While it doesn’t take up much narrative space, food is central to King’s Elevation, both in the conflicts surrounding the Holy Frijole restaurant (which specializes in vegetarian Tex-Mex cuisine) and in the meals Scott shares with his friends when he lets them in on the secret of his inexplicably increasing lightness. When Scott first invites Missy, Deirdre, Bob, and Myra over to have dinner at his house, he makes “vegetarian lasagna Florentine with garlic toast points” (108), drawing inspiration from Irma S. Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking. When the group gathers again to share a meal, Scott’s situation is much more serious and his friends take on the responsibility of cooking and caring for him: “They ate a tasty vegetarian casserole (Missy), au gratin potatoes with a cheesy sauce (Myra), and topped the meal off with a lumpy but tasty angel food cake that was only slightly burned on the bottom (Doctor Bob). The wine was good, but the talk and the laughter were better” (127). Food is symbolic of their togetherness, their care for one another, and the moments they steal from the harsh realities of life, including the homophobia of Castle Rock, Scott’s increasing lightness, and his eventual departure. 

In Castle Rock Kitchen, Theresa Carle-Sanders draws on Missy’s characterization and inspiration in her introduction to the vegetarian food chapter, which includes “Missy’s Stovetop Millet Casserole with Peanut Sauce” (her take on the “tasty vegetarian casserole” Missy contributes to the quintet’s last meal together). I took the “tasty vegetarian casserole” in a different direction, checking out recipes online that feature some of the Tex-Mex flavors for which Holy Frijole is known and trying a Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole, the recipe of which can be found here. 

The Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole features a pretty surprising combination of vegetables, including sweet potatoes, onion, red pepper, cauliflower, black beans, and spinach, with the vegetables in the roasting stage seasoned with cumin, salt, and pepper. The additional elements of the casserole include tortillas, salsa, and cheese, which makes for a spicy, flavorful, and hearty layered dish. There are some of these vegetables that I have actually never had in combination before—but that’s the beauty of casseroles, isn’t it?—and I was really happy with the flavor and spice palette of the dish. I also misread the recipe and put most of the roasted veggie mix in the first and second layers, which left just a handful for the top of the final tortilla and salsa layer, but that’s on me (and was still delicious). I am an unapologetic cheese enthusiast and went a bit heavier on the cheese than the recipe instructed and when I make it again, I’ll probably add even more cheese and/or a combination of different cheese blends, but the casserole was delicious, filling, and reheats well (which is good, because with the density and richness, an 8×8 pan is a LOT). 

Next week, we’ll be going back to Castle Rock Kitchen and trying some of Carle-Sanders’ other Elevation-inspired recipes, including the Holy Frijole Enchiladas and Green Plantain Chips with Mojo Sauce! 

You can check out Castle Rock Kitchen here. 

[Page numbers from Elevation are from the 2018 Scribner hardcover edition]