Literary Munchies

by WiredBerries Editors — May 2, 2008

I do it all the time - attempt to simultaneously indulge my passion for books and food, with mixed success. A friend of mine recently returned a borrowed book and made a comment about how I must really love curry. It took me a minute to figure out that I had left evidence of my read-and-munch habits on the pages of Cowboys Are My Weakness. Apparently, I'm not alone. I stumbled upon this helpful list from Apartment Therapy of the 5 best and worst foods to eat while reading:

Best:

• Bite-sized pasta - You eat this primly, with one hand and a fork, leaving the other hand free for the book.
• Soup - Most soups are one-hand affairs.
• Crackers, cookies, and carbs in general - But beware. Not only do they get crumbs in your pages, you will also eat too much while reading.
• Hard pretzels - Bite-sized and non-messy.
• Cheese plate - Properly snobby for a nice read fest, good with port and a pair of slippers. Also, easy to eat. Port, Stilton, and pears, all cut beforehand into bite-size pieces, go well with a deep read in the evenings.

Worst:

• Big burritos - These take concentration and skill to eat without making a mess - forget about turning the pages.
• Most sandwiches - Also two-hand affairs. If you have a book stand, though, these can still be OK.
• Complicated salads - Too much work; you're always having to look down at your plate.
• Soft pretzels - Too greasy.
• Popcorn - Also too greasy, and distractingly noisy.

Got any favorite literary munchies?