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Season of Salt and Honey

A Novel

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About The Book

From the author of the “sweet, airy novel” (Publishers Weekly) The Color of Tea comes a resonant new book about a woman starting over following the tragic loss of her fiancé.

Frankie is a runaway bride. Or rather, she is running away from her fiancé’s funeral, the unthinkable event that has thrown her entire life into crisis. Frankie and Alex were high school sweethearts and each other’s first loves. They should have been together forever. But Alex died in a surfing accident, and now Frankie is walking away from her family, driving north and east, letting her body do the thinking, all the way into the Cascade Mountain range.

At Alex’s family cabin, Frankie can give in to her grief and think about nothing. There are no aunts trying feed her just a few polpette or just a taste of affogato, despite her lack of appetite; none of Alex’s family around to look questioningly at her left ring finger, no one there to perform for. Except for Jack, the cabin’s caretaker, who has been tasked with forcing Frankie out of the property that isn’t rightfully hers. And except for Bella, Frankie’s wild-child younger sister who deserted the family years ago only to reappear at Frankie’s lowest moment to dredge up painful memories from the past.

But Frankie learns she can’t hide—not from her family, not from the past, and not from truths about Alex she’d rather not face. The seasonal magic of the forest and its welcoming residents remind her that everything—flowers to bud, bread to rise, a heart to heal—takes its own time. This stunning novel, from the author of The Color of Tea, is a feast for the senses, with a message of forgiveness, hope, and the many ways to find and give love.

Excerpt

Season of Salt and Honey Pitta ’Mpigliata SWEET BREAD ROSETTES WITH FRUIT AND NUTS
These stuffed bread scrolls originated in San Giovanni in Fiore, Calabria, and are served at Christmas.

Makes about 1 dozen small (about 6-inch-diameter) rosettes

1 cup pecans

1 cup almonds

11/2 cups raisins

1/2 cup dried figs

1/2 cup dates

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup muscat or other dessert wine

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups Italian flour (type “00”), plus more if needed

7 grams or one envelope of active dry yeast

Powdered sugar, for dusting
PREPARATION
Roughly chop all the nuts and fruits. Add the honey, mix well, and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the wine, olive oil, egg, and salt. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and yeast. Add the flour mixture and mix until a dough ball is formed (add more or less flour if necessary). Let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Taking a piece of dough at a time, roll into thin lasagna-like strips about 3 inches wide (the length is up to you; once rolled the length of the strips will determine the size of the rosette). Trimming edges with a pastry jagger or fluted pasta cutting wheel will give a pretty edge.

Add nut and fruit mixture down the center of the strip and fold in half lengthwise. Carefully start coiling the filled strip into a rosette/pinwheel shape. If you choose to make larger rosettes you can secure the coils with toothpicks pushed horizontally into the sides.

Place the rosettes on the lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the rosettes, until they are golden brown and fragrant.

Dust the baked rosettes with powdered sugar or serve warm with ice cream if desired.

About The Author

Photograph by Jody Lidstone

Born in New Zealand, Hannah Tunnicliffe is a self-confessed nomad. She has lived in Canada, Australia, England, Macau, and, while traveling Europe, a camper van named Fred. She currently lives in New Zealand with her husband and two daughters and coauthors the blog Fork and Fiction, which explores her twin loves—books and food. She is the author of The Color of Tea and Season of Salt and Honey, among others.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Touchstone (September 1, 2015)
  • Length: 352 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781451682847

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Raves and Reviews

"A lovely, charming read with enough salt to make it interesting and enough honey to make it sweet."

– Frances Whiting, author of Walking on Trampolines

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