Project Hail Mary

Synopsis: Ryland Grace is a junior high science teacher-turned-astronaut who is the sole survivor of his space mission. With his two crewmates dead and a fuzzy memory, all Grace remembers (at first) is that he has been asleep for a very long time, and that he is a long, long way from home. Alone in space, Grace has an impossible task: to recall his past and figure out his mission to save not just himself, but the entire human race and planet Earth. SPOILER ALERT! He isn’t alone for long, as he encounters an alien spacecraft that also has a sole occupant.

Review: What an unexpected pleasure this book was! I had never even heard of the novel when it was selected by my book club. I was vaguely familiar with the author, Andy Weir, from his first science fiction smash The Martian, but knew nothing of this book. I was a tiny bit skeptical as this is not the type of book I typically choose, but found a lot to praise. First, the science is sound and plausible. Weir does a great job of breaking things down in small digestible pieces that anyone can understand, and it’s all important to the story. BUT, the story is so much more. It’s about friendship, overcoming adversity, finding hope, and being the best McGyver you can be. I enjoyed this as an audio book and feel it was uniquely suited to that medium. The narrator, Ray Porter, was outstanding! Ryland Grace’s alien counterpart, Rocky, speaks in chords and musical tones, and this was executed perfectly. Kudos to Andy Weir!

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: I must be honest: there was not a lot of appetizing food options relating to this story. Liquid nutrition by NG tube? Freeze dried rations? I’m not even going to TOUCH the idea of the me-burger! So enjoy an ad hoc selection of Alison Roman’s Sheet Pan Chicken with Chickpeas, Cumin and Turmeric. I really can’t get enough of this, it’s so good.

Ingredients:

3-3.5 pounds chicken pieces

1 1/2 cups full fat Greek yogurt, divided

5 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

2 teaspoons turmeric, divided

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon cumin

1 large red onion, thinly sliced, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, torn

1) Season chicken with salt and pepper

2) Combine 3/4 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon turmeric and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. Let sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

3) Place oven rack in the top third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees.

4) Combine chickpeas, fennel seed, cumin, and remaining teaspoon turmeric and half of the sliced onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

5) Move chickpeas to the outer edges of the baking sheet. Scrape excess marinade from chicken and place in the center. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake, tossing chickpeas occasionally until the skin of the chicken is golden and starting to crisp, 45-50 minutes.

6) Meanwhile, toss remaining onion slice with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

7) Combine remaining yogurt with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and salt and pepper, set aside.

8) Once chicken is ready, scatter with lemony onions and cilantro. Serve with seasoned yogurt along side as a sauce.