Can you capture the essence of a story in a single photograph? What about in a meal? Designer Dinah Fried has tried to achieve both in this creative and charming photo series of Fictitious Dishes. The former editor of visual books at HarperCollins and MFA student at the Rhode Island School of Design has re-created meals from iconic books including The Catcher in the Rye and Moby-Dick. Check out her great photos below and read her explanation of each piece.



Dinner with Holden

This photograph depicts a scene from J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, in which Holden Caulfield stops at a drug store and orders a cheese sandwich and a malted after a very bad date.



Dinner with Oliver

"Please, sir, I want some more" is likely the most famous line from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, and this photograph presents the watery gruel that the orphan, Oliver, desires.


Dinner with Lisbeth

Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy is not only full of violence and investigative journalism, it is full of open-faced sandwiches and cups of coffee, and this photograph illustrates this frequently eaten combination.



Tea with Alice

The tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland is iconic, and this photograph imagines the details of the table top: from sugar cubes to pocket watch.



Dinner with Ishmael

This photograph is inspired by Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, which includes an entire chapter dedicated to eating chowder -- both clam and cod -- at an inn called Try Pots.

All photos courtesy of Dinah Fried.

Send us photos of your literary meals!

Have you ever created a literary-themed dish or hosted a dinner party inspired by a book? Send your photos to cbcbooks[a]cbc.ca by Sunday, August 12. We'll feature them in an upcoming post. And if we pick your photo, we'll send you a book pack! Check here for the rules and regulations.