Friday, November 26, 2010

THE NANNY DIARIES

As I stated before, my daughter has worked as a nanny, but THE NANNY DIARIES by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus takes that profession to a whole other level…here is an excerpt from the book (a note from the employer)
“Nanny,
You should probably give Grayer his dinner in his room. Actually, I might need to bring my dinner guests through when I give the tour. So it’s probably best for you both to take your plates into the bathroom while you eat.”
Outrageous, funny, and true- a great combination. This book was also made into a movie- I told you our book club can pick the books.
Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin: Book CoverSynopsis from Barnes and Noble:
"Wanted:
One young woman to take care of four-year-old boy. Must be cheerful, enthusiastic and selfless—bordering on masochistic. Must relish sixteen-hour shifts with a deliberately nap-deprived preschooler. Must love getting thrown up on, literally and figuratively, by everyone in his family. Must enjoy the delicious anticipation of ridiculously erratic pay. Mostly, must love being treated like fungus found growing out of employers Hermès bag. Those who take it personally need not apply.
Who wouldn’t want this job? Struggling to graduate from NYU and afford her microscopic studio apartment, Nanny takes a position caring for the only son of the wealthy X family. She rapidly learns the insane amount of juggling involved to ensure that a Park Avenue wife who doesn’t work, cook, clean, or raise her own child has a smooth day.
When the Xs marriage begins to disintegrate, Nanny ends up involved way beyond the bounds of human decency or good taste. Her tenure with the X family becomes a nearly impossible mission to maintain the mental health of their four-year-old, her own integrity and, most importantly, her sense of humor. Over nine tense months, Mrs. X and Nanny perform the age-old dance of decorum and power as they test the limits of modern-day servitude. "

Jeanne and Donna served up a wonderful menu of filet, lobster newburg, salad with lemon basil vinaigrette, twice baked potatoes, steamed green beans with almonds, and for dessert- Godiva Chocolate ice cream.

Decorations were everything New York, lists and more lists, lavender linen water, shopping bags
Door prize was fine champagne in a New York bag...

Jeanne's Lemon Basil Viniagrette
    
(Served over a bed of your choice of mixed greens)

 

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 tablespoons prepared mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon, cut in half and grilled, for garnish
Combine lemon juice, zest, mayonnaise, honey, salt, pepper, basil and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Can be made 1 hour in advance and refrigerated.

Donna's Godiva Chocolate Ice Cream
Go to your local grocer, buy it, and serve it. Easy peasy...

May 2002 book club was WHITE OLEANDER- if you don't know, it is a plant...tell you more about this selection next time...

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

FOUNDING BROTHERS

Some books are harder to get through than others- I would put our April 2002 selection in that category. Here is the synopsis from Barnes and Noble website:Founding Brothers

In this landmark work of history, the National Book Award—winning author of American Sphinx explores how a group of greatly gifted but deeply flawed individuals–Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison–confronted the overwhelming challenges before them to set the course for our nation.
The United States was more a fragile hope than a reality in 1790. During the decade that followed, the Founding Fathers–re-examined here as Founding Brothers–combined the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with the content of the Constitution to create the practical workings of our government. Through an analysis of six fascinating episodes–Hamilton and Burr’s deadly duel, Washington’s precedent-setting Farewell Address, Adams’ administration and political partnership with his wife, the debate about where to place the capital, Franklin’s attempt to force Congress to confront the issue of slavery and Madison’s attempts to block him, and Jefferson and Adams’ famous correspondence–Founding Brothers brings to life the vital issues and personalities from the most important decade in our nation’s history.
If you love history, get this book. If you don’t love history, you should….
Alisa and Vicki prepared an all- American meal for us- grilled shrimp, corn on the cob, salad, rolls, and apple crisp for dessert. The appetizer was cheese cubes with American flag toothpicks stuck in them- clever!
The door prize for this month was a red/white/blue canvas bag with picnic products and 4th of July decorations…
Grilled Shrimp
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, small diced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 pounds jumbo shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined, with tails left on
Combine the garlic, onion, parsley, basil, mustards, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Add the shrimp and allow them to marinate for no more than 1 hour. (Lemon juice will "cook" the shrimp if left too long).
Brush the grill rack with oil, preheat grill. Either skewer the shrimp or put them on grill individually. Grill for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Absolutely easy and delicious!

All American Apple Crisp
6 McIntosh (or other) apples, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
The juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, or ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup flour or fine graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 pint vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a 9x12 inch baking dish, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. In a small bowl, mix flour or graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter together using the times of a fork and your fingers, working until small even crumbles form. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over apples, and bake 15-20 minutes until they are just tender and topping golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream and sing America the Beautiful...
                                                               Jeanne and Roxanne

Next blog will be The Nanny Diaries (May 2002) and since my daughter worked as a nanny I cannot believe the stories in this book. But, of course, they were in New York, not the good ole South....



Friday, November 19, 2010

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Even though this year (2010) is the year TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is celebrating its’ 50th birthday, we paid homage to the book in March of 2002. Vicki would love for our book club to pick more classics, so she started off with this one for her first choice. Not only did we read the book, but she had us come to dinner and discussion in our jammies or sweats and had the movie (with Gregory Peck) for us to watch as well! Fun evening…
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Book Cover
"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel—a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.
One of the best-loved classics of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many dis-tinctions since its original publication in 1960. It has won the Pulitzer Prize, been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. It was also named the best novel of the twentieth century by librarians across the country (Library Journal).

Atticus Finch (one of the main characters in the book) said
·         “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
This is what we try to do at our book club meetings- discuss issues,  listen to each other’s point of view, agree to disagree, and still remain friends… the only way a discussion group filled with eleven women of different backgrounds can last for the ten years we have been reading and sharing meals together.
Vicki and Alisa came up with a wonderful "Southern" menu- Pot roast, turnip greens, sweet potato casserole, and cornbread.
Vicki said "since I am a Yankee from the north, I learned all of my southern cooking from Johnnie, my mother-in-law."
Johnnie's Pot Roast
Shoulder Roast (size depends on # you are cooking for, I usually get 4-5 pounds)
1 whole white onion
Carrots (peeled and cut into chunks)
Potatoes (optional), peeled and quartered
(She always cooks this in the large Corningware deep dish casserole with lid)
Turn the oven up high (450 degrees).
Salt and pepper the roast well and place in casserole dish in 1-2 inches of water.
Cut up onion and place in the dish with the roast. (Peel the onion first, yall!)
Seal the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil; place the lid to the casserole dish over the foil.
Bake for 30 minutes; turn the roast over and bake, covered, for another 30 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and bake for another 2-3 hours. Add carrots and potatoes during the last hour.
The secret is the high heat at the beginning, sealing the dish to keep in the moisture and turning the roast. The roast is always so tender and melts in your mouth!
Johnnie's Turnip Greens
Buy 2-3 bunches fresh turnip greens (can also add in mustard or collard greens if desired or available)
Rinse and wash the greens well- this takes a while but you want them free of sand and grit !
Place in a large pot of water with some fatback, ham hock, or bacon to help season the greens. ( I would also add some salt and pepper at this time)
Gently bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for several hours until greens are fork tender. Stir occasionally while they are simmering, but gently.
Now, from this southern girl, I would definitely serve these with vinegar or pepper sauce!!
Click to show "To Kill a Mockingbird" result 6                                      Click to show "To Kill a Mockingbird" result 2
It is always fun to go back and read the classics the teachers MADE you read in school, but now you can really enjoy them for pleasure!! Next blog begins our second year as a book club with Alisa's choice of Founding Brothers...a deep, intellectual read compared to some of our lighter choices...

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS

Grab your tissues before you read this - our first real tear-jerker: Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson (This is the same man that wrote all the Alex Cross novels that have been made into movies like Along Came A Spider and Kiss The Girls). This book is a huge departure from his usual writing, I guess he wanted to prove he has a sensitive side...Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson: Book Cover

Nicholas is a baby boy, Suzanne is his mother, and that is all I will say...a sweet read.

Lois and Lisa served us a lovely meal of beef filets, baked potatoes, Lisa's salad, and rolls.

Lois's Filets with Mustard Sauce

4 slices of beef filet, at least 1 inch thick
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Heat butter and olive oil in a heavy fry pan. Saute steaks on each side until done to your liking (3-6 minutes on each side, for rare to well done , but please don't cook these beautiful filets well done!!)
Spread 1 tsp Dijon mustard on top of each steak, sprinkle with brown sugar. Transfer steaks to a warm casserole and glaze under a preheated broiler until golden brown..spoon off excess fat from fry pan and pour over steaks. Serve immediately.

Lisa's Famous Salad (as told to me)

Romaine lettuce
Anything else you have and want to put in such as tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, avocado, feta cheese or any other type of cheese you have
Lots of garlic salt and freshly ground pepper on top
Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste (Lisa says 3/4 oil to 1/4 vinegar)
Toss and serve.
WARNING: I have tried to make this salad several times and it never is as good as Lisa's. Maybe I would whisk the oil and vinegar together before adding to salad...

                                                                Debbie H and Margie
The door prize was a picnic basket, a journal, and a copy of Robert Frost poetry.

Next book is a classic- TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD-we do a lot of fun things based on the books we read but don't worry- we did not kill a mockingbird...

Monday, November 15, 2010

FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE

Now, our book club likes to have fun. We don’t just read books and eat…case in point, Susan (our January 2002 hostess) decided we would play a murder mystery game. You know, the kind that each person is assigned a character, has to dress like them, and plays them in a script where we have to discover  who is the murderer. Perfect activity for a book like FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE by Dean Koontz. I am a huge fan of this author, as was my father. Dean Koontz  writes very unusual, supernatural thrillers…the kind you should not read at night, in bed, if you are alone…you know what I mean. From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz: Book Cover
Susan and Roxanne served us a supernatural spread of food- shrimp, baked brie, veal piccata, asparagus, salad, pies and chocolate martinis (a first for us all!).
Susan shared with me she has no idea where the recipes are from 9 years ago (imagine that!) so I took the liberty of borrowing 2 recipes from my favorite Food Network stars:
INA GARTEN'S Baked Brie (aka the BAREFOOT CONTESSA)
1/4 wheel brie ( I never know whether to leave the casing on the cheese, but according to the picture, Ina does...)
4 Tbsp honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the brie on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper and drizzle with the honey. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until it starts to ooze but not melt. Serve with assorted crackers and/or apple slices.

TYLER FLORENCE'S ULTIMATE VEAL PICCATA
1 pound spaghetti
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup all purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
4 (8 oz each) veal cutlets
1 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained (to make them less salty)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (also called Italian parsley)
Grated parmesan, for garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente (follow directions on box). Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp of olive oil. In a shallow bowl combine the flour and salt and pepper to taste. (Whatever that means, please don't taste the flour mixture! Yuk!)
Lightly coat cutlets in the flour. Beat eggs in a bowl with 1 Tbsp of water and season with salt and pepper. Dip cutlets in egg and then place straight into the hot pan. Cook the veal about 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Set cutlets aside on a plate. Deglaze pan with white wine and reduce by half ( in plain English, pour wine in pan and simmer til only half is left...)Add lemon juice, capers, and half the parsley, then add 2 Tbsp butter as you whisk to thicken up the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Toss the pasta with the remaining butter and season with salt and grated Parmesan, to taste.
Serve the pasta on plates topped with the veal. Drizzle with caper sauce and garnish with the remaining parsley.

By the way, I have noticed that we have some Russian readers of my blog- thank you so much and please leave a comment about the blog or the recipes. I visited St. Petersburg, Russia last summer and loved every minute of it- even got to see the Russian Ballet perform! I know this is a random comment, but this is how my mind works...back to book club....
The door prize for this book was a Beatles CD, a roll of quarters, and a National Geographic Disaster Book- if that doesn't pique your interest, nothing will...you need to read this book...

                                      CHURCH ON SPILLED BLOOD- St. Petersburg, Russia

(Just wanted to make my new Russian readers feel welcome!! This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the book...)
Next up- SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS by James Patterson- lots to say about this...later....
  

Sunday, November 14, 2010

SKIPPING CHRISTMAS

Our first Christmas together as a book club (December, 2001)- isn’t it ironic the book Debbie H chose was Skipping Christmas? We did not skip it, but instead chose to start a tradition of a gift exchange based on the contents of the book. Snowmen of all shapes and sizes were strategically chosen and wrapped, hoping to please the recipient.

This book was later made into a motion picture (Christmas Skipping Christmas by John Grisham: Book Coverwith the Kranks)- our book club knows how to pick the popular books…many of our later choices were made into movies as well. But we know the book is always better than the movie, don’t we?

"Luther and Nora Krank are fed up with the chaos of Christmas. The endless shopping lists, the frenzied dashes through the mall, the hassle of decorating the tree... where has all the joy gone? This year, celebrating seems like too much effort. With their only child off in Peru, they decide that just this once, they'll skip the holidays. They spend their Christmas budget on a Caribbean cruise set to sail on December 25, and happily settle in for a restful holiday season free of rooftop snowmen and festive parties. But the Kranks soon learn that their vacation from Christmas isn't much of a vacation at all, and that skipping the holidays has consequences they didn't bargain for...A modern Christmas classic, SKIPPING CHRISTMAS is a charming and hilarious look at the mayhem and madness that have become ingrained in our holiday tradition.'

Debbie H and Joanne made us a delicious Christmas feast of shrimp cocktail, Joanne’s famous water chestnut appetizer (a version of Rumaki), turkey with raspberry sauce, asparagus bundles, horseradish carrots (a special neighborhood recipe- will give yall the recipe in a future blog), make ahead mashed potatoes (I make this recipe all the time!), cat-head biscuits, and coconut Christmas cake.
Joanne’s Famous Water Chestnut Appetizer (everywhere she goes, people request she bring this! It is that good, people!)
1 can (8 oz) whole water chestnuts, quartered
1 pound bacon, slices cut in half
Sauce:
1 cup ketchup 
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
Wrap bacon around chestnuts and secure with toothpicks. Bake in a foil- lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Take out of greasy pan. Put on clean foil- lined pan and bake until each bacon bundle is crisp and cooked. May need to take off some and cook some longer.
May be frozen at this point, or continue with recipe.
Blend together sauce ingredients. Dip chestnuts in sauce, place on a lined baking sheet, and heat at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
(Joanne says she usually doubles this recipe!!)

Joanne's Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
(I use these every holiday)
8 potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
Add 6-8 oz. softened cream cheese, 6-8 oz. sour cream, and 1/2 stick softened butter, salt and pepper to taste. (Get it to the consistency that you like your potatoes).Place in a 2 quart casserole. Refrigerate.
When ready to cook, place in a 350 degree oven , covered, for 45 minutes until warmed through. Garnish with paprika and dot with more butter.
Please try these recipes and let me know what you think- I love feedback!!

                                                              Debbie H and Joanne

Next edition of Dinner and a Book Blog is a real creeeeepy read, but I just love this author- From The Corner Of His Eye by Dean Koontz- don't plan to read it if you are alone in the house...

Saturday, November 13, 2010

CANE RIVER


Sometimes a book club hostess picks a special read for us- one that makes us think, ask questions, and challenge old ideas. Jeanne did that with her first selection for our book club (November 2001) by Cane River by Lalita Tademy: Book Coverpicking CANE RIVER by Lalita Tademy. I haven't mentioned before that Jeanne is our "published author" and we are very proud of her. She wrote THE NEW MOM'S MANUAL (Random House) and I picked it up for both of my daughters-in-law when they were expecting...very helpful. (Of course, my mother-in-law advice through the years is too, I'm sure?!?)

"When the urge hit her, Lalita Tademy was corporate Vice President of Sun Microsystems: she had the feeling there was something else she was supposed to do. While she was discovering what that something else was, she spent two years researching the slave branch of her family (her mother's side). Returning to her ancestors' Cane River roots, she scouted old sharecroppers' farms; ransacked old courthouse archives; plotted a paper trail from grueling bondage to better days. Then, discovering what she was supposed to do, she sat down to write this novel about the lives of slaves who were never allowed to write it themselves. Genealogy with wings."

Jeanne and Margie prepared a delicious menu of shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, salad with Creole vinaigrette dressing, cornbread, and homemade pralines. Here is Jeanne's note to me-

" Hey Donna, this is the recipe I used , but I left out the white fish fillets. Sure makes the kitchen smell good!" Jeanne

Jeanne's New Orleans File Gumbo

This is one of the richest Cajun gumbos, and makes a hearty and unusual dinner. Be sure to include plenty of sausage from the pot, along with a piece of chicken in each serving.
THE GUMBO BASE:
1 lb. Creole or smoked sausage, sliced 1/2 " thick
1/2 lb. lean baked ham, cut into 1/2 " cubes
1 chicken fryer, cut up
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound white fish fillets
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green scallions
2 Tbsp finely minced parsley
1 Tbsp finely minced garlic
2 cups chopped onion
1 large ham bone, cut into 3" lengths (optional)
THE ROUX
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup flour
THE LIQUID AND THE SEASONINGS
2 qt. cold water
3 1/2 tsp salt (less if cooking with ham bone)
1 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
3 whole dried bay leaves
2 1/2-3 Tbsp file powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried marjoram

After assembling the ingredients for the gumbo base, heat the oil in a heavy 7-8 quart pot or kettle over high heat. Brown the chicken parts in the hot oil, turning several times to ensure even browning. When the chicken is brown, remove it to a hearted platter and place, uncovered, in a preheated 175 degree oven to keep it warm.
Make the roux by gradually adding the flour to the oil in the pot, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat until a dark brown roux (the color of peanut butter) is formed. Do not try to hurry this step. The roux is the most important part of any gumbo base, and will take approximately 20-30 minutes of stirring to get it right. It's worth the wait.
When the roux reaches the right color, quickly add the sausage, onion, green pepper, scallion tops, ham, parsley and garlic. Continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes more, still stirring, then add 1/4 cup of the water, the reserved chicken pieces and all the seasonings except the file powder; mix thoroughly. Gradually stir in the rest of the water. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the gumbo for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken parts are tender. Stir frequently, taking care not to break the pieces of chicken.
Before serving, bring the gumbo back to a boil and add the shrimp and fish. Simmer just until the shrimp turn pink, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the simmer die down. Add the file powder and stir. Let the gumbo stand in the pot for 5 minutes after adding the file, then serve in gumbo bowls or deep soup bowls over boiled rice.
If this recipe makes too much for your family to eat at one time, take only the amount you want to serve and add the file to it. The leftovers, or "lagniappe" (another marvelous meal), should be stored in the refrigerator, and the file added after reheating.

Jeanne also wrote- " My girlfriend from Louisiana made these for me at my house the day prior to book club.  It took a couple of hours from start to finish but well worth it if I recall..."



Creamy Pralines

Ingredients:

·         3 cups chopped pecans
·         2 cups light brown sugar, packed
·         1 cup granulated sugar
·         1 1/2 cups heavy cream
·         1/3 cup whole milk
·         6 tablespoons butter, unsalted
·         3/4 teaspoon salt
·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Toast pecans:
Heat oven to 350°. Spread chopped pecans out on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the chopped pecans are lightly browned and aromatic.
In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, milk, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, to 230°. Lower heat slightly if the mixture threatens to boil over. Add the toasted pecans and continue cooking, stirring constantly, to 236° F. The mixture should form a soft ball when a little is dropped in cold water. Remove from the heat and add vanilla; let stand for about 5 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thickened and slightly creamy, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, spoon the pralines onto a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper. If the mixture becomes grainy, heat and stir over medium heat for a few seconds, or until it can be easily scooped and dropped.
Makes about 4 dozen.
Decorations were sugar cane and willow, reminding us of the bayou...all in all a wonderful time with friends.
Next blog will be Skipping Christmas, but we certainly did not skip Christmas! We began a tradition that has lasted for 10 years- look for it soon...

Saturday, November 6, 2010

MR. PERFECT

First let me say I don’t recommend logging on to Amazon.com and ordering every book we read for your personal library. Case in point, our book for October 2001- Mr. Perfect. If I haven’t said it before, the format for our book club is that we pick a month every year to be hostess and when you are hostess you are in charge of choosing the book. And that is why Roxanne is still trying to live down her pick for this month. Irregardless of the content of the book, the menu she served was delicious as well asMr. Perfect by Linda Howard: Book Cover creative!

“...the deliciously racy topic that Jaine Bright and her three girlfriends are pondering one night at their favorite after-hours hot spot: Mr. Perfect. Would he be tall, dark, and handsome? Caring and warmhearted -- or will just muscular do? As their conversation hears up, they concoct a tongue-in-cheek checklist that becomes an overnight sensation, spreading like wildfire at work and sizzling along e-mail lines. But what began as a joke among friends turns deadly serious when one of the four women is murdered....Turning to her neighbor, an unpredictable police detective, for help, Jaine must unmask a killer to save her friends -- and herself. Now, knowing whom to trust and whom to love is a matter of survival -- as the dream of Mr. Perfect becomes a chilling nightmare.”

(Let me just say, I did not remember anything about a murder mystery until I reread the synopsis just now…the only thing I remember were the favors Susan had at our place settings, and they weren’t party hats!!! Now, I know you want to read the book…but I recommend just making the menu. Really.)
Roxanne served a delicious meal of cucumber sandwiches and very unusually- shaped cheese balls( use your imagination),chicken stir- fry over rice, eggrolls, and for dessert – fortune cookies and “sex-in-a-pan” cake. (I did not make that name up!!!)
We had a very creative centerpiece (not gonna write it down here) and a table favor for each of us of a personal- size massage cream… and the door prize is totally unmentionable in this blog! But you get the idea…
Roxanne's Chicken Stir-Fry

3 Tbsp peanut oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp minced green onions (the white part)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes
1 cup julienned red bell peppers
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts (canned)
3 cups blanched broccoli florets (blanching is putting the vegetable in boiling water for one minute)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
3/4 cup chicken stock
4 tsp cornstarch mixed with water to make a paste
Salt and Pepper
Steamed rice, for serving

Set a wok over high heat and add the peanut oil. Be sure to swirl the wok to get the oil to coat most of the pan. Once the oil smokes (don't start a fire!), quickly add the garlic, ginger, green onions and chicken. Saute, stirring continuously until the chicken is lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the red peppers and saute for another 1 minute. Add the water chestnuts and broccoli and saute for another minute. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and reduce for 30 seconds. (That means stir and let it thicken). Add the chicken stock, cornstarch mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients and be sure that the stock comes to a boil. Cook at a boil for 2-3 minutes, then serve over steamed rice.
"Sex-In-A-Pan" Cake (adapted from Paula Deen's Better Than Sex Cake)
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 6 oz. jar caramel or hot fudge topping
8 oz. Cool Whip
4 Heath candy bars, crushed

Prepare cake according to directions and bake in 9x13 inch pan. Pierce warm cake all over with toothpick. Pour milk over cake. Pour caramel or hot fudge over cake. Chill. Before serving, top with whipped topping and sprinkle with the crushed candy.
Roxanne and Jaye

I hope some of you readers will read some of our books, use some of our menu ideas and recipes and have some fun with your friends! Someday Soon!!
Ok, enough alliteration- November 2001 book will be covered next- a fabulous read called Cane River...

Thursday, November 4, 2010

PLANTATION

Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank: Book Cover
September 2001 marked our first official road trip, fondly called “The Trip to Fripp” .(Fripp Island was the location of the book that we read-  Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank.) Before I talk about the book and the trip, I must tell you my plantation story. When I was 11, a girl growing up in the South, my father was transferred for a year to Niagara Falls, NY. What a change for all of us! One of my special memories of that time was when my teacher called me to the front of the class and asked me to speak “Southern”. We had a question time and someone asked me if I lived on a plantation?!? I guess they only knew about the South through Gone With the Wind. Another of my favorite books…
Anyway, as Mark Twain said, “ There ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them”. Smart man. Fortunately, Dinner and a Book Club members discovered that they not only liked each other, but could pull some great pranks on each other. (Maybe I’ll tell you about those another time…)

"The South Carolina coast forms a lush backdrop for Dorothea Benton Frank's tales of cheatin' husbands, nosy neighbors, and nutty families. But don't let the sand and palm trees fool you: Frank's very funny novels are smarter than the average beach read."

Alisa and Vicki were our hostess and co-hostess and prepared a delicious low-country meal- shrimp scampi, salad, homemade biscuits, and fresh strawberries with whipped cream (real whipped cream, not the kind you get out of a can or plastic container).
Shrimp Scampi
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds linguine
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
5 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic (9 cloves)
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 32 shrimp)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half rounds
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some vegetable oil in a large pot of boiling water, add 1 Tbsp kosher salt and the linguine, and cook for 7-10 minutes or according to directions on package.
Meanwhile, in another large heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Do not burn garlic. Add the shrimp, 1 Tbsp of kosher salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Real Whipped Cream
1/2 pint cold heavy cream
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Whip the cream with an electric mixture. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla. (To make it even more special, you can add 1 Tbsp dark rum or grand marnier too). Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks. Serve cold.

Door prize was a sea grass basket crafted in Fripp Island- I don’t remember who was the lucky one that got this…
I can’t finish this entry without speaking of September 11, 2001…who will ever forget where they were that day? We made this road trip after those horrific events, and I think , if anything, it drew us all closer. We chose not to live in fear – instead to live with the joy of each day and friends we could count on….

                                                                LISA
Next month’s book is the memorable choice that Roxanne is still trying to live down- “Mr. Perfect”…