January wrap up, Girl with Seven Names and Bibimbap

 January has been a good reading month for me.   I finished 6 books!  I say finished because to be fair, I started Saving Ruby King in Dec and finished it the first week of January.  Also, one of the books was only 90 pages so more like an Essay.  (Wolfpack by Abby Wambach which i'll review later).   The final book for January was with my Book Group, the Beehive.   We read The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story.   Now, I don't read a ton of Non-Fiction and when i do, it is almost always with my book group.  We usually get in 1-2 Non Fiction titles a year.    I also must say that I struggle with some biographies.   This reminded me of Educated.  The stories have nothing really in common but they both deal with women who have to overcome hardships over and over and come out the other side much stronger.   I find it hard to deal with the hardships and struggles and life choices through the entire book.   In both cases i almost stopped listening.  (Yes, I did both of these titles on Audibles)  

The story is about Hyeonseo Lee who grew up in North Korea.   She decides to cross the border, really thinking it was just for a few days and ends up never coming back.   She realizes she has been brainwashed by the Dictatorship of North Korea.  But in China she is forced to hide who she is and realizes she can never go back because the rumors of her escape are everywhere.   The story takes us on her journey in China and eventually South Korea.  She ends up helping her mother and brother also escape.    The story is really about her desire for family and her perseverance to survive and to have a free life.   

So, it is an amazing story but i just felt worn down.   I know this is my privilege speaking but i'm not sure this is where I want to spend my reading time and I feel badly about that.   

So, at the end of the day I would say, if you love a story about strength and courage, this is for you.  I give it 3.5 stars.  ⭐⭐⭐½

When I thought about food for this story , i had NO idea what to make.  I really am not sure i have had any Korean food.   I could have gone with Chinese, which I love , but really thought this was my chance to try something different.  Of course i went to my favorite recipe source-- Pinterest.  I found a recipe that looked perfect called Bibimbap.  Essentially the basics are mixed rice with meat and assorted vegetables.    The secret is really in the sauce!   Since I'm trying not to eat meat these days, I made a vegetarian version.   It turned out so good!!  I used a recipe from  Love & Lemons  blog.  I changed it up just a bit but here is the basic.   (i had a bit of a challenge finding Gochujang sauce but finally found it at a local grocery store) 

https://www.loveandlemons.com/bibimbap-recipe/?epik=dj0yJnU9SFVqbEJiUWlSYnhJMTMtendFTHBIMDVZUGZDaEdPTVQmcD0wJm49WVhGSGM4TEN1bWdSdWFleURqTXB6ZyZ0PUFBQUFBR0FNeUdz

BIBIMBAP

Ingredients

Bowls

• ½ English cucumber, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1¼ teaspoons sesame oil, divided
• 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 4 cups baby spinach
• ½ teaspoon tamari
• 2 cups cooked short-grain white rice
• 2 fried eggs, or 1 cup cubed baked tofu
• 4 ounces sautéed shiitake mushrooms, optional
• 1 recipe Gochujang sauce
• Sesame seeds
• Sea salt
• Kimchi, optional, for serving
• Chopped scallions, optional, for serving

(okay,  i don't like shiitake mushrooms so i used your basic button mushrooms.  I used egg and not tofu and  I also used a regular cucumber .  And I did NOT use Kimchi because i can't stand it) 

• In a small bowl, toss the cucumber slices with ½ teaspoon rice vinegar, ¼ teaspoon sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Drop in the bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
• Heat ½ teaspoon sesame oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes until a little bit soft, and then remove from the pan and set aside. Heat ½ teaspoon more sesame oil in the skillet and add the spinach and tamari. Cook, tossing, for 30 seconds or until just wilted. Remove from the skillet and gently squeeze out any excess water from the spinach.
• Assemble the bowls with the rice, cucumber slices, bean sprouts, carrots, and spinach. Top with a fried egg or baked tofu. Add the mushrooms, if using. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle generously with the gochujang sauce. Serve with kimchi and scallions, if desired, and the remaining gochujang sauce on the side.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo and Spanish Rice

 I'm starting 2021 off with a bang.  4 books read and it is only halfway through January!  I actually started this book back in November.  But, twice I put it down and read other books.  I really liked the story but there isn't a lot that happens.  It is very character driven.   Emoni Santiago is a senior in high school and has a baby to take care of and a grandmother to support.   It is a story of her life, her senior year of high school, tough decisions she has to make, a new boy in her life and her passion in life-  Cooking!  

I liked the writing style and how each chapter was like a little view of her world.  I think I heard about this book in an article about books that focus on food.  She made me super hungry for good mexican food which i haven't had in a while.   I also really liked the cultural piece of learning about her background and the joy she had with her daughter .   

But, it didn't hold my interest in the beginning.  I read maybe the first 50 pages and then put it down for a month.  Came back to it and read maybe another 50 pages.  Finally, in January I came back again and finished it up.  The 2nd half moved much quicker. 

So, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ but probably closer to 3.5.  Great character, full of wonderful flavors, loved the writing but just a little slow in the first half.     Pick it up if you love a good food book or love a character driven story with really rich characters.  

Because she did make me hungry, I made Spanish Rice. Super easy to make and a great side dish!  

I ate it with grilled Chicken but i'm sure you can come up with something more delicious!  

Enjoy

Spanish Rice 

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 bell pepper finely diced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 14.5 ounce fire roasted diced tomatoes, not drained
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
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• In a large pan that has a lid or skillet that has a lid, melt the butter with the olive oil.Add the rice, onion and bell pepper and cook over medium to medium-high heat until the rice is golden brown and vegetables are tender. Stir frequently. It takes about 15-20 minutes.
• Add the garlic and stir and cook for about 1 minute.Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika and cumin. Stir well.Bring to a boil and then cover. 
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.Let the rice sit covered for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Saving Ruby King - By Catherine Adel West

 My first book of 2021 was Saving Ruby King.  Really liked this one.  I saw this book posted on a few Bookstagram Best of 2020 list.   So many folks were saying it was a top book for the year  and yet I hadn't heard of it.   I checked it out and read it in 3 days.   Ruby Kings mother is found dead in their home in Chicago's south side (this happens at the very beginning so i'm not spoiling anything, I promise!)  The story then flips from person to person- Ruby and her sadness and reality of living with a violent father.  Layla, her best friend who has been trying to save her  friend for years.  Lebanon, the abusive father/husband.  Layla's father and pastor of the church and even the church itself has a narrative.   

At first I thought the Church narrative was a bit weird but it ended up providing a lot of the back story we needed to understand this story.   By the end I liked having the Church as a character.   

Not only did I find it a page turner but I liked the exploration of the black church, the racial tensions,  and the theme of loyalty.   I also think the family violence passing from generation to generation is a tough and emotional subject but she handled it well.   

This is the authors debut novel and I am excited to see her future!  

I give this 4 solid stars!   Great way to start the new year. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Because there is a reference to a Pineapple Upside Down Cake in the novel, i thought...   That sounds delicious!  I haven't made a pineapple upside down cake in ages.  

I found a simple recipe and altered it just a bit and ...  here you go. 

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• Pineapple Upside Down Cake  (slightly altered from Trisha Yearwoods recipe) 
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 9 slices canned pineapple in juice, drained
• 5 maraschino cherries
• 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup milk
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the butter in an 8-by-8-by-2-inch square baking pan and set it over low heat to melt.  ( I actually used a round copper pan and put it in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the butter)  When melted, sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter. Arrange the pineapple rings in a single layer on top of the sugar, making 3 rows.( the round pan only took 7 pineapple rings so do what you can)   Cut the maraschino cherries in half, and place one half, cut-side up, in the center of each pineapple ring. Set the pan aside.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.   Set aside. Using an electric mixer, mix together the shortening, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Stir only enough after each addition to combine.
• Pour the batter carefully into the pineapple-lined baking pan and bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center or pressing the cake lightly with a fingertip; if the impression springs back, the cake is done. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and place a serving dish on top. Invert the cake onto the serving dish. Leave the pan inverted over the cake for several moments to allow the syrup to soak into the cake.
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