– by Neil White (on my Kindle) – a really, really interesting book. It’s a memoir about the year the author spent in prison in Louisiana. About his sanctimonious attitude when he arrived there (he was convicted of kiting checks trying to keep his publishing business afloat) and what he learns during his year. But as much as it’s about his life as a prisoner, it’s more about the other residents of the prison – the last remaining lepers (Hansen’s Disease) who are provided for in the facility. Neil White is quite a character and I wondered more than once if he was ever going to “get it,” that he was greedy and egotistical. The book wasn’t published for about 10 years after his release, so at least he didn’t profit immediately by telling tales. The epilogue was so sad – listing the deaths of many of the leprosy patients and some of the inmates he came to call friends. One person at amazon commented that it was not worth reading because the author profited from his incarceration, and that he didn’t appear to have redeemed himself. I disagree – I think he did. If he didn’t, then he knows how to spin a good yarn. I choose to believe he learned a whole lot about himself and where his life took a (wrong) left turn, and that he’s trying to atone for his failings by publishing the book. You decide.
- by P.D. James (on my Kindle) – if I hadn’t read about this book in the Los Angeles Times a week or so ago I’d never have pursued this book. It’s nothing even close to her wealth of books of the mystery genre. But yes, it IS a mystery (not something I normally read) but it takes place about 5 years after Pride and Prejudice leaves off. That was the hook for me. An entertaining read and a way to keep in touch with all the lovable (and not-so) characters from Jane Austen’s classic. It’s not a page-turner in the true mystery-murder style, but it’s fun to read.
– by Judith Ryan Hendricks – I picked up this book at a lending library I use now and then. I have to laugh, though – the collection of books (probably numbering about 350 or so) is divided by paperback and hardback. And then by color. COLOR? I find that so ludicrous. But anyway, the title caught my eye. It’s definitely a novel, about a youngish woman who’s been a baker and a chef, but who is suddenly single. It’s about her struggle to find herself, to find a new rhythm of life. In the telling of the journey some recipes are included (baked goods, including bread-bread), which are available on the 
– by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) – most everyone who reads blogs knows about Ree – the Pioneer Woman, from Pawhuska, Oklahoma. She’s always entertaining, whimsical and enjoyable to read. A couple of years ago she wrote a memoir of her romance with Ladd, her now husband. I can’t count how many times, as I was reading this, that I was LOLing (Laughing Out Loud). She is such a witty writer and knows how to tell a story. Even though I know she married Ladd and has since had 4 children, I was caught up in her story from the first page. I wrote it up in more detail on
– (on my Kindle) Michael Tucker (from L.A. Law some years ago) and his wife, on a whim almost, buy a home in Umbria. An old, old, old house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, I think, and a nice terrace (where a lot of living goes on in Italian homes and families). It’s the story of the purchase itself, the friends they meet, the neighbors, how Michael finds the best butcher(s), bakers and candlestick makers. It made me long for another trip to Italy, actually. They enlarge the home, although they’re not there for most of the construction. It’s a similar tale to Frances Mayes’ books and Peter Mayle’s books too, but it’s different. Tucker is a TV star; his wife’s a stage actress. They live on some higher plane than I do, for sure, with lots of friends with connections. But it’s a cute story and I enjoyed it clear to the end.
(Stacy Schiff); 
; and 
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There are still these few recipes to post from the luncheon tea my friend Cherrie and I did a couple of weeks ago. All of these fillings are delicious – I can personally attest. I’m including three recipes, although we only prepared two of them (actually Cherrie made these). But I’m not likely to be posting recipes from another tea anytime soon, so I’ll give you the additional recipe now. Two are for chicken salad, and the other is a buttery ham mousse. Both chicken ones can be made the day before – the ham must be made within an hour or so of your tea, but it’s not difficult in the least.
HAM MOUSSE: this recipe came from Sarah at Our House South County Cooking School (now closed). The class was all about serving a tea, and this recipe was a standout. I must admit, though, that when I first saw the list of ingredients I thought – oh no, we’re not going to like this – it has butter and whipped cream in it. But, I’m here to tell you, it’s fabulous. You won’t eat many of these, of course, as they’re quite rich, but the flavor is delicious, and the texture goes down smooth! PDFs are down at the bottom of the post.
Ham Mousse for Tea Sandwiches
Recipe By: Sarah from Our House South County Cooking School
Servings: 8
1/2 pound ham — country style, if possible, diced
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup butter — room temp
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons chives — minced
8 whole white bread slices — thin, sandwich type
1. Place ham in food processor (dice ham first). Pulse until chopped, then add sour cream, butter and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream. Puree until smooth (but not total mush), then transfer to a medium bowl. Beat the remaining heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the ham mixture, along with the chives. Make sandwiches immediately, or chill for an hour or two.
2. Spread onto thin, soft white or wheat bread, crusts removed, then cut into quarters and serve.
Per Serving: 357 Calories; 30g Fat (74.8% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 100mg Cholesterol; 641mg Sodium.
CHICKEN SALAD WITH SMOKED ALMONDS: Cherrie found this recipe on the net, but it’s from a Gourmet article in 1994. What’s different about these are the chopped smoked almonds on the outside of each sandwich. The actual recipe calls for you to cut each sandwich into two 2-inch rounds (discarding what’s left of each square sandwich) but we thought that was such a huge waste, so just made them in traditional triangles. After filling the sandwiches, you carefully smear a bit of mayo on the outside of the crustless sandwiches, then press them into a small mound of minced smoked almonds. The nuts add a really nice touch and a delicious crunch as we ate them.
Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches with Smoked Almonds
Recipe By: Gourmet | May 1994
Servings: 24
3 cups chicken broth — or water
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken — breasts
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup minced shallot
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon — minced
24 thin slices white bread — thin sandwich type
1/2 cup smoked almonds — about 2 ounces, chopped finely
1. In a deep 12-inch skillet bring broth or water to a boil and add chicken breasts in one layer. Reduce heat and poach chicken at a bare simmer, turning once, 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and cool chicken in cooking liquid 20 minutes. Discard skin and shred chicken fine [or mince with a sharp chef's knife].
2. In a bowl stir together chicken, 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, shallot, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove crusts from sandwich bread. Make 12 sandwiches with chicken salad and bread, pressing together gently. Cut each sandwich in quarters (triangles).
4. Put almonds on a small plate and spread edges of rounds with remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise to coat well. Roll edges in almonds. Sandwiches may be made 2 hours ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.
NOTES: The chopped smoked almonds on the outside of each sandwich add a really nice crunch to this – they’re different, not only from that, but also the smoked flavor is unusual.
Per Serving: 189 Calories; 11g Fat (50.9% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 20mg Cholesterol; 302mg Sodium.
CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD: About 10 years ago I threw myself a luncheon tea on a milestone birthday. Since my birthday is in August, it was a very hot day, and not one where we really wanted to be all gussied up with gauzy dresses and floppy hats, but we did it anyway and I merely cranked down the A/C to about 70 degrees. It was fun, as these kinds of events always are. I tested several recipes for a curried chicken salad filling, and this one was, by far, the best of the bunch. I don’t think I’ve made it since, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be served as a dinner salad atop a bed of lettuce on a hot summer’s evening. The recipe started out from an old Palo Alto (California) Junior League cookbook.
Curried Chicken Salad
Recipe By: Adapted from a Palo Alto Junior League cookbook
Servings: 4
3 medium chicken breast halves
1/4 cup celery — minced
2 tablespoons green onion — minced
4 teaspoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons chutney — minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons almonds — minced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper — to taste
1. Poach/steep the chicken: place chicken breasts in a saucepan and add water to barely cover. If you choose, you may add flavoring (onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, etc.) to the pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pan and set aside for about 30 minutes. Remove chicken breasts to a dish and allow to cool; save chicken broth for another use, or discard.
2. Meanwhile, mince the celery, green onions, chutney and almonds. Mince the chicken breast meat and add to mixture, along with lemon juice, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. Add mayonnaise, stir gently to mix thoroughly, then refrigerate overnight, if possible, to allow flavors to blend. Before serving, taste again and add salt or pepper as needed.
3. May be used as a cold salad, or as a filling for sandwiches (use raisin bread, preferably, or raisin nut).
NOTES: If the chutney does not contain any raisins, add about 1-2 T. of golden or black raisins to the mixture. This makes a very tasty filling for tea sandwiches. And you may use low-fat mayo in this. The curry provides tons of flavor so you don’t miss the traditional mayo.
Per Serving: 376 Calories; 24g Fat (57.3% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 74mg Cholesterol; 160mg Sodium.
Separate PDF printer friendly recipes: ham mousse, chicken salad w/almonds, curry chicken salad
Amy Lawrence
said on September 11th, 2008:
I just adore smoked chicken tea sandwiches. I own a tea room in Newcastle, California and we serve them with a slightly different twist. Our original version in our cookbook did not include cheese, but lately we have added Jarlsberg swiss cheese and they are divine! For more chicken sandwiches check out our afternoon tea cookbooks.
Amy Lawrence
An Afternoon to Remember Tea Parlor and Gifts
http://www.afternoontoremember.com