Hi all, needless to say, with books about food, we spent way more time focusing on our dinner which was fabulous, than talking about our books for the month. As a reminder, they were The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
As Lynn described them, both are manifestos for a better food supply and what we can do to bring one about. They were also quite different in tone and approach. The Kingsolver book was personal and some really liked that approach and of course others were put off by it.
The Pollan book was much further ranging in its commentary but in the end probably no less of an indictment. I read that one (sadly I am not a Kingsolver fan) and found it fascinating in its entirety and tedious page to page, particularly in the middle.
The boar hunt and mushroom hunting really dragged down the momentum although I did pick up one important tip. At the final dinner, Pollan found his chef guest putting a whole stick of butter into the mushrooms. "So that's how they do it" he thought. Take note, all you amateur chefs. As Julia Child always practiced, nothing tastes so good that more butter won't help.
A particular shout-out to Lynn, who brought Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to our Christmas book swap. It was the hit of the evening, swapping hands three or four times and so became our choice for February. Thank you Lynn!
Our turnout was fantastic with 13 of us at Mary Millhiser's lovely farm for a glamorous dinner. Thank you Mary for being such a warm and welcoming hostess and Karen for all her help. What a treat! The oxtail stew was incredible, as was Fiona's fabulous bread and all other contributions.
For those who asked, here is the carrot recipe. If you haven't found her already, run out and buy every cookbook Patricia Wells has ever published, she is my go-to source. This is from her At Home in Provence. It is one of my most requested recipes.
Cut 2 lbs of peeled carrots into diagonal slices. Heat 2 tbles of olive oil over moderately high heat and add the carrots. Stir to coat with the oil, cover and lower the heat to moderate. Braise for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add fresh garlic cloves to taste, peeled and halved or slivered. (I use about 10 cloves but you could use up to a whole head.) Season with salt if desired and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and continue cooking until the carrots are almost caramelized and the garlic is soft and tender, about 15 more minutes. Don't forget to stir occasionally.
Sprinkle with pitted and halved best-quality black olives (about 30 or so), stir, check seasonings and serve hot or at room temperature.
So enough of that, on to our next book. We are back to the classics, reading Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Yes, that one, not the Mel Brooks version. Much like Lolita, the book is nothing like the cultural impression of the story and the contrast is always interesting.
We are meeting on March 25, at 6:30 at Ashley Silverburg's house, close to Libbie and Grove. See you then!!
