Maame - It 'Ain't Over Yet

Well, it's the end of the line, and I'm just getting my post out for our latest Cook the Books Club selection. We've been reading Maame, by Jessica George, these past two months; hosted by Debra of (Eliot's Eats).

 Truthfully, I was getting so depressed by and outraged at the central character, Maddie, for her attitude of victimization and not standing up for herself, that I just put the book aside and went on to life and other reads.  Then, when time was growing short for some sort of review, decided to do one of those sneak peeks to the ending.  Okay, looking much better, and worked my way backwards.  Things do improve, in life and sometimes even in books.  She does eventually take control of herself and her life, basically after her dad dies and frees her up in a sense to move on; after being his care giver, and mainstay of the whole family for so many years.  I won't give the ending totally away for those who haven't yet read the book, but if you can press on, it's a good lesson in giving people a chance and understanding what may have caused their dysfunctions.

From the Publishers:

"Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.

It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.

So when her mum returns from her latest trip, Maddie seizes the chance to move out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils―and rewards―of putting her heart on the line."

Just to explain, what we do at Cook the Books is to prepare something inspired by our reading of the current selection.  For inspiration, I chose to find a dish from Maddie's home country of Ghana.  In Marcus Samuelsson's cookbook on Africa, The Soul of a New Cuisine, he says "Cooking food in banana leaves is a tradition in West Africa."  He includes a recipe for Snapper wrapped in Banana Leaves, which I used, with some adaptations, based on my location in Hawaii.  The fish became Ahi Poke, which is chunks of ahi tuna in some seasonings, to which I included some salted, preserved lemon; which all went into the banana leaf parcels.  Here is Marcus' recipe:

As you will notice, the mainstay of this dish is a rich risotto type preparation, made with rice, coconut milk, stock and various vegetables.  This is all served along with the fish wraps.  The recipe also calls for morning glory or spinach, however I used sweet potato greens from our garden, another popular African  green.

An absolutely delicious concoction altogether!  And certainly a taste of another cuisine.  This will be posted with Cook the Books and linked also to Foodies Read, hosted by Heather and Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marge, the Intrepid Reader and Baker, also sharing this post at Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz.   Stay tuned for the coming soon Round-Up of everyone's posts, which should be enticing and interesting!  

Coming to My Senses

Our latest Cook the Books Club selection is Coming to My Senses, by Alice Waters, which I am hosting this round.

And, I kept hoping that she would!  In the end.  As far as her personal life went at least. Rather radical politics and morals, (what she termed "serial monogamy") though an accurate glimpse into that particular time and place.

 For the restaurant concept, as Alice remarks in her Afterword, "I knew very well that I was running a counterculture restaurant, and that Chez Panisse would never have happened without that movement.  I couldn't have done it in the real world; the idea of having only one menu was preposterous by mainstream standards, and I never could have borrowed money from the banks.  But everybody in the counterculture felt that if you did something really well, however unorthodox, if you stayed true to human principles, you could succeed.... Our place didn't look like other places.  We bought used furniture and put mismatched vintage glassware on the table.  We hired women as cooks and waitstaff in a fine-dining establishment, which was practically unheard of at the time.  The women and men we hired didn't have long cooking resumes but were smart and talented and believed in the vision."

From the Publishers: 

"The long-awaited memoir from cultural icon and culinary standard bearer Alice Waters recalls the circuitous road and tumultuous times leading to the opening of what is arguably America's most influential restaurant.

When Alice Waters opened the doors of her "little French restaurant" in Berkeley, California, in 1971 at the age of 27, no one ever anticipated the indelible mark it would leave on the culinary landscape - Alice least of all. Fueled in equal parts by naiveté and a relentless pursuit of beauty and pure flavor, she turned her passion project into an iconic institution that redefined American cuisine for generations of chefs and food lovers."

I had a few laugh out loud moments, for instance when, a decade after the restaurant had been opened she "filmed an episode with Julia Child for one of her shows ... I was pitting olives with my fingers, and she said in that fluting voice of hers, "Oh! Is that how you pit an olive, Alice?  How fascinating"  And the recollections of how she picked her staff and collaborators, "I looked for another person who could cook - I was way too afraid to shoulder all of the cooking myself.... and Tom, ever the great connector, said "Oh I'll find somebody for you ... and he found Paul Aratow, an aspiring filmmaker who was the cameraman for Agnes Varda's documentary on the Black Panthers.  Paul was a really good Italian cook, and he did help me.  I believed in his instincts."

There was just so much food inspiration, but I was especially taken with her love of salads, Alice even went so far as bringing one as her special dish to New York for a big fete featuring the "twenty-five best restaurants in the country.  (We were number seven!)." P.103.  She brought a composed salad, on a special plate donated by James Beard.

As I do love salads,  that was my inspiration and featured dish for this post!  Some of its story involves a long diatribe on the subject of Sacha Inchi, a plant I'm growing, also known as the Peruvian Peanut, just check out the above link. However, I just can't resist -  this nut is actually a complete protein!  You notice the small brown object on my fork in the picture?  That's one, and I did post about it earlier, but by now I have processed it and actually use the nuts in meals.  As it's one of those tropical plants and probably not of general interest, still I find it fascinating!  Just look at the shape of it!

You harvest them when they turn brown, then dry, roast and crack them open, a whole process to get at the nut inside.  Similar in some ways to the process of chocolate or coffee. But worth it in the end.  They are good, and a nice replacement for where you might use peanuts.

Anyway, back to the salad.  Not a totally "composed" recipe, but more as I tend to do, throw things together!  With an oil and vinegar dressing, also thrown together, I usually add some shoyu, sesame oil and a bit of Balsamic vinegar.  Hoping it all works out well.  This one did!

As far as I recall, it had shredded cabbage, slices of small sweet pepper, cherry tomatoes, ramen noodles, shredded carrot, some fresh greens, basil and of course, the toasted Sacha Inchi nuts.  

The deadline for posting your contributions is September 30th.  Be sure to add your link in the comments at Cook the Books Club.  I'll be including this post at Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marge, the Intrepid Reader and Baker. and the Sept. Foodies Read, hosted by Heather.

Food for the Land of Milk and Honey

We participants at Cook the Books Club have been reading Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang.  The novel centers on an unnamed chef, 29, who is trying to survive in the wake of an environmental catastrophe which has wreaked havoc on the earth's biodiversity.  According to Publisher's Weekly...

She had "chased complex flavors and busy kitchens since she was 19. But when the disaster decimated kitchen ingredients and shuttered borders, she was left cooking with years-old fish and bioengineered flour: "Chef had lost its meaning... like fresh." In a desperate attempt to change her surroundings, she takes a head chef position at a secretive food research community on the mountainous Italian-French border, which holds a surprising storeroom with the world's last strawberries, Parmigiano, and boar meat. Her transition to cooking for investors she cannot meet is difficult--she has no access to the outside world and she can't stomach the rich food. But she becomes preoccupied with Aida, the boss's mischievous 20-year-old daughter, who shows up to test her cooking. Aida and her father see their facility as the planet's last hope, and the chef soon learns that her role extends beyond food to enabling a world that caters to their ambition. Wrestling with her desire for both excitement and stability, the chef must squash the inner voice that asks, "Hadn't I meant to feed anyone else?"

Personally, I had a hard time identifying with this nameless chef who seemed, to me anyway, a very unsympathetic character. Her namelessness is symbolic.  Zhang attempts to tie everything up at the end.  Chef survives and, in the after years, has a daughter by some man, also nameless.  A theme of difficulty with men ran throughout the story.  Though the dystopian setup was interesting it really didn't get satisfactorily resolved. 

I went with "the years-old fish and bioengineered flour" or as the book says,"mung-protein-soy-algal flour distributed by the government", for my cooking inspiration from this book - a jar of Tuna Ventresca, which I keep on hand, in a Bechamel sauce, served over some rolls made with my stored breadfruit and tapioca flours - the bioengineered bread.

P. 98 “It wasn't tuna ventresca that drew diners to this community over others, nor was it heritage beef. It was the final bottle of a 1985 Cannonau, salt-crusted from its time on the Sardinian coast. Each diner had barely a swallow. My employer bid us not to swallow, not yet, but hold the wine at the back of the throat till it stung and warmed to the temperature of blood and spit, till we wrung from it the terroir of fields cracked by quake and shadowed by smog; only then, swallowing, choking, grateful, did we appreciate the fullness of its flavor.” Oh well....

                   Brazilian Cheese  Bread

Servings

12 to 16 pao de queijo

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups Tapioca Flour

• 1 cup Ulu (breadfruit) flour

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

• 1 cup Whole Milk

• 1 ½ teaspoon Salt

• 1 Egg

• 1 cup Grated Parmesan

• ½ cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar

• Butter to grease pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F oil baking sheet or muffin pans with butter.

2. Add tapioca flour, ‘ulu flour and salt to bowl and mix well.

3. Warm liquids (milk & olive oil) over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add hot liquids over flour & salt mixture and mix well. The texture should seem like glue. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes so you do not cook egg and cheese when you add them in.

4. Beat 1 egg and combine. Mix for about 2 minutes or until it is well incorporated and has a sticky texture. Slowly add cheese until the mixture forms into a dough. You can leave a little cheese to add on top later on.

5. Add a few drops of oil into your hands and rub evenly. Scoop a spoonful of dough, make small balls and roll in your hands. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on your sheet or add to your muffin pan.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Then turn the sheet 180 degrees and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the balls for additional cheesy appearance & texture. Bake for an additional 8 minutes or until slightly golden. Be careful not to over cook, as the bottom of pao de queijo can easily burn.  

The rolls were a bit on the dense side, which is what you can get without gluten flour. This is a simple dish I usually have over toast.  The Tuna Ventresca in white sauce was very good.  It's a high end tuna, worth every bit of the extra.

Linking up with Cook the Books Club for this December/January book selection.  And with the February Foodies Read, hosted by Heather at Based on a True Story.  Our next Cook the Books Selection February/March, is Be Ready When the Luck Happens, by Ina Garden, and hosted by Debra of (Eliot's Eats).

Praising God and Practicing Gratitude!

Thanksgiving is a great time to practice gratitude!  Doing that here, whilst Joining up with Deb Nance of Readerbuzz for her Sunday Salon.

We are celebrating many things!  Family, friends, good food, fruit from our trees, and this week a report of over 9,000 shoebox gifts  collected at our Operation Christmas Child Hilo Drop Off location! The boxes go to hurting and impoverished children in Third World countries and other places, wherever folks are going through various disasters, to orphanages, etc. This is the second and final container.

The Secret Life of Bees and Some Cake Too!

 

We at Cook the Books Club are currently reading The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, hosted this round by Debra of Eliot's Eats.  This is a novel I had totally missed out on, though it's been around for over 20 years now. Quite an original and fascinating tale. I especially loved the account of 14 year old Lily springing her nanny from the hospital lockdown, after she was beaten up for daring to attempt voting!  

Frosted Maple Bars for Family Tree

 

Our Cook the Books group have been reading and posting about  our current June/July selection, Family Tree by Susan Wiggs, which event I'm also hosting.  I read the book several years ago, and just re-read it for this round.  Delightful both times.  The heroine, Annie Rush, goes through so much loss in her story!  Totally unique and devastating experiences, that would wipe out most of us!  

But, going through them, along with her gave me an insider's glimpse of something I had never thought about, of what it would be like waking from a year long coma, learning again who you are and what had happened.  An entire life lost! The whole recovery process, rehabilitation, then putting the past behind and beginning again!  Not your ordinary cliche story.  Also learning about the whole maple syrup business, how it's done, etc. was a fascinating discovery.  Susan Wiggs keeps it real!

From the Publishers:

"Annie Harlow knows how lucky she is. The producer of a popular television cooking show, she loves her handsome husband and the beautiful Los Angeles home they share. And now, she’s pregnant with their first child. But in an instant, her life is shattered. And when Annie awakes from a yearlong coma, she discovers that time isn’t the only thing she’s lost.

Cooking with Julia in Mastering the Art of French Murder

Our latest Cook the Books Club pick is the clever and very entertaining novel by Colleen Cambridge, Mastering the Art of French Murder. I loved this truly enjoyable read, both from the mystery perspective as well as the enticing food and wine discussions.  From the Washington Post:

"Set in midcentury Paris and starring Julia Child’s fictional best friend, this magnifique reimagining of the iconic chef’s years at Le Cordon Bleu blends a delicious murder mystery with a unique culinary twist.

“It’s Child’s ebullient personality that is the heart of the book. Part historical fiction, part mystery, Mastering the Art of French Murder is totally delectable entertainment for fans of lighthearted detective fiction.” – The Washington Post

And from the Publishers' report: 

"From fine Bordeaux and freshly baked baguettes to the friendly chatter of the green market, postwar Paris is indulging its appetite for food, and life, once more, as Tabitha Knight, a young American woman, makes friends with chef-in-training Julia Child—and finds herself immersed in a murder most unsavory . . 

Between tutoring Americans in French, and sampling the results of Julia's studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha's sojourn is thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia's building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim from a party given by Julia's sister, Dort, the night before. The murder weapon is recognizable too—a knife from Julia's kitchen."  Of course, she must help to find the killer and protect her new friend.

Stacked or Unstacked Enchiladas for Relish

Our current book selection for Cook the Books Club is Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, a Graphic Memoir by Lucy Knisley.  Cartoon formatted books are not my usual go to read, or cookbook for that matter.  I found some of it entertaining and humorous, some recipes a bit questionable, and a few that made me want to give a try.  The pickle episode was funny, but in actuality, pretty bad.  I've never seen such a complicated and strange procedure for making pickled vegetables.  Cooking the cucumbers first?  1/2 gallon apple cider vinegar?? She says that her grandmother made incredible pickles, and further that both she and her mom were never able to duplicate the process.   It totally made me want to email her a good recipe for naturally fermented pickles, which is probably what her grandmother made.  Here it is for anyone interested: https://honeyfromrock.blogspot.com/2010/10/they-cant-be-that-easy-pickled.html

A Good BBQ For Food Americana

 

Our most recent Cook the Books Club selection is Food Americana  -The Remarkable People and Incredible Stories behind America's Favorite Dishes, by David Page. This round hosted by Simona, of Bricole.  

Not my usual sort of reading material.  This is a lovely club/ reading group, which gets us all out of ruts! :). .. My usual sort of rut being escapism, light mystery fiction, or non-fiction totally based on what project I'm involved in or researching.  At the moment, improving my chocolate making.  Just finished making a fermentation box, and it's cooking away at the moment. So much for that.  This book, on the other hand, is about food in America.  In case you weren't aware of it all, and with background on the various types: Hamburgers, BBQ, bagels, spaghetti, ice cream, etc. etc. including those not so American, i.e. Mexican, sushi and Chinese food.  According to the publishers:

"David Page changed the world of food television by creating, developing, and executive-producing the groundbreaking show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Now from this two-time Emmy winner comes Food Americana, an entertaining mix of food culture, pop culture, nostalgia, and everything new on the American plate.

The remarkable history of American food. What is American cuisine, what national menu do we share, what dishes have we chosen, how did they become “American,” and how are they likely to evolve from here? David Page answers all these questions and more.

Engaging, insightful, and often humorous. The inside story of how Americans have formed a national cuisine from a world of flavors. Sushi, pizza, tacos, bagels, barbecue, dim sum―even fried chicken, burgers, ice cream, and many more―were born elsewhere and transformed into a unique American cuisine."  I would beg to differ.  These items may be what we or some of us eat, but they are not our National cuisine.  We obviously don't have one.  

Kitchen Experiments for Lessons in Chemistry

 

Our latest book selection for Cook the Books Club has been Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, hosted this round by Debra of 
Eliot's Eats.   From the Publisher:

"Meet Elizabeth Zott: “a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention” (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show."

 I found the book somewhat enjoyable, occasionally interesting and sometimes annoying.  Interesting historically in a sad way, with a look at how professional women have been treated in the past.   Annoying, hypocritical really, in the sense that "scientists" as well as authors, artists, engineers, etc. understandably, very much dislike having their work and inventions, or designs appropriated by others.  As happened in the novel.  Actually it's a criminal offense.  Yet they can look at the beauty, purpose and design all around us and assign it to random chance. Ha.  Also, I found it highly unlikely that her cooking show would have become popular in the early1960s.  What did become popular then was Julia Child's cooking show. 

There is a lot of hypocrisy in the world and always has been, not just in the arena of women's rights.  At least Garmus' novel was thought provoking and even occasionally humorous, despite the improbable and sometimes fantastical side.  I loved Elizabeth's dog, 6:30.  When Calvin died, "he sensed her death wish, and because of it, had been on suicide watch all week." Like her daughter, the dog is rendered almost magically intelligent and gifted.

Pulled Pork Pasties for The Kitchen Front

 

We at Cook the Books Club have been reading our current selection, The Kitchen Front, by Jennifer Ryan, hosted by myself this round.  I chose the book, based not only on positive reviews, but on reading it as well as others of her excellent works: The Wedding Dress Circle, The Spies of Shilling Lane and The Chilbury Ladies' Choir.  

Even though I've told myself I've already read too many novels  set in those War Years, (I or II), but then get sucked back in.  Both periods of history encompass so many absorbing stories, and amazingly, more coming out all the time.  This book is a good example of the never-ending variety, between points of view and characters, unusual plotting, etc. turning into a very interesting and enjoyable read.

From the Publishers:  It's the tale "of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition and the four women who enter for a chance to better their lives.

Two years into World War II, Britain is feeling her losses: The Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is holding a cooking contest—and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would present a crucial chance to change their lives." And, yes that contest actually happened.

There was a variety of meals and food to get inspired by, and I took notes.  Among them, Berry Scones, Lord Woolton Pie, Cocquilles St. Jacques, Audrey's Mushroom Soup, Paolo's Chicken Cacciatore (yes, we even had a contribution from a Prisoner of War), and Audrey's' Cornish Pasties, (from page 305) which I chose to make for this round. 

Fairy Cakes for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party

The current read for our Cook the Books Club is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, selected for us and hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats.   My special vintage edition, beautifully illustrated with paintings by Angel Dominguez, was found online through Etsy.  If you'd like to read (or re-read) this old classic, and join the party, you have until the end of September.  What we do is read the selected book, get inspired by something in it to cook, then post our food and thoughts.

Lots to Taste with Stanley Tucci

Our Cook the Books Club current selection, Stanley Tucci - Taste My Life Through Food, presents us with a memoir full of opinion, memories, travel and the connections between his growing up in a close knit Italian American family, in film, writing, travel, and through it all the backdrop and importance of food in his life.  This round is hosted by fellow Hawaiian blogger, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

Tucci's mother was a wonderful cook, and he writes: "It should be obvious by now that when I was young my mother spent most of her waking time in the kitchen, and she still does to this day.  Cooking for her is at once a creative outlet and a way of feeding her family well.  Her cooking, like that of any great cook or chef, is proof that culinary creativity may be the most perfect art form."

What an enjoyable read!  And especially for us book foodies, with so many suggestions, memorable meals, recipes encountered in his full and sometimes even tragic life.  I felt as though I had met and come to know the man, with his sense of humor, conversations on whatever was happening, and sometimes rather dogmatic views, as per the one on NOT EVER cutting your spaghetti. And, not combining the wrong pasta and sauce.  I'm sure I do that on a regular basis.  Occasionally even cut my spaghetti.  OMG!

Red Sparrow and a Ukrainian Dish in Protest

Our current Cook the Books Club selection, hosted by Simona of Bricole, has been Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews.  According to the Publishers:

"In contemporary Russia, state intelligence officer Dominika Egorova has been drafted to become a “Sparrow”—a spy trained in the art of seduction to elicit information from their marks. She’s been assigned to Nathaniel Nash, a CIA officer who handles the organization’s most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young intelligence officers, trained in their respective spy schools, collide in a charged atmosphere of tradecraft, deception and, inevitably, a forbidden spiral of carnal attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America’s valuable mole in Moscow" .... The Publishers' rant also called the novel an "electrifying modern spy thriller", however stupefying might be a better adjective.

"The art of seduction" i.e trained and systematicaly degraded, prostitute spies.  Sadly, I was unable to finish this book, couldn't identify with the lead characters at all, aside from pity, and would agree with one reviewer, admittedly in the minority, of mostly sycophant mainstream voices, who said in part:

"If this was a novel about old spies in suits, I’D BE SO HAPPY.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder with African Yam

Cinnamon and Gunpowder, by Eli Brown, was a jolly good read for sure, and our Cook the Books Club selection for October/ November.  I am hosting this event, which is coming to a close on the 30th of November. What we do in this online group is read the current book selection, and then cook something inspired by our reading, post about it, then send your link to the host, or add in the comment line at the Cook the Books site.

I thoroughly enjoyed this very unique story, perhaps some might say an implausible one. But keep in mind the time, people and politics of the day, the places involved. There were pirates then. Life was very difficult for the poor, especially for women on their own. And, we do know from historical records that there were women pirates. Overall, what an amazing adventure!

From the Publishers:

"A gripping adventure, a seaborne romance, and a twist on the tale of Scheherazade—with the best food ever served aboard a pirate’s ship

Southern Cooking Inspired by Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe

It's time at Cook the Books Club to report on our current read.  Which, right at this moment would be  Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe, by Heather Webber.  We are reading and posting cooking inspiration gleaned from the book. This round being hosted by fellow Hawaiian blogger, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.  

I enjoyed this book, the sometimes wacky characters who visit the cafe, the strange occurrences with neighborhood blackbirds, and the development of the protagonists and antagonists as they finally are able to forgive long held bitterness and preconceptions about one another.  A little romance adds a nice dollop to the overall picture.

From the Publishers: 

"THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER Heather Webber's Midnight at the Blackbird Café is a captivating blend of magical realism, heartwarming romance, and small-town Southern charm.
Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.

It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.

As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly."

Latkes from 97 Orchard St.

We have been reading, or in my case browsing and sampling, 97 Orchard, by Jane Ziegelman our current, soon to be past, Cook the Books Club selection.  Jumping here and there in the book.  No excuse other than I found it hard to focus, with such a wealth of  factoids and history to absorb.  The book is sub-titled An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement, and is being hosted this round by Simona of Bricole.

 Lots of amazing information, things I never knew about our immigrant forebears, their lives and times.  For an example, were you aware that at one time, circa 1842, about 10,000 pigs were roaming the streets of New York?  Finding what forage they could, garbage, etc. Just imagine....?  Or that folks were raising geese in their basements?  The noise! Not to mention the smell.  But those folks were industrious, inventive and struggling to survive, frequently in the face of cruel discrimination.. This book is about so much more than the food, covering as it does the lives of the immigrants as a whole. An excellent book for history teachers to assign.  Take note teachers!  We have too much revisionist history circulating at present.  Not my usual reading path, but I really enjoyed this look at our ancestors' traditions, lives and the times they lived through.  

From the Publishers: 
“Social history is, most elementally, food history. Jane Ziegelman had the great idea to zero in on one Lower East Side tenement building, and through it she has crafted a unique and aromatic narrative of New York’s immigrant culture: with bread in the oven, steam rising from pots, and the family gathering round.” — Russell Shorto, author of The Island at the Center of the World. 

Bacon Biscuits and Honeysuckle Season

Our latest Cook the Books Club selection was Honeysuckle Season, by Mary Ellen Taylor, this round hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats.  The novel was a truly absorbing and enjoyable read, romantic with a mystery, at times heartbreaking, yet uplifting. I didn't find a lot of food inspiration, though was maybe reading too fast?  Hey,  but we Cook the Bookers are ready for that eventuality.  We can get inspired by atmosphere, location and any little off the cuff mention of items from the plant or animal worlds.  Sometimes a stretch, but we're generally able to come up with something.  

Our library never came through with my request for the book, and after more than a month on the list, I ordered at the last minute from Kindle.  Which is why I'm sailing in under the deadline bar here.

From the Publishers: 

"Adrift in the wake of her father’s death, a failed marriage, and multiple miscarriages, Libby McKenzie feels truly alone. Though her new life as a wedding photographer provides a semblance of purpose, it’s also a distraction from her profound pain.

When asked to photograph a wedding at the historic Woodmont estate, Libby meets the owner, Elaine Grant. Hoping to open Woodmont to the public, Elaine has employed young widower Colton Reese to help restore the grounds and asks Libby to photograph the estate.  From bestselling author Mary Ellen Taylor comes a story about profound loss, hard truths, and an overgrown greenhouse full of old secrets. Libby is immediately drawn to the old greenhouse shrouded in honeysuckle vines.

As Libby forms relationships and explores the overgrown—yet hauntingly beautiful—Woodmont estate, she finds the emotional courage to finally sort through her father’s office. There she discovers a letter that changes everything she knows about her parents, herself, and the estate. Beneath the vines of the old greenhouse lie generations of secrets, and it’s up to Libby to tend to the fruits born of long-buried seeds."

Ups and Downs of Where I Come From

 

Our Cook the Books Club selection for February/March is Where I Come From, Life Lessons from a Latino Chef, by Aaron Sanchez.  This round hosted by myself, and it has to be said, I was inspired right from the start.  On the first page of his Introduction, Sanchez states: "There is nothing about the food of Mexico that is dull or muted  - Cinnamon. Chocolate. Chile  Earth.."  

I had plans for some left-over roast chicken, Chicken Enchiladas, which I usually top with a decent brand of canned green chili enchilada sauce.  Horrors!  But slightly doctored up, when I'm not in a hurry.  In this instance I thought, yes, I have the chocolate, which we actually grow and process, I have the cinnamon, ditto, and the chilies are in the sauce. Viola!  We'll go with that thought.  I first pounded some roasted, ground cacao in my big, trusty mortar, with a bit of cinnamon, added some cumin and sautéed the spices for a few minutes in earth.  No, ha ha, bacon fat.  Stirred in minced onion and then garlic, after that I added it all to the sauce, which was now taking on the color of muted chocolate.  But, nothing dull or muted about the taste!! Transformed by those iconic spices of Mexico.

Gumbo Z'Herbes for Eat Joy

 

Our current Cook the Books Club read has been Eat Joy, Stories and Comfort Food, edited by Natalie Eve Garrett, and this December/January round hosted by fellow Hawaiian co-host, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. 

Of course, with any compilation of essays, by various authors, there are going to be some you love, some you really like, a few you don't get all that excited about, and some you might skip over, if not actually dislike.  There were enough here to make for an enjoyable read, to open up a door of understanding with uncomfortable subjects, some new information, and a bit of just good humor.  The first story one I read, No Alzheimer's in India, by Antoine Wilson,  definitely came under the category of humor, as well as new information, which, when I did some research, was actually backed up by medical science.  We all need more turmeric in our diets.

Lovely to have variety and a bit of spice in our reading as well as eating, something to nibble on in between times is a good palate cleanser.  It must be said, many of the recipes were included as illustrative, not meant to be especially wonderful in themselves.  From the Publishers: 

"This collection of intimate, illustrated essays by some of America’s most well–regarded literary writers explores how comfort food can help us cope with dark times—be it the loss of a parent, the loneliness of a move, or the pain of heartache