Cook over medium heat for 10 stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, stock, salt & pepper, sugar, and basil. Place olive oil and chopped garlic in a large stock pot and Sautee until it gets golden brown. Recipe from Chef Amanda: Boyds Mills Tomato Basil Bisqueĥ large cloves garlic, about 2 TBS choppedģ 28 ounce cans of diced or whole tomatoes Do the birthday traditions in your character’s family reflect their culture in some way? What would happen if your character got exactly what he/she/they wanted? What would happen if they did not? When it comes to your character, are there foods that he/she/they would think of as a pure gift? Would your character agree with Nisha’s description of a tomato? Or is their idea of food, or gifts for that matter, far different?Įxplore the questions above, then write a scene describing your character’s birthday and what treats might be included (or they would wish would be included) in the celebration. Character Nisha writes in many of her diary entries about food the way she does above about the tomato as a perfect gift.

This month’s Foodie Friday recipe is inspired by The Night Diary’s rich descriptions of food and family. Writing Prompt by author Padma Venkatraman She teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute. Her debut book THE WHOLE STORY OF HALF A GIRL was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and a South Asia Book Award Finalist. Veera Hiranandani is the author of Newbery Honor book, THE NIGHT DIARY. Cake and bows must be nice, but is anything better than a perfect tomato?” I thought about the little gifts Kazi gives us all the time–pieces of candy under our pillows or a ripe tomato from the garden, sliced, salted, and sprinkled with chili pepper on a plate. I once read an English story where a little girl got a big pink cake and presents wrapped in shiny paper and bows for her birthday. Kazi gave it to me this morning wrapped in brown paper, tied with a piece of dried grass. In one entry Nisha writes to her mother, “I want to tell you about this diary I’m writing in.

The story is woven together through letters she writes in her diary. In the hope of finding safety on the other side of the border, she and her family flee their home.

When the country she calls home is divided in two–Pakistan and India–violence erupts and she and her family become refugees. THE NIGHT DIARY follows the life of 12-year old Nisha who lives in India in 1947. Foodie Friday, February 7, 2020īook: THE NIGHT DIARY, written by Veera Hiranandani Padma will create the prompts based on a book from one of our Highlights Foundation faculty, and Chef Amanda will share a recipe from the kitchen at the Barn. Each and every first Friday, month after month, our Chef Amanda and author Padma Venkatraman will pair up to share a recipe and writing prompt for our Highlights Foundation family.

The night diary nisha