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1. Billie eventually writes about Sal's as if
it's "a way of life." Do you have a favorite establishment that you
would describe similarly? What is it like, and how does it make you
feel?
2. Mrs. Cloverly’s disastrous concoctions are even funnier because she’s
unfazed by failure. She seems to keep trudging forward, turning
ever-less-palatable dishes out of her kitchen. Have you encountered such
a cook? What is the most astonishingly—and hilariously—unappetizing dish
you’ve ever been served?
3. Diana and Sammy's friendships help the formerly-contained Billie
become more confident. Has a friend ever given you the courage to be
more fully yourself? What did you reveal?
4. Try to imagine a story that Sammy might have written for Delicious!
Where in the world is he, and what is he writing about?
5. Lulu’s letters teach Billie about the relentless uncertainty endured
by the people on the home front during World War II. She learns that
Lulu finds solace in cooking with Mrs. Cappuzzelli and for her mother.
Can you remember a meal that helped get you through a particularly
painful moment? Where were you? Who were you with? And what was the
meal?
6. Rationing changed the way Americans ate. Lulu throws herself into
this new food landscape, experimenting with unfamiliar vegetables like
milkweed and pumpkin leaves. What would you make if you had no butter,
meat, or dairy? What would you forage for?
7. If you had a victory garden, what would you grow?
8. Do you have friends or family who remember what it was like to eat
during World War II? What stories have they shared with you?
9. Lulu writes: "When Mother, Mr. Jones and I were walking through those
strange, crowded downtown streets, where people were sticking their
hands into pickle barrels, pointing to smoked fish, and eating sliced
herring, I saw the scene in a whole new way. They weren’t buying food:
They were finding their way home." What foods feel like home to you?
10. As the book closes, what does Billie discover she owes Genie?
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