Alice misses her home cooking and attempts a cottage pie at the beginning of The Giver of Stars. In true Alice fashion, I too attempted this pie and it didn’t come out as ‘golden’ as I had hoped but was tasty none the less! The mashed potato topping I used was taken from the  vintage cookbook and did not disappoint.   Cottage Pie Nerdy Fact: Cottage pies are usually made with beef, while a Shepard’s Pie is made with lamb.  2 T olive oil 5 carrots, sliced 1 leek, sliced 1 lb ground beef 2 T parsley 2 tsp Italian Seasoning 1 tsp garlic powder salt & pepper 1 1/2…