Normal People

Synopsis: Normal People follows the complex friendship of two teenagers, Connell and Marianne. They attend the same high school in County Sligo, Ireland, and later, Trinity College Dublin. Connell is popular, handsome, a good athlete and highly intelligent. Marianne comes from a wealthy family, also highly intelligent, but also unpopular, an outcast, and a loner. It just so happens that Marianne’s family employs Connell’s mother Lorraine as a housekeeper, which forces their paths to cross frequently, and an illicit romance develops. Connell doesn’t want his cool kid friends to know he’s hanging out with uncool Marianne, so he keeps the relationship secret and due to her screwed up psyche, she goes along with the big secret. Fast forward to college, and now Marianne blossoms and becomes the popular one while Connell struggles to find his niche. The two weave in and out of each others lives over the next few years, forging an intense bond which sometimes holds them together and sometimes not.

Review: Sally Rooney has been a critic’s darling since the publication of her debut novel Conversations with Friends in 2017. Normal People was her second book, though my first Rooney experience. I can say that now I know what all the hype is about. The writing is straight forward, but she tackles some pretty weighty stuff here: mental health, class status, social constraints, and so on. Connell, while having an outwardly “perfect” kind of life in high school, struggles with anxiety, and his lack of finances is a major stress for him in college. Marianne has grown up thinking of herself as intrinsically unloveable, so looks for attention in troubling romances/friendships. Both Connell and Marianne are marred by flaws, they can be hypocritical, unlikeable or unable to express there feelings. But they are vividly real, and even the supporting cast felt like people I actually know. The relationship between these two is at times good, at times bad, and endlessly messy. I’ll consider it a win, since even though it was a difficult read at times, once I finished I immediately ordered Rooney’s other two books.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: When in doubt, what would Ina do? I think her Irish soda bread is just what is needed here. Soda bread is a quick bread where baking soda is used as the leavening agent instead of yeast. This allows a busy home cook to eliminate the need for kneading, and streamlines the process of bread making.

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken

1 extra large egg, lightly beateen

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup dried currants.

1) Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper

2) Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour

3) With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon flour, and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

4) Dump the dough onto a well floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife.

5) Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

6) Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature,.

There There

Synopsis: This is the 2018 debut novel by Cheyenne author Tommy Orange. The book follows a large cast of Native Americans living in the Oakland California area, exploring issues of Native American history and identity. The twelve characters struggle with an array of issues including depression, unemployment, fetal alcohol syndrome, and the challenges of living with an “ambiguously nonwhite” ethnic identity in the United States. All the storylines and characters eventually coalesce around a powwow taking place at the Oakland Coliseum, where some characters have smuggled in 3D printed handguns in an attempt to rob the event.

Review: These are not stories of reservation life or the “old ways.” For Orange’s characters, reservation life is not a distant memory, it’s a place never seen or known. These characters are Native, biracial, or sometimes living in white households without any native influence. Some embrace their heritage, some do not, but all are wondering what it means to be Native in our culture. Each character has his/her own chapter, with the threads uniting them slowly drawing closer as the novel progresses toward its tense conclusion. I did not make notes about their relationships along the way, and Friend, I would if I were to read it again. It’s a lot of people to keep track of! As much as I liked the book, my favorite part might be the author’s foreword which is a longish essay on Native history. That alone is worth the price.

Recipe: I had never heard of Indian tacos until I read this book. These are requested by one of the characters as a favorite dinner, and apparently that’s a sentiment shared by many. This was voted the State Dish of Arizona in 1995! Unfortunately, the history behind Navajo fry bread is painful, as is much of Native history. It was created in in 1864 using the simplest of ingredients—flour, salt and lard—ingredients supplied by the US government to the Navajo people when they were forced to leave their historical homeland and march 300 miles by foot to New Mexico. After The Long Walk, the Navajo were resettled in land which did not support their traditional staples of vegetables and beans, so fry bread became a big part of their diet and culture. In this dish, the fry bread is used as the taco vehicle, either flat like a tostada, for folded into taco shape.

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water

3 cups oil for frying

1) In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the warm water and mix until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise 10 minutes.

2) Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, then pat and roll out the dough balls into roughly 6 inch discs on a lightly floured surface. Keep them covered with plastic wrap while you prepare to fry them.

3) Heat 3 cups of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the oil is between 350 and 360 degrees. Working in batches, fry in the hot oil until the dough is golden brown on one side, then flip to the other side. Drain on paper towels, drape over a spoon handle to form a taco shape if desired.

The Women

Synopsis: Frankie McGrath is a 20 year old nursing student in 1967. Her older brother has just graduated from the Naval Academy, and is heading to Viet Nam. Frankie decides to enlist herself, and is sent to her first tour of duty right out of nursing school. To say she’s overwhelmed would be an understatement. Her innocence is shattered, and lack of experience is rapidly corrected. The first half of the book deals with her tour of duty “in country,” and it is horrific, though strong friendships are forged and some romance found along the way. The second half of the book is another eye opening experience when Frankie returns home to find that not only do Viet Nam veterans not rate a hero’s welcome, most people don’t even acknowledge that she is a veteran at all. PTSD, bad decisions and more drama ensue.

Review: I’ve had an up and down relationship with Kristin Hannah. The first book of hers that I read was The Nightingale, which I loved. The Great Alone was OK, and The Four Winds was a little disappointing. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read another of her books. However, I was intrigued by this period of history so I decided to go with it, and was rewarded with a well researched historical novel. Hannah specializes in the strong female protagonist up against the patriarchy, and this is no exception, but that is not a criticism! I learned a lot and found the medical related story elements to be fascinating. Frankie was a mixture of admirable and annoying, which to me makes her a very believable human. With so much to like about the book, as usual there are a few … suggestions I might make. The product placement got a bit heavy handed for me at times. Referencing the music of the times did help to create a certain atmosphere, but I didn’t need all the brand name dropping. “I’m drinking Tab! It’s the 60’s!” The prose is nothing to write home about, and the romance heavy plot was very predictable. Still, I was rooting for Frankie, and was touched by the ending, even if I could see it coming from a mile away. Kudos to Hannah for shining a light on the unsung role of women during this war.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Frankie takes some R&R in Kauaii between her two tours of duty in Viet Nam. She enjoys a nice meal of lamb chops and Baked Alaska, which is certainly a dessert of the 1950’s and 60’s. Leave it to Ina Garten, to update it in a form that is a bit easier to manage at home. From Cook Like a Pro, this is an updated classic with a few short cuts, so you can have it ready in less than an hour. You could bake your own pound cake, but it’s a relatively minor component of the dessert, and this is what bakeries are for.

1 (1 pound) store bought pound cake

1 pint raspberry sorbet

1 pint good vanilla ice cream

For the Swiss Meringue:

8 extra large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh Raspberry sauce:

6 oz fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup (12 oz) seedless raspberry jam

1 tablespoon framboise

1) Slice the cake into six 1/2 inch slices. Cut six 2.5 inch circles (one from each slice) with an unfluted round cookie cutter, or use a small knife. Place them 2 inches apart on a flat tray or dish that will fit in your freezer.

2) Soften the sorbet and ice cream just enough to be able to scoop them with a standard ice cream scooper. Fill half the scoop with sorbet, and the other half with vanilla ice cream. Place the ice cream flat side down in the middle of the cake round. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

3) Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

4) To make the Swiss meringue, place the egg white and sugar in a heat proof glass bowl and seat over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture almost constantly, until it reaches 120 degrees on aa candy thermometer and the sugar is dissolved. Pour into the bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt and beat on medium speed for one minute, then high speed for 5 minutes, until the egg whites form stiff glossy peaks.

5) Transfer the cake rounds and ice cream to a sheet pan lined with parchment. Quickly spread the meringue over the cakes, making lot of peaks all over, or get fancy and use a pastry bag. Be sure all the ice cream is covered in meringue.

6) Bake 2.5-3 minutes until the edges are browned, turning the pan once to brown evenly.

7) Transfer to dessert plates, drizzle the raspberry sauce around each baked Alaska and serve immediateley.

8) For the raspberry sauce Bring raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, then lower heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and the framboise into a food processor and process until smooth. Pour in a bowl and chill.

The Garden of Evening Mists

Synopsis: Teoh Yun Ling is a woman of Chinese-Malay heritage. After the Japanese invaded Malaya, she is taken by the Japanese occupiers to a concentration camp in the mountains. Yun Ling and her fellow captives are conscripted to hard manual labor, while her sister is forced to provide “comfort” to the soldiers. Sadly, Sun Hong, the sister, perishes in the chaos and violence of the end of the war, though Yun Ling survives. Some years later, she decides to build a garden to honor her sister’s memory and seeks the assistance of Nakamura Aritomo, a master Japanese gardener. He offers her the opportunity to apprentice with him, and despite her bitter attitude toward the Japanese, Yun Ling accepts. Yugiri, the Garden of Evening Mists, is the backdrop to their evolving relationship. Throw in lost gold and treasure, terrorists, colonialism and budding nationalism, tattooo artists and a relationship triangle, well it gets interesting.

Review: How did I find myself back in historical fiction about World War II? After discovering this author earlier this year, I wanted to read more of his work, so its wasn’t intentional, but here we are! This was a different piece of history and Malay history is nothing that I was familiar with before, so that alone was fascinating. The peaceful garden is an oasis from the violence of the terrorists that surround them in the jungle. It’s a place where Yun Ling initially goes to forget about her horrific experience during the war, then later in life returns to the garden to try and remember. She despises the Japanese, but loves Aritomo. Life is made up of contradictions, I suppose. Eng’s writing is exquisite and I would recommend this to anyone .

Rtiing. 5/5

Recipe: Much of the novel takes place on the Majuba tea plantation of Magnus Pretorius, which neighbors the Garden of Evening Mists. I like this Lemony Turmeric Tea Cake both because of the connection to tea, but also that turmeric is native to tropical Asia, so how appropriate! The recipe is from Alison Roman’s Nothing Fancy.

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 lemons

1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

3/4 cup sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

whipped cream (optional)

1) Heat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 x 4 inch loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving some overhang on the longer sides to be able to lift the cake out.

2) Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and turmeric in a large bowl.

3) Grate 2 tablespoons zest from 1 lemon into a bowl. Halve the zested lemon and squeeze 2 tablespoons lemon juice into a small bowl. Cut half the remaining whole lemon into thin rounds, discarding seeds.

4) Add one cup sugar to the lemon zest in the bowl and rub together. Whisk in the sour cream, eggs and lemon juice until well blended.

5) Using a spatula, add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just to blend. Fold in the melted butter. Scrape into the prepared pan, smooth the top. Scatter the top with the lemon slices and the 2 tablespoons sugar.

6) Bake 50-60 minutes until done. Let cool before slicing.

Fourth Wing

Synopsis: Fourth Wing is set in a fantasy world where the country of Navarre protects its borders with an elite army of dragon riders. When young people reach the age of 20, they enter the Basgiath War College in one of four roles. Our heroine, Violet Sorrengail, is a book worm, and destined to enter the Scribe Quadrant, recording the nation’s history in the archives. Instead, Violets’s mother, a general and commander of the college, forces her to enter the deadly Rider quadrant. Violet’s small size and physical limitations immediately make her a target of the other students. She faces a series of life threatening challenges, with the goal of ultimately bonding a dragon.

Review: This was an interesting pick for me. I don’t typically choose fantasy, but this got a lot of buzz on social media so I decided to give it a whirl. Think Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones! Cadet training involves the balance beam suspended over an abyss, Ninja Warrior courses and your classmates trying to kill you. It wasn’t original, it wasn’t surprising, and it was painfully cliche at times. BUT, it was also entertaining in a guilty pleasure sort of way. I went right out and bought the next installment of the series, so I guess that’s an endorsement. I really wanted to know more about Violet’s mom and their relationship, but maybe that’s coming in the next book. Friends, here’s a spoiler: General Sorrenegail is……. not great. (I’m not sure what is yet to be revealed about her, but I don’t think it’s going to be warm and fuzzy). A love triangle, telepathic dragons and a cliffhanger ending, it’s got it all.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: I was puzzling over what to pair with this book when I spied a new entry in the produce section of my local grocery—dragonfruit! OK, that makes sense. It’s a fruit from a cactus plant, indigenous to Mexico and Central America. It has a leathery skin and scaly spikes on the exterior, hence its name. As a tropical fruit, I’m sure it would be great in smoothies, fruit salads, or cocktails, but I opted for something savory. It tastes like a cross between a pear and a kiwi, and this recipe uses it as a salsa for scallops, though any mild fish would likely do as well.

1 dragon fruit, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoon lemon juice

8 large scallops

1 tablespoon olive eoil

1) Put the dragon fruit in the refigerator for a few hours to get cold, which will allow you to dice set fineleey. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and pan sear the scallps until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

2) In a separate bowl, combine the dragon fruit, lemon juicee and chives. Top the scallops with thee dragon fruit salsa and serve.

Maame

Synopsis: Maddie, a British-Ghanian woman in her mid-twenties, is the “Maame” of her family. Maame, meaning woman, or perhaps adult. Her father is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and Maddie is his primary caretaker. Mom is off in Ghana most of the time living a different life (though still manages to be overbearing) and her older brother James has crafted an absentee life that carefully avoids any family responsibilities. Meanwhile, she’s trying to work a full time job, forge a career, and figure out how to proceed into adulthood. Thankfully, Mum returns from Ghana, allowing Maddie the opportunity to try out a lot of “firsts”: first apartment, first drinks after work, internet dating. The novel explores themes of being torn between family and adulthood, split between two different cultures, and coming of age.

Review: This was a random purchase for me, one of those stroll through the bookstore and get sucked in by the “recommended by our staff” displays. What a delight! It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Maddie was a complex character that actually felt quite believable to me. She’s a people pleaser, lacking confidence, and struggles with panic attacks. She’s dutiful and loyal, but also gullible, impulsive and easy to push around. Life is complicated, and the novel doesn’t try to hard to wrap it all up with a bow which I liked. It is billed as “new adult” reading? A category I’m not that familiar with, but maybe YA with sex. Honestly, unless you’re a kid, we’ve all been 20-something in our lives, so it seems like an artificial category. Many of the characters were a bit unlikeable, but maybe that’s why it seemed so realistic! I enjoyed it, and was totally rooting for Maddie’s success.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: On one of Maddie’s first dates, Ben invites her to his house for a home cooked meal of mushroom risotto, and she is SO impressed. In fairness, risotto is a labor of love, a lot of stirring and hands on time, so the effort for a first date is impressive.

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pound mixed mushrooms, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 1/2 cup arborio rice

2/3 cup dry white wine

5 cups warmed vegetable broth

1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving

chopped parsley for garnish

1) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until soft and browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2) Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onion, and remaing salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, thyme and rice. Let cook for 1 minute, then add the wine and cook 1-3 minutes until the wine cooks down.

3) Add the broth 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the broth to absorb before adding more. With the final addition of broth, add 2/3 of the sauteed mushrooms into the risotto. cook until creamy and the rice has an al dente bite. Stir in the cheese and season to taste.

4) Top with remaining mushrooms, garnish with parsley, and serve with more grated cheese if desired.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

Synopsis: James McBride’s latest novel opens in 1972, with the discovery of a skeleton in the bottom of a well. Rewind to the 1920’s and 30’s, where we get to know the residents of Chicken Hill in Pottstown Pennsylvania. In this neighborhood, African Americans live shoulder to shoulder with Jewish immigrants. Moshe Ludlow owns a local theater where klezmer bands play. He decides to branch out and include jazz, to great success, and marries Chona, daughter of the local rabbi and owner of the eponymous Heaven and Earth grocery story. The community comes together to try and protect Dodo, a young deaf boy that the state would like to institutionalize at a local insane asylum (!) No wonder they want to protect him. We do eventually solve the mystery of the skeleton, but a lot will happen along the way.

Review: This was the book I needed at this point in time. James McBride wrote this book as an homage to his Jewish grandmother, and you can really feel the love for all (well, at least most) of the characters. McBride seems to specialize in the description of community, many many characters, with intertwined stories. And while I havene’t read all his books, this one makes me really want to go back and read what I missed! The beauty of this book is that while it exposes the worst of humanity (Son of Man, we are talking about you), it also illuminates the best of us. There is a lot of hope and humanity on display, and In our divided times, that felt really good. Besides, no one does nicknames better. Fatty, Newspaper, and MonkeyPants? The best part about loving this book is I didn’t necessarily expect to love it, so it was a fabulous surprise.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: Black eyed pea hummus, courtesy of Michael Twitty. Merging southern culture and cuisine of the diaspora, Michael Twitty has his own cookbook (or perhaps a memoir with recipes?) called Koshersoul.

1 15 ounce can of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup tahini

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 teaspoons minced parsley, for garnish

1) Put it all in a food processer and blend until smooth

2) Add more spice if you think it needs it

3) Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil on top

Yellow face

Synopsis: June Hayward and Athena Liu have been friends (sort of) since college. The two young women are authors of varying success. Athena’s work has reached critical acclaim and brought her financial success while June’s debut flopped. So when Athena chokes and dies in her apartment, and June is the only witness, she acts on impulse, stealing Athena’s latest manuscript—a wildly unedited manuscript about Chinese migrant workers in labor camps during World War I. June edits, adds, rewrites, and takes the novel to her agent presenting it as her own work. It’s a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive…..

Review: This one was almost perfect! First of all, COMPLETELY entertaining. Is she going to get away with it? But underneath the unreliable narrator, is a grisly, hilarious, satirical commentary on publishing. June is self absorbed, and a dishonest manipulator who always has an excuse ready for for you, but more importantly, for herself as she justifies her theft. And yet, I was kind of rooting for her? OK author Kuang, I totally fell for your bit. It adds to the fun that Athena is not all that likeable herself. There’s a LOT to think about in this novel, and that’s what makes it great.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Pandan pancakes. I really don’t want to say more, until you read the book! Pandan is a plant, whose extract has notes of vanilla, coconut and rose. It imparts a green tinge to baked goods, and can generally be substituted for vanilla as desired in sweet dishes.

3 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pandan extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1) Mix the wet ingredients

2) Mix the dry ingredients

3) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Let batter rest 5-10 minutes.

4) Cook pancakes in a nonstick skillet then serve with butter, maple syrup and toasted coconut.

Shrines of Gaiety

Synopsis: Nellie Coker is the matriarch of the 1926 London nightclub scene, and multiple parties want her empire—lawfully or unlawfully. Her children aren’t much help. Her oldest son Niven is drifting in and out, enjoying himself with Gwendolen the librarian. Her oldest daughter has a secret which she tries to fix with disastrous consequences. Ramsay hides a drug habit and his sexuality while trying to write a great novel. Meanwhile, Frobisher the detective is investigating a series of disappearances and deaths of young women, which puts him in touch with Gwendolen who then goes undercover in the nightclub! Phew. The nightclubs range from glamorous to seedy, as do the characters. Shoot outs, romance, double dealing and more.

Review: I will admit it, I can’t get enough of Kate Atkinson. This is a fizzy, entertaining tale of post World War I England. It is not surprising in the way Life After LIfe was, and there are not shocking revelations a la Case Histories. Still, Atkinson is a master of the craft. Nellie Coker is the center of the nightclub universe, but the story is told from multiple perspectives, giving an aerial view of how all the characters are interconnected. Atkinson seems to be drawn to telling the stories of war-scarred 20th century Britons, and as usual, this is research packed historical fiction, with a measure of mystery and a dash of romance.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Nellie meets a mysterious businessman at the Goring Hotel for tea. It’s my understanding that the Goring is known for their afternoon tea, and this is a British custom I can totally get behind. Snacks that come in three courses? Yees!! Finger sandwiches first, then scones, then sweets. Who needs dinner after that? These herbed goat cheese sandwiches can be dressed up with smoked salmon, avocado, or even turkey.

8 oz cream cheese

10 oz mild goat cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced thyme

3 tablespoons minced parsley

5-6 tablespoons milk, half and half or heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

thinly sliced 7 grain bread

1 thinly sliced hot house cucmber, not peeled

1) Combine cream cheese, goat cheese, garliac, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and 5 tablespoons milk in the bowel of electric mixer. Mix well, adding more milk if needed.

2) Spread a slice of bread with the goat cheese mixture.

3) Slice the cucumber into thin rounds and arrange on top of the cheese.

4) Top with remaining slice of bread.

5) Make the sandwiches in the morning, put on a sheet pan and cover with damp paper towel, then plastic wrap.

6) Just before serving, cut off crusts and cut into triangles. soldiers, or quarters.

The Wager

Synopsis: In the mid 18th century, Spain and England were vying to control the earth’s mineral riches (and its native people) and bank the wealth produced by enslaved laborers. The two nations sent shiploads of men out to square off on the high seas in this pursuit. These imperial encounters boiled over when a Spanish officer boarded a British brig, accused the captain of smuggling sugar and cut off his ear. Thus began the conflict known as The War of Jenkins Ear. It was in this conflict that the British man of war The Wager set out from Plymouth England, to chart a course around Cape Horn in pursuit of the Spanish ships laden with treasure. Friends, it didn’t go well. Typhoid, scurvy, rats and hurricanes. Navigators lost their way, men lost limbs, their minds, and their lives. They ran aground off the coast of Chile in their effort to get to (you can’t make this up) Robinson Crusoe island. They fought, drank, stole, drowned, got sick and died. How could it get any worse? And yet, it does. A group of 30 sailors managed to sail a small boat 3,000 miles back to Brazil, arriving emaciated and barely alive. Six months later, a smaller boat washes up in Chile with only three survivors, delirious and near death. The newcomers blamed the first group of mutiny, leading to counter charges of murder and treachery. They all go back to England for a court martial, where Admirals (and the interested public) will try to sort out what really happened.

Review: David Grann is known for brisk, detailed story telling. This is an adventure tale gone wrong, yet it goes extremely right for the reader who just can’t get enough of the horror and misery. What on earth is the lure of the sea? I don’t get it! Journeys taking months, or even years, in leaking, wet, unheated vessels packed with unwashed people, sailing into gales with no privacy, no GPS, and no Gore-Tex. This was an amazing, brutal story of depravity and violence, but also brotherhood and unfathomable true grit. The amount of research and detail in this book is impressive, and it is a story that just keeps the forward momentum going.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: I considered the idea of seaweed soup, but truthfully, it’s not something I really think I would want to make for myself. I settled on creamed chipped beef, known as a military recipe, and certainly dried beef was a staple on the ship. We’ll just leave out the insects. You can buy this in 4 oz jars or packets.

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon black pepper

4.5 oz dried beef, cut into strips

Texas toast slices, biscuits, or english muffins for serving

1) Melt the butter in a large skillet until bubbling, then stir in flour. Add whole milk, whisking until flour is completely incorporated.

2) Stir constantly until the sauce is thickened.

3) Add pepper and strips of beef to sauce mixture, stirring until the beef is evenly coated.

4) Serve over toast or biscuits.

Chain Gang All Stars

Synopsis: Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of Chain Gang All Stars, a highly popular, highly controversial, and highly profitable program of America’s private prison industry. Set in the not distant future, prisoners compete gladiator style in televised death matches, playing to crowds in packed arenas. There are protesters of course—not EVERYONE is a fan. Loretta and Hamara are teammates as well as lovers leading to an inevitable showdown.

Review: This novel is a good example of why I try to forge ahead with a book, even when my first impression is less than admiring. This book was included on several “Best of 2023” lists, so I decided to give it a shot. I’ll admit, it was a hard sell at first. The violence can be a bit graphic. The whole notion of death matches as entertainment was frankly sickening. However, as the characters came to life, there was a lot more to this story than just violence and mayhem. I can’t say I “enjoyed” it in the traditional sense, but it was ultimately incredibly powerful and moving. Dark, yes, but also very creative. A sharp critique of our system of mass incarceration and cultural obsession with violent sports, this is the Roman Coliseum for the new age. It ended up being one of my favorite books of the year, but I wouldn’t have said that in the first 30-40 pages, so hang in there friends, it’s worth it.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Most of the prisoners in this dystopian tale have to survive on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. No recipe required! But if you are a star, you get chef prepared catered meals delivered to you by drone. Loretta, as the dominant fighter, is afforded relatively luxurious accommodations and meals. Instead of peanut butter and jelly for breakfast, she receives a delivery of eggs Benedict which she chooses to share with one of the newbies, fostering loyalty and an alliance. This recipe for easy Hollandaise sauce is from Ina Garten—foolproof.

2 extra large egg yolks at room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1) Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper in the jar of a blender and process o low for 15 seconds.

2) Melt the butter in a small saucepan until sizzling hot. Remove the small clear plastic insert of the blender. with the blender on low, slowly add the hot butter to the egg and lemon mixture, blend for 30 seconds until the sauce is very thick. Use immediately.

The House of Doors

Synopsis: W. Somerset Maugham travels with a lot of baggage, literally and figuratively. The celebrated British author of the gilded age has decided to take an extended holiday in Asia with his “secretary” and long time lover Gerald Haxton. Willie is assiduously avoiding his wife in London, and in this tale, spends two weeks at the home of his old friend Robert Hamlyn and his wife Lesley in Penang. Maugham is broke, and ready to mine his friends and companions for new material to write about. Lesley eventually lets down her guard and shares stories about ex-pat scandals of the Federated Malay States, and a few of her own as well.

Review: Thoroughly wonderful. A well crafted historical novel set in colonial Penang. Tan expertly mixes fact, fiction, history and literature to weave a very believable tapestry. The initial chapters are largely setting the stage of time and place. The beauty of the writing carries it along until the plot kicks in. A true crime story of the first English woman accused of murder in Malaysia (her lover!), the arrival of Sun Yet-San, a true historical character of the time raising money to try and overthrow the imperial rulers of China, and Lesley our narrator, looking for something to believe in and give her life meaning. There are stories within stories, secrets, clandestine relationships, and more. Really delightful! I’m new to this author, but can’t wait to explore some of his previous novels, such as The Garden of Evening Mists.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: Lesley describes an intriguing dessert she refers to as “glutinous blue rice pudding.” Hmm. I’m sure it’s wonderful, but the word glutinous was a little off putting. I could have considered a cocktail since these people seemed to drink heavily, but decided instead on the chicken satay she enjoyed at a local party for Willie. Who doesn’t love that? A long ingredient list, but not that difficult.

SATAY

1/3 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 cloves minced garlic

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

PEANUT SAUCE

1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1/2 jalapeño pepper, ribs and seeds removed, fínely chopped

4 cloves minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 cup coconut milk (shake the can well before using)

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

6 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1) Make marinade for satay. Cut chicken breast on the diagonal into 6 strips. Marinate 2-6 hours

2) For the sauce, heat peanut oil, and sauté onion and jalapeño about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger for about 20-30 seconds, then stir in coconut milk, peanut butter and curry paste. Whisk 2-3 minutes until sauce comes together. Off heat, add the lime juice, soy sauce and fish sauce.

3) Drain thee chicken from the marinade. Thread onto skewers (soak them first so they don’t burn) and grill 2-3 minutes a side until light charred and cooked through. Serve with peanut sauce.

Winter Storms

Synopsis: Back with the Quinns! After an ill fated affair with the Winter Street Inn’s Santa, Mitzi has returned to rule the roost. Patrick, in prison for insider trading, is about to be released, Kevin is getting ready to tie the knot with Isabelle, and Ava still can’t make up her mind between Scott and Nathaniel. Jennifer is hooked on pain pills, and Bart is still a captive in Afghanistan. Don’t worry, once Christmas comes, throw in a blizzard, and all kinds of things will happen.

Review: Grab your spiked eggnog, and come on! The book is not good, and yet, I am obsessed with these characters and the story arc. I can’t even describe it as a “hate read.” I know what that is, and this is not that. It’s a guilty pleasure. Truthfully, not good by all metrics, yet so enjoyable I’ve come to look foward to my annual Christmas visit to Nantucket with this author and family. Yes, there is a lot that drives me crazy. Ava is annoying. Kelley is diagnosed with prostate cancer and the story line is not medically plausible. At all. Ms. Hildebrand! Talk to an oncologist. Prostate cancer so very rarely travels to the brain, and response to therapy is so much better than you imply. Your wife cheats on you for years and you just let her back? So much strains credulity, and the non stop name dropping of Nantucket restaurants etc… is almost too much to bear. She name drops herself! And yet, at the end, I had to suppress the urge to move directly to the next book. So, not good, and yet, thoroughly satisfying? I’m going to be sad when the series is over. I think I have one more year given my one book a year pace.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: So, the recipe I probably should have chosen is the fried fish BLT which Kevin sells at his new take out place, Quinn’s on the Beach. It sounds great! But I don’t love frying food at home. Messy. I was much more inclined to try the poached salmon with mustard dill sauce that Jennifer plans for Patrick’s first night out of prison. Back to civilization Patrick! Fresh fish and champagne! I love all the flavors of this combination, so I’ll wait to get my fried fish sandwich from the take out place at the beach…..

4 shallots, quartered

2 garlic cloves, halved

3 (8 oz) bottles of clam juice

2 cups water

1/4 cup dry vermouth

3 tablespoons mustard seed

1 bay leaf

6 pieces center cut salmon

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup snipped fresh dill

1) In a medium sauceepan, combine shallots, garlic, clam juice, watere, veremouth, mustard seed and bay leaf.

2) Heat to boil, simmere covered 20 minutes. Cool and strain.

3) In a large skillet, arrange salmon in single layer. Pour liquid oveer fish. Add water, as needed, to cover.

4) Heat to simmer, and gently cook until fish looks opaque, about 10 minutes.

5) Remove from heat, cool fish in liquid for 1 hour, then transfer to platter.

6) Combine mayonnaise, mustard, brown sugar, sour cream and 1/4 cup dill for sauce

7) Spread thin layer of mustard sauce on each salmon filet, garnish with dill and pass remaining mustard sauce.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Synopsis: Miss Pettigrew, an approaching-middle-aged governess, was accustomed to a household of unruly English children. When her employment agency sends her to the wrong address, her life takes an unexpected turn. The alluring nightclub singer, Delysia LaFosse, becomes her new employer, at least for a day. Miss Pettigrew encounters a kind of glamour she had not experienced before, and both women are changed forever.

Review: What a sweet, naughty little book! Written in 1938, this has the vibe of a literary equivalent to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, or some other Hollywood escapade. Timid, mousy Miss Petttigrew, down on her luck and in need of a governess position, is sent to the address of Miss LaFosse, a sexy nightclub singer. Children are nowhere in sight, but Miss Lafosse is in the throes of Man Trouble. She is juggling two lovers, with a third hopeful waiting in the wings. Miss Pettigrew is scandalized, but also intrigued. Miss LaFosse pleads for Miss Pettigrew to help her out. One thing leads to another, madcap adventures ensue, and a friendship begins to form. Miss Pettigrew ends up having the most crazy, wonderful day of her life. Unfortunately, the novel also presents the difficult problem of how to square up the things you like with some casual ethnic stereotypes that were acceptable in 1938, but definitely not acceptable today. Apparently multiple sexual partners was not an issue, but Jewish or Italian heritage might be. These references are not common, but do mar the reading experience, so reader beware.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Miss Pettigrew is introduced to the idea of day drinking, and takes to it gamely. A lovely champagne cocktail like French 75 is just what the newly glamorous Miss Pettigrew might enjoy.

1/2 cup Cognac

1/2 cup simple syrup

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cups ice cubes

1 bottle of good chilled champagne

4 long strips of lemon zest

1) Pour cognac, simple syrup and lemon juice into cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake for 30 seconds.

2) Pour into 4 champagne flutes to fill ~ 2/3 full.

3) Fill glass with champagne and garnish with lemon peel, serve ice cold.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Synopsis: Tova Sullivan has lived in Sowell Bay for all of her 70 years. She’s stoic, but dealing with a lot of grief. Her estranged brother has just died (with no reconciliation between them), her husband died a few years ago of cancer, but the wound that will never heal is left by the disappearance 30 years ago of her 18 year old, only son, Erik. She fills her days with friends, and works nights at the local aquarium where she is scrupulous in her cleaning. She develops a friendship, of sorts, with Marcellus the Pacific octopus in the aquarium. Tova suffers an injury, leading to her introduction to the temporary cleaner, Cameron.

Review: My initial impression was eh, this is just OK. I thought it might grow on me over time, but it never really happened. I like a story with multiple POV, but this suffers from one cry baby/man child that is so annoying that you can’t wait to get back to Tova. I know many readers were enamored of Marcellus, but I didn’t quite feel that either. The foreshadowing was heavy handed and some parts just truly strained credulity. For instance, if you are trying to connect with a well known real estate agent, why would that be hard? It’s like the internet didn’t exist. In spite of these limitations, I did enjoy certain aspects of the book. Many of the themes are worthy of pondering, like loneliness, grief, and our need for human connection.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: Well seafood of course, but not octupus! Do you think I’m a monster? This recipe for Cioppino is from Harbor Fish Market in Portland, and includes everything BUT octopus.

1/4 cup olive ooil

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 cup finely chopped onioon

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup mushrooms, cut in half if large

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

6 oz tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

two 8 oz bottles clam juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 pounds firm fish (swordfish, sea bass or snapper)

8-10 clams or mussles

1 pound medium shrimp deveined and peeled

1/2 pound scallops

1/2 pound lump crabmeat

1) Heat oil and butter over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, green pepper and mushrooms for 10 minutes, or until onion is soft.

2) Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, clam juice, lemon juice, parsley, bay leaves, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and sugar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

3) Add the fish and cook for 10-15 minutes.

4) Add the clams, shrimp, scallop and crabmeat. Cover and simmer over low heat until clams open.

5) Serve in shallow bowls with garlic aioli if desired.

A Beautiful, Terrible Thing

Synopsis: Author Jen Waite met Marco at work. He was the new bar manager, and she was a new waitress, working to make ends meet as she tried (like millions) to “make it” as an actress or model in New York City. She fell for him HARD, and before long they moved in together. She invested in his dream of opening a restaurant, got married, and pregnant soon thereafter. Did I mention that he was undocumented? She helped him get a green card. The dream came to a crashing end when the author discovered evidence of his infidelity within weeks of the birth of their daughter. Yikes.

Review: This memoir was definitely raw and emotional. No doubt, I felt for this poor young woman. She describes, in excruciating detail, the post mortem of the affair and marriage. The obsessive dissection of it all, the need to UNDERSTAND. It’s painful. Not to be unsympathetic, but it was a little much. It made me think of how you might have a friend, or maybe even BE the person who can’t stop talking about the problems in their relationship. It made me wonder what her daughter is going to think of this when she has the ability to read it. I kept waiting for the shocking reveal, that would explain why this warrants a memoir. Not to cast aspersions, but affairs and divorce are not that shocking. Somehow, the “reveal” never came. Still, she has the ability to write. She describes her (soon-to-be) ex husband and his new girlfriend, noting that she is well aware that THIS relationship also will not last. “They will implode on the shards of a million bad decisions.” Well. That’s a line I will never forget, and if you can write even ONE unforgettable line of prose, you have my admiration. I wish her well.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: Break up chocolate cake, courtesy of Dessert for Two. Or maybe just one, in this case.

1/2 cup all purpose flour

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon warm water or coffee

handful freeze dried raspberries, crushed to a powder

powdered sugar for sprinking on top

1) Heat oven to 360.

2) Spray a 6” cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

3) Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

4) In medium bowl, stir the oil and sugar together. Add the sour cream and stir until blended.

5) Add egg and vanilla to the oil and sugar mixture, stir until combined.

6) Mix half of flour mixture into wet ingredients, then the water, then the remaining flour.

7) Put into prepared pan, and bake for 30 minutes.

8) Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and place on cake stand.

9) Place a heart cookie cutter in the center of the cake and fill with raspberry powder.

10) Cover the heart with papeer, and sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the rest of the cake.

The Measure

Synopsis: The world wakes up one morning with a mysterious box waiting for every single person 22 years old or older. Insite the box is a piece of string representing your life span. Hysteria ensues. Do uyou open your box? How does it change your life? society quickly segregates into “long stringers” with the luxury of knowledge of a long life span, and “short stringers” whose fate, sadly, is different. We follow eight characters to see how they grapple with the situation.

Review: It’s a rarity for me, but I did not finish this. I just completely lost interest about half way in. This book has been well reviewed by many, but I just didn’t care for it at all. AT ALL. You would think that carpe diem was an original idea based on this novel. I found this to be too message oriented, and not enough on real character development. The characters were two dimensional, the plot holes gaping, and just, honestly, NOT GOOD. At least for me. I have hated some books enough to hate read them to the end. I couldn’t even manage that degree of emotion here, so, meh.

Rating: 2/5

Recipe: Given the focus on strings, it was hard to avoid the idea of green beans, and I love this simple recipe from Ina Garten. Green beans gremolata is a little bit dressed up, and would definitely make a good holiday side.

1 pound French green beans, trimmed

2 teaspoons minced garlaic

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil

1) Blanch the green beans in large pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain, and immediately immerse into a bowl of ice water. Drain, and pat dry.

2) Toss the garlic, lemon zest, parsley, Parmesan and pine nuts in a small bowl and set aside.

3) When ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan, add the beans and saute for 2 minutes until heated.

4) Off the heat, add the gremolata and toss well. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and serve hot.

The Collector

Synopsis: Gabriel Allon is the world’s most famous spy. Living in Venice in retirement, he’s pressed back into action when the world’s most valuable painting goes missing—for the SECOND time! The Concert by Johannes Vermeer, stolen from the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990, has apparently been living in a vault on the Amalfi coast. Now, it has been stolen from it’s illicit hiding place and the owner of the seaside mansion is murdered. Gabriel is asked to find the painting, find the killer, and eventually things wind their way back to Russia, a plan for Ukraine and heaven help us, can Gabriel help avert a nuclear catastrophe?

Review: I’m quite a bit late to this party. Gabriel Allon, Israeli super-spy, linguist, artist and art expert, is the protagonist of a staggering 23 novels by Daniel Silva! This is the most recent installment, but it’s my first, so I’m a novice for sure. I was attracted to this book because I am fascinated by the story of the art theft of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. In the wee hours of March 18, 1990, two men in police uniforms pushed the buzzer at the Museum, stating they were responding to a disturbance and asked to be let in. The museum guards were then tied up, and 81 minutes later the fake policemen absconded with 13 works of art, most famous of which is The Concert by Johannes Vermeer. It remains to this day the largest theft of property in the world, and shockingly, also remains unsolved. There continues to be a 10 million dollar reward offered by the museum for information leading to recovery of the stolen works. This was the hook that got me interested in this book, as the painting in question here is the stolen Vermeer. For the purposes of this novel, it has been held by a shady South African shipping mogul in his Amalfi mansion in a vault. Now it has, in turn, been stolen by a shady character known only as The Collector. Readers, to prevent you from making the same mistake, if what you’re really interested in is the REAL heist, this book does not really address that, so maybe find another book. Nonetheless, it was a fast paced spy thriller, with an overlay of art history and interesting bits about art restoration. I thought the dialogue was well written, but found the plot twists a bit confusing…. one minute the book is about stolen art, the next its about Russia planning to nuke Ukraine as false flag attack, etc…. landing us squarely in espionage/spy territory. Not the kind of book I usually read, but I enjoyed it, and I would read more in this series.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: The Aperol Spritz seems to be having a moment. It originated in Italy, near Venice, as a lower alcohol alternative to Campari, and it’s beautiful shade evokes an Adriatic sunset. Served in a large wine glass, it’s the favorite of celebrities and wannabe influencers everywhere these days. The history of this drink, a Venetian staple that has become an orange tidal wave in the last 20 years, is worth a read!

Mix in a glass over 2 cubes of ice

1/2 glass of prosecco

1/3 glass of Aperol

a splash of seltzer water

garnish with orange slice or green olive

A Flicker in the Dark

Synopsis: When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing from her small Louisaiana Town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested for serial murder and put in jail. Chloe herself provided some of the evidence against her father and this traumatic event has scarred her life. Fast forward twenty years, and Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge. She’s planning a wedding and trying to enjoy the happiness she has worked so hard to achieve. Wouldn’t you know, it happens again! First one local teen goes missing, then another. Is there a connection? Is Chloe paranoid or intuitive? Who is responsible and is Chloe herself in danger?

Review: A book for the true crime aficionado. Not that this is based on a true crime, but it does have the feeling that Keith Morrison could be the narrator for the audio book. This book was OK, but I had a few issues with it. First of all, can we get over the wine drinking, pill popping unreliable female narrator? She’s everywhere! Chloe is so traumatized by her childhood that she doesn’t change her name, has not moved more than an hours drive from her home town, and gave an interview to the local TV station about how her father’s crimes inspired her career as a psychologist. Girl, you are just asking for public notoriety. Second, this wasn’t that hard to figure out. SPOILER ALERT, Chloe’s father is not the murderer, and I figured this out very early on, even figuring out who the real murderer was. I’m terrible at solving mysteries! To the author’s credit, there were a few other plot twists that I didn’t see coming, and that helped keep this from being completely predictable. On the favorable side, it was a fast easy read, and reasonably entertaining. It was described to me as an “airport book,” and this would certainly keep you engaged for a cross country flight.

Rating: 3/5

Recipe: Chloe grew up in the town of Breaux Bridge, a real town which is the proclaimed Crawfish Capital of the World. Every summer at the Crawfish Festival (a real event!) you can partake of the small crustacean in all its culinary forms. We don’t have crawfish in New England, but you could easily substitute shrimp in this recipe for crawfish etouffee. Etouffee means “to smother,” which describes the shellfish being smothered or braised in a spicy sauce, served over rice. This recipe, from Chili Pepper Madness, does not use tomatoes, which some recipes do, but I’m sure there are a lot of variations out there.

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspooons Cajun seaasoning

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups chicken or seafood stoock

1 pound crawfish tail meat

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1) Heat a large pot on medium heat and melt the butter

2) Add the flour to make a roux, stirring continuously for 5 minutes.

3) Add the onion, peppers, celery and garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes to soften.

4) Stir in the cajun seasoning, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste, and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

5) Add the crawfish tails or shrimp, and simmer about 5 minutes until done.

6) Remove from heat and stir in the parsley.

7) Serve over rice, and don’t forget the hot sauce.

A Suitable Boy

Synopsis: Mrs. Rupa Mehra intends to fulfill her parental duties by arranging a marriage for her 19 year old daughter Lata with “a suitable boy.” Set in a newly post-independence, post-partition India of 1951, we see the clash of customs as Lata most definitely does not want to be influenced by her domineering mother or opinionated brother Arun. The reader spends the next 18 months with the Mehra family, along with a cast of thousands as Lata considers potential suitors and India continues to define itself as a newly independent nation.

Review: Think War and Peace, but instead of Imperial Russia, it is 20th century India. It’s a beast at 1,488 pages, and simply holding the book for an extended period can become a workout. I was inspired to read it after reading The Reading List. If you missed that blog post, The Reading List involves a mysterious list of “must read” books, and of those books, the only one I had not yet read was A Suitable Boy. Challenge extended, challenge accepted! Friends, it was well worth it. India is so vast and multi-faceted. Ethnic conflicts, religious conflicts, castes, the partition of India and Pakistan, not to mention the obvious clash of traditional values with developing modernity. I will admit, some parts were a bit slower than others. I’m sure I would have benefitted from having more familiarity with Indian history, but in spite of my rudimentary understanding, it was still quite fascinating. The story begins with the wedding of Lata’s sister, and ends with Lata’s own marriage. Between these weddings came a thousand subplots and characters, weaving a detailed narrative tapestry. Was Lata’s husband a suitable boy? I will let you read it to find out! I would definitely like to make a suggestion that this monster be divided into several volumes just so its not so cumbersome to hold and read. Sadly, it was not available on Kindle, which would have been another attractive solution.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: Indian food is just as complex as it’s history. There are so many regional variations, and I’m certainly no expert. I only know that I love Indian food, and there isn’t an Indian restaurant within an hour of my house, so it’s usually up to me to try and create it. I can enthusiastically recommend the Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre. Her recipes are clear with simple instructions, a manageable number of ingredients, and most importantly, they are delicious. Jhinga Nariyal Wala, or shrimp coconut curry, comes together in no time.

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined (26-30 count)

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne peppeer

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 cup unsweetened cocunt milk, or more to taste

2 cups water

1) Place the shrimp in a bowl that fits inside the inner cooking ot of the Instant Pot. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, salt, cayenne, garam masala, and coconut milk. Cover the bowl with foil.

2) Pour the water into the Instant Pot and place a trivet on top. Set the covered bowl on top of the trivet.

3) lock the lid in place, select Manual and adjust the pressure to low. Cook for 3 minutes.

4) When cooking is complete, use quick release method to release the pressure.

5) Unlock the lid. Add a little extra cocunut milk if you like, stir well and serve with rice or the side of your choice.