March 2016 Host:  Nancy

Dead Wake:  The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson

Summary

This is a gripping historical account written to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania, a Cunard passenger liner sunk by a German U-boat.  The sinking of the Lusitania ended the lives of over 1,000 people and helped change America’s neutral position in World War I, although it did take two more years for America to declare war on Germany.  At the helm of the enormous ship was the experienced Captain Turner.  There were 192 furnaces with 100 stokers working each shift, shoveling 1,000 tons of coal per day, which contributed to the Lusitania’s reputation of being the fastest ship at the time.  We become privy to what it was like strolling the decks and socializing in the staterooms and saloons on the Lusitania.   Larson’s buildup to the eventual sinking of the Lusitania is intense and the ship goes down in 18 minutes.  There is no dead space as Larson describes the passengers and crew on that fateful day in 1915. The story is also set in a German Submarine U-20 (Larson describes in detail the stifling odors and the ever present danger of dying at the bottom of the sea), in the British intelligence room 40, and in President Wilson’s lovelorn white house.   This book is well researched and Erik Larson does an excellent job of portraying the events around World War I.  This is a highly recommended read.   

Menu

Salad

Green Beans

Scalloped Potatoes

Ham

Butter Braid

February 2016 Host:  Jennie

Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon

Summary

This novel is set in Berlin in the winter of 1948-49.  The main character Alex, a writer, flees from the United States to Germany after defying a congressional investigation into communism and begins spying for the CIA in order to return to the United States and reunite with his son.  Ironically, being half Jewish, he had fled the Nazis in Germany 15 years earlier.   Alex becomes an instant prominent artist comrade in the Soviet Occupied Zone.  Alex soon learns that this is not the city of his youth and becomes embroiled in secrets, lies, and danger.  What was supposed to be a quick and easy job turns into a deadly and life threatening situation.  In this espionage thriller, Kanon delivers realistic characters and invokes the atmosphere of a postwar Berlin that has become a gray and bleak wasteland, and what Berliners had to do to survive their new reality.  This is an intriguing page turning thriller and we highly recommend it. 

Menu

Salad

Cheddar Biscuits

Taco Bar

Apple Caramel Cheesecake

January 2016 Host:  Stephanie

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Summary

This novel captures the social divide and how the manufacturing and trading industries were revolutionizing in England in the 1850s.  Margaret Hale, the daughter of a respected clergyman and her family, move from the south of England to the Northern industrialized town of Milton after her father leaves the church.  The descriptions of life in London, the country village of Helstone, and the manufacturing town of Milton are colorful and the reader feels at times that they are there.  The development of the love story between Margaret and Thornton (the mill-owner) around the struggle of Victorian social classes and economic classes is intriguing.  Margaret, living between two worlds - the millworkers and the owners - does not hesitate to share her views.  This novel is entertaining and thought provoking, and also a compelling love story.  This is one of the great classic novels and is highly recommended. 

Menu

A delicious Mexican buffet and dessert (which I forgot to take pictures of).

November 2015 Host:  Stephanie

(we enjoyed lunch at Three Margaritas Restaurant)

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Summary

Eight-year old Max Delaney has an imaginary friend (Budo) who has been around for five years, which is ancient in the world of imaginary friends.  Budo realizes this and obsesses over how long he has been with Max and is terrified of the day when Max will stop believing in him, for when this happens, Budo will cease to exist.  Max is different than other children, some say he has Asperger’s.  He does not like to be touched and when faced with too much stimuli, he retreats into himself and becomes unreachable for a period of time and is bullied due to this behavior.  When Max is abducted, Budo enlists the help of other imaginary friends who come in the form of how their human friends imagined them.  This is a fun, at times quirky, and engaging read and you will enjoy the insight the author gives into the world of a child’s imagination.  

October 2015 Host:  Karen

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Summary

This is the story of Rachel Chu, an economics professor at NYU, who falls in love with another professor without knowing he comes from a Chinese Singaporean old money family.  She goes home with him to his best friend’s wedding and experiences a major culture shock when she meets three closely intertwined Singapore families and their world of crazy rich Asians.  When they find out she is a ‘lowly’ American-born Chinese, the scheming, gossip, and back biting commences in order to destroy their relationship.  This story is often hilarious, addictive, and filled with incredible opulence including the millions spent on clothes (per season!) and lavish parties and homes.  Although a bit long at over 500 pages, this is an enjoyable voyeuristic, transporting, and at times satirical novel.  

Menu

Wine and Singapore Slings

Chicken and Beef Strips, Eggrolls, and Dumplings

Various Entrees from Johnny's Asian Bistro

Dessert (Lemon Tart)

September 2015 Host:  Sarah

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Summary

This is the story (based on Will and Kate) of Bex, a Midwestern girl who spends a semester at Oxford and ends up falling in love with Nicholas, Prince of Wales.  Over the years they go through many ups and downs in their relationship, all under scrutiny by their family, friends, and of course, the paparazzi.  We are privy to the ins and outs of what it entails for someone to become a part of the royal family and descriptions of the innermost rooms of some famous English castles.  Two pivotal characters are Bex’s over achieving twin sister Lacey, who is jealous of all the attention her sister is receiving, and Nicholas’ precocious and charming brother, Freddie. The authors do a great job of describing the British monarchy idiosyncrasies, and although a bit long, this was a fun and entertaining read.

Menu

Salad

Pizza

German Chocolate Brownie Cake (Tony's Market)

August 2015 Host:  Jaci

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Summary

This novel is set in France and Germany during World War II.  The characters include a young blind girl named Marie Laure, her father who is a locksmith for the Museum of Nature and Science in Paris, her agoraphobic great-uncle along with his elderly housekeeper who eventually joins the French resistance, and Werner, a German orphan who is accepted into a science academy for Hitler Youth because he is a prodigy in building and fixing radios.  The novel focuses mainly on Marie Laure from France (the author does a wonderful job of giving the reader the blind girl’s perspective) and Werner from Germany.  Both are intelligent, sensitive, and have a thirst for knowledge.  As the German army advances closer to Paris, Marie Laure’s father takes steps to hide some of France’s artistic treasures along with a highly valuable jewel.  Locating these treasures and especially the valuable jewel (of which four copies were made in order to elude the Germans) turns into a dangerous game of hide and seek.  This book is definitely a page turner and the author does an amazing job of bringing the characters with their idiosyncrasies to life.  Although there are numerous novels set during World War II, this novel gave us a sense of what it was like for children who were living a happy life and then were starving or those who were brainwashed by Nazi leaders and made horrific choices to survive that they would not have otherwise made.  This novel is beautifully written and we highly recommend it.  This book is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

Menu

Fruit and Cheese Plate

Quiche

Pasta and Egg Salad

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

(recipe to follow)

Dessert

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

Ready in: Under 30 minutes Recipe difficulty ⅗ Difficulty: 3 (1=easiest :: hardest=5) Serves/Makes: 4 

 INGREDIENTS: 

 16 Boston, bibb or butter lettuce leaves 

1 pound ground chicken breast 

1 large onion, chopped 

2 tablespoons minced garlic 

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce 

¼ cup hoisin sauce 

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger 

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar 

2 teaspoons Asian chili pepper sauce (see Note) 

1 can (8 ounce size) sliced water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped 

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced 

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil 

 PREPARATION: Rinse lettuce leaves, keeping them whole. Set aside to drain. Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often to break up the meat. Add onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chili sauce. Cook until the meat is crumbled and brown. Add water chestnuts and green onions. Cook until onions begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in sesame oil. Arrange lettuce leaves on the outer edge of a platter. Spoon meat mixture in center. Allow diners to spoon meat mixture into lettuce leaves and eat like a taco. 

COOK'S NOTES: Asian chili pepper sauce can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. Some brands contain garlic, which is fine. You can use ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon dried red chili flakes instead. 

NUTRITION: 358 calories, 13 grams fat, 22 grams carbohydrates, 37 grams protein per serving. This recipe is low in carbs. Show full nutritional data (including Weight Watcher's Points ®, cholesterol, sodium, vitamins, and diabetic exchanges) 

 This recipe from CDKitchen for P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps with Chicken serves/makes 4 Recipe ID: 75955 SUBMITTED BY: rec.food.recipes Terry Pogue tpogue