The Dessert Stephen King Always Eats Before Writing

Forget conventional brain foods, like berries, dark chocolate, or fatty fish. If you want to be a world-famous writer, head on over to the bakery for a cheesecake or two, a la Stephen King. That's right, the man who brought you thrillers like "It," "Carrie," and "Misery" turns to a self-described "monster" slice of creamy, rich cheesecake to get his creative wheels turning. In fact, he always has cheesecake before sitting down to pound out a terrifying new tome, according to Business Insider India.

Cheesecake has not always been a staple in King's writing routine, although it's safe to say he has always liked the dessert. Apparently, he credits his son Owen, also a successful writer, with giving him the idea, The Recipe reported. The younger King, for the record, prefers crème brûlée. Fancy schmancy! Just any old cheesecake won't do, however. "Cheesecake is brain food," King once told Bon Appetit. "But it's got to have a creamy texture to it."

So, now you know that Stephen King likes creamy cheesecake, not the dried out variety that unfortunately emerges from many a home oven. But that's not where his food preferences begin and end. In fact, King feels strongly about food. He also told Bon Appetit, "I don't eat oysters. It's horrible, the way they slither down your throat alive."

Like most people, he loves the smell of baking bread, and has become a proficient chef in his own right, although he's not big on recipes and prefers to wing it, so to speak. In fact, baked salmon with a brown sugar glaze is one of his signature dishes, according to Paper and Salt. He even contributed to the book "Man With a Pan," along with 20 other writers and chefs who also happen to be fathers who cook for their families. In it, "Stephen King offers tips about what to cook when you don't feel like cooking," per the book's overview.

Devoted husband, father, writer, and chef? The man really earns his cheesecake.