The Little Library Café
Kate Young cooks and bakes food inspired by her favourite works of fiction. This is her blog, recipes included, as part of the Guardian Books Network. You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram
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Food in books: breakfast rolls from The School at the ChaletKate Young seeks some escapist fiction and bakes a breakfast enjoyed by the children in the Austrian boarding school in Brent-Dyer’s novel
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Food in books: icecream from Miss Pettigrew Lives for a DayTo celebrate female friendship, Kate Young reimagines a sweet treat enjoyed by Miss Pettigrew and a pal during a night out in Winifred Watson’s famous novel
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Food in books: Pasta con le Sarde from The Terracotta Dog by Andrea CamilleriWho eats as well as Inspector Montalbano? It’s a mystery – but you can, as Kate Young demonstrates how to put together this easy Sicilian classic
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Food in books: Pepparkakor from Pippi Longstocking by Astrid LindgrenLingonberries, pickled herring and a batch of pepparkakor: as a fan of Swedish Christmas traditions, Kate Young makes some these easy biscuits, enjoyed by Pippi Longstocking herself
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Food in books: Christmas pavlova from Ballet Shoes by Noel StreatfeildDreaming of a hot, Australian Christmas, Kate Young puts together a pomegranate pavlova: a dessert as festive as a traditional English pudding
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Food in books: omelette aux fines herbes from The Devil’s FeastA fan of the famous French chef Alexis Soyer, Kate Young recreates a recipe made by Soyer in MJ Carter’s mystery novel The Devil’s Feast
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Food in books: Blinis Demidoff from Babette’s FeastThese thick, little pancakes, topped with caviar and sour cream, are enjoyed by Babette and her neighbours in Isak Dinesen’s novella. Kate Young shows how you can enjoy them too
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Food in books: Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight from Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryAfter a sleepless night following the US elections, Kate Young recreates one of Roald Dahl’s most delicious inventions – packed with salted caramel and gooey marshmallow
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Food in books: apple dumplings from The Magic Pudding by Norman LindsayAn Australian children’s classic reminds Kate Young that a good apple can hold all the crispness of a clear day in autumn
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Banana, lime and coconut cake inspired by JM Barrie's Peter and WendyMeals in Neverland were mostly make believe, but Kate Young manages to prepare an edible delight from the fruits available to Peter Pan
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Food in books: raspberry muffins from A Series of Unfortunate EventsFor Lemony Snicket’s orphans, fresh muffins are just a dream. For Kate Young and her 10-year-old charge, they are delectably real and easy-peasy to make
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Food in books: salted caramel brownies from A Confederacy of DuncesJohn Kennedy Toole’s hero might not always appreciate his mother’s baking, but her brownies raise fond memories in Kate Young
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Food in books: currant loaf from The Paying Guests by Sarah WatersAfter discovering the joys of south London and author Sarah Waters for the first time, Kate Young celebrates by baking a currant loaf from Waters’ latest novel
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Food in books: Okayu and cucumber salad from Kitchen by Banana YoshimotoTo celebrate the submission of the first of her cook book, Kate Young serves up Okayu – Japanese rice porridge – and a cucumber salad from Banana Yoshimoto’s novel
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Food in books: pea soup from Roald Dahl's The WitchesDahl’s centenary and the change of the season inspire Kate Young to magic up a fresh and summery pea soup
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Food in books: spaghetti al pomodoro from Looking for AlibrandiKate Young’s mind turns to Australian coming-of-age classic Looking for Alibrandi, and to the generations of Italian women who cook together in the book
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Food in books: plum tart from The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane HowardAfter enjoying the many memorable meals mentioned in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s classic, Kate Young settles on making a plum tart from the novel
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Food in books: bread, butter and honey from I Capture the CastleFinding herself missing her sister, Kate Young makes a recipe from Dodie Smith’s iconic book about the Mortmain sisters
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Food in books: blackberry jam from Goodnight Mister TomAfter a week of blackberry picking, Kate Young is inspired to make jam – using far more sugar than the characters in Michelle Magorian’s wartime classic
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Food in books: Eccles cakes from Cider with Rosie by Laurie LeeWhile preparing for a trip to ‘Laurie Lee country’ – Gloucestershire – Kate Young bakes a batch of Eccles cakes, enjoyed by the author in his childhood
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Food in books: piccalilli from Life After Life by Kate AtkinsonWhile being incredibly moreish in both summer and winter, piccalilli is also the perfect recipe to make now for Christmas gifts, writes Kate Young
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Food in books: gooseberry tart from Swallows and AmazonsWhile enjoying British summer holidays, Kate Young was taken back to her childhood dreams to live in Arthur Ransome’s adventure stories
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Food in books: cinnamon French toast from The BorrowersEven when one’s kitchen has been raided down to the bare essentials, plain bread, milk, butter and eggs can be transformed into a crisp and sugary dish, writes Kate Young
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Food in books: strawberry and peanut butter ice cream from Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsAs the UK sizzles in a heatwave, Kate Young conjures up a sweet, cold treat enjoyed by Harry Potter himself
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Food in books: raspberry cordial from Anne of Green GablesAfter a month of unsettling news, Kate Young turns to LM Montgomery’s children’s classic to find a sweet summer treat – and avoids the book’s boozy mixup
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Food in books: fried chicken and rolls from To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee’s iconic character Atticus Finch not only inspired Kate Young to briefly dream of being a lawyer, but also to make this delicious breakfast
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Food in books: tea-cakes from Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate AtkinsonKate Young’s copy of Atkinson’s debut novel is now dog-eared due to all the food references in it, but she settled this week for making a sweet treat
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Food in books: gravlax on rye from The Girl with the Dragon TattooKate Young muses on the joys of morning markets and makes a Swedish favourite from Stieg Larsson’s popular crime novel
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Food in books: the Yuk Hwe (Korean beef tartar) in The VegetarianKate Young makes a very meaty recipe from the International Man Booker winner – despite its title – and remembers a steak so good it brought her to tears
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Food in books: the crab, avocado and mayonnaise in Sylvia Plath's The Bell JarThere’s more to Sylvia Plath’s classic novel than grey despair. Kate Young summons up a slice of summer from The Bell Jar – minus the food poisoning
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Food in books: the raspberry and coconut cakes in Sarah Perry's The Essex SerpentKate Young discovers Sarah Perry’s new novel, full of realistic portraits of London, fantastic characters and a great love of food
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Food in books: macaroni cheese from Excellent Women by Barbara PymAfter discovering the witty and wonderful Barbara Pym, Kate Young sets out to make a tastier take on the disappointing dish eaten by Mildred Lathbury
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Food in books: the treacle tart in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s StoneKate Young blogs about what inspired her to cook meals from books – and why, since that first tart, she has never looked back. The answer lies in Harry Potter
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Food in books: the tomato sandwiches in Harriet the SpyEngland finally smells like summer. Kate Young writes in praise of Louise Fitzhugh’s children’s classic – and English tomatoes
Food in books: pig cheeks from Fingersmith by Sarah Waters