Matrix

Synopsis: Deemed too coarse and rough hewn for marriage or courtly life, seventeen year old Marie de France is exiled from the royal court and sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey. It’s nuns are on the brink of starvation and beset by disease. Marie, the half-acknowledged half-sister of King Henry II is none too happy about the situation as she leaves behind creature comforts and the glamorous Queen Eleanor of Acquitaine. Over the next six decades, Marie transforms the abbey into a thriving self sufficient community of women as she herself is transformed.

Review: I have read previous novels by Lauren Groff and really appreciated her work in Fates and Furies. I wanted to like this one as well but…. not as much, as it turns out. This medieval girl boss fantasy never truly clicked for me. Marie definitely had challenges in creating her female utopia, but every bit of conflict was resolved almost as soon as it started. Years passed in a matter of pages, sometimes on the same page. Marie is depicted as almost a super hero: a saintly “fixer” of all problems. and that doesn’t set up much tension about how things are going to turn out. I was unprepared for the parts about her exploring her sexuality with the other nuns. I mean, there probably WERE Medieval lesbian nuns, I just wasn’t expecting that in this book! However, though I didn’t love the story, the prose was impressive, so I will still keep my eyes open for Groff in the future. I just might vet the selection a little more carefully. For me, this was just OK.

Rating: 3/3

Recipe: Presenting Caesar-Roasted Swordfish, courtesy of Ina Garten. Like Marie, it’s not exactly pretty, but it is truly divine.

Ingredients:

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 cup of mayonnaise (or if you follow Ina’s recipe exactly, “good mayonnaise”)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 pounds swordfish steaks cut into 6 portions

1/2 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons drained capers

lemon wedges for serving

1) Line a sheet pan with foil, heat oven to 500 degrees

2) Pulse garlic, anchovy paste, parsley and mustard in a food processor until minced. Add the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pulse to make a smooth sauce.

3) Set aside one third of the sauce to serve with the fish. Spread the remaining sauce on both sides of the fish, sprinkle with scallions, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

4) Roast for 10-12 minutes, cover with foil and allow to rest on the pan for 10 minutes.

5) In a small sauce pan, heat the olive oil until very hot, and cook the capers for 30-60 seconds.

6) Serve the swordfish hot with the lemon wedges, frizzled capers and reserved Caesar sauce.