Books Gone Bad

I've said here many times that I really like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Is it Pulitzer-worthy writing? No. But it is highly entertaining and fun, and I have laughed my way all the way through the books. So it's a shame that it didn't translate to the screen with the same entertainment value.
In fact, on Rotten Tomatoes, One for the Money received a 3% rating. How bad is that? Well it's worse than the most recent Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. Heck, even Gigli and Glitter received 6% ratings. Ouch.
You can nitpick whose fault that is (poor casting, Katherine Heigl's acting, bad directing, editing performed with a ham-fist), but there is one thing that really stood out to me – there are four screenwriters credited for the movie. Four? That must have made for some fun writers' meetings. Or did each one get fired before the next one stepped up? Either way, it's almost impossible to have four people write one project with one clear vision.
Isn't it sad when good books go bad onscreen? I'm thinking particularly of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, and The Other Boleyn Girl.
Fortunately, we also have good-to-great movie adaptations, like The Help, Hugo, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and the Harry Potter films.
There are some new movies scheduled for release, or that are filming now, that I hope don't disappoint me. Hunger Games will be out in March, and I really want that to be a great movie. Filming is beginning on The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society (starring Kate Winslet), The Thin Man (starring Johnny Depp), The Night Circus, Wicked, The Graveyard Book, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Cross your fingers that they only have one screenwriter each.

Eat Up

Since I am an avowed foodie and a bookaholic, what better way to make me happy than with a book about food? I am a Top Chef fanatic, so I'm eagerly anticipating Gail Simmons' new book Talking with My Mouth Full, which will be published at the end of February.
Meanwhile, here are three of my favorite books by food insiders:

Heat

by Bill Buford
Like many of us, Bill Buford fancies himself a star in his own kitchen. But how would he do in the big leagues of a top-shelf restaurant?
In Heat, he sets himself up to find out by working in the kitchen of Babbo, Mario Batali's three-star restaurant in New York. I would have started a little lower down the food chain, but what do I know.
This behind-the-scenes look is hilarious and eye-opening, as Buford works his way up from "kitchen slave" to cook, and learns insider info along the way, such as when an egg was first added to pasta recipes, how to butcher meat, and why you never, ever scrape your knife on a chopping block.

Garlic and Sapphires

by Ruth Reichl
I am a huge fan of Reichl's, particularly her time at Gourmet (oh how I miss that mag). This book covers her earlier work as the restaurant critic for The New York Times.
In an effort to keep her experience at each restaurant as "ordinary" as possible, Reichl went to great lengths to disguise herself, often returning to the same restaurant several times unrecognized.
As she tries out all the chic eateries as an anonymous citizen, Reichl uncovers the best and the worst, not only in the food served but also in the attitudes on offer from the staff.
Funny and enlightening, Garlic and Sapphires shows why Reichl is an astonishing six-time James Beard Award winner for her writing.

The Man Who Ate the World

by Jay Rayner
As a restaurant critic for London's Observer, Jay Rayner has eaten in some of the best (and priciest) establishments around the globe. He has also paid ungodly sums for those meals, arguing that it's as much about the experience as the food.
So what is the perfect meal worth, and how far would you travel to get it? Dry Brit-wit Rayner takes us inside some of the most exclusive restaurants, showcasing why a magical combination of ingredients becomes something more than just food.
Eat something before you begin to read, and then be ready to start planning your next vacation to some exotic locale.

More to Ingest
The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen, by Jacques Pepin
The Devil in the Kitchen, Marco Pierre White
Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain
My Life in France, by Julia Child
The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry, by Kathleen Flinn
Tender at the Bone, by Ruth Reichl

Review + Author Recipe: Love and History

Review: Dreams of Joy

by Lisa See
One of my first reviews for this blog was for Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (click here). And the first books I read by See were her mysteries, including Flower Net, The Interior, and Dragon Bones, all of which are amazing.
Whether set in ancient eras or in more modern times, See's books have one thing in common – the stories center around family and relationships.
Dreams of Joy continues on those themes, picking up immediately where the book Shanghai Girls ended. Joy has just learned that her family is not what it seems, that her mother Pearl is actually her aunt and that her aunt May is her true mother. Distraught, she runs away from her Los Angeles Chinatown home to Shanghai to find her birth father, a famous artist named Z.G. Li.
But there's a complicating factor. The China that sisters Pearl and May knew as young women has changed dramatically, with Mao Zedong and the Communist Party of China solidifying their power. Like some in the '50s, Joy has an idealistic notion of Communism, seeing it as a solution to corrupt capitalism and the only way to achieve balance between rich and poor.
As she reunites with Z.G. in Shanghai, her naivete keeps her from seeing the implied threat in the order that sends her artist father to Green Dragon Village, a collective in Anhwei province where he must teach art to the peasants. Just 250 miles from Shanghai, the village is like another world, with no cars, electricity, plumbing or phones.
As Joy and Z.G. settle into the village, Pearl takes the dangerous step of following Joy to Shanghai. With travel within China restricted, she must wait in the city for Joy's return, while trying to blend in and not attract notice from the authorities.
Joy and Z.G. travel to Peking for an art exhibit, even meeting Mao himself who chooses Z.G.'s painting of Joy for a propaganda poster that is soon showcased all over China – reminiscent of Z.G.'s early "beautiful girl" paintings of May and Pearl.
Returning to Shanghai, Joy and Z.G. are confronted by Pearl, who wants to return to America with the woman she raised as her own daughter. Joy refuses and insists on returning to Green Dragon Village just as Mao institutes the disastrous Great Leap Forward, a program designed to make China overtake the West in agriculture and steel production in just a few years. Bizarre ideas that are forced on the country – such as planting six times the normal amount of wheat in a field or sowing the ground with glass as a "nutrient" – lead to famine, widespread disease and death.
A disillusioned Joy, who is now married and has a baby, sends a desperate message to Pearl and Z.G., who race to save her before she becomes yet another statistic of the starvation and deprivation that grip China.
Dreams of Joy is a gripping account of a convulsive period in Chinese history, but again it is also a touching story of the love between mothers and daughters, and of sacrifices of the heart.
(2011 – Random House)

Recipe: Lisa See's Curried Tomato Beef
My sincere thanks to Lisa See for providing this recipe. She wrote all of the following copy:
"Food is memory, and many of my memories are linked to food. This recipe has grown and evolved over three generations in my family. My grandfather used to own a restaurant in Los Angeles Chinatown called Dragon’s Den. It was only the seventh family-style Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. Back in 1936, when Dragon’s Den opened, this dish – minus the curry and the noodles – cost just twenty-five cents. The restaurant had closed by the time I was born, but I can remember my grandfather making a version of the Dragon’s Den tomato beef at home.
"Tomato beef is a uniquely Chinese-American dish – symbolic in many ways of the 'melting pot.' 'Mein' means noodles in Cantonese, but beef and tomatoes are not typical Chinese ingredients. But in the past, if you were Chinese and lucky enough to own your own restaurant, you put together ingredients you thought would please your American customers. That’s how American tomatoes and beef came to be thrown together with Chinese noodles. For a time tomato beef lo mein and curried tomato beef lo mein could be found on every menu in Chinese-American restaurants and cafés, such as the Golden Dragon Café. Now you can’t even find tomato beef in Chinese restaurants! No one asks for it, orders it, or remembers it. So this truly is a taste of the past, specifically 1950s Chinese America. There is no right or wrong way to make this dish. It’s all about your personal taste and whether you like more vinegar or sugar."
1 lb. flank steak – cut into ¼" strips against the grain
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2-3 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium to large onion – cut into 1"squares
1 green bell pepper – chopped into 1" squares
4 roma tomatoes – quartered
1 Tbsp. Madras curry powder
4-6 Tbsp. white vinegar
1-3 teaspoons white sugar
Cilantro – loosely chopped
1 lb pasta
Mix ingredients for marinade (soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and cornstarch) and add sliced beef. Let marinate for 20 minutes.
Put oil in a wok (or frying pan) over high heat. When oil is hot and smoking, add the beef and stir fry until browned but not fully cooked. Add the onion and bell pepper. After they’ve cooked for a while (but are still crisp), add the curry powder, vinegar, and sugar. Add tomatoes and cook until just heated through. (You don’t want the vegetables to lose their shape. They should remain whole and crisp.) Taste for flavor. The sauce should be strong, because it will be toned down by the noodles (or rice).
Meanwhile, in a separate pot, heat water and cook the noodles of your choice according to package instructions. When done, drain the noodles and put them on a platter. Pour the curried tomato on top of noodles, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and serve.
• For the more health conscious, you can substitute chicken for the beef. My dad fries boneless, skinless chicken thighs until they’re done enough to cut them up easily. Then he adds them back to the wok after the onion and bell pepper to cook a bit more.
• Some people like to add the noodles to the wok and toss them with the other ingredients. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with cilantro.

It's a Mystery

The Edgar Award nominees were announced by the Mystery Writers of America on Jan. 19 (Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, of course), and the list was a bit of a conundrum for me.

There are some good books nominated, but I was more interested in what was not included. In the year of serious Nordic Noir, why isn't there one book from that genre?
Some of the best writing of 2011 could be found in those books, so I'm surprised that books like The Hypnotist, The Snowman, or The Keeper of Lost Causes are not included. It isn't that the nominees have to be American, after all Japanese writer Keigo Higashino is nominated for his terrific book The Devotion of Suspect X.
I'm also disappointed not to see A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block, an incredible story of a hard-boiled detective. There was also a return to greatness by Sue Grafton in her latest book V for Vengeance, honestly one of the best mysteries I read last year.
I think the nominees are more on-target in the category for television (the Edgars recognize mysteries and thrillers on stage, screen, and in print). I loved Whitechapel on BBC America. If you haven't seen it, try finding it on Netflix.
As with most award lists, I did find some new books that I want to read. But I think the Edgar judges might want to get a clue and investigate how some of the top mysteries of the year didn't make the cut.
The Edgar Awards will be held on April 26.

Maybe Meatless

I've flirted with being a vegetarian. I can almost make it, but then someone fries bacon near me and I'm off the wagon (and no, veggie bacon doesn't cut it).

Elaine Louie writes a column for The New York Times that is targeted at people like me, titled "The Temporary Vegetarian." And now she has written a cookbook that follows the same idea.
The Occasional Vegetarian has 100 meatless recipes, all cleverly arranged in alphabetical order by the main vegetable (asparagus, beet, carrot, etc.).
Each dish focuses on clean, fresh flavors that enhance (rather than cover up) the taste of the vegetable.
Among my favorites - Bok Choy and Braised Chinese Mushrooms, Soybeans with Garlic and Dill, and Leek Potato Zucchini Hotcakes. I love love love bok choy.
I do have one problem with this book, though, and that's the lack of photos. I'm sorry, but I do like a bit of food porn to entice me into the kitchen.
And I confess that I made one brussel sprout recipe with bacon. But then, what isn't better with bacon?
(2011 - Hyperion)

And the winner is...

Wait...let's build some tension.

First, I am the real winner. I want to say thank you to everyone who has read my blog. This is my 100th post (which is hard to believe). I started this blog just to share my love of books and cooking, and I'm amazed at how many others are as interested in those two topics as I am.
Now to the announcement of the Big Box O' Books winner.
The winner is Diane Holitik!
She was kind enough to say that Oh, Bother was her favorite post so far. Thanks, Diane. And I hope you enjoy the books headed your way.
Speaking of winners, the finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Awards were named this week, and as always there are some surprises. I like these lists because they always offer titles that I haven't come across before.
Below is the list of fiction and non-fiction nominees. The awards will be handed out on March 8 in New York. And for the full list of finalists, go to the NBCC website here.

Fiction
Teju Cole, Open City (Random House)
Jeffrey Eugenides, The Marriage Plot (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Alan Hollinghurst, The Stranger’s Child (Knopf)
Edith Pearlman, Binocular Vision (Lookout Books)
Dana Spiotta, Stone Arabia (Scribner)

Non-fiction
Amanda Foreman, A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War (Random House)
James Gleick, The Information (Pantheon)
Adam Hochschild, To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Maya Jasanoff, Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary War (Knopf)
John Jeremiah Sullivan, Pulphead: Essays (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! That isn't a belated greeting. Today is Chinese New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year), the first day of the year 4710 and the Year of the Dragon. I've been to China many times; it's an intriguing and amazing country. My husband also lived there for two years, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that allowed him to really get to know so many people and to appreciate the Chinese culture.

In honor of the New Year, here are three of my favorite books about China, running the gamut from reality to fiction.

Mr. China

by Tom Clissold
One of the biggest errors anyone can make is thinking that China is a backward country that needs the West to come in and set it straight. Many businessmen have made that mistake, believing that they can teach the Chinese a thing or two about how to compete in the world.
Tom Clissold is a British businessman who entered China in the '90s, a heady gold-rush era that saw Western companies flocking to the world's biggest economy in search of a get-rich-quick scheme, and the Chinese taking their first steps into the capitalist world.
Clissold quickly learned that the Chinese were not as in need of instruction as everyone first thought, and that the country and its people were just as smart, fun, scheming, interesting, and frustrating as they are in any other part of the world.

Chairman Mao Would Not Be Amused

A Short Story Anthology
Twenty Chinese writers offer a glimpse into their lives in China over the 10-year period between 1984 and 1995, a time that saw huge changes in society and politics for the country.
The stories, most of which are published here in English for the first time, range from a look at small village politics to an urban love story to a very funny story of a man with a toothache. Despite their different plot lines, they all serve to showcase the everyday lives of the Chinese people.
Authors include Wang Meng, a former Minister of Culture, and Su Tong, whose most famous work was Raise the Red Lantern.

Empress

by Evelyn McCune
This is a fictionalized version of the story of Wu Jao, the only woman who ruled China as empress. She began her climb as the 13-year-old concubine for Emperor Taitsung during the Tang dynasty around 600AD.
The Chinese harem she enters is a world of intrigue, murder, and vicious fights for power and money. Jao gathers the courage to tell the emperor of the evil doings in the women's quarters, earning his admiration, but also placing a target squarely on her own back.
After the emperor's death, Jao enters a convent, only to be quickly called back to court by the new emperor who has always had an infatuation for Jao. As his primary concubine, she rules with the emperor until his death, then taking the risky move of grabbing the throne when none of her children are capable of ruling.
If you like Philippa Gregory, you'll love this novel and all of its soapy intrigue.

Last Chance!
Remember that today is your last chance to enter my first Read.Eat.Think. contest. To celebrate my 100th post, I'm giving away a big box of books. All you have to do is send an email to readeatthink(at)gmail.com to tell me what your favorite post from my blog has been so far. We'll have a drawing at 5pm today for the books. Good luck!

Review and Recipe: A Tangled Mystery

Review: Believing the Lie
by Elizabeth George
Mysteries are like Gordian knots that must be picked apart to separate lies from truth, fact from fiction, and clues from red herrings. Add in a dysfunctional family that has its own reasons for concealing the truth, and you have a situation primed to frustrate even the best of detectives.
Inspector Thomas Lynley is one of the very best, but he's just emerging from the worst time of his life ― the murder of his wife. Still grieving, Lynley is easily convinced to do a favor for his superior, which involves traveling to Cumbria to determine if the death of Ian Fairclough was murder or an accident. Ian's father, Bernard, isn't clear about why he feels the need to have Ian's death investigated after the coroner has already proclaimed it an accident, but he is very clear that he wants Lynley to keep his inquiry under wraps.
Lynley's usual partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, is left in London to help with research while Lynley travels with his friends, forensic scientist Simon St. James and his wife Deborah. They have their hands full with the Fairclough family, encountering deceit, child pornography, racism, blackmail, and more. But murder? The jury's still out on that one.
It's no secret that I count Elizabeth George as one of my favorite authors. But I would be telling a lie if I said this was her best work. George is at her best with characters; in fact, I'm not sure I can name another author today who breathes as much life into each person. That doesn't waver at all in Believing a Lie, but if you haven't read her earlier books in the Lynley series, you may not understand each side subplot as well as someone who has lived with the characters for years, as I have. And there are so many people to follow in the book that the central mystery is sometimes obscured.
Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled to read this book after so long without a George novel in my hands. But others in the Lynley series have more compelling mysteries and draw you deeper into the lives and minds of Lynley and Havers, who are fantastic protagonists.
If you are a George fan and have read all of the previous 16 books, you'll be entertained. If you've never read one of her books, start at the beginning with A Great Deliverance. You'll thank me for getting you hooked on an amazing series.

Recipe: Savory Rock Scones
Rocks and stones are at the center of Ian Fairclough's mysterious death, and what better way to accompany a British story than with scones?
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
1 cup cubed ham
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With your fingers, mix flour, butter, sugar, cayenne, salt, and baking powder until you have a coarse meal batter. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to mix with your fingers very gently until there are no dry parts of the batter and everything is well combined. Scoop dough out and form into rough rounds on an ungreased baking sheet, until you have 12 scones.  Bake 25 minutes.

Bad Reviews? Nevermore!

Today is Edgar Allan Poe's birthday. He was born on this date in 1809 in Boston, Mass., and his life is a cautionary tale for book reviewers like me.

Strange, but true.
Poe's life has always been portrayed as a slow descent into drugs, drink, and mental illness. But recently that version has been brought into question. It now appears that Poe was the victim of a PR smear campaign created by a victim of Poe's earlier job as a (quite vicious) book reviewer.
Rufus Wilmot Griswold (whose very name says "villain") became a Poe-hater when the Raven author picked apart an anthology by Griswold. In an amazing act of revenge, it is now believed that Griswold began hammering Poe's reputation the minute Poe died, beginning with a nasty obituary in The New York Tribune. He savaged Poe with his pen without let-up for years. Ironically, he also increased the public's interest in Poe's work. So who's laughing now, Mr. Griswold?
However, I do take from this tale a warning for all reviewers. So I will live by my motto of "Life's too short to read bad books," and I'll stick to reviewing books I like.
Speaking of reading, be sure to enter the contest to win a slew of books (none by Poe, though) by emailing me at readeatthink(at)gmail.com. All you have to do is tell me what your favorite Read.Eat.Think. post has been and your name will be entered in a drawing for a big box o' books. Deadline to enter is 5pm on Jan. 24.

Sugar Rush

My co-workers and I had a recent discussion about whether one can consumer too much sugar in one sitting. The obvious answer is no. But what started the sweet tooth craze that we all seem to have? The answer can be found in Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert. Dessert is one of those things that, contrary to what I keep telling myself, is not exactly a must-have staple. Unlike other courses served during a meal, it is not required (well, not by most people). However, for many is it serious business, not just a candy-coated frippery.
The pursuit of sweetness has changed history, sometimes in ugly ways. Consider the slave trade that was formed to service massive sugar plantations. Desserts have even been symbols of wealth and class in many societies.

Author Michael Krondl researched the history of sweet endings, delving into six major regions of the world. Along the way, he discovered that the first recording of sugar processing was in India in 300AD, where cane sugar was boiled and refined for consumption. Even earlier in history, and using other sweeteners like honey, Imperial Rome was home to professional sweetmakers and their shops.

For hundreds of years, confectionary was considered a high art, much like architecture or painting, and was only to be done by professionals. But even the professionals had dubious creations, like sugared fish or eels in marzipan. I can definitively say that sugar and fish should not mix...unless you're making Swedish Fish.

Unfortunately, that artistic appreciation for dessert (and I'm not just talking about the way it looks) has been homogenized in America, where many don't understand the difference between Hershey's and Valrhona. In Europe, dessert is taken seriously, with patisseries offering culinary and visual delights that are treated almost with reverence.

I loved this look at the beginnings of the end course. But I do admit that it's difficult to read about sugar and control the cravings. So excuse me while I go in search of fudge.

An Exclamation Over Punctuation

As a former editor, I can be as serious about appropriate punctuation as the next person. In my career, I've been known to passionately discuss the proper usage for a semicolon. However, there's passion and then there's obsession.

During one crazy time period in a former job, I remember the entire edit staff spending weeks (months, actually) debating whether to drop a slash from the name of the publication. It took on a life of its own. Never mind that the slash was not needed and was actually an incorrect usage of that symbol (hee hee), but the talks became heated and way, way over the top. At some point, I completely lost interest because there were better things to do with my time.
A major bookstore chain in England just dropped the apostrophe from its name and added an uppercase letter, going from waterstone's to Waterstones. And cue the uproar.
According to an article on Bookseller.com (click here), the Apostrophe Society has stepped into the fray. The Apostrophe Society? Who knew?
Here's my favorite part: The chairman of that hallowed institution harrumphs, "It's grammatically incorrect. If Sainsbury's and McDonald's can get it right, then why can't Waterstones? You would really hope that a bookshop is the last place to be so slapdash with English."
Can't you just hear the stiff upper lip? I love it.
As an added fun twist, I can just imagine Mr. Chairman reading the report and seeing that Bookseller.com did not use the apostrophe for Waterstones in his own quote. Probably drove him mental.
To review the use of apostrophes, be sure to check out the Apostrophe Society here. There will be a quiz later.

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

Have you ever had that feeling that your favorite author is a slacker? There are times when I want to email some of my favorite writers and ask them why their newest books are taking so long. What could they possibly be doing? Don't they understand that I'm here waiting for the books? How hard could it be?

I just received the latest book by one of my all-time favorite authors, Elizabeth George, and now I know why it's been so long since her last publication. Believing the Lie is a whopping 600 pages, enough to keep me happy for two days or so. Kidding (or am I?).

Only have to wait till next week for this one!

Besides the second book in Ken Follett's Century Trilogy (hurry up already!), here are three titles that I am eagerly awaiting: 

This sequel to Wolf Hall will be out in May (love the title).

May is going to be a good month for books. Sigh.

Review and Recipe: Almost Great

Review: Catherine the Great
by Robert K. Massie
The current Queen of England celebrates her 60th anniversary on the British throne this year, achieving a milestone that very few women can claim. In fact, through history there are only a handful of women who ruled independently at all, much less for decades.
Among those would be Victoria (Queen of England for 63 years), Jeanne of Brabant (ruling for 50 years), Elizabeth I (Queen of England for 44 years), and of course Catherine II, who ruled Russia for an astounding 34 years.
Catherine the Great wasn't the first woman to rule Russia ― there were three women before her who held that honor ― but she was the last, the longest-ruling, and arguably one of the greatest of the rulers, male or female.
Robert Massie knows his Russian history. He is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Peter the Great, and also wrote Nicholas and Alexandra and The Romanovs. His insights into Russian politics, class systems, and history serve him well in Catherine the Great.
But this is no dry and dusty history book. Catherine comes to life on the pages (particularly in the first half of the book), putting aside the regalia and pomp to show a woman who was intelligent, bold, and ahead of her time. Her canny sense of strategy and the ability to take chances led her from her fairly rural upbringing as part of minor German royalty into a marriage with the heir to the Russian throne.
Handpicked by Empress Elizabeth, a strong female ruler in her own right, to marry Elizabeth's nephew Peter, Sophia Augusta Fredericka seized the chance for a new life, changing her name, her religion, her language, and her provincial views.
Unfortunately, Catherine found herself tied to a husband that was considered slow at best, and psychotic at worst. Peter was barely literate, childlike in his love of soldiers and military uniforms, and could be cruel when crossed. He also had no clue what was expected of him in fathering an heir early on, and later when he did understand the particulars, showed no inclination toward Catherine.
After nine long years, and in desperation to ensure there would be another heir, Empress Elizabeth pushed Catherine toward other lovers. Despite her upbringing, Catherine again saw opportunity and logic in the idea, and was soon pregnant.
Astonishingly, there was little complaint from the Russian aristocracy that seemed to not only have known of the deception but turned a blind eye to the lovers that both Catherine and Peter took.
After Elizabeth's death, Peter began to show his true colors to the world, displaying a love for Germany that sparked an about-face for Russia in the Seven Years' War, a move that was far too abrupt for most Russians. Peter was quickly ousted (and then strangled) to make way for Catherine to take the throne. Many thought she would merely hold the throne for her young son Paul, but Catherine had other ideas.
Having given herself an Enlightened education, and eagerly corresponded with great thinkers and writers of the day throughout Europe, Catherine made bold moves to change what she saw as backward thinking in Russia. Early on, she pushed through new laws to transform Russian politics and developed the Nakaz, a more modern law code.
And here is where the book begins to bog down a little. After painting such a vivid picture of a strong and vibrant woman, Massie gets mired more in the laws and political world of Russia, and moves the focus off of Catherine herself in a few chapters. But overall, this is a good read about a great woman.

Recipe: Russian Rye Bread
I've never been hugely fond of rye seeds, but this mellower version of rye bread is, well, great.
2 teaspoons dry yeast
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
another 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups rye flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water
To make a starter, dissolve yeast in bowl with 2/3 cup water. Leave for five minutes and then add 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour until it makes a thick batter. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for 2 hours. To make the dough, mix remaining flour with the salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the starter in. Also add half of the remaining water. Mix dough well, stirring in the rest of the water until you have a sticky dough. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and begin to knead. It will take about 10 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough. Put the dough into a clean bowl and cover it with a towel. Allow it to rise until doubled, which will take about an hour. Punch it down and let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 2 pieces and form each into a long loaf that's about 12 inches long. Put them both on a lightly floured baking sheet and let rest for 5 minutes. Then cut about 4 long slashes across the loaves at equal lengths. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until they've doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Once the loaves have risen, bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Fun with Books

Ever wonder what the books do at night when a bookstore is closed? No? Well don't worry. The Toronto bookstore Type has done all your wondering for you. Click here to watch the fun that happens when the lights go out. I can't imagine how long that video took to set up, but it is hilarious. And I love the message at the end.

Speaking of fun, in just a few days I will log my 100th post on this blog. Wow, that went by quickly. To celebrate, I'm going to give one lucky reader a big pile of books that I have featured on the blog, including One Big Table, Handheld Pies, The Hypnotist, Catherine the Great (see review tomorrow), and more.
To be entered in the giveaway, simply send an email to readeatthink(at)gmail.com telling me which of my posts was your favorite and why. The feedback will also help me as I post through the rest of this year. Send the email before 5pm on Monday, Jan.23. And pass a link to the blog on to your friends and family so they can enter, too.
I'll have a neutral party draw the winner's name the evening of Jan. 23, and will announce the winner in my 100th blog post on Jan. 24. Good luck, and thanks for being a part of my blog!

The Breakfast Controversy

Based on a few recent conversations, there appears to be a great divide in America. No, not Republican vs Democrat, or 1% vs 99%. It's bigger than that. And it's all about breakfast.

There are those who believe breakfast has a short-serve window of dawn to noon, and then there are those who believe it's the best meal for any time of day (or night). I am in the latter camp. I can eat breakfast no matter what time it is. I know I didn't coin the term, but we've called it "breakfast-dinner" in our family for years.
Pancakes at 7pm? Yes, please. Scrambled eggs for lunch? Sold. Why the crazy insistence on serving those delicious things before noon? After all, what is a quiche but an excuse to make a breakfast item more fashionable for those too chicken to admit they like morning food in the evening? I believe crepes were invented for the same reason. They're just pancakes when you get right down to it.
There are a lot of breakfast cookbooks out there, but many of them are too concerned with where the sun is in the sky. That's why I like The Big Book of Breakfast. Note the coverline: Serious Comfort Food for Any Time of the Day. Exactly.
All of my favorite food groups are represented:

• Fruit (Cooked Fruit Compote, Baked Filled Apples)
• Eggs (Swiss Baked Eggs, Frittata Saltimbocca)
• Pancakes (Sour Cream Pancakes, Spiced Orange Pancakes)
• Biscuits (Lemon-Scented Biscuits, Sausage and Gravy on Biscuits)
• Bacon (Breaded Breakfast Bacon, Bacon and Cheese Strata)

Everything is better with bacon. In fact, that could be my whole obsession with breakfast. It just gives me more opportunities for bacon-ingesting.
So which side are you on? Are you a rational being who understands that food is food, no matter what time it is? Or are you a freak who won't eat eggs once the little hand on the clock passes 12? Not that I'm biased...

Playing to Your Strengths

Yesterday I pulled out the local paper. Well I guess first I need to clarify that...we have three "local" papers. So the one I was reading at that moment is the smallest of the three.

As I read, I counted the number of articles written by reporters employed at the paper, rather than the "Associated Press" byline that is becoming a little too familiar. Total count for local reporters? Five. Wow.
Many of you know that I am a journalism major. I'm crazy about the printed word, whether it's printed on paper, a computer screen, or papyrus. I am a fan of newspapers and have been impacted personally by their demise. However, like a lot of others, I don't think the Internet killed newspapers. I think newspaper publishers are doing that all by themselves.
I know it's hard to compete against the flood of news online. There's always someone who will get that big national story faster, or a blogger who will scoop everyone else. So how do you compete against that? You don't.
Local news outlets need to remember where they are. Their best way to compete is to cover what none of those online competitors will, and that's local news. And I'm talking to you, too, local TV stations. Stop telling me the news I've just heard on NPR and am about to hear again on the national news. How about telling me what just happened down the street? That's news I really can use.
I have an aunt who owns a newspaper in small Virginia community. She does a great job of keeping the news focused on her community. That's her core readership and her core competency. She doesn't need a "World News" section or even a "National" section. She doesn't ignore major news stories, but rather gives them a local twist. How will that big story impact the small community?
Instead of making the size of the physical newspaper smaller, rather than showing 20 minutes of commercials in a 30-minute newscast, cut back on your syndication and licensing costs. Spend more on local reporters and less on wire reports.
Play to your (local) strengths.

Downton Abbey - Reality TV

The second season of Downton Abbey began here on PBS last night. I've been waiting forever for the new season, and the first night did not disappoint. If you aren't watching, it's a bit like Upstairs Downstairs, but set in the Edwardian era and featuring much more scandal and action.

While waiting for the new episodes, I found the book Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey to keep me entertained. Downton Abbey is filmed at Highclere Castle, the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, and Lady Almina (written by the current Countess) looks at the life and times of the Edwardian era's Carnarvon family.
Featuring letters, diary entries, photographs, and memories of long-time servants and employees, the book tells the story of Lady Almina, a young woman who (like Cora Crawley on Downton) brought a huge fortune to her marriage with the 5th Earl Carnarvon. Almina was the illegitimate daughter of the fabulously wealthy Alfred de Rothschild, but the Carvarvons were willing to overlook that little fact as long as the money flowed in.
Luckily for Almina, she and her husband (known as Porchy) were in love and seemed to have had a successful marriage. Her money allowed the Earl to travel the world, and later to be involved in the famous opening of the King Tut tomb with Howard Carter.
But the better part of this book is when it focuses on Highclere, its inner workings, and the golden era of the Edwardians. That, for me, is the compelling part of Downton Abbey, too.
It would be impossible to focus on just a few servants in the book, the way the TV show does. Highclere Castle had a platoon of servants rather than the few shown on Downton. The Highclere staff even had a boy who did nothing but watch the bells from each room to ensure that he alerted the appropriate servant when services were required. After all, there were 66 bells that could ring at any time.
Unfortunately for Highclere, and for Downton, the Edwardian era ended with the start of World War I, when Highclere also served as a hospital, just as Downton Abbey will in the next episode. Photographs from that time show the Countess, her family, and her staff in nursing uniforms, entertaining young soldiers as they recuperated.
As you're watching Downton and you see the shots of that beautiful building, keep in mind that it truly was a home, housing a family and a household of servants that were clinging to an era that was quickly slipping away. As Matthew said on last night's show, "It seems like another world."

Review and Recipe: Cold and Hot

Review: The Snowman
by Jo Nesbo
This Norwegian author has been compared to Stieg Larsson, but I think he has a style that is very much his own. The central character of his series of novels is an alcoholic, but immensely talented, Oslo detective named Harry Hole. Fighting his own inner demons has given Harry a better insight into the mind of the criminals he chases, but it makes his superiors wonder if he's worth the trouble.
In this fifth novel in the series, the scene is set for a spine-chilling mystery: deep snow, the dark depths of winter, and an innocent character transformed into a menacing harbinger of doom. Snowmen appear at the scene of several horrific killings, with twisted additions like a victim's scarf tied around a snowman's neck.
Harry is puzzled by the lack of initial evidence at each scene and has a hard time determining any links between the victims. He also has a new partner that seems too good to be true. Pressure from his superiors to solve the crimes almost leads Harry to name the wrong killer, while some clues point to a member of the police force. Harry begins to wonder who he can trust and even questions his own instincts as he gets closer to the truth.
Nesbo's tales are dark and twisty and should come with a warning label to avoid reading them before bed. I should have avoided reading it during the holiday season, too, because I almost came unglued as I was driving one night and my car's headlights landed on a large blow-up snowman looming in front of my car.
One last warning: Don't start this book unless you have plenty of time set aside to read it straight through.
(2011 - Knopf Doubleday)

Recipe: Hot Chocolate
I think this drink is the only accompaniment that will do any justice to The Snowman. First of all, you're going to need something to warm you as you are reading the book. It won't be the descriptions of cold Norwegian nights that will get you, but icy spine-tingling suspense. Secondly, you'll need all the comfort that this drink can provide.
1 cup of milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ounce baking chocolate
1 cup whipping cream
Heat milk in saucepan over low heat. When it is just warm, whisk in sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and vanilla. Once that is well combined, add the baking chocolate and continue to stir. As soon as the chocolate has melted and the cocoa is hot, remove the saucepan. As it cools, beat the whipping cream with a mixer until peaks form. Then fold the cream into the hot chocolate and serve.

Cooking with the Stars

I have a recurring dream where I'm in a long gown at a very High Society dinner party with William Powell, one of my first celebrity crushes. Yes, I know it's an odd choice, but I defy you to watch My Man Godfrey and not fall in love with him, too.

The fun and flip movie critic Frank DeCaro (you may know him from The Daily Show) took his love of celebrity and food to the next level, researching favorite dishes and drinks from celebrities who have "passed on."
The Dead Celebrity Cookbook is an interesting trip in the Way-Back Machine, offering glimpses of dishes that are very representative of the life and culture of different decades. It's also an homage to a time when celebrities seemed more glamorous and sophisticated.
DeCaro also has a very cheeky sense of humor. For example, the recipes and celebrities are organized by chapter headings like Talk Chow or Musical Munchies, grouping talk show hosts or singers together in fun categories. And some of the recipes themselves had me laughing out loud. Who could resist Liberace's Sticky Buns, or Andy Warhol's Stuffed Cabbage?
It's fun to imagine that Isaac Hayes (Shaft!) would like to cook prissy little Cornish Game Hens. And I can totally see Dean Martin combining Burgers and Bourbon. But what the heck do you think is in Gloria Swanson's Potassium Broth?
This is a fun read with recipes that are nostalgic, both for who they represent and for the decades gone by. My only quibble? Where's William Powell?
The Dead Celebrity Cookbook is published by HCI.

Captain's Log...

Thanks to all of you who have sent your reading resolutions to me so far. We are an ambitious lot.

I did receive one interesting suggestion that I'm going to try, and that is to log all of the books I read in 2012. I've always wondered how many books I actually consume in one year and I've never tried to keep track. Believe it or not, I don't review half of the books I do read, so there are many more than those that I list on Read.Eat.Think.
I also think it would be fun to see what patterns emerge. I'll guarantee there will be a ton of mysteries on the list, but do I read more American writers or English? What is my non-fiction to fiction ratio? We'll find out this year.
I've already selected the fancy notebook to hold my log. And for all of you who are going to ask why I'm not logging books electronically, let me remind you that I do like paper and pens. Yes, I do write a blog online, but I like the old-fashioned way of communicating and writing, too. It's just part of the paradox that is me.
Anyway, one of my favorite design blogs called Mrs. Blandings (click here to see it) had a recent post about the site called Out of Print. They have fantastic products inspired by classic book covers, like T-shirts, journals, notecards, e-reader jackets, and more. I like the collage notebook pictured above. Click here to go to the Out of Print site. And note that every purchase you make also includes the donation of a book to a community in need. Love that.
Meanwhile, join me in logging your reading this year. It will be fun to compare notes in December.

Reading Resolutions

When I sat down to think of what I wanted to accomplish (read) this year, I had a little panic attack. Why? Well with all the doomsday scenarios predicted for 2012, I have a lot of books to read before the world comes to an end. Makes me a little panicky just thinking about it.

Obviously priorities need to be set. Lists need to be made. So here are my resolutions for the last hurrah:
1. Read a book about the Mayan calendar and its predictions ― just so I know what's in store. Wait...after perusing the scary titles online, I may amend that one to just reading a book about Mayans. Much safer.
2. Shop in at least 5 independent bookstores in 2012. I have a trip to LA coming up, so I'm looking at you Stories Books!
3. Read local. Lots of great N.C. authors out there, and I'm going to discover a few more to add to my list.
4. Read all of Dickens. It's the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens's birth in February. I love his books and it's been too long since I've read through the list. I can already check off A Christmas Carol.
5. Attend more book festivals. I'd love to be in Edinburgh for the massive book fair they host in August, but that may be stretching it. I'll at least attend Book Expo in NY and a few more regionally.
6. Visit the hometowns of my favorite US authors ― particularly William Faulkner and Willa Cather. I bet my friend Julie would be my tour guide for Cather's Nebraska.
7. Wear out my library card. We have a fabulous library here and not enough people are using it. I'm going to change that.
8. Read out of my comfort zone. Okay, okay. I'll try one sci-fi book. Send me recommendations and we'll see how it goes.
9. Host a literary event. I'd love to have a "salon" in the true sense of the word. Stay tuned on this one.
10. To speed me on my reading resolutions, I'll also have at least one day a month that is electronic-free. That means no TV, no video games, no Nook. Just me and my printed pages. And maybe a little music.
Send me your reading resolutions for 2012. We've got a lot of written words to cover in the 12 months before the world ends!