Envy of Angels by Matt Wallace & Recipe by Matt Wallace
Now i’ve discovered the multicoloured velvet lined world of Matt Wallace, i’m wondering why it’s taken me so long to find him?!
Sometimes I put choosing a good book for the monthly Foodie Book Club reads down more to luck that to good judgement, discovering Matt Wallace has been like finding a lost shoe at the back of my wardrobe.
I knew there were books in there from the fantasy genre by authors who wrote to my taste, but I had to make an effort to move the empty shoe boxes out of the way before I found the one that made a pair!
Have a read for yourself and see what you think?!
ABOUT MATT
Now living with his wife Nikki in Los Angeles, Matt Wallace went to school in California leaving when he was 15 years old.
Leaving school at an early age didn’t stop Matt from becoming a prolific and successful writer with over one hundred short stories, and counting.
Matts life before being published, has got to be one of the most colourful I’ve written about.
After travelling North America as a professional wrestler, unarmed combat and self-defence instructor he hung up his wrestling shorts and settled into writing full time, and it wasn’t long before people started to pick up what he was putting out!
Matt Wallace
Once writing full time, Matts twenties were pretty busy for him.
First published at just 24, his first short story collection was released when he was just 25 and at 26 Matt signed up to write his first screenplay, just the beginning for Matt!
So much has happened since he started writing.
A Hugo Award winner, writing the Savage Rebellion Trilogy, the BUMP novels, and so many more great writings, some of which are: The Supervillains Guide to Being a Fat Kid, Nowhere Special, and of course author of the 7 books in the Sin du Jour series.
Book 1: Envy of Angels. Book 2: Lustlocked. Book 3: Prides Spell Book 4: Idle Ingredients
Book 5: Greedy Pigs Book 6: Gluttony Bay. Book 7: Taste of Wrath
All that (and more I’ve not mentioned here) and that’s before bringing up his writing for television, film, comics, internet series, video games and the fancast Ditch Diggers.
After a deep dive into social media, I found some info from an interview – apologies for not giving the following information credit from whence it came, but I was so caught up in finding out stuff, I forgot to make notes!
Matt says he loves listening to movie soundtracks and film scores while he writes.
“Scores in particular are great because they play like one extended symphony, and that makes for perfect background-style writing music for me.” Says `Matt
Some of his favourite soundtracks and scores are from Mad Max: Fury Road, the first John Wick and Netflix’s Lux Cage series.
His all-time favourites include the original Bill & Ted soundtrack and the Queen soundtrack from Flash Gordon and Highlander.
I can relate to those last two, memories from my younger viewing days!
As a writer for film there’s no surprise that movies have influenced his writing:
“I was an 80s kid, and I feel like I can see the direct influence of the movies I grew up watching on my middle grade novel, BUMP, especially things like Karate Kid……and Lucas…films that dealt with kids being bullied and learning to overcome it and gain confidence and a sense of self-acceptance.”
And what about Matts choice of food?
“…….food definitely is a big inspiration for my writing. My wife and I both love to cook and eat and food is always a major part of our travel,…..”
Matt says he’s a big snacker:
“The creative process of cooking definitely appeals to the side of me that writes, and so much culture, history, and even politics are wrapped up in our food and how we eat it. My wife would tell you i crave more of the sweet, but I think I go through phases. But I’m big snacker. I’m also a hopeless soda fiend. I really need to kick my Diet Dr. Pepper habit.”
So thats what I found out about Matt Wallace on the internet.
What I know about him from my own experience, is that he seems to be an immensely generous and gracious man with a giant talent as a writer embracing myriad genres, and when i reached out to him for a recipe for Foodie book Club, i didn’t have to wait too long for him to reply with a fabulous dish perfect for me to try out!
And straight from the pages of this months read too!
I couldn’t resist sneaking in a couple of questions for my self , and hoped he didn’t mind!
Matt said “It's my pleasure! I love book clubs and knowing they're digging into my stuff, and a foodie book club is even better. “
What’s your first memory of you cooking? - My first memory of me cooking is being a broke twenty-something wannabe writer trying to make canned food and cheap produce taste better. I actually didn't cook much as a young kid. It came later in life out of necessity. I remember buying a jar of "fancy" capers and adding it to literally every dinner I made to bring much needed flavor, but also just to make the food look and feel more lux, like casting a glamour over our cheap eats.
Favourite kitchen appliance? - My favorite kitchen appliance is probably my puree wand, because I am a smooth sauce kind of guy. I don't like big chunks of things in my sauces, especially tomato. My favorite just plain kitchen tool is my fish spatula. I do everything with my fish spatula, whether fish is involved or not. And even though you didn't ask, my favorite kitchen knife is a Japanese sashimi knife gifted to me by a friend whose father-in-law was a career sushi chef in Japan.
Pet food peeve? - My biggest pet food peeve is probably excessive liquid and foam on my plate. Tomato water, Dashi foam, etc.. It's just one of those things I always find to be a needless aesthetic frill that isn't really bringing anything to the party, and it just gets in the way of what I'm there to eat.
You can probably tell I’m becoming a great fan of Matt Wallace, even though I’m late to the party and only just discovered his writings.
The Book
Let’s have a little bit about this month’s read, Envy of Angels: A Sin du Jour Affair (Book One)
Envy of Angels: A Sin du Jour Affair (Book 1)
This book is funny with supernatural’s running around New York City restaurants, an underworld of monsters and magic all with a taste for special gourmet foods.
An original idea for an urban fantasy that I think won’t be the last of the seven books in the series that I read!
Isn’t it great discovering an author?!
I think I read on some web site the tag line, “Even Monsters Have to Eat!” which sums this book up perfectly.
Imagine catering events for demons and monsters and having to source what they like to eat – Where do you find an angel?
Darren and Lena, chefs that no one wants to hire, help the owner of Sin du Jour, prep and serve for rivel demon gangs and this is where the angel come in – to serve it or not to serve it – would you and what do you think an angel tastes like?! (doesn’t everything taste like chicken?)
Looking into the secret recipes of a certain fast-food chain and how to make an angel blood soup are just some of the capers this duo gets up to in this book.
I loved the language, the pace and the obvious joy that was put into the pages of this book, with characters that I can only hope carry on so i can get to know and have fun with them more, as this series progresses.
4 1/2 eggs
I give this book a solid 4 ½ eggs !
Why? Because it was fun to read, had a great concept that could run and run, could be made into an amusing film or T.V. series and there are a few of them for me to get my teeth into.
But remember, the eggs are just for a bit of fun, so you decide!
Love this image of Matt, taken from his twitter account.
Find Matt Wallace on his social media here: Instagram, Twitter, Website and Fancast
What about that recipe?
American bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich.
“Here it is, straight from Foodie Book Clubs February Read!
Matt Writes: “Celebrity Chef Bronko Luck uses fresh chives, Thai chili garlic sauce, and bacon grease to spice up the classic American bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich.”
Ingredients:
2 slices sourdough bread
4 strips bacon, thick cut
2 large eggs
1 tbsp diced chives
1 tbsp Sriracha
3 tbsp’s Kewpie Mayo
2 slices yellow American cheese
1 small knob of butter
1 tsp heavy cream
Method
Incorporate sriracha and mayo in a small bowl until well mixed and set aside.
Crack eggs into a separate appropriately sized bowl and use whisk to break apart yokes.
Add cream and gently whisk until smooth.
Toast the bread -(for best results, Spread both sides with butter and grill in a pain over medium low heat until golden brown).
Fry bacon in a skillet to preferred consistency and set aside on paper towel-lined plate.
Drain half the bacon grease and turn heat to low.
Add egg mixture, butter, and chives, and fold until the softest scramble forms.
Use spatula to spread and form eggs into the loose shape and size of your bread (if your slices are large enough and/or you really want to pack your sandwich full you can use three eggs).
Shingle cheese atop eggs, kill the heat, cover, and allow the eggs to finish cooking and cheese to melt.
Spread Sriracha mayo on both halves of your toast.
Layer bacon on the bottom half and then use a spatula to transfer the melted cheese covered eggs atop it.
If you really want to crank up the spice and heat level, add a few extra dabs of just the Sriracha, but use caution.
