As winter settles in—softly for some, bitterly for others—our kitchens and bookshelves become refuges. We reach for stories that swell the heart, dishes that warm the hands, and a mood that turns ordinary evenings into rituals. Here are five book-and-dinner pairings designed for slow nights, cold weather, and the perennial pleasure of getting lost.

1. “The Snow Child” by Eowyn Ivey

Recipe Pairing: Rustic Moose (or Beef) Stew

Link: https://www.allrecipes.com/search?q=moose+or+beef+stew

Set in 1920s Alaska, The Snow Child is a novel steeped in isolation—icy, hushed, and full of wonder. As Jack and Mabel attempt to carve a life in untamed wilderness, readers feel the cold seep through the page. To match that stark, beautiful landscape, simmer a rustic stew: something heavy with root vegetables, red wine, and enough broth to perfume the house for hours. A dish this elemental serves as a counterpoint to the book’s ethereal magic, grounding the fairy tale in something wonderfully, comfortingly real.

2. “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman

Recipe Pairing: Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry

Link: https://www.allrecipes.com/search?q=swedish+meatballs

Backman’s beloved curmudgeon spends much of the novel resisting connection until, inevitably, he yields to it. The story is gentle but unflinching—a reminder that community arrives whether we’re ready or not. Swedish meatballs, creamy and subtly spiced, are the perfect companion. They’re simple enough to assemble on a weeknight yet nostalgic enough to feel like a holiday indulgence. Serve them with mashed potatoes and lingonberry, and you have a plate as warm as Ove’s reluctant transformations.

3. “The Dutch House” by Ann Patchett

Recipe Pairing: Classic Dutch Apple Pie

Link: https://www.allrecipes.com/search?q=dutch+apple+pie

Patchett’s multi-decade tale is stitched together by memory—the sweetness and sting of childhood, the homes we long for, and the ones we can never let go. Few dishes evoke nostalgia as readily as Dutch apple pie, its crumb topping buttery and unapologetically cozy. The scent alone—cinnamon, baked fruit, browning sugar—feels like paging through the Conroy siblings’ past. It is, in essence, a dessert that invites reflection.

4. “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern

Recipe Pairing: Black-and-White Hot Chocolate

Link: https://www.allrecipes.com/search?q=hot+chocolate

Nothing pairs with Morgenstern’s dreamlike, nocturnal world quite like hot chocolate—preferably layered, dramatic, and decadent enough to be a performance. The Night Circus is a novel of illusions, rivalries, and romance, all draped in velvet and smoke. A cup of dark-and-white hot chocolate mirrors that theatrical richness, especially when topped with a thick ribbon of whipped cream. Sip slowly; this is a book that rewards lingering.

5. “The Bear and the Nightingale” by Katherine Arden

Recipe Pairing: Honey Cake (Medovik)

Link: https://www.allrecipes.com/search?q=honey+cake+medovik

Arden’s folkloric tale, rooted in Russian winter, blends myth with the domestic world of hearth and home. Honey cake—a staple in Slavic kitchens—is layered, time-intensive, and deeply rewarding. It echoes the novel’s themes: devotion, tradition, and the ancient forces that coil beneath ordinary life. With tea or strong coffee, the cake becomes an event, much like the book itself.

Final Thoughts:

Winter encourages a kind of intentionality we often lose in warmer months. Books open more easily. Recipes take their time. Together, they create evenings of rare stillness—nights when the world feels briefly manageable, maybe even magical. Here’s to five of them, at least.

Michael Mettler is a lifestyle marketing consultant based in Walla Walla, Washington