Leave the World Behind
Synopsis: Amanda and Clay are an upper middle class professional couple, residents of Brooklyn with two teenage children. They rent a luxury home in a remote part of Long Island (there’s a remote part of Long Island?) to enjoy some sun and sand. It’s an idyllic and peaceful vacation until an older black couple shows up at night, identifying themselves as the house’s owners. They explain that there’s been a blackout. Amanda is initially suspicious of them and is skeptical of their claim. However, it turns out that George and Ruth are wealthy Manhattanites who wanted to wait out the blackout in their country home. Although they have no cell service, TV or Wi-Fi, it slowly dawns on the two couples that the blackout may be a sign of a larger global emergency.
Review: Another apocalyptic story with high tension, family drama, and class/race differences to add to the mix. This is not a horror story, perhaps more of a psychological thriller. The author, Rumaan Alam, does an amazing job of creating a sense of anxiety and tension. I read this book a few months ago, and the feelings created by being isolated at home felt familiar! At the beginning of the novel, it is not at all clear what is going on with the blackout, what caused it, or how big the impact is. The reader is just as much in the dark as Amanda and Clay. As the story progresses it becomes a bit more clear, and let’s just say, it’s not good. I’ve read that this is being adapted for Netflix, starring Denzel Washington as GH and Julia Roberts as Amanda—great casting!
Rating: 4/5
Recipe: Amanda stocks up at her local grocery store with all the essentials for a week at the beach: strawberries, hummus, Chardonnay. She makes a lovely pasta dinner which sounded delicious, but what, no seafood? You’re at the beach! If I were cooking a pasta dinner, I’d choose something like this Pasta with Shellfish, recipe courtesy of Alison Roman.
Ingredients:
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved if large
12 oz dried linguini or fettucini
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 lb littleneck clams or mussels, scrubbed and soaked
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled or unpeeled
1/2 cup toasted pistachios, very finely chopped or ground
Flaky sea salt
1 lemon, halved
1) Put a large pot of water on to boil
2) Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and fennel, season with S&P. Cook until lightly browned and tender, 8-10 minutes.
3) Add fennel seeds and crushed red pepper, stirring to toast. Add the tomatoes, cook 10-12 minutes until the tomatoes break down a bit. Crush them a bit to encourage if needed.
4). Cook the pasta and drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
5) Add the wine and cook until reduced b y half, 4-5 minutes. Add the clams, and if the skillet has a lid, put it on to help them steam open. Once they just start to open, add shrimp, season with S&P, toss and continue to cook until all the clams have opened and the shrimp are opaque, about another 3-5 minutes.
6) Toss pasta and the seafood mixture in the largest bowl you have, adding some of the pasta water as needed to keep things loose and saucy. Season with S&P and more red pepper flakes if desired.
7). Transfer to a large serving bowl (or serve it straight from the mixing bowl) and top with the pistachios, flaky sea salt, fennel fronds, and, if you like, more fennel seeds and crushed red pepper flakes. Offer the lemon halves alongside for squeezing over.