A culinary reflection by Marco DeLuca
“I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food.”
— Nero Wolfe, paraphrased (and perhaps misquoted… but one hopes he’d approve)
📚 A Bite of Nostalgia
Nero Wolfe was no ordinary detective. He solved murders with orchid metaphors and a suspiciously well-fed intuition — but perhaps more importantly, he lived lunch.
In Wolfe’s world, the midday meal was sacred: a pause from the chaos of New York’s criminal underbelly, marked by multi-course indulgence, exact timing, and the wizardry of his Swiss chef Fritz.
Reading Rex Stout’s novels is like slipping into a gastronomic time capsule — one lined with shad roe in anchovy butter, veal sweetbreads, oxtail ragoût, creamed spinach, eggs au beurre noir, and of course… almond-laced desserts that could silence a quarrel.
But what if Wolfe were here today?
What if that famously stubborn, carnivorous curmudgeon had to face… almond milk?
🧠 Changing Palates, Changing Paradigms
Like Wolfe, I’m a man of ritual. I cherish the romance of tradition — how flavors evoke eras, emotions, even the shape of a character’s soul. But unlike Wolfe, I also believe that a great chef, much like a good magician, knows when to evolve.
Let’s be honest.
Wolfe’s beloved dishes — though exquisite — could send a cardiologist into cardiac arrest. Heavy creams, red meats, layers of fat upon fat. Sensuous, yes. Sustainable? Perhaps not. Accessible to modern bodies, hearts, and beliefs? Even less so.
I’d like to imagine that even Nero Wolfe, if prodded gently (perhaps by Archie with a raised brow and a vegan lunchbox), might one day sit down to a plant-based version of his beloved classics. Begrudgingly. Begrudgingly… then with a soft grunt of approval.
🌱 Vegan Amandine Tartlets — A Literary Tribute
So today, I offer a literary reinterpretation:
🕯️ Mystic Vegan Amandine Tartlets — tart and elegant, sweet with restraint, and kissed with the aroma of roasted almonds and memory.
Instead of dairy and egg custard, I’ve crafted a silky almond filling thickened with cornstarch and kissed with vanilla and maple. The crust? Coconut oil and almond flour, whispering decadence without dominance. A scattering of pistachios gives just enough bite to balance the dream.
📖 See the full recipe here
👁️🗨️ Chakra pairing: Heart Chakra
🌿 Adaptogen: Ashwagandha or Reishi, to soothe the nerves Wolfe never admitted he had
Would Wolfe approve? Perhaps with a frown and a full plate.
🔮 Marco’s Note: Rituals of the Present Moment
If you’re reading this at your own table, perhaps with an old detective novel beside your plate, I invite you to consider this:
The kitchen is a crucible of memory.
But memory is not law.
We are allowed to reimagine what we once revered.
Lunch can still be sacred — even without butter.
So make a cup of tea, slice a tartlet, open The League of Frightened Men, and allow yourself to become part of the story — not just the one Rex Stout wrote, but the one you’re writing with every mindful meal.
Even Wolfe, I dare say, would take one bite… and order a second.
