In my attempts to read more this year, I started the A Series of Unfortunate Events books  with my kids and they are really into it. They love hearing about the misfortunes of the Baudelaire orphans and how they use their intellect and books to get themselves out of their repeated dire circumstances.

For those of you not familiar with Lemony Snicket’s novels or the plight of the Baudelaire orphans, their situation is truly what the title of the series implies: unfortunate. The books follow the turbulent lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire after their parents’ death in a fire. The children are placed in the custody of a murderous relative, Count Olaf, an actor who attempts to steal their inheritance and, later, orchestrates numerous disasters with the help of his accomplices. As the plot progresses, the Baudelaires gradually confront further mysteries surrounding their family and deep conspiracies involving a secret society known as V.F.D., with connections to Olaf, their parents, and many other family relatives.

To supplement the books we are also watching the new Netflix adaptation of the novels. Neil Patrick Harris is a terrific Count Olaf! The kids love watching the story unfold on the screen and talking about the differences between the books and the show.

We took it a step further this week and decided to make some of the food from the books as well and it has been a blast! There is plenty of food scattered throughout the novels which I will be making with my girls as we move through the books. The one I just finished making with the kids is the Pasta Puttanesca from the first novel, The Bad Beginning.

Once the Baudelaire children are sent to live with Count Olaf, he treats them badly by giving them only one bed to sleep in, making them do endless chores, and making them cook for his theater troupe on a nonexistent grocery budget. The children make the troupe Pasta Puttanesca; a recipe they find in a book from the neighbor’s library. Olaf becomes enraged when the dish the children prepare isn’t roast beef, although he never told them that is what he wanted; he also didn’t give them the funds to purchase any. He becomes so angry at the children over the dinner, he actually hits Klaus in front of everyone.

The pasta incident marks the point in the novel where the reader moves from disliking Olaf to actually hating him. The reader is already appalled at the filthy and inadequate living arrangements he provides, in addition to the physical labor he forces the children to carry out. Readers also have a mistrust and distaste for him because he is very brazen about his desire to get his hands on the children’s inheritance. When he actually strikes Klaus the reader shifts from just not liking him to hating him.

Another interesting note is that pasta puttanesca is historically a dish made by/for prostitutes. It is a quick dish that could be made between clients and therefore popular amongst sex workers. Historically, actors and theater people have been essentially viewed on the same level as prostitutes since the early ages of theater. So the dish is oddly fitting for the theater troupe, even though this point is not mentioned in the book.

In my everyday life I cook plenty of pasta and I love all the different options for sauces. I was excited to try this because I had never done a puttanesca sauce before. The only thing holding me back was the idea of the anchovies in this dish. Let me tell you, please don’t let the anchovies put you off from trying this! I sincerely regret my hesitation. If you can’t handle the idea of actual anchovies, use anchovy paste. Also, the flavor from the anchovies is so subtle but adds depth to the dish that you don’t want to miss out on,  but without it being any kind of fishy.

The reception from the family on this dish was mixed, the girls couldn’t get past the anchovies, no matter how small. They enjoyed making the sauce and I enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with them! I am hoping they will come around about eating it. I absolutely loved it, it might be my new favorite sauce. It was light and delicious with just the right amount of heat to make it interesting. What Count Olaf couldn’t understand is that althought the sauce is simple, the taste is impressive. More so, I think, than roast beef.

Pasta Puttanesca: