(Dolen Perkins-Valdez, hardback). From the title you might think this is a book about the s-x word. It’s not. By a long shot. But the story, set in about 1852, is about a black slave woman, and her somewhat misguided “love” for her master. About the children she bore him, under the eagle eye of the master’s wife. But it’s all tied together with a yearly journey made to a place called Tawawa House, a rural inn of sorts in southern Ohio (a free State), that for some years allowed white slave owners to stay at the resort in rustic cottages with their black slaves, as couples. This place existed, according to the author’s afterword, and finally closed because some of the regulars (white couples who stayed in the main house) didn’t fancy this concubine business going on out in the woods. It’s about Lizzie’s relationships with the other slave women, about their desire to run to safety through the local underground, about them secretly meeting some free blacks, finding out more about abolition, and about the hardships all these black mistresses endured, and how little their lives were valued. A real stunning book. (I was sent this book as a perk from Harper Collins – because I had mentioned The Help. No strings attached – I could choose to mention this book, or not, here on my blog. I’m glad to because it’s a very good read.)
(Jamie Ford, on my Kindle). A poignant story about a Chinese-American, growing up in Seattle at the beginning of World War II. Henry falls in love with a young Japanese girl before her family is interned in a relocation camp. It a very secretive relationship because his parents would highly disapprove. The story goes back to the 40’s and forward to the 1980’s when Henry is in his 50’s and his wife (not the Japanese woman) has just died of cancer. The story pulls you in from the first page, especially when some artifacts are found in the basement of an old hotel which contain personal belongings from several Japanese families who were suddenly taken away back in 1942. You can see where it’s going, can’t you? I heard criticism of this book that it was just a little bit contrived. Halfway through I’m enjoying it very much.
(Kathryn Stockett on my Kindle, an excellent read); 
by Jetta Carleton (Kindle edition, eh); 
by Susan Richards (Kindle edition, good book); 
by Sally Gunning (Kindle edition, very good read)
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(Mario Batali & Gweneth Paltrow); 
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My salivary glands are in overdrive. In the window in which I type my posts, this picture looms large. More than life size. But that little nubbin of walnut sitting there on the side looks so real I could reach through the screen to tuck it in my mouth.
I met my friend Joan W. at the Long Beach Yacht Club the other day. Long Beach is about 30 miles west of where we live. Joan’s a member of the Yacht Club, so we occasionally meet there. She and I met in about 1995 at an NAIC (National Association of Investor’s Corp.) seminar – we’re both in investment clubs, and sat next to one another for the day while we learned all about how to use a specific software package called Toolkit, made for investment clubs, and for individual investors too. We’ve been friends ever since!
The salad bar and carving station are available every weekday at the Yacht Club, and it was wonderful. Joan told me I needed to try the broccoli salad, that it’s a favorite of hers. Sounded good to me. Oh my. Was this ever delicious. It’s the honey that is the wild card in this recipe. It’s a sweet salad, but somehow broccoli seems to be able to handle some sweet. Fortunately for me – and for you, my dear readers – Joan has the recipe, that was devised by the Yacht Club’s chef, Scott, a real winner of a recipe.
Cook’s Notes: Understand, please, that I haven’t made this, but I think I’d try this without candying the walnuts – it’s plenty sweet already. But I don’t want to detract a thing from Scott’s recipe. It’s a stunning one, and if you like the combo with the honey and sweet walnuts, go for it!
Scott’s Broccoli Salad
1 bunch broccoli, raw, chopped
1/2 small red onion, julienned
2 T. dried cranberries
1/2 cup candied walnuts
1/2 cup Stilton cheese, or Blue, crumbled
3/4 cup honey mustard dressing (see below)
Combine everything except dressing, then add dressing, just so the vegetables are covered to your satisfaction, and serve.
Honey Mustard Dressing
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 dash red wine vinegar
Pepper to taste
Combine ingredients and stir to mix thoroughly.
Per Serving (recipe assumes you use all the dressing, which you will not): 207 Calories; trace Fat (1.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 53g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 61mg Sodium.
Printer-friendly recipe, click HERE.
Kristen
said on February 3rd, 2008:
My Aunt makes something very similar and it is one of my favorite dishes of hers!