Tuesday, April 13, 2010

March 2010 Host:  Colleen
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Summary

The Gargoyle is a story of redemption. The beginning of the book graphically details a horrific car accident and the subsequent treatment of the unnamed main character’s third degree burns. He is so disfigured and in so much pain that he spends his time imagining the various ways he can kill himself when he is released from the hospital. A woman comes into his life, Marianne Engel, a sculptor of gargoyles, who claims they were lovers in the middle ages and who suffers from schizophrenia. The book jumps back and forth in time as Marianne describes their history and includes four short love stories from different eras and cultures that complement the themes of the book. (These four love stories occur in Japan, England, Japan and Iceland.) A lot is packed into this book and is a cross between a love story and a horror story. The New York Times aptly calls it an “unhinged debut”.
Discussion

-All but one of us really liked this book. This tends to be one of those books: you either love it or you hate it.

-There was a lot to discuss from this book. The author goes into graphic description of events that occurred during the narrators’ car accident and what goes on in the burn unit of a hospital - compelling, but not for the squeamish. This is a great read for book clubs as there are so many topics to discuss such as religion, mental health, love, etc.

-We enjoyed the narrator’s occasional use of dark humor, an example being his feelings that there existed a b*tch snake in his spine and the various ways he dealt with internal conflict of which there was quite a lot stemming from his prior life of pornography and reliance on drugs, and his current and continuing struggle with controlling his doses of morphine.

-Engel means angel in German which of course would mean that Marianne is the main character’s angel - she did help to nurse him back to health on more than one occasion.

-Even though this was a love story, there did not seem to be a lot of chemistry between Marianne and the main character. The ending was also a bit odd, one of the characters just decides to swim away….forever.

-The narrator related his own situation to Dante’s inferno, he alluded to the different types of hell that can be felt, both physical and in one’s own mind.
Menu (Tapas)

Sangria
Fig and Olive Tapenade
Hummus
Pork Ribs
Abondigas
Key Lime Pie
Sangria
Ingredients

-1 lemon
-1 lime
-1 orange
-1 1/2 cups rum
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine
-1 cup orange juice

Directions

Have the fruit, rum, wine, and orange juice well chilled. Slice the lemon, lime and orange into thin rounds and place in a large glass pitcher. Pour in the rum and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours to develop the flavors. When ready to serve, crush the fruit lightly with a wooden spoon and stir in the wine and orange juice. Adjust sweetness to taste.
Fig and Olive Tapenade
Ingredients

-1 cup chopped dried figs
-1/2 cup water
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
-1 teaspoon dried rosemary
-1 teaspoon dried thyme
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-2/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
-1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Directions

Combine figs and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, and liquid has reduced. Remove from heat, and stir in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, thyme, and cayenne. Add olives and garlic, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.

Unwrap cream cheese block, and place on a serving platter. Spoon tapenade over cheese, and sprinkle with walnuts. Serve with slices of French bread or crackers.
Hummus
Pork Ribs
Ingredients

10 pork spareribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 lime, juiced
10 sprigs fresh parsley
ground black pepper to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

Place the spareribs into a large pot, and fill with just enough water to cover. Add the soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, lime juice and 3/4 of the parsley. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated, about 25 minutes. When all of the water is gone, remove the bay leaves, and allow meat to brown, turning occasionally. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits and softened garlic from the bottom of the pot, and toss them with the pork. The garlic will dissolve onto the meat. Remove the meat, and drain on paper towels. Season with black pepper and garnish with lime wedges and remaining parsley.
Abondigas (Venezuelan Meatballs)
Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
½ cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoons fresh mint
salt/pepper
1/2 cup water
1 can tomatoes -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Directions

Mix beef, onions, crumbs, mint, salt and pepper; add water, small amount at a time, just until mixture holds together. Form into bite-sized balls; arrange balls in single layer in shallow oven dish. Pour tomatoes over meatballs; sprinkle with cinnamon.

Dot with butter.

Bake in 400F oven for 1 hour. Serve with toothpicks
Key Lime Pie
Prep time 30 minutes, bake 45 minutes, cool 15 minutes, chill 2 hours

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust
-1 ½ cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 20 squares)
-1/3 cup butter, melted
-3 tablespoons sugar

Filling

-3 large eggs
-1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
-1 teaspoon grated lime or lemon peel
-½ cup Key Lime juice or regular lime juice
-1 ½ cups sweetened whipped cream (see recipe below)

Crust

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients. Press mixture firmly against bottom and side of plate.
Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned, cool while preparing pie filling.

Pie Filling

Beat eggs, milk, lime peel, and lime juice in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute or until well blended. Pour into prepared pie crust.
Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees or until center is set. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours but no longer than three days. Spread with sweetened whipped cream. Stored covered in refrigerator.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

Beat ¾ cup heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in chilled small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.