Apis mellifera

The winter edition of Novel Food is here! I quickly whipped out my book log to see what I've read that lends itself easily to a dish (that wasn't a science fiction novel--I kept gravitating towards those, but that's the genre I did last time!) and discovered I had a teen book that needs more press. It's really for just about any age, but often gets lost on library YA shelves, as it's not flashy or been turned into a movie. 

Or endorsed by Oprah.

A Hive for the Honeybee takes a look at what it's like to be a bee and live in a bee community (much like Bee Movie, but not as humorous). This is a lyrical tale that incorporates a lot of fact with the fiction and may inspire you to find a nonfiction book about bees and hives afterward! The illustrations throughout are also enchanting, as the bees have human faces, but overall look like a faerie. The main female character is Thora, who is one of the worker bees of her hive. We also get to know Mo, a drone who questions everything about the hive and its activities, which makes for some interesting food for thought.

Because bees eat, well, honey, I thought it time to recognize this cookbook and choose a recipe from the dessert section: Honey: A Connoisseur's Guide with Recipes (Gene Opton). I made Honey-Vanilla Custard, using buckwheat blossom honey as the base flavor. This would be a great light dessert to serve at your holiday get-togethers, too!

Yield: 8 servings
4 eggs
1/3 c honey (slightly warmed)
2½ c whole milk
¼ t salt
½ t vanilla
whole nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 325º. Butter eight custard cups and prepare a pan of hot water 1 inch deep to hold them. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs lightly and add the honey, milk, salt and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Strain and pour into the cups. Grate nutmeg onto the surface of each. Place the cups in the hot water bath and bake 40 minutes or until the centers barely jiggle. Remove and cool slightly before serving, or chill thoroughly.
My notes: I forgot to strain and almost forgot to grate the nutmeg on top... I did remember to use my small batter bowl from Pampered Chef for pourability, which I highly recommend. Pour spouts make getting the custard into little cups so much easier! And mine took a little longer to bake since the red cups are deeper--I think I'll use my white cups next time.

Buckwheat honey can be a substitute for molasses.

Book recommendation: A Hive for the Honeybee by Soinbhe Lally
Recipe recommendation: Honey-Vanilla Custard
Movie recommendation: Bee Movie