My Reading Year (So Far)

Strangely enough, by the end of June I had read exactly 100 books. That’s 16 fewer than this time last year, but I love the even stopping point. Now that we’re halfway through I like to look at my goals and see what I would have to do to meet them all. (Note: I never meet all of my goals. All the fun is in setting them.)

Goal: Read one book that begins with each letter of the alphabet.
I’ve done pretty well with this. The only letters I have left are the hardest ones: ‘J’, ‘U’, ‘V’, ‘X’, ‘Y’, ‘Z’. I should finish this one so long as I have the fortitude to force myself to read one of the few books that begins with ‘X’.

Goal: Read one book from each state.
I’ve read from 23 of 50 states. I’m almost halfway on this one! I met this goal last year and I’d like to do it again. That said I’ve done it once before, so if it comes down to a choice between meeting two goals I’ll prioritize the other one.

Goal: Read a book from each country in Africa.
I’m at 12/52 countries. I really need to step it up here! This has been a really interesting challenge, so I’m hoping to finish this one. It’s going to be tough though!

I was going to do a post on my favorite books so far this year, but I don’t really have one yet. I’m hoping for something that blows my mind in 2H22!

Back To The Library: The Essential New York Times Cookbook

I’ve had so much fun taking a deep dive into this book, but alas it’s due back at the library this week. I never even got to desserts! That’s a sure sign I should buy my own copy at some point.

All in all I made 14 recipes from this book. None, except for the mint julep, were terrible, but there are three that I really can’t wait to make again:

1. Yette’s Garden Platter

2. Boston Baked Beans

3. Elizabeth Frink’s Roast Lemon Chicken

Elizabeth Frink’s Roast Lemon Chicken

My love of recipes from the New York Times remains strong!

Next month I’m Mastering The Art of French Cooking!

Show Us Your Books June 2022

The Book Barn in Niantic, CT

May was a cold month here so I decided to start my summer reading early. I have a whole list of books I want to read, but for me summer reading really means just reading what makes me feel good - usually mysteries, thrillers, and sweeping family dramas set in hot climates. Summer reading is all about ignoring my reading goals and having fun.

Here are my favorites from the month of May!

Five Stars:

The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya - When she was six Clemantine fled her parent‘s house with her sister and just a few belongings. Until she was twelve they lived as refugees. Then they were awarded a visa to live in the US. This book shows that what looks like the happily ever after ending that you might see on the outside isn‘t always reality.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - I‘m not even sure what to say about this other than it was amazing and the less you know about it going in the better off you‘ll probably be.

Four Stars:

(Just realized these are all non-fiction- not normal for me!)

Broken (In The Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson - This book made me laugh and cry and gave me a lot to think about.

Walking The Nile by Lev Wood - I enjoyed this travelogue about walking through Africa along the Nile. I truly knew very little about the path of the Nile, and since I had two small children in 2013-2014 when he walked I also appreciated the refresher on what was happening in Africa during those years.

No Good Men Among The Living by Anand Gopal - A non-fiction account of the everyday lives of three people living in Afghanistan after 9/11. This book changed what I thought I knew. It was a hard read, but a really good one.

This post is linked to Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit.

Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Legumes, Legumes, The Magical Fruit: The Essential New York Times Cookbook

The New York Times Essential Cookbook Five Bean Salad

We’re a bean eating family. Even the meat eaters expect some kind of bean and cornbread meal once a week. It’s just what we like. And then come to find out that Amanda Hesser has a whole chapter on Potatoes, Corn, and Legumes? Be still my carb loving heart.

We tried three recipes from this chapter. Italian Roasted Potatoes were a good, basic potato dish. My son put them together for us one night when we were having sausages and peppers. He didn’t complain so they were probably pretty easy to make. We ate the five bean salad with sandwiches. I think I liked it more than anyone else. I made it with the garlic scapes that my friend rejected from her crop share instead of the scallions the recipe called for. Last but not least was the Boston Baked Beans which we all loved! I made it half with meat and half veggie. There was not a complaint that night. These beans were so good, flavorful without being syrupy. These will be on repeat for the rest of the summer. We ate them with hot dogs and corn bread - a cheap meal if you’re feeling pain at the grocery store like I am!

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Eat Your Vegetables! The Essential New York Times Cookbook

Yette’s Garden Platter from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

Amanda Hesser said that the first half of the 20th century was a black hole for vegetables in the New York Times food section. I can see that she struggled because there wasn’t a lot in this chapter. HOWEVER! I “discovered” Yette’s Garden Platter, a casserole of various vegetables on a potato base, and I will definitely be cooking this ALL SUMMER LONG. It was so simple and good. This is definitly one worth looking up. I cooked most with sausage to make it a main meal, and cooked about 1/3 as written for my vegetarian. Next time I’ll add chickpeas for her to give it some protein. There was not a single speck of food left in either dish after dinner that night.

NOTE: I used cherry tomatoes instead of the whole peeled tomatoes. You know I look for shortcuts wherever I can. I am not peeling tomatoes.

I also made the tomatoes vinaigrette from 1963, and they were nothing special. Just tomatoes in dressing. I did appreciate that the recipe used some of my capers though. I have a lot of capers for some reason.

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

My Summer Reading List: e-Books

I usually only read on my Kindle when I’m traveling, but since I’m traveling so much this summer it’s good timing to read a chunk of the free e-books and library books I have clogging my e-reader.

If I was able to get a free or inexpensive version I bolded my tips in the notes below.

Here’s what I have going on:

Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews - This was a Litsy award winner last year, so of course I bought it for $1.99 on Kindle and promptly forgot about it.

The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi - I am all about this P&P retelling set in the dorm of a boarding school. This is free for Prime Members on Kindle.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - I’ve read this before, but now that I know what happens at the end I want to read it again.

The Tanglewood Tea Shop by Lilac Mills - This seems like a Hallmark-like small town romance perfect for summer. This was free on Kindle.

Last Summer Boys by Bill Rivers - The cover of this coming of age story reminded me of The Body, one of life’s most perfect summer reads. Free with Kindle Unlimited.

Where The Desert Meets The Sea by Werner Sonne - A book about post WWII Palestine is heavier than what I usually go for in the summer, but I was drawn in by this cover. This is free for Prime members on Kindle.

The Last Summer At The Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland - I am currently racing to finish the e-book copy of this I checked out from the library. It is so good and very reminiscent of Dirty Dancing.

Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds by Paul Farmer - This is another book I checked out from the library when I was in the midst of my Ebola obsession. I’ve been reading it a few pages at a time because it is very heavy.

Wandering in Strange Lands by Morgan Jerkins - I picked this up for my book club a few weeks ago when it was on sale. I’m really looking forward to this travelogue/ social commentary book about the American South.

Note: This post includes affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

My Summer Reading List - Audiobooks

Since I spend so much time in the car during the summer I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Many of these will come from my city’s library, but I also have a few audiobook subscriptions. If you haven’t signed up yet here are some deals.

Scribd - 60 days free. If you haven’t heard of Scribd they are like the Netflix of audio and e books. I’m pretty sure they lose money on my subscription because I listen to a ton of books from here!

Libro.fm - Free audiobook when you sign up plus a portion of your purchases goes to an independent bookstore of your choice. Pretty cool!

Audible.com - doesn’t seem to be running any deals right now, but they have free titles that come with membership and some original titles (Audible Originals.)

Here’s what I plan on listening to this summer:

In The Company of Men by Veronique Tadjo - At some point in the middle of the night a few weeks ago I developed a fascination with the Ebola virus. I don’t know why, but it will show up a few times in my summer reading lists.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley - Lucy Foley’s books are perfect for long days in the sun, and I am really excited Scribd has this.

Varnia by Charles Frazier - I bought this book when it first came out, and bailed halfway through. I want to give it another try this summer.

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas - 1930’s quilting circle in Kansas. I’m sure there’s more to the story than that! This was recommended by a friend, and Scribd had it so why not?

Our Harlem by Marcus Samuelsson - I really loved Yes, Chef when I read it a few years ago so I’m looking forward to this Audible Original.

Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard - My oldest starts high school this fall :|

Walking The Americas by Lev Wood - Walking The Nile surprised me by how much I liked it, so now I’m working my way through his other books. This is the only one Scribd had so this is where I’m starting this summer.

Crossing To Safety by Wallace Stegner - This is one of my very favorite books ever, and I am in the mood to re-read it this summer. To me this is the best book I’ve ever read about adult friendships.

Whatever You Do Don’t Run by Peter Allison - This is a soft read for my goal to read a book that takes place in each country in Africa this year. I needed something lighter for summer reading.

I would love to hear about any audiobooks you recommend in the comments!

My Salad Days - The New York Times Essential Cookbook

There’s nothing I love more in the summer than having a variety of salads in my fridge for packed lunches, but I admit I did get to this chapter and immediately wonder how much mayo this will involve.

Hesser defines salad as an adaptable composition of loosely related ingredients ( not necessarily vegetables) unified by a dressing.

I tried two salads from this chapter.

Spicy Orange Salad Moroccan-Style

This was a great food waste reducer when I made a different recipe that called for orange peels. I used the naked orange insides for this salad and really liked it. I ate it for lunch along with rosemary bread from another favorite cookbook Kneadlessly Simple. It called for fresh parsley, but my garden isn’t there yet so I used mint.

Spicy Cucumber Salad

I sent this in my daughter’s packed lunch, and unfortunately it got a thumbs down. She said the sesame taste was way too strong. Oh well!

Two salads, no mayo globs. Yay!

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

My Summer Reading List - Physical Books

Summer Reading Season is here!!

This summer I am throwing all of my reading goals out the window and just reading what looks fun. This summer I’m in the mood for travelogues, thrillers, and new books by favorite authors.

Here’s my stack for the next few months. These are a mix of library books and some I had on my shelves.

I haven’t read any of these, so I can’t vouch!

The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich - This lovely yellow used copy called to me from my shelf because it promises to be a forty-year saga brimming with unforgettable characters. Bring it!

The Deep Blue Between by Ayesha Harruna Attah - This YA novel drew me in with its pretty cover, but the story about sisters separated and living worlds apart got me to buy it.

Bad Tourist by Suzanne Roberts - This book bills itself as an anti-guidebook and I am all about that. Flipping through this book I see short essays about varied places such as Peru, India, Mongolia, and England.

Empire Falls by Richard Russo - This book set in small town Maine has been on my list FOREVER, and I really want to get to it this summer.

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon - This has a burning house on the cover, dual timelines, a fictional podcast, and monsters. Perfect summer reading.

Bleaker House by Nell Stevens - An author wins an award to go anywhere in the world to write and she picks someplace called Bleaker Island in the Falklands. It sounds terrible; I can’t wait. Bonus points because there’s a penguin on the cover.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry - Buying a paperback copy of Emily Henry’s new book to read at the pool has become an annual summertime treat for me.

The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani - I can’t wait to see what Trigiani does with WWII Italy.

The Last by Hanna Jameson - Every summer needs a good end of the world novel, except if it seems like the end of the world is actually happening I might skip this one.

Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

A New Way To Use Mint - Greek Lentil Soup : The Essential New York Times Cookbook

My trusty mini sow cooker

I bought this mini slow cooker for myself about six months back so I could cook oats overnight. I’ve cooked oats maybe once, but that’s only because I’ve found so many other uses for it. It came in really handy last week for Craig Clairborne’s 1977 recipe for Greek Lentil Soup.

I picked this one out of many that sounded good because it helped use up some of my flourishing mint plants from the back yard. I’ve never had mint in soup before, and I have to say it was nice. The fact that this was a vegetarian soup was a big plus too since my daughter is vegetarian, and I am halfway there. This would have been good with some crusty bread, but it was also fine with some cornbread from a box mix.

There were a bunch more good looking soup recipes I want to try, but it’s time to move on to salads.

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Carefully Constructed Soup: The Essential New York Times Cookbook

Garden Minestrone from 1973 was the most fun soup to cook ever. You start by layering a huge pot full of tomatoes, zucchini, romaine lettuce (!), peas, beans, and herbs, and then browning the whole thing. Only then do you stir and it magically becomes a delicious stew. No broth added!

The recipe called for the whole thing to be done in a glass casserole dish so you can dump it out later, but I did it in my crockpot. The presentation sounds amazing, but it was a weeknight and we had 30 minutes to eat then get to 4 different places. I served this over polenta with chicken sausages just to bulk it up a little, but I would have been completely happy with just the veggies.

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

It's Soup Week! The Essential New York Times Cookbook

I had some terrible not-covid bug last week that had me not feeling like cooking at all. But now I’m back among the living recovering and what a great time to start soup week. Actually, it will be soup weeks because I’m behind so I’ll be cooking soup the rest of this week into the next. What great timing!

I’m excited for this chapter. Soup is my favorite meal since the days when my mom used to make me non stop Lipton cups of noodles. Hesser says soups have changed the most in 100 years, and I’m wondering if they’ve changed even more since 2010. I guess I’ll have to shell out for the updated cookbook if I want to know.

Some soups looked great but I had to take them off the list because there was just too much cream involved, but there were quite a few that I can’t wait to make. Soup week!

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Friday Night Guacamole: The Essential New York Times Cookbook

I made the Grilled Onion Guacamole way back on May 5th (of course) but am just getting around to talking about it now. It was so good though, don’t wait for a special occasion to make it. I ate it for dinner before I went and picked up my son at the movies and then spent the whole ride home talking about it. It was that good. My son, a teen aged male, went all in for that conversation and finished the guac when he got home.

I wasn’t sure if the grilled onions would be weird, but I liked them quite a bit. This was from a July 4th feature of food your would eat in Texas circa 1993, and based on this I’d really like to see the whole article.

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Passive Aggressive Quotation Marks: The Essential New York Times Cookbook

I knew my husband would like this 1970’s Chinese Meatball recipe. Hesser cracked me up by mentioning in the comments that they were more “Chinese” than Chinese. Ah, food of my youth!

The recipe in the book made about 100 of these so I only made 1/4 but kept the sauce recipe as is because we love sauce. Also it called for frying the meatballs and then cooking the sauce separately. Last week was over scheduled beyond my ability to cope so I just baked them and then cooked them with the sauce in my slow cooker. Big thumbs up from the fam, although I thought the sauce was a little too vinegary.

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Who Wouldn't Make Something Called Eggs Suffragette? The Essential New York Times Cookbook

My first recipe from the snacks chapter was called Eggs Suffragette. I love this title from a 1909 article about eggs.

They weren’t bad to make and tasted pretty good. My kids won’t eat pre-cooked eggs so I made the batch for myself and ate them all week for breakfast or lunch. Then in the spirit of my eggs I made plans to vote because what the heck is going on? Thank you suffragettes for your sacrifices and your delicious stuffed eggs.

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Show Us Your Books May 2022

Pat Conroy’s house in Beaufort, South Carolina

I was away for last month’s Show Us Your Books so this is two months worth of reviews. I’ve been on a roll lately so there’s some good ones here that you all probably ready years ago.

Five Stars

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - I‘ve had this book on my TBR for years and I‘m glad I finally read it. Every emotion was contained in this book, and I easily gave it five stars.

Sandworm by Andy Greenberg - Wow! If you want to know why everyone got really scared about cybersecurity about a month ago read this book. I‘m going to have to read it again just to make sure I caught everything.

Four Stars

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy - This was an impulse read because I spent some time in Beaufort, SC last month. I‘m really glad I read this sweeping, epic story of the Wingo family. It was a bit too drawn out in some places, but overall an excellent read. I might have to read it again now that I know what happens in the end.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - This was a re-read for me. I still love this book although I forgot how long it takes the ending to come. I think Kingsolver does a masterful job of developing the voices of these girls, and that really comes out in the audiobook.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - I‘m ever so slowly chipping off the books that have been on my TBR the longest. This one, added in 2016, I almost skipped because it‘s yet another WWII book. I appreciated the different spin on this one though, and liked the background about jazz on the West Coast. I‘m glad I finally got to it.

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson - I really liked this book about a Cold War federal agent who also happens to be an African American woman.

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi - These modern Austen retellings set in different cultures than the original British versions really work for me.

Three Stars

Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky - I was blown away by this series when I first read it in the 90‘s so I thought I‘d give it a re-read this year. I still like VI and her tough as nails crime fighting ways.

Hell and Other Destinations by Madeline Albright - I enjoyed this memoir about Albright‘s career after being Secretary of State. I didn‘t/don‘t know a lot about her, but she seemed very funny and smart. I‘d like to read more of her books.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia - This dragged some in spots, but the time period and setting made up for it.

This post is linked to Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit.

Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Hors Doeuvres, Snacks, And Small Dishes: Chapter Two The Essential New York Times Cookbook

I was excited about this chapter because I’ve been wanting to make more snacks, but also disappointed because Amanda skipped her usual chatty intro and just slapped a timeline in here.

After reading through I can see why. The New York Times is decidedly short on snacks. I had to read through twice just to find three things I felt like cooking and eating.

It was during this chapter when I came up with my rules for this little project:

1. I need to stay within my usual grocery budget.

2. Not too many ingredients that I’ll never use again. (A few experiments here and there are fine.)

3. No all day cooking projects. I need food I can throw together and serve.

One more note: when I was looking up this book on amazon I realized there’s an updated version. I’m sticking with the 2010 though because I love the early 2000’s food scene and snobbery. Plus this is the version my library has, and I feel like a modern cookbook would have too much Covid inspired sourdough in it.

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

My Ideal Hot Buttered Rum: The Essential New York Times Cookbook

I have searched for years for the perfect Hot Buttered Run recipe and I think I have found it. Hesser’s recipe, from the 1984 article “Spirits: Rum For All Seasons” was amazing. It was easy to make and smelled so good. Plus I had a reason to use up all of those whole spices I bought last year for one single recipe. Thank you Amanda!

I made this last Friday night after a long, long week and took it to bed with a good mystery. If you can tell me a better way to spend a Friday night I would be surprised.

This is the last recipe I made (for now) from the drinks section, and I think this book is probably worth buying based on this chapter alone. I can’t wait to move on to the next one!

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Mint Juleps Are Not For Me

I thought I knew better than everyone else who told me not to plant mint in my yard because it would spread. Guess what? The mint spread. Oh well, there are worse problems to have, particularly when you like to cook.

I tried to solve my mint “problem” by making mint juleps from The Essential New York Times Cookbook, but truthfully all the mint in the world isn’t going to hide the taste of bourbon. Sorry Amanda Hesser and the state of Kentucky.

On to the next recipe!

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

Judge All You Want Amanda Hesser, I Love Smoothies

“And then we discovered the smoothie, and artfully - and often deliciously, repackaged shake.”

— The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser

This quote by Amanda Hesser cracked me up. It is true that we were all drinking smoothies for a while like they were the key to good health and slimness. Still, when your kid has an 8 am soccer game and you want to bring your breakfast with you is there anything better? Hesser featured an honey-orange banana smoothie from an article on hangover cures in the Essential Cookbook, and it was perfect. I didn’t have a hangover on the day of my daughter’s 8 am soccer game, but when you’re in your 40’s aren’t they really the same thing? Anyway, disguised milkshake or not I highly recommend this easy to make smoothie for the sidelines, when you have a hangover, or just any old time really.

Note: This recipe is part of a long look at Amanda Hesser’s 2010 The Essential New York Times Cookbook. See all posts here. Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!