Book Club: The Sun Also Rises...

As usual, I failed to capture very many photographs of our wonderful Book Club. It is just so hard...especially when you're the host. It is so nice to be in the moment, away from distractions like television and telephones. We just sit and discuss books and life and feast on delicious food.

Anyway, here are the few shots I did manage to capture on my phone. Apologies for the darkness/graininess...it was a mostly candlelit affair.

Since The Sun Also Rises began in France, traveled to Spain, and ended in France, I decided this provided the perfect flow of appetizer to dinner to dessert! It also gave me many more options since the book was not very specific about what the characters ate. 

We started with a Pissaladiere and French 75's.

Next we enjoyed tapas for dinner including cheese, olives, bread, bacon wrapped dates, nuts, shrimp, rice, wine, and patatas alioli (which we actually forgot to put out but everyone got a bite to bring home!)

Finally, we ended with tartlettes aux framboises et amandes (raspberry and almond tartlets) and some cheesecake that Angela brought.

And things got a little heated this time around! Luckily there were no drunken rows ;) But we sure did UTILIZE!

Next up is Into the Wild. I can't wait!

Lately...

I've been a busy bee!

Celebrating my birthday and others'...

 Enjoying lovely San Diego...

Gearin' up for our next book club...

Working on my website...

Exploring How to Find Fulfilling Work...

Making lots of food...

Enjoying the lovely and strange nature surrounding my house...

Book Club...

Last summer I started a book club with my co-workers. It was something we had been meaning to do for a while, but no one ever quite got it up and running. So, I decided to take over and really jump in. I invited all my co-workers, chose a book, told them when we would meet, and waited it out.

The day of the first meeting I had several people drop out at the last minute and the group ended up being only five, including myself. But from that night on, our small party of five has developed into a marvelous mix.

We have made it full circle, all choosing a book, and it is back to my turn to host. Our meetings have been so much fun that I never even thought to photograph/share them, but I am hoping to start now.

A little more about the magical book nights we've shared so far...

1. The Kreutzer Sonata, Leo Tolstoy
Russian themed dinner at my house with pierogi, Russian spring punch, plov, salad olivier, and pashka, pashka.
We had very intriguing discussions on the meaning of love.

2. American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang
Dinner at Kimmy's house. We enjoyed orange chicken, fried rice, blueberry pie, and more.
We pondered issues of identity, heritage, and family.

3. Bonjour Tristesse, Francoise Sagan
We met at a coffee shop for Veronica's choice and enjoyed a variety of treats.
Our discussions included adolescence, love, family, death, and irresponsible living.

4. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
Our little apartment dinner hosted by Charles included incredible crab stuffed avocados, fried tofu, peanut sauce, mushroom puffs, bacon wrapped dates, and pink champagne.
We talked about the tiny parts of life that influence our mental sanity and well-being.

5. The Road, Cormac McCarthy
Angela prepared a lovely, yet disturbing meal of BBQ ribs, beans, cole slaw, and more was served in pie tins, mason jars, and metal cans. Dessert was canned-peach cobbler that was surprisingly delicious!
We discussed the despair and hope that accompany the end of the world as we know it.

Up next is...
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

See how it turns out (it's my turn to host again)...whenever we are all able to meet again!

Pear Galette...

I have made this delicious concoction on several occasions lately. It is ridiculously simple and just so good! My recipe was inspired by Rachel Khoo of The Little Paris Kitchen. She is an adorable British lady who moved to Paris to go to Le Cordon Bleu to become a pastry chef. From there she worked at La Cocotte, a parisian bookstore and tea salon, experimented with cooking and baking in her tiny apartment kitchen, hosted cooking classes, and wrote books. She calls herself a "food creative" and now does culinary projects around the world. She is overall a uniquely creative and inspiring lady and I have been enjoying her recipes very much! (Thanks to my lovely sister for the Christmas present!)

This recipe can be easily adjusted to make more or less...depending on how hungry you are! My proportions could feed two or three as part of a larger meal. Also, you can use any cheese you like...I've tried blue, goat, and gruyere and they are all delicious. 

Pear Galette

(adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen)

1 large pear

2 small potatoes

fontina cheese

olive oil

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Thinly slice the pears and remove seeds and stems. Thinly slice the potatoes.

Cut the cheese into cubes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Layer the pear and potatoes in two lines, alternating (see photos above!). Spread the cheese cubes on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. 

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

London Town...

Hello Again!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been up to quite a few mischievous antics lately.
The first I would like to share was a trip to London to visit my darling dearest seastar (sister, that is).

We went on so many adventures, it would bore you to death if I posted all 900 of my photos. And no, that is not an exaggeration! So here are some of my favorites...enjoy!

Ottolenghi was my favorite restaurant experience of the trip. It was my sister's too...in fact she told me it was her favorite three times just while we were waiting for a table and more again later (again, not an exaggeration).

The food was delicious, fresh, and bursting with flavor while maintaining an incredible lightness. I don't know how they do it!

Literary Adventures... On my journey, I wandered over to the famous Daunt Books. It was so beautiful and cozy inside and I couldn't help but pick up some new reads. My suitcase got quite a bit heavier on my way home due to my obsessive purchasing of books.

Another of my literary adventures was a trip to the Keats House. The house where John Keats met and fell in love with Fanny Brawne was lovely.

While my sister was at work, I wandered around town seeing the sights, having tea, reading in cafes, and shopping. Some of the places I went included the V&A, the Idler Academy, the British Library, the South Bank Book Market, Borough Market, and Portobello Road.

The last two adventures I would like to share were experiences with my sister. The first was a surprise. I was told to wear something 1920's ish...and that was all. We showed up at a little secret door and entered into a magical candlelit 1920's world. It was the Candlelight Club! And it was tons of fun...

Finally, on my last day in London, my sister and I went on a very random trip to the best preserved home from the Victorian Era, 18 Stafford Terrace. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed inside but I got a couple shots of the outside.

I had a super fantastic trip and was so glad to get to spend some time with my sister! Hope you enjoyed.