Plain and Simple

This month almost all of us (except for your humble scribe and librarian) read Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish by Sue Bender.

The group seemed pretty split on this book. Some of us could really identify with her falling in love with the quilt and wanting to get to know the culture more, and thought it was courageous that she was open to learning and might want to work in Amish country ourselves, at least for a week or two. People liked learning about the Amish and found the book easy to read, nicely spaced and enjoyed the summaries and cute little pictures.

However, the other half of the group didn't like her as a narrator, and found her to be judgmental, shallow, and too concerned with being an Artist. What was so wrong with her that she needed to escape from her life? Tormented artist, or overachiever world getting her down? The problem with people talking about their spiritual journeys, is that "other people's spiritual journeys are boring." Plus she romanticized the Amish, wanting them to conform to her stereotypes. At least they helped her learn to stop trying to stand out so much and just be with everyone and enjoy life. But it was too bad she didn't try to incorporate any of what she learned into her art.

People were also mixed on the dolls, which some thought were cool, others creepy. Everyone agreed that there was nothing droolworthy in this book, she barely talked about food at all.


Katie S. brought some relevant cookbooks to share:

Grandma’s German Cookbook
Amish Cooks Across America (particularly interesting was a bit on page 106 about starting new Amish communities).
An Amish Garden

Other random things we talked about:
• Amish suspenders - is there a really a code?
• Breaking Amish
• Bundle courting. 
• Amy Schmnader interviews an Amish woman
• Amish dolls
• The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

As usual, we had an awesome feast:

Bobbi – salad with beets and goat cheese

Dawn – Pineapple






Deanna - veggie soup and homemade bread and Amish butter




Heather McN – chicken and cheese enchiladas

Katie S. – tomato bread ham and cheese sandwiches

Katie W. – pickled asparagus & spicy homemade lemonade.

Laura – homemade strawberry ice cream and raspberry sorbert




Madeline - corn on the cob

Sonja – Amish Pineapple Cake

Sunny S. – fruit tray, garden salad/coleslaw, cake

For next month, we are reading another book by local author/blogger Molly Wizenberg: Delancey - A Man, A Woman, A Restaurant, A Marriage. Sno-Isle Libraries has it in eAudiobook, hardback (4 people waiting as of this writing), and large print (1 waiting). Also you can get it from half.com for only a few bucks! Looking forward to seeing you soon.

The Museum of Extraordinary Things

This month we read The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman, which wasn't a foodie book per say, but was super interesting and people did eat.

 The daughter of a Coney Island boardwalk curiosities museum's front man pursues an impassioned love affair with a Russian immigrant photographer who after fleeing his Lower East Side Orthodox community has captured poignant images of the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.  

We were a bit split on this book. Most of us really loved this NYC history this book explored, and appreciated that it featured a freak show, but wasn't mean or trying to scandalize the readers (unlike Geek Love by Kathrine Dunn, which one person in the group had recently read (and I adore - DMR)). The exploration of social injustice was really fascinating, and still rings true today, but also reminded us of when we read The Kitchen House, and how so many of the characters were slaves to the society they live in and the roles they inhabit.

At least one person felt this was their favorite book we have shared, and many agreed the author is terrific. However, those of us who listened to the audiobook felt that it revealed some flaws in the writing that readers did not seem to feel, perhaps brought out by the sometimes confusing trifecta of narrators (it was often unclear the difference between the Coralie's perspective and the overall narrator) and some repetition in the recalling of the plot that seemed unnecessary and distracting.

While this book was overall some pretty serious literature, it was the lighter spots that endeared it to us, such as the love between Eddie and his dog, the fashionable and heavy set "wizard", and many of the descriptions of old Brooklyn and clothing of the day.  The food was rarely appetizing, alas.

Katie had a favorite line that resonates the spirit of the book so nicely: "He raised his eyes, as if I was a stranger. And in fact, I was." This book explores strangeness in many forms, but especially the strangeness we encounter in ourselves when the expectations of the world confound us and we seek to make new ways of living.

Dinner was lovely, as always:

Barbara – wine and chicken




Dawn – Pear Cobbler




Deanna - Ruebens and chips, pink lemonade

Heather McN – Mashed potatoes and meatball pizza. Lemonade and tea.








Katie S. – stuffed cabbage rolls, deli health salad, cheese/pear/bread.

Laura – Nuts and dried fruit, pesto pasta salad







Madeline - Cod with herb crust and sage butter.






Sunny S. – Watermelon

For July 8, 2015 we are reading Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish by Sue Bender.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

- DMR

An Edible History of Humanity

This month we read An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage. This was a bit drier fare than what we usual read and only a few people finished it. But for those of us who persevered, we were rewarded with all kinds of interesting information.

There were so many fascinating tidbits in here. Food cultivation has played such a big part in shaping civilization...everything to where we can live to how we wage wars.  We were especially intrigued by how hunter-gatherers enforced food sharing, and used humiliation techniques to keep equality and the group first.  And how some groups were so wary of obligation, that giving lavish gifts was frowned upon, but in other cultures this was expected and built upon.

Also of particular interest, was the history of the potato in France, and how royalty tried to encourage its popularity by wearing its flowers, serving it at feasts, and "guarding" the fields to make it look more desirable.

Another section that was really interesting is when the author challenged the concept of localvore diets superiority. Food miles are not always a good indicator of carbon load. We were really suprised to learn that lamb grown in New Zealand has lower carbon load even if shipped across the world, due to grass fed, unlike local lambs that are fed processed feed. Potato carbon footprint varies more depending if you cover the pan more than how far it travels!

One phrase that really resonates to day is "competition for resources tends to encourage over-exploitation." We really seem to be taking this to extremes, and it is only slightly reassuring that the author thinks world population will cap out in the next 100 year.

One last thing we talked about was the Buy Nothing Project, which is made up of Facebook groups all over the place, that people can join and share things they don't need...everything from furniture to leftover cookies!  You can find a group near you here!

As always, we had a wonderful meal:

 Katie S. – chili and
lemon rhubarb cake



Barbara – rice pudding

 Heather McN – turkey curry meatballs and yellow rice








Laura - banana nut bread

Madeline - Twice baked super cheesy potatoes

Dawn – Asian style green salad

Sunny S. – fruit salad

Katie W. – Headed to Boston for graduation! 

Next month we will be discussing The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman.  It takes place in Coney Island between the years 1911-1925. No sure what we are going to eat yet, but I expect there will be hot dogs!

Extra copies are available at the Mountlake Terrace Library.

See you soon,

Dawn

Blue Plate Special

This month we had a great discussion and super tasty meal around Blue Plate Special: an Autobiography of My Appetites by Kate Christensen.  This one had some pretty mixed reactions. A few people really liked it and found the author very easy relate to. Others had trouble connecting with her, and didn't find the food writing as appetizing as would have been hoped from the title.

Our first impressions of the book were also mixed. While more than one person said they could barely set it down and read it in just a few days, others found it to be a tougher read. The prologue definitely drew everyone in, seemingly starting out with they typical foodie memoir scene of a small child savoring a tasty treat...then the trauma starts. This had some of us "clenching my jaws" and feeling sorry for her, while others found her treatment enigmatic with lots of foreshadowing.  But this foreshadowing didn't always lead anywhere, and while she confesses a lot, there weren't enough details to draw everyone in.

When Christensen does go heavy on the details, that is where we really responded. Her writing could be really fun, such as on page 40 where she talks about being an omnivore and a glutton. The explanation of the blue plate special was really well received, as was how she used food for comfort. Many members related to her descriptions of hippie and/or space food from their own childhoods. And the shoplifting scene was a guilty pleasure read for many.

But despite some solid writing, the majority of us seemed uncomfortable with this book. The author seemed conflicted about everything, and often this read more as therapy notes than an engaging sharing. Her relationship with food was so out of balance. She claimed to get pleasure from it, but would put herself on horrible diets at the drop of a hat. Most troubling of all, was a perceived lack of empathy for others seen in so many parts of the book.

The food descriptions in the book were occasionally drool-worthy (the soft-boiled eggs of the opening, and when she travels to Mexico, France and Italy), but not consistently appetizing, reflecting her uncomfortable relationship with it at various points.

However, the book did inspire a very good meal for us:







Deanna - meatloaf and biscuits and ketchup


 

  

Heather McN – enchilada casserole, a Jello salad and real whipped cream with orange segments

 
Katie S. – southern green beans with bacon







Katie W. – tapioca pudding



Laura – strawberry rhubarb cake





Sonja – Spinach Pie #1
Dawn – Spinach Pie #2 (not pictured)




Sunny S. – Asian salad



And someone brought these strawberries with whipped cream and nuts.  Who was it?





Next month we are discussing An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage. There should be a few copies behind the desk at the Mountlake Terrace Library, plus a few more available in the catalog (including 3 large print).  If you want ebook or eaudio, you will need to go to Seattle Public. SPL and KCLS both have cds, too.

Looking forward to seeing you next month!