to the recipes they cooked, I felt I was a part of a centuries-old culture that was still holding strong. And that was nice, in stark contrast to the ways of home.

I kept a journal of my month long trip and filed everything away for safe keeping. Pictures, newspapers, recipes, coins, transportation passes…I wanted to be able to revisit the experience later on in my life.  

Returning from that trip, I had a new outlook on things. For one thing, the world seemed much smaller than it did before. For another, I had been offered a job while in Germany, which was a relief to me!  But twenty years later, I remained moved by what I experienced on that trip, and I just had to write about it.

My old maps and notes - Now two decades old, but just as inspirational

Flash Forward:  Twenty Years Later:  I dug out all of my treasures that were tucked away for safe keeping (Picture above - my actual stuff!), and remembered. I remembered the feeling of being fresh out of college, traveling abroad. I recalled the busy airports and bus terminals, cab drivers that had to be spoken to, learning how to pack for such a trip, everything came back to me. And when I revisited the old journal, I smiled. I had made notes, drawn sketches, talked about foods we tried for the first time, and recipes. I had written about others who I had met on that trip from all over this small world.

As a result, this past October, I began plotting and planning out a novel. 

Those seeds that were planted during my time in Europe had lay relatively dormant until recently, but were beginning to germinate. And a few months later, WORDS IN THE WINDOWSILL became the product. Here is a little blurb about it: 

Grad student and self-proclaimed “Ladies Man” Hans Meyer has the world at his piano-playing fingertips. All he has left to do is write his thesis. But when his research takes him two centuries back in time, Hans stumbles upon a secret that will change history, and turn this 21st century cad into a gentleman.

During the story, 25 year old Hans discovers an unknown symphony, and goes back in time to Vienna, where he takes part in living history. In some ways, when I spent my time in Bonn and Vienna, I felt the same way. I know that is why I was driven to base my character's travels as I did. For those memories to have stayed with me all this time really speaks volumes to me; I couldn't have predicted the impact that trip had on me back then, but here we are.

So, you see, I am a Novel Travelist, but in retrograde. My travel came first, long before I ever realized I would write about it. And I am so glad I found this website. It is a wealth of information for any novelist needing to find information or contacts to help them along the way. Thank you, Sara, for allowing me to do this guest post.

What past trips still speak to you? Is there a novel in that old trip?

Guest Blogger:

Susan Nystoriak was born and raised in the Adirondack's of Northern New York State.  A classically trained musician, she has been fortunate to always have the arts as a prominent part of her life.  She has been a music educator for the past twenty years, and has begun to fortify her other creative outlet; writing.  Still a country girl, Susan still resides in the Adirondack's with her husband, two children and a dog.  Whenever possible, she enjoys planning trips for her family. You can read more from Susan at her WRITER'S BLOCK blog: http://smnystoriak.wordpress.com/