Main Dishes

Grilled Tilapia, Citrus Spritz, and Tom Lake

June 26, 2025
editor
Pairing a grilled tilapia dish with Ann Patchett's "Tom Lake" creates a delightful experience that combines light and fresh flavors with a captivating narrative that evokes the rustic beauty of seasons past. To complement this pairing, a refreshing "Citrus Spritz" cocktail is recommended, whose citrus notes harmonize perfectly with the tilapia's marinade, enhancing the meal's vibrant profile. This combination is perfect for a relaxed afternoon or evening, encouraging reflection on life's cyclical journeys. Such a pairing is ideal for book club gatherings, where the unraveling of "Tom Lake's" themes reflects the fresh and natural essence of this delightfully simple meal.
Grilled Tilapia

Ingredients

  • 4 tilapia fillets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  • Prepare the marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
  • Marinate the tilapia: Place the tilapia fillets in a shallow dish or a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the fish, ensuring each fillet is well coated. Let the fish marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15-30 minutes.
  • Preheat the grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F or 200°C). Oil the grill grates lightly to prevent sticking.
  • Grill the tilapia: Remove the tilapia fillets from the marinade and place them on the preheated grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
  • Serve: Transfer the grilled tilapia to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side for a burst of citrus flavor.

Tom Lake

Tom Lake

In "Tom Lake," Ann Patchett weaves a tale of love and family set against the backdrop of a Michigan orchard. As Lara recalls her past summers acting at Tom Lake, she reflects on the choices and relationships that have shaped her life. This poignant story explores themes of memory, love, and the inevitability of change as her daughters unravel her secrets from a time when hopes were as ripe as the fruit they picked.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers. “Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature.” —The Guardian In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.

Discussion Questions

  • In what ways does the setting of Tom Lake impact the characters’ relationships and the narrative as a whole?
  • How does Patchett use the passage of time to develop both the characters and plot?
  • Explore the importance of memory in the story. How reliable is Lara's narrative?
  • What do the seasons symbolize in relation to the characters' personal growth?
  • How does the author handle themes of regret and redemption?
  • In what ways do secrets influence the relationships within Lara’s family?
  • Discuss the portrayal of motherhood in the novel. How does Lara’s history shape her daughters’ futures?
  • What role does nostalgia play in the characters’ decisions and views on life?
  • Identify the ways in which art and creativity influence the characters and plot.
  • How does the novel balance humor and melancholy to reflect real life?
Authors: Ann Patchett
ISBN: 9780063152215
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published Date: 2023-08-01

Citrus Spritz

Citrus Spritz
This refreshing cocktail combines the bright citrus flavors of lemon and orange with a hint of sparkling wine, perfect for enjoying alongside a light, flavorful meal such as grilled tilapia.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces Aperol
  • 3 ounces prosecco
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Club soda
  • Orange and lemon slices, for garnish

Instructions

  • Fill a wine glass with ice.
  • Add Aperol, prosecco, orange juice, and lemon juice.
  • Top with a splash of club soda.
  • Garnish with orange and lemon slices.