Himself served with Irish Soda Bread, Irish Cheese and a double chocolate stout

 Himself by Jess Kidd 

I picked up this book because I really liked her latest novel, Things in Jars.  https://veryhungryreader2017.blogspot.com/2021/12/things-in-jars-served-with-dessert-in.html

This one has some similarity to the her other book.  It is set in Ireland, ghost play a big part and there is a mystery to solve.  We start the book with a murder but we have no idea who the murderer is.  Jump forward 20+ years and Mahony arrives in a small irish town call Mulderrig.  It is town where he was born but placed in an orphanage when his mother disappeared.  He is there to figure out what happened to his mother.  He checks into a boarding house which is where we meet Mrs Cauley, a retired actress, who is determined to help him discover the truth. He sees ghost everywhere he goes and they play a critical part in the story. The town doesn't want him to dig into this disappearance and it is obvious his mother was a scandal no one wants to revisit.    There are a lot of characters in this book and sometimes i got them confused. The story does go back and forth in time so we learn a bit more about the story.  Overall it is full of great atmosphere and suspense.  I really like Jess Kidd's writing style and how she builds a story.   

My only criticism was some of the violence.  I'm a wimp and there is some graphic violence including the death of a dog that almost made me put the book down.  That was tough.  Oh, and there is this scene where the preachers house is now flooded and frogs take over.  I have a crazy fear of frogs so that was a nightmare for me!! 

But, I would still recommend this if you love a atmospheric story with suspense and some magic.  ⭐⭐⭐1/2

There is a lot of beer in the book but i wanted to make a good Irish Soda Bread.  I have never made Irish Soda bread so thought that would be fun.  The first one i made did not turn out well!  The actual recipe called for raisins or currents to be included but I wanted it to be savory and not sweet.  I added an irish cheddar.  I think the problem was that I didn't bake it long enough.  Sometimes it is hard to tell with a bread.  When I took it out, it didn't look great but the first slice was pretty tasty.  By the time I got 3 slices in, it was almost raw in the middle.  Uneatable.  Ended up throwing it out.  I waited a week, did some research on recipes and tried again.  This time the recipe was for cheddar and garlic so it worked much better.  It is pretty taste but a little bit dry.  Since i've never had Irish soda bread, not sure if that is normal.  I paired it with a butternut squash/apple soup which was delicious, some good irish cheese and a double chocolate stout.   OMG.  so good. 

Here is the recipe from Pinterest https://littlespicejar.com/garlic-irish-cheddar-chive-soda-bread/

Epistolary Novels #2- 84 Charing Cross Road

 Let's start by acknowledging that this isn't a novel but a memoir.  I don't care i'm keeping it in this category.   I first read this book years ago right after I saw the movie.  Just looked it up and the movie came out in 1987 so i'm guessing it was around that time.  Loved them both.  I think this might be the first book I ever read written in letters.  I have such a love of letter writing and books so this hit all of the buttons for me.  This is the correspondence between writer/ New Yorker Helene Haniff and Used book seller (and friends and family) Frank Doel.  It is so fun.  She is smart and sassy and constantly teasing the team about the books she wants or the books they aren't sending.  But she is also incredibly kind and generous always sending them boxes of goodies.  The letters start in 1949 and run almost 20 years so it's not so far after WW2 and a lot of Great Britain is still hurting from the war.  He is the perfect English gentleman but eventually he softens to her informality and they become true friends.   We see letters to and from all of the staff, his wife and her friends.  I love the descriptions of what she sends them and of the books they send her.  Throughout the letters they talk about her visiting someday.  

I would give this 5 stars as a lovely peak into a friendship and the lost art of letter writing.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I went back and rewatched the movie after finishing the book.  It also holds up.  It was fun to revisit both! 

I decided to pair this with fluffy scrambled eggs with chives and potatoes and Spam.   There is a lot of talk about sending eggs and canned meat.  Some of the eggs are dried eggs and some are fresh.  also the meat they discuss is often  canned tongue.  Okay, i doubt that is even still a thing but i'm not eating it.  Nope!  I know spam is bad for you and i've discussed my weakness for it in the blog previously but I had to make it.  It is the perfect canned meat.  This is one of my favorite breakfasts or lunch or dinner.  It's an all occasion meal! 

Deacon King Kong served with a Rosemary Maple Whisky sour and Cheese

 Deacon King Kong by James McBride 

This is a book I probably would have never picked up if it weren't for my book group.  Boy am I glad I did!   

I listened to this on audio and the first chapter, I was like....  what?  There were probably 20 characters discussed and each one with a crazy nickname.  I thought there is no way i'm going to know all of these people.  But then the story really starts and it focuses on just a handful and we really get to know each of them.  It's 1969 Brooklyn and old drunk Sportcoat shoots the meanest drug dealer around and everyone witnesses it.  No one knows why he did it and he doesn't even remember doing it.  From here the story digs into Sportcoat, who is a deacon at the church,  his best friend, the drug dealer, the local mafia guy,  the wife of the preacher, one of the cops investigating and a few others.  Oh my!  I just loved this book.  The characters are so great.  We have the mystery of the shooting, a couple of romances and a look at loneliness .   The book is full of humor (there is a chapter on ants!) and also tackles some tough issues without throwing them right in your face.  One of my favorite side stories is of Elephante the local mafia guy and his search for love and for a hidden treasure.  The names alone are worth reading this- Pudgy fingers, Hot Sausage, The Governor.    Overall it is a character study which weaves together this community and the church. McBride is a master of words and I now understand the high praise he receives.   I highly recommend this book.  Don't let that first chapter scare you off!  And the narrator , Dominic Hoffman, is so good.  He is just amazing the way he does the voices. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Throughout the book they discuss the king kong which seems to be a kind of moonshine that Sportcoat drinks.   They also talk about the cheese.  Every month the church gets cheese to hand out to their parish.  No one knows where it comes from or who furnishes it.  But it is good cheese.  I knew i had to serve cheese and some type of drink.  I landed on a Rosemary Maple Whiskey sour because i think if Sportcoat had ever had the money, he might have drank Whiskey instead of Kong.  I found some great cheese and this was dinner!   One of the cheeses is called Beehive Cheese which is totally appropriate because our bookgroup is the Beehive!   

Rosemary Maple Whiskey sour recipe 

In a shaker put 

a sprig of rosemary- i roll it between my hands first to release the fragrant and then put it in the shaker 

1 part Whisky, 1/2 part lemon juice, 1/3 part maple syrup.    Shake over ice and then strain into a glass.  Top with another rosemary sprig and drink!   It is delicious! 

Epistolary Novels Part 1 - Last Christmas in Paris served with a winter Ratatouille

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb 

I didn't start this book until after Christmas and almost didn't read it because January had started and I wasn't sure I wanted a holiday book in the new year.  I am so glad I did read it!  I would not call this a holiday book.  It is a beautiful love story told through letters.  It doesn't happen at Christmas but they start with believing the war will be over by Christmas.  That doesn't happen.  

This book takes place during WW1 and is a series of letters between Evie and Tom and their loved ones.  Will is Evie's brother and Tom's best friend.  And while there are letters from Will, their friends and family, the majority of the letters are Evie and Tom.  These letters start as friends but grow into more.  Reflecting their hopes and dreams, their fears and worries and the news from their immediate surroundings.    We learn how frustrated Evie is that she can't contribute to the war like she wants and of her dream to be a journalist.  We learn of Wills exhaustion and fears of the war and his hopes for the future.  We also see how worried he is about his father and his obligations to the family business.  

I love an epistolary novel!  There is a talent in bringing the reader along on the journey through letters.  Each character must have their own clear voice in their correspondence.  These authors did a great job!  I was rooting for both Tom and Evie and the journeys they each took.  I was just waiting for them to get together!   

There is a small part of the book not written in letters.  The authors include a jump forward to the 60's where we know Tom is in Paris for one last time.  We don't know why or what has happened.  This jump forward is included in bits throughout the book and wraps up the story.  I understand why they did this so we could see what happened to the characters but i wasn't even sure it was needed.   

I would give this book a solid 4.5 stars.  I will hold on to this one and probably read it again.  This one made me want to revisit a few of my favorite Epistolary novels so i have labeled this part 1.  Stay tuned! 

I decided to go with a Winter Ratatouille.  They don't talk about Ratatouille but it is a french dish so i just went with it.  I really started planning to make a traditional ratatouille which i have never made.  I'm not a big eggplant fan so i was hesitant.  But then i found this recipe!  It was perfect.  

https://tasty.co/recipe/fall-ratatouille

the changes I made were to the actual call out of squash and potatoes.  I used what I had.  I had  a red potato, a yellow potato, some zucchini and a delicata squash.  I just improvised and used what was in the kitchen.  It turns out sooooo good.  Pure comfort food.  I swear I will eventually try a traditional ratatouille but for now, this one was perfect!   Oh,  I forgot to mention that i watched the movie Ratatouille while making it!  Super cute but there is something kind of weird about a rat in the kitchen 😀

Song of Achilles served with a Greek Chicken Meatball Gyro

 Song of Achilles by Madeline MIller 

This was my last book to listen to on Audiables for 2021 and it was a good one.  I had read Circe 2 years ago and loved it and kept hearing about her other book.   This is the story of Achilles and Patroclus.  The story is told by Patroclus and takes us from his life as a prince to being banished by his father and raised by King Peleus.  It is here that he meets Achilles the son of Thetis the sea goddess.  Achilles is close to perfect.  The golden boy who knows his destiny is to be the greatest warrior ever.  Through Patroclus we see Achilles for all of his beauty and his flaws.   The 2 grow close and eventually become lovers.  I thought Miller handled this so well.  I thought their love story was wonderful and believable.  

The book takes us into war and we see our hero fulfill his destiny.  They stay at war for a very long time!  There were times I was frustrated with Achilles and times i wanted Patroclus to smack him.  But, love makes us do funny things.   If you know your greek history you know this won't end well.  I'll save the spoiler but it's a heartbreaker.   Really enjoyed this.  Didn't love it quite as much as Circe but still really, really good.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.  (Probably more like 4.5 because it is a bit long but i'm feeling generous!) 

The narrator was great on Audibles.  A great narrator makes such a difference.  I did buy this book and did a bit of a joint reading.  I few times i went back to something i heard in the book and reread it.  Plus the book was helpful because in the back is a summary of the Gods and main characters.  

I wasn't sure what to pair this with.  I ended up making greek meatballs.  I found a recipe on Skinnytaste for greek turkey meatballs but my grocery store is totally out of all the stuff!  They did have ground chicken so I decided that would have to do.   I also really wanted a Gyro so i followed the meatball recipe and put these in a pita with tomato and cucumber.  I also made the Tzatziki on the website.  So good!    

I did find a greek Orange cake that I might need to make so there just might be a 2nd recipe following!

https://www.skinnytaste.com/greek-turkey-meatballs/