This movie takes place during WWII, on the German Military occupied island of Guernsey, in the year 1946. The military had commandeered most of the residents food, leaving them with not much more than potatoes and ingenuity. One night, a group is caught out past curfew in good spirits, bellies full from gin and a secret meal of roast pig. As the soldiers grill them, they come up with a name for their "illegal assembly" on the fly, calling themselves members of the "Literary [...and drunkenly added...] Potato Peel Pie Society".
Meanwhile we flash to London, where female author Juliet Ashton is on a tour promoting her book. We see the vast difference in lifestyle between her life and the life of those on Guernsey. Juliet receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, from Guernsey, telling her that he's part of a "book club", and he's found her name and address in one of the books he's been reading. They begin a correspondence which leaves her hungry to know more about secret meals and societies. This leads her to journey to Guernsey and meet the members of the society, in hopes of telling their story.
Of course, relationships are formed and lives are forever changed. Throw in a bit of a mystery to be solved, some interesting and endearing characters, and a story that inspires a longing for books and food...and you've got gist of this month's Food 'n Flix selection.
So, I turned to the occupation of my favorite member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society...
Isola arrives to meetings, homemade gin-filled bottles in tote, and lives in a glorious little cottage, ceiling strung with drying herbs; her very own apothecary. A woman after my own heart. Plus, infusing gin would not require me to add any heat to the fire.
"Miss Isola Pribby, another neighbor, provided the gin, which makes herself, along with other herbal remedies and home cures."
Isola arrives to meetings, homemade gin-filled bottles in tote, and lives in a glorious little cottage, ceiling strung with drying herbs; her very own apothecary. A woman after my own heart. Plus, infusing gin would not require me to add any heat to the fire.
As far as flavoring goes, I chose two things that I had actually dried myself - lavender and bay. And as a nod to one of the flavors Isola mentioned when Juliet asked about her choice of flavors, I added some anise seed to the mix.
"Well, let's see, we've got anise accented, delphinium dusted..."
I hope you'll drop by the other Food 'n Flix bloggers pages to see what this film inspired them to bring to the table this month.
Join us next month as we head into the kitchen with our host Kelley of Simply Inspired Meals with her pick, Star Wars (ANY from the entire franchise).
For inspiration, check out the Food 'n Flix website (click on any of the roundups listed to see what participants have been inspired to make by the movie choice), all of my past Food 'n Flix posts, or my Food 'n Flix Pinterest board!
Yield: 3 cups
Lavender, Bay & Anise-Infused Gin
Gin infused with dried lavender, bay leaves, and accented with anise.
prep time: 8 H & 5 Mcook time: total time: 8 H & 5 M
ingredients:
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 heaping tablespoons dried lavender flowers
- 2 teaspoons anise seed
- 3 cups gin
instructions:
How to cook Lavender, Bay & Anise-Infused Gin
- Place the lavender, bay, and anise seeds in a large jar, then pour the gin over the top. Put a lid on the jar, then keep in a cool, dark place for at least 8 hours, but up to 2 days. Turn jar occassionally.
- Strain gin and store in a clean jar/bottle in a cool spot, or in the fridge. Use as you see fit.
NOTES:
To make a gin and tonic, use 1 part gin to 3 parts tonic water.
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