. After reading No Angel (see below) I couldn’t wait to start the 2nd book. A friend said to me that she liked #2 better than the first one, and I think I agree. It carries on the saga of this gentrified family in the publishing business in WWII era England. There are wartime injuries, even deaths as the family spreads out some (France and America), but it’s still about the London-based core family group that get themselves into trouble at several junctures. Loved this one. Do read them in order, though.
. No, not that Homer, but Homer, the blind cat. It’s a charming, funny, sweet, riveting book that any animal lover should read. We haven’t owned cats for decades, but I enjoy reading about them even if I don’t have one. Homer was a tiny kitten when found, with a dangerous eye infection. The vet who saved him had to remove his eyes, so the little kitten never knew sight. He’s adopted by a patient gal who is a writer already, and I can imagine that little Homer almost wrote the book himself. He’s very brave, willing to take risks – she almost loses him once. If you love animals, you’ve got to read this. I found it at Costco, but it’s also cheap at Amazon in paperback.
by Sarah McCoy. A really really interesting story. About WWII but told from the side of loyal German Hitler-loving citizens. The kind of local people who could be your neighbors, who were very nationalistic and truly believed Hitler was leading them to a better future. I’ve never read anything with a German perspective. The book isn’t political. In a way it’s a type of chick lit (which is why I didn’t suggest my DH read it) as it’s got a moderate amount of romance in it. The entire book is enveloped in the story of the family, who live in Garmisch (a place I’ve visited twice), who own a bakery. Mostly it’s about one of the bakery owner’s daughters. One daughter goes to a 
– by Erik Larson (hard copy) – wow, what a book. In all the literary fiction I’ve read about Nazi Germany, I’d never read that much about what it was like living in Berlin leading up to Hitler’s demonic rampages. This biography is about America’s ambassador to Germany from 1933-37, William Dodd. An academician, Dodd was probably unsuited to the job, yet he brought a kind of humility and clarity to the unrest. Accompanied by his wife and two adult children, they assimilated into the gay life of diplomacy. Dodd was not liked by his counterparts at home, yet he had the ear and appointment specifically because of Roosevelt, but only after 5 other career diplomats turned down the job. Dodd took his position very seriously, hoping that he’d make time to write a book he had worked on for much of his life (a detailed history of the American South). With no internet, no commercial jets and little but old fashioned typewriters or often written by hand, communiques sailed back and forth in diplomatic pouches. Dodd originally was lenient with Hitler, wanting to believe the hype Hitler broadcast. In time, though, he came to realize that Hitler had an insidious master plan. Dodd’s vivacious and beautiful daughter dated all manner of diplomats, Nazis and Russians, and very few Americans. She leaned left. Very far left, to the point of socialism. She had affairs – very inappropriate ones (says me), which undermined her father’s role (yet he seemed oblivious). This book is a real picture of the day to day life back then, well written, well researched and riveting. The Ambassador never did finish his book. But this book – well, everyone should read it. Erik Larson is the famous author of 
– by Willa Cather (on my Kindle) – what a joy to read. I’ve been a big fan of Cather’s writing most of my adult life, although I’ve not read all of her books. She had such a gift of words – such an ability to write a liquid picture – a conjurer of time and place that just doesn’t happen anymore in today’s writing world. The story revolves around a young girl (yes, it’s a coming of age novel) the daughter of a minister in the Midwest who has a musical gift. Her mentors help her to go to Chicago to study. Thea, the heroine here, is a very serious and studious young woman and not given to joy in life. She struggles with loneliness, yet seems to have no ability to reach out of her box to find friends or companionship. As with any young person who moves to a new place for work or study, there is that soulful pull from “home.” Does she give in? I’m not telling. A very good read.
– by Penny Vincenzi (hard copy from the library) – when two friends of mine recommended this book I knew I needed to read it. It’s not new (2004), but it is part of a trilogy by this English author. And I just refused to pay the very high Kindle price so that’s why I visited my local library and found it on the shelf. Vincenzi writes about the day-to-day lives of English gentry, and since I’m addicted to Downton Abbey these days, it sounded like a natural to read this book. It chronicles the lives of this particular family including marriages, births, affairs and chicanery, with their lovely home as the surround, the life style of the then-rich-and-famous, formal dinners. See? Downton Abbey. The difference is that there’s not much in this book about the servants, the below-stairs family. It takes place during the same pre-WWI era (1910′s). Prominent in the story is the book publishing business the family maintains (and with difficulty during the war years run by the two women left at home). Now I need to find the next in the series. If you enjoy family sagas, this one is a gem.
(Stacy Schiff); 
; and 
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It isn’t often that you can create a marinade and use that same marinade as a sauce. It could be done more, I suppose, except that often the ingredients in a marinade contain things that you wouldn’t want in a finishing sauce (things that tenderize meat, like a brine, or beer, vinegar, other acidic citrus juices, etc.). In this case, once the boneless leg of lamb was marinated in the cherry and Merlot marinade, that same marinade was simmered (to make sure the raw-meat bacteria were boiled), pureed and used as a delicious sauce.
This is another recipe from the cooking class I attended last week at Great News in San Diego, and taught by Phillis Carey. It’s for recipes like this one that my friend Cherrie and I keep going back to Phillis’ classes, since she comes up with the most interesting food combinations. I’d never have thought to use frozen cherries as the basis for a marinade. I’m glad she did!
So, you combine the marinade (cherries, Merlot, shallot, garlic, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, oil, marjoram, basil and soy sauce) and marinate for 4-12 hours. If you’re fortunate enough to have a Costco near you, pick up one of their boneless legs of lamb. Such a bargain! After removing the lamb from its covering you spread it out – stretch it out, if you will – and fix the thick parts. By its very nature, the boneless lamb has a couple of thick knobby parts, and if you were to grill it as-is, those knobs would be raw inside and the thinner parts would dried up if you continued to cook it. Answer? You make some moderately deep slits (not clear through) across the knobby parts to kind of flatten them. Allows the thicker parts to cook more evenly. You’ll still have some parts of the lamb that will be more medium to medium-well cooked, but the thicker parts will be perfectly (to me, anyway) grilled to medium-rare.
If you use a meat thermometer (recommended), roast the meat to 130, remove and tent the meat while you finish up the dinner, then cut thinner slices and drizzle with the cherry-Merlot sauce that you’ve boiled down. Phillis actually served this lamb with a dried cherry-pecan relish (creme de cassis, water, sugar, dried tart cherries, pecans and orange zest) but the cherry-Merlot sauce was all I wanted on my portion. If you’re interested in the relish, go to the bottom of the recipe and you’ll find it.
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Butterflied Leg of Lamb with
Cherry-Merlot (Marinade and) Sauce
Recipe: Phillis Carey, author & instructor
Servings: 8 (maybe more)
MARINADE:
2 whole shallots — chopped
3 cloves garlic — minced
2 cups red wine — preferably Merlot (a fruity-type red)
1 pound frozen cherries — (bagged) defrosted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram — chopped
2 teaspoons fresh basil — chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce
5 pounds leg of lamb — boneless, butterflied
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large saucepan combine the shallots, garlic, red wine and cherries. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the liquid has reduced about half (about one cup remaining). Add brown sugar and continue cooking, stirring often, about 3-5 more minutes. Place mixture in blender (or food processor) and puree until almost smooth. Transfer this mixture to a bowl to cool, then add vinegar, oil, marjoram, basil and soy sauce.
2. Remove leg of lamb from its wrapping and stretch it out. If there are any very thick areas (there usually are) make a slit (sideways, not lengthwise) about halfway through the meat to help make the meat more evenly flat. (Those thick areas will cook much slower, so you’re trying to even out the thickness as much as possible.) Place marinade in a bowl or a large plastic bag and add the lamb. Squish the bag to make sure all the lamb is in contact with the marinade. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 4 hours, and up to 12 hours.
3. The meat can be broiled or grilled. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Meat should be cooked about 6 inches from the heat source. Use a meat thermometer, if possible. Grill (fat side down, first) using medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes per side (brushing with the marinade – see note in #4). Lamb should be cooked to 130 degrees for medium. Remove lamb and tent with foil for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile bring the marinade to a boil and simmer gently for about 3-5 minutes. Remove about 1/4 cup of it and use to brush on the lamb when you turn it over. Slice meat in fairly thin pieces, and drizzle with the glaze on each slice.
Per Serving: 682 Calories; 45g Fat (63.4% calories from fat); 41g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 155mg Cholesterol; 252mg Sodium.
Dried Cherry Pecan Relish: 1/4 cup creme de cassis, 1/4 cup water, 1-2 T. sugar, 1 cup dried tart cherries, 1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans, 2 tsp orange zest. Cook creme de cassis, water and sugar in saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. Add the dried cherries, reduce heat, cover and simmer until cherries are plump, about 5 minutes. Mix in pecans and zest. Season lightly with salt and transfer to a bowl. Cool. Keeps, covered, in refrigerator, for one week. Sauce would also be good on pork or chicken. Phillis’ recipe called for 1/4 cup sugar, but I suggest you start with less and add more if needed.
Marie
said on March 24th, 2009:
I made something very similar to this at one of the dinner parties up at the big house several years ago. The guests all really loved it. Love your tip on getting the lamb to the same thickness throughout. I had never thought of that!
I can’t take any credit for the meat-cutting technique. It all goes to Phillis Carey. But it works, as I’ve done it several times. . . . Carolyn T