Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend

I have a group of friends who make everything more fun. We've been through a lot of seasons together, but our favorite time of year might just be summer. You see, one of our number has a pool. Need I say more?

This Saturday, we hold yet another of our "official meetings" at the pool, with an agenda of food and cocktails, of course. Since we all are readers, I have found the perfect book for our meetings. Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist by Tim Federle is fun and frothy, much like the margaritas we whip up poolside.

Each section offers cocktail recipes by theme: Drinks for Dames, Gulps for Guys, Bevvies for Book Clubs, Refreshments for Recovering Readers, and some nibbles to go with all those drinks in Bar Bites for Book Hounds.

In the "Dames" section, I have my eye on Are You There God? It's Me, Margarita. But Gin Eyre sounds good, too. Other faves throughout the book include The Last of the Mojitos, Huckleberry Sin, and The Wonderful Blizzard of Oz (appropriately alcohol-free).

Book clubs would be so much more fun with a round of these to get the conversation started, right?

So start planning for the weekend now by getting the ingredients for these literary libations ready to go. After all, doesn't a Monday always make you want to think about the next weekend? Exactly. 

Cheers!

Guest Review: Brokeass Gourmet Cookbook

Today I'm featuring a guest column by my daughter. She recently acquired a cookbook that I wanted. In a fit of jealousy, I told her that she would just have to review it for this blog. And in a fit of stubbornness, she agreed. Who knows where she gets that?

The Brokeass Gourmet Cookbook

by Gabi Moskowitz

Review by Aana

I don’t usually buy cookbooks. As horrible as it is to say, the Internet is full of more free recipes than I could ever find in a cookbook, and I am generally too “brokeass” to buy things I could get for free.

However, this is the exception to the rule: Gabi Moskowitz’s The Brokeass Gourmet Cookbook.

The recipes in this book are so creative, yet so simple, with prices listed for each ingredient. There are some recipes, like Sriracha-glazed carrots or cranberry-zinfandel brownie bites, whose ingredients you’d never think to combine. But they always turn out to be delicious! There are others (white corn and spring onion soup… mmm) that are just downright feel-good staples. The variety is intense! There’s Mexican, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Indian, barbecue, homemade mayonnaise, cocktails, desserts… the list goes on. And if you’re as clueless as I am about what goes best together, there’s even a page at the end with suggestions on meals for different situations, from Superbowl parties to romantic nights in.
It’s pretty much everything I could hope for in a cookbook – range, simplicity, and, as the icing on the proverbial cake, wit.

Gabi Moskowitz is seriously funny. I turned to page seven to find a recipe for monkeyspanker, a basic mixed drink. There’s also a recipe for hipster dogs, at a total cost of $6.75 per dog. Ms. Moskowitz says “When I think of hipsters, I think of skinny black jeans, pretentiousness, bad haircuts, and sausages. Yes, sausages. Think about it – sausages are just unclassy enough to seem ironic (hipsters like doing anything ironically), yet overpriced gourmet sausages abound…” I think I have found my ideal cooking partner.

Let Me Eat Cake

Of all the sweets one could crave, cake is always near the top of my list. Usually right behind pie, of course.

Cake hits all the right nostalgic buttons, reminding us of celebrations gone by and birthdays we loved. I remember my mom's world-famous Sundrop Cake (well, world-famous in our house), the amazing four-layer rainbow cake she make for my sister's birthday, the German Chocolate cake that looked weird but tasted amazing, the prize-winning pound cakes my friend Julie bakes, and the first rolled cake I made that was missing a crucial ingredient (sugar).
A new book, Vintage Cakes, remakes classic recipes from bundts to angel food to chiffon. The tools and techniques may be updated, but the cakes themselves are delightfully old school, including Texas Sheet Cake, Honey Bee Cake, Kentucky Bourbon Cake, Daffodil Cake, and Watergate Cake. Some of the heirloom recipes date to the 1920s, and many had to be reconstructed back to "scratch recipes" rather than boxed recipes that became popular in the 1940s.
Since there are 50 recipes included, I'm seriously considering trying all of these recipes over the next year, one per week. So if you live near me, get ready to help me eat cake.

Review + Recipe(s) – Famine and Feast

I am suspicious by nature, particularly about hype and advertising. Show me a book that "everyone" is talking about, and you'll have to force me to read it.
I know by this point you've heard a lot about the movie The Hunger Games, and you may be wondering if the story is getting too much publicity. The answer is no. The trilogy by Suzanne Collins is worth all the attention it's getting, and I am really looking forward to seeing the movie this weekend.
If you are still unfamiliar with the plot at this point, The Hunger Games imagines a futuristic world where 12 districts are controlled by a Big Brother-style government. Each district must hold a lottery to choose one boy and one girl to fight to the death in televised combat. The home district for the winner will be rewarded with feasts and wealth, a much-needed relief for the districts that are struggling with crippling poverty and hunger.
When Katniss Everdeen's young sister is chosen to compete, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She is taken to the capitol city to be groomed and trained for the competition by a strange team of coaches and stylists. Unwilling to be a pawn in this ongoing chess match between the government and its people, Katniss decides to find her own way through the competition without losing herself, literally and emotionally.
Collins' trilogy describes a harsh and often brutal world, while at the same time shining a light on our own. It's a clever riff on our obsession with violent video games and reality television, and a lesson in dictatorial governments.
Even if you see the movie this weekend before reading the book, be sure to read the trilogy at some point. They are quick-read and compelling books that will grab you and drag you right into the 12 districts. Just ask my husband. When I finally convinced him to read the books, he read all three in about four days, a personal record for him (just kidding, Matt).   (Scholastic - 2008)

Recipes Inspired by The Hunger Games

It seems ironic that a book with "hunger" in the title would inspire a cookbook, but food is a central part of the Suzanne Collins books. After all, when you have so little food, the composition of your next meal can become all-consuming.

Emily Ansara Baines was so inspired by the descriptions of food in The Hunger Games trilogy that she decided to try to recreate every dish. Her new book, The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, offers 150 recipes, including the lamb stew with dried plums that is a favorite for Katniss.
Recipes run the gamut form the breads made in Peeta's family bakery to the roasted parsnips that Katniss' sister loves. And, luckily, Baines substituted some ingredients, like putting chicken in place of squirrel.
Recently, the Huffington Post ran a review of the book and showcased lucious photos of the editors' picks for the top 12 dishes. Click here to view the slideshow.
To see four of the actual recipes from the book, click here to go to the Daily Mail's review of the cookbook.

But I Still Won't Make Mayonnaise

I go through phases of wanting to be more like Julia Child and less like Lorelai Gilmore. I get all of my cookbooks out and decide that we will only eat homemade items. And then I come back to my senses.

With a new garden all ready to go for the spring, though, I'm getting excited about fresh soups and salads with some homemade loaves of bread. Much more doable.
When Jennifer Reese (of the great blog Tipsy Baker) lost her job, she went into a make-it-or-break-it panic, thinking that she needed to make everything that her family ate to save money. Once she started raising chickens and making her own peanut butter, though, she realized there should be a balance between the time and hassle of making everything and the convenience of purchasing some items at the store.
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter tracks Reese's learning curve with humor and great insights. She lists the items that are not worth making yourself based on a cost comparison and the amount of time/effort it takes. According to her kitchen-tested research, you should buy baguettes, rice pudding, corn dogs, and burritos. But you should cure your own meats, and make whipped cream, bagels, and pickles.
I'd rather make rice pudding than bagels (and yes, I've made both at home), but that's just me. I do draw the line at mayonnaise, which Reese says could go either way. Making mayo just has a high ick-factor for me.
Even if you don't decide to suddenly grind your own wheat, you'll get a kick out of Reese's commentary as she contemplates deep thoughts, like who in the world actually buys those frozen Uncrustables PB&J sandwiches.
She also offers some easy and fairly pain-free recipes for the things she recommends you make yourself. But my friend Julie – who desperately and strangely wants her own flock of chickens – will be bummed to learn that eggs are on the "buy" list. Chickens are a hassle, Julie. Trust me.

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.

Wednesday Cookbook: Family First

My Family Table

by John Besh
With the holidays just around the corner, we are being inundated with turkey recipes and celebration-themed cookbooks. But I think the most important part of Thanksgiving isn't the pumpkin pie, it's the part where everyone sits down at the same table for a meal. We do that far too rarely anymore.
That's the impetus for a new cookbook from James Beard-award-winning chef John Besh. Rather than over-preaching about fast food and the evils of sugar, though, Besh takes a different tack. He sympathizes with the fact that we are an over-scheduled society and that it can be overwhelming to plan every single meal. So his first chapter (Kitchen Focus) is about organizing your kitchen and having basic ingredients on hand at all times.
From that base, Besh builds simple and inviting recipes, with strong encouragement to have any and all members of the family involved in the cooking process. I like that philosophy.
Other chapters provide recipes for everyday occasions like Sunday Supper, School Nights, and Breakfast with My Boys, as well as chapters devoted to basics like Fried Chicken and Barbecue Basics.
We should add this to all the slow-food and local movements ― eat VERY local, like in your own house with your own cooking. (2011 - Andrew McMeel Publishing)

Review and an Author's Recipe

My thanks to Mary Alice Monroe for providing me with a recipe to accompany this book review; and for giving me the inside scoop that her new novel Beach House Memories will be published in May! Scroll to the bottom of the post for more photos.

Review: The Butterfly's Daughter

by Mary Alice Monroe
From ancient Greek and Aztec myths to Christian and pagan beliefs, the butterfly has been an enduring symbol of transition, resurrection, the passage of time, and the soul. Anyone who has ever seen a migration of butterflies, with hundreds of them in flight, has felt that sense of awe and an appreciation of the journey they are undertaking.
The Butterfly's Daughter uses those very themes ― and even a journey ― to illustrate a story of love, loss, and family.
When Luz Avila's grandmother is inspired to buy an old VW bug, Luz wonders if the older woman has lost her mind.
Things seem even more out of kilter when her grandmother insists that the two of them must journey to Mexico, following the path of the migrating monarch butterflies, and that they must arrive by Nov. 1, the Day of the Dead. Luz refuses to give in to what she considers a crazy scheme, but after her grandmother's death Luz's guilt forces her to take the trip so she can spread her grandmother's ashes at the very place where generations of Avila women, and the butterflies, have gathered in the Mexican sun. Luz is also compelled by the thought that her mother Mariposa, who the family believed died years ago, might be alive.
Along the way, Luz is joined by other women who have their own journeys to make, both emotionally and physically. Each of them is in search of a transformation of sorts, and each stop on their trip offers its own hidden lessons.
Mary Alice Monroe's work is often described as environmental fiction, but I think that almost does it a disservice. The Butterfly's Daughter is about the migration of monarchs, yes, but the true heart of the book is an examination of the spirit that ties us all, whether through friendship or family. (2011 - Gallery Books)

Author Recipe: Refritos
from Mary Alice Monroe
In a first for Read.Eat.Think., I asked the author of today's featured book to send me one of her favorite recipes, one that would fit The Butterfly's Daughter. I was so pleased that Mary Alice Monroe agreed, and sent me a recipe that she makes often for her family, friends, and her own book club in South Carolina. My test kitchen (aka my mom) reports that this is particularly delicious served in tortillas. Can't wait to make it myself!

Mary Alice Monroe

2 cups raw pinto beans
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup minced green pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon coriander (optional)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Cook beans (over-cooking is desirable). Reduce liquid. Mash beans with a potato masher. Heat oil in skillet. Add onions, garlic, and peppers and cook till translucent. Add cumin, salt, and pepper at the beginning of cooking. Add mashed beans to veggies and seasoning, and mix well. If too soupy, may be reduced over low heat at this point. Serve hot. Feeds 4-6 people.

Mary Alice Monroe releasing a butterfly in her yard.

Review and Recipe

For today's Review and Recipe, I'm going to step out of the Read.Eat.Think box a bit and highlight a food event for the "recipe," rather than an actual step-by-step procedure. Think of it as a recipe for fun for this weekend.
And speaking of doing things differently, since it's a major book award season, for the month of October I am going to give you more reviews:
CWA Daggers
On Oct. 7, the Crime Writers Association will announce the Dagger Awards. Starting on Monday, each day I will highlight one of the nominees for the Gold Dagger award. Since there are only four nominees, on Friday I will write about one of my favorite mystery writers, who won last year's CWA Diamond Dagger Award for a lifetime of mystery writing. She has written over 20 books in one series, and I adore her. But no more hints.
Man Booker Prize
This award honors the best novel of the year by a citizen of the United Kingdom. The winner will be announced on Oct. 18, and I will highlight the shortlist nominees the week of Oct. 10.
Mysterious and Spooky
Since I will hit a bit of a black hole at the end of October, thanks to my day job, I'll give you two weeks of seasonal suggestions. The week of Oct. 17, we'll start out gently with spooky and kooky books and then hit my list of the five scariest books I've ever read the week of Oct. 24. On Halloween, we'll return to the treats instead of the tricks. Now back to the Review and Recipe:

Review: New York
by Edward Rutherfurd
Historical fiction can be tricky, but the thing I have always admired about Edward Rutherfurd's extensively researched books is the seamless blend between historical facts and fictional characters that you think about even when you've finished the book.
Known for novels that stretch across centuries, Rutherfurd has only ventured off the British Isles once before, with the book Russka. So I was intrigued to see how he would approach the long history of the New World.
He begins as he always does, by drawing you in to the earliest days of the location, and beginning to build the land into the real central character of the book. With New York, those early days did not include the Europeans, of course, but rather the indigenous tribes who called the island Manna hata. Once settlers arrive, the forested island almost overnight becomes the bustling city of immigrants that it still is today, moving from a Dutch settlement to a British city to the center of revolution.
Interwoven into the history of New York City is the fictional story of families based on the real immigrants who came here for a new life. Some succeed and begin great empires, some are ground down by hardship and challenges. New York is an engrossing book that captures the can-do spirit that became the signature for the city that never sleeps. (2009 - Random House) 
Other Recommended Books By Edward Rutherfurd: Sarum, London, The Forest

Recipe for Fun: New York City Wine & Food Festival
Autumn is the time for some of the best food festivals in the country. I plan to indulge a bit myself this weekend at the Dixie Classic Fair. In keeping with the theme of today's book, this weekend also kicks off the New York City Wine & Food Festival (click here). This year, the theme seems to be all about food that's easy to carry.
Tonight, burgers are on the menu and chefs will create 21 varieties on the all-American classic. On Saturday, chefs like Bobby Flay will serve up 30 takes on tacos. Sunday's theme is meatballs, made of more unusual ingredients like crab, mushroom, or lamb.
All of the cooking, and the accompanying wines, are for a good cause, with proceeds from the event going to the Food Bank for New York City. So enjoy the crisper temperatures and find your favorite foodie event this weekend.

Wednesday's Cookbook: Cook's Illustrated

The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

by Cooks' Illustrated magazine
I've always wanted to visit America's Test Kitchen, the massive cooking gallery in Brookline, Mass, and the publisher of Cook's Illustrated magazine. My mom introduced me to this bimonthly publication and its no-nonsense approach to recipes and cooking.
I particularly love the tips, like best ingredient substitutions, the right way to marinate meat, or how to freeze garlic.
After 20 years, America's Test Kitchen has gathered its best tips, recommendations, and 2,000 recipes for its first cookbook, aptly titled Cook's Illustrated Cookbook.
Guaranteeing "foolproof cooking," the cookbook is organized in my favorite way: with each meat, each type of dessert, and each grain in its own chapter. I never thought cakes should be in the same group with pies. They are two very different things.
Recipes include the Brined Thanksgiving Turkey that started a nationwide trend, and the Foolproof Pie Dough that includes a shot of vodka.
If you're a fan of the magazine, this cookbook gathers the very best of what that publication does. If you've never seen it, I promise you'll want a subscription after you go through the book.
For step-by-step cooking videos, rankings of kitchen equipment, and taste tests of ingredients, be sure to see the America's Test Kitchen website (click here). (2011 - America's Test Kitchen)

Review and Recipe

Review: The Lost King of France

by Deborah Cadbury  

In case you missed it, we had a bit of a theme this week with a selection of historical narratives.
We'll finish up with a great read that mixes science, suspense, and history.

In all of the books I’ve read about Marie Antoinette or the French revolution, the storyline usually ends with the Queen's death. The fate of her children, however, has been a mystery. Many in Europe today claim to be descendants of the lost Dauphin, with historians insisting that he actually died as a child, soon after his parents.

So many claimants to the throne came forward in the early 1800s. that Mark Twain even included a joke about the missing Dauphin in Huckleberry Finn. One serious contender, a Prussian named Karl Wilhelm Naundorff, was so convincing that he had his own courtiers and his descendants today still believe they are the heirs to the French throne. Naundorff even convinced the only survivor to the royal bloodbath, the Dauphin's sister Marie-Therese.
So what did happen to the young prince? This book lays out what we do know, including one of the most realistic and detailed accounts about the barbaric treatment of Marie Antoinette’s son that I've ever read. The viciousness of the Parisian mobs and the lack of any sympathy for a little boy of eight is shocking in the extreme.
The royal family's imprisonment isn’t treated as the opening act to the final guillotine’s blow, but rather an essential part of the narrative, so readers are given every gripping detail, many of which were taken from letters, journals, and official papers of the day. So many witnesses wanted to share their stories as the government flipped from royalist to republican and back again that there is quite a bit to work from. However, the fate of the prince is lost as he enters a final prison and seemingly disappears. The government insisted that he died of an illness, but did he?

Fast-forward to today’s world of science and technology. In a hidden corner of a cathedral rests a small heart, reportedly that of the lost prince. It's own history is one of intrigue and adventure. The heart was dropped, left in a dust heap, stolen, and finally hidden by the Archbishop of Paris. It’s amazing that it survived.
Scientists decided to use that tiny heart to test the DNA of known descendants of Marie-Therese, a process that was only possible thanks to the habit of those during the 18^th century to keep locks of hair from loved ones.
In 2000, the mystery was solved. Did the heart belong to the Dauphin? You'll have to read the book to find out ― or you can Google it. Even if you already know the answer, this page turner will have you looking at every clue with fresh eyes.  (2002 - St. Martin’s Press)

Recipe: Bad-for-Your-Heart Sauce
One thing the French know how to do is delicious food without all the hang-ups. I have used this beurre blanc recipe from Julia Child for years. But, being an uptight American, I only bring it out for super-nice occasions. It goes fabulously with fish, chicken, vegetables ― it would probably make a paper napkin taste amazing. It is also heart-cloggingly bad, which makes it perfect for our book review.
1 cup of butter, must be cold and cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper (white if you are picky)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
In small saucepan, heat white wine vinegar with salt, pepper, and shallot. Bring to a low boil and let it reduce down to just a couple of teaspoons of liquid while whisking to avoid sticking. Here comes the interesting part ― remove from heat and drop 2 tablespoons of the butter into the liquid and begin to whisk with a wire whisk. This just does not work as well with a rubberized whisk. Put the pan back on low heat and continue to add the butter, whisking it into the sauce until you have used all of the butter. Taste for seasoning and then serve when it is completely combined and creamy.

Wednesday's Cookbook: Baking History

Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters

by Marilyn Brass and Sheila Brass
There are recipes that are handed down from generation to generation, the type of dishes that bring back strong memories of someone you love. We have a lot of those in my family ― sausage gravy makes me think of my grandma, ginger crinkles remind me of my great-grandmother, and chocolate pies make me think of my Chris-Mom (That's the name I made up for my other grandma. And it fits her).
For my mom, there are almost too many dishes to list. But her blintzes send me into orbit. When we were kids, we could barely wait until she had them off the baking sheet. I can't tell you how many times I burned my tongue on them. I never learned.
This cookbook, recently named a James Beard finalist, is the follow-up to the Brass Sisters book on heirloom cooking that was published in 2008 and it has a similar nostalgic flavor.
The Winthrop, Mass.-based sisters (named Marilyn and Sheila) have spent a lifetime collecting archival recipes. They have snapped up old recipe boxes at flea markets and yard sales, purchased old cooking pamphlets and guides full of recipes, and have poured over their own family journals to collect these amazing recipes.
Adding to the nostalgia of the food are photos of antique cooking implements and cookie cutters, as well as the covers of old recipe books from 1900 to 1940. A date is listed with each recipe so you can get a sense of the time period.
But this isn't an antiquated cookbook; directions and ingredients are completely up-to-date. In some cases, the expert Brass Sisters have slightly changed the recipes to adjust for more modern tastes.
The book is organized by type (like "Keeping the Cookie Jar Filled" or "Waking Up to Breakfast") and by occasion ("A Southern Lady Pours Tea" or "Bridge with the Girls").
I also like the interesting sidebars. For example, Sweet Touch gives suggestions for additional ingredients or toppings. Sweet Tips offer cool ideas ― like coating a spoon with cooking spray before measuring honey.
The heart of this book is that sense of family and of sharing. And in that spirit, the Brass Sisters also included pages in the back of the book so you can write down your own heirloom recipes, as well as a built-in envelope to store old notes and cards. So my next task is to convince my mom that I need the blintz recipe. Stay tuned...
(2011 - Black Dog & Leventhal - awesome name for a publisher)

Review and Recipe

Review: Death and the Penguin

by Andrey Kurkov
Dark and frosty landscapes seem to inspire more introspection and a deeper examination of the human spirit. Russian authors, in particular, have a long history of writing about the hard edges of reality with a heavy dose of melancholy. But the Russians also have a corner on whimsical writing and the unique ability to look a the world a little differently.
Reminiscent of Everything Is Illuminated, Death and the Penguin shows the absurdity of life in post-Soviet Kiev, where violence and poverty rule the city with an iron fist.
Viktor Zolotaryov is a would-be writer with one friend, his penguin Misha. Viktor rescued Misha from the local zoo when it could no longer feed its inmates and had a fire-sale to find them homes.
Viktor is musing about how to keep himself, and Misha, fed and housed when a unique opportunity presents itself. The chief of the city's newspaper needs an obituary writer, but not for the short just-the-facts versions. He is more interested in a literary and cautionary tale about each person, and Viktor is just the man for the job. Every newspaper keeps files on VIPs, with info ready at hand for any unfortunate incident that might require a tribute in the next edition. Those files are to be the background for Viktor's pre-death writings, which will be held until the time is nigh.
Viktor takes to the job like a penguin to water, offering up unique tributes that capture the heart and soul of each person, no matter how dark. But a funny thing happens in the dark of the deep winter. Viktor's honored VIPs find themselves in need of his obituaries almost before the sheets of paper leave his typewriter.
Meanwhile, Viktor's chilly home life with Misha begins to slightly thaw as he acquires a "family." Leaving his daughter with Viktor for safe keeping, a friend makes a quick getaway, and then dies. Viktor hires the niece of another friend as a nanny, and then that friend dies. Is the Mafia involved? They do seem to enjoy inviting Misha to be the "formal" guest at their funerals. Or perhaps the state security forces are involved? With a looming sense of doom, Viktor wonders if it's time for his own pre-written obit.
It seems he can't trust anyone, only Misha the penguin. They are both birds out of water, to corrupt a phrase, but together they might find a way to navigate the slippery fields they find themselves in. (2011 - Melville House)
Also Recommended: The sequel to this book is just out ― titled Penguin Lost.

Recipe: Fish Chowder
Like Misha the Penguin, I am particular about my fish. This is a fish chowder recipe that a relative gave me many years ago. It's perfect for the fall days ahead ― or even for a cold Russian night.
2 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 pounds frozen haddock, in chunks
2 cups chopped potatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup half and half
Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Saute until celery is softened. Add garlic and fry for 1 minute more. Add fish, potatoes, salt, peppers, and water. Simmer 30 to 35 minutes, or until vegetables and fish are tender. Remove from heat and add milk and half-and-half. Reheat to just boiling. Serve with crackers or bread. (Recipe from my archives)

Review and Recipe

Review: Skippy Dies

by Paul Murray
Well now you know how the story ends, so there's no point in reading this book.
Kidding.
I do have to admire the audacity of an author who gives away the ending right there on the cover. Anyone with gall enough to do that better also have the chops to keep me engaged. Luckily, Paul Murray does. Rather than a sad book about a boy's death, Murray produces a funny, poignant, and fast-paced tale.
Set in a boys' school in Dublin, Skippy Dies is really about how Skippy lives. He is a 14-year-old who's trying to figure out the elusive character of girls, how to deal with his home life, and how to avoid bullies, some of them adults. He finds his escape through a healthy fantasy life and a not-so-healthy reality.
The school, Seabrook, is also going through some growing pains. The Acting Principal is a bully himself, with a master plan to rid the school of its historic affiliation with the Catholic church and to force the teachers and students to abide by his fickle rules. The boys and men in Seabrook find themselves in parallel universes of obsession and deception, universes that intersect at a fateful school dance.
But there is still a mystery that isn't answered in the title: Why did Skippy die on the floor of a doughnut shop? He wasn't eating anything, so the doughnuts can't be blamed. And why did he write "Tell Lori" in jelly filling on the floor? It's the "how did we get here" questioning that defines Skippy's story. (2011 - Faber and Faber)

Recipe: Crazy Burgers
It would be too obvious (and creepy) to give you a doughnut recipe here. So I thought I'd go with the next best thing, at least according to the boys at the Seabrook school. I received this hamburger recipe from a good friend years ago. Since then, I've seen variations on its peculiar ingredients, but they do combine well for a very moist and flavorful patty.
2 pounds hamburger
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers
2 Tbsp. Accent
1 Tbsp. Tabasco
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 envelope Lipton onion soup mix

Mix together and form into patties. Makes about 10 hamburgers. (from the terrific cook Harold Craven)

Review and Recipe

Review: Around the World on Two Wheels
by Peter Zheutlin
The late 1800s were heady years, with discoveries and inventions making headlines practically every day. With their usual enthusiasm for new things, Americans embraced each discovery with gusto, determined to be the first to speed on a motorcycle or the first to ride a train across the country.
Most of the early adopters and explorers during that time were, of course, men. But a few intrepid women, usually in the company of husbands or fathers, took adventurous turns in epic car tours or hiked up previously unattainable peaks.
In late 1894, Annie Londonderry joined the ranks of early extreme sports enthusiasts with an around-the-world trip on a bicycle. She wasn't the first woman to journey long distances on the new-fangled bikes, but she was the first to go solo, making her both a heroine and a pariah.
Annie was an unlikely candidate to take on such a difficult task - she was an immigrant, she was poor, and she was a married mother to three children. The last fact was something she knew would not endear her to many on her journey, so she presented herself as an intrepid single "new woman."
She was different in one other way as well. Unlike the other women before her, Annie wasn't just riding for the adventure of it. She was on a search for money, fame, and freedom.
Annie Londonderry was an unusually savvy marketer and PR pro. There is still some dispute about whether she invented the story of a wager between two men that prompted her trip, or whether there was perhaps a bet at some point, but she did tell all of the newspapers who began to follow her story that two rich men had a stake riding on her. If she made it back to her hometown of Boston in 15 months, so her story went, Annie would receive a large sum of money. But she was not allowed to take any money with her, and was required to earn her way around the world.
To accomplish that, Annie designed an early sports endorsement program, adorning her bicycle and clothing with signs, ribbons, and cards, all touting corporate sponsors and products. She also sold autographed photos of herself and gave lectures as she traveled, cannily alerting the press of her arrival before every stop. And she proved to be fashion-forward, putting aside the cumbersome dresses and layers of the day for a split skirt, and later for scandalous bloomer pants.
Along her journey, Annie claimed to break speed records and win races, and that she was attacked by natives or "bad men." True or not, they made great press reports and she soon had readers and reporters clamoring for her adventurous tales.
Traveling around the world required some trips by ship or train, of course, when roads were unavailable. And though there were some grumblings about how often Annie actually rode her bicycle, no one could deny that she was a brave woman to set out on her own without money or a chaperone.
As compelling as her global trip, however, is what happened to Annie when she returned. Once she transformed into an adventurous "new woman" who had seen China and Africa, how Annie readjusted to her tenement home with her family in Boston is, as they say, the rest of the story. (2008 - Kensington Publishing Company)

Recipe: Ginger Crinkles
This recipe has been handed down by the unforgettable women in my family, and it is one of my favorite treats. Spicy and sweet, the cookies have an old-fashioned flavor and a nice round shape that just happens to look like a bicycle's wheel.
2/3 cup vegetable oil                    1 cup sugar
1 egg                                            4 Tbs. molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour                2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt                                  1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar for dipping              1 tsp. ginger
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oil and sugar thoroughly. Add egg and beat well. Stir in molasses, then add dry ingredients. Drop teaspoons of dough into sugar and form into balls coated with sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart (cookies will flatten and crinkle). Bake for 10-15 minutes. (Recipe from my mother's collection)

Wednesday's Cookbook: A Perfect Fit

One Big Table 

by Molly O'Neill

"Recipes are family stories." Although that could be the tagline for this blog, it's part of the introduction to One Big Table, a massive new cookbook that is as much fun to read as it is to use for recipes.

Molly O'Neill, a former food columnist for The New York Times, was concerned that super-sized convenience foods and fast-paced living were creating a country of non-cooks. She decided to set out on the road to discover if anyone in this country still makes their own meals. In 10 years, she traveled 300,000 miles and gathered 20,000 family recipes from 25 geographic areas.

What she discovered along the way is that the recipes also represent a family narrative and the ties between us, and that they preserve our history in their ingredients. Those stories, and those connections through food and celebration, are also the entire genesis for this blog.

As O'Neill made her way across America, she discovered native foods and regional cooks, many of whom brought exotic ingredients from other lands. Each part of the country offered up its own heritage and culture in food, and each cook provided his or her own spice of life.

The 600 recipes she eventually chose for the book were often handed down from generation to generation. When she asked cooks to submit a recipe, she told them to provide the one that would embody who they are, the one recipe that they would want to pass down to their children or grandchildren. And in a nod to that recipe telling a story, One Big Table includes a biographies of the chefs, family anecdotes, and family photos.

Chapter titles offer clever twists on the usual fare, from "Nibbles, Noshes, and Tasty Little Plates" to "The Sweet Life." My fave is "Everything But the Squeal: Beef, Buffalo, Game, Lamb, Pork."
Added into the mix are quick sidebars like "A History of Bread" and "A Social History of American Stoves," along with historical factory photos, old agricultural posters, and timelines like "Significant Events in Popcorn."
I never thought I'd want to curl up with a good cookbook in the evening, much less one this hefty, but One Good Table makes it worth your while. (2010 - Simon & Schuster) 

Review and Recipe

Review: The Plot Against America

By Philip Roth

What if one thing in history didn’t turn out quite the same way? It's an interesting parlor game.

What if the Normans had failed in their invasion? What if the Czar and his family had not been shot? How would things be different if Hitler had died in jail? 

Philip Roth takes the twist-of-fate question one step further. In The Plot Against America, he asks: What if Charles Lindbergh had stepped into the fray in 1940 when the Republicans were searching for a candidate to beat Franklin D. Roosevelt?

Lindbergh was a hero to America in those days, with a dash of melancholy thrown in after the kidnapping and death of his son. Hero worship and some good PR can go along way in politics, as we all know. In Roth’s 1940, Lindy not only wins his party’s nomination, but the excitement of his celebrity and the nervousness over a looming World War carry him through to a huge presidential victory.

In the book, Lindbergh runs on the no-war ticket, promising America that he will keep the country out of “Europe’s problems.” In reality, America’s hero related to Adolf Hitler’s ideology and actually visited the German leader several times.

Roth plays on that bit of true history, expanding on it with Lindbergh’s eventual siding with Hitler on the “Jewish question.” But Lindbergh’s fictional Presidential administration makes the shift quietly and slowly, so slowly that most of the country doesn’t realize it’s happening. Unless they’re Jewish.

In a disquieting move (and by disquieting I mean effective and disturbing), Roth inserts this story into his own childhood, his own family. He plays out the Lindbergh scenario with his relatives as central players. They are Jewish and in the book they are also divided over Lindbergh’s intentions and decisions.

Philip’s brother, Sandy, participates in a Just Folks program that sends city kids to country farms to teach them about the land, but it might be a cover to convert Jewish children to Christianity. Their cousin Alvin sees the truth before most and joins the Canadian army to fight Hitler, only to return without a limb and without hope. Philip's aunt teams with a charismatic rabbi who assures the Jews that nothing sinister is afoot, and then finds himself arrested in the middle of the night.

Friends and family are caught up in a cultural and political shift that they can’t quite believe could happen in America. To speak against the government is considered “unpatriotic.” And small shifts in the political landscape create huge potholes for those on the wrong side of the ideological tracks.

Yes, that’s a shiver you feel. (2005 - Random House)

Other Recommended Books by Philip Roth - American Pastoral, Nemesis, Indignation

Recipe: Sour Cherry Pork Roast

Before you think I am entirely tasteless (pun intended) for partnering this pork recipe with a novel that is so focused on the Jewish faith, let me point out that pork is a very central plot point for the book. That and family. Years ago, I had an amazing pork roast that was similar to this. I played with the recipe and made it my own and now it is a dish I serve often for family occasions. That is why I chose this recipe to accompany The Plot Against America.

1 3-pound pork loin roast                                  1/4 tsp. salt

1 10-oz jar cherry preserves or jam                  1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup red wine vinegar                                   1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 Tbs. corn syrup                                               1/4 tsp. cloves

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper the roast and then place on a shallow roasting pan rack. Roast for about 2 hours, uncovered. 

Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. The sauce should start to thicken. Remove roast from oven and brush about 1/3 of the sauce over the roast. Keep the rest of the sauce warm, but don't let it burn. Then continue cooking the roast for about 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer hits 170 degrees when inserted in the roast. Remove roast and let rest for 10 minutes. Then slice and serve, with the rest of the sauce served in a bowl on the side. (Recipe my own)

Plant-Eating Dinosaurs

Quick Vegetarian Pleasures

by Jeanne Lemlin
When my daughter was 5, she infamously came into the kitchen where I was cooking dinner and informed that she was now a plant-eating dinosaur, not a meat-eating dinosaur. This was in her dinosaur-crazed era, obviously, and I took that to mean that we were role-playing.
I didn't realize that she had made a decision, right then and there, to be a complete vegetarian for four years. But that is exactly what she meant.
She stuck to it until she was 9. Imagine the fun in our house as I cooked for a cave-man-like carnivore husband and a meat-snubbing kid. And imagine the further fun as I searched for options to get protein into my growing child.
Now remember, this was before the all-cooking TV channels and the more mainstream discussions about being a vegetarian. As I do in times of crisis (okay...mini-crisis), I turned to the bookstore, where I discovered Quick Vegetarian Meals.
What made me choose this book above others? I'll be honest, it was the word "quick" and the word "vegetarian." The James Beard Award sticker on the front didn't hurt. I may not have had the Food Network, but I knew who he was.
I perhaps made a snap decision in the purchase, but over the years I have used this cookbook more than almost any other in my collection. I even scanned the battered and stained cover in all its glory so you could see just how much I love it.
The wonderful Jeanne Lemlin soothed my fears and introduced me to tempeh and tofu. She made me love to bake fresh loaves of quick bread and to use chickpeas in pasta and stews. Her eggless Best Chocolate Cake recipe is still the one I pull out for big events and the Fruit Juice Muffins will always remind me of Saturday mornings with my daughter.
I was worried before I wrote this item that perhaps this cookbook would no longer be in print. I should have known better. Far from being a dinosaur, it's still for sale and, in fact, if you Google the book's name you'll find many legions of fans. (1992 - Random House Publishing)

Friday: Review and Recipe

Review: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

by Lisa See
I imagine it must be difficult to bring a book to life on screen. There are so many disparate readers with their own ideas of how characters should look, and what has to be included, or left out of, a story.
From what I've heard, The Help is an example of the best books on film (I'm seeing it this weekend). Unfortunately, another very good book didn't receive the same treatment. You may not want to see the new movie Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, but definitely read the novel.
Author Lisa See is a deft hand at weaving together themes of history, family, women, and friendship. I first discovered her through her earlier mystery series set in 1990s urban China (see recommended books below).
I was intrigued when she changed genres with this novel, set in 19th century rural China. No matter the time period, though, See remains true to her strengths, focusing on ties that bind women around the world and throughout history.
Despite the title, Lily is the central figure in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. She is a girl whose bound feet are a symbol of her life - bound by rules, by men, by the strictures of her culture. Women of Lily's time were confined to their homes, rarely able to venture outdoors due to their inability to walk normally, their world as narrow and small as their feet. See's description of the tortuous foot-binding process - and its aftermath - is horrifying, and ironic given that men of that time believed women were the weaker sex.
Lily's new "beautifully formed feet" give her an opportunity to rise in the world, to leave her middle-class family and move into a high-status marriage. She also is offered the chance to have a laotong, or "old-same" friendship, with Snow Flower in a ceremony that binds them to each other for eternity.
As Lily and Snow Flower enter their new marriages - with Snow Flower taking a different path and marrying beneath her status - the two old-sames must communicate through nu shu, a secret phonetic code that women have used for over 1,000 years in China. Messages were sent on embroidery, paintings, fan decorations, and carvings, which gave the women a way to communicate despite their confinement. However, the very fact that the messages were coded and hidden occasionally led to confusion and misunderstandings.
As Lily gains power in her family and community, she becomes prideful and bitterly protective of her rank and status. She and Snow Flower survive war, epidemic, and loss, but it is one of those misunderstood nu shu messages that divides the laotongs, in an event that Lily comes to regret. (2005 - Random House)
Other Recommended Books by Lisa See: Shanghai Girls, Peony in Love, Flower Net, Interior, Dragon Bones

Recipe: Bok Choy Salad
Bok choy is a Chinese cabbage that was first used for medicinal purposes in ancient China, but quickly became a popular ingredient in stir-frys and salads. Like Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, this recipe is a good combination of complex and simple, sweet and salty.
1 pkg. ramen noodles                                  1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup slivered almonds                             1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil                                            1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbs. soy sauce                                          
6 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups bok choy (can substitute or supplement with spinach)
Remove flavor packet from ramen and set aside for something else. Crumble dry noodles onto baking pan, and combine with seeds and almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Set aside. Combine sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool thoroughly. Combine greens and onions, sprinkle with dressing and toss. Add noodle/nut mixture and toss. Serve immediately. (Recipe courtesy of Anne Taylor)

Wednesday's Cookbook

Jamie's Food Revolution

by Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver made his fame in Britain, and later here in the U.S., as the Naked Chef, known for simple recipes and fresh ingredients. Since that early beginning, Jamie has become a revolutionary, determined to bring more attention to the obesity epidemic, and drawing a parallel between that issue and the over-reliance on pre-packaged foods.
My daughter gave me this cookbook last year for my birthday. It's a companion book to the popular TV show of the same name. The concept of bringing attention back to the basics of food, and of cooking, really resonated with me. A recent poll that shows we as a country spent more on fast food than on education in a single year - a very scary thought.
The recipes are simple and delicious, with familiar and nutritious ingredients. The usual veggie/meat/fish chapters are included, along with more fun groupings like Easy Curries, Homely Ground Beef, and Kick-Start Breakfasts. Hands-down faves in our family are Evolution Tomato Salad and Super-Quick Salmon Stir Fry.
We've become such fans that my daughter and I ate at Jamie's Italian in Liverpool this summer. We didn't see Jamie (naked or otherwise), but it solidified our fan status for the chef, and this cookbook. (2009, The Penguin Group) 
Late-Breaking Addition - Just read that Jamie's Italian in Birmingham was destroyed last night by the riots that have flared up across England. I'm thinking of all the amazing cities and towns across England that have been impacted by the violence. My thoughts are with everyone there.