Author Stephanie Perkins’ Midnight Writing Snack

When you’re burning the midnight oil and your stomach starts to grumble, what should you reach for to fuel you through the night? We decided to go directly to the source. We mean writers, of course. After all, who knows better the pain and pleasure of the midnight munchies than the literary set?

This month, we asked 20 authors, past and present, to share what they snack on in the wee hours.

Stephanie Perkins, author of New York Times bestseller Isla and the Happily Ever After, as well as Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, has turned her considerable talents to editing. Her latest book, Summer Days and Summer Nights, is a collection of love stories by YA authors like Veronica Roth and Leigh Bardugo. Fans of Perkins’ writing will be pleased to know she’s also contributed a story to the anthology.

While the love stories tackle serious topics that are anything but cheesy, it’s the gooey stuff (literally) that this writer turns to when the clock strikes midnight.

What’s better than nachos when you’re writing and editing tales of young amour? Nachos covered in enchilada sauce, of course.

If I have a midnight craving, it’s usually for something covered in cheese. One of my favorite snacks is a gooey bowl of “enchilachos” — nachos covered in enchilada sauce. It’s the easiest and most deliciously disgusting treat: Line the bottom of a bowl with tortilla chips, cover with cheese and then cover with enchilada sauce, repeat for several more layers, and then microwave. These nachos require a fork, but … that just means they’re sophisticated, right?

Are nachos your midnight snack, too? Do you eat them with a fork?