The Other Books I Read this Year

Okay so I really dropped the ball on blogging about the books I was reading this summer. Perhaps planning a wedding has gotten in the way of blogging and of life in general. But I DID read 26 books this year. And here they are:

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2. World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
12. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
13. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
14. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

16. Joyland by Stephen King
17. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
18. If I Stay by Gayle Foreman

19. The Stranger by Albert Camus

20. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

21. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
22. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 
23. The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini
24. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
25. Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro
26. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

I read a lot of great books this year, and I read possibly an equal amount of crap. Rather than backtracking and reviewing them all, let me just hit the high and low points.

The winners in the must-read, life-altering category: MaddAddam trilogy, which like all of Margaret Atwood's work will make you question your own present as well as humanity's future. And Middlesex which helped me understand what it is like to be two conflicting people at the same time.

The winner for pertinent non-fiction book with real-world applications: Lean In. (Sit at the table ladies. You belong there.)

The winners in the page-turning category: Where'd You Go Bernadette for the most fun; The Kite Runner for the saddest with the best life lessons; and Flowers in the Attic for the biggest gross-out factor.

The most predictably terrible book award goes to The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Why did I even bother with that one?

And the most disappointingly terrible book that I thought I would enjoy goes to The Book Thief. What a waste of an interesting idea.

And the rest! Sorry I didn't get to review each of them. But I'm looking forward to starting on 27 great new books next year!

If I Stay...Through the End of this Book

Okay, fine. It's a young adult book. But as The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games and so many others have proven, you can write legitimate fiction even if it is geared at young adults. This book, wasn't that.

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2. World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
12. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
13. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
14. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

16. Joyland by Stephen King
17. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
18. If I Stay by Gayle Foreman

If I Stay is the story of 17-year-old Mia who in the first few pages of the book gets in a car accident with her parents and younger brother. The majority of the novel takes places from Mia's point of view as she lays in a coma in the hospital, watching from outside of her sleeping body. Mia overhears one of the nurses say that doctors have done what they can for her and whether she will live or die at this point is essentially.

She makes her decision based on what her family and friends and oh-so-dreamy boyfriend say to her, as well as through remembering the past and imaging what her future would be like, if she stays.

Obviously this premise requires a certain amount of buy-in from the reader. And I'm all in the supernatural, the paranormal, the question of what happens after we die, whatever you want to call it. But when I'm stretching myself so thin, there is only so much more implausibility I can take. And this book pushes me past my limit.

Most 17-year-old girls are not Julliard-level cello players, for example. There are very few in existence, compared to the general population. Similarly, most 17-year-old girls do not get along so swimmingly with their parents. From page one I was nearly gagging on the sweetness of the love between Mia and her rock-and-roll family.

Most 17-year-old girls also do not have boyfriends who play in bands that are actually reasonably successful. And zero teenage boys would ever consent to naming said band "Shooting Star." That sounds like the name of a band I would make up when I was five. The drummer would be Mr. Bear and the lead singer would be my Fischer Price tape recorder playing "The Wheels on the Bus."

I could perhaps take any one of these points separately. But together it just adds up to bad writing. The characters aren't believable and if I don't believe that they could be real why should I care what happens to them? By the end of this cringe-worthy (harsh but true) novel I could only wish for Mia to make her decision so I could get on with my own life.

I've seen reviews comparing this book to The Lovely Bones. Both (meant to be) unimaginably tragic and heart-wrenching, both narrated by young girls who have become ghosts. The main difference being that The Lovely Bones is actually good. Read that one instead.  

Oh, and I can't wait for the movie.

Middlesex

I feel so many feelings about this book. As Calliope, Callie, Cal goes on an emotional -- and at times physical -- journey, so does the reader. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time, the stunning and Pulitzer prize winning second novel of the writer of another of my favorites, The Virgin Suicides. 

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2. World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
12. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
13. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
14. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

16. Joyland by Stephen King
17. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Our narrator, from the time he is telling the story, is Cal Stephanides. The story is told in retrospect, starting not just from the beginning of Cal's life but from the middle of his grandparents' life. The history aspect can at times be difficult to get through, but by the end you will realize the reason for the epic tale.

Raised as a girl through a somewhat-difficult-to-believe oversight on the part of Callie's doctor, Callie actually has the genitals of both a male and a female. As she grows into a teen, she finds herself to be attracted to other girls- heartbreakingly, to her aloof and fragile best friend "the Obscure Object"- and assumes herself to be a lesbian. After a tractor accident sends her to the ER, Callie's unique characteristics are discovered. Though a specialist identifies her as a female based on certain characteristics, Cal realizes he is a man and runs away to start his new life.

Calliope's journey to Cal is unlike anything I have ever read.  I was amazed at how deftly Eugenides was able to make the character come to life, make him so sympathetic and alive that I was totally able throughout the book to understand the two competing persons within Cal. She was a woman, but he was also a man.

Though at times quite graphic in terms of the physical aspects of Cal's situation, I still felt it was handled with sensitivity and nothing that was included was unnecessary (except, perhaps a few pages of Greek history).

The number of themes examined at length in the book are too many to count (as evidenced, among other places, in the length of its Wikipedia article). Gender identity, of course. Nature versus nurture. The relationship between gender and sexuality. Homosexuality versus heterosexuality. Even emigration and cultural identity. All woven together in a delightfully rich tapestry of a novel full of enough surprises to keep you turning the page.

Admittedly, reading this novel is a "ponderous" undertaking. But I know that my perspective on some of the ponderous issues it addresses has forever been shifted. And to me, that's the mark of a great novel.

Joyland: A Stephen King Novel for the Mystery-Lover

I know, I know. Two Stephen King novels in one year. I should diversify. But this one isn't your typical Stephen King "horror" novel; it falls under the genre of "mystery." 

Okay, it's basically a mysterious horror novel. 

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2. World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
12. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
13. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
14. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

16. Joyland by Stephen King

Joyland is the story of Devin Jones and the summer he spends working at a North Carolina amusement park. Devin visits the resident fortune teller who predicts he will meet two children- a girl with a red hat and a boy with a dog. His journey toward meeting them both is half of the mystery of the book.

The second half of the mystery revolves around the murder of a young girl at the park many years ago, whose ghost now supposedly haunts the haunted house where she was murdered. This being a Stephen King novel, you can expect a spectacularly supernatural reveal and an exciting and highly unlikely twist.

If you are a die-hard Stephen King lover, this will probably not be your favorite. It has more of a whodunit feel. The narrator is more your typical teenage boy than a middle-aged, tormented writer. Not to mention it doesn't take place in his signature small town in Maine.

If you're not big on Stephen King but the sound of an amusement park mystery appeals to you, then give this one a chance. It's only about 200 pages, so it has that going for it at the very least.

Harissa: Spicy Doesn't Begin to Describe It

One good thing about blogging about your experiences is that you get all your readers on your team. Friends have recommended movies or let me borrow books, helped me make pasta, or even just encouraged me and told me how I've encouraged them.

In this case, a friend brought a new food for me to try, all the way from Tunisia.

Try 26 New Foods:

1. Bison
2. Ethiopian Food
3. Oysters Rockefeller
4. Shark
5. Escargot
6. Frog legs
7. Chicken and Waffles
8. Hemp Vodka
9. Uni 
10. Beef Tongue
11. Amaranth
12. Bibimbap
13. Kimchi
14. Harissa

I had never heard of harissa until Chris brought us a can. Even though I figured it was a regional thing to the Middle East/North Africa, I was surprised to learn that it was specific to Tunisia. Harissa is a Tunisian chili paste made from roasted red peppers, hot peppers, and spices. Much  like a good marinara sauce, the recipes vary, but generally include garlic, coriander, cumin, and olive oil.

Ours came in a can and looked a lot like tomato paste.

 

A quick Google search directed me to this recipe- obviously highly exotic since it gives temperatures in Celsius.

The basic idea was just to rub a little harissa and oil on some chicken breasts, and roast them up with some tomatoes and olives.

The recipe turned out delicious, though the harissa was a bit more spicy than I expected. Luckily I served it with some non-spicy roasted potatoes. Next time, I'd probably use a thinner layer of harissa on the chicken.

The beautiful thing about trying new foods is that there really are things out there that you haven't tasted. That you can't even imagine the taste of. This was one of those things.

It was spicy, yes. It did have a sweet red pepper/tomato taste. It was smoky, likely from the cumin. But there was definitely an indescribable element to it, a depth that was surprising and delightful. I have definitely never tasted anything quite like it and I am excited for the chance to taste it again.

I'm pretty sure we can find it somewhere closer than Tunisia.

Update: Harissa has since been popularized by the fast-casual dining establishment Cava Mezze Grill. I highly recommend trying the restaurant, even if their harissa may be too spicy for you. 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

I'd heard about Where'd You Go Bernadette on a few lists recommending good summer reads for 2013. I didn't get around to it until a bit later, but I'd call it a good read for just about any time of year.

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2.World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
12. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
13. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
14. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Where'd You Go, Bernadette is the story of an eccentric ex-architect trapped in the world of perfect Seattle soccer-moms. Her only daughter, the genius and sweet-tempered Bee, and her Microsoft executive husband and kind-of-a-big-deal husband Elgin accept her for her eccentricities (such as purchasing a former school for her family to live in as a home), but the same can not be said for the other moms in the neighborhood.

After a series of escalating run-ins with a particularly gnat-like neighbor, Bernadette disappears. The novel is structured in part as a variety of emails and letters that Bee compiles to try and find her mother. A lot comes out in the search that explains some of Bernadette's most odd behavior.

This book was unique, fun and memorable. I don't always enjoy epistolary novels but I thought in this case it worked. There was enough variety and enough depth for me to follow along, and enough mystery to keep me reading.

I hate to say that I could relate to the bizarre Bernadette, but as a fellow artist with occasional eccentric tendencies I could certainly sympathize. And when it comes down to it, she is the best mother that she knows how to be, and her daughter loves her. So that makes it hard to view her as a villian-  at least entirely.

I also enjoyed the look at the private-school parents who were basically what you would expect them to be. And it presented an interesting look at Seattle, told from the perspective of the seemingly only person in the entire city who does not absolutely adore living there.

All in all, I'd recommend this book. It's a great read for the beach or a plane. Or just a rainy day, to get you in that Seattle spirit.

Corned Beef and Cabbage: Boiled Meat Never Tasted So Good

Even though Ron swears I have made this dish before, for a previous St. Patrick's Day, I don't believe him. And even if I have made it, I certainly didn't remember how to make it, so it still counts as a new recipe.

Master 10 New Recipes:
1. Pasta with Mushrooms and Thyme
2. Sriracha Peanut Butter Tofu
3. Fresh Pasta
4. Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned beef and cabbage is one of those things you probably think you don't like if you've never had it. I mean, its a big hunk of boiled meat. With cabbage, the world's smelliest vegetable.

But if you haven't had it, you should give it a try. Just make sure you are having it the RIGHT way.

First, pick out a good cut at the store.  It will be called "corned beef" and will be pre-seasoned or have a seasoning packet included. The best cut is called a "flat cut." What you are looking for is a lot of fat lines running throughout the entire cut, called "marbling," rather than just big hunks of fat in one area. The safest bet is usually just to go with the most expensive one you can find. Before St. Patty's they will be massively on sale anyway- I think we paid about $6 for three pounds.

Next, do not trim the fat before cooking. I admit I trimmed some of the top fat off of mine, but we are dieting and I felt guilty. But most of it will come right off after it is cooked.

Cut up some onions and line the bottom of the biggest pot you have with them. Put the corned beef on top, add the seasoning packet, and fill the pot with water so the meat is just covered.

Cover, bring it to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer for about an hour per pound. Just try to ignore the fact that it looks pretty disgusting at this point.





 After 2-3 hours start cutting up your potatoes and carrots. They only take about 20 minutes so add them to the pot when the meat is pretty much cooked. Cook at a simmer until the potatoes and carrots are just tender.

 

While this is happening, cut your cabbage into chunks- quarters or eighths will do.

Remove the meat when it is tender throughout- you may even have trouble getting it out in one chunk at this point. You should be able to pull it apart with a fork and not need a knife. Then add the cabbage in with the other vegetables.

This is why you needed "the biggest pot you can find." Keep stirring and it will cook down.

Trim the fat from the meat while the cabbage is cooking. It should come off pretty easily. Then, serve with the vegetables and a little of the broth to keep it hot.

And enjoy! The texture is somewhat like a tender pot roast, but the taste is tangier and somewhat vinegary. Some people like to make a Reuben-esque sandwich with rye bread, cabbage and Swiss cheese. I like to have mine with a little spicy mustard. But of course there is no wrong way to eat something this delicious.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds flat cut corned beef
2 onions
4 medium potatoes
1 lb baby carrots
1/2 head cabbage

1. Slice your onions and line the bottom of the biggest pot you have with them. Put the corned beef on top, add the seasoning packet, and fill the pot with water so the meat is just covered.
2. Cover, bring it to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer for about an hour per pound.
3. After 2-3 hours, when the meat is tender but not yet falling apart, add your potatoes and carrots to the pot. Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are just tender.
4. When the meat pulls apart with a fork, remove it from the pot and add the cabbage, cut into quarters or eighths. Cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Trim the fat from the meat and cut it to serve. Then add the vegetables and some broth on top.
6. Serve with a Guinness and some rye bread. And kiss an Irish person for inventing this delightful treat.

The MaddAddam Triolgy, by My Favorite Mad Eve

Margaret Atwood has got to be one of the greatest women Canada has ever produced (insert your choice of Canada jokes here, but I'm being totally sincere). She's just so damn smart. I felt that way when I wrote my thesis on her most popular novel, The Handmaid's Tale and last year when I read and reviewed Alias Grace. I felt that way when I was blessed to see her in person. And after finishing this trilogy it is one of many takeaways that I will try to briefly summarize here for you. Being only a fraction as intelligent I strongly recommend you read her work for yourself.

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2.World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo
12. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
13. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
14. MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood

I read Oryx and Crake in college in a class called "Apocalyptic Fiction" (yes, it was awesome). I didn't realize it was a trilogy until MaddAddam came out this year, so I had to read it again as a refresher.

It follows the story of "Snowman" (pre-apocalyptic name: Jimmy) coping as one of the last surviving humans in what seems to be the end of days. Jimmy's only companions are his charges, the "Children of Crake;" they are a new species created by his departed friend Crake and intended to replace humans who have destroyed the Earth.

I loved Oryx and Crake. It easily stands alone as its own novel and is probably the best of the three. It is both quiet and introspective, yet with bouts of explosive world-shattering excitement. Despite having read many books in this genre it showed me something I have never seen and made me ask questions I have never asked myself (such as: Do humans really deserve to live on this planet?)

The Year of the Flood is the second novel in the series by takes place at approximately parallel times to Oryx and Crake.  It details the rise of the "God's Gardner's," a fringe cult that is essentially trying to save the Earth from all the ways the humans are destroying it. It was a bit slower than Oryx and Crake and was literally and figuratively "preachy"-- Atwood often uses the cult leaders to espouse her own not-so-hidden agenda. What I liked about it was that it gave me a fuller picture of what happened in the world before, during and after the apocalyptic event.

Finally in MaddAddam we rejoin our friend Jimmy, aka Snowman, aka Snowman-the-Jimmy. I became quite attached to Jimmy and I was happy with how this installment treated him. However, I have to say I was expecting more of a grand "answer" after all the buildup in the first two novels. It was a lovely wrap-up but it didn't have the profound impact that the other two novels did.

Atwood darkly calls her work not science fiction, but "speculative fiction," and she is often much too accurate. The world of this trilogy is wrought with dramatically deadly weather, food that is created solely in labs, and economics reminiscent of the Middle Ages. I don't claim to know anything about, say, bioengineering, but she presents the events in the novel in such a way that they seem not only plausible but probable.

Perhaps you don't want to ask yourself whether the world would be better off without humans. But if you can stomach the thought, you'd probably enjoy this trilogy.

Making Pasta: Egg, Flour, and Sweat

I had mentioned to a friend and fellow amateur chef once that I had never made fresh pasta. This friend happens to be Italian and therefore a natural-born pasta maker. So when Ron and I decided to get together with Alan and his girlfriend Kristen for dinner one night, we realized it was the perfect opportunity for me to learn a new skill.

Master 10 New Recipes:

1. Pasta with Mushrooms and Thyme
2. Sriracha Peanut Butter Tofu
3. Fresh Pasta

I'll say this: it was hard work. Admittedly, we were cooking for six people, which is a lot. And I would probably improve my speed with more practice. But still, I'd say it took me about two hours total.

Was it worth it? Well, yes. Learning something new - especially in a subject you are passionate about, like me with cooking - is almost always worth the work. And yes, fresh pasta tastes better and in a way is a totally different experience than dried pasta. But like I told Ronnie, I probably won't be making it for him at home anytime soon.

Okay, onto the lesson.

First, clear off a large portion of your counter and get some eggs and some flour together. Honestly I don't think Alan measured anything but just kind of knew. Mario Batali suggests 3 1/2 cups flour and 4 eggs for 4 servings of pasta, so I'm sure it was somewhere around there.

Sift the flour onto a large cutting board or straight onto the counter into a mound, then dig out a little bowl to crack the eggs into (as pictured below). Next start whisking the flour into the eggs with a fork. Be careful not to break the rim of the flour bowl. After what seemed like about an hour of me doing this slowly Alan assisted me and finished whisking in about two seconds. One thing he did which I didn't think to do was actually move the flour to create a smaller bowl shape.

 Note the third ingredient in making pasta dough: wine.

Eventually it will come together into a knead-able dough. Knead it by gathering it together with your fingertips and then pressing it with the palms of your hands. At first the dough will likely be horribly sticky and half of it will be stuck to your fingers. You can resolve this by slowly kneading in more flour.

You should knead for a solid 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and "tacky" but no longer too sticky to handle. Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Now is a great time for a glass of wine and perhaps an appetizer.

Next, rolling out the dough. I assume every pasta maker and every noodle shape is different, so don't take this as an instruction manual. But what we did was cut about 1/4 or 1/5 of the dough off of the total, roll it out, and put it through the machine once on each thickness setting until we got to the thickness we wanted.

You can see it starts out fairly thick and short:

And ends up looking something like this:

Once it is at the desired thickness you can cut it into whatever noodle shape you choose. I believe we did a fettuccini noodle as that was one of the settings on their machine.

Cook time varies depending on the noodle, but it is much shorter than with dried pasta. I think for the fettuccini noodles we cooked them for about three minutes.

After all this work I had built up quite an appetite, and we all dug into the pasta before I had a chance to get a good shot. Here's what was left over:

Clearly it was delicious. This is something that every aspiring chef should know and I am glad to have this skill under my belt.

But I am also glad that someone invented dried pasta.

Kimchi, Bibimbap, and Metal Chopsticks

Living in Fairfax, Virginia has many advantages. Not only are we close to several metropolitan areas that have great restaurants, we also have a few of our own. Fairfax especially has a great Korean culture (though not as great as neighboring Annandale). So after living here for over four years it was about time we tried Korean for ourselves.

Try 26 New Foods:

1. Bison
2. Ethiopian Food
3. Oysters Rockefeller
4. Shark
5. Escargot
6. Frog legs
7. Chicken and Waffles
8. Hemp Vodka
9. Uni 
10. Beef Tongue
11. Amaranth
12. Bibimbap
13. Kimchi

I discovered Meega Korean BBQ through my close and personal friend, Yelp.com. Otherwise I probably never would have ventured into a restaurant that was in a strip mall next to an abandoned-K-Mart-turned-hooligan-hangout. It was my first time trying Korean, so luckily we were there with a friend who'd had it before. He recommended either the bulgogi or the bibimbap. Having recently entered a phase where I'm obsessed with runny egg yolks, I went with the latter.

Bibimbap is a rice dish usually topped with vegetables, chili paste, sliced meat and a fried egg. You mix the ingredients together before eating and the egg and chili paste create sort of a sauce. Mine was served in a hot stone bowl which kept it hot and delicious throughout the entire meal.

The taste was what I had been hoping for: full of that savory umami flavor. The ingredients are fairly simple on their own- delicious roasted veggies, nice tender beef, rich egg yolk. The chili paste is quite spicy but you can use your own discretion when mixing it in.

I also enjoyed the presentation of the meal which started with the presentation of many sides to share at the table. Most of them were kimchi, which I always thought only applied to cabbage but can apparently mean any fermented vegetable. I will admit that I did not like possibly any of them, but I enjoyed the opportunity to try so many different things. Some were unexpectedly crunchy or cold or hot- we just had no idea what we were trying. And that was half the fun.

If I had one complaint it would be the metal chopsticks! I understand that this is the traditional way to eat Korean food and read up on some reasons- more hygienic; lack of wood in Korea; I even read one article that claimed it started as a way for royalty to know whether their food was poisoned (as certain metals would react to certain poisons). I'm sure it would just take some getting used to, but I found them slippery, hard to use, and adding a slight tang to the food. Not to mention I kept leaving them against my hot stone bowl which meant they were hot when I picked them up again.

All in all I would definitely eat bibimbap again, and perhaps go back to try some other dishes. Although just thinking about all that MSG is making my heart race already.

Meat-Less Mondays: Sriracha Peanut Butter Tofu

Maybe tofu isn't the most carnivore-friendly food for those transitioning into eating less meat. But if you are adventurous enough to try tofu for the first time, this is a great recipe to do it with. The texture of the tofu is crispy and fluffy, and the flavorful sauce would taste good on really anything.

Sriracha Peanut Butter Tofu

(based on this recipe)

Ingredients:
14 oz. extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced lengthwise
Piece of ginger root, sliced
1/4 cup diagonally sliced green onions
2 cups cooked rice

Sauce Ingredients:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon Sriracha (more or less to taste)

Instructions:
1. Drain and blot the tofu to remove as much water as possible (further instructions here). Cut tofu into lengthwise strips about 1 inch wide.

2. Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, stock, and then add the Sriracha Sauce. Whisk thoroughly until peanut butter is mostly incorporated.
3. Heat you pan. Then add the peanut oil and heat about 30 seconds more. Add the sliced ginger and garlic and cook just until they are fragrant and slightly golden (about 30 seconds); then remove and discard. 

4. Add tofu pieces to the hot oil. Lower heat to medium high and cook, flipping occasionally, until the tofu is brown on both sides, about 7-8 minutes. 

5. When the tofu is done, add the sauce to the same pan and turn heat to low. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the tofu. Remove pan from the heat, transfer tofu pieces to a plate and pour sauce over the tofu and the rice. Garnish with green onion slices. Serve immediately.

It was so good I forgot to take a picture before taking a bite: 

White Noise, & Writing from the Sentence Up

You know that feeling you get about an author or from reading the synopsis of a book where you just know you are going to like it? And you know that feeling you get while reading said book where you keep thinking, there's something about this that I love, even though I can't quite put my finger on it? That's how I felt about this book. Somewhat like Tender is the Night, it was a little slow to get through, but there was just something that clicked with me.

(#1) Read 26 Books
1. Firestarter by Stephen King
2.World War Z by Max Brooks
3. Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
4. Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
5. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
7. Open House by Elizabeth Berg
8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. White Noise by Don DeLillo

We saw Don DeLillo speak at the National Book Festival. Admittedly I had never heard of him before and we were just there waiting for Margaret Atwood to come out (as I will describe in greater detail in my Margaret Atwood entry, coming soon!). But what a firecracker this guy was! In his late seventies, still gallivanting about the country to speak about his novels to readers who were surprisingly enraptured by him.

Many, many people stood up at the microphone (a feat DeLillo himself was unable to do, instead sitting and having a mic held up for him) and testified about how White Noise, Cosmopolis, and Underworld had changed their lives. Seemingly all were able to make clever inside jokes that drew harty laughs from  DeLillo and other fans.

I had to join this world.

So, a few days later at the library, I browsed under Don DeLillo and found White Noise. There was almost no description on the jacket, just a series of pictures that appeared to be about chemical spills and planes crashing. So I picked it up.

One thing I remember DeLillo saying in his interview, which I think really helps explain what this book is like, is that he writes from the sentence up. He has written whole books inspired by one really good sentence.

What this means for his novels is that if you pause and read each sentence slowly, carefully and thoughtfully, you will enjoy some excellent writing. The flip side of course being that this novel took me a really, really long time to read.

Still, I enjoyed the sardonic, almost Vonnegutian (ALMOST being the key word) postmodern humor of this story, centered around Jack Gladney the Hitler expert who doesn't speak German. It's about the modern family, made up of children of different marriages and the scattered trail of ex husbands and wives. Its about chemical spills and technological advances and simulations replacing reality.

Mostly, though, its about death. White Noise deals with death in an obsessive, frank and fascinating way. It acknowledges that death has a way of taking over life. And that none of our technological advances will ever be able to beat it.

Obviously when I say this novel is all about the sentences, I have to produces some examples. So I'll leave you with this one. If you're intrigued, this book is for you.

“I've got death inside me. It's just a question of whether or not I can outlive it.”