The Book of Magic served with Tipsy Cake

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman served with Tipsy Cake  

I am a little sad to finish the Practical Magic Series.  I read the first book years ago and just finished book 4, the end of the series.   I loved all of these books as I adore almost everything Alice Hoffman writes.  

In the Book of Magic we pick up the story of the Owens women  bringing together 3 generations to finally break the curse that Maria Owens started.  The family has been cursed in love and over the years have tried to outrun it or to trick it.    On the first page we learn that Jett is hearing the death beetle and knows her time is up.   That event opens up the  family secrets .  We travel to Paris and London and meet up with their long lost brother Vincent.  It is there that Kylie goes to break  the curse and to save her one great love and Sally must do everything in her power to save her daughter.     I can't really tell more without giving away too much. 

I just love these characters.   In the beginning Sally was not a favorite but by the end I just loved her.  We get to see each woman and understand her special magic and her love.   I enjoy how we move from one character to the next all while tracking this story of the curse and what they are willing to do to break the curse.   I was sad to end the book and might just have to reread them next year.  I read them in the order they were published but would now be interested in reading them following the timeline of the story.  

I highly recommend this as the series finale.  I'm sure you could read it as a stand alone book but i think know what has come before is helpful.  

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

I knew i was going to make a Tipsy Cake.  They talk about Tipsy cake all through the book.   It is made on birthdays and weddings and funerals.   I googled on line, Tipsy Cake, and actually got a recipe!  It appears that Costco published a recipe with the release of this book.  It sounded good so I made it.  It was good!  It was nice and chocolatey with a slight hint of Rum. https://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201710?pg=88#pg88

and as Franny says - "If you can't eat chcolate cake for breakfast, what is the point of being alive!"  Enjoy 

interior Chinatown served with Chinese Chicken salad and Egg Drop soup

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu served with Chinese Chicken salad and Egg Drop soup . 

This is an interesting read.  It didn't hit the mark for me but I'm glad I read it.  This is my book group selection for February and after our discussion, I feel a little more prepared to write a review. 

This is the story of Willis Wu, Generic Asian Man in Hollywood.  He is hardworking and hopes to move from Generic Asian Man to Kung Fu Guy.  Part of the story is written as a script and then part as his inner monologue.   He really brings up the question of how we have stereotypes for Asian people in movies and for some reason we still struggle to see them as "American" .   What does an American look like?  He is in a police procedural call Black & White which is where he meets "Ethnically ambiguous" girl.    This book is clever and really puts the view we have on race in the center of the conversation and does it in a creative way.  

I listened to this book on audio which might be why I struggled.  The narrator was great but in audio, you can't see that it is a script or when it goes off script but i just knew it was weird.  It was distracting for me from the story.  I wish I had actually read it.   I did like the glimpses into his family life and the living environment.  But half the time i wasn't sure if what i was hearing was real life or if it was the script.  Our book group discussion was good because there was a lot to cover here.  Everything from the

writing style, to our views of how hollywood portrays race to our thoughts on the individual characters.  I'm giving this 3 stars but it is probably closer to 3.5 because of the cleverness of the author. ⭐⭐⭐

I was all set to make Chinese Chicken salad because i'm been craving it and then i looked it up and...  it's not the least bit Chinese!  I was going to scratch it and come up with some more authentic but after talking to my bookgroup, this felt right.  In some ways this is a great example of something the average American probably thinks is Chinese and it is so off the mark.  It seems to fit that sterotype we have in our head.   I'm also made Eggdrop Soup  which does seem to be authentic http://www.windchimeschinese.com/windchimes-blog/2019/6/25/history-of-food-egg-drop-soup

The Chinese Chicken Salad is a combination of recipes from a dear friend and past attempts.  It turned out okay but I forgot the wonton chips which is really what makes it the best 

The Egg Drop soup is here https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/egg-drop-soup/comment-page-7/#comments

Taste by Stanley Tucci served with many things!

 Taste by Stanley Tucci served with a holiday cocktail and Spaghetti con Zucchine alla Nerano. 

I picked this up because i kept seeing it on Bookstagram and I have a little crush on Stanley Tucci.  I also started watching his show on the BBC,  Stanley Tucci Searching for Italy.  He starts at the beginning with his childhood in NY and tied all of the stories to the recipes that  influenced his life.   I ended up listening to this on audibles because the author reads it but i also got the book so that i'd have the recipes.  I thought he did a nice job of bringing us, the reader, along with him on this adventure of food.  We hear about what he ate when he was a struggling young actor, what he ate with his parents and what he ate on sets and with his family.   My favorite parts were when he talked about his movies.  The Big Night is such a great food movie and Julie and Julia is one of my favorites with him.   And yes I loved the name dropping!  He sounds just as charming in real life as I would imagine! 

I was surprised when he shared his cancer and the treatment that followed.  Somehow i was unaware he had been through this journey.  I thought this showed real vulnerability and trust with us the reader.    I knew of his first wife passing but knew very little about his new wife.  Overall I finished this book feeling like I had an intimate view of his life and loves.  It is an easy read/listen to and one that will leave you hungry!  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

there were so many recipes to try!  I marked up the book with post-its marking each one that I thought would be great for this post.  In the end, i have made 2 of them and have plans for at least 1 more. 

Let's start with the Christmas Cocktail .  I love a cosmopolitan so this was perfect!  Just the right amount of sweet 

I decided to make the Spaghetti con Zucchine alla Nerano because the way he describes it in the book makes it sound so easy and delicious.  I have no idea if I did it correctly.  I tried to find tiny zucchini but didn't have a lot of choices.  And i tried to cut the recipe in half since i am just 1 person so I'm worried I got some some of the proportions wrong.  I fried the zucchine as called for but when i mixed it in with the  pasta, pasta water and parmigiano, it seemed to disappear.  The taste was yummy but I might need to try again and fry the zucchini in advance.   

Either way, it was a delicious read and one i highly recommend.  

Enjoy! 

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen served with Air Fryer potatoes and brussel sprouts

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen by Annabel Abbs served with potatoes and brussel sprouts 

I haven't seen this one on bookstagram so wondering if I missed it when it was released or if folks in the US just haven't discovered it much.   I really enjoyed this novel based on the true story of Eliza Action who is credited with one of the first cook books aimed at the domestic reader.  She is also the first to list the ingredients separately and the first published recipe for brussel sprouts!  I had never heard of her so after reading the book, i did a little research. 

 

The book obviously takes a few liberties with what is known which is why it is a novel and not a biography.   Eliza is a poet and wants to get her second book of poetry published.  She the publisher sends her away with zero interest in poetry, he tells her to write a cook book and to come back when she is done.  At first she has no interest but shortly after this interaction, her father claims bankruptcy and must flee the country to get away from his debt collectors.  She decides to pursue the cook book and takes up cooking for the boarding house her mother must now run.  She hires a kitchen hand, Ann Kirby to help.  Ann has a natural ability in the kitchen and a great pallet.  The two of them try recipes and experiment all the while keeping notes on what works and what doesn't.  The author tells the story from the view of the two women flipping back and forth in chapters between each.  Ann comes from extreme poverty and her mother has lost her sense of reality and must go to asylum.  Her father is a drunk and barely able to take care of himself.   Throughout the book the women develop a friendship and we uncover secrets from both.  

I really loved the conversation on food in the book.  I'm 100% in on food in novels.   I liked the relationship between the 2 women and it was fun to know this is a real person.  I also was really curious about what her life would become 

As often happens when an author does 2 viewpoints in a book, I loved one of the storylines slightly more than the other one.  In this case I wanted more from Eliza and maybe less from Ann.  Ann's story was just so sad.  Anyone who knows anything about asylum's from that time period, knows it isn't going to end well.   Also,  I did find Eliza to almost be a bit manic when it came to cooking.  It was like she couldn't do anything but.  She was so obsessed with the recipes and I almost felt like the author was showing us a bit of obsessive compulsive behavior before such a thing was named.   

Overall this was a good story and one worth reading.  I give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐

She makes a lot of food in the book.  A few things I would never eat or make like Eel.  ugh.  But she makes English potatoes so I made Air Fryer potatoes.   Also, when I looked her up and uncovered the brussel sprout fact, I knew i had to include brussel sprouts.  I choose a potato recipe I had tried before called Air Fryer Ranch Potatoes.  https://www.sustainablecooks.com/air-fryer-potatoes/  I added a little more salt then they called for and it was delicious!  for the Brussel Sprouts, I bought shredded one's at Trader Joes and put them in a saute pan with a little bit of olive oil and a chopped up apple.  I let them brown up and then served them with parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of hazelnuts.    that was the perfect dinner.  Enjoy 

 

Epistolary Novels #3 Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society served with Potato Pie

 

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows served with Potato Pie. 

Pretty sure I've written about my love for this book previously but i'm doing it again!  This is a comfort read for me.  You know how when you are flipping around the TV and you see one of your favorite movies is on and even though you've seen it a dozen times, you still watch it?  that how this book is.  I've read it almost yearly since I discovered it with my book group into 2009.   I picked it up this past week because life feels hard right now.  I'll admit that i didn't reread the entire thing but started it and will finish it this week.  

Since many folks have read it, I won't bore you with the details but it s a series of letters between a young author and the folks who live on Guernsey.  This is at the end of WW2 and Guernsey was help captive by the nazi's.  They were cut off from all of London, had very little food and lived in fear.  The war is now over and Juliet Ashton is trying to figure the subject for her next book.  The Society is the perfect topic.   

The letters are fun and lovely.  We meet all of the characters on Guernsey and members of the society and it is easy to fall in love with them.  We, the reader, know all along that Juliet's current boyfriend is not right for her and that there is a pig farmer on the island who is her soul mate.  This is the book I pick up when in  reading slump or feeling sad.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

just to touch on the movie quickly.  I like the Netflix movie and thought they captured the feeling of the book.  But as often happens, they just aren't able to capture all of the characters and details.  I felt like they cut a couple of small side stories that were okay to cut but i do wish they had gone a bit more with Sydney's story (Sydney and Isola have a lovely friendship in the book) 

I decided to make a Potato Pie.  And yes, I left the peels on them.  I couldn't find a perfect recipe so i used a bit of a combination.  I had 2 leeks in the fridge so I started there.  I sautéed them in some butter and sliced up 2 potatoes.  I used my mandolin and sliced them pretty thin.  From there I used a frozen deep dish pie shell.  I started with a layer of leeks and then a layer of potatoes.  I then added a layer of cheese.  I used cheddar and mozzarella.  Then another layer of leeks, potatoes , cheese ended with potatoes.  I couldn't fit all of the potatoes so it was probably 1.5 potatoes total. I also did salt and pepper on each layer.   I topped with more cheese a layer of pie crust.   From there I poured some chicken broth over the entire thing.  I was about 1.5 cups in total.   I put it on a cookie tray and in at 400 degree oven.  It baked for 50 minutes.  I put a pie crust cover over it for the first 30 so the crust wouldn't burn.   It turned out good.  I think next time i might try some different cheeses.  Maybe something a bit stronger.   enjoy

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/