Monthly Archives: June 2012

Never Let Me Go

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On the last day of school, one of my favorite students (I know, no favorites, but how can it be helped?) walked up to me and handed me a little slip of paper with the words Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro written on it.  She was quick, not wanting the other students to see, but she said, “I know you’re going to like this book.”  I nodded a thank you, and tossed it on my desk.

After a year of reading everything I asked, I felt like I owed it to her to read this.  I made the mistake of looking the book up, and the reviews were mixed to say the least.  It seems like readers go in one direction or the other.  My student and I belong with the lovers of the book.  This book is incredible, and right up my Dystopian-filled alley.  It’s not necessarily about a future world; in fact, details of time are pretty vague.  It was first published in 2005, but the references feel dated.  For example, a cassette tape plays a prominent role in a portion of the story, so it is hard to say exactly what time it was set.

The interesting aspect of the book is the protagonist herself, Kathy.  The story is told entirely from her first-person perspective, and she is looking at her life in retrospect.  We experience her childhood, up until she is a young adult.  While some critics argue that the point of view is the downfall of the story, I feel like it really makes it.  She is far enough removed from most situations and can see how her decisions, reactions and words effected the outcome of her relationships.  She will start to talk about a situation, then backtrack and explain why particular conversations carried significance in the situation itself.

As a child, she went to a private school called Hailsham where she lived a seemingly normal life.  There is not a lot I can tell you about the story because the best part is the surprises that come along the way.  The less you know about this book going into it, the better.  The reader believes one thing, then is completely shocked to learn that nothing is as it seems.  Ever.

Some critics have called this book Science Fiction, and use that genre to further criticize the book.  I personally like that genre.  How can you argue with the great works of Kurt Vonnegut and Ray Bradbury?  You can’t.  If you like that genre, check out the book, but for everyone else- it is such a small part of the book, such a minuscule part of this beautiful story, don’t allow the genre to deter you from reading it.  Ultimately, it’s a story about love, acceptance and how the corruption and evil of humanity can effect us.  Is it a warning of a potential future?  Possibly.

Whether you like Dystopian lit, science fiction, or just plain good books, this is one that is worth your time.  Ignore the criticisms.  You don’t get onto Time’s list of 100 best novels without ruffling a few feathers.

Mer Rating: 9/10

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Handheld Caprese Salad

Posted in Appetizers, Food and Drink by

When trying to figure out a meal for my recent book club meeting, I was faced with a problem.  What on earth do you bring to a meeting where you’re discussing the memoir of a famed New York City chef, Garbrielle Hamilton entitled Blood, Bones and Butter?  I finally decided that since the author greatly appreciated simplicity when it comes to food, and spent a good portion of the book in Italy, Caprese Salad was a good choice.  I love the simply mix of tomato, mozzarella and basil, combined with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar topping.

Since the book was so heavily focused on food, I wanted my Caprese Salad to be a little different from the traditional.  I turned to my trusted website, Pinterest, and found lots of different people doing the salad like this.  It’s the perfect portion, and you get all the flavors easily into one bite!

Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

Posted in Food and Drink, Main Dishes, Pasta, So easy even Julie can do it! by

Best easy casserole ever!  I’ve probably made it 50 times.  So creamy, and preparation takes about 10 minutes, max.  It speaks for itself.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente
  • 2-3 cups cooked chicken
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 small can mushroom stems and pieces
  • 1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together except cheese in a casserole dish.  Top casserole with cheese.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Banana Pudding

Posted in Desserts, Food and Drink by

If you’re like me, you grew up eating banana pudding!  My grandmother used to make some for my dad’s birthday, and he would eat it at every meal until it was gone, including breakfast!  This isn’t exactly the same recipe, but it is delicious!  It’s a Paula Deen recipe (which I almost always love!) so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I made this version for my boyfriend’s half-birthday cake.  I know it’s strange to celebrate a half-birthday, but he was born on Christmas, so we celebrate it in June so he gets to feel special.  The tradition was started because I love celebrating my birthday, and felt bad that he didn’t get the same treatment.  We don’t do a party or anything, I just cook his favorite food (Mer’s Meatloaf) and whatever cake he’s expressed interest in recently.  This recipe is just so perfect, I had to share it with you.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box vanilla wafers
  • 4 bananas, sliced
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 (5 oz) package of vanilla pudding
  • 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened, condensed milk
  • 1 (12 oz) container of frozen whipping cream, thawed

Directions:

In a 13 by 9 baking dish, line the bottom with half the box of vanilla wafers.  Top with banana slices.

In a bowl, combine pudding and milk using a hand mixer.  In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese with condensed milk.  Fold the whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture.  Stir everything together.

Top with the remaining vanilla wafers.

Place in refrigerator until time to serve!  Enjoy!

Savages

Posted in Books by

This may become one of my new favorite authors.  Don Winslow’s new book Savages was difficult to put down!  I was first drawn to the book when I saw an ad for the movie directed by Oliver Stone.  The movie looked good, so I looked it up and learned that it used to be a book.  After reading the first chapter on my Kindle, I was intrigued by the lead female character being named after Hamlet’s Ophelia, then got so hooked I did nothing but read this book until it was finished.

The style of writing isn’t like anything I’ve read before.  There are almost 300 chapters, but they are very short, usually a couple of pages max, and sometimes just one sentence.  Not only are the chapters short, but the sentences are written in a staccato style that is quick and to the point.  I feel like making a comparison to Hemingway would be giving Winslow too much credit, but it helps explain what I mean by the brevity of the author.

My favorite part of Winslow’s writing was his frequent explanations of word etymology. Example: He “pointed toward Fun Dog.  Etymology: San Diego Sun Diego Sun Dog Fun Dog.”

My other favorite aspect was the frequent pop culture references.  Among the many included Field of Dreams, Hunter S. Thompson, Go Ask Alice, Heart of Darkness (although I think it might have been specifically Apocolypse Now,) Titanic, Shakespeare, and Tim O’Brien just to name a few.  The reason I like books like this is because like any pop culture recognition, it makes the reader feel “in the know” and if you don’t get it, it doesn’t matter, the story is still good.

The storyline itself follows two marijuana growers in California who end up being involved by force with the Baja Cartel.  I’m not going to give away too many details beyond that, but it was an exciting read from beginning to end.  It reminded me of a combination of Requiem for a Dream (one of the best books I’ve ever read) combined with a little bit of Bret Easton Ellis‘s southern-California cool.  The story is told from multiple perspectives, so the reader gets insight into the motivations and thoughts of everyone involved.

The Kindle version also included a few chapters from the prequel, The Kings of Cool which was just released this month.  Needless to say, I will be reading that asap.

Just like the book, I’m going to keep this review short, sweet and to the point.  If the premise sounds remotely interesting to you, I guarantee you will not be disappointed by this novel, especially the ending.

Mer Rating: 7/10

Tangy Avocado Corn Salad

Posted in Food and Drink, Healthy Choices, Side Dishes, Vegetables by

This recipe was put together based on my exhaustion driven trip to the grocery store.  I get back from a week long trip, go to school orientation, then work all day today.. all I wanted was a delicious, healthy dinner with fish.  I decided to take my first stab at grouper, which turned out pretty well, but is so basic I’m not going to write up a post (I’m talking salt, pepper, lemon butter sauce on 450 for 20 minutes basic.)

This, on the other hand, turned out great considering I unpacked the groceries when I got home and had no idea where to begin.  I had three ears of corn and two avocados.  While I love both of these ingredients, I felt a little stuck.  With a little creativity, I was able to create something I’ll definitely be making again!

Ingredients:

  • 3 ears of corn, cooked and cut off the cob
  • 2 avocados, sliced
  • 1/4 red onion, diced

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 4 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. cilantro paste
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt
  • salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients to create the sauce.  Stir well to loosen the cilantro paste.  Set aside.

To quickly make the corn, my mom recently taught me a little tip.  Just microwave the corn in the husks and they not only bake themselves, but are easier to peel!  Win-win in my book.  The length of time varies based on the amount of corn you have.  For three, it took 5 minutes.  For one I’d leave it in 2-3 minutes.  Use your judgment.  Cut the corn off the cob.

Cut the avocado into bite-sized pieces.  Mix in with corn.  Mix in diced onions.  Stir in sauce.

Puerto Rican Beverages

Posted in Drinks, Food and Drink by

My recent trip to Puerto Rico was primarily for relaxation… it was a very long school year!  While I did zipline, kayak to the bioluminescent bay, explore the UFO highway, and venture around every city I could, I still made time to try the recommended drinks at the different places I stayed.  They were pretty interesting, so I thought I’d share them with you!

First off, is the Pirate Punch, the specialty drink of Villa Confresi in Rincon, PR.  I tried one and was only able to finish 1/4 of it, and later that night I found out why!  One of the bartenders asked my boyfriend to help make a batch, and it was pretty crazy what was included.  The interesting thing is that they lop off the top of a coconut and serve the drink inside.  They then use the coconut juice from the coconut itself, mix it with equal parts white rum and dark rum, then add Carnation sweetened condensed milk.  Top with just a little cinnamon to get it just right!  They make it in bulk, so I saw them pour at least 8 bottles of rum into a big cooler.  This stuff was no joke!

Pirate Punch with the same drink on the side, just in case the coconut itself isn’t enough!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second, I had the best pina colada I’ve ever had in my life!  Imagine my excitement when I stumbled across the San Juan Culinary Arts Festival they have each year in the street.  I tasted some of the local favorites, like mofongo, then came across this delicious drink.  They core an entire pineapple and use the pineapple itself to make the drink.  They place the pineapple into a blender, then add rum.  That is all!  Of course, like my Pirate Punch, it was served in the pineapple itself.  Turns out I have a bit of a drink-my-drink-out-of-the-mixer fetish.

Street venders make the pina coladas

So happy to enjoy my festive drink!

Insta-Rico

Posted in My Life by

Here are a few of my favorite Instagram pictures from my trip to Puerto Rico!  Just wanted to share what I’ve been up to the past week.  I learned some cooking tips on my trip and read a couple of books, so those posts are coming soon!

Does anyone know what kind of tree this is? It was my favorite!

Enjoying white wine sangria and the view at Hotel San Juan!

Enjoying a sunset stroll in Rincon

Last sunset in San Juan

Chicken Pillows

Posted in Food and Drink, Main Dishes by

When I see a recipe on Pinterest with over 1000 pins- I know it has to be something special.  This is one of those.  It comes from the Chef in Training, and involves wrapping a crescent roll around creamy chicken.  Honestly, how bad can it be?  The ingredient list is extensive, but most of it is stuff you already have in your pantry!

This recipe is hearty, creamy and filling!  All I had to serve with it is some lite veggies.  A salad would have been great too!  I will say, a lot of the time my worst pictures are some of the best recipes… this is no exception!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tube crescent rolls (8 rolls)
  • 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 spoonfuls sour cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  Stir together softened cream cheese and butter.  Stir in chicken to the mixture.

Lay out crescent rolls.  There should be 8 total.  Spread out individual rolls to prepare for filling.  Place a couple of spoonfuls of chicken mixture into crescent roll and close.  This is the “pillow” from the recipe’s name.

In a separate bowl, place the egg and stir in a couple of spoonfuls of water.  Place each wrapped crescent into the egg mixture, then dip into the saltines to coat.  Place on cookie sheet and repeat until all “pillows” have been dipped.

Bake for 20 minutes (watch for browning.)

For the topping, mix the soup with the milk and heat until consistency thickens.  When hot enough, add the sour cream and the cheese, stir.  Serve on top of finished “pillows.”

Blood, Bones and Butter

Posted in Books by

I want to start by saying that I had pretty high expectations for this book.  First of all, I love memoirs.  Especially after reading the masterpiece that is Jeannette Wall’s The Glass Castle.  Secondly, I love food.  That is pretty obvious from the majority of this blog.  Lastly, I love food.  Did I already mention that?  OK, moving on.

Gabrielle Hamilton is many things- a chef of a successful restaurant, an accomplished author, and mother.  This is her first novel, and is told in the form of a memoir. She details her experiences with food throughout her life, and discusses how she came to open Prune, her restaurant in New York City.

Ultimately, I wish I could review this book in halves.  The first half is fantastic- everything you want in a book.  There are interesting stories and a cohesive storyline.  As the book continues, Hamilton starts to jump around.  I don’t want to give away too many plot points by going into detail, but the jumps in time are confusing and unnecessary.  The story easily could have been told in chronological order and been even better.

Any lover of food will enjoy the way in which she describes her cooking.  I can’t even begin to come close.  She does have a masters degree in writing, so her language is on point.  It’s elevated, many of her references being solely literary in nature, meaning you would never hear the word in day-to-day conversation, but might stumble upon it while discussing Joyce or Keats.

One thing I look for in a memoir is reflection.  The author needs to be far enough removed from the situation to look at it objectively- especially if the author is clearly the one at fault.  Hamilton does not allow herself this time.  She does not seem to recognize that she is at fault for many of the problems in her relationships.  At one point, she says that people can just tell that she is the owner of her restaurant by looking at her.  Something tells me that she refused to take advice from anyone- even her editor- when putting this memoir together.

Ultimately, when it comes to talking about food, Hamilton is eloquent and unique.  When it comes to writing about her relationships, she’s blunt and some may argue insensitive and selfish to a fault.  In the end, I’m dying to go to her 30-seater, wait for an hour just to sit down, restaurant and enjoy eggs hand-made by Hamilton in a Sunday brunch frenzy.

Overall Mer Rating: 5/10
First half of book: 7/10
Second half of book: 3/10