Author Daria Lavelle Discusses Her Debut Novel 'Aftertaste'

The Premise of 'Aftertaste'

• 🍽️ The book 'Aftertaste' features a chef who discovers his food can bring spirits back from the afterlife for one last meal with loved ones.
• 💡 This unique ability sets the protagonist on a journey to open a New York City restaurant focused on providing closure.
• 🧠 The initial idea for the book came to author Daria Lavelle during a writing session, visualizing a ghost consuming a plated dish.

Connecting Through Food and Memory

• ✨ Lavelle describes 'Aftertaste' as a love letter to New York City restaurants and the profound power of shared meals.
• 🏙️ The author drew inspiration from her own formative experiences with countless meals in NYC, from high-end establishments to casual eateries.
• 💖 The book resonates with readers by allowing them to connect with lost loved ones through the evocative power of food and memory.

Research and Culinary Inspiration

• 🍳 Research for the book involved extensive exploration of restaurant kitchens, culinary traditions across Manhattan, and global customs surrounding death and food.
• 📚 Lavelle's research delved into both the dining experience and the behind-the-scenes operations of restaurant kitchens.

Structural Significance of Food

• 🍰 An interesting structural element of 'Aftertaste' is that it is designed like a tiered cake, with five parts.
• 📖 Each part contains a main narrative (the cake) interspersed with alternating chapters from different points of view (the filling).