Spring and Summer Reading

Whose Body?--This is my first Dorothy Sayers novel. A light, enjoyable read. There is nothing here to compel me to read more in the series, but I wouldn't avoid reading more if I stumble across them.

Three Cups of Tea--Yes, I know. The rest of the world read this one years ago. A great story of someone who is making a difference instead of standing around wishing someone would do something.

The Butterfly Mosque--The story of an American woman who moved to Egypt, converted from atheism to Islam, and married an Egyptian Muslim. I find stories of people's faith journeys fascinating, and this was no exception. I was surprised by how easy it was to understand what drew her to Islam:

It had to be a faith that didn't need to struggle to explain why bad things happen to good people, a faith in which it was understood that destruction is implicit in creation. I had a faint attraction to Buddhism, but Buddhism was not theist enough; the role of God was obscure or absent. I would have liked to be a Christian. My life would have been much easier if I could stomach the Trinity and inherited sin, or the idea that God had a son. Judaism was a near perfect fit, but it was created for a single tribe of people. 12

And although parts of the book were a trip to a foreign land and foreign minds, I laughed out loud at her thoughts on housekeeping:

The idea that housework was demeaning and oppressive had been drilled into me from such a young age and from so many sources that I could not remember where I first came across it. I believed it, and took the maxim to the next logical step: if housework was demeaning and oppressive, it must also be unnecessary. I was confused when the kitchenette in my college apartment got dirty. When dust bunnies accumulated under the bed, I had an uneasy feeling that the world was not functioning as it should. If people were not meant to clean, cleanliness should not require people. 203

The Actor and the Housewife--I had seen this recommended as a fun, light read, so I bought it for my Kindle before I left for Costa Rica. Although I quite enjoyed the author's young adult novels, I found this book highly irritating. I am pretty sure this is a trunk story, written before her later successes. It emphasizes the most annoying and juvenile aspects of Utah Mormon culture, and I had a very difficult time liking the main character. This might be the worst book of the year.

Sabriel--EM recommended this series to me. He owns the second and third books, but not the first, so I added this to my Kindle list for vacation reading. A well-written young adult fantasy novel. I was sorry I didn't have the rest of the series with me.

Raisin in the Sun--EM brought this one to Costa Rica as part of his assigned school reading. Once he was finished, I read it. I almost never read plays these days, but this one reminded me of why I enjoyed reading them when I was a teen. Raisin in the Sun is a family drama that reminds me of Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill.

Something Borrowed--I was in the mood for chick lit, so I chose this somewhat at random from the list of top-selling Kindle books. It was entertaining. There is apparently a sequel, but since it's written from the point of view of the most annoying character in this book, I have no intention of reading it.

Take the Monkeys and Run--Michael suggested this as a good indie book for my Kindle. A housewife married to a George Clooney lookalike gets involved in taking down the mob. If you can suspend your disbelief, it's a fun read. There are definitely a few places where a good editor could have improved the book, but overall it is competently written.

The Brothers Karamazov--My freshman year of college, this was my assigned reading for Christmas break, and I never finished it. To my knowledge, this is the only work of fiction I was ever assigned to read that I failed to complete. It's been niggling away at me ever since. So this year I decided to prove that twenty years of aging is all I needed to enjoy Russian novels. Sadly, that did not prove to be true. There is just something un-Russian about my mind and soul, apparently. However, I did finish it. And I enjoyed parts of it. If anyone has a good explanation for the subplot involving the boy who died, I'd love to hear it. I don't see how it connects to the main plot, which makes me wonder why it is in there at all.

Comeback America--A quick non-partisan read about the financial mess our country is in and how we can get out of it. This should be required reading for all elected officials, government workers and potential voters.

In addition to these books, I've also proofread four of Michael's novels (one needed two reads) and one novella.

Portrait

LW brought this portrait home from preschool months ago. It's been taped to my desk hutch ever since, but it's getting a bit beat up. Now that we have a scanner, I decided to preserve it electronically, which also means I can share it with all of you.

Eight (!) Spring and Summer Soups

I'm not cooking soup today (Michael's in Toronto on his yearly writing retreat and it's been so blasted hot I am not turning on the stove), so I decided to play catch-up on writing about soup.

Emily's Springtime Salmon Chowder--This is a quick and easy soup with potato, onion, garlic, and asparagus in addition to cream and salmon. Yum. Five thumbs up. There is a note that you can also add snow peas, which I think I will do next year.

Sweet Pea Soup with Early Chives--Some weeks, you worry about the soup. This was one of those weeks. Michael is not a fan of split pea soup, and it's not one of my favorites either, so I was not expecting to like a pea soup without even the benefit of ham. (Although the suggested side dish, Green Bean, Cherry Tomato and Bacon Salad, sounded like it would be tasty even if the soup wasn't.) I also wimped out slightly and used the ground nutmeg in my cupboard, instead of the freshly-grated whole nutmeg I was supposed to use. I remained skeptical even as I set the soup on the table. It's green. Vivid green. And yet, when all was said and done, pretty tasty. Five thumbs hovering between so-so and up. Not one I'll probably add to the menu next year, but one I might pull out if I find myself with five cups of fresh peas I don't know what to do with. (The salad, however, will be served more regularly.)

I skipped the next week, because we spent the weekend in the Adirondacks.

Penne, Asparagus, and Peas in Parmesan Broth--For this soup, the author recommends augmenting store-bought chicken broth by simmering vegetables, herbs, and a Parmesan cheese rind to infuse the broth with more flavor. It required a little more planning, but it definitely added to the flavor of the soup. This soup is great comfort food, with the crisped prosciutto on top adding a nice touch. Five thumbs up.

Paella Soup--Michael loved paella when we were in Spain, so I switched things around to serve this on Father's Day. He, EM, and IM loved it. (I can't remember how NB voted.) I didn't, although I'm not sure why. It's stuffed full of yummy ingredients--shrimp, chicken, chorizo, and white wine. Maybe it was the ghost of bad Spanish food past getting in the way of my taste buds.

Thai-Style Lemongrass Soup with Shrimp--EM looked at me like I had two heads when I said I didn't like this soup, but I didn't. (I'm not sure EM has met seafood he didn't find tasty.) I think the problem was that you are supposed to simmer the broth with lemongrass and lime slices. Since I couldn't find lemongrass even at the big Shaw's, I substituted lemon slices to go with the lime slices. There was an aftertaste to the broth that I found unpleasant. Michael, EM, and IM were thumbs up. NB and I were thumbs down. I would be willing to try this one again if I ever find myself in possession of some lemongrass.

Avocado Soup with Fresh Tomato Salsa--This was the first of the cold summer soups. It is essentially liquid guacamole, and therefore quite tasty. It doesn't really feel like dinner though, more like a dip for tortilla chips. As a dip, it got four thumbs up. (EM detests avocado, a weird blip in an otherwise sophisticated palate.) As a soup, we didn't quite know what to think.

Icy Cucumber Soup with Smoked Salmon and Dill--Michael is not a fan of cold soup, so he preferred to heat his up in the microwave after the first bite or two. He said it's good that way. I thought it was quite tasty chilled, as it is meant to be served. I wouldn't mind having it again. Three thumbs up, one shrug (NB), and one thumbs-up if heated.

Victorine's Gazpacho--Delicious, especially since I was able to get the tomatoes, green peppers and green onions at the farmer's market. I will definitely make this next summer. Five thumbs up. I served it with Crab and Avocado Sandwiches, which were also tasty. Even EM liked them, as he said the crab covered up the taste of the avocado.

There you have it. We are all caught up.

Weekend in the Adirondacks

We needed to leave town last weekend to give our then-prospective innkeeper a chance to try out the job (we've since finalized the arrangement), so we packed the kids up after school on Friday and headed for the Adirondacks.

We stayed in a cabin at a KOA campground near Lake Placid. Saturday we walked through High Falls Gorge and then spent a couple of hours at the WILD Center. I was lured there by the promise of otters, one of my favorite animals to watch. They were entertaining as always, but the surprise star of the trip was this creature:



They brought her out so she could eat her lunch in front of an audience. Did you know that porcupines eat corn on the cob the way people do? She held it in her hands, ate across one row, turned the cob, ate across one row, and so forth. Her method of rifling through the contents of her bowl looking for something tasty also looked very human.

Sunday morning we went hiking at Ausable Chasm. LW still has a way to go before he's a great hiker, but we are hoping to give him more practice once we are not living at the inn.

Four Sunday Soups

The last two weeks of March, I made Mama Veli's Pozole soup and Black Bean Soup with a Hint of Orange.

Michael loves pozole, so he was happy to see this on the menu. I'm pretty sure this was the first time I'd cooked with fresh tomatillos. The soup was more involved than some, but the end result was tasty (five thumbs up) and I plan on making it again next year.

Black Bean Soup with a Hint of Orange was tasty, but the hint of orange was so hinty I couldn't taste it. And since that was the main difference between this soup and the black bean soup I've had for years, I don't know if I'll make it again, despite its five thumbs up. I did gain a recipe from this week, however. The Red, Yellow, and Orange Pepper Salad with Tequila-Lime Dressing was delicious.

We skipped soup for the month of April, since I was either cooking for just EM and I or in Costa Rica. Now we are into spring soups.

Last week's soup was Spring Risotto Soup, a mound of risotto covered with chicken broth containing mushrooms, snap peas, and green onions. I love risotto and I thought this soup was fantastic, the perfect comfort food when a spring cold comes knocking. (Side note: the Kindle is great for reading while you are stirring, stirring, stirring.) EM and IM also loved it. NB and Michael, however, gave it a sideways thumb. I told Michael I love it enough that I plan on making it next year anyway.

Today's soup was Dreamy Creamy Artichoke Soup, served with Watercress Salad with Red Onion and Chopped Egg Vinaigrette. Michael this is a yummy simple soup--just leeks, butter, frozen artichoke hearts, chicken stock, cream and Parmesan. Only three of us ate it (NB and IM were full of pizza from a birthday party) but we all liked it. The salad was good too, although I couldn't find watercress and substituted mixed spring greens instead. I need to find a watercress source soon, because watercress soup is coming up in June.

Costa Rica: A Very Tardy Trip Recap

Random impressions
* There are a ton of dogs and cats roaming the streets of Puerto Viejo. Anywhere you go, you have an instant pet (or two or three) following you around. Restaurants are no exception; at one point Michael and I had a cat sitting in the extra seat at the table, a dog resting his head on Michael's lap, and another dog who patiently sat by our table with hopeful eyes and a wagging tail for the entire dinner.

* Although the roads were much better than we saw on our last trip, by the end of the month we were dodging potholes in a road Michael had seen paved during his first week there.

* I lack the appropriate spatial awareness for driving in Puerto Viejo. Cars, trucks, bikes, scooters, pedestrians, horses, and the dogs and cats mentioned above all make use of the roads, which narrow to one lane for every bridge. Michael adapted just fine to the crazy passing and dodging; I closed my eyes.

* There is a limit to my feminism. When this showed up in our bedroom, I told Michael if the bug wasn't out of there by bedtime I was finding somewhere else to sleep:



I wasn't too found of this, either:



* If your private Spanish teacher is a good-looking, younger surfer, it's really great when you can shrug and say to your husband, "Well, you arranged the lessons."

* Land crabs are hard to dodge while driving. It's not until you are almost on top of them that you realize the rocks in the road are moving.

* It's nice of the aviary to ask us to stay three feet away from the birds, but someone should explain that to the birds.

* And the corollary: It's a little unnerving to be buzzed by toucans. Those beaks look wicked sharp when zooming toward your head.




* Although I am generally in favor of preserving wildlife, I don't quite see the need for the eyelash pit viper breeding program at the local animal rescue center.

* Tree frogs are a lot less noticeable with their eyes closed.

* It is possible to eat well in Costa Rica. The Caribbean had great seafood, including the best fish tacos I've ever eaten. And EM and I became quite attached to the bananas cooked with honey we encountered in the San Jose area.

* Three-toed sloths are even cuter than two-toed sloths.

* I suppose if I lived in Costa Rica, I too would become totally blase about howler monkeys in the trees on the edge of the beach. Eventually.

* Song is not the right word for the sound a toucan makes. You know those wooden friction sticks your music teacher let you play with in elementary school? That's what a toucan sounds like.

Bonus Soup!

I realized this week, that I had more soups left in the Winter section than I had Sundays left in March. So I counted the soups. Despite the subtitle A Year's Worth of Mouthwatering, Easy-to-Make Recipes, there are 60 soups in the book, 15 for each season.

Deciding that if I can't make them all, I want to choose which ones I skip, I started thumbing through the book. And that's when I discovered a St. Patrick's Day soup (at the end of the Spring section, which is wrong by any measure).

So on Thursday I made Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup--"Under Cover" (in ramekins with puffed-pastry crust). It was easy to make during my lunch hour (it needs to be refrigerated for an hour) and is easily the most tasty corned-beef dish I've eaten.

Five thumbs up.