Weekend Cooking: Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook

When it comes to discovering new and exciting cookbooks, I haven't a mind of my own. I just basically follow Julie (Booking Mama) and Kathy (Bermudaonion) around like a hungry puppy, and whatever they review, I order from my library to try. As was this case with the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook. Julie reviewed the granola and the cheesy grits, and Kathy reviewed the pumpkin cheesecake. Needless to say, that was all I needed to hear.

Apparently, the Clinton St. Baking Company is THE PLACE to eat breakfast and brunch in NYC. The story of the owners, DeDe Lahman & Neil Kleinberg, who met over fish and chips, fell in love and started a restaurant with the mission to offer the best baked goods in the city, is worth the price of the cookbook by itself. Never mind that neither of them had no pastry experience. Their love of butter and using the freshest ingredients would conquer all! I loved them instantly. They had me at "biscuits".

The recipes cover the gamut of all things that will soothe your soul, but might take you up a jean size. Muffins, scones, pastries, egg dishes, soups, sides, sandwiches and fried chicken, desserts. Ah! Even homemade raspberry jam! Admit it. You want to get your hands on this cookbook. Lahman and Kleinberg are also helpful with their tips and pitfalls in the kitchen, to help you produce the most yummy concoctions. You are guaranteed to learn something you never knew...for example, if you use the heel of a knife to break the bone in a piece of chicken, it will cook faster. Also, don't press down on a burger when grilling it - it will squeeze all the juice out and cook it at the wrong temp.

I tried three recipes. The first was kind of a no-brainer, a Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich. Except that my brain had never thought of making this sandwich with goat cheese. I made it with my Cuisinart Griddler (one of my favorite gifts this Christmas!), had it with a cup of tomato soup on a cold day, and it hit the spot!

I also tried the Mixed Berry Scones. The kids swore it sounded good, and I am always looking for something to give them for breakfast that will lure them away from Pop-Tarts. But something bad happened. Maybe I stirred the batter too much, maybe I didn't cook them long enough. But my entire family laughed at them, and refused to eat them. Bah!

My third recipe was the Fried Chicken. Now THIS worked! Unfortunately I didn't take pictures, because as soon as the chicken was done, my family pounced like ravenous hyenas and wiped it out.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Marinade:

2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried thyme

Coating:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 TBL salt

2 tsp black pepper

Whisk the marinade and add one whole chicken cut into 10 pieces. Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 hours in the fridge.

Whisk the coating ingredients in a bowl. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade - do not drain off the marinade. Dredge in the coating, piece by piece. Coat well, covering all the nooks and crannies. Set aside on a plate. Reserve any extra coating mix.

Fill a saute pan or Dutch oven with canola oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees over medium heat, using a candy thermometer to make sure the temp is accurate. Heating may take 8 to 10 minutes.

With tongs, gently place the chicken skin-side down in the oil and fry the chicken in batches of 5 to 6 pieces so that they don't crowd the pan. Fry each piece 7 to 8 minutes per side (wings may take less time). After you remove each batch of chicken, the temp of the oil will drop. Make sure you bring the oil back up to 350 degrees before adding the next batch.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend.

Ape House - Sara Gruen (Audio)

There aren't many people tromping around these days that haven't at least HEARD of "Water for Elephants", Gruen's claim to fame. Maybe they've read the book or they are going to see the upcoming movie, or friends have been raving about it. Here lies the danger, however, for anything that the author writes from here on forward. There is a taste of success, there is pressure for more, and then things fall apart. Which is what seemed to happen in this case.

Synopsis: Our dual storyline starts off merged: The beautiful Isabel, a scientist at a Great Ape Language Lab, is showing off her eerily human, highly intelligent test subjects to reporter John Thigpen, who is enchanted by the experience. Thigpen goes back home to Philly, and that same day the Lab is bombed presumably by terroristic animal rights activists, seriously injuring Isabel and releasing the apes. Bad guys purchase the apes for nefarious purposes, which becomes evident through a public display of very bad taste.

Then our storylines separate for a bit. Thigpen's wife, an unsuccessful author, wants to try to her hand at writing a comedic series in Hollywood. Thigpen is miserable at his job as a newspaper reporter, particularly when an ambitious colleague "steals" his story on the apes. So they move to Los Angeles, Thigpen hires on at a tabloid, and chases down the ape story for himself.

Isabel goes through various stages of recuperation and depression. She breaks up with her slimy two-timing fiance. She longs to be with her apes. She finds out where they are and attempts to make contact.

Then things get...weird. Russian hookers. Exploding meth labs. A porn king. A homeless, farting pit bull. A paternity scare. And then a fairly predictable ending, all perfect and shiny and wrapped up with a big red bow.

My thoughts: I usually try to keep my synopsis fairly neutral but I failed this time. This whole thing went wrong in so many ways. The bad guys were caricatures, with crooked smiles and cold eyes and sinister statements. The plot wandered. Maybe the ape thing wasn't exciting or Hollywood enough, so Gruen had to throw in random action? It was like a twisted Disney movie.

There was a decent amount of seemingly factual information about the Bonobo Apes...their behavior, their ability to communicate through sign language, their higher intelligence. This was pretty fascinating stuff, although I kept asking myself silently "Is this realistic? Do Bonobos really act like this, with this much reason and emotion?". I never dug around on the Internet to obtain an answer to that question. I have to assume that Gruen did her homework. I guess my point is that the behavior of the apes in the book was just edgy enough that I wasted mental effort in wondering if it was truth or exaggeration.

If I hadn't been reading this book for my book club, I would have dropped this one like a hot potato.

A word about the audio production: The narrator for this production was Paul Boehmer, someone who appears to have been around the audiobook block, as well as a minor actor. Personally, however, I found him smarmy and a little too feminine-sounding and he made my skin crawl. I would not choose to listen to him again. I think it is important to note that this did not have any influence over my opinion of the book and its plot. The entire package did not meet my expectations.

Thoughts from the Heathrow Literary Society: This month at book club, it was my turn to facilitate the discussion, and I was worried that my 'tude would be evident. So I just kept quiet and let the people speak. I heard words like "superficial" and "weird" and "I'm indifferent". One member read the book a couple of months ago, and couldn't recall the name of a single character, and had forgotten about the Russian prostitutes. We all agreed the ape angle was interesting, but not enough to squeeze out more than a 2.5 or a 3 out of 5 stars from anyone at the table.


2 out of 5 stars

The Color Trilogy - Kim Dong Hwa

On my never-ending quest for all things graphic (my new form of crack), I was at the library recently and spotted this trilogy. I first read about it over at Gavin's place at Page 247, and I've never forgotten the arresting visuals. I sat down and knocked them all out in a matter of days. (Side note: This is one of many reasons why graphic novels are so incredible, and why you really need to get on this bandwagon. They pack a huge punch emotionally, because they are so visual and often well-written at the same time. And you can normally read them in one or two sittings.)

Synopsis: In Korea, Kim Dong Hwa is highly revered as the standard in graphic novels, called "manhwa". The Color Trilogy is his first work translated and sold in the US, and tells a story of a young girl's coming-of-age in nineteenth century Korea, and her relationship with her widowed mother.

In The Color of Earth, we first meet Ehwa, who lives with her mother in a small village. Her mother runs the local tavern, and is a beautiful but lonely woman. Ehwa has just started feeling stirrings of adolescence, and harbors her first crush on a young monk boy. At the same time, her mother meets a mysterious and handsome traveling artist, and Ehwa observes her mother in love, an emotion in which she is has a sudden interest. The onset of puberty is explored as we see the young monk experience his first wet dream and Ehwa's first period. The novel ends when a new love interest of Ehwa's, a enigmatic student, leaves the village to return to school, and she is crushed.


In The Color of Water, Ehwa becomes a somewhat difficult teenager, and is often moody. She longs to have the attention of a young man, and spends her energy on wondering who she will marry. She becomes agitated (and jealous?) at her mother's obsession with the continuing visits from the traveling artist. Ehwa learns about the birds and the bees from a precocious and promiscuous childhood girlfriend. She finally meets the man of her dreams in Duksam, who must leave at the end of the book to earn money so they can be married.




In The Color of Heaven, most of the plot is spent focused on Ehwa and her mother's constant longing and waiting for the men in their lives to come back to them. They find common ground in their angst, and begin to relate to each other as equals. The men eventually do return, and Ehwa is married.

Not only does this trilogy address all of the confusion and excitement of the transition from child to adult, it also gently reveals many different Korean customs, as well as local foods, roles in the family unit, attitudes towards single women, arranged marriages, sexual taboos and social order. Hwa also incorporates a great deal of symbolism and metaphors with a multitude of text and images dedicated to the blossoming of flowers, ripening fruit, and butterflies.

My thoughts: The Color Trilogy is unlike any of the graphic novels I've read before. It is seeped in Korean culture and beautiful images of the countryside.

The book is also very straightforward in its depiction of sexual awakening. It is a little disarming because there are pictures, but also refreshing in its honestly. For this reason, this could be an excellent book to give to a teenager (I think at 12, my daughter might be still too young) - just make sure you read it first so you can use it as an opportunity to discuss.

The artwork was absolutely gorgeous. It seemed, in some of the frames, that actual photographs had been merged with illustration (not sure if it actually was or not), and the result was breathtaking.

I felt like I was getting a mini-tutorial on traditional Korean culture, of which I was completely uneducated. Hwa even added footnotes to some of the dialogue, with explanations of some of the customs.

On the downside, I did grow extremely weary of reading about flowers and butterflies. I completely understood the point, but it was heavy-handed. And I also have to mention one particular sex scene near the end of the last book, taking place between two older townspeople at the same time that Ehwa consummates her marriage, that left me turned off. I didn't think it was necessary, and did not add to the beauty of the story.

Overall, a wonderful graphic novel experience that I would highly recommend.

4 out of 5 stars

Today I'm at the Scene of the Blog!!!

Yay! It is finally my turn at this little slice of fun. I am being featured at Kittling: Books weekly feature "Scene of the Blog". Come on over and see all the places I drag my computer and blog on a day-to-day basis. I'll see you over there...

The Island - Elin Hilderbrand (Audio)

Perhaps the fate of this book was sealed by the fact that I WANTED to listen to Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell, but my iPod pooped out. (Therefore I was forced to listen to the only audio I had in physical disc form - this one.) Perhaps it was because it was literally freezing outside and this was a beach book. Whatever the case, this audio was defending itself before I ever started it!

Synopsis: Fifty-something sisters India and Birdie, along with Birdie's two daughters Chess and Tate, retreat to the family cabin on Tuckernuck Island for a month to lick their wounds caused by men. Birdie recently divorced her husband of 30 years. Chess suddenly called off her engagement. Tate has never fallen in love. And India's famous artist husband committed suicide two years prior, leaving India questioning her role in his demise. It is a month to reconnect and rejuvenate. After all, the island has no electricity, no cell coverage, no wireless connections...and all supplies must be transported by boat from nearby Nantucket. (And oh by the way, the dude that delivers their supplies is quite handsome, and is a recent widower...)

Each woman takes turn narrating their present state of mind, their past and how they got to this point in their lives, slowly unraveling each of their own secrets and ghosts. Why did Birdie divorce Grant, and what about her new boyfriend Hank? Why did Chess call off her engagement so suddenly? Why has Tate never found Mr. Right? Who is India involved with now, and what will her family think? Their month on the island also is a study in mother/daughter relationships, and sister/sister relationships, and the dangerous, rocky territory that these relationships are built upon.

My thoughts: When someone mentions the term "book for women" or "chick lit", this is the exact type of book I think of. Women with baggage, emotional angst, the hope of new love, buried secrets, handsome boy toys, mean threatening rich bitches, and happy endings. There is really nothing wrong with a plot like this, as long as that is your expectation. It was easy to listen to this book, because while there were some serious issues and tragedy, it still felt light and unencumbered. I might even call it fluffy.

I started out liking the characters well enough. But as the book progressed, I began to dislike some of them. Chess was always brooding and refusing to discuss her "horrible" secret. She was very self-absorbed. Tate was like a hyper dog and was very jealous and immature. Birdie was a little bit of a doormat. Then there were those very predictable situations where, early in a relationship, there are misunderstandings, nervous lovers refuse to just sit down and talk things out, and ALL IS LOST! Or so they think, but then they work things out and live happily ever after. You know what I'm talking about right?

I did indulge in a fantasy of a family home on a remote island. I guess I might get tired of having to boil water for a bath, but I'd get used to it after awhile. The beach, fishing, cooking over a propane stove, happy hour with Sancerre wine? Yes ma'am. Turns out, there really IS a Tuckernuck Island, which I find intriguing.

Bottom line, this is a perfect beach read. Pack it in your duffel, get sunscreen on it if you want, then leave it at the condo you are renting.

A word about the audio production: The narrator for this book was Denice Hicks, who is new to me. I was not altogether impressed with her narration. Her voice was almost too sticky sweet, and it never varied. She was reading for four different characters, and the vocalization never changed. This would have been one audio where four different narrators would have served well.

3 out of 5 stars

Monday Movie Meme - If You Build It, They Will Come

Some friends of the Bumbles are getting ready to take the plunge and build a house (something my husband and I have never attempted!) and were checking out Molly and Andy's handiwork. Which of course inspired Molly to come up with this week's topic...movies about building. And it doesn't necessarily have to be about building houses or skyscrapers. This is a chance to get creative, but there are only so many of those brain cells firing at 5:30 in the morning. This is what you get today from me:

1. The Social Network - building Facebook

2. The Wall - building an imaginary wall between yourself and reality

3. Tucker: The Man and His Dream - building an ultimately ill-fated supercar

4. Iron Man - building a cool flight suit

5. Miracle - building a hockey team that would defeat the Russians and win the 1980 Olympics


I'm excited to see what ideas come from this topic today. What are some of your ideas?

Sunday Salon: Repercussions of The Dare

A cold, snowy Sunday to you all out there. How many of you are under? Quite a few I've heard. We aren't "under" per se, but it did get a bit nippy last night. I got a little cocky this week with Caite, bragging about how I could lay out by the pool and drink fruity drinks in the warm Florida weather, so that is what I get. Bad Karma.

So the kids were back to school this week, and not a moment too soon. I got a chance to do some serious walking, attempting to work off lobster tails, cheese fondue, cheesy mashed potatoes and my husband's mixed drinks. Beyond that, I persisted in lining up visits from various worker boys. Estimates on stuff, the all-exciting cable provider visit for an upcoming 3D HD TV, scheduling furniture pick-up, all that business. I am also attempting to finalize the school library volunteer schedule for the last half of the year, with people dropping like flies. New football league for my son, with practices from 6pm to 8pm. I swear I didn't sit down and read for more than five minutes a day, and it is cramping my style.

Anyone getting excited for the new season of American Idol? I am. If only to see if these three can pull off some chemistry and make us forget Simon. And while I am going through my Entertainment Weekly, I must add that I am half-disgusted, half-tickled that they are calling Selena Gomez "Justin Bieber's cougar". I'm easily entertained...it doesn't take much.

A few books that smacked me upside the head and said "READ ME" (after the TBR Dare, that is): Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (I don't know, it is a Florida thing I guess) and The Sentry by Robert Crais (hard-body, strong-and-silent, tattooed Joe Pike makes my motor hum). And then of course, I got an e-mail from Rhapsody Jill, the temptress, with things I must read after The Dare as well. It is going to take three years to dig myself out of the hole after The Dare, haha!

So, because of the walking, I managed to finish Freedom on audio. If you held a gun to my head, I'm not sure I could tell you how I feel. Gonna have to let it simmer and stew and see what is left. Some good feelings, some not so good. I also completed, in about a day and a half, Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane. Not mind-blowing, but entertaining. Now I am a few discs into Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo, the sequel to Sworn to Silence which I reviewed this week.

And yet I LABOR over the printed novel, The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards. Going on what? Close to two weeks now? It really isn't bad, but is not captivating enough to make me sit down and focus. The slow pace makes me want to rip out my hairs. You'd think I could work up the cajones to stop the bleeding and cast it aside, but I can't because I've heard good things about the book.

So next week the husband turns 50, so I must cater to him. I've got a book club meeting on Ape House by Sarah Gruen. I'm supposed to facilitate the discussion this time, but it will be difficult since I hated the book! I'm hoping to golf, provided we have decent weather. And I'm going to finish this printed book if it kills me. Goals are our friends!

I hope you are quickly able to dig yourself out of wherever you are. If not, build a fire, make some hot chocolate and read a book!