Crescent City Christmas Chaos Reading Kit

Crescent City Christmas Chaos

Crescent City Christmas Chaos is part of the Vintage Cookbook Mystery Series by award-winning author Ellen Byron. The amateur sleuth is Ricki James-Diaz, a vintage cookbook collector and the proprietor of Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware, a shop in New Orleans’ Bon Vee Culinary House Museum. The museum is located in the spectacular former Garden District home of legendary restaurateur Genevieve “Vee” Charbonnet.

Although Crescent City Christmas Chaos is the fourth book in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery Series, it could be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone novel if you are looking for a fun holiday read.

Crescent City Christmas Chaos Reader Questions

Note: If you aren’t in a book club, you can still use these questions to reflect on the book after you read it.

• What three words would you use to describe Crescent City Christmas Chaos?

• Who was your favorite character in Crescent City Christmas Chaos?

• Have you ever visited New Orleans? Would you like to?

• Do you have any vintage cookbooks?

• If you could open your own gift shop, what would it sell?

• Did you have a favorite scene in Crescent City Christmas Chaos? What did you like about this scene?

• Were you able to identify the culprit in Crescent City Christmas Chaos?

• What red herrings threw you off the real culprit’s trail?

• What did you think of the ending?

• Would you like to see Crescent City Christmas Chaos turned into a movie?

• Do you have any predictions for future books in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery Series?

• Have you made the recipes in the back of the book yet? Do you plan to?

Fun Activities for a Crescent City Christmas Chaos Book Club Meeting

• Have a Réveillon Dinner (a traditional, lavish French and New Orleans holiday feast) made with the recipes that appear at the end of Crescent City Christmas Chaos.

• Have a vintage-themed potluck. Ask everyone to bring a dish made with their favorite vintage recipe. Encourage everyone to share the story behind their dish.

• Have a vintage recipe swap. Ask everyone to find a fun vintage recipe to share with the group. Compile the submitted recipes into a printed and bound recipe book or a shared digital document. You could also use free recipe-sharing apps like Cookpad or Pepper.

Interview with Author Ellen Byron

Read an interview with Ellen Byron, the author of Crescent City Christmas Chaos. Learn more about Ellen’s books, get fun freebies, learn about upcoming events, and sign up for Ellen’s free newsletter on her website, www.ellenbyron.com.