Harry Potter Day was fun, and it got me thinking about other ways to celebrate literature in culinary form, so here are some suggestions I have:

1. Moby-Dick. Herman Melville’s famous tome offers an array of food choices, most of which are not native to landlocked Ohio, but would definitely create an interesting dinner. There’s a whole chapter called “The Whale as a Dish”– it’s as if Melville wanted us to plan such an event!

The Menu:

• • Single Clam (what Ishmael thought he was getting at the Try Pots restaurant in Nantucket)
  • New England Clam Chowder (already served on occasion) Cod Chowder (another item on the menu at the Try Pots)
  • Whale steak (illegal in the United States

2. To Kill A Mockingbird. Who could forget Scout Finch’s iconic Halloween costume? To celebrate, I think we all know what would be on the menu.

The Menu:

• • Ham
  • “Just desserts”

3. The Great Gatsby. Though nothing served in a college dining hall could amount to the extravagance of Jay Gatsby’s soirées, we can certainly try. Nick even gives us a taste of the menu at these parties:

The Menu:

• • “Glistening hors d’oeuvre
  • Spiced baked hams
  • Salads of harlequin designs
  • Pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold”

4. Lord of the Flies. No need to explain this one. A feature I’d like is that the only person in Peirce allowed to talk during this event is whoever has possession of the conch shell.

The Menu:

• • Pork