Fine literature and fine dining come together in a unique new food event cooked up by Dawn Bruckner, owner of La Belle Aurore in Niantic.

Called the Cook + Book Club, members read a selected work of fiction and then come to the restaurant for a book discussion, hands-on cooking demonstration of dishes inspired by the novel, and a sit-down feast of the food that’s been prepared.

Bruckner, a chef and book enthusiast who wishes she had more time to read, says people are always asking her for cooking classes, but she wanted to come up with something new.

As food has infiltrated fiction, more and more books are being published with recipes. Bruckner has some of these on her reading list, but she also includes books in which food is a more subtle influence. She then creates recipes inspired by the storyline.

For example, “White Truffles in Winter” by N.M. Kelby is based on the life of Auguste Escoffier, known as the “king of chefs and chef of kings,” which makes a sensuous connection between cooking, eating and romance.

“Because it’s Escoffier, it needed to be very traditional French cooking,” Bruckner says. “We made langoustines sautéed in butter and garlic, and we actually found white truffles that we put in a potato dish. We made a peach Melba for dessert because he created the dessert for an opera singer named Melba.

“At the end of his life, he was no longer wealthy; he was penniless and actually made grilled cheese sandwiches because it was inexpensive. So we did grilled cheese with gruyere and an interesting sourdough bread.”

With “Like Water For Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel, which actually has recipes at the beginning of each chapter. Bruckner chose to make her own version of “Quail with Rose Petal Sauce,” using duck instead of quail. And since no instructions, only ingredients, were listed, in the book, she stuffed the duck with the rose petal mixture rather than making a sauce.

“The Book of Salt” by Monique Truong is a narrative told from the point of view of a Vietnamese man named Bình, who is the cook in the Paris homes of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.

“We did Vietnamese and French-inspired recipes,” Bruckner says. “Banh Mi sandwiches, which is Vietnamese street food, and beef Bourguignon.”

Buckner is still in the planning stages for meals to accompany to other books: “The Flounder,” the 1977 novel by German writer Günter Grass, loosely based on the fairy tale “The Fisherman and His Wife”; and “The Red Sparrow,” a new spy mystery/thriller by Jason Matthews that was suggested by her landlord.

When it comes to planning the meals, Buckner likes the element of surprise and spontaneity.

“My restaurant is farm-to-table and, regardless of the book club, I find out what my farmers have each week and build my menu around that. And it’s the same with the book — whatever it inspires, I build a menu around it.

“If someone has a book they want to read, I’m open to suggestions,” she adds.

La Belle Aurora schedules each Cook + Book Club session, but other groups also may also host similar events in the restaurant and choose their own books.

Cook + Book sessions are held on Mondays when La Belle Aurore is closed for dinner. Up to 10 people can attend each session. All the books available for members to borrow three weeks to a month prior to each event.

“We have a sit-down dinner at one long communal table in the restaurant dining room and drink and eat and talk about books,” she says.

Seared Tofu and Banh Mi Sandwiches

“The book is related from the point of view of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas’s Vietnamese cook. So the inspiration for the menu is Vietnamese street food and French classics.”

— Dawn Bruckner of “The Book of Salt” by Monique Troung, which inspired this recipe

Makes 3 to 4 sandwiches

1 14-ounce package extra firm tofu

Olive oil, for the pan

Fresh baguette, sliced into sandwich-sized portions

Vegan mayonnaise

A few sprigs of cilantro per sandwich

Sriracha, to taste

Pickled veggies:

1 small daikon, sliced into matchsticks. If you can’t find daikon, any radish will do

2 small carrots, sliced into matchsticks

½ small cucumber, seeds removed, sliced into matchsticks

½ jalapeño, thinly sliced

¼ (or more) cup white wine vinegar

¼ (or more) cup rice vinegar

Few pinches sugar

Few pinches salt

Tofu marinade:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)

Juice of half a lime plus a little zest

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon minced ginger

Generous amount of freshly cracked pepper

Make ahead: Place thinly sliced daikon, carrots, cucumbers and jalapeños in a medium jar with white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. If the liquids don’t cover the veggies, add about 2 tablespoons water and more vinegar if necessary. Let chill for at least an hour, or store in the fridge for up to a week.

Drain tofu, slice into approximately half-inch slices. Place on a towel and gently pat dry to remove excess water.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, tamari, lime, zest, garlic, ginger and freshly cracked pepper.

Place tofu in a shallow pan and pour marinade on top. Flip the tofu so that it coats (if there’s not enough, add a bit more tamari until all tofu is coated). Let the tofu marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet to medium-high. Add a little oil to the pan and place tofu pieces with enough space between each so they’re not too crowded (you can cook them in batches). Let the tofu cook for a few minutes per side until they’re deeply golden brown and caramelized around the edges. Remove from heat. Taste a little piece and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Assemble sandwiches with mayo, tofu slices, pickled veggies, cilantro and serve with Sriracha.

More information

La Belle Aurore is at 75 Pennsylvania Ave. in Niantic. Register for the Cook + Book Club and check out the bookstore online. To schedule a group, call (860) 739-6767 or email labelleaurorect@gmail.com. 

Available Cook + Book Club titles and dates: 

“The Flounder” by Günter Grass, June 22 or July 20 

“Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel, June 29 or July 27 

“Red Sparrow” by Jason Matthews, July 13 

“The Book of Salt” by Monique Truong, Aug. 3 

“White Truffles in Winter” by N.M.Kelby, Aug. 24