Beth Fish Reads

Weekend Cooking: Review: Bean by Bean by Crescent Dragonwagon

2012-02-25T06:01:00.002-05:00

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

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Today I'm talking about one of my favorite cookbook authors: Crescent Dragonwagon. You might remember when I first introduced you to her in my Double Dose of Crescent Dragonwagon post or perhaps you were baking up a storm after my review of her Cornbread Gospels.

I waited patiently all fall while her new book, Bean by Bean, was undergoing final edits and then was sent to the printer. When her book arrived a couple of weeks ago, I was relieved to learn that my patience was rewarded because Dragonwagon has written another winner. Bean by Bean is quickly becoming my go-to source for dinner.

The first thing I noticed about Bean by Bean is its fresh and appealing design, with its green-and-white color scheme, fun fonts, cute drawings, and thoughtful layout. My eye was also quickly attracted to the many great extras:

quotes from cookbooks, comedians, food writers, and literature
informative sidebars about chiles, Thai condiments, fresh herbs, soy, and more
recipe introductions with tips for success
menu ideas to help you pull together just right dishes
appendix with information about each type of bean and weight and measure conversion charts

Another great feature is the many, many recipe variations you'll find in Bean by Bean. Even the most timid cooks will be able to tweak dishes to fit their tastes and the ingredients they have in the house. I'm the type of person who can generally substitute on the fly, but I always appreciate a new suggestion, and many home cooks will be grateful to have some guidance.

The recipes themselves include everything from appetizers to desserts (yes, bean-based desserts!). You'll find dips, soups, salads, chilies, stews and curries, casseroles, and stir-fries. The beans, by the way, include all kinds: fresh beans from the garden, dried and canned beans, and legumes. This means you'll use Bean by Bean all year long.

Oh, and I almost forget one of the coolest, most useful features. Each recipe is flagged with one or more color-coded icons. This makes it easy to tell at quick glance whether the recipe is suitable for vegetarians, vegans, meat eaters, and/or gluten-free diets. I'm telling you, Bean by Bean is a book all of you can use. And because of the variations, one base recipe can often work for everyone, just by changing an ingredient or two.

Want some idea of the recipes themselves? Here are few I want to try:

The 7-Layer Middle Eastern Mountain (a take-off on the popular layered Mexican appetizer/dip)
Three Sisters Salad (green beans, zucchini, corn, and tomatoes)
Baked Beans Brazilian (casserole with olives, cheese, and pork)
Falafel (fried chickpea balls traditionally served in pita)

All the directions are clearly outlined and easy to follow and the vast majority of the ingredients are readily available at the supermarket. There are a few spices or herbs that might be more difficult to find if you are very rural, but that won't limit the useability of the cookbook.

I made the following bean and pasta recipe, which was quick and easy and a big hit. I picked broccoli rabe for my greens, which just happened to be one of the suggested variations, and served it with fresh-baked bread. I'll give you the base recipe here. The directions give you a sense of Dragonwagon's writing style, which is easygoing and personal.

CD's Beans & Greens Pasta with Lemon, Garlic, and Chile
Serves 4
Vegetarian (Vegan if the cheese is omitted)

16 ounces dried pasta
2 to 3 whole dried chiles, stemmed and broken in half
1 large bunch of Swiss chard, rinsed well (but with some moisture still clinging to the leaves), tough ends of stems removed, leaves and tender pars of stems sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch ribbons
3 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, halved
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained well
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Finely grated Parmesan cheese for grating

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, set a large, heavy skillet (ideally cast iron) over medium-high heat. Place the chiles in the skillet and toast, stirring them or giving the pan a shake occasionally, until they darken slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. (You might want to turn on an exhaust vent, if you have one, or throw open the windows; the air gets pretty pungent and cough-producing.)

3. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and then, almost immediately, the still-wet greens. Stir. There will be a big sizzle and the greens will quickly start wilting down, deepening in color. Immediately, just as soon as the greens have been stirred into the chile and olive oil, pop a tight-fitting lid over the skillet. Lower the heat just a bit and let the greens steam in their own liquid for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Lift the lid and stir in the garlic. Cook for a few minutes more, just to take the edge of rawness off the garlic (don't let it brown), stirring to distribute everything. Then turn off the heat, squeeze half the lemon over the greens (squeeze through a strainer, to trap the seeds), and add the beans. Stir some more to heat the bean through (the pan will still be plenty hot). Add coarse sea salt and pepper to taste.

5. When your pasta is done (which might be about now, or midway through lemoning the greens), drain it well. Pile it, steaming hot, onto plates and divide the greens and beans over each portion. You can try to pick out the chiles if you like, or warn diners that they are there (if you're using red-stemmed chard, it's quite hard to spot those chilies, so, I repeat, warn those who like their food tamer). Drizzle each portion with a bit of the remaining olive oil. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges and pass them along with the Parmesan at the table.

Buy Bean by Bean at an Indie, at Powell's, at Book Depository, or at bookstore near you. These links lead to affiliate programs
Published by Workman, 2012
ISBN-13: 9780761132417
Rating: A
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

Imprint Friday: Londoners by Craig Taylor

2012-02-24T06:01:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Imprint Friday and today's featured imprint: Ecco books. Stop by each week to be introduced to a must-read title from one of my favorite imprints. I know you'll be adding many of these books to your wish list.

Back in 1974, when I was in college, a book about Americans at work was taking the reading world by storm. That book was Working by Studs Terkel, and it consisted of interviews of hundreds of people employed in every kind of job imaginable and from all over the country. I bought it, even on my undergrad budget, and I still have my original copy.

When I heard Craig Taylor had written Londoners, a similar book about modern London, I knew I had to have it. Not only because I loved Working but because I spent some time in London finishing up my doctoral research at the Natural History Museum. I lived well east of South Ken, and for the first and only time in my life, I became a big-city commuter who rode the tube at least twice a day, every day.

Enough about me, take a look at the publisher's summary.

Five years in the making, Londoners is a fresh and compulsively readable view of one of the world's most fascinating cities—a vibrant narrative portrait of the London of our own time, featuring unforgettable stories told by the real people who make the city hum.

Acclaimed writer and editor Craig Taylor has spent years traversing every corner of the city, getting to know the most interesting Londoners, including the voice of the London Underground, a West End rickshaw driver, an East End nightclub doorperson, a mounted soldier of the Queen's Life Guard at Buckingham Palace, and a couple who fell in love at the Tower of London—and now live there. With candor and humor, this diverse cast—rich and poor, old and young, native and immigrant, men and women (and even a Sarah who used to be a George)—shares indelible tales that capture the city as never before.

Together, these voices paint a vivid, epic, and wholly original portrait of twenty-first-century London in all its breadth, from Notting Hill to Brixton, from Piccadilly Circus to Canary Wharf, from an airliner flying into London Heathrow Airport to Big Ben and Tower Bridge, and down to the deepest tunnels of the London Underground. Londoners is the autobiography of one of the world's greatest cities.

Londoners is not the kind of book you necessarily need to read from cover to cover, in order. Because it consists of short accounts told in the words of people who live or spend time in the city, you can dip in and out of the collection as fits your mood.

Whether you've been to London or not, you'll be entranced by the personal stories. Some of the pieces I particularly liked are these:

The black ballerina turned plumber who gets a kick out seeing clients' reactions when they open the door to "a black woman with dreadlocks, . . . me in overalls with a headscarf and my locks sticking out."
The director of markets in the City, who feels quite personally the history of the markets he supervises: the fish market that has been around since Roman times and the meat market that was established early in the Middle Ages.
The rhyming slang of the market traders.
The young barristers who discuss the best place to buy a wig and whether one should spring for a traditional wig tin.

I also love the fact that Taylor chose to bookend the interviews with the thoughts of a commercial airline pilot, who describes flying into the city at the beginning of the book and leaving the city at the end.

Londoners is a must for anyone who has visited or lived in the city, who dreams of visiting the city, and who is interested in the opinions of the public. Brew yourself a pot of tea or pour yourself a pint, open Londoners, and be transported to the streets of one the most interesting cities in the world.

BBC news did a short video piece on Londoners and author Craig Taylor, which you can view here. For more news and information, like Taylor's Facebook page.

Beth Fish Reads is proud to showcase Ecco books as a featured imprint on this blog. For more information about Ecco, please read the introductory note from Vice President / Associate Publisher Rachel Bressler, posted here on July 15, 2011. Find your next great read by clicking on Ecco in the scroll-down topics/labels list in my sidebar and by visiting Ecco books on Facebook and following them on Twitter.

Londoners at an Indie

Londoners at Powell's

Londoners at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Published by HarperCollins / Ecco, 2012
ISBN-13: 9780062005854

Thursday Tea: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

2012-02-23T06:01:00.002-05:00

The Book: Anaya Borzakovskaya was born in Russia, but her family moved to the United States when she was five. Even at that young age she realized the only way she'd fit in with her private-school classmates was to lose her accent along with her baby fat.

Unfortunately, ten years later, no matter how all-American she feels, she can't escape the pain of being a teen: wanting to fit in, wishing she were prettier and thinner, experimenting with cigarettes, and hoping the cool boy will notice her. One day when wandering in the park and stewing over her troubles, Anya falls into a well. When she lights a match to assess the situation, she's startled to see a skeleton . . . and the dead girl's ghost.

Through expressive and moving black-and-white art (click on scan to enlarge), Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol tells the story of what happens to Anya after she meets the ghostly Emily Reilly. At first Anya thinks it's great to have a ghost friend, but the better she gets to know Emily, the more she questions the price of having such a companion.

The graphic novel is geared to young adults, but readers of almost any age will enjoy Anya's story. Despite the fact that there's a ghost, the book isn't that kind of spooky. There are a few scary moments, but no one except the very young will likely be bothered. Book clubs and parents can use Anya's Ghost as a starting point for discussing friendship, honesty, family, and being true to oneself.

Anya's Ghost has been a universal favorite with reviewers, and won awards from Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Horn Book. It's one of the best graphic novels I've read.

The Tea: I've been so crazy busy with work lately that my afternoon tea break has become one of the highlights of my day. This week I've been drinking Adagio's Irish Breakfast Tea, a tried-and-true brew that hits the spot. Here's how the company describes their blend: "It seamlessly blends the citrusy notes of a high-grown Ceylon with the malty underscore of a pungent Assam. Spicy and jammy aroma on the leaf, malty and deep flavor with a brisk and 'buzzy' mouthfeel. Rounded sweetness in the finish." Well I don't know about all of that, but I do know it's a great-tasting tea.

The Assessment: Anya is Russian, so I'm fairly sure she's a tea drinker. And because she's a modern teen, it's not at unreasonable to think she might choose an Irish Breakfast blend. Her mother, however, probably sticks with a Russian tea.

What About You? As always, I'm interested in what you're reading this week. And what beverage would find in your glass or mug when you sit down to read?

Buy Anya's Ghost at an Indie, Powell's, Book Depository, or a bookstore near you. These links lead to affiliate programs.
Thursday Tea was the brainchild of Anastasia at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog.
Published by First Second 2011
ISBN-13: 9781596435520
Source: Borrowed (see review policy)
Rating: A
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)
FTC: I buy all teas myself, I am not a tea reviewer.

Wordless Wednesday 169

2012-02-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

Historic Granary (central Pennsylvania), 2012

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Today's Imprint Read: The Paperbark Shoe by Goldie Goldbloom

2012-02-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

What would it be like to be a prisoner in your own skin, your own house, and your own marriage? Gin Boyle, an albino, marries Mr. Toad to escape being sent to an asylum only to find that small-town life in the Australian outback can be just as confining.

When I finally fall asleep, my dreams are full of whales leaping out of a frothy khaki sea, their huge baleen grins aimed at me, their masculine elements raucous and ready, while I cower on a ledge that shudders in the wind of their passing. They leap and miss, leap and miss, and the platform bucks beneath my feet. Bizarre to dream of whales in the middle of a drought.

I wake up to the sound of hammering, and it's the whales I think I hear, battering the weatherboard wall next to my bed, and I scream, and scream again when my soul jolts back into my body with a feeling akin to being rolled in a thorn bush, and this time I think—oh my God! It's the Italians. They are coming for me. (p. 29)

—The Paperbark Shoe, by Goldie Goldbloom (Picador 2011)

Quick Facts

Setting: Australian outback on the edge of the desert; memories of Sydney
Circumstances: Italian prisoners of war from World War II have been sent to Australia; some are placed on isolated family farms
Characters: Gin, an albino and classically trained pianist; her husband and children; two Italian prisoners; Australia itself
Themes: isolation, being imprisoned, self-discovery, love, marriage, war, family
Genre: fiction
Awards: 2008 Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Novel Award and 2011 Great Lakes College Association’s New Writer’s Award

Want to Know More? Watch the embedded book trailer (below) from the Australian edition of The Paperbark Shoe. Visit the Picador website to find the book summary, an excerpt, a reading guide, and more. To learn more about author Goldie Goldbloom visit her website and don't miss these interviews: from Reader and from Book Browse. For more on Picador and for news about events and great books, visit their website, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

The Paperbark Shoe at an Indie

The Paperbark Shoe at Powell's

The Paperbark Shoe at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Review: You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik

2012-02-20T06:01:00.003-05:00

The individuals who make up the international school in Paris are worldly wise. Most of the teachers are ex-pats, who prefer to travel in Europe than to visit family during school breaks. The students are the children of diplomats and business executives and have moved so often they don't have much sense of home as being a geographic location.

The plot of the novel unfolds over a school year and is told in retrospect from three viewpoints in alternating chapters. Will Silver is the teacher high-schoolers love: irreverent yet motivating, and most of his students work hard to earn his praise. Gilad is a loner who idolizes Will but has not found a way to break into the teacher's inner circle. Marie is a self-aware teen who sets out to seduce Will as a means of one-upping her best friend.

Although the premise of a high schooler being attracted to her teacher is not unique, Alexander Maksik's take in You Deserve Nothing is not what you'd expect. The novel has earned high praise for being "engaging," "enthralling," and "thrilling." Unfortunately, I'm not sure I read the same novel.

Although Maksik's ability to put the reader in the heads of Will, Marie, and Gilad is indeed masterful, the characters themselves are decidedly unappealing. Perhaps I simply didn't understand the novel, but the overwhelming apathy, indifference, and shallowness of entire community—parents, teachers, and students—left me cold. Several events in the story should have had an emotional effect, but it's difficult to make such a connection when the characters themselves are unmoved.

I also had issues with the end of the story, which most reviewers described as thought-provoking. Because I don't want to spoil the book, all I'll say here is that the end made me angry, and not in a good way. If the novel is based in truth, as some have suggested, then I'm also left feeling uncomfortable. I prefer to think of You Deserve Nothing as fiction.

You Deserve Nothing was an Indie Next pick for September 2011. For more about Alexander Maksik and his work, visit his website, where you'll see that my reaction puts me in a party of one. Everyone from Kirkus and the New York Times to Bookslut and Farm Lane Books gives You Deserve Nothing high praise.

Buy You Deserve Nothing at an Indie, Powell's, Book Depository, or a bookstore near you. These links lead to affiliate programs.
My review of the audio edition of this novel is available at AudioFile magazine.
Published by Europa Editions 2011
ISBN-13: 9781609450489
Source: Audio: Review (see review policy)
Rating: C-
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

Weekend Cooking: Desperation Cooking

2012-02-18T06:06:00.002-05:00

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I'm sure this scenario never happens to you: It's 6pm, you've just finished work, and you haven't even thought about what to make for dinner. Your family is hungry, and you really don't want to spend the money to order out. What's a busy cook to do?

I have an arsenal of what we call desperation meals in the BFR household. These are the meals I make when the thought of dirtying up the kitchen, chopping veggies, and waiting for flavors to develop in a simmering pot are just to too much to bear. Today I'll tell you about two of them.

The first one is quick canned chili. It involves opening five cans and one bag, chopping an onion and some garlic, and grating cheese. The second is a soup that involves about the same effort: opening a can, two boxes, and a bag and chopping an onion and garlic. Both put dinner on the table quickly with almost no work and no mess.

I make it a point to always have the ingredients for these meals on hand. Most of them are either canned or frozen, so there is no problem with shelf life.

Desperation Chili
Serves 4

2 cans chili beans (with seasonings)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1 can chopped green chiles
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bag frozen corn
2 to 3 good shakes of green sauce
grated cheese for serving
hot sauce for serving

Put the beans, tomatoes, olives, chiles, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the corn and green sauce and heat through. Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese and a shake or two of hot sauce.

I usually serve this over rice. Although we normally eat only brown rice, I keep white on hand for desperation evenings because it cooks so quickly in the rice cooker. So I begin this meal by putting the white rice in the cooker, then I start opening cans. Then entire meal is ready in about 20 minutes, or when the rice is done.

Tortellini Soup
Serves 3-4

1.5 quarts chicken broth (boxed, frozen homemade, whatever you have)
1 can diced tomatoes (or tomato sauce, if that's what you have)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 box frozen chopped spinach (not shown, I forget to put it in photo)
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and pepper to taste
A few shakes each of oregano and basil
a few handfuls of frozen tortellini
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Put the broth, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spinach in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. When the spinach is mostly thawed, add the frozen vegetables and seasonings and bring the soup back to simmer. (You may have to add more broth or some water, depending on how much liquid is in your spinach and canned tomatoes.) Add the tortellini and cook until they're heated through and floating, or for the amount of time indicated on the package. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with a little Parmesan.

Although these are not the versions of chili or soup I'd normally use, I'm happy to know I have some very quick and tasty meals at my disposal when I need them. I'll share some other ideas in future posts.

Imprint Friday: Until the Next Time by Kevin Fox

2012-02-17T06:01:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Imprint Friday and today's featured imprint: Algonquin Books. Stop by each week to be introduced to a must-read title from one of my favorite imprints. I know you'll be adding many of these books to your wish list.

Thanks to its mix of Ireland, family secrets, twisted timelines, and mysterious journal, I knew I couldn't resist Kevin Fox's Until the Next Time, a multilayered tale of self-discovery and enduring love.

Take a look at the summary:

For Sean Corrigan the past is simply what happened yesterday, until his twenty-first birthday, when he is given a journal left him by his father’s brother Michael—a man he had not known existed. The journal, kept after his uncle fled from New York City to Ireland to escape prosecution for a murder he did not commit, draws Sean into a hunt for the truth about Michael’s fate.

Sean too leaves New York for Ireland, where he is caught up in the lives of people who not only know all about Michael Corrigan but have a score to settle. As his connection to his uncle grows stronger, he realizes that within the tattered journal he carries lies the story of his own life—his past as well as his future—and the key to finding the one woman he is fated to love forever.

Whip-smart and full of suspense, Until the Next Time is a remarkable story about time and memory and the way ancient myths shape our modern lives—from what we believe to whom we love.

What if everything you thought you knew about your family was only a half truth? That's what happened to Sean Corrigan. And to make matters worse, no one will tell him about the other half, the secret half. After his father gives him the beat-up journal and a plane ticket, Sean is on his own, an ocean away from home. In Ireland, he must figure out whom to trust and how to interpret the bits and pieces of information left to him by his dead uncle.

The story alternates between the 1970s (Michael's point of view) and the 1990s (Sean), and although their circumstances are vastly different, their lives and thoughts become unexpectedly interwoven. We know only what Michael and Sean know; thus we too are on the quest, theorizing and coming up with our own explanations. Fox is a master at pulling us in and leading us down crooked paths into the Corrigan family history, and we following willingly.

Here's a section from Michael's story, when he first got to Ireland and met a woman named Kate:

I stood there for a minute, waiting for her to say something else. I wanted to leave and I wanted to stay, but she just hid behind her book, invisible. Finally, to save myself from looking more like an idiot, I stepped out into the soft cold rain, wondering if I could find my way back here if I did get lost again.

As the cold started to seep back in, it reminded me that I already was lost, in the middle of a foreign country, pretending to be my brother, running from a murder charge. If she was right, and the only way to find my way was to get back where I started from, I was going to be lost for a long time. Maybe even long enough for my soul to catch up. (p. 68)

And here is Sean, only hours after getting off the plane:

I stood in the middle of the kitchen for a minute, and from there I could see the cranberry-colored stain at the bottom of the front stairs—it really did look like dried blood. I'm not much for ghosts or spirits, but I was overtired, and between the noises the house was making, the stories in my uncle's journal, and the darkened wood at the base of the stairs, I was little freaked out. . . .

In the midst of my exhuastion and confusion, I remembered something Uncle Mike had written in his journal. Something Kate had said to him. Flyin's done too fast nowadays. You go so fast you leave part of your soul behind and now you have to wait for it to catch up. I understood what she meant. The world had shifted around me, and everything was a bit off. I was a stranger in my own head. (p. 100)

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, immerse yourself in a family tale in which the border between myth and reality, past and present dissolves in the Irish mists.

For more on Kevin Fox, visit his website, where you'll find an insightful Q&A. Check out his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter. The Readers Round Table edition of Until the Next Time, includes an author's note, the author Q&A, and discussion questions. The Algonquin Books Blog and Algonquin Book Club offer more ways to connect with Fox and the novel.

Algonquin Books is a featured imprint on Beth Fish Reads. For more information about the imprint, please read Executive Editor Chuck Adams's introductory letter, posted here on January 7, 2011.

Until the Next Time at an Indie

Until the Next Time at Powell's

Until the Next Time at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Published by Workman / Algonquin Books, February 14, 2012
ISBN-13: 9781565129931

Thursday Tea: The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

2012-02-16T06:01:00.002-05:00

The Book: You may have heard of Kaui Hart Hemmings's The Decendants because it's now a major motion picture staring none other than George Clooney. But before the movie, came the book.

Matthew King, lawyer, husband, and father is a good guy, who tries to do the right thing. Although he's a descendant of Hawaiian royalty and controls or has access to quite a bit of money, he tries to live off of what he earns, despite his wife's complaints.

The women in his family, however, seem to have gone wild. His wife, Joanie, takes risks and craves adventure; his older daughter, Alex, has experimented with drugs and alcohol; and his younger daughter, Scottie, wants to grow up all at once. When a boating accident puts Joanie in a deep coma, Matt must confront all his roles and face some hard truths.

The Descendants is a novel that sneaks up on you. Although you're sure you know how the major plot lines will play out, that doesn't matter. The character studies, Hemmings's depiction of family and family dynamics, and Hawaii itself all draw you in and wrap around your brain. Matt King goes from relatively carefree to single parent of difficult daughters in a matter of minutes. In addition, he learns that his wife had a secret, leaving him to pick up the pieces. Life has imploded for the girls as well, and each has had a conflicted relationship with her mother and is left wondering how to make things right.

I saw the movie and then listened to the unabridged audiobook (AudioGo 9 hr, 12 min) read by Jonathan Davis. The movie followed the book very closely and differed only in inconsequential details. What I found particularly interesting is that George Clooney and Jonathan Davis had eerily similar takes on the character of Matt King. Although the two men do not really sound alike, it was amazing how nicely their voices meshed. I attribute this to how clearly and skillfully Hemmings developed her main character; there really is only one way to play Matt.

Even if you've seen the movie, I recommend reading the book. I also recommend The Descendants for book clubs. Topics for discussion include families, inheritances, infidelity, friendships, parenting, death and dying, and responsibility.

The Tea: Despite the lack of snow and relatively mild winter temperatures for my area of the world, I've been welcoming my afternoon tea breaks. This week, I turned to a tea I haven't had in a while: Harney & Sons' Cranberry Autumn. Here's how the company describes it: "Ideally sweet and tart, this black tea blended with cranberry and orange flavors reflects the crisp days and colorful leaves of Autumn. A full-bodied brew, exceptionally smooth and flavorful that pairs well with festive holiday meals." The tea has just a hint of the fruits and makes a warming, comforting drink.

The Assessment: Matt King and his daughters are not brewing up a cup of tea in the afternoon, I promise you that. Fancy coffee, shaved ice, beer, or wine is more of the King family style. If any of them were to go for tea, it'd likely be something more traditionally Chinese or Japanese. So Cranberry Autumn and The Descendants is a total miss. That's okay, I like my cuppa anyway.

What About You? Here's where I ask you what you're drinking this week (tea, coffee, wine?). And don't forget to tell me what you're reading.

Buy The Descendants at an Indie, Powell's, Book Depository, or a bookstore near you. These links lead to affiliate programs.
Thursday Tea was the brainchild of Anastasia at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog.
Published by Random House Trade Paperbacks 2011
ISBN-13: 9780812982954
Source: Audio: Review (see review policy)
Rating: B+
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)
FTC: I buy all teas myself, I am not a tea reviewer.

Wordless Wednesday 168

2012-02-15T05:20:00.000-05:00

Elegant Welcome (Tonder, Denmark)

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Review: To Kill a Mockingbird (Film: 50th Anniversary Edition)

2012-02-14T06:01:00.002-05:00

I know you've seen the movie To Kill a Mockingbird and I bet you love it just as much as I do. I had the great good luck to see the movie again on BluRay, out last month from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Let me just say that I loved this edition. The quality of the picture and sound were stupendous. And everything, from the rabid dog scene to the courtroom scene, was just as moving, exciting, and heartfelt as I remembered it.

But what's really incredible about the special 50th Anniversary To Kill a Mockingbird edition is the bonus materials. There are over 3 hours of them, and every one is fascinating. This is truly a copy to own and one that you'll view many times.

There is so much on this disc that I'm simply going to copy the promo information, then I'll talk about some of my favorites.

Fearful Symmetry— A feature-length documentary on the making of To Kill a Mockingbird with cast and crew interviews and a visit to author Harper Lee's home town.
A Conversation with Gregory Peck— An intimate feature-length documentary on one of the most beloved actors in film history with interviews, film clips, home movies and more.
100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics— An in-depth look at the film restoration process
Academy Award® Best Actor Acceptance Speech— Gregory Peck's speech after winning the Academy Award® for his performance as Atticus Finch.
American Film Institute Life Achievement Award— Gregory Peck's memorable remarks upon receiving the AFI Life Achievement Award.
Excerpt from “Tribute To Gregory Peck”— Cecilia Peck's heartwarming farewell to her father given at the Academy in celebration of his life.
Scout Remembers— Actress Mary Badham shares her experiences working with Gregory Peck.
Feature Commentary with Director Robert Mulligan and Producer Alan Pakula
Original Theatrical Trailer

Mr. BFR and I watched the BluRay edition of the movie one night and then watched the bonus materials over two more evenings. I recommend watching all the features, but three of them really stand out.

In Fearful Symmetry the actors and writers talk about the making of the feature film, and we're treated to vintage photos and movies and interviews with people who knew Harper Lee when she was young. The commentary in this bonus film is not to be missed, and it alone is worth the cost of the DVD/BluRay.

A Conversation with Gregory Peck was filmed and produced by his daughter, and through this documentary we really get to know Peck, his family life, stories of his career, and of course backstage tales of To Kill a Mockingbird. I have always loved Peck, and this was a wonderful look at his life.

Scout Remembers also interesting because we get to see Mary Badham as an adult and learn about the close relationship she had with Peck all her life.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment did a wonderful job on this anniversary edition, and I can't say enough good things about it. I thank them for the opportunity to review it.

Take a look at the 50th Anniversary Edition trailer to learn more about this not-to-miss version of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Guest Post and Giveaway: Girl Meets Boy edited by Kelly Milner Halls

2012-02-13T06:01:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited to be part of the fabulous blog tour for Kelly Milner Halls's edited collection Girl Meets Boy. What I have on tap today is a fun collective guest post and an amazingly awesome giveaway.

First take a look at the publisher's summary:

What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of “he said/she said” stories—he tells it from the guy’s point of view, she tells it from the girl’s. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There’s the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches us that relationships are complicated—because there are two sides to every story.

Doesn't that sound great? Here's a bit more from the publisher about the paired stories found in this collection:

Chris Crutcher and Kelly Milner Halls explore how a dangerous girl named Wanda could turn a handsome guy named John’s world upside down. Joseph Bruchac and Cynthia Leitich Smith introduced basketball warrior Nancy Whitepath and the shy boy, Bobby Wildcat who secretly loves her. Ellen Wittlinger and James Howe captured a boy named Cal’s yearning for love and his puzzling meeting with a girl named Alex. Terry Davis and Rebecca Fjelland Davis proved love can be tough for a Muslim boy and a Christian farm girl. Sara Ryan and Randy Powell proved things aren’t always what they seem with Gavin and Steph.

As part of this tour, the authors featured in Girl Meets Boy were asked to provide some additional insight about their characters. To give them a starting point, the publisher asked the authors following question.

What would your character save if a fire threatened to consume his or her bedroom?

Chris Crutcher: John. His girlfriend, and he'd want to get her out of there under a blanket so when his parents came out the front door, they wouldn't see her.
Kelly Milner Halls: Wanda. Her dog and the keys to her beat up car; escape, for Wanda, is everything.
Joseph Bruchac: Bobby. His karate belt, which he keeps wrapped around the book The Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee.
Cynthia Leitich Smith: Nancy. Her parents' wedding photo.
Ellen Wittlinger: Alex. The copy of Franny and Zooey her brother, Cal gave her for her birthday.
Terry Davis: Rafi. He would save his dear Muttski, of course. How dare you even ask!
Rebecca Fjelland Davis: Kerry. The picture of her and Rafi at prom and her first-place ribbon from the county fair.
Randy Powell: Gavin. His laptop
Sara Ryan: Stephanie. If it's the room at her parents' house, absolutely nothing. If it's where she is staying now, everything essential is in the backpack next to the futon.

Great answers! Now you have some hints about the characters' personalities. For more about this short story collection, watch the book trailer:

The Giveaway: Okay, here is the part that I'm particularly excited about. I can offer one of my readers a copy of Girl Meets Boy signed by all twelve of the contributors. Yep, you got that right, each and every one of the authors signed a copy. To enter to win, just fill out the form.

Here's a few particulars: You must have a U.S. or Canada mailing address. I'll pick a winner on February 20 using a random number generator and the publisher will mail you your book. Easy as that. Good luck!

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Don't miss the final Blog Tour Stop at Chronicle Books tomorrow.

Girl Meets Boy is available at an Indie, at Powell's, and at Book Depository. (These links lead to affiliate programs.)

Published by Chronicle Books, 2012
ISBN-13: 9781452102641
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

Weekend Cooking: Heartland: The Cookbook by Judith Fertig

2012-02-11T06:01:00.003-05:00

_______

I grew up in the American Midwest, otherwise known as the nation's heartland. In the introduction to Judith Fertig's Heartland: The Cookbook, she captures what that means:

Among those fortunate enough to have born and raised in the Midwest . . . the heartland holds us, comforts us, makes us stand up straight. Even if we leave, it still claims a place in our hearts. (p. xi)

If your childhood didn't include country fairs, roadside farm stands, and never-ending vistas of corn and wheat fields, you might not understand the charms of the prairie states. You might also be unaware that America's heartland is home to organic farms, artisan bakeries, artisan cheesemakers, hormone-free dairies, microbreweries, and preservers of heritage species.

Heartland: The Cookbook takes you into the fields and barns and kitchens of the American Midwest. Printed on heavy, glossy paper with stunning photos of farms and scenery (by Jonathan Chester) and beautiful and inspiring photos of down-home meals and upscale cheeses and breads (Ben Pieper), the book will capture your imagination and your taste buds.

Before I talk about the recipes, there are few things I'd like to mention. First, I love the foodie literary quotes scattered throughout the text. Some are from well-known authors (Willa Cather) and others are from some of my favorite authors, even if they are less well known (Carrie Young). I also love the sidebars and features that tell the story behind foods used, produced, and grown throughout the Midwest (canola, strudel, and heritage chickens, for example). And finally, I've spent a number of hours exploring many of the websites listed under "Resources" at the back of the cookbook (check out Nueske's for meats or Carpriole for cheese) and have gathered even more recipes and bookmarked places for possible road trip destinations.

Now, of course, I want to talk about the core of the book: the recipes. You will find everything from the fun (making your own butter) to the fancy (roasted lake fish with remoulade). In between are tons of recipes that you'll want to try for both weekdays and weekends and some that will help you stock your freezer and pantry.

Most of the ingredients are readily available or easily substituted, and the directions are straightforward and simple to follow. In addition, Fertig introduces each recipe, giving advice or telling the story behind the dish. Finally, when appropriate, recipe directions include storage, freezing, and/or serving instructions.

Heartland includes a nice bonus for those of us who lead busy lives, like to economize, and/or don't want to fuss:

In this book, leftovers are a good thing. When you purposefully cook for leftovers, you'll have ready-made ingredients for other dishes like Minnesota Wild Rice Soup, Haymaker's Hash, or Hunter's Pie. Cook once, eat several times!

This book is about ingredient-centered food and is a testament to the fact that if you grow, raise, or buy quality foods, you don't have to do a lot to them to make them taste great. (p. xix)

Here are just a few of the many recipes I've marked to try:

Crisp Refrigerator Dill Pickles (ready to eat in just 24 hours; will keep in refrigerator for months)
Pumpkin Patch Muffins (with yogurt or sour cream and loaded with spices)
Four Seasons Flatbread (toppings for all year round)
Grilled Pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Honey (late summer on the deck?)
Badlands Bison Chili (I might have to substitute lamb)
Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Tarragon Creamed Corn (dinner in under an hour)
Ohio Lemon Tart (kind of like lemon meringue pie in a cookie crumb crust)
Garden Gimlet (gin, basil, herb syrup)

The cookbook includes recipes for soups and stews, salads, grilled vegetables, game, breads, cheese souffles, and wild-rice pilafs. Truly you'll find plenty of flavors to pick from.

Vegetarian/vegan alert: Although many of the recipes include meat, vegetarians should take the time to look through Heartland: The Cookbook. There are plenty of recipes that you would be able to use as is or adapt with no trouble. Vegans will have a bit harder time, because many vegetarian recipes call for dairy products, honey, eggs, or other animal products.

Here is recipe that's easy to make and wonderful to eat. The recipe introduction tells you that the scones will keep in the freezer up to 3 months, so you can stock up on grab-and-go breakfasts. I like to serve these with chili. Note that the recipe suggests mixing in a food processor, but you can mix them by hand instead.

Bacon, Cheddar, and Scallion Scones
Makes 12

2 cups cake flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup chopped scallions
Half-and-half, for brushing

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter pieces, egg, milk, and sour cream and pulse again until the dough just comes together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and sprinkle the bacon, 1/2 cup cheese, and scallions on top. Using a dough scraper or a pancake turner, fold the dough over onto the bacon mixture several times. Roll or pat the dough out to a 10-inch circle about 1 inch thick. With a large knife or a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 12 wedges. Carefully transfer each wedge to the prepared baking sheet, placing them 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with half-and-half and sprinkle with more cheese.

3. Bake for 10 to 22 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Serve warm.

Heartland: The Cookbook is available at an Indie, at Powell's, and at Book Depository. (These links lead to affiliate programs.)

Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011
ISBN-13: 9781449400576
Source: review (see review policy)
Rating: A
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

Imprint Friday: Quarantine by Rahul Mehta

2012-02-10T06:01:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Imprint Friday and today's featured imprint: Harper Perennial. Stop by each week to be introduced to a must-read title from one of my favorite imprints. I know you'll be adding many of these books to your wish list.

Late last summer I began to read reviews and hear buzz about Rahul Mehta's short story collection Quarantine. The characters in these stories are interesting because they are Indian-American gay men who find themselves on the fringes of society . . . and not solely because of their sexual orientation.

Here is the publisher's summary:

With buoyant humor and incisive, cunning prose, Rahul Mehta sets off into uncharted literary territory. The characters in Quarantine—openly gay Indian-American men—are Westernized in some ways, with cosmopolitan views on friendship and sex, while struggling to maintain relationships with their families and cultural traditions. Grappling with the issues that concern all gay men—social acceptance, the right to pursue happiness, and the heavy toll of listening to their hearts and bodies—they confront an elder generation's attachment to old-country ways. Estranged from their cultural in-group and still set apart from larger society, the young men in these lyrical, provocative, emotionally wrenching, yet frequently funny stories find themselves quarantined.

In the nine stories in this collection, Mehta explores the lives of second-generation immigrants who are dealing with many issues that make them feel apart. Although homosexuality is the obvious force that pushes these men to the margins, their relationships with their parents and grandparents, their life in limbo between two cultural worlds, and their struggles with relationships have nothing to do with their sexuality. Thus these stories of realistically flawed characters touch on universal themes, giving almost every reader a connection point.

The sparse yet moving prose pulls the reader through the stories, many of which are set in two continents. I was particularly taken with Mehta's skills at developing contrasts—between cultures:

Listening to my relatives' hushed conversations, I wondered whether there was, in their language, a word for homosexuality. I doubted it. I doubted, even, that the English word was used. For them, the concept was unspeakable. (p. 83)

and between generations:

Bipin had never told his son this story. There was so much he'd never said. He'd never told him how many days he'd cried in Oklahoma; or how scared he was, when he brought Meenakshi to American, that he would disappoint her or fail her somehow; or how much he'd struggled. What Bipin did tell his son about his early life in America is what he thought he needed to know: that he had come with nothing and that it hadn't been easy, but he had worked hard and now here they all were. When Sanj asked his father why he came to America, Bipin answered, "For a better life," which was, in Bipin's estimation, what they now had. As for the details of what he'd been through, why would his son want to know? Bipin barely wanted to know himself. (p. 201)

Other passages are more beautiful, emotional, and sexual but the two extracts I've shared show Mehta's style without spoiling any of the stories.

You do not have to be male, Indian-American, or gay to appreciate this collection. As I mentioned, some of the connecting themes in Quarantine are the double pull of personal desire and family obligation, sexuality, love, immigration, and modern life in conflict with cultural traditions.

Here are some other opinions (click on the links for the full reviews):

V. Jo Hsu writing at Fiction Writers Review: "Mehta’s simple yet striking imagery becomes most effective in "The Cure" and "What We Mean." Situated in the middle of the book, the stories . . . showcase his mastery of language."
S. Krishna writing at S. Krishna's Books: "Mehta’s ability to convey so much emotion and compassion with just a few words left me speechless. I couldn’t believe how nuanced each of these stories were, nor how absolutely complete they seemed, even though they were just a short few pages each."
Christina writing at The Blue Bookcase: "Rahul Mehta writes these vibrant, incredibly varied characters who each have heartbreakingly real stories to tell. And the issues they deal with in their romantic and platonic and familial relationships are universal."

For more on Rahul Mehta, see a short video interview with him, available on YouTube.

Harper Perennial is a featured imprint on Beth Fish Reads. For information about the imprint, please read Erica Barmash's welcome note posted here on June 18, 2010. I encourage you to add your reviews of Harper Perennial books to the review link-up page; it's a great way to discover Good Books for Cool People. And don't miss the The Olive Reader, the Harper Perennial blog.

Quarantine at an Indie

Quarantine at Powell's

Quarantine at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Published by Harper Perennial, 2011
ISBN-13: 9780062020451

Thursday Tea: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

2012-02-09T06:01:00.001-05:00

The Book: Dead and Gone is the ninth book in Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series, starring Sookie Stackhouse.

Louisiana is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, which had a devastating effect not only on humans but on the supernatural beings as well. The vampire kingdoms have undergone new leadership and new borders, which means quite a few changes for Sookie's undead friends. But more significant for Sookie are a few other events.

First, the weres and shape-shifters decide to announce their presence to the world at large. As you can imagine, the reactions to this revelation are strong and varied. Some citizens of Bon Temps seem to have gone off the deep end, and a vigilante group is out to kill all known supernaturals. Sookie, of course, is caught up in the investigation of who's been doing the murders. Second, the fairy world is involved in a civil war, and the enemies of Sookie's grandfather are out to kill or kidnap her as way to make him surrender. So on top of everything else she's dealing with, Sookie has to stay alert to stay alive. And then there's the matter of Eric (sorry, I can't say more than that without spoiling the story--Ha!).

Dead and Gone is another fun entry in Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books. Despite the murders, blood, and vampires, the novels are light reading and a great way to escape into another world. As always, I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Recorded Books, 9 hr, 1 min) read by Johanna Parker, who is perfect as Sookie.

The Tea: I don't normally drink herbal teas, but there's one exception: I love Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice tea. It is so warming and has such a wonderful aroma that it's one of my go-to teas when I'm feeling sick or have a chill. This week's snowfall had me brewing a pot. Here's the company's description: "Brimming with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves, a cup of our aromatic Bengal Spice tea is like a trip to an exotic spice market in a faraway land. This adventurous blend is our caffeine-free interpretation of Chai." As always, I drink it black with no sweetener.

The Assessment: We've been through this before. It's highly unlikely Sookie would be drinking any kind of fancy tea. In fact, in Dead and Gone, I think she drank lemonade more than anything else, and I really don't see her drinking chai--herbal or traditional. Oh well, she doesn't know what she's missing.

What About You? Here's where I ask you what you're drinking this week (tea, coffee, wine?). And don't forget to tell me what you're reading.

Dead and Gone at an Indie

Dead and Gone at Powell's

Dead and Gone at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Thursday Tea was the brainchild of Anastasia at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog.

Published by Penguin USA / Ace, 2009
ISBN-13: 9780441017157
Source: Review (see review policy)
Rating: B
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)
FTC: I buy all teas myself, I am not a tea reviewer.

Wordless Wednesday 167

2012-02-08T00:45:00.000-05:00

Urban Reflections (Bethesda, MD), 2011

Click image to enlarge. For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Today's Imprint Read: Charlotte au Chocolat by Charlotte Silver

2012-02-07T06:01:00.001-05:00

What would it be like to have grown up in a restaurant? Every night you put on your pretty dress, sit down at your special table, sip your Shirley Temple, and anticipate being served by an ever-changing wait staff. Meanwhile your parents are in the kitchen cooking for hundreds.

I grew up rich. The setting—or stage set—of my childhood was the velvety pink-and-green dining room of my mother's restaurant, Upstairs at the Pudding, located above the Hasty Pudding Club in a red-brick Victorian building at 10 Holyoke Street in Harvard Square. My life was not a child's life of jungle gyms and Velcro sneakers, but of soft lighting, stiff petticoats, rolling pins smothered in flour, and candied violets in wax paper. It was a life of manners, of air kisses, of "How do you dos," and a life for which I needed six party dresses a year, three every spring and three every winter. We were rich. Everybody knew it.

Yet we were not; we were not rich at all. For as long as I could remember, the restaurant had tottered on the brink of collapse. I always knew we would lose it one day. And we did lose it; we did. (p. 1)

—Charlotte au Chocolat: Memories of a Restaurant Girlhood, by Charlotte Silver (Riverhead Books 2012; quote is from uncorrected proofs)

Quick Facts

Setting: Cambridge, Mass., and environs
Characters: Charlotte Silver, her family, and assorted waiters and kitchen staff; the rich and famous make cameos
Main theme: Loving tribute to her mother and the sacrifices she made to keep restaurant and family running
Other themes: Food and drink, family, manners, times gone by
Genre: Memoir

Want to Know More? For a fun annotated menu from Charlotte's childhood, check out the publisher's website. For more on author Charlotte Silver, read her interview with the Boston Globe. For more on Charlotte au Chocolat, including events and news, visit the memoir's Facebook page and watch the fantastic book trailer (below). For more Riverhead Books and for news about events and great books, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Charlotte au Chocolat at an Indie

Charlotte au Chocolat at Powell's

Charlotte au Chocolat at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Review: The Never Weres by Fiona Smyth

2012-02-06T06:01:00.001-05:00

In the year 3088 humans have been affected by a virus that has destroyed their fertility. The last generation is now in the teen years, but still the world is debating the ethics of cloning humans, although the technology could save humanity.

Xian, Mia, and Jesse are best friends. Xian loves to explore the old subway system for artifacts from times past, Jesse likes to experiment with cloning animals (which is legal), and Mia volunteers at the senior center. After Xian starts to find evidence of long-abandoned labs hidden deep below the city, the teens combine their talents to learn the nature of the experiments conducted there. What have they discovered?

Fiona Smyth's The Never Weres is a dystopian graphic novel that takes as its major theme the issue of human cloning. Although there is plenty of action, the novel was not a success for me. First, the mystery of the secret laboratories is foreshadowed in such a way that I figured it out long before the teens. And second, I thought the ending was too quick and tidy. Nonetheless, Xian, Mia, and Jesse are smart and likeable with distinct personalities.

The scan (from page 11) is a good example of the black and white artwork, which is detailed and expressive. The target audience is middle grade readers, but some of the deeper implications of cloning, infertility, and elder care would appeal to more mature readers.

Others--such as Kirkus Reviews--had better luck with The Never Weres than I did, so if the topic or artwork interests you, give the novel a try.

I read this graphic novel to help celebrate Lenore's Dystopian February (see Presenting Lenore). This review will also be linked to Kid Konnection, hosted by Julie at Booking Mama.

The Never Weres at an Indie

The Never Weres at Powell's

The Never Weres at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Weekend Cooking: Homemade Crackers

2012-02-04T06:01:00.005-05:00

_______

I don't know if any of you remember one of my favorite magazines, Country Journal, which stopped publication about 10 years ago. The person who wrote and edited the cooking section was Ken Haedrich. And it was in an old issue of the magazine, oh I'm going to say in the 1980s, that I first saw recipes for making homemade crackers.

In 1990, Haedrich published his Ken Haedrich's Country Baking, and it includes many of the recipes from that original cracker article, such as the one I'm sharing today.

Why make your own crackers? Here are some of my reasons:

It's easy and fun.
You can control exactly what's in them--no chemicals, nothing you might be allergic to.
People are always impressed.
They're yummy.

So how do you make them? Basically, you mix the dough and roll it out really, really thin. Then you cut the dough, prick it with a fork, and bake. Yeah, it takes a little bit more than that, but not much more.

Mixing: I usually mix my dough in the food processor, but there is no reason not to mix it by hand.

Chilling: I always chill my dough before rolling it out, even if the recipe doesn't tell you to. The dough is much easier to roll when it's not sticky.

Rolling: This is the hardest part. You want your crackers to be 1/8 to 1/16 inch thick and as even as you can make it. Yikes! you say. Not to worry. I have two tricks. The first one I've read about in a number of books, blogs, and recipes. If your dough is on the soft side and doesn't contain seeds, you can put it through a pasta roller. The photo of the dough (below) shows what one batch looked like after it came out of the roller. I usually roll it on the widest setting, then on #2, and then sometimes on #3. Nothing is easier.

Before I got my pasta roller, though, I had to roll all my crackers by hand. Now I roll just the ones that use seeds or stone-ground cornmeal. Most recipes tell you to divide the dough in half and then roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Here's a trick I haven't read anywhere; it's something I discovered on my own: I have much better luck if I divide my dough into 6 or 8 parts. Yes, it takes more time, but you'd be surprised by how much easier it is to get a fairly even thickness if you have less dough to push around.

Preparing the pan: You definitely want to line your baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat. Not all recipes call for this, but I always line my pans. If you plan on baking crackers often, I suggest investing in silicone; you'll be going through a lot of parchment otherwise.

Cutting the dough: You can use a biscuit cutter, cookie cutters, or a pizza cutter. I use a pizza cutter and I don't worry about the ragged edges of the dough or getting each piece the same size. If you transfer the dough to the baking sheet before cutting you won't have to move each little cracker. But be careful not to cut your mat.

Docking: Be sure you poke each cracker with a fork to prevent it from puffing too much when baking.

Baking: Watch the first batch like a hawk. You may want to rotate your pan(s) halfway through the baking if your oven doesn't bake evenly. You want the bottoms to be brown and the edges to just start to get brown. If you wait too long, the crackers will burn on the bottom. Remember that they'll crisp up a little bit on the cooling rack.

Cooling: Transfer the crackers to cooling racks. If you're like me, you'll have racks with parallel bars instead of a grid. This means the crackers will fall through the spaces onto the counter. One of these days I'll buy new cooling racks, but for years I've dealt with that little annoyance.

Storage: Make sure the crackers are completely cool, and store in an airtight tin or plastic bag.

Warning: The crackers won't last long (because you'll eat them all in a heartbeat). They make great snacks and you won't believe how much better they taste than store bought.

So where can you find other recipes to try yourself? If you do a search for "cracker recipes" you'll be surprised by how many you'll find. Our favorites are these Parmesan crackers, sesame seed crackers, and wheat crackers (like Wheat Thins). The New York Times had a cracker article last year with some good recipes and King Arthur Flour has some too.

I'm sharing the recipe for the first crackers I ever made, which can be found in Haedrich's cookbook. The recipe calls for Cheddar cheese, but I usually make them with Parmesan. Either way, they're yummy.

Cornmeal Cheddar Crackers
Makes 20-30 crackers

1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup (about 3 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup flavorless vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

In a large bowl, mix the flours, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and cayenne; stir in the Cheddar. Lightly beat the egg, oil, and water in a separate bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the liquid just until the dough coheres. Give the dough a shake of flour and knead it once or twice in the bowl. Flatten into a thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F while the dough chills.

On a lightly floured surface or long sheet of wax paper, roll the dough a little less than 1/8-inch thick; closer to 1/16 inch is actually better. Dust the top of the dough, if necessary, to keep your pin from sticking. Cut the crackers any way you like, then transfer to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness (longer for thicker crackers); when done, they'll be nicely browned around the edges. Transfer the crackers to a rack and cool thoroughly before storing in a sealed container.

Enjoy!!

Imprint Friday: Broadway Baby by Alan Shapiro

2012-02-03T06:01:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Imprint Friday and today's featured imprint: Algonquin Books. Stop by each week to be introduced to a must-read title from one of my favorite imprints. I know you'll be adding many of these books to your wish list.

When I learned that Alan Shapiro, a prize-winning poet, wrote his first novel, I knew I had to take a look. Broadway Baby, the story of a woman who can't quite seem to accept the fact that she's not the next Fanny Brice, was released last week. Here's the publisher's summary:

As a little girl growing up in Boston, Miriam Bluestein fantasized about a life lived on stage, specifically in a musical. Get married, have a family—sure, maybe she’d do those things, too, but first and foremost there was her career. As a woman, she is both tormented and consoled by those dreams in her day-to-day existence with her family, including a short-tempered husband, a cranky mother, and three demanding children, one of whom, Ethan, shows real talent for the stage.

It is through Ethan that Miriam strives to realize her dreams. As she pushes him to make the most of his talent, the rest of her life gradually comes undone, with her husband becoming increasingly frustrated and her other two children—Sam, a mass of quirks and idiosyncrasies, and Julie, hostile and bitter—withdrawing into their own worlds. Still Miriam dreams, praying for that big finale, which, when it comes, is nothing that she ever could have imagined.

All ten-year-olds dream of what they want to be when they grow up. In the 1930s, Miriam Bluestein envisioned herself on the stage, singing and dancing to a rapt audience. The closest she ever got, however, was being a backstage mom to a reluctant acting son.

Poor Miriam, you can't help but sympathize with her one moment and then want to shake some sense into the next. So often she likes the idea of something (being married to a handsome GI, for example) much better than actually doing it. We've all been there, but Miriam takes it to extremes. Her biggest problem, though, is that she has trouble seeing life as anything but a play. Thus, because the appearance of her actions are all important, she never quite gets it right, no matter what her role: wife, mother, or even friend.

One of Shapiro's many talents is his ability to mix humor and sadness almost in the same breath. And really, isn't that the way life is sometimes? Broadway Baby takes readers through the ups and downs of Miriam's attempts to convince her family to play by her script.

Here are a couple of other opinions (click on the links to read the full reviews):

D. G. Martin, writing for The Pilot: "When great poets like Shapiro write their novels, they bring their powers of wordsmithery to the page. They work with their words so that they do more than simply describe the action, so that the pleasure of reading a good story is enhanced."
Pam Kelley at The Reading Life: "Sometimes, my favorite parts of a novel are its bits of nonfiction--delicious, crazy facts the author pulls from real life and weaves into the story. This is the case with Alan Shapiro’s 'Broadway Baby,' a novel studded with comic anecdotes so good it would be hard to make them up."

For a sneak peek excerpt and more about Broadway Baby, be sure to visit Algonquin: The Blog. Book clubs will appreciate the discussion questions included at the back of the book, and all readers will be interested in the author note in which Shapiro discusses the intersection of fiction and autobiography.

Algonquin Books is a featured imprint on Beth Fish Reads. For more information about the imprint, please read Executive Editor Chuck Adams's introductory letter, posted here on January 7, 2011.

Broadway Baby at an Indie

Broadway Baby at Powell's

Broadway Baby at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Published by Workman / Algonquin Books 2012
ISBN-13: 9781565129832

Thursday Tea: A Conversation with Author Sarah McCoy

2012-02-02T06:01:00.001-05:00

You've already read, were planning to read, already own, or are planning to buy multiple copies of Sarah McCoy's The Baker's Daughter, right? Let me tell you right now, this novel is one of my recent favorites. I loved the characters, the settings, and especially the rhythms and aromas of the bakeries.

Just in case you've missed the premise of Sarah's new novel, here's part of the publisher's summary:

In 1945, Elsie Schmidt is a naive teenager, as eager for her first sip of champagne as she is for her first kiss. She and her family have been protected from the worst of the terror and desperation overtaking her country by a high-ranking Nazi who wishes to marry her. So when an escaped Jewish boy arrives on Elsie’s doorstep in the dead of night on Christmas Eve, Elsie understands that opening the door would put all she loves in danger.

Sixty years later, in El Paso, Texas, Reba Adams is trying to file a feel-good Christmas piece for the local magazine. . . . [Her] latest assignment has brought her to the shop of an elderly baker across town. The interview should take a few hours at most, but the owner of Elsie’s German Bakery is no easy subject. . . . As Elsie [and] Reba's . . . lives become more intertwined, [they] are forced to confront the uncomfortable truths of the past and seek out the courage to forgive.

In honor of the recent release of The Baker's Daughter and in keeping with a Thursday tradition here at Beth Fish Reads, I've invited Sarah over for a chat and tea party. We both baked plenty of goodies, so I hope you'll pull up a chair, pour yourself a mug of tea, grab a pastry, and join in the fun.

Beth Fish Reads: Welcome to Beth Fish Reads, Sarah. Sit right down and we'll have a little something to nibble on while we sip our peppermint tea, just like Reba (p. 74).

Sarah McCoy: Why thank you, Candace, I do fancy a good cup of tea and nibbles.

BFR: There are so many aspects of your wonderful The Baker's Daughter that I want to talk about, I'm not sure where to start. Your characters were very real to me, not just Reba and Elsie but also their families and friends. One thing that struck me was that, although the two women came of age in very different times and a half a world away from each other, they are quite similar. They're both survivors, neither is afraid of hard work, and they're both people who question. Did you grow up in an atmosphere that encouraged you to question your government, your parents, and the general beliefs of society?

SM: First off, I’m thrilled the characters spoke to you and you identified so strongly with them. They are quite real to me, too. It’s as if we’re chatting about mutual friends, not just characters in a novel.

Now, to your very good question about my own upbringing: I didn’t necessarily grow up in an atmosphere that encouraged questioning of authority. In fact, one might even say the opposite was true. I am the daughter of a career Army officer. So authority was always championed and honored. We lived on a military post for years where to enter the installation, you had to show your military ID to guards with rifles slung across their chest. “Authority” wasn’t an idea to be question. It was tangible in my everyday reality. All that being said, my parents are also very spiritual and raised us to believe that there is a greater power than any human or governing precedent. There is the law of man and there is the law of goodness and love. They often go hand-in-hand, but we were taught by example that if a disparity ever arose, the latter always trumped the former. So I guess my answer is yes and no. I grew up in a home where I was encouraged to respect the world’s laws but be accountable to more.

BFR: I think that's a great way to be: respectful but not a lemming.

Although I lived in northern Arizona for a few years in the 1970s, I was oblivious to illegal immigration issues. I don't know if that's from my own self-absorption or if Mexican immigration took a backseat to Watergate and the gas crisis, headline news of the day. Of course immigration is at the top of political rhetoric these days, but it doesn't affect my daily life here in central Pennsylvania. Are the issues of illegal border crossings a constant in your life in El Paso? Do people talk about U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and policies or is it too divisive to bring up in casual conversation?

SM: Oh, no, it’s as normal as apple pie—or I guess churros might be a better analogy. There’s a Border Protection truck that drives along the irrigation ditch behind my house at least once a week. I’ve almost taken to waving to him. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is simply a part of the landscape here. Watching some of the evening news (CNN, Fox or what have you), it seems the gentlefolk in Washington, D.C. get more riled up about the topic than most borderland (El Paso–Juarez) residents. For us, we’re just neighbors—just people trying to get by day to day, make a living, feed our families, take the kids to school, get cough medicine for relatives, pay for gas . . . same as folks in Pennsylvania, I’m sure.

Most of the billboards on El Paso’s Interstate-10 are in Spanish and if you stop at a fast-food restaurant, you’ll probably have more trouble ordering in English than if you habla español. The fact that so-in-so three doors down is from Mexico is . . . well, not really any of my business. Is he here legally? Hope so, for his sake. But what if he isn’t? Well, then I bet he’s more worried about it than we, his neighbors, are. The lines are blurred between cultural and national identities, and it’s all too difficult to tell.

So that might not sound very politically correct, and I’m praying I don’t get hammered for it, but my book isn’t about politics. I’m no politician, and it’d be my personal nightmare to step a toe into the political realm. It’s not my calling. I write fiction. I write through the eyes of characters and simply relay their perspective. That’s the beauty of books. They are for you, the readers, to interpret as relevant or not, based on your own beliefs. For me, the pain and needless suffering of people entangled in this illegal immigration “issue” is what weighs on my conscience and keeps me up at night. But again, that’s my subjective response.

BFR: Oh I totally understand what you mean about separating fiction and what your characters say and do from your personal life. How crazy it'd be to think that every issue brought up in a novel was part of the author's own agenda. But The Baker's Daughter certainly made me think.

You spent at least part of your childhood in Germany but consider Virginia your home and now live in Texas; The Baker's Daughter has roots in all three locations. In addition, you have strong ties to the military thanks to your father and husband. One principal theme in your novel is the conflict some characters have between their personal beliefs and obeying the laws of their country and doing their duty. Others blindly accept what their government tells them, and still others hold strict to their own sense of human rights, despite personal danger. Among the obvious differences between being an officer in Hitler's Germany and being a USCBP officer today is the idea of choice. How did your personal experiences in Germany and Texas help inform those differences between Josef and Riki?

SM: I’ll be honest, all of my memories and experiences in Germany are rimmed in sugar crystals. However, history clearly portrays a bitter and sinister alter ego. So I suppose I was much like all of my characters—torn between feeling and fact as I wrote the novel. Having spent a good amount of time in the German community, I’ve experienced the jovial, beloved aspects of their culture and seen glimpses of the dark side. But then . . . isn’t that true of us all? The same goes for the Tex–Mex border. On one side of the line, there’s fancy boots, barbeque, and “everything is bigger in Texas,” while on the other, people live in shanties, burn their trash to stay warm in the winter and collapse from heat and hunger in the summer.

It makes you slap your forehead. Because it’s a line. Yes, a very important line but a line nonetheless. And those are people over there—breathing, feeling, hurting, loving, and dreaming. What their birth certificates state as nationality has no bearing on the worth of their lives. Only their legacies and God can make that proclamation. Here again, however, is where I’m reminded that these are my personal beliefs. Part of the greatness of our nation is that we are afforded the right to those without penalty—that wasn’t the case for citizens in WWII Germany.

BFR: It's so easy to forget that when talk about a huge historical or political event that we're talking about individuals. And each person is different and has different fears and motivations. You can't paint a whole nation with one brush.

I'm curious about the German attitude toward U.S. soldiers at the end of the war. In France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, Allied forces were cheered and citizens opened their hearts and homes to their liberators. In Germany, of course, things were different. Citizens didn't know what to expect from either the foreigners or their own desperate military, who knew they would soon be forced to justify their actions. Elsie, for a number of reasons, saw the U.S. soldiers as her personal liberators. Not everyone in her household had the same attitude. In The Baker's Daughter the GIs were respectful of the Schmidt family's bakery, and the soldiers were friendly with the townspeople. Was that common throughout Germany or were there generally more hostilities on both sides?

SM: This is where I had to rely on the documents and stories told by survivors aided by my imagination. Of course there was much hostility on both sides and many accounts of some U.S. soldiers being terribly harsh to the German people, which, to a certain degree, is understandable. I very much doubt I would be smiling and befriending townspeople after A) we just took their country by military force and B) I was made aware of the Jewish atrocities. No, ma’am. That would be extremely difficult. However, over and over, I heard accounts of U.S. soldiers not just befriending but falling in love and marrying Germans.

This, in fact, is what incited Elsie’s narrative. I was at a German Christkindlmarkt and purchased a loaf of Stollen from an elderly German woman. In casual conversation as I fished dollar bills out of my purse, I asked how and when she came “all the way out here” to El Paso. She said she married an American soldier just after the war and moved with him. It was as if lightning struck and branded me with Elsie’s entire story. I took up my German bread, left the bazaar, and never saw her again. Yet I see her every time I pick up a copy of The Baker’s Daughter. She is very much a part of Elsie’s spirit.

Hmm . . . I’m not sure if that directly answered your original question, but I hope it spoke to it somewhat.

BFR: Ha! This is conversation, not a pop quiz, you can talk about whatever you want. I have had several friends who have German mothers. They, like Elsie, fell in love with a U.S. soldier and made a new life in America. How difficult that must have been for them, just like for Elsie.

I know you like to cook and bake. Now that you live in the United States again, do you still miss European breads and baked goods? What is with Americans? Why isn't there a fabulous bakery and coffee shop (I'm not talking about national chains or cupcake shops) on every corner? The thing I miss most about Europe and the U.K. and about not living in a U.S. city with major ethnic enclaves is the family-owned bakery with the glass cases full of beautiful pastries, tarts, croissants, buns, crusty breads, and . . . well you get the picture. Is there such a bakery in El Paso or is Elsie's German Bakery just a dream?

SM: Amen, amen, amen! Bakeries in Europe are like 7/11s here—there’s one on every corner! Little mom and pop shops selling homemade breads with a cup of coffee or tea. As you pointed out, they aren’t simply in major metropolitan areas like our Au Bon Pains or Starbucks shops. They’re nestled into the neighborhoods—residential homes and businesses overlapping— so that whole streets smells like heaven. Usually there’s a meat and cheese shop next door. It’s like that nursery rhyme: the butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker. And they’ve all been neighbors for generations. It’s magical.

I happened to have the opportunity to experience this kind of setting at the beginning of my marriage. My husband and I lived in an apartment above a mother and daughter-run bakery in Norfolk, Virginia. Particularly on rainy days, they’d bake up a storm and our whole apartment smelled of cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and butter. No need for a scented candle! It was delicious. So I certainly used those memories to conjure the sensory descriptions.

In El Paso, we have a handful of lovely bakeries that I’ve frequented on occasion. Many of them are Mexican and bake the most unique confections I’ve ever seen. Of course, there are German bakeries. That’s where I cultivated Reba’s storyline. When I first moved to El Paso, I was asked to write a feature article for the city magazine about the German community. I went to Marina’s German Bakery to interview the staff, poke around the kitchen, meet the owner, Herr Michael Groemling, and chat with faithful patrons. I also took home quite a bit of brötchen, sesame see rolls, farmer’s bread and other items. My husband thought he’d died and gone back to Garmisch.

BFR: Oh no! I feel the need to get baking. I bet it was wonderful to live above a bakery. Sigh . . . Oh, yeah, let me ask you one more question: If I came to your house for a weekend, what kinds of foods and drink would we be indulging in? What fun it would be to share a kitchen with you.

SM: You, my dear, have an open invitation. We’ve been friends for many months now. You’ve had my peppers in your kitchen, on your table and your taste buds. We’ve shared stories of our husbands, our cooking, our love of pajamas, tea, and books. I feel as if I’ve known you for years, and I’m grateful to the Twitter-verse for bringing our stars together.

BFR: Awwww. Now I'm blushing but you know the feeling is mutual.

SM: If you came to my house, we’d most certainly have tea, as we are now. Since we’re having an herbal sip at your house, I’d brew us something rich and dark. A good, stout Bewley’s Irish Afternoon or Breakfast. And while both Reba and Elsie are more “sweets” ladies, I’m a salt lover. I could suck a saltlick and be happy as a toddler with a lolly. So for your visit, I’d probably stuff some roasted peppers with a bit of goat cheese and a sprinkle of sea salt on top. Easy does it, yet so scrumptious!

Oh, and I might make us a batch of kale chips. Just recently, I’ve been infatuated with making them. Have you ever had any? My Twitter friend Julie Klam gave me a recipe and I’m sold—they’re vegetable crack, and I can’t stop myself. I’ve made them ten different ways: garlic kale chips, Italian seasoning kale chips, Parmesan kale chips, chili pepper kale chips, etc. I think my favorite are the simple sea salt with a spritz of butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray. That keeps them light but crispy. I promise to make those on your visit west.

However, on my visit east to Beth Fish Reads, I baked up some pumpkin-cranberry-nut muffins. I apologize that I only have ten in my basket now. My husband gobbled two straight out of the oven and gave them a rave review, so I hope you enjoy too.

BFR: *mumble mumble swallow* Sorry, my mouth was full. Yummy muffins. I love pumpkin and cranberry. They go nicely with the crumb cake I baked in honor of Elsie. And um, wow. I'm packing my bag so we can share some good eats.

SM: One of the magical aspects of this novel is that in a way, we are sharing a kitchen. We’re in The Baker’s Daughter’s kitchen together. When you make Elsie’s “Lebkuchen Hearts” recipe, it’s as if she and I, by virtue of having invented her, are there beside you, measuring, mixing, rolling, laughing, baking and sharing.

BFR: Thanks so much for stopping by, Sarah. I had a great time chatting with you and I hope everyone else did too. Oh, can I just have one more muffin? Mr. BFR would love to have it for breakfast tomorrow.
__________

Sarah McCoy's The Baker's Daughter is available at a bookstore near you and at an Indie, Powell's, and Book Depository. (These links lead to affiliate programs.) My review of The Baker's Daughter will appear on the SheKnows Book Lounge site later this month.

Wordless Wednesday 166

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

The Two of Us, January 2012

Click the image to enlarge. For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Review: The Whistleblower (Movie)

2012-01-31T06:01:00.001-05:00

When Lincoln, Nebraska, cop Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) accepts a temporary position in Bosnia as part of the U.N. peacekeeping team, she knows it will be tough work but she needs the money so she can fight for custody of her kids. Once on the job, Bolkovac is told to interview two young women who are in Bosnia with fake passports. When Bolkovac discovers they were victims of a sex-trafficking operation, she vows to protect the girls. The deeper Bolkovac digs, the more dangerous it becomes, not only for herself but also for the victims.

The Whistleblower, directed by Larysa Kondracki, is based on a true story. Although the beginning of the film, when we are introduced to the principal characters, is a bit slow, once Bolkovac arrives in Bosnia, the action picks up, and I was totally hooked. From the moment the sex ring is uncovered to the twists and surprises that are revealed as Bolkovac continues her investigation, I couldn't look away.

It's not an easy film to watch, but it's an important film. The women are tricked into prostitution, and the way they are treated is almost incomprehensible; the movie doesn't sugar-coat the situation. Suspense is high because, like Bolkovac, we don't know whom to trust on the U.N. team or which of the civilians hired to help rebuild Bosnia's infrastructure are good guys. Some the men Bolkovac worked with were willing to go to any extreme to keep the sex ring thriving and bringing in money. Bolkovac's determination and personal dedication to the victims were acts of bravery.

David Strathairn, Benedict Cumberbatch, Monica Bellucci, David Hewlett, and Vanessa Redgrave also star in the film, which came out on DVD and BluRay last week. The bonus material includes interviews with the cast and crew and the real-life Kathryn Bolkovac.

This is not a movie for the whole family, but it's one I recommend. Note that some of the movie is subtitled, but most of it is in English.

Thanks to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for the review copy of the BluRay.

Book Club Booster Giveaway: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

2012-01-30T06:01:00.002-05:00

The Book: I'm sure you've been hearing the buzz surrounding The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. The novel made many, many best-of-2011 lists. Just in case you aren't quite sure what the book is about, here's the publisher's summary:

At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.

Henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. Owen Dunne, Henry's gay roommate and teammate, becomes caught up in a dangerous affair. Mike Schwartz, the Harpooners' team captain and Henry's best friend, realizes he has guided Henry's career at the expense of his own. And Pella Affenlight, Guert's daughter, returns to Westish after escaping an ill-fated marriage, determined to start a new life.

As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five are forced to confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets. In the process they forge new bonds, and help one another find their true paths. Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment--to oneself and to others.

So far, I've read only the first 50 pages of The Art of Fielding, so I can't review the book, but from the description and from reviews I've read on other book blogs, I can tell that it would have wide appeal. I'm usually attracted to books about relationships of all kinds, and Harbach's novel has promise.

To learn more about the The Art of Fielding and author Chad Harbach, you can check out the Facebook page or read an excerpt.

The Giveaway: If you are a resident of the United States and belong to book club, then I have great news. Little, Brown & Company's Book Club Booster promotion is sponsoring a fantastic giveaway of the Art of Fielding for your group. Yes, I said group.

One of you has a chance to win up to 10 copies of The Art of Fielding for your book club. All you have to do is fill out the following form and I'll pick a winner via random number generator on February 7. Little, Brown will send all the books to you or will send one book (up to 10) to each member of your book club--you can pick whichever method would work best for your group.

Now wait! That's not all! This giveaway is being hosted by different bloggers. Once all the winners are picked, Little, Brown's marketing department will use a random number generator to pick one book club that will also win a Skype chat (or call-in) with author Chad Harbach. That's right, one of the winning book clubs will be able to chat with the author.

I'm pretty excited about being one of the hosts of this Book Club Booster giveaway because I think the book will make a great book club selection. To help you get the conversation started you can check out the Reading Group Guide, available through the publisher's website.

Don't hesitate to enter here even if you've entered on another blog. Entering in two places increases your book club's chance of winning! Please remember that this giveaway is open only to those with a U.S. mailing address.

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Weekend Cooking: Mourad: New Moroccan by Mourad Lahlou

2012-01-28T06:01:00.001-05:00

_______

When a cookbook opens like this:

Some people set out to learn to cook. They pursue it. They look for teachers. They go to cooking school. They practice and study. I became a cook in a way that could scarcely have been more different from all of that, in a place so far from where I ended up that it feels like a beautiful, brightly colored dream. I learned to cook from memory. Let me tell you how. (p. 1)

How can you not fall instantly in love? Mourad Lahlou's Mourad: New Moroccan, is a gorgeous cookbook: glossy paper with full-page photos that capture the food, colors, and ambiance of Morocco. It has everything that helps a cookbook stand out from the crowd, such as descriptions of ingredients, suggested brands, personal introductions to most recipes, mail-order sources, "Chef-to-Chef" tips, and a well-thought-out index.

And Mourad is a winner, but it's a winner mostly for ambitious cooks who live in California or a big city or who have the funds and inclination to mail order uncommon ingredients. I absolutely love the flavors in Lahlou's recipes: aromatic chiles, preserved lemons, cumin, seeds, and fresh herbs. In addition, this is a book I'll turn to again and again to learn about Moroccan cooking, dishes, techniques, and spice mixtures.

On the other hand, although I would order a dish like Steamed Lamb Shoulder with Saffron Butter and Cumin Salt in a heartbeat, I don't think I'd ever make it, despite the fact that I always have lamb in my freezer. And here's why.

The recipe is well written and very easy to follow, and Lahlou provides ample information about the hows and whys. But before I can make this recipe, I first need to make

Aged Butter
Lamb Stock
Clarified Butter
Chicken Stock
Cumin Salt

No matter how willing I am to spend a day or two in the kitchen, I'm not going to make five recipes before I can make one dinner. Many recipes rely on preserved lemon (yum!), but you must prepare the lemons a month in advance before you can use them. Yikes! I don't plan a day ahead, let alone a month.

Other recipes call for particular types of fresh figs and peppers, things like yuzu juice and liquid glucose, lovely citrus such as Meyer lemons and blood oranges, and other wonderful ingredients unavailable in my small town. It's a shame, really, because if I lived in New York or San Francisco, I'd be more inclined to give many of the recipes a try.

To be fair, if you were going to make a study of Moroccan cooking, then the time spent up front to make stocks, spice mixtures, and preserved lemons would be well worth it. You also would be willing to ship in what you couldn't get at home. But for a cook (like me) who wants make a Moroccan dish maybe every other month, the payoff drops off quickly.

Again, let me stress that Mourad is jam-packed with great information about Moroccan traditions and cuisine. It's a book I'll cherish because of the personal writing style and the look into a culture I know little about. Further, there are, in fact, a number of recipes that are straightforward and use readily available ingredients. The bread chapter calls to me, as do the soups and salads.

Here's a yogurt spread that looks delicious and easy to make.

Yogurt-Herb Spread
Makes 2 cups

2 cups (476 g) whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 small or ½ large cucumber, preferably Armenian
1 tablespoon (15 g) fresh lemon juice
1½ teaspoons (4.5 g) kosher salt
1½ teaspoons (2.2 g) grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) ground white pepper
1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane
2 teaspoons (2 g) chopped dill

To drain the yogurt: You'll need a deep bowl or other container and a wooden spoon or dowel. Line the bowl with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Spoon the yogurt into the center of the cloth and pull up the edges to form a pouch. Tie the ends around the spoon or dowel, adjusting the length so that the pouch is at least 2 inches above the bottom of the bowl. Refrigerate overnight to drain the excess liquid.

For the spread: The next day, remove the yogurt from the cheesecloth and put it in a large bowl. Discard the liquid.

Peel and seed the cucumber. Grate it on the medium-fine holes of a box grater to produce a pulpy mush. Put the cucumber pulp on a piece of cheesecloth, pick up the edges, and twist the cloth over the sink to remove as much liquid as you can.

Stir the cucumber into the yogurt, along with the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days before serving.

To serve: [Lahlou] likes this best with warm grilled flatbread or pita chips.

Mourad was an Indie Next pick for December 2011. For more on Mourad Lahlou's type of cooking visit the website for his restaurant, Aziza.

Mourad: New Moroccan at an Indie

Mourad: New Moroccan at Powell's

Mourad: New Moroccan at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.