April 2013 Host: Stephanie

 

1,000 White Women:  The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus

 

Summary

 

This novel is set in 1875 and is written from the perspective of a historical event.  In 1854, at a peace conference in Fort Laramie, a Cheyenne chief requested of the US Army authorities the gift of a thousand white women as brides for his young warriors, thinking that this would hasten the assimilation of the matrilineal Cheyenne into the white man’s world.  The request was turned down but the novel is written as if it really happened.   The main character, May Dodd, had two children out of wedlock and was committed to an insane asylum by her family.  In her desperation to escape the walls of the asylum, she volunteered for the brides for Indians program.  Through the diaries of May Dodd, we get a glimpse into the life that has disappeared from our land and we become a part of the Cheyenne nation in the closing days of the military conquest of the Indians.  Most of the women do conceive and present infants to their Cheyenne warriors.  They learn to live the nomadic life and appreciate the Indian’s natural way of living.  The women also realize that this way of life cannot survive under the tide of Western movement.  This novel transports you back in time in the Wild West and is richly descriptive of the landscape, the Indian and white man’s culture in the late 1800s, and wildly disparate characters. We are also privy to the dark side of the Cheyenne and the white man’s culture such as infanticide and the heinous crimes committed while under the influence of whiskey. We all enjoyed and highly recommend this novel.

 

Menu

 

Tuna Salad and Chicken Salad Sandwiches w/ chips

Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

This simple yet savory dressing consists of 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup

balsamic vinegar, one teaspon each of honey and dijon mustard, one

shallot and one garlic clove each minced, salt and ground pepper to taste.

Shake vigorously in a glass jar with lid until combined.

 

Baklava Cups

For genuine tasting yet easy to bake baklavi, this recipe can be found on foodnetork.com

(note:  I made the mistake of adding the syrup before I baked them and it is supposed

to be added after baking, which is why they look misshapen)

 

Lemon Tart with Mixed Berries

 

 

 

 

 

February 2013 Host:  Sarah

 

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

 

Summary

 

This novel is set in Appalachia and opens with 27-year old Della Turnbow, who is ready to escape her marriage and closed-in life with two young children by having an affair.  Her plans are thwarted however, when she comes upon an amazing natural phenomenon which changes everything for her.  This phenomenon centers on the migratory patterns of the monarch butterfly and the potential harmful effects that climate change can have on their fragile ecosystems. In this novel, we learn about the life cycle of monarchs and the science of their study, the effects of climate change, sheep caretaking, and what it is like to live in a closely knit small southern town. Although at times the descriptions were somewhat lengthy, Kingsolver’s novel is artfully written, her characters have just the right amount of nuance, and the landscaping of the area is beautifully portrayed.  Ms. Kingsolver leaves us with the question:  What is the use of saving the world that has no soul left in it… such as continents without butterflies and seas without coral reefs – what if we end up striving only for a place to park ourselves.

 

Menu

 

 

Basil Tomato Bruschetta

(easily prepared by combining prepared pesto with petite diced tomatoes and serving on toasted french bread)

 

Salad

 

Lasagna

 

Assorted Desserts

 

 

 

 

January 2013 Host:  Jennie

(at California Pizza Kitchen)

 

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

 

Summary

 

This novel (published in 1938) is a timeless classic, it is a mystery as well as a ghost story and is certainly one of the best one hundred books of all time.  The story begins as the unnamed narrator reminisces about her former home, the grand English Estate called Manderley.  She was young and shy when she married the much older Maxim de Winter and moved in to Manderley.  She became immediately overwhelmed with the responsibilities of running the house as well as the memories of Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca, who had drowned years ago. Rebecca was portrayed as beautiful, sophisticated, and very confident, and this served to heighten the narrator’s insecurities in her new home. Also, Rebecca’s friend and (somewhat creepy) maid continues working at Manderley and is herself obsessed with Rebecca.   The characters are compelling and especially the narrator who often confuses what she believes with reality.  Although there is little action in the story, it is spooky and leaves the reader throughout the book with an impending sense of doom, much like the typical horror movie. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 2012 Host:  Colleen

 

Molokai by Alan Brennert

 

Summary

 

This story begins in the 1890s in Hawaii and chronicles the life of a woman who contracts leprosy at the age of seven.  She is sent away from her family and is quarantined at a settlement called Kaluapapa on the island of Molokai.  Although she watches many friends die there, her life in the leper colony becomes bearable through the new ‘family’ and friends she makes and her strong spirit which refuses to let the disease control her; and she is also able to eventually experience romance. She eventually has a child but it was immediately taken from her in order to prevent the spread of leprosy to the child, who does eventually get adopted.  Her father is a sailor and sends her gifts from all over the world.  That and her imprisonment on the island lead her to long for her own world wide travels.  The characters were multifaceted (especially the nuns who take her in) and the depth of the characters was more than likely due to the fact that the author loosely based some of the characters in the novel on people who had actually lived at Kauapapa and on historical research and correspondence from the time.  The author enriches the story through descriptions of the settlement and the history of leprosy, along with some of the history of Hawaii, which includes the annexation and colonization of the islands by American sugar barons.  This is a well written and well researched novel and we all enjoyed it, there is something for everyone in this book.

 

Menu

 

Goat Cheese Appetizer

 

Hawaiian Slaw

 

Hawaiian Rice (from cooks.com)

Ingredients
 

 

-1 can Spam

-1 can unsweetened (or 2 cups fresh) crushed pineapple

-2 cups long grain rice

-4 cups chicken stock

-4 tablespoons butter

-1 medium onion

-2 cloves garlic

-salt to taste

-1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

-1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 teaspoon paprika

-1 teaspoon allspice

-small dash cinnamon

 

 

Directions

 

 

Cook rice in chicken stock with butter, salt, cumin, paprika, allspice, and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until stock is absorbed.  While the rice is simmering, brown Spam, onions, garlic and pineapple in a large skillet with a lid on high heat.  Add red and black pepper just before done (I reduced the amount of pepper by half, I thought two tablespoons seemed like too much).  Combine rice and Spam mixture.  Stir, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Let cool and serve.
 

Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker (from food.com – a simple way of making traditional Hawaiian Kalua pig without having to dig a hole in your back yard)

Ingredients

 

 

-1 (6 lb) pork butt

-1 ½ tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt

-1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring

 

 

Directions

 

 

-Pierce pork all over with a carving fork.

-Rub salt then liquid smoke over meat.

-Place roast in a slow cooker.

-Cover, and cook on Low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cooking time.

-Remove meat from slow cooker, and shred, adding drippings as needed to moisten.

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs (from food.com)

 

Ingredients

-1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

-1 (15 ¼ ounce) cans unsweetened pineapple chunks

-1/2 cup soy sauce

-1/4 cup vegetable oil

-1 tablespoon brown sugar

-1 teaspoon garlic powder

-2 teaspoons ground ginger

-1 teaspoon dry mustard

-1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

-1 large green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

-12 medium mushrooms

-18 cherry tomatoes

-hot cooked rice

 

Directions

 

 

-Put chicken in large shallow dish.

-Drain pineapple, keep ½ cup juice.

-Set pineapple aside.

-Mix juice with the next 7 ingredients in small pan.

-Bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

-Pour over chicken.

-Cover and chill for 1 hour.

-Remove chicken from marinade, reserve marinade.

-Alternate chicken, pineapple, green pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes on skewers

-Grill kabobs over hot coals 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

 

Dessert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 2012 Host:  Nancy

 

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

 

Summary

 

This novel is told from two different perspectives:  Jacob Jankowski at 23 years of age and again at 93 years of age.  It is 1931 and Jacob is finishing up his last year of Veterinary school at Cornell University when a family tragedy causes him to flee and wind up on a train with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.  The circus hires him as a vet and he works alongside American workers, who are mostly just one step away from homelessness.  Although the circus is a harsh life, (workers go for weeks without getting paid and workers disappear at night when times are tough – management throws them off the train in the middle of the night) the men get at least three meals a day and a place to sleep.  Jacob quickly becomes an advocate for the animals, especially Rosie the elephant who exhibits more ‘human’ characteristics and feelings than some of the circus bosses.  93-year old Jacob Jankowski resides in a nursing home and laments the physical and mental curses of old age, the passing of his wife, and his family’s waning attention to him. When the circus arrives in his town, the elderly Jacob revisits his youth and time spent with the circus, his heart remains young as his flesh ages.  The author uses circus stories from real life and the antique photos of long ago circuses throughout the book add to the story.  We all enjoyed this book thoroughly, from the interesting characters (including humans and animals) to the surprising, yet satisfying ending. 

 

Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy by E L James

Summary
 

This is the story of Anastasia Steel, a young naïve college student, and the man she is attracted to, Christian Grey, who is a handsome, confident, billionaire.  The couple begin a passionate love affair and Anastasia discovers some of Christian’s dark secrets, one of them being an addiction to bondage, and Ana also begins exploring some of her own desires.  In the second book in the trilogy, Ana begins a new career and breaks off her relationship with Christian - she can no longer even pretend to like some of his darker sexual tastes.  However, Ana at this point, cannot stop thinking about him and they find their way back to each other once again.  In the third book in the trilogy, Ana and Christian work on compromising some of their differences, but dark forces threaten to rip them apart once again.   We had a love/hate relationship with this trilogy, it was entertaining (and yes, lots of sex) and a real page turner, on the other hand, the trilogy was at times poorly written, repetitious, and insipid. 

 

Menu

 

Mimosas

 

Coffee Cake and Zucchinni Bread

 

Ultimate Coffee Cake (from FoodNetwork.com)

 

Ingredients
 

-16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls

-1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mixk, not instant

-1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

-1/2 cup pecans, chopped

-1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

 

Directions
 

The night before place frozen rolls in a well greased Bundt pan.  Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls.  Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix.  Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar.  Pour melted butter over all.  To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while it’s rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap.  Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.  Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove.  Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks

 

Cinnamon Apples

 

Monte Christo Casserole

 

Cheesy Baked Hash Browns

 

Kugel

 

Omelet Bar

Strawberry Dessert Cakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

July 2012 Host:  Jaci

 

Lucky by Alice Sebold

 

Summary

 

Alice Sebold (author of The Lovely Bones) tells the story of her brutal rape that happened when she was a college freshman, and the subsequent trial and her attempt at recovery.  The rape occurred in a tunnel among dead leaves and broken beer bottles and she was told by a policeman that a woman had been murdered there, and by comparison, she should consider herself ‘lucky’.  We become privy to Alice’s insecurities, continual pain, and the mental and physical horrors she endured.  She does learn eventually, even after becoming addicted to drugs and falling into a promiscuous lifestyle, how to cope with her experience.  The book also details the various procedures she had to go through in identifying the victim, police lineups, affidavits, meetings with attorneys, court hearings, and the actual trial.  She examines her family dynamics; her mother’s anxiety, her father’s isolation, and her sister’s being perfect, and how that impacted her during this time and how it further isolated her. This memoir was not always easy to read due to the detailed description of the crime.  This is a very engaging and straightforward memoir which describes one woman’s very long road to recovery after such a traumatic event.

 

Menu

 

Hummus

 

 

Creamy Asian Coleslaw

(from allrecipes.com)

 

Ingredients

-1 (ten ounce tub Philadelphia cooking cream

-1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

-2 12 ounce packages of broccoli slaw (or equivalent coleslaw mix plus chopped broccoli)

-1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

-1/2 cup slivered almonds

 

Directions

 

-Combine cooking cream and dressing in large bowl.

-Add remaining ingredients, toss to coat

-Refrigerate one hour, stir before stirring.

 

Bowtie Pasta Salad

 

 

Smoked Pork

 

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Fresh Flavor Fast Cookbook

 

Ingredients

 

30 chocolate wafer cookies
4 tbsp butter
1/4 c cold water
1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored gelatin
3/4 c packed light-brown sugar
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Process cookies in a food processor until finely ground (to yield 1 3/4 c). Add butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened.
2. Transfer crumb mixture to 9 inch tart (I used a spring form pan) pan with a removable bottom. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides. Place pan on a baking sheet, bake crust until set, 15-20 min. Let cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, place the water in a small sauce pan (off heat). Sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand alone until softened, 5-10 min.
4. In a food processor, combine brown sugar and peanut butter, process until smooth. Add cream, process until mixture is light and holds soft peaks, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.
5. Place softened gelatin over very low heat, stirring, until just dissolved. Add to peanut-butter mixture in food processor, blend to combine. Transfer filling to cooled crust, and smooth top with a flexible or offset spatula. Sprinkel with chopped peanuts. Chill until set, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Jennie and Evan

 

Colleen and Evan

 

 

 

June 2012 Host:  Karen

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Summary

This is the story of the 1942 Vel D’Hiv roundup of Jews in Paris as seen through the eyes of eleven year old Sarah, a French Jew.   It is also intertwined with the story in 2002 of a French journalist, Julia Jarmond, who is writing about the Vel D’Hiv roundup for a magazine on the sixtieth anniversary of the event.  During the summer of 1942, French Jews were rounded up by the French police (something a lot of people, even the French, are to this day not aware of) in collaboration with the German occupiers.  When the police knocked on Sarah’s door, she hid her younger brother in a cupboard which was their secret hiding place, and then locked it, keeping the brass key with her.  His fate is eventually revealed in the story.  Over 4,000 children under the age of fifteen were herded to the Velodrome, an indoor cycling arena.  More than 10,000 French Jews were confined in this arena for days with no food, water, or even bathrooms, unaware they were to eventually be shipped to Auschwitz’s gas chambers.  Julia Jarmond, through her research of the roundup, is drawn more deeply into Sarah’s story as she finds that her French husband’s family history is connected to Sarah’s family history.  We all really enjoyed this historical novel (although we found the Sarah’s story in the ‘past’ much more interesting than the ‘present’ day story dealing with Julia) and would highly recommend it. 

Menu

Asian Eggplant Spread

Ingredients

-1 medium eggplant 

-1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

-1/2 teaspoon ground anise

-2 scallions, minced

-1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce

-1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

-1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pierce the eggplant with a fork in several spots, place it directly on the oven rack with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips, and bake it for 45 to 60 minutes, until very soft and somewhat collapsed.  Remove the eggplant from the oven.  Alternately, you can grill the eggplant.  When it is cool enough to handle, cut the eggplant in half, scoop out the flesh, and discard the skin.  Thoroughly chop through the flesh crosswise and lengthwise; you should have about 1 ½ cups.  In a bowl, combine the eggplant with the ginger, anise, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar and mix well.  Add more soy sauce to taste as needed.  Serve with pita, rice cakes, or crackers, or as a garnish.  From Moosewood Restaurant Low-fat Favorites

Ceasar Salad with Dressing

For the garlic croutons:

Ingredients

-4 Tablespoons butter

-1 clove garlic, minced

-3 ¾ inch thick slices French bread, cut into cubes.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in garlic and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more.  Add bread cubes and toss to coat.  Spread on a baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes or until crisp and dry.  Check frequently to prevent burning.  Cool.

For the dressing:  (from Food Network Magazine, May 2012)

Ingredients

-1 pasteurized large egg yolk

-1 ½ teaspoons dijon mustard

-1 small clove garlic, grated

-Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

-1 ½ teaspoons caper brine (from a jar of capers)

-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

-1/4 cup canola oil

-2 anchovy filets finely chopped or approximately 1/3 tube anchovy paste

Directions

Make the dressing in the bowl of a food processor: combine the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Pulse to blend.  With the machine running, pour the lemon juice and caper brine into the mix.  Slowly pour in the olive oil and then the canola oil, blending until smooth.  Transfer the mix into a bowl and taste for seasoning.  Stir in anchovies.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to one day. 

For the salad:

Ingredients:

-1 large head of romaine lettuce washed and cut into approximate 1 inch squares

-9 to 12 ounces cherry tomatoes

-1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

-1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Gently combine all of the above ingredients and just before serving, add croutons and dressing

Spicy Potato Sticks from Weight Watchers Turnaround Cookbook

and Parmesan Steak Fries from Everyday Food Great Fast Food cookbook by Martha Stewart Living

Spicy Potato Sticks

Ingredients

-2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut into thin strips
-2 egg whites, lightly beaten
-3/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
-1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Spray large nonstick baking sheet with canola oil nonstick spray. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and toss to coat. Transfer to baking sheet and arrange in single layer. Bake until barely tender, about 15 min. Increase oven temp to broil and broil 5 inches from the heat until crispy, about 10 min longer.

Parmesan Steak Fries

-3 large egg whites
-coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
-3 baking potatoes (8-10 oz each)
-1 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. In wide, shallow bowl, whisk egg whites w/ 1 teaspoon salt until frothy. Cut each potato into 6 long spears; add to the egg whites and turn to coat. Lift spears out of the egg whites, shaking off excess. Working over a plate, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese until coated (do not shake off excess). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake without turning until the potatoes are fork tender and gold brown, about 30 min. Season with salt and pepper.

Barbecue Ribs

Barbecue Chicken

Dessert

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