Bridgerton: The Duke & I by Julia Quinn Recipe by Ciara Turley
The Author
I’m not sure there are many in the world who haven’t heard about Bridgerton, either the book or the immensely popular TV series.
The number 1 New York bestselling author, Julia Quinn, is the author of almost 40 books, all of which are romance books, novellas and graphic novels.
A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe colleges, she now lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.
It was during her Harvard days, when she didn’t know what to do with the rest of her life, she began feeling depressed.
After working her way through some Ben & Jerrys, she sat down with a book in her favourite genre, romance, and set about writing one herself.
Two years later, her first two books were in a bidding war between two major publishing houses.
Writing another two books, she got a little nervous and decided to pick up a scalpel and start medical school.
It wasn’t for her, so a short while later, giving it up, she picked up her pen again.
As a child, she read a lot of teen romances, and knew that there were a lot of romantic writing parameters when it came to the writing, she wanted to remove some of these.
Her father, a writer himself, wasn’t the keenest knowing she chose to read romantic teenage fiction rather than weightier books, so she set about convincing him that she was reading these books to extend her vocabulary and as a form of research for when she started to write her own.
She has often been asked about Lady Whistledown and how she came about.
Julia’s answer is, through necessity, as a way of imparting information to the reader.
A character in her own right, she progressed into a strong independent woman who held the narrative together and helped to move the story forward without being condescending to the reader.
Made into a Netflix series, it soon became as popular in TV as the books were, leading to spin off series showcasing some of the major characters of the original books.
Julia Quinn
The Book
A romance, set in the Regency era, sees Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest girl of eight children who wants to marry and start a family of her own.
Unfortunately, the men she’s met so far either haven’t been suitable of have thought of her as a friend.
On meeting Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings, who is seen as the most eligible bachelor around and who even though pursued by many, has no inkling to be married, they arrange to help each other.
To keep the potential brides away and for the attention she gets from others who think she is with the most eligible bachelor in town, Daphne and Simon begin a pretend courtship.
There’s no surprise that, over time, they start to enjoy each others company and they end up together.
Bridgerton. The Duke and I
My Thoughts
It’s probably no surprise that I enjoyed this, and the rest of the books in the Bridgerton series.
I like a book that just is what it says on the tin.
No pretence of being something showy, just a good romantic novel where the heroine ends up with her one true love.
It’s a story about learning how to love yourself and how to think of others before yourself.
Lessons I feel more people could learn.
As with a lot of people who read the book, or watched the series, I felt things shift for me around chapter 18.
The way the rape of Simon by Daphne was handled while he was drunk, made me a little uneasy.
When he leaves her, she feels no shame in what she has done, and there are no consequences for her actions.
If it was a male character, would he be allowed a happy ever after?
There is a lot of humour in the writing, especially in the way the Bridgerton brothers and sisters are parented,
For me, Lady Whisteldown, is by far my favourite character, not just because she is the one who moves the story forward, I enjoyed her as a whole.
The way her character grows and she becomes not just financially independent but an independent and formidable woman.
3 1/2 Egg Rating from me
Chef
Ciara is a self-taught home cook, nutrition Coach and devoted mother of two.
The lockdown period rekindled her passion for cooking, leading her to create The Tummy Fairy for sharing delicious recipes.
With a background in HR in the hospitality industry, Ciara brings sense and creativity to her culinary creations.
Passionate about promoting healthy eating habits, she is particularly enthusiastic about reducing sugar intake and incorporating whole foods into her recipes.
Having lived in Australia for several years, Ciara has been influenced by their vibrant food scene.
However, her heart lies with supporting Irish businesses and sourcing local ingredients whenever possible.
She firmly believes in the power of cooking wholesome unprocessed foods to nourish both the body and the soul.
Ciara combines her love for cooking with a focus on health and well-being.
She aims to inspire others to embrace a balanced lifestyle and shares her knowledge and experience with her community.
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Ciara Turley
Recipe
Turkish eggs
Level up your brunch game with these delicious Turkish Eggs, so creamy and full of flavour and perfect for dipping some toasted sourdough in it!
Known as çilbir in Turkey, this is the Turkish word for “lightly cooked’ or “cooked until desired consistency’.
This refers to the way the eggs are prepared by boiling them until they reach the desired level of doneness.
Turkish Eggs by Ciara Turley
Ingredients
Serves 2
4 Large Eggs
1 Cup Greek Yoghurt
2 Garlic Cloves – Minced
Squeeze of fresh lemon
2 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes – Traditionally Aleppo Pepper, but I just used chilli flakes
Salt & Pepper
Dash of vinegar (for poaching, optional)
Fresh dill and mint
Crusty sourdough bread to serve
Method
Mix together the yoghurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, 1 tsp of chopped dill and a pinch of salt.
In a small pan, melt the olive oil and butter over a low heat until it becomes frothy.
Add the pepper flake sand paprika, stirring gently.
Allow to simmer for a minute, then remove it from the heat.
Using a small fine mesh sieve, crack your egg into the sieve and allow the thinner part of the egg white to strain out, this will give those perfectly round poached eggs.
Transfer them to a ramekin.
Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a gently boil, add a dash of vinegar and swirl the water using a large metal spoon, then carefully add the eggs to boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes for soft boiled eggs.
Once the eggs are cooked, , carefully lift them out to drain and use paper towel to remove the excess water.
To assemble, spread a generous amount of the garlic yoghurt mixture into a serving bowl, pop the eggs on top and spoon over some yoghurt.
Then drizzle the over the chilli infused butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh dill and mint leaves.
Serve with some toasted sourdough for dipping, and enjoy!
