In Gail Carriger's Soulless, there is a ingenue-but-horny-yet-gluttonous-virgin heroine, upper-class vampires (of every sexual orientation), aristocratic werewolves, and a Bureau of Unnatural Registry that keeps tabs on the supernatural population of Britain. It's often funny and vaguely steampunk. And if the heroine is gluttonous, there will be lavish mentions of food, and here's one from towards the end of the book.
As a result, the tables set about their corner of the park fairly groaned under their burdens. There were galantines of guinea fowl stuffed with minced tongue quivering in aspic jelly and decorated with feathers made of lemon-soaked apple peel. No fewer than eight pigeons in truffle gravy nesting in coils of pastry made their appearance and disappearance. There were stewed oysters, fried haddock fillets in anchovy sauce, and grilled sole with peach compote. Having noted Lord Maccon's fondness for poultry, the Loontwill cook provided woodcock pie, roast pheasant in butter sauce with peas and celery, and a brace of grouse. There was a baron of beef, a forequarter of mutton glazed with red wine, and lamb cutlets with fresh mint and broad beans - all offered on the rarer side. Corner dishes included lobster salad, spinach and eggs, vegetable fritters, and baked potatoes. In addition to the massive bride's cake and the piles of nutty groom's cakes for the guests to take home, there were rhubarb tarts, stewed cherries, fresh strawberries and purple grapes, gravy boats of clotted cream, and plum pudding. The food was declared an unqualified success...
2 comments:
I read this after stuffing my face at lunch...not a good idea. I've heard lots of good things about this book. Will you review it after you've finished?
cb: sorry, missed this comment. i think you might find this overview of the series useful. i finished it a while back, so not sure if i'll be doing a writeup.
but wait - didn't you mention it recently yourself?
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