. 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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Our friend James shared a bit of leftover soup with us, and it was perfect for our dinner the other night with a grilled vegetable sandwich. I’d forgotten all about Senate Bean Soup. Have you ever had it? According to my notes in my trusty little 3-ring binder, I wrote out [my] recipe in March of 1971. Where I found it, I don’t know. You can find the original recipes at the U.S. Senate’s website. It’s nice that the Senate shares the two recipes since they are almost like a national treasure! The history is very interesting – I’d forgotten all about it:
Bean soup is on the menu in the Senate’s restaurant every day. There are several stories about the origin . . . but none has been corroborated. According to one story, the Senate’s bean soup tradition began early in the 20th-century at the request of Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho. Another story attributes the request to Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who expressed his fondness for the soup in 1903. The recipe attributed to Dubois includes mashed potatoes and makes a 5-gallon batch. The recipe served in the Senate today does not include mashed potatoes, but does include a braised onion.
My version includes both onion and mashed potato, so I guess it’s a marriage of both recipes. I poked all around the internet looking at various versions of this soup – some include herbs (only parsley in mine) and additional vegetables (only celery and onions in the authentic version). One included a dash of nutmeg. I thought that sounded good. Add it if you’d like. I found a chowhound page with lots of interesting information about the Senate dining room’s menu in 1968. I didn’t think the Senate dining room was open to the public (now), and the Senate’s website doesn’t indicate that it is, but one of the comments on chowhound said it was. I do believe when I was a teenager, in my family’s driving trip across the country, when we stayed in Washington DC for 3 days, en route for our 3-year move to Newport, Rhode Island, we ate there. Amazing that I remember that amidst all the trivia taking up space in my brain! I had the Senate Bean Soup – because even then (this was in 1956) the Senate Bean Soup had a huge reputation. And today it’s still a very inexpensive menu item (under $2.00 per serving).
Our friend who made this pot of soup bought the ham at Honey Baked Ham. They sell a package of dried beans and it includes a ham bone. It’s quite pricey that way (online, shipped), so I think I’d suggest finding a ham bone at the grocery store and just buying the navy beans (not a multicolored mix). Although maybe if you visit the store directly it may be more reasonable.
At any rate, the soup is cinchy simple to make – just soak the beans overnight and everything can be simmered on the stove for a couple of hours. You do have to chop up the ham, though, from the ham bone. That might take a bit of time – not only the cutting, but you need to let it cool long enough so you can pick it apart and chop it up. It takes hands, not just a knife to accomplish that. And the bean mixture is best if it’s pureed in the blender. Some recipes don’t have you take that step. My recipe said to remove almost all of the bean mixture to puree it. James pureed all of his, and I really liked it that way. Once it’s pureed, add more water if you’d like a thinner, smoother soup. It doesn’t need to be super-thick to be tasty. Thanks, James, for the reminder about how good this soup can be!
What I liked: how simple it is to make. And it’s full of good flavor too. Note that there is no added fat in the recipe – any fat comes from the ham.
What I didn’t like: absolutely nothing. Worth making for sure.
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Senate Bean Soup
Recipe By: A recipe from my 3-ring binder, dated 1971. It’s very similar to the published (online) Senate Bean Soup.
Serving Size: 6
1 pound dried navy beans
2 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds ham hock — with ample meat on it
3 whole onions — chopped
2 cloves garlic — minced
2 stalks celery — chopped
1 cup mashed potatoes — or 2/3 cup dry instant potatoes
4 tablespoons parsley — chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Soak dried beans overnight covered by a couple of inches of cold water.
2. Drain and add 2 quarts of water and ham bone. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours. Add onions, garlic, celery, parsley and mashed potatoes and continue simmering for an hour longer or until the mixture is tender.
3. Remove ham bone and set aside. When cool enough to handle, chop the ham meat into small cubes. (Don’t add it yet to the soup.)
4. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return mixture to pot and add the ham. Add more water if you’d prefer a thinner soup. Reheat and serve with additional chopped parsley on top.
Per Serving: 606 Calories; 23g Fat (34.4% calories from fat); 44g Protein; 56g Carbohydrate; 20g Dietary Fiber; 121mg Cholesterol; 187mg Sodium.
Toffeeapple
said on February 21st, 2012:
I have been eating bean and Chorizo soup all week, do I shall try this one at a later date.