The Maze Runner is the first book in the popular series of the same name by James Dashner. The series centers around Thomas, who wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a place called The Glade with about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies from below. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in The Glade for two years, trying to find a way to escape through a maze that surrounds their living space. This book is amazing and I highly recommend this series!

In this first installment of the series the reader is introduced to the characters, life in the Glade, and how the kids have adapted to being there. Of course I paid special attention to how they were eating in The Glade. All of their food is prepared with what they have managed to farm themselves and apparently everything is cooked by a kid aptly called Frypan.

The food that Frypan makes is not always the best but The Gladers still look forward to it after running the maze all day. “I should go back out there, but screw it. I’m gonna go eat some of Frypan’s nasty casserole.”-Minho

However, amidst all the food that Frypan makes in this novel there is at least one good sounding meal in there: tomato soup and biscuits.

First, this meal is significant because it is made with what’s available. It lends to the credibility of the author and the situation. It also is an indication that the boys are able to be independent and self sufficient; they can produce good quality food by themselves. This is just a small, descriptive reinforcement of how well the Gladers have been able to take care of themselves alone.

Second, tomato soup and biscuits are comfort food; comfort is something they are lacking in their environment so it is compensated for in their food. The particular scene where the food is mentioned is a point where Thomas is incredibly scared and the food seems to comfort him:

…he was psyching himself up for what he had planned for that evening, convincing himself it was the right thing to do.  The only thing to do. Plus, he was absolutely terrified and he didn’t want the others to notice…He barely noticed that he’d been hungry until he started eating Frypan’s hastily prepared meal of biscuits and tomato soup. -James Dashner, The Maze Runner

The food seems to ground Thomas and take his mind off what he has decided to do.

Finally, this meal is significant because it is so simplistic; it is a plain and basic meal. This meal provides the contrast to the surreal chaos they are enveloped in living in The Glade. For the reader, the “everyday” meal reminds us that a place with giant mazes, Grievers, and WICKED is chaotic and strange. It gives the reader a feeling of uneasiness which is part of what makes this book such a great read.

I was able to pull this meal together very easily since it is made with stuff that I keep on hand. I used some of the tomatoes that I canned myself last summer; I would have used fresh but it is the middle of winter here!

The biscuits are a favorite in my house. We serve them frequently because they have no sugar, super easy to make, and really delicious.

The result is a nutrious and delicious dinner that made me feel all warm and fuzzy on this cold winters night. I am going to curl up with the third installment of this series (The Death Cure) so that I can be ready for when the movie comes out!

Tomato Soup:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

a few drops of Worcestershire sauce to taste

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 drops hot pepper sauce

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.
2. Add carrot and celery; cook 7 to 9 minutes until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. You can also keep in pot and use an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency.

Biscuits:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey or white sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and honey. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
3. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.