“Not an hour after Olivia was found, Portia and her mother were in the family's ancient pickup truck, bumping along the dirt roads of backwater Texas until they came to her grandmother's cafe, a place that had been handed down… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
“She spread her arms wide to encompass the old pine table they had painted robin's egg blue, lightly sanding it in places so the white primer showed through. She had pulled out Aunt Evie's moss green platters and bowls, filling enough of them with everything from cheesy quiches to creamy chocolate pies, butterscotch cupcakes to the beef bourguignon to cover… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share
“I couldn't deal with the kind of need for a man that had ruled my mother's life - the kind of need that made… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
“Once the apartment was ready, Portia had begun to plan out what foods they would showcase in this little glimpse into a Glass Kitchen world. Her sisters couldn't help her with this part. Portia had let go, and dishes had come to her, all of which she wrote down and prepared to make. Then, at eight that morning, she got… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share
“Images of food rushed through her head, surprising her. Fried chicken. Sweet jalapeño mustard. Mashed potatoes. Biscuits. And a pie. Big and sweet, strawberries… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
“The images swirled through her. She needed to bake. Cake. A layered chocolate cake. With vanilla buttercream frosting. The images were as clear as four-color photos from a coffee table book on baking. She could taste the vanilla, butter, and cream whipped into a sugar frosting as if she had spooned it into her mouth. The chocolate smelled so real… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share
“Mothers are strong enough to let their daughters find out who they really are, and daughters are stong enough to realize that mistakes or… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
“If Olivia was like a decadent chocolate-covered strawberry, and Portia a pineapple-and-spice hummingbird cupcake, then Cordelia was peanut butter brittle, still sweet, though with… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
“The German chocolate cake was easy. So was the vanilla buttercream. But the strawberry shortcake gave me fits. Turns out, the final fix came… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
“She decided to make salmon baked in a touch of olive oil, topped with pine nuts, and served over spinach flash-fried in the salmon-and-olive-oil drippings. She added brown rice that she had slow-boiled with the herb hawthorn. Just as she finished, Cordelia arrived with a woman she had found standing in the sidewalk out front. "My husband has high blood… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share
“Heart pounding, she started to prepare the meal that hit her so hard. Her famous cherry tomatoes stuffed with chile, cheese, and bacon, along… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
“But sometimes we have to be brave in order to dig deep and find answers. Even if we're not sure we're going to like… — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
“It’s hard to believe in miracles until you’ve seen one happen. But once you’ve seen, well, life alters and you can never look” — Linda Francis Lee Copy Share Image
