Dish & Discuss: Culinary Pairings and Questions

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF CECILY LARSON

LIZ’S APPLESAUCE SPICE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups sifted flour

  • 1 ½ tsp. baking soda

  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

  • ½ tsp. cloves

  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg

  • ½ cup soft butter

  • ¾ cup sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tsp. vanilla

  • 1 ½ cups canned applesauce

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  • 1 cup raisins

  • Powdered sugar (optional, for topping)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. Grease a 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1-inch pan with butter.

  3. Sift flour with dry ingredients.

  4. Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer.

  5. Add egg and vanilla and beat well with the mixer.

  6. At low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until combined.

  7. Add applesauce, walnuts, and raisins. Stir with a spoon.

  8. Turn the batter into the prepared pan.

  9. Bake for 25 minutes.

  10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

THE "CECILY" COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 oz. Prosecco

  • 2 oz. Grapefruit seltzer

  • Splash of bitters

  • Twist of grapefruit (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine Prosecco and grapefruit seltzer in a glass.

  2. Add a splash of bitters.

  3. Garnish with a twist of grapefruit.

  4. Serve immediately.

BESS’S TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 oz. (3 cups) medium noodles

  • 1 (7 oz.) can tuna, drained

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 1 cup sliced celery

  • ⅓ cup chopped onion

  • ¼ cup chopped green pepper

  • ½ tsp. salt

  • 1 (10 ½ oz.) can condensed cream of celery soup

  • ½ cup milk

  • 4 oz. (1 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  2. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain.

  3. Combine noodles, tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, green pepper, and salt in a large bowl.

  4. In a saucepan, blend cream of celery soup and milk; heat through.

  5. Add shredded cheese to the soup mixture and stir until cheese melts.

  6. Pour the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture and mix well.

  7. Turn the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.

  8. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

  9. Serve warm.

LUCKY’S GRANDMA’S 15-LAYER CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients (Cake):

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp. baking powder

  • ½ tsp. salt

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 cups granulated sugar

  • 6 large eggs

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients (Chocolate Icing):

  • 3 cups granulated sugar

  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk

  • ½ cup unsalted butter

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

(Cake):

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  • Prepare 15 (8-inch) round cake pans by greasing and lining them with parchment paper. If you don't have 15 pans, bake in batches.

  • Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

  • In a separate large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

  • Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  • Mix in vanilla extract.

  • Gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the creamed mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.

  • Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans (about ½ cup per pan).

  • Bake each layer for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden and the center is set.

  • Cool the layers for a few minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

    (Icing):

  • In a large saucepan, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, and milk.

  • Add butter and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

  • Reduce heat and simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

  • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let cool slightly; the icing should be pourable but not too thin.

    (Assembly):

  • Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread a thin layer of warm chocolate icing over the top.

  • Repeat with the remaining layers, stacking them as you go, ensuring each layer is evenly coated.

  • Pour the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake, letting it drip naturally for a rustic look.

  • Allow the icing to set before serving.

    Tips for Success:

  • Use a kitchen scale to ensure even layers.

  • If icing becomes too thick as it cools, gently reheat it on the stove to thin it out.

    Enjoy this decadent, traditional Southern cake that’s as stunning as it is delicious! Lovingly adapted from Lana’s Cooking . For more hints on how to make it, visit https://www.lanascooking.com/chocolate-little-layer-cake/

Discussion Questions

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF CECILY LARSON

Motherhood Through Different Eyes

Cecily, Clarissa, Liz, Kate and Molly each have very particular ideas about what it means to be a mother. How are the different characters’ ideas about this different or the same, and how are they confirmed – or called into question – by the end of the novel?

Sisters by Choice

Even though Cecily doesn’t initially want to be part of the circus, she’s happy to have Isabelle as her “sister,” even ultimately telling Lucky that Isabelle is “more like a sister than most real sisters could ever be.” Do you think Isabelle ever feels the same about Cecily? Why do you think Isabelle betrays Cecily? Were you surprised that she did?

The Weight of Identity

The question of identity and where she comes from consumes Lana, while Kate and Clarissa each have their own ways of thinking about (or not thinking about) the mysteries in their family. What did you think of their different ways of handling the situation? Is it important to you to know where you come from and understand your family’s stories? Why or why not?

Believing in Impossible Things

Cecily is naïve in many ways and often maintains her ability to hope for what she wishes for (“believing in impossible things”) despite having no evidence at all that she should. How do these traits serve her? How do they hurt her? Do you think she loses them along the way, and if so, when?

The Power of Names

Cecily goes by different names at different points in her life. How do you think this helps her to survive, and how does it affect how she goes about leaving the past behind when it becomes clear that she must? Do you think that she knows who she is? Or does she come to believe that identity is malleable? Are her name changes just a way of adapting to circumstances that she has no control over, or do you think they’re more deliberate than that?

Secrets and Lies

How did you feel by the end when all the secrets and lies were revealed? Did you think that Cecily’s lies over the years were justifiable?

Characters We Relate To

Which character did you identify with the most? The least?

Separation and Reunion

In the novel, some things (and people) are lost forever, while some things (and people) are found or return. What do you think is the novel’s overall message about separation and loss versus reclamation and reunion? Are each equally possible? What dictates in which direction the pendulum will swing?