Thursday, December 27, 2007
November 2007 Host: Amy
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Summary
This is an epic novel of three generations of a Greek-American family told through the eyes of a hermaphrodite, Calliope Stephanides. The story begins with the grandparents of Callie who, in 1922, fled Greece as it burned all around them. Due to a lack of eligible mates in their tiny village, the grandparents, who are brother and sister, begin their own intimate physical relationship and get married as they cross the Atlantic. Unknown to them, a recessive gene will be passed down to their grandchild, Calliope, who ends up with secondary male sex characteristics. This wasn’t discovered until Callie was fourteen - she had been living as a girl and eventually rediscovered her/himself as a man. This is a rich novel as it also describes family difficulties during historical times such as the Greek-Turkish wars, prohibition, world war II, and the Detroit riots. The author is a winner of the Pulitzer prize.
Discussion
-About half of us did not finish the book due to time constraints and the length of the book. We all agreed that it was a very good book, and those who did not finish, had every intention of doing so. It was not light reading nor a book you wanted to rush through. After all, it took the author nine years to write the book, his research and attention to detail were impressive. While reading the book, you actually felt as if you were transported to such places as Greece, Detroit in the 1920s and 1930s, and San Francisco.
-This book also sparked discussions of our own personal lives which I probably shouldn’t repeat here. Let’s just say that it was probably one of the more animated (and fun) discussions the book club has had.
-The author’s first person narrative was at times intense - one particular instance being from Callie when she was in her mother’s womb, e.g. “Only I from the private box of my primordial egg, saw what was going on.”
-The characters were all well developed which led to some disappointment about the grandmother Desdemona being left out towards the end of the book.
-There was some impatience while reading the book. It seemed to take forever to get to the crux - when Callie finally discovers her fate.
-Callie, who later becomes a man, is raised as a girl. During the initial and subsequent physical examinations, certain physical characteristics are missed by the aging family doctor. This goes on for fourteen years. An interesting question posed here is that, as a parent, if you were aware that your child were a hermaphrodite immediately after birth, would you choose their sex and have surgery while they were an infant, or would you let things be and wait for the child to decide what their own gender is after they go through puberty.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Summary
This is an epic novel of three generations of a Greek-American family told through the eyes of a hermaphrodite, Calliope Stephanides. The story begins with the grandparents of Callie who, in 1922, fled Greece as it burned all around them. Due to a lack of eligible mates in their tiny village, the grandparents, who are brother and sister, begin their own intimate physical relationship and get married as they cross the Atlantic. Unknown to them, a recessive gene will be passed down to their grandchild, Calliope, who ends up with secondary male sex characteristics. This wasn’t discovered until Callie was fourteen - she had been living as a girl and eventually rediscovered her/himself as a man. This is a rich novel as it also describes family difficulties during historical times such as the Greek-Turkish wars, prohibition, world war II, and the Detroit riots. The author is a winner of the Pulitzer prize.
Discussion
-About half of us did not finish the book due to time constraints and the length of the book. We all agreed that it was a very good book, and those who did not finish, had every intention of doing so. It was not light reading nor a book you wanted to rush through. After all, it took the author nine years to write the book, his research and attention to detail were impressive. While reading the book, you actually felt as if you were transported to such places as Greece, Detroit in the 1920s and 1930s, and San Francisco.
-This book also sparked discussions of our own personal lives which I probably shouldn’t repeat here. Let’s just say that it was probably one of the more animated (and fun) discussions the book club has had.
-The author’s first person narrative was at times intense - one particular instance being from Callie when she was in her mother’s womb, e.g. “Only I from the private box of my primordial egg, saw what was going on.”
-The characters were all well developed which led to some disappointment about the grandmother Desdemona being left out towards the end of the book.
-There was some impatience while reading the book. It seemed to take forever to get to the crux - when Callie finally discovers her fate.
-Callie, who later becomes a man, is raised as a girl. During the initial and subsequent physical examinations, certain physical characteristics are missed by the aging family doctor. This goes on for fourteen years. An interesting question posed here is that, as a parent, if you were aware that your child were a hermaphrodite immediately after birth, would you choose their sex and have surgery while they were an infant, or would you let things be and wait for the child to decide what their own gender is after they go through puberty.
Hard salami and cream cheese appetizers
One pound sliced hard salami
16 ounces soft cream cheese
Spread cream cheese thinly over a slice of hard salami. Cover with another slice of hard salami and spread cream cheese over the next slice, continue until you have four layers of cream cheese and five layers of salami. Cut into eight triangles. Continue until salami is used up and chill for a few hours before serving.
Sausage and Cheese Won Tons
1 (16 ounce) package wonton wrappers
1 pound sausage, browned and drained
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup ranch dressing
Optional: you can add chopped red pepper and black olives if you like
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a miniature muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Insert wonton wrappers into the muffin pan so as to form small cups. Bake five minutes in the preheated oven. Allow the baked wrappers to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the cooled sausage, cheeses, and ranch dressing. Fill the baked wonton wrappers’ cups with the mixture.
4. Bake the filled wonton wrappers 5 to 10 minutes, until the sausage mixture is bubbly and slightly brown. Watch closely so the wonton wrappers do not burn.
Iced pumpkin cookies
Ingredients
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
14 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
5 tablespoons butter
2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, ginger and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the ½ cup of butter and sugars. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle or spread frosting.
4. Frosting: In a small skillet cook butter over medium low heat until browned. Be careful not to burn. Combine butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Add milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
October, 2007 Host: EmilySnow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Summary
She is called by those in her village - “One who has not yet died”. This is the story of an eighty year old widow who reflects on her life in nineteenth-century China. The story begins with the tradition of foot binding at the age of five or six, the smaller the feet, the more marriageable and desirable a woman becomes. Lily (the narrator of the book) is paired with a laotong (where the girls sign a contract to be friends for life), Snow Flower. The girls begin their friendship at the age of seven. They begin writing in nu shu on a fan which they pass back and forth, nu shu being a unique phonetic language that Chinese women created so that they could communicate secretly, without the influence of men. Their friendship continues and strengthens through foot binding, marriages, death, a typhoid epidemic, and war. Ironically, a misinterpretation of a nu shu message sent by Snow Flower to Lily derails their relationship after over twenty years of friendship.
The author, who is part Chinese, has traveled to rural China and interviewed many of the elderly residents in order to research the practices of nu shu, foot binding, food preparation, etc.
Discussion
-Everyone who read this book thoroughly enjoyed it. The historic setting, the complexity of the characters, and the heart wrenching experiences of the women made this book compelling and a page turner.
-Most are aware of the Chinese practice of foot binding, but not of the horrific details. Mothers began the process of foot binding when their girls were five or six years old. A bandage two inches wide and ten feet long was wrapped around the foot in a figure eight pattern so that the arch was compressed and the four toes were bent under. The foot was then jammed into a shoe that was several sizes too small. Over the next few years, tighter bandages and smaller shoes were used until the desired affect (a foot that measured two to three inches long) was achieved. The four small toes broke and some eventually fell off. Sores developed, the flesh putrefied, and some girls died of gangrene. Since this affected their ability to walk for the rest of their lives, women spent most of their time inside their homes, thus subjugating them to the demands of their husbands or mothers-in-law.
-It was difficult to comprehend why the practice of foot binding by the girls’ mothers was described as a ’mother’s love’. The mother controlled every aspect of foot binding, from changing the bandages to forcing the young girls to walk back and forth in their bindings - which was anguish and drove most of the girls to tears. Of course our hearts would break if we had to do anything this painful to our own daughters, however, this was a custom carried on for thousands of years until it was outlawed in the early 1900s. A mother’s love could be construed as doing everything possible for her daughter to have a beneficial marriage. A good marriage was important as men dominated, with some regularly beating their wives. The mother-in-law ruled the house and often worked their daughters-in-law to exhaustion.
-”Three sworn sisters have promised to love me as I am.” These were the words that tore apart the relationship between Lily and Snow Flower. Lily interpreted those words as Snow Flower having joined a sworn sisterhood after she had sworn herself to her laotong forever. Their bond was supposed to be more important than even their marriages. Lily felt that Snow Flower was abandoning their laotong promises in favor of a new sworn sister relationship with others whereas Snow Flower was simply befriending a group of three sworn sisters that she was not sworn to. Snow Flower repeatedly attempted to contact Lily and Lily refused to have any contact with her whatsoever. This misunderstanding, based on a few words along with Lily’s unyielding stance, seemed implausible, especially after all they had been through together.
Party Mix
4 cups Kellogs Crispix Cereal
4 cups cheerios cereal
3 cups pretzel sticks
1 12 ounce can salted peanuts
1 stick butter - melted
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Worcestire sauce
In a five-quart slow cooker, combine cereals, pretzels, and peanuts. Combine butter, Parmesan cheese, celery salt, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and Worcestire sauce. Drizzle over cereal mixture and mix well. Cover and cook on low for up to three hours, stirring every thirty minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Fruit Pizza
1 package (20 oz.) refrigerated sliceable sugar cookies, sliced
1 package (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened (light cream cheese can be used as well)
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
Assorted fruit, such as sliced kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, and drained canned mandarin orange segments. Frozen fruit may also be used.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12-inch pizza pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange cookie dough slices in single layer in prepared pan, press together to form crust. Bake fourteen minutes; cool. Invert onto serving plate; carefully remove foil. Invert on large serving plate or tray so crust is right-side-up.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread over crust.
Arrange fruit over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate two hours. Cut into twelve wedges to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.
Puppy Chow
1 stick butter
1 bag milk chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate, whichever is preferred)
1 cup peanut butter
1 box Crispix (or whatever kind of Chex type cereal you like)
1 box powdered sugar (about two cups)
Melt butter and chocolate chips in a saucepan or large pot over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter. Turn off heat. Pour in the Crispix and turn until completely coated. Toss the coated Crispix in a Ziplock bag with the powdered sugar. Spread on wax paper to cool.
Cherry Delight
2 cups graham crackers crushed
½ cup melted butter
Mix together and spread in the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan and bake for five minutes at 400 degrees.
Layer 1
Cream together the following ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup sugar
Spread over crust
Sprinkle ½ cup chopped walnuts over the cream cheese mixture
Spread one small tub of cool whip over the nuts and chill
Spread one can of Wilderness cherry pie mix on top
Friday, October 5, 2007
September, 2007 Host: Karen
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
Summary
This is a fascinating account of what will happen to our world if all humans suddenly disappeared, whether it be the rapture or we are whisked away to a zoo in a foreign galaxy. The author interviewed dozens of experts in various fields, from paleontologists to astrophysicists to religious leaders to help him describe a world before humans (with mega fauna such as cow-sized sloths and beavers as big as a black bear) and what our world might be like after humans are gone. New York City’s subways would flood within days and the freeze-thaw expansion-contraction cycle would eventually bring down buildings and bridges. Cockroaches would die out as they would freeze without heated buildings. Rats would starve without human garbage and would become prey for raptors. Without the avicide committed by humans (along with the help of our feline friends), the bird population could increase by billions. Metallic pollutants would remain in our soil for thousands of year, chromium alone could last 70,000 years. Ceramics, bronze, underground cities in Turkey, the presidents carved on Mt. Rushmore, and plastics (until microbes evolved to eat plastics) could remain for million of years. Tires, being a single molecule, cannot be melted down and could become the catchers of rain water that provide mosquitoes a new habitat thousands of years from now. One potential scenario is that burning petrochemical plants could cause massive poisoning of the air which could cause a mini nuclear winter. The trade winds could disperse clouds throughout the world and the plants and animals that didn’t die might need to mutate in ways that could impact evolution. The earth does have an inherent ability to heal itself as is evident at Chernobyl. Our older bridges built after the turn of the century will last longer than newer ones. Older bridges were overbuilt and with steel - cars are like an ant on an elephant. Newer bridges are examples of low bids and stretched budgets as was the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis which was built in 1967. Columns were built in the Mississippi River, the tarp around the columns kept moisture in and the newer concrete used got wet and flaked away. Our world would not survive as it does today without those in maintenance: those who pump water out of subways, painting bridges to keep them from rusting, or fixing a 70- year old steam pipe.
Discussion
-Only about a third of our group read this book. The author employed terminology of numerous disciplines (such as paleontology, biology, etc.) which made the book ‘dry’ and at times difficult to read. It was an intellectually humbling experience - if all the words not known by the average American were looked up in a dictionary while reading the book, it would have taken ten times longer to read it. Those of us who did finish the book felt as if we did learn a lot and that it was worth muddling through the parts that we didn’t understand, most of the book was fascinating. The author did make a feeble attempt at humanizing the book by describing a few physical characteristics of each scientist he interviewed.
-Currently, the plastics in our oceans that have been broken down into small pieces are being eaten by sea creatures and causing them permanent constipation. Even though plastics have only been around since World War 2, their negative impact on the environment is alarming. This underscores the importance of recycling - hopefully - the plastic bags used in grocery stores today will become a thing of the past.
-Some extreme ideas were also presented in the book. VHEMT (the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement) proposes that we all simply stop procreating and gently lay the human race to rest rather than face a massive die-off either by disease, starvation, or war. The Voyager Space Craft Golden Record containing diagrams of DNA, the solar system, nature, architecture, etc. will last more than a billion years and is now further than any other human-made object in space - it’s purpose being to land in the hands of an intelligent life form who could analyze it. In about 500 years, radio waves (which are permanent) carrying the voices of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo could be heard by intelligent life in intergalactic space. If that happens, they will also hear our laughter.
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
Summary
This is a fascinating account of what will happen to our world if all humans suddenly disappeared, whether it be the rapture or we are whisked away to a zoo in a foreign galaxy. The author interviewed dozens of experts in various fields, from paleontologists to astrophysicists to religious leaders to help him describe a world before humans (with mega fauna such as cow-sized sloths and beavers as big as a black bear) and what our world might be like after humans are gone. New York City’s subways would flood within days and the freeze-thaw expansion-contraction cycle would eventually bring down buildings and bridges. Cockroaches would die out as they would freeze without heated buildings. Rats would starve without human garbage and would become prey for raptors. Without the avicide committed by humans (along with the help of our feline friends), the bird population could increase by billions. Metallic pollutants would remain in our soil for thousands of year, chromium alone could last 70,000 years. Ceramics, bronze, underground cities in Turkey, the presidents carved on Mt. Rushmore, and plastics (until microbes evolved to eat plastics) could remain for million of years. Tires, being a single molecule, cannot be melted down and could become the catchers of rain water that provide mosquitoes a new habitat thousands of years from now. One potential scenario is that burning petrochemical plants could cause massive poisoning of the air which could cause a mini nuclear winter. The trade winds could disperse clouds throughout the world and the plants and animals that didn’t die might need to mutate in ways that could impact evolution. The earth does have an inherent ability to heal itself as is evident at Chernobyl. Our older bridges built after the turn of the century will last longer than newer ones. Older bridges were overbuilt and with steel - cars are like an ant on an elephant. Newer bridges are examples of low bids and stretched budgets as was the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis which was built in 1967. Columns were built in the Mississippi River, the tarp around the columns kept moisture in and the newer concrete used got wet and flaked away. Our world would not survive as it does today without those in maintenance: those who pump water out of subways, painting bridges to keep them from rusting, or fixing a 70- year old steam pipe.
Discussion
-Only about a third of our group read this book. The author employed terminology of numerous disciplines (such as paleontology, biology, etc.) which made the book ‘dry’ and at times difficult to read. It was an intellectually humbling experience - if all the words not known by the average American were looked up in a dictionary while reading the book, it would have taken ten times longer to read it. Those of us who did finish the book felt as if we did learn a lot and that it was worth muddling through the parts that we didn’t understand, most of the book was fascinating. The author did make a feeble attempt at humanizing the book by describing a few physical characteristics of each scientist he interviewed.
-Currently, the plastics in our oceans that have been broken down into small pieces are being eaten by sea creatures and causing them permanent constipation. Even though plastics have only been around since World War 2, their negative impact on the environment is alarming. This underscores the importance of recycling - hopefully - the plastic bags used in grocery stores today will become a thing of the past.
-Some extreme ideas were also presented in the book. VHEMT (the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement) proposes that we all simply stop procreating and gently lay the human race to rest rather than face a massive die-off either by disease, starvation, or war. The Voyager Space Craft Golden Record containing diagrams of DNA, the solar system, nature, architecture, etc. will last more than a billion years and is now further than any other human-made object in space - it’s purpose being to land in the hands of an intelligent life form who could analyze it. In about 500 years, radio waves (which are permanent) carrying the voices of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo could be heard by intelligent life in intergalactic space. If that happens, they will also hear our laughter.
Menu
Drink: Oprah’s Pomegranate Martini
Assorted finger foods:
Shrimp and Cocktail Sauce
Vegetables and crackers with Pampered Chef Chipotle Ranch and
Tomato Herb Dips
Ham Dip and crackers
Garden Tomato mixture served on toast
Cheese Raviolis
Spiced Rubbed Chicken Fingers with sauce
Tastefully Simple Dessert (Graham crackers and dip)
Brownies
Drink: Oprah’s Pomegranate Martini
Assorted finger foods:
Shrimp and Cocktail Sauce
Vegetables and crackers with Pampered Chef Chipotle Ranch and
Tomato Herb Dips
Ham Dip and crackers
Garden Tomato mixture served on toast
Cheese Raviolis
Spiced Rubbed Chicken Fingers with sauce
Tastefully Simple Dessert (Graham crackers and dip)
Brownies
Oprah’s Pomegranate Martini
1 ½ cups pomegranate juice
2 oz Absolute Citron vodka or white tequila
1 oz Cointreau liquor
1 cup ice
Optional: Splash of sparkling water
Optional: Squeeze of lemon
Shake ingredients in a shaker and put in chilled martini glasses. Put pomegranate fruit into glass as garnish.
Garden Tomato Mix
Ingredients
French Baguette Loaf
Approximately four medium diced tomatoes, seeded
A splash of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
A handful of chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Slice French baguette into ½ inch slices and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Cut a garlic clove in half and rub the cut side on one side of each toast. Mix the other ingredients together and top the toast with the mixture just before serving. This recipe was made from tomatoes fresh from the garden which gave it even more of an exceptional flavor.
Cheese Raviolis
Ingredients
1 package prepared cheese ravioli
Butter
Marinara Sauce
Cook raviolis according to package instructions but take 1 minute off the boiling time. Remove from boiling water and place in ice water bath. Drain water. Add raviolis to melted butter in frying pan and fry until both sides are brown. Serve with heated marinara sauce for dipping.
Spiced Rubbed Chicken Fingers
Ingredients
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon and 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pound chicken breast tenders
½ cup cilantro
½ cup parsley
¼ cup balanced slivered almonds
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Coat grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray and preheat oven.
In a Ziploc bag, combine chili powder, ground cumin and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cut two ½ inch deep slashes into each side of chicken tenders. Place tenders in bag and shake until well coated. Place chicken on baking pan and coat with cooking spray. Let stand ten minutes.
In food processor, combine cilantro, parsley, almonds, garlic, pepper, and remaining salt. Process until chopped and slowly add lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, and water. Pour into bowl an chill until ready to serve.
Place chicken in oven and broil, turning several times for fifteen minutes or until chicken is cooked.
Serve with sauce and garnish with cilantro.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
August 2007 Hostess Cynthia
Brunch Menu:
Spinach Quiche and Ham and Cheese Quiche
Amy's Peach Pie
Mimosa's and Coffee served as well.
Recipes to be added later.
"Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Review from Amazon.com:
Jane Austen's perfect comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. "Pride and Prejudice seems as vital today as ever," writes Anna Quindlen in her introduction to this Modern Library edition. "It is a pure joy to read." Eudora Welty agrees: "The gaiety is unextinguished, the irony has kept its bite, the reasoning is still sweet, the sparkle undiminished. [It is] irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be."
This book was Cynthia's pick as we have changed the format of how we pick the next book. The hostess gets to choose--no ifs ands or buts.
Only about half of us had actually read this classic novel. For the most part we all liked this book. The writing style is hard to get through and some felt that the middle of the book was a little slow. We talked about how famous the first line of the novel is. Cynthia ran into a boy at the airport who was very taken with Jane Austen. Colleen's mom rattled off the first line on the phone when she learned that the book club was reading this book. How popular this novel is!
Our best discussions revolved around whether or not there were still classes in our society. We all agreed that there are still gaps between the middle class and the high society class.
One question was posed: What kind of marraiges did Jane idealize in this book? We agreed that she idealized the romantic marraiges like Darcy and Elizabeth and not marraiges for the sake of convenience like Collins and Charlotte's marraige.
We speculated about Jane's life and lovers. We even met to see "Becoming Jane" after our book club meeting. We were all teary-eyed coming out of the theatre.
Spinach Quiche and Ham and Cheese Quiche
Blueberry Stuffed French Toast
Blueberry Stuffed French Toast
12 slices French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 C fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
12 large eggs
1/3 C maple syrup
C milk
Blueberry Syrup
1 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 C water
1 C fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
1 T unsalted butter
Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. Place half of the bread cubes evenly in prepared pan. Scatter cream cheese cubes over bread and sprinkle with 1 C blueberries. Arrange remaining bread cubes over blueberries. In large bowl combine eggs, syrup, and milk and whisk to blend. Pour evenly over reserved bread mixture. Cover with foil and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
In small saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, and water over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 C blueberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, or until most berries burst. Add butter and stir until melted. (May be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Chill and reheat gently.) Transfer to serving bowl.
Yogurt
Orange Yogurt
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
4 cups (2 pints) plain yogurt
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup good honey
1 orange, zest grated
1/2 to 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Orange, orange zest, raisins and walnuts, for garnish (optional)
Line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and suspend it over a bowl. Pour the yogurt into the sieve and allow it to drain, refrigerated, for 3 hours or overnight. Place the thickened yogurt into a medium bowl and stir in the raisins, walnuts, vanilla, honey, and orange zest. Thin with orange juice until it is a desirable consistency. Garnish with sections of orange, orange zest, raisins, or walnuts and serve.
Green salad with mandarin oranges
Amy's Peach Pie
Mimosa's and Coffee served as well.
Recipes to be added later.
"Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Review from Amazon.com:
Jane Austen's perfect comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. "Pride and Prejudice seems as vital today as ever," writes Anna Quindlen in her introduction to this Modern Library edition. "It is a pure joy to read." Eudora Welty agrees: "The gaiety is unextinguished, the irony has kept its bite, the reasoning is still sweet, the sparkle undiminished. [It is] irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be."
This book was Cynthia's pick as we have changed the format of how we pick the next book. The hostess gets to choose--no ifs ands or buts.
Only about half of us had actually read this classic novel. For the most part we all liked this book. The writing style is hard to get through and some felt that the middle of the book was a little slow. We talked about how famous the first line of the novel is. Cynthia ran into a boy at the airport who was very taken with Jane Austen. Colleen's mom rattled off the first line on the phone when she learned that the book club was reading this book. How popular this novel is!
Our best discussions revolved around whether or not there were still classes in our society. We all agreed that there are still gaps between the middle class and the high society class.
One question was posed: What kind of marraiges did Jane idealize in this book? We agreed that she idealized the romantic marraiges like Darcy and Elizabeth and not marraiges for the sake of convenience like Collins and Charlotte's marraige.
We speculated about Jane's life and lovers. We even met to see "Becoming Jane" after our book club meeting. We were all teary-eyed coming out of the theatre.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
July 2007 Host: Angela
Angela making mojitos.
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
Summary
This is the story of a friendship spanning more than thirty years among five diverse women who live in the same neighborhood. Their friendships begins after the formation of a book club called Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons (AHEB). The name is derived from a snide comment made by one of the husbands. The women all come from different backgrounds and their ages vary. Faith is ashamed of her past which includes an alcoholic mother who frequently abandons her. Audrey is full figured and flirtatious. Slip is a tiny woman with strong opinions and is an involved activist. Kari is an elderly widow who wants nothing more than to raise a child. Merit is shy, beautiful, and suffers in silence. Their lives and the lives of their children are told through the book club meetings which are held every month. Each chapter in the book begins with the title and author of the book they are reading (a definite bonus for booklovers). There are many different subplots in the book which are narrated by the five characters, and then a sixth character in the latter part of the book Although humor is weaved throughout the book, many serious subjects are touched upon such as spousal abuse, postwar depression, homosexuality, HIV, cancer, and alcoholism.
Discussion
-This was a fun and light read, overall, an enjoyable book.
-The book at times seemed contrived. The characters were stereotypical (e.g. battered wife, sexpot, widow) and didn’t have much depth. The problems they encountered were almost too neatly taken care of and put in the past.
-Did anyone notice how perfect and talented the kids were?
-A homosexual named Grant was thrown into the mix in the latter part of the book and he eventually joined the book club. It was not understood why the author even included this character in the book, except perhaps to incorporate the issues of AIDS and HIV in the story line.
-The ending of the book was a disappointment. We are left to assume that one of the women died. It would have been interesting to read how the other women coped with the death of one of their friends - and how if affected future book club meetings and their friendship.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Summary
Reality and fiction are blended in this collection of interrelated short stories that depicts both the mental and actual things that soldiers carried during the Vietnam war. They carried guilt, fear, pantyhose, letters, bibles, guns, ammunition, and the additional burdens that remained even after the end of the war: those burdens of horrifying memories of fear and death. Each chapter describes the experiences of various soldiers and their subsequent effects. One of the stories depicts a character who drove to Canada and stayed for six days while wrestling with the decision as to whether or not he should dodge the draft. Although the character eventually does go to war, he continues feeling shamed during and after the war by his act of cowardice. Another character kills a young boy and every aspect of that kill is seared into his mind. He realizes the victim’s full potential and creates fantasies for him. Ironically, the beauty of life is depicted in this chapter. After a kill, the soldiers revel in the fact that they themselves are still alive, and this is when they feel most alive. One soldier manages to bring his girlfriend out to Vietnam. She begins to exhibit disturbing characteristics and becomes a completely different person due to her exposure to the war and a foreign land. Metaphors and symbolism are apparent in the stories such as the soldier who fantasizes about death. He shoots a water buffalo repeatedly in a very deliberate way so as not kill it. Death can occur by a land mine or in a field of human waste. The author blends characters and various incidents that truly renders the experience of the nightmarish Vietnam war. This book of war literature was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Discussion
-One potential metaphor for the water buffalo story was that the psyche, or pride of a soldier being slowly killed but refusing to die. The author who served in Vietnam may have seen this done to a viet cong soldier.
-More to be added.
Menu
Drink: Mojito
Appetizer: Chips and Mango Salsa
Salad: To Be Added
Entrée: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw
Side: Potato Salad
Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream Cake
Angela making mojitos.Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
Summary
This is the story of a friendship spanning more than thirty years among five diverse women who live in the same neighborhood. Their friendships begins after the formation of a book club called Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons (AHEB). The name is derived from a snide comment made by one of the husbands. The women all come from different backgrounds and their ages vary. Faith is ashamed of her past which includes an alcoholic mother who frequently abandons her. Audrey is full figured and flirtatious. Slip is a tiny woman with strong opinions and is an involved activist. Kari is an elderly widow who wants nothing more than to raise a child. Merit is shy, beautiful, and suffers in silence. Their lives and the lives of their children are told through the book club meetings which are held every month. Each chapter in the book begins with the title and author of the book they are reading (a definite bonus for booklovers). There are many different subplots in the book which are narrated by the five characters, and then a sixth character in the latter part of the book Although humor is weaved throughout the book, many serious subjects are touched upon such as spousal abuse, postwar depression, homosexuality, HIV, cancer, and alcoholism.
Discussion
-This was a fun and light read, overall, an enjoyable book.
-The book at times seemed contrived. The characters were stereotypical (e.g. battered wife, sexpot, widow) and didn’t have much depth. The problems they encountered were almost too neatly taken care of and put in the past.
-Did anyone notice how perfect and talented the kids were?
-A homosexual named Grant was thrown into the mix in the latter part of the book and he eventually joined the book club. It was not understood why the author even included this character in the book, except perhaps to incorporate the issues of AIDS and HIV in the story line.
-The ending of the book was a disappointment. We are left to assume that one of the women died. It would have been interesting to read how the other women coped with the death of one of their friends - and how if affected future book club meetings and their friendship.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Summary
Reality and fiction are blended in this collection of interrelated short stories that depicts both the mental and actual things that soldiers carried during the Vietnam war. They carried guilt, fear, pantyhose, letters, bibles, guns, ammunition, and the additional burdens that remained even after the end of the war: those burdens of horrifying memories of fear and death. Each chapter describes the experiences of various soldiers and their subsequent effects. One of the stories depicts a character who drove to Canada and stayed for six days while wrestling with the decision as to whether or not he should dodge the draft. Although the character eventually does go to war, he continues feeling shamed during and after the war by his act of cowardice. Another character kills a young boy and every aspect of that kill is seared into his mind. He realizes the victim’s full potential and creates fantasies for him. Ironically, the beauty of life is depicted in this chapter. After a kill, the soldiers revel in the fact that they themselves are still alive, and this is when they feel most alive. One soldier manages to bring his girlfriend out to Vietnam. She begins to exhibit disturbing characteristics and becomes a completely different person due to her exposure to the war and a foreign land. Metaphors and symbolism are apparent in the stories such as the soldier who fantasizes about death. He shoots a water buffalo repeatedly in a very deliberate way so as not kill it. Death can occur by a land mine or in a field of human waste. The author blends characters and various incidents that truly renders the experience of the nightmarish Vietnam war. This book of war literature was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Discussion
-One potential metaphor for the water buffalo story was that the psyche, or pride of a soldier being slowly killed but refusing to die. The author who served in Vietnam may have seen this done to a viet cong soldier.
-More to be added.
Menu
Drink: Mojito
Appetizer: Chips and Mango Salsa
Salad: To Be Added
Entrée: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw
Side: Potato Salad
Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream Cake
Drink: Mojito
Ingredients
1 tablespoon simple syrup
(1 part sugar, 1 part water, bring to a boil to dissolve)
10 mint leaves
2 lime quarters
1.5 ounces rum
soda water
sugar cane
Muddle together syrup, mint leaves, lime quarters.
Add 1.5 ounces of rum. Top with soda water. Add one stick of sugar cane to each drink
Entrée: Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
5 pound pork shoulder, trimmed
Rub
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons coarse salt
Mix ingredients for rub and rub onto pork roast. Cook in crockpot 10 hours on low or 6 hours on high. Pull the pork out of the juices, skim fat off juices, shred meat and return to pot to rewarm. Leftovers freeze well. Serve with coleslaw.
Side: Potato Salad
Ingredients
8 large baking potatoes
6 hard boiled eggs
1 cucumber
2 cups real mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
Optional: 1 small minced onion
Boil whole baking potatoes until done - about an hour. Completely cool in refrigerator.
Peel potatoes and chop into bite sized pieces into a large bowl.
Shell hardboiled eggs and chop finely, add to potatoes.
Peel cucumber, slice in half, and remove seeds with a tablespoon.
Dice cucumber and add to potatoes and eggs.
Add 2 cups real mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and optional minced onion. Mix together thoroughly and sprinkle paprika on top. Note: I never follow an exact recipe for this potato salad, some of the ingredients such as the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic powder, and salt may need to be adjusted to taste and consistency.
Friday, July 13, 2007
May 2007 Host Colleen
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Audrey Niffenegger’s compelling debut, is a powerful love story of Clare, an art student, and Henry, a librarian. Henry is diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder which periodically resets his genetic clock and he finds himself misplaced in time in his past and future. Henry is whisked around in time, he could disappear from one moment in time and find himself in an entirely different place in time ten years earlier or ten years later. Clare’s life moves ahead in the normal manner. They have known each other since Clair was six and Henry was thirty-six and were married when Claire was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Henry’s disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable (his first order of business is always finding clothes as time travel relieves him of them), and at times, harrowing (not just for him, but for Clare also). This book describes the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare’s marriage and their attempt at living a normal life with jobs, friends, and children of their own.
-This is a wonderful love story of intense devotion between two people who share the best and worst of their unique situation. All but one (or two?) of us were brought to tears at events that occurred in the last twenty pages of the book.
-Although it was agreed that this was a great love story, Claire’s life just seemed to be too wrapped up in Henry’s life. Her character didn’t seem to grow or progress. She experienced much guilt in her single sexual encounter before she met Henry for the first time when he wasn‘t time traveling, whereas Henry had many prior sexual encounters and guilt did not seem to be a factor for him. Claire faithfully waited for Henry to return to their present life after his time travels. Only once did she leave to have dinner by herself while Henry was time traveling. She waited for Henry from the time she was six years old until she was 82 years old.
-The first-person point of view utilized by the author contributed to the fine details of real characters - their flaws and the (at times obsessive) love they share under extraordinary circumstances - it all sprang to life in this novel.
-Henry’s time traveling would occur occasionally during times of stress, even happy stress such as his wedding day and during the birth of their child. The reader was left anticipating when Henry would disappear and what obstacles he would have to overcome.
-Unfortunately, Henry had to face some of his worst fears through time traveling. He hated the cold and loved to run, yet he eventually lost his feet to the cold. He feared time traveling into an unusual cage with no entrance at his workplace - yet he did end up in the dreaded cage. This particular incident could have also been intended by the author as a way for Henry’s coworkers to discover that he was a time traveler.
-Some of the characters (especially Ingrid) were unusual, with sex, drugs, alcohol and punk rock contributing to their near bohemian lifestyle.
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Audrey Niffenegger’s compelling debut, is a powerful love story of Clare, an art student, and Henry, a librarian. Henry is diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder which periodically resets his genetic clock and he finds himself misplaced in time in his past and future. Henry is whisked around in time, he could disappear from one moment in time and find himself in an entirely different place in time ten years earlier or ten years later. Clare’s life moves ahead in the normal manner. They have known each other since Clair was six and Henry was thirty-six and were married when Claire was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Henry’s disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable (his first order of business is always finding clothes as time travel relieves him of them), and at times, harrowing (not just for him, but for Clare also). This book describes the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare’s marriage and their attempt at living a normal life with jobs, friends, and children of their own.
-This is a wonderful love story of intense devotion between two people who share the best and worst of their unique situation. All but one (or two?) of us were brought to tears at events that occurred in the last twenty pages of the book.
-Although it was agreed that this was a great love story, Claire’s life just seemed to be too wrapped up in Henry’s life. Her character didn’t seem to grow or progress. She experienced much guilt in her single sexual encounter before she met Henry for the first time when he wasn‘t time traveling, whereas Henry had many prior sexual encounters and guilt did not seem to be a factor for him. Claire faithfully waited for Henry to return to their present life after his time travels. Only once did she leave to have dinner by herself while Henry was time traveling. She waited for Henry from the time she was six years old until she was 82 years old.
-The first-person point of view utilized by the author contributed to the fine details of real characters - their flaws and the (at times obsessive) love they share under extraordinary circumstances - it all sprang to life in this novel.
-Henry’s time traveling would occur occasionally during times of stress, even happy stress such as his wedding day and during the birth of their child. The reader was left anticipating when Henry would disappear and what obstacles he would have to overcome.
-Unfortunately, Henry had to face some of his worst fears through time traveling. He hated the cold and loved to run, yet he eventually lost his feet to the cold. He feared time traveling into an unusual cage with no entrance at his workplace - yet he did end up in the dreaded cage. This particular incident could have also been intended by the author as a way for Henry’s coworkers to discover that he was a time traveler.
-Some of the characters (especially Ingrid) were unusual, with sex, drugs, alcohol and punk rock contributing to their near bohemian lifestyle.
Menu
Appetizer: Prosciutto/Asparagus Wraps
Salad: Strawberry and Feta Salad
Entrée: Steak, Chicken, Vegetable Shish Kabobs
Sides: Twice Baked Potatoes, Saffron Orzo
Dessert: Vanilla Cheesecake Tartlets with Vanilla-Vodka Berries
Bon Appetit, September 1998, Soul Kitchen, Chicago, IL
Epicurious.com@CondeNet.Inc.
Appetizer: Prosciutto/Asparagus Wraps
Salad: Strawberry and Feta Salad
Entrée: Steak, Chicken, Vegetable Shish Kabobs
Sides: Twice Baked Potatoes, Saffron Orzo
Dessert: Vanilla Cheesecake Tartlets with Vanilla-Vodka Berries
Bon Appetit, September 1998, Soul Kitchen, Chicago, IL
Epicurious.com@CondeNet.Inc.
Appetizer: Prosciutto/Asparagus Wraps
Prep/Cook Time: About 45 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
32 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed
16 slices prosciutto
Cream cheese (aloutte or Neufchatel cheese may also be used)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat with olive oil. Slice prosciutto slices in half and smear with cream cheese. Wrap ½ slice of prosciutto around each asparagus spear, starting at the bottom and spiraling up to the tip. Place the wrapped spears on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove, and shake the pan back and forth to roll the spears over. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender, and prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately.
Salad: Strawberry and Feta Salad
Ingredients
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 head romaine lettuce, torn
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the almonds, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, set aside.
In a bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.
In a large bowl, toss together the toasted almonds, romaine lettuce, strawberries, and feta cheese. Cover with the dressing mixture and toss to serve.
Entrée: Steak, Chicken, and Vegetable Shish Kabobs
Prep/Cook Time: About 50 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken, Steak, Vegetables
Rub: 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
Coat meat with rub and slice desired amount of chicken, steak, and vegetables (e.g. peppers, tomatoes, onion) into bite sized pieces. Place on skewers and grill on direct heat approximately ten minutes per side or until chicken is thoroughly done.
Side Dish: Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
8 medium russet potatoes
½ cup butter
¼ to ½ cup milk
2-3 heaping tablespoon sour cream
Mortons Lite Salt
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bake 8 potatoes for 1 hour on 375 degrees F.
Slice in half.
Remove potato filling from each potato half and add to a separate bowl.
Add between ¼ cup to ½ cup butter and mash with mixture until no lumps remain.
Mix in a small amount of milk and a few tablespoons of sour cream.
Add Mortons Lite Salt to taste.
Put filling back in to potato skin halves.
Add shredded cheese and bake in oven until warm.
Side Dish: Saffron Orzo
Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound dried orzo
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, bringing the stock to a simmer. Add the saffron, stir, and allow the saffron to bloom, about 5 minutes. Return the heat to medium and the stock to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain orzo and transfer to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss to combine.
Dessert: Vanilla Cheesecake Tartlets with Vanilla-Vodka Berries
Ingredients
2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
12 teaspoons vodka
6 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup plus ¼ cup sugar
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
6 tablespoons whipping cream
3 cups mixed berries (such as raspberries, blueberries and halved strawberries)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl until evenly moistened. Divide mixture among eight 4 ½ x ¾-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms, pres over bottoms and up sides. Bake until light brown, about 12 minutes. Cool crusts completely in pans on racks.
Mix 8 teaspoons vodka and 4 teaspoons vanilla extract in small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir over very low heat just until dissolved. Cool to barely lukewarm.
Combine cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla beans. Beat in cream, then gelatin mixture. Divide filling among crusts. Press bottoms of pans up releasing tartlets. Arrange tartlets on baking sheet. Chill 3 hours or overnight.
Gently stir berries, 4 teaspoons vodka, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and ¼ cup sugar in bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Top tartlets with berry mixture.
April 2007 Host Nancy
Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
This is a compelling story of a Honduras boy who braves unimaginable hardships to find his mother in the United States. Enrique’s mother left him when he was five years old to come to the US to find work in order to help feed her starving children, clothe them and send tuition money for school. Eleven years after his mother left, Enrique decides he is going to find his mother and he travels through hostile worlds full of thugs, bandits, and corrupt cops. Enrique’s journey encompassed thousands of miles and he kept going forward, despite the beatings, robberies, lack of food and water, and the dangers of traveling on top of trains. Enrique risked his life over and over to find the mother he so desperately misses and loves. A part of the author’s research involved her retracing Enrique’s journey. As Enrique did, she began in Honduras, took buses through Central America, and traveled up the length of Mexico on top of seven freight trains. She traveled more than 1600 miles, half of that on top of trains. The author’s thorough research provided a realistic insight into the lives of immigrants.
Discussion Points
-Our compassion for illegal immigrants and the issues they face was heightened after reading this book. It is unimaginable going without water for two days or food for five days or clinging to the top of a train while sleep deprived, knowing that if you let go, you might lose a limb to the train, or die
.
-Awareness of immigrants from Mexico is certainly present in the United States, however awareness of Central American immigrants is much lower in general. Immigrants from Central American going through Mexico are considered inferior by most from Mexico, resulting in an informal hierarchy.
-It would be cavalier to place the blame for the plights the poor face in Honduras on the government as we are not aware of what resources are available to them, however, the government should do everything possible to improve living conditions for Hondurans.
-Immigrants are in fact helping their countries when they come to the United States by sending money to the families they left behind. This brings billions of dollars to Central America and is Mexico’s second largest contributor to the economy, after oil.
-It is common for immigrant children to feel that they would rather go without the money and clothing that their mothers send to them - they want their mothers with them. The mothers want their children to have better lives and they can only do that with the money they send back from the United States. There is no end in sight of the recurring cycle of leaving children behind.
-Some of our ancestors migrated to the United States legally, and some illegally. This can affect personal opinion, e.g., ‘if my ancestors came in legally, than everyone should come in legally’. On the other hand, perhaps we should empathize with illegal immigrants who are poor and can’t read English.
-Being born in the United States, with all the opportunities available, is a fortunate fate, or as the author notes, sheer serendipity. One belief is that we should share as much as we can of our good fortune with those in very poor countries.
Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
This is a compelling story of a Honduras boy who braves unimaginable hardships to find his mother in the United States. Enrique’s mother left him when he was five years old to come to the US to find work in order to help feed her starving children, clothe them and send tuition money for school. Eleven years after his mother left, Enrique decides he is going to find his mother and he travels through hostile worlds full of thugs, bandits, and corrupt cops. Enrique’s journey encompassed thousands of miles and he kept going forward, despite the beatings, robberies, lack of food and water, and the dangers of traveling on top of trains. Enrique risked his life over and over to find the mother he so desperately misses and loves. A part of the author’s research involved her retracing Enrique’s journey. As Enrique did, she began in Honduras, took buses through Central America, and traveled up the length of Mexico on top of seven freight trains. She traveled more than 1600 miles, half of that on top of trains. The author’s thorough research provided a realistic insight into the lives of immigrants.
Discussion Points
-Our compassion for illegal immigrants and the issues they face was heightened after reading this book. It is unimaginable going without water for two days or food for five days or clinging to the top of a train while sleep deprived, knowing that if you let go, you might lose a limb to the train, or die
.
-Awareness of immigrants from Mexico is certainly present in the United States, however awareness of Central American immigrants is much lower in general. Immigrants from Central American going through Mexico are considered inferior by most from Mexico, resulting in an informal hierarchy.
-It would be cavalier to place the blame for the plights the poor face in Honduras on the government as we are not aware of what resources are available to them, however, the government should do everything possible to improve living conditions for Hondurans.
-Immigrants are in fact helping their countries when they come to the United States by sending money to the families they left behind. This brings billions of dollars to Central America and is Mexico’s second largest contributor to the economy, after oil.
-It is common for immigrant children to feel that they would rather go without the money and clothing that their mothers send to them - they want their mothers with them. The mothers want their children to have better lives and they can only do that with the money they send back from the United States. There is no end in sight of the recurring cycle of leaving children behind.
-Some of our ancestors migrated to the United States legally, and some illegally. This can affect personal opinion, e.g., ‘if my ancestors came in legally, than everyone should come in legally’. On the other hand, perhaps we should empathize with illegal immigrants who are poor and can’t read English.
-Being born in the United States, with all the opportunities available, is a fortunate fate, or as the author notes, sheer serendipity. One belief is that we should share as much as we can of our good fortune with those in very poor countries.
Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
Prep/Cook Time: 3-4 hours
Ingredients
2 large onions, minced ½ cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter 2 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 pounds lean ground beef 1 pound of elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper to taste 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce 3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup water Cream sauce (below)
½ cup water
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of sugar
Cream Sauce
¾ cup butter Dash of nutmeg
¾ cup all-purpose flour 8 eggs
6 cups warm milk ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
For cream sauce, in a saucepan, melt butter and blend in flour, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Gradually add warm milk, stirring vigorously until sauce thickens. Add nutmeg, remove from heat and cool. Beat eggs with wire whisk. Add ½ cup cooled sauce; then pour back into cream sauce. Stir in cheese.
In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Crumble meat into the pan and brown well. Drain off fat. Add salt, pepper, tomato sauce, water, cinnamon and sugar; simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and cool. Add half the bread crumbs and 1 ¼ cups cheese to the meat mixture.
Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water with oil until almost done. Rinse: drain well. Butter a 17 x 11-inch baking pan, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Spread half of macaroni on bottom. Sprinkle ½ cup of cheese over the macaroni. Cover with meat mixture. Pour half the cream sauce over the meat; then spread remaining macaroni; sprinkle with ½ cup cheese. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until golden brown Let stand 20 minutes before cutting. Freezes well. To reheat, place frozen pastitsio, covered loosely with foil, in a 350-degree oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until heated through completely. Makes 24 squares.
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