(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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Once a month I get together with two friends for about three hours of Scrabble. The hostess serves, usually, some cookies, fruit and hot tea, even in the summertime. (Of course, the A/C is running, so it’s comfortable inside, but it’s part of our ritual – we have TEA.) So, I needed to fix something to serve with the tea – maybe something different this time. I scrounged around looking at my heap of recipes to try, and this one stood out – it required some Bailey’s Irish Cream, which I happened to have in my refrigerator. The recipe came from Cooking Light in October, 2006, and dozens and dozens of people who made it gave these high marks. Providing you cut them in 16 pieces, it’s just 6 grams of fat each. They’re very fudgy and chocolatey. The author cautioned readers not to overbake them – they need to be slightly underdone, so they’ll be soft in the middle. The recipe has been altered to 18 minutes baking time (my oven bakes hot, so I reduced it to 340).
My DH and I enjoyed one small brownie with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream after dinner last night. The photo is a tad bit misleading – the brownie is quite small – but on that small plate and with the globe of ice cream, it looks gigantic. It wasn’t. But certainly ample. The Bailey’s is very subtle – in fact I don’t think you can exactly detect it, but these are delish. Yes, I’d make them again.
Irish Cream Brownies
Recipe: Ann Pittman, Cooking Light, October 2006
Servings: 16
1 cup all-purpose flour — (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute — or 2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place the chocolate chips and the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until the chocolate chips and butter melt, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool slightly. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients (through vanilla extract), stirring well with a whisk. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until sugar dissolves, stirring every 30 seconds. Fold in the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spread batter in a thin layer into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Per Serving: 155 Calories; 6g Fat (33.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 103mg Sodium.
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