Vendredi

The idea came to McDonald when a friend described getting drunk the night before Thanksgiving and eating the entire coconut cream pie she was supposed to bring to her boss’ house the following day. At the time she had been upset that she was spending the holiday working rather than in the company of her family but in retrospect it became a hilarious anecdote that encapsulated the familiar urge toward comfort food.

"The more I retold the story, the funnier it got," Sweeney-McDonald said.

A publisher from Pelican Books attended the show’s second run in New Orleans, and asked Peggy if she’d be interested in compiling the monologues into a coffee table book. 

The book release coincides with a double anniversary for Café Du Monde as this year marks 150 years since its’ founding and 70 since Hubert Fernandez gained its ownership. In homage, Fernandez’ granddaughter contributed her food story to the book and will be reading at the café on Oct. 20.

Due to the performance based history of the book. Readings and signings will be framed as theatrical events. Today’s book launch takes place at Octavia at 6pm. Not only will attendees be provided with an opportunity to have their copies signed by multiple authors but food will be served as well, in accordance with the event’s theme.

“The stories are to be acted rather than simply read, that’s why I like to call it Reality Dinner Theater,” McDonald explains.

A part of the book’s intent is to capture the sense of comfort surrounding food and the relief provided by the ritual of familiar eats.

Despite nods to the famous café, it is not a regional book, as Peggy puts it, everyone has their “Café Dumonde; that diner, deli, restaurant or café that they know they can afford, where they know what to expect and when the place will be open, they know what to order and most importantly, they know that the meal will be enjoyable regardless of whatever else is going on in their lives”.

It is this magical relationship to food that Peggy captures with the book.

“No matter where I live or what’s going on in my life I always find myself back there, just taking life one beignet at a time,” she says.