Hi Everyone!
So glad I was here for our walk yesterday - thanks to Andrea we discovered a "walk" that most of us (Barb, Mary, Jan, Andrea, Laila and me) hadn't been on before - with all that training we did for the 3-Day, I thought we had covered every square mile of Boulder! This was the Twin Lakes Trail in Gunbarrel (off of Nautilus Drive). It was a lovely trail and beautiful views. We followed our walk with coffee and such at the Page Two Cafe in the Gunbarrel Shopping Center. In addition to being a very comfortable cafe, it also has a very nice gift shop.
Book Report:
Barb is reading Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien. Although it seems to have gotten high praise from the reviewers, Barb isn't so sure about it.
Amazon.com
"In October, near the end of the month, Cacciato left the war."
In Tim O'Brien's novel Going After Cacciato the theater of war becomes the theater of the absurd as a private deserts his post in Vietnam, intent on walking 8,000 miles to Paris for the peace talks. The remaining members of his squad are sent after him, but what happens then is anybody's guess: "The facts were simple: They went after Cacciato, they chased him into the mountains, they tried hard. They cornered him on a small grassy hill. They surrounded the hill. They waited through the night. And at dawn they shot the sky full of flares and then they moved in.... That was the end of it. The last known fact. What remained were possibilities."
It is these possibilities that make O'Brien's National Book Award-winning novel so extraordinary. Told from the perspective of squad member Paul Berlin, the search for Cacciato soon enters the realm of the surreal as the men find themselves following an elusive trail of chocolate M&M's through the jungles of Indochina, across India, Iran, Greece, and Yugoslavia to the streets of Paris. The details of this hallucinatory journey alternate with feverish memories of the war--men maimed by landmines, killed in tunnels, engaged in casual acts of brutality that would be unthinkable anywhere else. Reminiscent of Joseph Heller's Catch-22, Going After Cacciato dishes up a brilliant mix of ferocious comedy and bleak horror that serves to illuminate both the complex psychology of men in battle and the overarching insanity of war. --Alix Wilber --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review"Simply put, the best novel written about the war. I do not know . . . any writer, journalist, or novelist who does not concede that position to O'Brien's Going After Cacciato."--Miami Herald"A novel of great beauty and importance."--Boston Globe"Stark . . . rhapsodic. . . . It is a canvas painted vividly, hauntingly, disturbingly by Tim O'Brien."--Los Angeles Times
I'm getting started reading writers who will be featured at this year's Literary Sojourn in Steamboat Springs. Best known is Jane Hamilton (Book of Ruth and Map of the World). I'm now reading Disobedience. Check out www.literarysojourn.org for details about the event. Our book group has been going for the last several years and enjoy it so much.
Websites of the Week - https://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailing - cut down on junk mail, save a tree!
https://www.zingermans.com - wonderful mail order food site - great for gifts for friends and family - Don't forget about Mother's Day!
Podcast of the Week - http://www.slate.com/id/2119317/ - Chris has been enjoying this one.
Food and Cooking: Lots of great recipes to share this week!
From Fine Cooking Magazine - Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Bacon, Onions & Peas http://www.recipezaar.com/223043 - a take-off on Carbonara
From Giada DiLaurentiis - Berry Strata - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36602,00.html - kind of like a berry filled bread pudding - yum!
From Viola Capodici (Mandy's friend Connie's mom) - "Gravy and Meatballs" - this is the real deal - perfect on Soprano Sundays!
VIOLA CAPODICI’S GRAVY AND MEATBALLS
1 lb ground round
1 lb ground pork
28-oz. can whole peeled Italian tomatoes (blended on “puree” for a couple of seconds)
28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
6-oz. tomato paste plus one can of water
Shredded pecorino Romano cheese
Breadcrumbs w/Italian seasoning
4 eggs
Olive oil
Spices: dried basil, parsley, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper
Cover bottom of fry pan with olive oil, let sit. Sprinkle about ½ t. salt in the bottom of a mixing bowl; add a sprinkle of ground pepper. Add beef and pork; salt and pepper the meat again and add a generous sprinkling of garlic powder, along with the basil and parsley flakes (4-6 healthy shakes of each). Add 2 handfuls of the shredded romano. (Mrs. C says, “Don’t be stingy with the cheese—that’s the flavor.”) Add about ½ c of the breadcrumbs and 3 eggs. Mix well with your hands. If it’s too dry, add a fourth egg; if too moist, add a bit more crumbs. (For 2 lbs of meat you will most likely need 4 eggs.) Using water to moisten your hands, form meatballs just shy of baseball-size. Roll them until they hold together and put them on a platter. When the meatballs are ready, place them all in your cold pan w/oil. Turn heat to medium-high to cook, turning gently but frequently til they’re browned on all sides but not cooked through (and not crusty brown!)
When the meatballs are done, place them back on the platter and begin making the gravy. Scrape the fry pan’s drippings and brown bits into your stockpot. Add the tomato paste and can of water. Blend the pot’s contents and then add the whole tomatoes (pureed) and crushed tomatoes. Lightly sprinkle surface with garlic powder and about 2T each of basil and parsley flakes. Add a few turns of ground pepper. (No salt!) Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper, to taste. Mix well. Gently place the meatballs back into the stockpot, along with the juices that have accumulated on the platter. Put over medium high heat, covered, until gravy comes to a boil. Then, immediately uncover and lower heat to a simmer. (“If you leave the cover on, you’ll have soup!”) Cook at least an hour, if not 1-1/2 hours. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, only.
(Note: Mrs. C also uses these meatballs, crumbled, in place of ground beef in her baked ziti.)
"Editorial comment: These are the best meatballs and gravy I’ve ever had—they got me through 4 years of college! –Mandy"
I'll be in New York this coming weekend with Libby and David - I'm so excited to be going wedding dress shopping with Lib!
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - April 23, 2007
Hi all,
It is Sunday afternoon here in Los Angeles. I'm sorry to say that we didn't get to have Jacob's birthday bash yesterday since he had an ear infection. The good news is that we all got to spend some nice quiet time together. All the Wadle "kids" were together and that was terrific!
Book Report:
Linn sent us a list of books she has read recently - check them out! FYI - Linn had been working at a book store in Estes Park - Guess where her paycheck went? Great news to share - Linn is starting work at Whole Foods this week!
The first two books haven't been released yet - we'll have to watch for these - also, this list is lengthy so I'm just providing links to the reviews on Amazon:
Merle's Door
Lessons from a Free Thinking Dog
by Ted Kerasote - http://www.amazon.com/Merles-Door-Lessons-Freethinking-Dog/dp/0151012709/ref=sr_1_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177277824&sr=1-1
The Last Chinese Chef
by Nicole Mones - http://www.amazon.com/Last-Chinese-Chef-Nicole-Mones/dp/0618619666/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177277938&sr=1-1
A Pig in Provence
by Georgeanne Brennan - http://www.amazon.com/Pig-Provence-Simple-Pleasures-France/dp/081185213X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177277993&sr=1-1
The God of Animals
by Aryn Kyle - http://www.amazon.com/God-Animals-Novel-Aryn-Kyle/dp/1416533249/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177278044&sr=1-1
Nineteen Minutes
by Jodi Picoult - http://www.amazon.com/Nineteen-Minutes-novel-Jodi-Picoult/dp/0743496728/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177278098&sr=1-1 - (Libby just read this one and recommends it - particularly timely, having just gone through another school shooting)
Catching Genius
by Kristy Keirnan - http://www.mostlyfiction.com/contemp/kiernan.htm
The Conjurer's Bird
by Martin Davies - http://www.amazon.com/Conjurers-Bird-Novel-Martin-Davies/dp/1400097339
Website of the Week - Ariana Huffington's blog - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ - I just heard an interview with Ariana Huffington and was quite impressed with her. I'm also anxious to read her book that is now out in paperback - On Becoming Fearless - http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Fearless-Love-Work-Life/dp/0316166812
Podcast of the Week - The Ethicist - http://www.nytimes.com/ref/multimedia/podcasts.html Randy Cohen, Times Magazine columnist, answers readers' questions on ethical issues each week. Schedule: Fridays
Cooking and Food
No cooking going on at our house this past week but I do have two LA restaurant reviews:
Lunch at The Oinkster in Eagle Rock, CA - http://www.oinkster.com/ - slow, fast food - featuring pastrami and pulled pork sandwiches - we sampled the pulled pork, great chicken salad and great fries with aoili mayo.
Dinner at Pace in Laurel Canyon (very near the Hollywood Bowl) - Jack was eager to take all of us here for a celebration dinner in honor of Libby and David's engagement - I mentioned this place a few weeks ago but definitely worth a second mention. http://peaceinthecanyon.com/ -
That's it for now! Missed our Saturday morning walk but will be there next week!
Love,
Susan
It is Sunday afternoon here in Los Angeles. I'm sorry to say that we didn't get to have Jacob's birthday bash yesterday since he had an ear infection. The good news is that we all got to spend some nice quiet time together. All the Wadle "kids" were together and that was terrific!
Book Report:
Linn sent us a list of books she has read recently - check them out! FYI - Linn had been working at a book store in Estes Park - Guess where her paycheck went? Great news to share - Linn is starting work at Whole Foods this week!
The first two books haven't been released yet - we'll have to watch for these - also, this list is lengthy so I'm just providing links to the reviews on Amazon:
Merle's Door
Lessons from a Free Thinking Dog
by Ted Kerasote - http://www.amazon.com/Merles-Door-Lessons-Freethinking-Dog/dp/0151012709/ref=sr_1_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177277824&sr=1-1
The Last Chinese Chef
by Nicole Mones - http://www.amazon.com/Last-Chinese-Chef-Nicole-Mones/dp/0618619666/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177277938&sr=1-1
A Pig in Provence
by Georgeanne Brennan - http://www.amazon.com/Pig-Provence-Simple-Pleasures-France/dp/081185213X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177277993&sr=1-1
The God of Animals
by Aryn Kyle - http://www.amazon.com/God-Animals-Novel-Aryn-Kyle/dp/1416533249/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177278044&sr=1-1
Nineteen Minutes
by Jodi Picoult - http://www.amazon.com/Nineteen-Minutes-novel-Jodi-Picoult/dp/0743496728/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8509221-3488140?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177278098&sr=1-1 - (Libby just read this one and recommends it - particularly timely, having just gone through another school shooting)
Catching Genius
by Kristy Keirnan - http://www.mostlyfiction.com/contemp/kiernan.htm
The Conjurer's Bird
by Martin Davies - http://www.amazon.com/Conjurers-Bird-Novel-Martin-Davies/dp/1400097339
Website of the Week - Ariana Huffington's blog - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ - I just heard an interview with Ariana Huffington and was quite impressed with her. I'm also anxious to read her book that is now out in paperback - On Becoming Fearless - http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Fearless-Love-Work-Life/dp/0316166812
Podcast of the Week - The Ethicist - http://www.nytimes.com/ref/multimedia/podcasts.html Randy Cohen, Times Magazine columnist, answers readers' questions on ethical issues each week. Schedule: Fridays
Cooking and Food
No cooking going on at our house this past week but I do have two LA restaurant reviews:
Lunch at The Oinkster in Eagle Rock, CA - http://www.oinkster.com/ - slow, fast food - featuring pastrami and pulled pork sandwiches - we sampled the pulled pork, great chicken salad and great fries with aoili mayo.
Dinner at Pace in Laurel Canyon (very near the Hollywood Bowl) - Jack was eager to take all of us here for a celebration dinner in honor of Libby and David's engagement - I mentioned this place a few weeks ago but definitely worth a second mention. http://peaceinthecanyon.com/ -
That's it for now! Missed our Saturday morning walk but will be there next week!
Love,
Susan
Saturday Morning Walkers - April 14, 2007
Hi everyone!
So happy that the "blizzard" that was predicted never actually happened. We had a lovely Saturday morning - Jan, Barb, Andrea, Mary, Laila and I met for coffee and bagels at Moe's. I sent everyone off on a walk through the Whittier neighborhood to Hawthorn and over to the Community Gardens and back on 13th to Community Plaza. I had to leave early to take Jack to the airport.
We had lots to talk about - here goes...............
Book Report:
Andrea is reading an interesting collection of essays called E = Einstein by Donald and Bartusiak Goldsmith
Abbey Bookshop Description
In the history of physics, there has been no greater visionary than Albert Einstein. Through his revolutionary Theory of Relativity, he fundamentally changed the way we look at the universe. But there is more to Einstein than just E=mc2 - and this anthology of 30 fascinating essays, presented by three renowned scientist/editors, captures his various facets. Complete with more than 125 colour illustrations and explanatory sidebars that make the information accessible to the layperson, these revelatory articles explore his life, theories and legacy.
Barb is reading the very funny book about aging, I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron.
From Publishers Weekly[Signature]Reviewed by Toni BentleyThe honest truth is that it's sad to be over sixty," concludes Nora Ephron in her sparkling new book about aging. With 15 essays in 160 pages, this collection is short, a thoughtful concession to pre- and post-menopausal women (who else is there?), like herself, who "can't read a word on the pill bottle," follow a thought to a conclusion, or remember the thought after not being able to read the pill bottle. Ephron drives the truth home like a nail in your soon-to-be-bought coffin: "Plus, you can't wear a bikini." But just as despair sets in, she admits to using "quite a lot of bath oil... I'm as smooth as silk." Yes, she is. This is aging lite—but that might be the answer. Besides, there's always Philip Roth for aging heavy.Ephron, in fact, offers a brief anecdote about Roth, in a chapter on cooking, concerning her friend Jane, who had a one-night stand, long ago, with the then "up-and-coming" writer. He gave Jane a copy of his latest book. "Take one on your way out," he said. Conveniently, there was a box of them by the front door. Ephron refuses to analyze—one of her most refreshing qualities—and quickly moves on to Jane's céleri remoulade.Aging, according to Ephron, is one big descent—and who would argue? (Well, okay—but they'd lose the argument if they all got naked.) There it is, the steady spiraling down of everything: body and mind, breasts and balls, dragging one's self-respect behind them. Ephron's witty riffs on these distractions are a delightful antidote to the prevailing belief that everything can be held up with surgical scaffolding and the drugs of denial. Nothing, in the end, prevents the descent. While signs of mortality proliferate, Ephron offers a rebuttal of consequence: an intelligent, alert, entertaining perspective that does not take itself too seriously. (If you can't laugh, after all, you are already, technically speaking, dead.) She does, however, concede that hair maintenance—styling, dyeing, highlighting, blow-drying—is a serious matter, not to mention the expense. "Once I picked up a copy of Vogue while having my hair done, and it cost me twenty thousand dollars. But you should see my teeth." Digging deeper, she discovers that your filthy, bulging purse containing numerous things you don't need—and couldn't find if you did—is, "in some absolutely horrible way, you." Ephron doesn't shy away from the truth about sex either, and confesses, though with an appropriate amount of shame, that despite having been a White House intern in 1961, she did not have an affair with JFK. May Ephron, and her purse, endure so she can continue to tell us how it goes. Or, at least, where it went. Toni Bentley is the author, most recently, of Sisters of Salome and The Surrender, an Erotic Memoir. She is writing about Emma, Lady Hamilton, for the Eminent Lives series.
Website of the Week - recommended by Rae - www.conversationcafe - These Conversation Cafés are about free speech. Not as something that can be taken away in an era of repression, but as something one strengthens through self expression in the presence of those who do not agree. Free speech is our birthright. Repressive societies can change the consequences of speaking, but they do not govern our souls.
"I envision a culture of conversation — a culture where people talk freely — without fear or taboos — with friends and strangers alike. I once asked a Dane how Denmark had resisted the pressures of globalization. He said two words: study circles. Most Danes throughout their adult lives have the habit of conversation about things that matter in small groups.
"We can do that here. In cafés. In Britain in the 1700s the government shut down the cafés where people met to discuss politics because they were sites of revolutionary thinking. Here, we get our news from the TV, retreat into private sub-cultures through online chats and interact only with people who see the world as we do. This is a formula for weakening society enough to allow forces of repression to take over. Conversation Cafés are an attempt to reverse the trend."
Podcast of the Week - recommended by Chris - http://www.twit.tv/DGW - a network of shows with the latest info and news about technology
Cooking and Food - lots of yummy recipes to share:
Mandy made Giada de Laurentiis Ricotta Pancakes for a brunch this weekend - she served them with wild blueberries and accompanied them with proscuitto-wrapped cantalope slices - topped everything off with Mango Bellinis - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31908,00.html
Libby had a major cookfest today during the "Nor'Easter" in New York today:
From Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, Chicken Chili - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27660,00.html?rsrc=search
From Giada de Laurentiis, Foccacia Panino - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33447,00.html?rsrc=search
From Lisa Yockelman's Chocolate by Chocolate (featured in Food & Wine's Best of the Best Cookbook) - Giant Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Muffins - these are outstanding - unfortunately, I can't find the recipe on-line and its a very long recipe. I will put it in a word document and will send it as an attachment to anyone who would like to have this one.
Susan had two winners this week:
We had a Soprano's opening night Italian dinner last Sunday - Bobby Flay's Chicken Parmigiana - molto bene! - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33031,00.html?rsrc=search
Another was Giada de Laurentiis' Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola - the sauce was terrific and I would use it with steak or even chicken - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32171,00.html?rsrc=search
A few random notes and hints:
Jan saw Susan Love, breast cancer expert, at the World Affairs Conference - she was so impressed her and the work she is doing - check out her website - www.susanlovemd.com
Mary shared the names of a couple of contractors that she highly recommends:
V & A Doors - installation and repair of garage door openers - family business - 303- 429-2770
Foothills Appliance - 303-665-3333
Barb has a handy hint - Distilled white vinegar is a great organic weed killer - works well for those weeds peeking through stone walks and patios - http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/VinegarKillsWeeds.html
That's it until next week - we'll be in LA next weekend to celebrate Jacob's 5th birthday.
Have a great week.....
Love,
Susan
So happy that the "blizzard" that was predicted never actually happened. We had a lovely Saturday morning - Jan, Barb, Andrea, Mary, Laila and I met for coffee and bagels at Moe's. I sent everyone off on a walk through the Whittier neighborhood to Hawthorn and over to the Community Gardens and back on 13th to Community Plaza. I had to leave early to take Jack to the airport.
We had lots to talk about - here goes...............
Book Report:
Andrea is reading an interesting collection of essays called E = Einstein by Donald and Bartusiak Goldsmith
Abbey Bookshop Description
In the history of physics, there has been no greater visionary than Albert Einstein. Through his revolutionary Theory of Relativity, he fundamentally changed the way we look at the universe. But there is more to Einstein than just E=mc2 - and this anthology of 30 fascinating essays, presented by three renowned scientist/editors, captures his various facets. Complete with more than 125 colour illustrations and explanatory sidebars that make the information accessible to the layperson, these revelatory articles explore his life, theories and legacy.
Barb is reading the very funny book about aging, I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron.
From Publishers Weekly[Signature]Reviewed by Toni BentleyThe honest truth is that it's sad to be over sixty," concludes Nora Ephron in her sparkling new book about aging. With 15 essays in 160 pages, this collection is short, a thoughtful concession to pre- and post-menopausal women (who else is there?), like herself, who "can't read a word on the pill bottle," follow a thought to a conclusion, or remember the thought after not being able to read the pill bottle. Ephron drives the truth home like a nail in your soon-to-be-bought coffin: "Plus, you can't wear a bikini." But just as despair sets in, she admits to using "quite a lot of bath oil... I'm as smooth as silk." Yes, she is. This is aging lite—but that might be the answer. Besides, there's always Philip Roth for aging heavy.Ephron, in fact, offers a brief anecdote about Roth, in a chapter on cooking, concerning her friend Jane, who had a one-night stand, long ago, with the then "up-and-coming" writer. He gave Jane a copy of his latest book. "Take one on your way out," he said. Conveniently, there was a box of them by the front door. Ephron refuses to analyze—one of her most refreshing qualities—and quickly moves on to Jane's céleri remoulade.Aging, according to Ephron, is one big descent—and who would argue? (Well, okay—but they'd lose the argument if they all got naked.) There it is, the steady spiraling down of everything: body and mind, breasts and balls, dragging one's self-respect behind them. Ephron's witty riffs on these distractions are a delightful antidote to the prevailing belief that everything can be held up with surgical scaffolding and the drugs of denial. Nothing, in the end, prevents the descent. While signs of mortality proliferate, Ephron offers a rebuttal of consequence: an intelligent, alert, entertaining perspective that does not take itself too seriously. (If you can't laugh, after all, you are already, technically speaking, dead.) She does, however, concede that hair maintenance—styling, dyeing, highlighting, blow-drying—is a serious matter, not to mention the expense. "Once I picked up a copy of Vogue while having my hair done, and it cost me twenty thousand dollars. But you should see my teeth." Digging deeper, she discovers that your filthy, bulging purse containing numerous things you don't need—and couldn't find if you did—is, "in some absolutely horrible way, you." Ephron doesn't shy away from the truth about sex either, and confesses, though with an appropriate amount of shame, that despite having been a White House intern in 1961, she did not have an affair with JFK. May Ephron, and her purse, endure so she can continue to tell us how it goes. Or, at least, where it went. Toni Bentley is the author, most recently, of Sisters of Salome and The Surrender, an Erotic Memoir. She is writing about Emma, Lady Hamilton, for the Eminent Lives series.
Website of the Week - recommended by Rae - www.conversationcafe - These Conversation Cafés are about free speech. Not as something that can be taken away in an era of repression, but as something one strengthens through self expression in the presence of those who do not agree. Free speech is our birthright. Repressive societies can change the consequences of speaking, but they do not govern our souls.
"I envision a culture of conversation — a culture where people talk freely — without fear or taboos — with friends and strangers alike. I once asked a Dane how Denmark had resisted the pressures of globalization. He said two words: study circles. Most Danes throughout their adult lives have the habit of conversation about things that matter in small groups.
"We can do that here. In cafés. In Britain in the 1700s the government shut down the cafés where people met to discuss politics because they were sites of revolutionary thinking. Here, we get our news from the TV, retreat into private sub-cultures through online chats and interact only with people who see the world as we do. This is a formula for weakening society enough to allow forces of repression to take over. Conversation Cafés are an attempt to reverse the trend."
Podcast of the Week - recommended by Chris - http://www.twit.tv/DGW - a network of shows with the latest info and news about technology
Cooking and Food - lots of yummy recipes to share:
Mandy made Giada de Laurentiis Ricotta Pancakes for a brunch this weekend - she served them with wild blueberries and accompanied them with proscuitto-wrapped cantalope slices - topped everything off with Mango Bellinis - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31908,00.html
Libby had a major cookfest today during the "Nor'Easter" in New York today:
From Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, Chicken Chili - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27660,00.html?rsrc=search
From Giada de Laurentiis, Foccacia Panino - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33447,00.html?rsrc=search
From Lisa Yockelman's Chocolate by Chocolate (featured in Food & Wine's Best of the Best Cookbook) - Giant Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Muffins - these are outstanding - unfortunately, I can't find the recipe on-line and its a very long recipe. I will put it in a word document and will send it as an attachment to anyone who would like to have this one.
Susan had two winners this week:
We had a Soprano's opening night Italian dinner last Sunday - Bobby Flay's Chicken Parmigiana - molto bene! - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33031,00.html?rsrc=search
Another was Giada de Laurentiis' Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola - the sauce was terrific and I would use it with steak or even chicken - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32171,00.html?rsrc=search
A few random notes and hints:
Jan saw Susan Love, breast cancer expert, at the World Affairs Conference - she was so impressed her and the work she is doing - check out her website - www.susanlovemd.com
Mary shared the names of a couple of contractors that she highly recommends:
V & A Doors - installation and repair of garage door openers - family business - 303- 429-2770
Foothills Appliance - 303-665-3333
Barb has a handy hint - Distilled white vinegar is a great organic weed killer - works well for those weeds peeking through stone walks and patios - http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/VinegarKillsWeeds.html
That's it until next week - we'll be in LA next weekend to celebrate Jacob's 5th birthday.
Have a great week.....
Love,
Susan
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - April 8, 2007
Hi everyone!
Well, we're back to winter again - hopefully, not for long! Saturday morning found many of us gathered around our usual "spot" at Caffe Sole - Terri, Cass, Barb, Jackie, Mary, Jan and myself (really felt like old times!). Freezing drizzle (or snizzle as our weatherman back in Boston used to call it) kept us from walking but we stayed warm and cozy.
Book Report:
Cass shared with us that she has developed an interest in reading spy novels based on an article that she read in Vanity Fair Magazine - http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine - She has read John Le Carre's classic, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and she is about to embark on a very ambitious read of Robert Fisk's The Great War For Civilization.
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
Amazon.com
It would be an international crime to reveal too much of the jeweled clockwork plot of Le Carré's first masterpiece, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. But we are at liberty to disclose that Graham Greene called it the "finest spy story ever written," and that the taut tale concerns Alec Leamas, a British agent in early Cold War Berlin. Leamas is responsible for keeping the double agents under his care undercover and alive, but East Germans start killing them, so he gets called back to London by Control, his spy master. Yet instead of giving Leamas the boot, Control gives him a scary assignment: play the part of a disgraced agent, a sodden failure everybody whispers about. Control sends him back out into the cold--deep into Communist territory to checkmate the bad-guy spies on the other side. The political chessboard is black and white, but in human terms the vicinity of the Berlin Wall is a moral no-man's land, a gray abyss patrolled by pawns.
The Great War For Civilization
From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review.
Combining a novelist's talent for atmosphere with a scholar's grasp of historical sweep, foreign correspondent Fisk (Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon) has written one of the most dense and compelling accounts of recent Middle Eastern history yet. The book opens with a deftly juxtaposed account of Fisk's two interviews with Osama bin Laden. In the first, held in Sudan in 1993, bin Laden declared himself "a construction engineer and an agriculturist." He had no time to train mujahideen, he said; he was busy constructing a highway. In the second, held four years later in Afghanistan, he declared war on the Saudi royal family and America.Fisk, who has lived in and reported on the Middle East since 1976, first for the (London) Times and now for the Independent, possesses deep knowledge of the broader history of the region, which allows him to discuss the Armenian genocide 90 years ago, the 2002 destruction of Jenin, and the battlefields of Iraq with equal aplomb. But it is his stunning capacity for visceral description—he has seen, or tracked down firsthand accounts of, all the major events of the past 25 years—that makes this volume unique. Some of the chapters contain detailed accounts of torture and murder, which more squeamish readers may be inclined to skip, but such scenes are not gratuitous. They are designed to drive home Fisk's belief that "war is primarily not about victory or defeat but about death and the infliction of death." Though Fisk's political stances may sometimes be controversial, no one can deny that this volume is a stunning achievement. (Nov.)
Podcast of the Week: Randy Cohen's Ethicist Column from the New York Times Magazine and NPR - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4464216 or go to Itunes and search for The Ethicist. Cohen answers readers' questions on ethical issues each week.
Website of the Week: I am so excited about this find! Check out www.librarything.com. You can catalog your entire library on this site. I have attempted to keep journals of what I've been reading but I haven't been terribly consistent. This site really makes it easy and has so many tools to play around with. You can actually use this for book groups to keep track of what they're reading and I've actually set up a group called Saturday Morning Walkers - you can join this group and add your collection so that we can all have access to each other's catalogs.
Food and Cooking Report: Not much cooking going on in our house this week but here's a "restaurant runners" selection and a couple of restaurants:
Jack has a favorite meal that he orders from The Trattoria on Pearl - www.trattoriaonpearl.com - the Fettucine Bolognese with Ground Beef and Veal is one of the best he's had. We love their Caesar Salad served with fresh white anchovies - yum! We figure we're among the Restaurant Runner's best customers - sure comes in handy sometimes - www.http://restaurant-runners.com/
I had dinner this week with Gaye at the Niwot Tavern - a great neighborhood place! http://www.niwottavern.com/ - Gaye had the veggie burger which she loved and I had a great hamburger with grilled onions and onion rings - mmmmm-good! It was good to catch up with Gaye - we had a lot of wedding talk to cover. One of her sons was married last summer in California and her other son is getting married this summer in Ohio!
Last night, Jack and I had dinner with a business associate of Jack's - Dave recently moved to Boulder and we thought he might enjoy The Sunflower Restaurant at 17th and Pearl - http://www.sunflowerrestaurant.net/ - Dave had the Caesar Salad and Buffalo Steak, Jack had mussels (I tasted those and they were outstanding) and New York Strip Steak and I had the seafood special - Hazelnut Crusted Halibut with a Mozzarella Croquette topped with Asparagus and Tomatoes - it looked gorgeous and was delicious. I really like the atmosphere at The Sunflower - low-key, relatively quiet (important to me) and attentive service.
Random Cooking Tip - Are you ever puzzled by which type of potato works best for frying, baking, mashing, etc? Check out http://www.ochef.com/167.htm - to clarify that "burning" question.
Buyer Beware - For those of you who have Comcast as your cable and internet provider, don't be tempted by their recent offer to switch you from Qwest phone service to Comcast phone service. It will save you money but apparently will cost you in quality of service. Several people who made that switch were very disappointed. Check out this website - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/comcast_local.html
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Well, we're back to winter again - hopefully, not for long! Saturday morning found many of us gathered around our usual "spot" at Caffe Sole - Terri, Cass, Barb, Jackie, Mary, Jan and myself (really felt like old times!). Freezing drizzle (or snizzle as our weatherman back in Boston used to call it) kept us from walking but we stayed warm and cozy.
Book Report:
Cass shared with us that she has developed an interest in reading spy novels based on an article that she read in Vanity Fair Magazine - http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine - She has read John Le Carre's classic, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and she is about to embark on a very ambitious read of Robert Fisk's The Great War For Civilization.
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
Amazon.com
It would be an international crime to reveal too much of the jeweled clockwork plot of Le Carré's first masterpiece, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. But we are at liberty to disclose that Graham Greene called it the "finest spy story ever written," and that the taut tale concerns Alec Leamas, a British agent in early Cold War Berlin. Leamas is responsible for keeping the double agents under his care undercover and alive, but East Germans start killing them, so he gets called back to London by Control, his spy master. Yet instead of giving Leamas the boot, Control gives him a scary assignment: play the part of a disgraced agent, a sodden failure everybody whispers about. Control sends him back out into the cold--deep into Communist territory to checkmate the bad-guy spies on the other side. The political chessboard is black and white, but in human terms the vicinity of the Berlin Wall is a moral no-man's land, a gray abyss patrolled by pawns.
The Great War For Civilization
From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review.
Combining a novelist's talent for atmosphere with a scholar's grasp of historical sweep, foreign correspondent Fisk (Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon) has written one of the most dense and compelling accounts of recent Middle Eastern history yet. The book opens with a deftly juxtaposed account of Fisk's two interviews with Osama bin Laden. In the first, held in Sudan in 1993, bin Laden declared himself "a construction engineer and an agriculturist." He had no time to train mujahideen, he said; he was busy constructing a highway. In the second, held four years later in Afghanistan, he declared war on the Saudi royal family and America.Fisk, who has lived in and reported on the Middle East since 1976, first for the (London) Times and now for the Independent, possesses deep knowledge of the broader history of the region, which allows him to discuss the Armenian genocide 90 years ago, the 2002 destruction of Jenin, and the battlefields of Iraq with equal aplomb. But it is his stunning capacity for visceral description—he has seen, or tracked down firsthand accounts of, all the major events of the past 25 years—that makes this volume unique. Some of the chapters contain detailed accounts of torture and murder, which more squeamish readers may be inclined to skip, but such scenes are not gratuitous. They are designed to drive home Fisk's belief that "war is primarily not about victory or defeat but about death and the infliction of death." Though Fisk's political stances may sometimes be controversial, no one can deny that this volume is a stunning achievement. (Nov.)
Podcast of the Week: Randy Cohen's Ethicist Column from the New York Times Magazine and NPR - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4464216 or go to Itunes and search for The Ethicist. Cohen answers readers' questions on ethical issues each week.
Website of the Week: I am so excited about this find! Check out www.librarything.com. You can catalog your entire library on this site. I have attempted to keep journals of what I've been reading but I haven't been terribly consistent. This site really makes it easy and has so many tools to play around with. You can actually use this for book groups to keep track of what they're reading and I've actually set up a group called Saturday Morning Walkers - you can join this group and add your collection so that we can all have access to each other's catalogs.
Food and Cooking Report: Not much cooking going on in our house this week but here's a "restaurant runners" selection and a couple of restaurants:
Jack has a favorite meal that he orders from The Trattoria on Pearl - www.trattoriaonpearl.com - the Fettucine Bolognese with Ground Beef and Veal is one of the best he's had. We love their Caesar Salad served with fresh white anchovies - yum! We figure we're among the Restaurant Runner's best customers - sure comes in handy sometimes - www.http://restaurant-runners.com/
I had dinner this week with Gaye at the Niwot Tavern - a great neighborhood place! http://www.niwottavern.com/ - Gaye had the veggie burger which she loved and I had a great hamburger with grilled onions and onion rings - mmmmm-good! It was good to catch up with Gaye - we had a lot of wedding talk to cover. One of her sons was married last summer in California and her other son is getting married this summer in Ohio!
Last night, Jack and I had dinner with a business associate of Jack's - Dave recently moved to Boulder and we thought he might enjoy The Sunflower Restaurant at 17th and Pearl - http://www.sunflowerrestaurant.net/ - Dave had the Caesar Salad and Buffalo Steak, Jack had mussels (I tasted those and they were outstanding) and New York Strip Steak and I had the seafood special - Hazelnut Crusted Halibut with a Mozzarella Croquette topped with Asparagus and Tomatoes - it looked gorgeous and was delicious. I really like the atmosphere at The Sunflower - low-key, relatively quiet (important to me) and attentive service.
Random Cooking Tip - Are you ever puzzled by which type of potato works best for frying, baking, mashing, etc? Check out http://www.ochef.com/167.htm - to clarify that "burning" question.
Buyer Beware - For those of you who have Comcast as your cable and internet provider, don't be tempted by their recent offer to switch you from Qwest phone service to Comcast phone service. It will save you money but apparently will cost you in quality of service. Several people who made that switch were very disappointed. Check out this website - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/comcast_local.html
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - April 1, 2007
Hi everyone!
Sorry I missed yesterday's walk and coffee at Vic's Downtown (I love that place!). I do have lots to share this week - especially in the food department.
Book Report: After seeing The Namesake at the movies last week, I was motivated to read the book that it was based on, by Jhumpa Lahiri. The movie was a bit slow but a good story. Needless to say, the book is is a much fuller, detailed story. Our book group read Lahiri's collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies. She is a wonderful storyteller and really brings her characters to life.
Amazon.comAny talk of The Namesake--Jhumpa Lahiri's follow-up to her Pulitzer Prize-winning debut, Interpreter of Maladies--must begin with a name: Gogol Ganguli. Born to an Indian academic and his wife, Gogol is afflicted from birth with a name that is neither Indian nor American nor even really a first name at all. He is given the name by his father who, before he came to America to study at MIT, was almost killed in a train wreck in India. Rescuers caught sight of the volume of Nikolai Gogol's short stories that he held, and hauled him from the train. Ashoke gives his American-born son the name as a kind of placeholder, and the awkward thing sticks.
Awkwardness is Gogol's birthright. He grows up a bright American boy, goes to Yale, has pretty girlfriends, becomes a successful architect, but like many second-generation immigrants, he can never quite find his place in the world. There's a lovely section where he dates a wealthy, cultured young Manhattan woman who lives with her charming parents. They fold Gogol into their easy, elegant life, but even here he can find no peace and he breaks off the relationship. His mother finally sets him up on a blind date with the daughter of a Bengali friend, and Gogol thinks he has found his match. Moushumi, like Gogol, is at odds with the Indian-American world she inhabits. She has found, however, a circuitous escape: "At Brown, her rebellion had been academic ... she'd pursued a double major in French. Immersing herself in a third language, a third culture, had been her refuge--she approached French, unlike things American or Indian, without guilt, or misgiving, or expectation of any kind." Lahiri documents these quiet rebellions and random longings with great sensitivity. There's no cleverness or showing-off in The Namesake, just beautifully confident storytelling. Gogol's story is neither comedy nor tragedy; it's simply that ordinary, hard-to-get-down-on-paper commodity: real life.
Podcast Recommendation: You can download a weekly podcast from The Splendid Table website - http://www.splendidtable.org/ - a great food site and a very entertaining podcast.
Website Recommendations: Mandy sent me this one - http://www.hungrygirl.com/ - she wanted me to know about a featured snack on the site - Thou Shall Snack Latke Crisps, Original Flavor - the site is a light-hearted, fun nutrition and food site.
The other site I heard about is http://www.toptipsforgirls/ - a fun, young "advice" site (for all of us fun, young girls!)
Food and Cooking Report:
Here's the recipe for the Baked Cod with Stuffing on Top and White Risotto that we had at book group last week at Rita's house - it is from Rachael Ray's 2, 4, 6, 8 Cookbook - just luscious!
8 cups chicken stock
3 T extra virgin olive oil (plus some for drizzling)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine8 center-cut cod fillets ( 8 ounces each)
salt and black pepper
2 cups seasoned stuffing mix
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
Generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 stick butter, softened
1 large shallot or 1/2 medium onion, minced
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese (4 generous handfuls)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Warm the stock in a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 -3 minutes, then add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the wine and let it evaporate entirely, stirring occasionally. Add a few ladles of the warm stock. Stir the stock into the rice and cook until it is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue to add the stock to the rice, stirring with each addition, as you make the fish.
Pat the cod dry, drizzle it with olive oil, arrange it in a baking pan, and season with salt and pepper.
Place the stuffing in a large food storage bag. Press out the air and seal the bag, then crush the stuffing into crumbs with a rolling pin. On a cutting board, sprinkle the chopped garlic with some large-flaked salt and smash it to a paste b pressing the heel of your hand against the flat blade of a chef's knife. Combine the paste with some pepper and the parsley. Mix the paste with the softened butter and combine the softened butter thoroughly with the crumbs and the shallots or onions. Top the fish evenly with the butter crumbs and bake it in the center of the oven for 15 - 18 minutes. If the fish seems slow to firm and the stuffing isn't browning, you can switch the oven to broil for the last 2 - 3 minutes and that'll do the job. The rack should remain at the center of the oven.
Add the last of the stock to the risotto and stir until absorbed. The risotto will take 22 minutes, total and will become very creamy if yo stir it frequently as the liquid is added. The stirring process will release the starches that cream the rice. The rice should absorb all of the liquids in that time. If you need a bit of extra liquid, water will do. In the last minute or so of the cooking time, fold in the cheese and turn off the heat.
Serve the fish with white risotto alongside. Rita served this with steamed asparagus tips - perfect!
Dessert was Ina Garten's Frozen Key Lime Pie - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_23370,00.html
I made a couple of great meals this week:
Stracoto with Porcini Mushrooms from Giada De Laurentiis - very tasty pot roast http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28425,00.html?rsrc=search
Basil Chicken Hash from Ina Garten - a fair amount of prep but well worth it - very colorful and fun dish - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35293,00.html?rsrc=search
Dark Chocolate Mousse from Ellie Krieger of the Food Network - this very dense, rich dessert has a secret ingredient, tofu!- Jack loved it and has no idea that it had tofu in it.
That's it for now - have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Sorry I missed yesterday's walk and coffee at Vic's Downtown (I love that place!). I do have lots to share this week - especially in the food department.
Book Report: After seeing The Namesake at the movies last week, I was motivated to read the book that it was based on, by Jhumpa Lahiri. The movie was a bit slow but a good story. Needless to say, the book is is a much fuller, detailed story. Our book group read Lahiri's collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies. She is a wonderful storyteller and really brings her characters to life.
Amazon.comAny talk of The Namesake--Jhumpa Lahiri's follow-up to her Pulitzer Prize-winning debut, Interpreter of Maladies--must begin with a name: Gogol Ganguli. Born to an Indian academic and his wife, Gogol is afflicted from birth with a name that is neither Indian nor American nor even really a first name at all. He is given the name by his father who, before he came to America to study at MIT, was almost killed in a train wreck in India. Rescuers caught sight of the volume of Nikolai Gogol's short stories that he held, and hauled him from the train. Ashoke gives his American-born son the name as a kind of placeholder, and the awkward thing sticks.
Awkwardness is Gogol's birthright. He grows up a bright American boy, goes to Yale, has pretty girlfriends, becomes a successful architect, but like many second-generation immigrants, he can never quite find his place in the world. There's a lovely section where he dates a wealthy, cultured young Manhattan woman who lives with her charming parents. They fold Gogol into their easy, elegant life, but even here he can find no peace and he breaks off the relationship. His mother finally sets him up on a blind date with the daughter of a Bengali friend, and Gogol thinks he has found his match. Moushumi, like Gogol, is at odds with the Indian-American world she inhabits. She has found, however, a circuitous escape: "At Brown, her rebellion had been academic ... she'd pursued a double major in French. Immersing herself in a third language, a third culture, had been her refuge--she approached French, unlike things American or Indian, without guilt, or misgiving, or expectation of any kind." Lahiri documents these quiet rebellions and random longings with great sensitivity. There's no cleverness or showing-off in The Namesake, just beautifully confident storytelling. Gogol's story is neither comedy nor tragedy; it's simply that ordinary, hard-to-get-down-on-paper commodity: real life.
Podcast Recommendation: You can download a weekly podcast from The Splendid Table website - http://www.splendidtable.org/ - a great food site and a very entertaining podcast.
Website Recommendations: Mandy sent me this one - http://www.hungrygirl.com/ - she wanted me to know about a featured snack on the site - Thou Shall Snack Latke Crisps, Original Flavor - the site is a light-hearted, fun nutrition and food site.
The other site I heard about is http://www.toptipsforgirls/ - a fun, young "advice" site (for all of us fun, young girls!)
Food and Cooking Report:
Here's the recipe for the Baked Cod with Stuffing on Top and White Risotto that we had at book group last week at Rita's house - it is from Rachael Ray's 2, 4, 6, 8 Cookbook - just luscious!
8 cups chicken stock
3 T extra virgin olive oil (plus some for drizzling)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine8 center-cut cod fillets ( 8 ounces each)
salt and black pepper
2 cups seasoned stuffing mix
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
Generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 stick butter, softened
1 large shallot or 1/2 medium onion, minced
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese (4 generous handfuls)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Warm the stock in a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 -3 minutes, then add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the wine and let it evaporate entirely, stirring occasionally. Add a few ladles of the warm stock. Stir the stock into the rice and cook until it is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue to add the stock to the rice, stirring with each addition, as you make the fish.
Pat the cod dry, drizzle it with olive oil, arrange it in a baking pan, and season with salt and pepper.
Place the stuffing in a large food storage bag. Press out the air and seal the bag, then crush the stuffing into crumbs with a rolling pin. On a cutting board, sprinkle the chopped garlic with some large-flaked salt and smash it to a paste b pressing the heel of your hand against the flat blade of a chef's knife. Combine the paste with some pepper and the parsley. Mix the paste with the softened butter and combine the softened butter thoroughly with the crumbs and the shallots or onions. Top the fish evenly with the butter crumbs and bake it in the center of the oven for 15 - 18 minutes. If the fish seems slow to firm and the stuffing isn't browning, you can switch the oven to broil for the last 2 - 3 minutes and that'll do the job. The rack should remain at the center of the oven.
Add the last of the stock to the risotto and stir until absorbed. The risotto will take 22 minutes, total and will become very creamy if yo stir it frequently as the liquid is added. The stirring process will release the starches that cream the rice. The rice should absorb all of the liquids in that time. If you need a bit of extra liquid, water will do. In the last minute or so of the cooking time, fold in the cheese and turn off the heat.
Serve the fish with white risotto alongside. Rita served this with steamed asparagus tips - perfect!
Dessert was Ina Garten's Frozen Key Lime Pie - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_23370,00.html
I made a couple of great meals this week:
Stracoto with Porcini Mushrooms from Giada De Laurentiis - very tasty pot roast http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28425,00.html?rsrc=search
Basil Chicken Hash from Ina Garten - a fair amount of prep but well worth it - very colorful and fun dish - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35293,00.html?rsrc=search
Dark Chocolate Mousse from Ellie Krieger of the Food Network - this very dense, rich dessert has a secret ingredient, tofu!- Jack loved it and has no idea that it had tofu in it.
That's it for now - have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - March 25, 2007
Hi everyone!
Lots to cover this week! I'm sorry that I missed our Saturday morning walk. I was taking a CPR class which is required for my nanny and doula positions. It was an excellent class and I highly recommend that everyone considers taking CPR. The company that gave the class is called Colorado Heartsmart - it was held in Boulder and the cost is very reasonable. Check them out at www.coheartsmart.com.
It sounds like a bit of rain didn't stop our friends yesterday - after coffee at the Eye Opener Cafe in Niwot, a few people ventured out for a walk in the rain. Even though I wasn't there to note books being read, I do know what some of us have been reading.
Book Report
Cass - just finished reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon - she really loved it and so did my book group when we read it a couple of years ago.
From Publishers Weekly
Christopher Boone, the autistic 15-year-old narrator of this revelatory novel, relaxes by groaning and doing math problems in his head, eats red-but not yellow or brown-foods and screams when he is touched. Strange as he may seem, other people are far more of a conundrum to him, for he lacks the intuitive "theory of mind" by which most of us sense what's going on in other people's heads. When his neighbor's poodle is killed and Christopher is falsely accused of the crime, he decides that he will take a page from Sherlock Holmes (one of his favorite characters) and track down the killer. As the mystery leads him to the secrets of his parents' broken marriage and then into an odyssey to find his place in the world, he must fall back on deductive logic to navigate the emotional complexities of a social world that remains a closed book to him. In the hands of first-time novelist Haddon, Christopher is a fascinating case study and, above all, a sympathetic boy: not closed off, as the stereotype would have it, but too open-overwhelmed by sensations, bereft of the filters through which normal people screen their surroundings. Christopher can only make sense of the chaos of stimuli by imposing arbitrary patterns ("4 yellow cars in a row made it a Black Day, which is a day when I don't speak to anyone and sit on my own reading books and don't eat my lunch and Take No Risks"). His literal-minded observations make for a kind of poetic sensibility and a poignant evocation of character. Though Christopher insists, "This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them," the novel brims with touching, ironic humor. The result is an eye-opening work in a unique and compelling literary voice
Another recommendation from Cass - Stiff - The Unusual Life of Cadavers by Mary Roach
From Publishers Weekly
"Uproariously funny" doesn't seem a likely description for a book on cadavers. However, Roach, a Salon and Reader's Digest columnist, has done the nearly impossible and written a book as informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty. From her opening lines ("The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back"), it is clear that she's taking a unique approach to issues surrounding death. Roach delves into the many productive uses to which cadavers have been put, from medical experimentation to applications in transportation safety research (in a chapter archly called "Dead Man Driving") to work by forensic scientists quantifying rates of decay under a wide array of bizarre circumstances. There are also chapters on cannibalism, including an aside on dumplings allegedly filled with human remains from a Chinese crematorium, methods of disposal (burial, cremation, composting) and "beating-heart" cadavers used in organ transplants. Roach has a fabulous eye and a wonderful voice as she describes such macabre situations as a plastic surgery seminar with doctors practicing face-lifts on decapitated human heads and her trip to China in search of the cannibalistic dumpling makers. Even Roach's digressions and footnotes are captivating, helping to make the book impossible to put down.
From Susan - I read Brooke Shields' memoir about her postpartum depression, Down Came The Rain - it is a very moving and disturbing account of her struggles with depression following the birth of her first child.
From Publishers Weekly
In 1980, when she was 15, Shields starred in The Blue Lagoon. In the movie, her character accidentally becomes pregnant, and when her son is born, he intuitively finds his way to her breast as Shields looks on with love and contentment. The irony of this scene isn't lost on the grown-up Shields, who not only did not become pregnant accidentally—numerous IVF cycles and a miscarriage preceded the 2003 birth of her daughter—but suffered a devastating aftermath to that birth. "I was in a bizarre state of mind," Shields describes, "experiencing feelings that ranged from embarrassment to stoicism to melancholy to shock, practically at once. I didn't feel at all joyful." Shields assumed she'd bounce back in a few days, after resting from her difficult labor. Instead, her feelings intensified: "This was sadness of a shockingly different magnitude. It felt as if it would never go away." While Shields denied anything was wrong, the persistence of friends and her husband persuaded her to seek treatment through medication and therapy. This brave memoir doesn't shy away from Shields's most difficult moments, including her suicidal thoughts, clearly showing the despair postpartum depression can wreak. While the writing is sometimes repetitive and clichéd, it does emphasize the depth of Shields's depression. This tale will bring awareness of a problem that so many mothers have been afraid to discuss; look for this book to touch off a flurry of lifestyle pieces.
Podcast recommendation - do check out Diane Rehm on WAMU, the Washington, D.C. NPR station - www.wamu.org - either go directly to the site or go to iTunes and search for Diane Rehm. I used to listen to Diane when we lived in Maryland and am so delighted to be able to listen to her archived shows on the computer or on my ipod. She conducts interviews in a most intelligent and civilized manner.
Food and Dining Report
I wanted to tell you about the restaurants that Jack went to last week in Los Angeles and this week in Toronto. He absolutely loved an Italian restaurant called Pace in the Laurel Canyon section of LA. http://peaceinthecanyon.com/. It was Italian again in Toronto - Verona Ristorante - http://verona.sites.toronto.com/. In case you haven't noticed, we are passionate about Italian food!
Speaking of Italian cooking, I made a fabulous dish this week - Jack had this last year when he was in Las Vegas and the chef was nice enough to send me the recipe.
Veal Milanese from Trattoria di Lupo in The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas
1 pound veal scallopine, pounded thin (could substitute turkey cutlets)
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and dried
6 ounces (1 large) vine ripened tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon parsley, leaves roughly chopped
1 ounce parmigiano-reggiano shaved
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1.5 ounces creme fraiche
1/2 fennel bulb, shaved
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup bread crumbs, untoasted
2 ounces olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Season the veal with salt and pepper and lightly coat them with creme fraiche.
Then dredge the veal in the breadcrumbs. Pan or ddep fry the veal until golden brown, then season lightly with salt and rest on a paper towel to absorb the residual oil.
Mix the diced tomatoes with 1 ounce of the olive oil, the parsley, a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Mix the arugula, fennel, orange juice and remaining ounce of olive oil together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place the veal on a platter or individual plates and divide the marinated tomatoes over the cutlets. Top each with the salad mixture and then garnish with the parmigiano-reggiano. Veal should be warm or room temperature.
Another tasty treat is Giada de Laurentiis' Balsamic Glazed Drumettes - good for a party - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35997,00.html?rsrc=search
A yummy dessert from Giada - Individual Orange and Chocolate Cheescakes - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36219,00.html - in addition to the orange zest/sugar topping, I shaved some dark chocolate and sprinkled on top.
Some health related tips:
We're anticipating a rough allergy season ahead and Jan recommends using Freeze-Dried Stinging Nettles - they are available in pill form and she gets them at Vitamin Cottage. You can probably find them at most health food stores http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/StingingNettlech.html
Mary recommends an on-line source for vitamins and supplements - www.ourhealthcoop.com - good quality products at very reasonable prices - check it out!
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Lots to cover this week! I'm sorry that I missed our Saturday morning walk. I was taking a CPR class which is required for my nanny and doula positions. It was an excellent class and I highly recommend that everyone considers taking CPR. The company that gave the class is called Colorado Heartsmart - it was held in Boulder and the cost is very reasonable. Check them out at www.coheartsmart.com.
It sounds like a bit of rain didn't stop our friends yesterday - after coffee at the Eye Opener Cafe in Niwot, a few people ventured out for a walk in the rain. Even though I wasn't there to note books being read, I do know what some of us have been reading.
Book Report
Cass - just finished reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon - she really loved it and so did my book group when we read it a couple of years ago.
From Publishers Weekly
Christopher Boone, the autistic 15-year-old narrator of this revelatory novel, relaxes by groaning and doing math problems in his head, eats red-but not yellow or brown-foods and screams when he is touched. Strange as he may seem, other people are far more of a conundrum to him, for he lacks the intuitive "theory of mind" by which most of us sense what's going on in other people's heads. When his neighbor's poodle is killed and Christopher is falsely accused of the crime, he decides that he will take a page from Sherlock Holmes (one of his favorite characters) and track down the killer. As the mystery leads him to the secrets of his parents' broken marriage and then into an odyssey to find his place in the world, he must fall back on deductive logic to navigate the emotional complexities of a social world that remains a closed book to him. In the hands of first-time novelist Haddon, Christopher is a fascinating case study and, above all, a sympathetic boy: not closed off, as the stereotype would have it, but too open-overwhelmed by sensations, bereft of the filters through which normal people screen their surroundings. Christopher can only make sense of the chaos of stimuli by imposing arbitrary patterns ("4 yellow cars in a row made it a Black Day, which is a day when I don't speak to anyone and sit on my own reading books and don't eat my lunch and Take No Risks"). His literal-minded observations make for a kind of poetic sensibility and a poignant evocation of character. Though Christopher insists, "This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them," the novel brims with touching, ironic humor. The result is an eye-opening work in a unique and compelling literary voice
Another recommendation from Cass - Stiff - The Unusual Life of Cadavers by Mary Roach
From Publishers Weekly
"Uproariously funny" doesn't seem a likely description for a book on cadavers. However, Roach, a Salon and Reader's Digest columnist, has done the nearly impossible and written a book as informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty. From her opening lines ("The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back"), it is clear that she's taking a unique approach to issues surrounding death. Roach delves into the many productive uses to which cadavers have been put, from medical experimentation to applications in transportation safety research (in a chapter archly called "Dead Man Driving") to work by forensic scientists quantifying rates of decay under a wide array of bizarre circumstances. There are also chapters on cannibalism, including an aside on dumplings allegedly filled with human remains from a Chinese crematorium, methods of disposal (burial, cremation, composting) and "beating-heart" cadavers used in organ transplants. Roach has a fabulous eye and a wonderful voice as she describes such macabre situations as a plastic surgery seminar with doctors practicing face-lifts on decapitated human heads and her trip to China in search of the cannibalistic dumpling makers. Even Roach's digressions and footnotes are captivating, helping to make the book impossible to put down.
From Susan - I read Brooke Shields' memoir about her postpartum depression, Down Came The Rain - it is a very moving and disturbing account of her struggles with depression following the birth of her first child.
From Publishers Weekly
In 1980, when she was 15, Shields starred in The Blue Lagoon. In the movie, her character accidentally becomes pregnant, and when her son is born, he intuitively finds his way to her breast as Shields looks on with love and contentment. The irony of this scene isn't lost on the grown-up Shields, who not only did not become pregnant accidentally—numerous IVF cycles and a miscarriage preceded the 2003 birth of her daughter—but suffered a devastating aftermath to that birth. "I was in a bizarre state of mind," Shields describes, "experiencing feelings that ranged from embarrassment to stoicism to melancholy to shock, practically at once. I didn't feel at all joyful." Shields assumed she'd bounce back in a few days, after resting from her difficult labor. Instead, her feelings intensified: "This was sadness of a shockingly different magnitude. It felt as if it would never go away." While Shields denied anything was wrong, the persistence of friends and her husband persuaded her to seek treatment through medication and therapy. This brave memoir doesn't shy away from Shields's most difficult moments, including her suicidal thoughts, clearly showing the despair postpartum depression can wreak. While the writing is sometimes repetitive and clichéd, it does emphasize the depth of Shields's depression. This tale will bring awareness of a problem that so many mothers have been afraid to discuss; look for this book to touch off a flurry of lifestyle pieces.
Podcast recommendation - do check out Diane Rehm on WAMU, the Washington, D.C. NPR station - www.wamu.org - either go directly to the site or go to iTunes and search for Diane Rehm. I used to listen to Diane when we lived in Maryland and am so delighted to be able to listen to her archived shows on the computer or on my ipod. She conducts interviews in a most intelligent and civilized manner.
Food and Dining Report
I wanted to tell you about the restaurants that Jack went to last week in Los Angeles and this week in Toronto. He absolutely loved an Italian restaurant called Pace in the Laurel Canyon section of LA. http://peaceinthecanyon.com/. It was Italian again in Toronto - Verona Ristorante - http://verona.sites.toronto.com/. In case you haven't noticed, we are passionate about Italian food!
Speaking of Italian cooking, I made a fabulous dish this week - Jack had this last year when he was in Las Vegas and the chef was nice enough to send me the recipe.
Veal Milanese from Trattoria di Lupo in The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas
1 pound veal scallopine, pounded thin (could substitute turkey cutlets)
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and dried
6 ounces (1 large) vine ripened tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon parsley, leaves roughly chopped
1 ounce parmigiano-reggiano shaved
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1.5 ounces creme fraiche
1/2 fennel bulb, shaved
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup bread crumbs, untoasted
2 ounces olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Season the veal with salt and pepper and lightly coat them with creme fraiche.
Then dredge the veal in the breadcrumbs. Pan or ddep fry the veal until golden brown, then season lightly with salt and rest on a paper towel to absorb the residual oil.
Mix the diced tomatoes with 1 ounce of the olive oil, the parsley, a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Mix the arugula, fennel, orange juice and remaining ounce of olive oil together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place the veal on a platter or individual plates and divide the marinated tomatoes over the cutlets. Top each with the salad mixture and then garnish with the parmigiano-reggiano. Veal should be warm or room temperature.
Another tasty treat is Giada de Laurentiis' Balsamic Glazed Drumettes - good for a party - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35997,00.html?rsrc=search
A yummy dessert from Giada - Individual Orange and Chocolate Cheescakes - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36219,00.html - in addition to the orange zest/sugar topping, I shaved some dark chocolate and sprinkled on top.
Some health related tips:
We're anticipating a rough allergy season ahead and Jan recommends using Freeze-Dried Stinging Nettles - they are available in pill form and she gets them at Vitamin Cottage. You can probably find them at most health food stores http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/StingingNettlech.html
Mary recommends an on-line source for vitamins and supplements - www.ourhealthcoop.com - good quality products at very reasonable prices - check it out!
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Monday, March 19, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - March 17, 2007
Hi everyone!
Jack and I are thrilled to announce that Libby and David are engaged to be married! We're very happy for them and excited about planning for their wedding - no date or details yet! Check out the blog for a picture of the happy couple - http://cookinandbookin.blogspot.com
We had a great walk on Saturday morning out at the Teller Farm trail off of Arapahoe. Christie, Barb, Mary, Laila and I were happy to welcome a new walking friend, Nora Barth and her sweet little puppy, Khammi (sp?). Nora recently moved here from Ohio and is living near Laila in Superior. Please note her e-mail address and add this to your group list - nrbarth@yahoo.com.
Some great news from Mary - she has a contract on her house and will close by the end of April. Of course, now she has to find a place to live! Congratulations, Mary!!
We ended up at the Deli Zone in Lafayette (Southeast corner of 95th and Arapahoe) for a great breakfast - wonderful breakfast sandwiches and reasonable prices - http://delizone.net/index2.html
Book Report:
Susan - I am reading a wonderful book called Like Never Before by Ehud Havazelet - it is a collection of inter-related short stories tying together 3 generations of a Jewish family. It really is about the struggle to reconcile long-standing traditions and assimilating to present culture that impacts families of all backgrounds.
Amazon.comThe 10 interrelated stories that make up Ehud Havazelet's Like Never Before revolve around one big, if not invariably happy, family. The author introduces us to the Birnbaum clan--Max and Ruth, and their children, David and Rachel--as well as an assortment of the people they love and hate and date and marry and divorce. Yet the central focus in this sprawl of relationships is that between father and son. Theirs is also the most troubled connection. Max is an immigrant, a true if sometimes desperate believer, while David, even as a youth, is "aggrieved, put upon, a boy who carries anger like a stone in his pocket to caress." Growing up in Queens in the 1960s, the rapidly assimilating David rebels against the heritage Max has transported so carefully from the Old World. Yet David's defiance brings him little joy. "David," Rachel says, "was a boy constantly on the edge, of laughter, of panic, of some unaccountable act of friendship or some meanness that would leave you stunned."
David is unsparingly drawn and quite miraculously lovable. However, all of the central figures are just as deeply realized--and Havazelet's frequently entertaining, frequently agonizing skill at presenting each as an alarming composite of beauty and ugliness gives this intensely realistic work what Annie Dillard once called a "broad and sanctifying vision." Near the end of her life, Ruth Birnbaum muses unhappily that "despite everyone's good intentions ... love hurts more than it heals." Havazelet's gift is to let us feel both how right and how wrong she is. --Daniel Hintzsche
Barb - is reading Barack Obama's latest memoir called The Audacity of Hope for her book group. We've reported on this before but its probably worth mentioning twice. Barb is finding it very moving. I'm anxious to read it now that I've finished the first book.
Nora - shared a favorite mystery novelist, James Lee Burke. It looks like his most recent is Pegasus Descending: A Dave Robicheaux Novel. Nora does recommending starting with the first in the series (actually his sixth novel), The Neon Rain. Nora particularly enjoys the way the Burke creates atmosphere in his writing. His next book, The Tin Roof Blowdown deals with Hurricane Katrina and is due out in July.
From Publishers WeeklyBurke's sixth novel pits New Orleans homicide detective Dave Robichaux against the mob, the contras, the Feds and just about all the other cops. The trouble starts when Robichaux insists on investigating the murder of a young prostitute and discovers that it isn't only the crooks who don't want the truth to come out: the police don't want it revealed, either. The underworld and the authorities combine to cobble up a frame against Robichaux, and suddenly he's on the run. Burke's maverick detective and his gritty, realistic dialogue and convoluted plotting are reminiscent of Elmore Leonardwhose latest novel, Bandits, has a contra angle, too. The matter of subterranean government policy running amok suits the world of suspense fiction well, serving it in the 1980s the way Cold War themes fed the genre in earlier decades. With its fine local color and driving action, this novel is both chilling and first-rate entertainment.
A new addition - Podcast Report - as some of you may know, I received an Ipod for Christmas from my daughters. They now know that they have turned their mom into an Ipod addict! I know that most people use their Ipods to listen to music or books but I have discovered the world of podcasts and I would like to share one of these with you each week. All of these can also be listened to from your computer so you don't have to have an Ipod. The downside for me is that I'm realizing that podcast listening is cutting into my reading time! Here's Wikipedia's definition of podcast:
A podcast is a media file which is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers.[1] Like 'radio', it can mean both the content and the method of syndication. The latter may also be termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. The term "podcast" is a portmanteau of the name of Apple's portable music player, the iPod, and broadcast; a pod refers to a container of some sort and the idea of broadcasting to a container or pod correctly describes the process of podcasting.[2] More about the name itself can be found in the History of podcasting article.
Though podcasters' web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically, using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.
This week's podcast recommendation is Satellite Sisters - this is a radio broadcast (I receive it on XM Satellite radio) featuring the 5 Dolan sisters talking about countless topics and hosting great guests - they are so entertaining and make you feel like you're hanging out and chatting with your girlfriends. You can access it directly from their website www.satellitesisters.com (click on podelite) or go to www.Itunes.com to download it to your portable media player.
Food and Dining Report:
One morning last week, Janet and I took our morning walk and ended up at Trattoria Radda (next to Ideal Market) for breakfast - we had been there for dinner a few weeks ago and I complained about the noise level but loved the food. This was a much quieter experience. The menu is very simple and I have two strong recommendations. The brioche and in-house made sausage patties were fantastic!
Two recipes to share this week:
Flatiron Steak with Red Wine Sauce from Giada De Laurentiis - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28065,00.html - I actually used tri-tip steaks - very yummy!
Slow cooked Broccoli with Pancetta and Garlic from Fine Cooking's Side Dish Magazine - http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/broccoli_garlic_pancetta.aspx - This is delicious and is great to serve either warm or at room temperature.
Lemon-Almond Buttermilk Loaf with Balsamic Strawberries - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101367 - great combination of flavors - if you've never tried strawberries with balsamic vinegar (many ways to do it), you're in for a treat. We've done strawberries, with balsamic vinegar and brown sugar over ice cream. Try reducing simple balsamic vinegar into a thick, sweet syrup and serve it with Parmesan Reggiano or Grana Padana cheese, walnuts and ciabatta bread.
This week's random tips! - Looking for a job, a service, have something to sell or buy? Don't forget about Craigslist - www.craigslist.org and Backpages - www.backpages.com - they're free and I've had good luck finding nanny jobs and baby equipment on them. Another list that Nora told us about is Angieslist - www.angieslist.com - this seems to be strictly for finding service providers and requires membership.
Have a great week!
Love,
Susan
Friday, March 16, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - March 10, 2007
Hi everyone!
Before I begin, I'd like to introduce my newest granddog, Violet. She's just a puppy but is on her way to growing into a very substantial dog! Very cute and much loved!
We had a delightful morning this past Saturday. Christie, Barb, Andrea, Laila and I walked around Wonderland Lake and worked up quite an appetitie, so we treated ourselves to breakfast at Lucky's. They have a terrific menu and it is just a great neighborhood place in North Boulder.
Not much pleasure reading going on this week (other than books that have already been reviewed and books on breastfeeding and doulas) but I would like to report on a couple of children's books that I sent to my nephew this week - they are favorites of Jacob.
Both of these are by Lore Segal:
Morris the Artist - about a little boy shopping for and bringing a gift to a friend's birthday party.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-Morris can only see what he wants for himself when his mother takes him shopping for a present for a friend, so he selects a set of paints and heads off to Benjamin's party. After the other children give the birthday boy his gifts, Morris finds that he cannot, after all, part with the paints. But the package gets larger and larger as Morris holds it, preventing him from taking part in the festivities. Finally, when the box is about to crush him, and the other children are playing with Benjamin's new toys, Morris opens the gift and begins to paint a large self-portrait. Suddenly all the children want to participate, and they do, creating large and lovely pictures of the toys they have brought, and then painting one another. This simple and realistic tale is made fantastical by Kulikov's bizarrely sophisticated paintings. These otherwise normal children dress like old-fashioned grown-ups; have huge, mature heads; and tiny limbs-they look like puppets. Birds with human heads flit about, paint appears and disappears, and objects grow and shrink in this mad and delightful world of creative play. Youngsters will enjoy the story, take the odd perspectives in stride, and maybe even learn a thing or two about friendship and generosity. Huge fun.
Tell Me A Mitzi - 3 stories about children living in the city
From Publishers Weekly
PW stated that "Segal's antic words and Pincus's color pictures make a hilarious picnic," an opinion shared by other reviewers. A Mitzi is one of the three mad stories about the children in a city family, usually Mitzi. Unbeknownst to her parents, she takes her baby brother one night and orders a cab driver to drive them to her grandparents, whose address she doesn't know. The outcome of this exploit, and the two following, are anything but predictable.
Cooking and Dining Report:
Two winner recipes this week - one is an old family favorite - Camden Yard Crabcakes - and the other is a more recent favorite - BracioleBoth are from the Food Network:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_11929,00.html - Camden Yard Crabcakes - authentic Maryland crabcake recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25307,00.html?rsrc=search - Braciole - a stuffed and rolled flank steak
Some far-flung restaurant mentions courtesy of Jack and Libby - Jack's are from his recent trip to Atlanta and Libby's is from NYC.
From Atlanta (in case you're ever in the neighborhood!) - Ray's in the City - http://www.raysrestaurants.com/ritc/index.htm - Jack particularly raved about the Corvina (a fish I'm not familiar with but apparently similar to grouper) with a horseradish crust - I've requested the recipe and will share it if I get it.
Also, The Buckhead Diner - Jack has been there several times and his favorite is the Veal Meatloaf and for dessert, Creme Brulee with Chocolate Chunks. Here's the recipe for the Veal Meatloaf - needless to say the quantities would have to be adjusted - I would halve everything and assume it would serve 6
BUCKHEAD DINER’S VEAL & WILD MUSHROOM MEATLOAF
5# Ground Veal
2# Button Mushroom
1# Shiitake Mushroom
2tbsp Olive Oil
2tbsp Garlic (minced)
2tbsp Shallot ( minced)
EGG MIXTURE
6ea Eggs
¾ c Heavy Cream
1tbsp Dijon Mustard
2tbsp Chives (chopped)
1tsp Thyme (chopped)
¼ c Parsley(chopped)
1oz Worcestershire
½ c Bread Crumbs
4tbsp Course salt
1tbsp Black Pepper
METHOD
1. Sauté mushrooms w/ olive oil, garlic & shallots cook until mushrooms are cooked throughout , then drain & cool.
2. Place ground veal into mixing bowl & mix for 5 minutes
3. Mix eggs, cream and mustard together
4. Add chilled mushrooms & egg mixture until incorporated.
5. Add herbs, bread crumbs salt & pepper, mix thoroughly
6. Take mixture & mold out into a large log shape on a sheet pan
7. Spray non- stick spray over the outside to prevent foil from sticking, mold foil around the loaf & place into a 350-degree pre heated oven for 45minutes
8. Remove the foil & cook for another 15 minutes
9. Pull the loaf out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
10.Cut meatloaf into wedges and serve with celery root mashed potatoes, tomato –arugala salad and gravy
From NYC - Libby and David had a wonderful dinner at Piano Due right in mid-town Manhattan - http://www.scalinifedeli.com/main.html - Libby loved the Tuscan Bean Soup and we're hoping to get that recipe to share with all of you.
Local restaurant recommendations -
Andrea recommended Akiyama in Gunbarrel - here's a review from the Camera - http://www.dailycamera.com/bdc/boulder_at_night/article/0,1713,BDC_11136_4742900,00.html .
Barb and others recommended the Taj in the Basemar Shopping Center at Baseline and Broadway - here's a review from Boulder Weekly - http://www.boulderweekly.com/archive/080901/exactfare.html
Random tip
Low cost printing for business cards - www.vistaprint.com and www.123print.com - both sites offer ridiculously low prices especially if you use one of their extensive selection of stock logos/designs. I just order business cards for my postpartum doula business and paid about $14.00 (including shipping) for 250 cards.
Have a great week - enjoy the weather!
Love,
Susan
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - February 25, 2007
Hi Everyone!
Sorry I missed another Saturday morning with you but I have just returned from an amazing 3 days in my Postpartum Doula Workshop. I'm excited about continuing on with my training and am eager to work with new families. If you know anyone who is expecting a baby in the near future and you think they might like to have a postpartum doula, I need to work at least 8 hours for 3 different families as part of my certification process.
Book Report: I have no new books to share this week - all of my reading has been related to my workshop.
Food and Dining Report:
Janet and I went out for dinner at the new Radda Trattoria next to Ideal Market on Alpine. The food was terrific but it was pretty noisy. They certainly seem to be doing a great business. Definitely worth a return trip - they're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I apologize that I didn't record and can't remember what we ate. It has been a hectic week!
I did come up with a winner of a recipe this week - it is a great sandwich and makes a terrific casual supper - Caesar Club Sandwich http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35860,00.html?rsrc=search
Hopefully, there will be more pleasure reading ahead and lots more good food.
Love,
Susan
Sorry I missed another Saturday morning with you but I have just returned from an amazing 3 days in my Postpartum Doula Workshop. I'm excited about continuing on with my training and am eager to work with new families. If you know anyone who is expecting a baby in the near future and you think they might like to have a postpartum doula, I need to work at least 8 hours for 3 different families as part of my certification process.
Book Report: I have no new books to share this week - all of my reading has been related to my workshop.
Food and Dining Report:
Janet and I went out for dinner at the new Radda Trattoria next to Ideal Market on Alpine. The food was terrific but it was pretty noisy. They certainly seem to be doing a great business. Definitely worth a return trip - they're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I apologize that I didn't record and can't remember what we ate. It has been a hectic week!
I did come up with a winner of a recipe this week - it is a great sandwich and makes a terrific casual supper - Caesar Club Sandwich http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35860,00.html?rsrc=search
Hopefully, there will be more pleasure reading ahead and lots more good food.
Love,
Susan
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - February 20, 2007
Hi everyone,
Just back from another whirlwind travel weekend! This time Jack and I were in LA with Jexy, Joe and Jacob. We had a great time - really enjoyed the warm, sunny weather and did some fun stuff.
I missed seeing my walking buddies on Saturday but I actually got to spend some time with Barb riding together to and from the airport.
Before I fill you in on our trip, here's my book report:
Jexy and Joe have recommended a memoir Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in LA by Luis Rodriguez. He is a Latino poet and writer who Jexy and Joe are very familiar with. He grew up in East LA where Jexy and Joe teach and he draws on his experience as someone who was in a gang and eventually got himself out of that life and really made something of his life. His daughter, Andrea, is a teacher at Jacob's co-op pre-school.
I started reading it before I left there yesterday and on the plane. I am totally engaged.
Cooking and Dining Report:
Libby did some cooking for friends on a weekend trip in Pennsylvania -
Saturday breakfast - she made our Steamboat Frittata (See the August 27 edition of my blog for the recipe)
Saturday dinner dessert - Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding by Gale Gand of the Food Network http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_27065,00.html
Sunday dinner - Tagliatelle with Short Ribs . (See the October 22 edition of my blog for the link to the recipe)
I haven't done much cooking this week - I actually did make something on Sunday night at Jex's house but I didn't particularly like it - we did have some great dining experiences, though:
Friday night dinner was at a new Italian restaurant in South Pasadena called Briganti
http://www.brigantirestaurant.com/index.html.
We all enjoyed our salads - Jex had Caesar, Joe had a Misto (mixed greens), I had Arugula with shaved Parmesan, baby artichoke hearts, lemon and olive oil and Jack had an amazing fresh Buffalo Mozzarella and roasted tomatoes topped with pesto.
For our main courses we had a few of their specials - Jex had Shrimp Risotto topped with a giant prawn, Joe had White Fish with tomato sauce and served with spinach and mashed potatoes, Jack had Spaghetti with pink sauce and lobster and cherry tomatoes, I had Tagliatelle with sausage and mushrooms and Jacob had Angel Hair pasta with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. He didn't get to eat too much of it before he fell asleep in Jexy's lap!
Back at the house, we had a special birthday dessert for Jack and me - Tres Leche Cake - the real deal from a Mexican bakery in Jexy's neighborhood - that cake deserves at least 4 spirals -
Saturday morning, we stopped for coffee at the brand new cafe in Jexy's neighborhood - yet another sign of gentrification in the Highland Park section of Los Angeles. It is called appropriately, Highland Perk. It is a great space but needs a little time to get their service act together.
We then headed for a visit to the Getty Museum - it was certainly one of the most spectacular museums I've ever seen - the architecture, the gardens and the exhibits were just outstanding. It is also a great place with kids. They have some innovative "games" to get kids engaged with the exhibits and a terrific "family room" with interactive exhibits designed for kids. We had lunch at the Cafe there and it was ok, not great.
A great suggestion from one of Jexy's friends for any of you taking young children to a museum - stop in the gift shop before you go through the museums and purchase postcards of different works of art or exhibits. Kids can play detective and find the different pieces throughout the museum, then keep the postcards in a book to refer back to at home.
Saturday night - Jexy and Joe went out and Jack, Jacob and I enjoyed a movie (Cars) and pizza from Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock - we've had their pizza many times but this one was a little disappointing
Sunday morning - Jack and I took Jacob out for breakfast at Cindy's Restaurant in Eagle Rock (near Occidental College) - it is a classic diner experience and perfect for a basic breakfast - Jacob loved his short stack of pancakes, Jack enjoyed his waffle (very thin -served with scrambled egg and sausage). I had my usual poached egg and toast breakfast.
After breakfast we headed out to a lovely park in Glendale for Jacob's friend's birthday party.
Monday lunch - before heading to the airport, Jexy, Jacob and I stopped at a little Vietnamese restaurant called The Blue Hen http://www.eatatbluehen.com/menu8.29.html - it is located in Eagle Rock - Jexy recommended their Chicken Sandwich which I enjoyed very much, especially the Sweet Potato and Turmeric Fries that came with it. She and Jacob had Pho Ga- a chicken noodle soup. It is a great find!
You know, I thought that I would share some of my favorite food and snacks to pack for traveling these days since airlines have cut back on food service. It is nice to pack these things before heading to the airport so that you don't have to pay outrageous prices there. If you have any other favorites, please share them with us.
Buy a sandwich from a favorite place at home - deli, grocery store, etc and bring it along with a piece of fruit
Nuts and chocolate chips packed in a baggie - I use raw almonds or walnuts mostly
Non-pareils from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - Jack's favorite
Chocolate Travelers - bitterseet chocolate wedges (70%) packed in little round tins - from Trader Joe's
Hope you all have a good week - I'll miss you all again this Saturday - I'm starting my Postpartum Doula Workshop on Thursday and it ends on Saturday evening - I'm very excited about finally doing that. I'm not sure who's leading this week's walk but I'm sure we'll hear shortly. See you on Saturday the 3rd back at Caffe Sole - Barb won't be there but I'll plan our walk for that morning.
Love,
Susan
Just back from another whirlwind travel weekend! This time Jack and I were in LA with Jexy, Joe and Jacob. We had a great time - really enjoyed the warm, sunny weather and did some fun stuff.
I missed seeing my walking buddies on Saturday but I actually got to spend some time with Barb riding together to and from the airport.
Before I fill you in on our trip, here's my book report:
Jexy and Joe have recommended a memoir Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in LA by Luis Rodriguez. He is a Latino poet and writer who Jexy and Joe are very familiar with. He grew up in East LA where Jexy and Joe teach and he draws on his experience as someone who was in a gang and eventually got himself out of that life and really made something of his life. His daughter, Andrea, is a teacher at Jacob's co-op pre-school.
I started reading it before I left there yesterday and on the plane. I am totally engaged.
Cooking and Dining Report:
Libby did some cooking for friends on a weekend trip in Pennsylvania -
Saturday breakfast - she made our Steamboat Frittata (See the August 27 edition of my blog for the recipe)
Saturday dinner dessert - Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding by Gale Gand of the Food Network http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_27065,00.html
Sunday dinner - Tagliatelle with Short Ribs . (See the October 22 edition of my blog for the link to the recipe)
I haven't done much cooking this week - I actually did make something on Sunday night at Jex's house but I didn't particularly like it - we did have some great dining experiences, though:
Friday night dinner was at a new Italian restaurant in South Pasadena called Briganti
http://www.brigantirestaurant.com/index.html.
We all enjoyed our salads - Jex had Caesar, Joe had a Misto (mixed greens), I had Arugula with shaved Parmesan, baby artichoke hearts, lemon and olive oil and Jack had an amazing fresh Buffalo Mozzarella and roasted tomatoes topped with pesto.
For our main courses we had a few of their specials - Jex had Shrimp Risotto topped with a giant prawn, Joe had White Fish with tomato sauce and served with spinach and mashed potatoes, Jack had Spaghetti with pink sauce and lobster and cherry tomatoes, I had Tagliatelle with sausage and mushrooms and Jacob had Angel Hair pasta with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. He didn't get to eat too much of it before he fell asleep in Jexy's lap!
Back at the house, we had a special birthday dessert for Jack and me - Tres Leche Cake - the real deal from a Mexican bakery in Jexy's neighborhood - that cake deserves at least 4 spirals -
Saturday morning, we stopped for coffee at the brand new cafe in Jexy's neighborhood - yet another sign of gentrification in the Highland Park section of Los Angeles. It is called appropriately, Highland Perk. It is a great space but needs a little time to get their service act together.
We then headed for a visit to the Getty Museum - it was certainly one of the most spectacular museums I've ever seen - the architecture, the gardens and the exhibits were just outstanding. It is also a great place with kids. They have some innovative "games" to get kids engaged with the exhibits and a terrific "family room" with interactive exhibits designed for kids. We had lunch at the Cafe there and it was ok, not great.
A great suggestion from one of Jexy's friends for any of you taking young children to a museum - stop in the gift shop before you go through the museums and purchase postcards of different works of art or exhibits. Kids can play detective and find the different pieces throughout the museum, then keep the postcards in a book to refer back to at home.
Saturday night - Jexy and Joe went out and Jack, Jacob and I enjoyed a movie (Cars) and pizza from Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock - we've had their pizza many times but this one was a little disappointing
Sunday morning - Jack and I took Jacob out for breakfast at Cindy's Restaurant in Eagle Rock (near Occidental College) - it is a classic diner experience and perfect for a basic breakfast - Jacob loved his short stack of pancakes, Jack enjoyed his waffle (very thin -served with scrambled egg and sausage). I had my usual poached egg and toast breakfast.
After breakfast we headed out to a lovely park in Glendale for Jacob's friend's birthday party.
Monday lunch - before heading to the airport, Jexy, Jacob and I stopped at a little Vietnamese restaurant called The Blue Hen http://www.eatatbluehen.com/menu8.29.html - it is located in Eagle Rock - Jexy recommended their Chicken Sandwich which I enjoyed very much, especially the Sweet Potato and Turmeric Fries that came with it. She and Jacob had Pho Ga- a chicken noodle soup. It is a great find!
You know, I thought that I would share some of my favorite food and snacks to pack for traveling these days since airlines have cut back on food service. It is nice to pack these things before heading to the airport so that you don't have to pay outrageous prices there. If you have any other favorites, please share them with us.
Buy a sandwich from a favorite place at home - deli, grocery store, etc and bring it along with a piece of fruit
Nuts and chocolate chips packed in a baggie - I use raw almonds or walnuts mostly
Non-pareils from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - Jack's favorite
Chocolate Travelers - bitterseet chocolate wedges (70%) packed in little round tins - from Trader Joe's
Hope you all have a good week - I'll miss you all again this Saturday - I'm starting my Postpartum Doula Workshop on Thursday and it ends on Saturday evening - I'm very excited about finally doing that. I'm not sure who's leading this week's walk but I'm sure we'll hear shortly. See you on Saturday the 3rd back at Caffe Sole - Barb won't be there but I'll plan our walk for that morning.
Love,
Susan
Saturday Morning Walkers - February 5, 2007
Good Morning Everyone!
Sorry to be a bit delayed this week! Saturday morning found some of us - Barb, Mary, Jan, Andrea and me - staying warm around the table at Caffe Sole. Still a bit too risky to be walking on snow covered ice patches so we chatted over coffee and planned February's upcoming "walks" - weather permitting!
Book Report:
Barb - she read a book that was mentioned a few months ago called So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell. This book was recommended by Stewart O'Nan at the Steamboat Literary Sojourn and Barb's book group chose that for this month's selection. From what Barb said, it looks like a good book for discussion. Check out the review on the October 16 edition of my blog.
Susan - is in the middle of a "can't put it down" first novel called Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. It is a fictionalized account of Nazi Germany and its aftermath, emphasizing the impact that time had on non- Jewish Germans, particularly women.
From Publishers Weekly
Blum, who worked for Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation, takes a direct, unsentimental look at the Holocaust in her first novel. The narrative alternates between the present-day story of Trudy, a history professor at a Minneapolis university collecting oral histories of WWII survivors (both German and Jewish), and that of her aged but once beautiful German mother, Anna, who left her country when she married an American soldier. Interspersed with Trudy's interviews with German immigrants, many of whom reveal unabashed anti-Semitism, Anna's story flashes back to her hometown of Weimar. As Nazi anti-Jewish edicts intensify in the 1930s, Anna hides her love affair with a Jewish doctor, Max Stern. When Max is interned at nearby Buchenwald and Anna's father dies, Anna, carrying Max's child, goes to live with a baker who smuggles bread to prisoners at the camp. Anna assists with the smuggling after Trudy's birth until the baker is caught and executed. Then Anna catches the eye of the Obersturmführer, a high-ranking Nazi officer at Buchenwald, who suspects her of also supplying the inmates with bread. He coerces her into a torrid, abusive affair, in which she remains complicit to ensure her survival and that of her baby daughter. Blum paints a subtle, nuanced portrait of the Obersturmführer, complicating his sordid cruelty with more delicate facets of his personality. Ultimately, present and past overlap with a shocking yet believable coincidence. Blum's spare imagery is nightmarish and intimate, imbuing familiar panoramas of Nazi atrocity with stark new power. This is a poised, hair-raising debut.
Mandy - has a few books to share with us.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger - also a first novel which is one of my personal favorites - it actually has some elements of science fiction but it is really a love story - very cleverly written.
From Publishers Weekly
This highly original first novel won the largest advance San Francisco-based MacAdam/Cage had ever paid, and it was money well spent. Niffenegger has written a soaring love story illuminated by dozens of finely observed details and scenes, and one that skates nimbly around a huge conundrum at the heart of the book: Henry De Tamble, a rather dashing librarian at the famous Newberry Library in Chicago, finds himself unavoidably whisked around in time. He disappears from a scene in, say, 1998 to find himself suddenly, usually without his clothes, which mysteriously disappear in transit, at an entirely different place 10 years earlier-or later. During one of these migrations, he drops in on beautiful teenage Clare Abshire, an heiress in a large house on the nearby Michigan peninsula, and a lifelong passion is born. The problem is that while Henry's age darts back and forth according to his location in time, Clare's moves forward in the normal manner, so the pair are often out of sync. But such is the author's tenderness with the characters, and the determinedly ungimmicky way in which she writes of their predicament (only once do they make use of Henry's foreknowledge of events to make money, and then it seems to Clare like cheating) that the book is much more love story than fantasy. It also has a splendidly drawn cast, from Henry's violinist father, ruined by the loss of his wife in an accident from which Henry time-traveled as a child, to Clare's odd family and a multitude of Chicago bohemian friends. The couple's daughter, Alba, inherits her father's strange abilities, but this is again handled with a light touch; there's no Disney cuteness here. Henry's foreordained end is agonizing, but Niffenegger has another card up her sleeve, and plays it with poignant grace. It is a fair tribute to her skill and sensibility to say that the book leaves a reader with an impression of life's riches and strangeness rather than of easy thrills.
Echo Park by Michael Connelly - Mandy's book group chose this as their next selection. It is detective fiction which has gotten great reviews. Apparently it is the most recent in a series of novels - not sure if it is necessary to start with the first - Mandy, what do you think?
From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Connelly's compelling 12th Harry Bosch novel (after 2005's The Closers) offers some new wrinkles on a familiar theme—the aging detective haunted by the one who got away. In Bosch's case, the elusive quarry is the man who abducted a 22-year-old equestrian, Marie Gesto, in 1993. Having returned to active duty as a member of the LAPD Open-Unsolved Unit, Bosch repeatedly pulls the file to see if he can discover something new and give some small solace to the victim's parents. When a chance police stop of a suspicious vehicle nets serial killer Raynard Waits, who's carrying body parts in his van, Bosch assesses the murderer's claim that he was responsible for killing Gesto, too. The weary and cynical detective soon suspects that Waits is trying to barter information for a reduced sentence of life imprisonment. Political motivations connected with the upcoming DA election also cloud the investigation. Smooth prose and plausible characters—even the secondary figures—elevate this several notches above the standard cop vs. serial-killer thriller. Author tour. (Oct.)
Mandy also recommends books/essays by Sarah Vowell - here's what she says - "She's on NPR and her stories are wonderfully funny--about U.S. history, about family. Not as sophomoric as David Sedaris (who I LOVE), but very, very funny. I finished "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" and just started "Assassination Vacation." They're quick reads and I recommend them."
Check out this link to Wikipedia for more on Sarah Vowell - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Vowell
Cooking and Food Report
Jack's Birthday Dinner Menu:
Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salato - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/236940 - The ricotta salato is a hard style ricotta cheese that can be grated. I used purple kale
Spaghetti with Brooklyn Red Clam Sauce - http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=238295 - a family favorite!
Profiteroles - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30401,00.html - thanks to Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa - first time I've ever made these pastries, very intimidating but they turned out so well and the chocolate sauce was amazing and so easy! I actually made the pastry puffs a couple of days ahead and followed these directions for freezing and reheating - Freeze the baked unfilled puffs for up to 3 months (best at one month). Keep in an airtight container. No need to cut them open before freezing. Thaw at room temperature. To crisp, unwrap and place in a 325 degree F. oven until warm. Let cool and fill as desired. It is best to freeze them rather than refrigerating.
Here's another great dish we tried this week - it is based on Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Seared Rib-Eye Steak with Arugula and Roasted Pepper Salad - I used a Buffalo London Broil, thinly sliced and it was delicious. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_22317,00.html?rsrc=search
Oh! Here are some "cheap" wine tips I heard on one of my podcasts this week:
How Low Can You Go?February 4, 2006
When it comes to cheap wine, Josh Wesson advises avoiding bottles more than three years old. "Age is not a virtue with cheap wine," he says. So just how low can you go? You won't go wrong with these picks from Josh priced well under $10.
Chuck Shaw's Shiraz from Trader Joe's for about $3 a bottle. Skip the Merlot, Cabernet and Chardonnay.
La Boca Chardonnay from Argentina is fresh, yummy, and also about $3 at Trader Joe's.
Casa Solar Tempranillo from Spain for about $6. Get the youngest possible (2003 should be available).
Viumanent, a wonderful Malbec from Argentina.
Willow Glen non-vintage tawny port from Australia. About $6
Barefoot Bubbly, a non-vintage sparkling wine from California, is one happy glass of fizz.
I've got a busy travel month ahead but I do hope to keep up with my weekly blog e-mail. This coming weekend, we'll be in NYC - should have some great food reports from there! The following weekend we'll be in LA and the last weekend in February, I'll be at my Post-Partum Doula Workshop in Denver. I'll miss the next few Saturday mornings - keep me posted on any books you're reading!
Have a great week!
Sorry to be a bit delayed this week! Saturday morning found some of us - Barb, Mary, Jan, Andrea and me - staying warm around the table at Caffe Sole. Still a bit too risky to be walking on snow covered ice patches so we chatted over coffee and planned February's upcoming "walks" - weather permitting!
Book Report:
Barb - she read a book that was mentioned a few months ago called So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell. This book was recommended by Stewart O'Nan at the Steamboat Literary Sojourn and Barb's book group chose that for this month's selection. From what Barb said, it looks like a good book for discussion. Check out the review on the October 16 edition of my blog.
Susan - is in the middle of a "can't put it down" first novel called Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. It is a fictionalized account of Nazi Germany and its aftermath, emphasizing the impact that time had on non- Jewish Germans, particularly women.
From Publishers Weekly
Blum, who worked for Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation, takes a direct, unsentimental look at the Holocaust in her first novel. The narrative alternates between the present-day story of Trudy, a history professor at a Minneapolis university collecting oral histories of WWII survivors (both German and Jewish), and that of her aged but once beautiful German mother, Anna, who left her country when she married an American soldier. Interspersed with Trudy's interviews with German immigrants, many of whom reveal unabashed anti-Semitism, Anna's story flashes back to her hometown of Weimar. As Nazi anti-Jewish edicts intensify in the 1930s, Anna hides her love affair with a Jewish doctor, Max Stern. When Max is interned at nearby Buchenwald and Anna's father dies, Anna, carrying Max's child, goes to live with a baker who smuggles bread to prisoners at the camp. Anna assists with the smuggling after Trudy's birth until the baker is caught and executed. Then Anna catches the eye of the Obersturmführer, a high-ranking Nazi officer at Buchenwald, who suspects her of also supplying the inmates with bread. He coerces her into a torrid, abusive affair, in which she remains complicit to ensure her survival and that of her baby daughter. Blum paints a subtle, nuanced portrait of the Obersturmführer, complicating his sordid cruelty with more delicate facets of his personality. Ultimately, present and past overlap with a shocking yet believable coincidence. Blum's spare imagery is nightmarish and intimate, imbuing familiar panoramas of Nazi atrocity with stark new power. This is a poised, hair-raising debut.
Mandy - has a few books to share with us.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger - also a first novel which is one of my personal favorites - it actually has some elements of science fiction but it is really a love story - very cleverly written.
From Publishers Weekly
This highly original first novel won the largest advance San Francisco-based MacAdam/Cage had ever paid, and it was money well spent. Niffenegger has written a soaring love story illuminated by dozens of finely observed details and scenes, and one that skates nimbly around a huge conundrum at the heart of the book: Henry De Tamble, a rather dashing librarian at the famous Newberry Library in Chicago, finds himself unavoidably whisked around in time. He disappears from a scene in, say, 1998 to find himself suddenly, usually without his clothes, which mysteriously disappear in transit, at an entirely different place 10 years earlier-or later. During one of these migrations, he drops in on beautiful teenage Clare Abshire, an heiress in a large house on the nearby Michigan peninsula, and a lifelong passion is born. The problem is that while Henry's age darts back and forth according to his location in time, Clare's moves forward in the normal manner, so the pair are often out of sync. But such is the author's tenderness with the characters, and the determinedly ungimmicky way in which she writes of their predicament (only once do they make use of Henry's foreknowledge of events to make money, and then it seems to Clare like cheating) that the book is much more love story than fantasy. It also has a splendidly drawn cast, from Henry's violinist father, ruined by the loss of his wife in an accident from which Henry time-traveled as a child, to Clare's odd family and a multitude of Chicago bohemian friends. The couple's daughter, Alba, inherits her father's strange abilities, but this is again handled with a light touch; there's no Disney cuteness here. Henry's foreordained end is agonizing, but Niffenegger has another card up her sleeve, and plays it with poignant grace. It is a fair tribute to her skill and sensibility to say that the book leaves a reader with an impression of life's riches and strangeness rather than of easy thrills.
Echo Park by Michael Connelly - Mandy's book group chose this as their next selection. It is detective fiction which has gotten great reviews. Apparently it is the most recent in a series of novels - not sure if it is necessary to start with the first - Mandy, what do you think?
From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Connelly's compelling 12th Harry Bosch novel (after 2005's The Closers) offers some new wrinkles on a familiar theme—the aging detective haunted by the one who got away. In Bosch's case, the elusive quarry is the man who abducted a 22-year-old equestrian, Marie Gesto, in 1993. Having returned to active duty as a member of the LAPD Open-Unsolved Unit, Bosch repeatedly pulls the file to see if he can discover something new and give some small solace to the victim's parents. When a chance police stop of a suspicious vehicle nets serial killer Raynard Waits, who's carrying body parts in his van, Bosch assesses the murderer's claim that he was responsible for killing Gesto, too. The weary and cynical detective soon suspects that Waits is trying to barter information for a reduced sentence of life imprisonment. Political motivations connected with the upcoming DA election also cloud the investigation. Smooth prose and plausible characters—even the secondary figures—elevate this several notches above the standard cop vs. serial-killer thriller. Author tour. (Oct.)
Mandy also recommends books/essays by Sarah Vowell - here's what she says - "She's on NPR and her stories are wonderfully funny--about U.S. history, about family. Not as sophomoric as David Sedaris (who I LOVE), but very, very funny. I finished "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" and just started "Assassination Vacation." They're quick reads and I recommend them."
Check out this link to Wikipedia for more on Sarah Vowell - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Vowell
Cooking and Food Report
Jack's Birthday Dinner Menu:
Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salato - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/236940 - The ricotta salato is a hard style ricotta cheese that can be grated. I used purple kale
Spaghetti with Brooklyn Red Clam Sauce - http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=238295 - a family favorite!
Profiteroles - http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30401,00.html - thanks to Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa - first time I've ever made these pastries, very intimidating but they turned out so well and the chocolate sauce was amazing and so easy! I actually made the pastry puffs a couple of days ahead and followed these directions for freezing and reheating - Freeze the baked unfilled puffs for up to 3 months (best at one month). Keep in an airtight container. No need to cut them open before freezing. Thaw at room temperature. To crisp, unwrap and place in a 325 degree F. oven until warm. Let cool and fill as desired. It is best to freeze them rather than refrigerating.
Here's another great dish we tried this week - it is based on Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Seared Rib-Eye Steak with Arugula and Roasted Pepper Salad - I used a Buffalo London Broil, thinly sliced and it was delicious. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_22317,00.html?rsrc=search
Oh! Here are some "cheap" wine tips I heard on one of my podcasts this week:
How Low Can You Go?February 4, 2006
When it comes to cheap wine, Josh Wesson advises avoiding bottles more than three years old. "Age is not a virtue with cheap wine," he says. So just how low can you go? You won't go wrong with these picks from Josh priced well under $10.
Chuck Shaw's Shiraz from Trader Joe's for about $3 a bottle. Skip the Merlot, Cabernet and Chardonnay.
La Boca Chardonnay from Argentina is fresh, yummy, and also about $3 at Trader Joe's.
Casa Solar Tempranillo from Spain for about $6. Get the youngest possible (2003 should be available).
Viumanent, a wonderful Malbec from Argentina.
Willow Glen non-vintage tawny port from Australia. About $6
Barefoot Bubbly, a non-vintage sparkling wine from California, is one happy glass of fizz.
I've got a busy travel month ahead but I do hope to keep up with my weekly blog e-mail. This coming weekend, we'll be in NYC - should have some great food reports from there! The following weekend we'll be in LA and the last weekend in February, I'll be at my Post-Partum Doula Workshop in Denver. I'll miss the next few Saturday mornings - keep me posted on any books you're reading!
Have a great week!
Saturday Morning Walkers - Feburary 12, 2007
Hi everyone,
Missed you all on Saturday AM - Jack and I arrived in NY on Friday afternoon. Before I share the culinary details of our weekend, I'll fill you in on books and food for this past week.
Book Report: I did finish Jenna Blum's book, Those Who Saved Us - I highly recommend it. It is difficult to read at times but it is a fascinating story and well worth it
Cooking Report:
Several weeks ago, I mentioned Ina Garten's Ribollita Soup but didn't include the recipe - here it is:
1/2 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini
Kosher salt
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for serving
1/4 pound large-diced pancetta or smoked bacon
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped carrots (3 carrots)
1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
3 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes in purée, chopped
4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded Savoy cabbage (optional)
4 cups coarsely chopped kale
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
4 cups sourdough bread cubes, crusts removed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by 1 inch and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the beans, plac e them in a large pot with 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and continue to simmer about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and onions and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes with their purée, the cabbage, the kale and basil and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor, purée half of the beans with a little of their liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid in a large measuring cup and add enough chicken st o ck to make 8 cups. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the bread to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and drizzled with olive oil. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Other winners this week:
Portuguese Kale Soup - originally served by Rita Sharp at our book group: a wonderful hearty soup. I used Chorizo instead of linguica. It is recommended that if you anticipate freezing this soup you do so before you add the potatoes.
1 pound linguica, sliced or diced
1 Spanish onion
8 cloves garlic
1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 pound kale, torn by hand, stems removed
12 cups low salt chicken or beef stock
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - add more or less to taste
1 cup red wine
1 pound potatoes, unpeeled, cubed
salt to taste
1. Cook sausages and chopped onion over medium heat, until sausages are rendered of fat and onion begins to wilt and starts to brown slightly, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Add garlic cloves, and cook, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add lentils, kale, 10 cups stock, red pepper flakes, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour.
4. Add 2-4 cups additional stock and potatoes; stir and continue to cook, uncovered, over low heat for at least 2 hours. Salt to taste.
Yield: 12 cups
Golden Sauteed Veal with Arugula and Tomato Salad - this is elegant and relatively light - I use Panko breadcrumbs. If you don't want to use veal, you could easily substitute turkey cutlets - just be sure to pound them very thin.
http://www.kqed.org/w/weircookinginthecity/recipe-p11.html
A perfect NY weekend:
Friday night - dinner at Dinosaur Barbecue in Harlem - http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
We shared Fried Green Tomatoes for an appetizer - Yum! - they were lightly breaded, fried and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. We all had ribs which were outstanding. They have terrific sides - I particularly loved the Syracuse Salted Potatoes - tiny boiled potatoes with a Cajun and Garlic sauce. We all shared a piece of Peanut Butter Pie with an Oreo Crust - my Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie is better! I'll share that with you soon. What a fun place!
Here's the history of Syracuse Salt Potatoes
http://yorkstaters.blogspot.com/2006/03/tastes-of-region-7-salt-potatoes_20.html
Saturday breakfast at Libby's - scrambled eggs, bagels, bialys and lox - my favorites!
Saturday lunch in Connecticut at The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood - perfect spot overlooking the Five Mile River - Libby and David had the New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Roll, Jack had fried clams and I had the chowder and a crabcake (not quite like a Maryland crabcake but pretty good). Here's a review from the NY Times
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E4D61E38F93AA25752C0A961958260
We did a driving tour of some of the most amazing neighborhoods and houses in the Greenwich and Westport areas - of course, Violet (the dog!) came along for the ride. She's gotten so big! She seems to be a real trooper and quite an attention getter!
After a rest back at our hotel, we joined Libby and David for dinner in Brooklyn - we ate at Dressler's http://www.dresslernyc.com/in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. It is a relatively new restaurant and one of L & D's favorites. It was outstanding! The decor is great - lots of intricate ironwork and wood - fabulous chandeliers! Here's a review from the NY Times
http://events.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/dining/reviews/07rest.html
Appetizers:
Libby - Lamb ragout, David - Scallops, Jack - Raviolini , Susan - Rouget (strips of a fish I'd never had before - sauteed and golden brown) served with braised fennel, capers and kalamata olives.
Entrees:
Libby - Day Boat Cod with white asparagus, wild mushroom vinaigrette & truffle oil
David - Braised Short Rib & Grilled Aged Rib Eye with horseradish whipped potato, onion jam, spinach & Bordelaise
Jack - Grilled Duck Breast & Braised Duck Leg with wild mushroom risotto, Duck confit Crepinette, Escarole & Red Wine Gastrique - not sure what all of that is but it sure was delicious
Susan - Raviolo filled with Butternut Squash-Ricotta Filling, Wild Mushroom & Mushroom Broth
Dessert: We shared two chocolate wonders!
Chocolate Tart with Soft Marshmallows and Coffee Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Cup - Chocolate Foam and Peanut Brittle Ice Cream
Sunday - Breakfast was a simple Continental breakfast at our hotel
Libby, David and I had lunch at a great place in Brooklyn - Relish - http://www.relish.com/
This is a very hip place housed in an authentic old diner - very cool and great food - I had a fantastic burger, Lib had a grilled chicken sandwich and David had eggs benedict.
Dinner was with our family in New Jersey - my niece, Christine, outdid herself with a wonderful roast beef dinner (Nana Laura - my mom would have been proud!) - everything was delicious but the biggest hit was her corn pudding - we were scraping the bowl!
1 pkg. Jiffy cornbread mix
1 8oz corn (drained)
1 8 oz creamed corn
8 oz sour cream
1 stick melted butter
2 tbls. sugar.
bake @ 350 for 60 mins.
I'm back home now and will re-group until I leave for LA on Friday - what a whirlwind!
Love,
Susan
Missed you all on Saturday AM - Jack and I arrived in NY on Friday afternoon. Before I share the culinary details of our weekend, I'll fill you in on books and food for this past week.
Book Report: I did finish Jenna Blum's book, Those Who Saved Us - I highly recommend it. It is difficult to read at times but it is a fascinating story and well worth it
Cooking Report:
Several weeks ago, I mentioned Ina Garten's Ribollita Soup but didn't include the recipe - here it is:
1/2 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini
Kosher salt
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for serving
1/4 pound large-diced pancetta or smoked bacon
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped carrots (3 carrots)
1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
3 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes in purée, chopped
4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded Savoy cabbage (optional)
4 cups coarsely chopped kale
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
4 cups sourdough bread cubes, crusts removed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by 1 inch and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the beans, plac e them in a large pot with 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and continue to simmer about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and onions and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes with their purée, the cabbage, the kale and basil and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor, purée half of the beans with a little of their liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid in a large measuring cup and add enough chicken st o ck to make 8 cups. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the bread to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and drizzled with olive oil. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Other winners this week:
Portuguese Kale Soup - originally served by Rita Sharp at our book group: a wonderful hearty soup. I used Chorizo instead of linguica. It is recommended that if you anticipate freezing this soup you do so before you add the potatoes.
1 pound linguica, sliced or diced
1 Spanish onion
8 cloves garlic
1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 pound kale, torn by hand, stems removed
12 cups low salt chicken or beef stock
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - add more or less to taste
1 cup red wine
1 pound potatoes, unpeeled, cubed
salt to taste
1. Cook sausages and chopped onion over medium heat, until sausages are rendered of fat and onion begins to wilt and starts to brown slightly, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Add garlic cloves, and cook, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add lentils, kale, 10 cups stock, red pepper flakes, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour.
4. Add 2-4 cups additional stock and potatoes; stir and continue to cook, uncovered, over low heat for at least 2 hours. Salt to taste.
Yield: 12 cups
Golden Sauteed Veal with Arugula and Tomato Salad - this is elegant and relatively light - I use Panko breadcrumbs. If you don't want to use veal, you could easily substitute turkey cutlets - just be sure to pound them very thin.
http://www.kqed.org/w/weircookinginthecity/recipe-p11.html
A perfect NY weekend:
Friday night - dinner at Dinosaur Barbecue in Harlem - http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
We shared Fried Green Tomatoes for an appetizer - Yum! - they were lightly breaded, fried and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. We all had ribs which were outstanding. They have terrific sides - I particularly loved the Syracuse Salted Potatoes - tiny boiled potatoes with a Cajun and Garlic sauce. We all shared a piece of Peanut Butter Pie with an Oreo Crust - my Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie is better! I'll share that with you soon. What a fun place!
Here's the history of Syracuse Salt Potatoes
http://yorkstaters.blogspot.com/2006/03/tastes-of-region-7-salt-potatoes_20.html
Saturday breakfast at Libby's - scrambled eggs, bagels, bialys and lox - my favorites!
Saturday lunch in Connecticut at The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood - perfect spot overlooking the Five Mile River - Libby and David had the New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Roll, Jack had fried clams and I had the chowder and a crabcake (not quite like a Maryland crabcake but pretty good). Here's a review from the NY Times
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E4D61E38F93AA25752C0A961958260
We did a driving tour of some of the most amazing neighborhoods and houses in the Greenwich and Westport areas - of course, Violet (the dog!) came along for the ride. She's gotten so big! She seems to be a real trooper and quite an attention getter!
After a rest back at our hotel, we joined Libby and David for dinner in Brooklyn - we ate at Dressler's http://www.dresslernyc.com/in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. It is a relatively new restaurant and one of L & D's favorites. It was outstanding! The decor is great - lots of intricate ironwork and wood - fabulous chandeliers! Here's a review from the NY Times
http://events.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/dining/reviews/07rest.html
Appetizers:
Libby - Lamb ragout, David - Scallops, Jack - Raviolini , Susan - Rouget (strips of a fish I'd never had before - sauteed and golden brown) served with braised fennel, capers and kalamata olives.
Entrees:
Libby - Day Boat Cod with white asparagus, wild mushroom vinaigrette & truffle oil
David - Braised Short Rib & Grilled Aged Rib Eye with horseradish whipped potato, onion jam, spinach & Bordelaise
Jack - Grilled Duck Breast & Braised Duck Leg with wild mushroom risotto, Duck confit Crepinette, Escarole & Red Wine Gastrique - not sure what all of that is but it sure was delicious
Susan - Raviolo filled with Butternut Squash-Ricotta Filling, Wild Mushroom & Mushroom Broth
Dessert: We shared two chocolate wonders!
Chocolate Tart with Soft Marshmallows and Coffee Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Cup - Chocolate Foam and Peanut Brittle Ice Cream
Sunday - Breakfast was a simple Continental breakfast at our hotel
Libby, David and I had lunch at a great place in Brooklyn - Relish - http://www.relish.com/
This is a very hip place housed in an authentic old diner - very cool and great food - I had a fantastic burger, Lib had a grilled chicken sandwich and David had eggs benedict.
Dinner was with our family in New Jersey - my niece, Christine, outdid herself with a wonderful roast beef dinner (Nana Laura - my mom would have been proud!) - everything was delicious but the biggest hit was her corn pudding - we were scraping the bowl!
1 pkg. Jiffy cornbread mix
1 8oz corn (drained)
1 8 oz creamed corn
8 oz sour cream
1 stick melted butter
2 tbls. sugar.
bake @ 350 for 60 mins.
I'm back home now and will re-group until I leave for LA on Friday - what a whirlwind!
Love,
Susan
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Saturday Morning Walkers - January 28, 2007
Hi everyone!
It has been a busy weekend but I wanted to be sure and get this edition out to you. Saturday had our usual "walkers" in two different places. Mary, Jan and Christie had a nice long coffee date at the Dragonfly in Louisville. It was another snowy morning and they didn't want to fool around with icy patches covered with snow - smart decision! Barb, Chris, Laila, Andrea and I ventured out to the Tattered Cover event in Denver. We were joined by Jack and a few other friends. The turnout was pretty good considering the yucky weather.
As usual, I really enjoyed the day - it was an eclectic group of writers - I think all of us would agree that Ayelet Waldman was the most entertaining. It was so interesting to hear about their very different styles and experiences. I had mentioned Waldman and Robb Dew Forman's books last week. This week I managed to read a couple of short stories written by Nick Arvin (In the Electric Eden) and Nell Freudenberger (Lucky Girls). Short stories are a great way to get a taste of an author's style.
In the Electric Eden:
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Arvin comes to fiction via engineering, and his understanding of technology and those who create it infuses his first book with a unique and mesmerizing power. But Arvin is also able to distance himself from the seductive world of machines and recognize how radically technology has altered life on earth and how subtly it modulates human interactions. In the bewitching title story, electricity, new and miraculous on Coney Island in 1903, is used as a lethal weapon against Topsy the elephant, a towering force of nature killed in an instant by man's ingenuity; then, in "Electric Fence," a man attempts to cordon off an Edenic safe zone for his orphaned grandson, but here nature prevails. Elsewhere a telescope and cell phone become devices of mischief, while trouble between a father and son is exacerbated by the bumbling son's mechanical ineptness. Arvin's complexly structured and psychologically dynamic stories are as discerning as they are incandescent. Donna Seaman
Lucky Girls:
From Publishers Weekly
Freudenberger saw her first story, "Lucky Girls," published in the New Yorker's 2001 debut fiction issue and subsequently received a reported six-figure sum to round out the collection with a bunch more (at that time unwritten) works. The gamble has paid off, at least from a critical perspective: the five long stories in this collection are thoughtful and entertaining. Most take place in Asia and feature Americans living abroad. In the title piece, a young American painter recalls her long affair with a married Indian man. The man has died unexpectedly, and the story traces the development of the narrator's antagonistic yet moving relationship with the mother of her late lover. "The Orphan" is a witty story of a middle-aged couple who, along with their college-age son, go to Thailand for Christmas to visit their daughter and break the news of their impending divorce. The daughter, who works at a Bangkok hospital for orphaned AIDS babies, finds her parents benighted and so... Western, while her brother announces that he belongs to the Cool Rich Kids club, whose members seek to give their parents' money away ("it's this chance to endorse the more radical causes that people your age wouldn't support"). In "The Tutor," a romance blossoms between an Indian SAT coach and a Prada-wearing American teenager living in Bombay who wants nothing more than to get into UC-Berkeley. Many of these tales concern the slow birth and disintegration of romantic relationships, although some lack pull, due to their one-dimensional characters. Freudenberger is more inventive and piquant when she probes characters' relationships to their adopted homelands-which, she shows, are often more passionate and grounded than their ties to the people in their lives.
I read Calvin Trillin's memoir about his late wife, About Alice - its am short book, actually an expansion of an article that he wrote for the NewYorker Magazine. I read it in about an hour this morning in bed (waiting for the Puzzle Master to do his Sunday Morning puzzle game on NPR). It is a loving and moving tribute to the love of his life. They were partners in a long term marriage and created a life together centered on their children and their love of words and food.
From Publishers Weekly
Trillin (A Heckuva Job: More of the Bush Administration in Rhyme), a staff writer with the New Yorker since 1963, has often written about the members of his family, notably his wife, Alice, whom he married in 1965. A graduate of Wellesley and Yale, she was a writer and educator who survived a 1976 battle with lung cancer. In 1981, she founded a TV production company, Learning Designs, producing PBS's Behind the Scenes to teach children creative thinking; her book Dear Bruno (1996) was intended to reassure children who had cancer. A weakened heart due to radiation treatments led to her death on September 11, 2001, at age 63. Avoiding expressions of grief, Trillin unveils a straightforward, honest portrait of their marriage and family life in this slim volume, opening with the suggestion that he had previously mischaracterized Alice when he wrote her into "stories that were essentially sitcoms." Looking back on their first encounter, he then focuses on her humor, her beauty, her "child's sense of wonderment," her relationship with her daughters and her concern for others. Trillin's 12-page "Alice, Off the Page" was published earlier this year in the New Yorker, and his expansion of his original essay into this touching tribute is certain to stir emotions
Food and Cooking Report:
A couple of Denver restaurants worth mentioning:
Chris, her friend Lynda, Barb, Laila and Andrea had a great lunch at Dixons, right down the street from the LoDo Tattered Cover - http://www.dixonsrestaurant.com/.
Jack and I went to the Wazee Supper Club and had outstanding pizza - http://www.wazeesupperclub.com/
Jack and I stayed down in Denver for dinner and went to Sullivan's Steakhouse on Wazee - http://www.sullivansteakhouse.com/denver/ - we both enjoyed our appetizers - Jack had Lobster Bisque - it was very creamy with good sized chunks of lobster - I had seared Aji Tuna served with a mustard and wasabi sauce. We were both a little disappointed in our steaks - mine was a New York boneless strip and Jack had the Kansas City bone-in strip. They were both a little too well done for our taste. We enjoyed a bottle of one of our favorite wines, Jordan Cabernet. Dessert was luscious - we shared a luscious molten brownie.
A couple of recipes to share:
This one was actually recommended by Janet - Pork Chops with Golden Onions and Wilted Tomatoes from Gourmet Magazine - I made it the other night and it is a winner! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107013
Here's a recipe for White Bean Dip With Pita Chips - adapted from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network - the original recipe used 1/4 cup parsley instead of the tarragon and basil and didn't use the roasted tomato. I made those changes based on a White Bean Dip we had at Denver's Barolo Grill.
15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 tomato, oven-roasted and chopped
6 pita rounds (I used whole wheat)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, herbs and roasted tomato in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl
.3. Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color
.4. Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree
That's it for now - its getting late and I have to prepare for what will hopefully be our final appearance before the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Advisory Board tomorrow evening to resolve any remaining issues regarding the Grillo Center Labyrinth. Send good positive energy our way! If you'd like to be there for support of the project, it will be held at 6 PM Monday evening in the City Council Chamber at Canyon and Broadway
Love,
Susan
It has been a busy weekend but I wanted to be sure and get this edition out to you. Saturday had our usual "walkers" in two different places. Mary, Jan and Christie had a nice long coffee date at the Dragonfly in Louisville. It was another snowy morning and they didn't want to fool around with icy patches covered with snow - smart decision! Barb, Chris, Laila, Andrea and I ventured out to the Tattered Cover event in Denver. We were joined by Jack and a few other friends. The turnout was pretty good considering the yucky weather.
As usual, I really enjoyed the day - it was an eclectic group of writers - I think all of us would agree that Ayelet Waldman was the most entertaining. It was so interesting to hear about their very different styles and experiences. I had mentioned Waldman and Robb Dew Forman's books last week. This week I managed to read a couple of short stories written by Nick Arvin (In the Electric Eden) and Nell Freudenberger (Lucky Girls). Short stories are a great way to get a taste of an author's style.
In the Electric Eden:
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Arvin comes to fiction via engineering, and his understanding of technology and those who create it infuses his first book with a unique and mesmerizing power. But Arvin is also able to distance himself from the seductive world of machines and recognize how radically technology has altered life on earth and how subtly it modulates human interactions. In the bewitching title story, electricity, new and miraculous on Coney Island in 1903, is used as a lethal weapon against Topsy the elephant, a towering force of nature killed in an instant by man's ingenuity; then, in "Electric Fence," a man attempts to cordon off an Edenic safe zone for his orphaned grandson, but here nature prevails. Elsewhere a telescope and cell phone become devices of mischief, while trouble between a father and son is exacerbated by the bumbling son's mechanical ineptness. Arvin's complexly structured and psychologically dynamic stories are as discerning as they are incandescent. Donna Seaman
Lucky Girls:
From Publishers Weekly
Freudenberger saw her first story, "Lucky Girls," published in the New Yorker's 2001 debut fiction issue and subsequently received a reported six-figure sum to round out the collection with a bunch more (at that time unwritten) works. The gamble has paid off, at least from a critical perspective: the five long stories in this collection are thoughtful and entertaining. Most take place in Asia and feature Americans living abroad. In the title piece, a young American painter recalls her long affair with a married Indian man. The man has died unexpectedly, and the story traces the development of the narrator's antagonistic yet moving relationship with the mother of her late lover. "The Orphan" is a witty story of a middle-aged couple who, along with their college-age son, go to Thailand for Christmas to visit their daughter and break the news of their impending divorce. The daughter, who works at a Bangkok hospital for orphaned AIDS babies, finds her parents benighted and so... Western, while her brother announces that he belongs to the Cool Rich Kids club, whose members seek to give their parents' money away ("it's this chance to endorse the more radical causes that people your age wouldn't support"). In "The Tutor," a romance blossoms between an Indian SAT coach and a Prada-wearing American teenager living in Bombay who wants nothing more than to get into UC-Berkeley. Many of these tales concern the slow birth and disintegration of romantic relationships, although some lack pull, due to their one-dimensional characters. Freudenberger is more inventive and piquant when she probes characters' relationships to their adopted homelands-which, she shows, are often more passionate and grounded than their ties to the people in their lives.
I read Calvin Trillin's memoir about his late wife, About Alice - its am short book, actually an expansion of an article that he wrote for the NewYorker Magazine. I read it in about an hour this morning in bed (waiting for the Puzzle Master to do his Sunday Morning puzzle game on NPR). It is a loving and moving tribute to the love of his life. They were partners in a long term marriage and created a life together centered on their children and their love of words and food.
From Publishers Weekly
Trillin (A Heckuva Job: More of the Bush Administration in Rhyme), a staff writer with the New Yorker since 1963, has often written about the members of his family, notably his wife, Alice, whom he married in 1965. A graduate of Wellesley and Yale, she was a writer and educator who survived a 1976 battle with lung cancer. In 1981, she founded a TV production company, Learning Designs, producing PBS's Behind the Scenes to teach children creative thinking; her book Dear Bruno (1996) was intended to reassure children who had cancer. A weakened heart due to radiation treatments led to her death on September 11, 2001, at age 63. Avoiding expressions of grief, Trillin unveils a straightforward, honest portrait of their marriage and family life in this slim volume, opening with the suggestion that he had previously mischaracterized Alice when he wrote her into "stories that were essentially sitcoms." Looking back on their first encounter, he then focuses on her humor, her beauty, her "child's sense of wonderment," her relationship with her daughters and her concern for others. Trillin's 12-page "Alice, Off the Page" was published earlier this year in the New Yorker, and his expansion of his original essay into this touching tribute is certain to stir emotions
Food and Cooking Report:
A couple of Denver restaurants worth mentioning:
Chris, her friend Lynda, Barb, Laila and Andrea had a great lunch at Dixons, right down the street from the LoDo Tattered Cover - http://www.dixonsrestaurant.com/.
Jack and I went to the Wazee Supper Club and had outstanding pizza - http://www.wazeesupperclub.com/
Jack and I stayed down in Denver for dinner and went to Sullivan's Steakhouse on Wazee - http://www.sullivansteakhouse.com/denver/ - we both enjoyed our appetizers - Jack had Lobster Bisque - it was very creamy with good sized chunks of lobster - I had seared Aji Tuna served with a mustard and wasabi sauce. We were both a little disappointed in our steaks - mine was a New York boneless strip and Jack had the Kansas City bone-in strip. They were both a little too well done for our taste. We enjoyed a bottle of one of our favorite wines, Jordan Cabernet. Dessert was luscious - we shared a luscious molten brownie.
A couple of recipes to share:
This one was actually recommended by Janet - Pork Chops with Golden Onions and Wilted Tomatoes from Gourmet Magazine - I made it the other night and it is a winner! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107013
Here's a recipe for White Bean Dip With Pita Chips - adapted from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network - the original recipe used 1/4 cup parsley instead of the tarragon and basil and didn't use the roasted tomato. I made those changes based on a White Bean Dip we had at Denver's Barolo Grill.
15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 tomato, oven-roasted and chopped
6 pita rounds (I used whole wheat)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, herbs and roasted tomato in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl
.3. Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color
.4. Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree
That's it for now - its getting late and I have to prepare for what will hopefully be our final appearance before the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Advisory Board tomorrow evening to resolve any remaining issues regarding the Grillo Center Labyrinth. Send good positive energy our way! If you'd like to be there for support of the project, it will be held at 6 PM Monday evening in the City Council Chamber at Canyon and Broadway
Love,
Susan
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