If I Should Die by Emily Dickenson

Happy Hallowe'en to all. I am sharing this poem by Emily Dickenson as it seems to fit the occasion, and I had reason to think about her recently, having watched a biopic about her and her short life in the beautiful town of Amherst. If I should die, And you should live, And time should gurgle on, And morn should beam, And noon should burn, As it has usual done; If birds should build as early, And bees as bustling go,— One might depart at option From enterprise below! ’T is sweet to know that stocks will stand When we with daisies lie, That commerce will continue, And trades as briskly fly. It makes the parting tranquil And keeps the soul serene, That gentlemen so sprightly Conduct the pleasing scene!

Vitrac, Aquitaine, France

If you are looking for a village to walk around in that is not a tourist strong hold, Vitrac is a good place to stop in. It is near many of the more often mentioned villages in the Dourdogne, and it has almost nothing in the way of cafes and stores. The largest building in town is a radiology imaging facility, with a large parking lot, and near the foot trail to the Montfort Castle.

This was a perfect medieval village, almost no modern buildings, and nothing to attract people to other than the gorgeous vistas and architectural features. It is mostly like the other towns we visited, witht he exception of nary a tour bus in sight. The church, Saint Martin, dates back to the 12th century, is beautifully preserved, and open to a respectful public.

It is not longer on the beaten track, but apparently was involved in some fighting during the Hundred Years War. The town is lovely to walk around in, even on a less than perfect day, and if you are there in the summer, it has a dock and place to canoe.

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)

We were surprised by how much we enjoyed the first of these movies, with Samuel Jackson and Ryan Reynolds having a reparte throughout where they were constantly shooting a t people and being shot at, all in the service of getting to the Hague on time to put a war criminal away for good. This one we watched at the beginning of a trans-Atlantic flight, which had all the hallmarks of enjoyment. We had been upgraded as a surprise last minute bonus, and starting off our first old style vacation since the pandemic started. That said, this movie was just okay. It is a straight ahead action adventure film, but the warm and fuzzy parts of it fell flatter and so if you are looking for anything more than a shoot 'em up movie, I would look further.

Ò Plaisir Des Sens, La Roque-Gageac, France

This restaurant was situated in a gorgeous location, the building itself quite beautiful, with a lovely courtyard, and the interior was also beautifully remodeled. The whole region has a lot of old and very old buildings, and the quality of the repair to this one is really quite well done, and the table setting and layout of the dining room matches that elegance.

This is a Michelin Bib restaurant that appears to be reaching for a star. The staff serrving us the day we were there were being precisely trained and there is a stiff formality to it that speaks to aiming a little higher. The food is presented well, and the freeze dried and shaved fois gras was spectacular, in that it did not have the texture that makes me struggle with it usually.

The meal was very delicious, not our favorite of the trip but one that was well worth the 35 Euro price tag. I loved both of the desserts, which were deconstructed versions of a traditional fruit dessert. Highly recommended if you have already eaten at nearby O Mouin and Le Belle Etoile, but are still looking for a good meal.

Dancing in the Mosque by Homeira Qaderi

This is a memoir, written by an Afghan woman who has ties to the University of Iowa as a graduate of the international writer's program, who is communicating with the son that she had to abandon in Afghanistan in order to have a life for herself. It is a book that is achingly sad, filled with all that you would imagine it would hold in terms of the prospects that women there face. It is true that the Taliban was a brutal part of Afghanistan's past and now it's present, but without them the country is still extremely restrictive for women. The author was a child during the Russian occupation, then lived under the Taliban, followed by the US occupation. This is all told without historical context, reading as a young girl growing up and coming to realizations about what was and was not possible, rather than as a polical commentary. It is said that Afghanistan is where empires go to die, that going back to the time of Alexander the Great there have been invaders on a regular basis but no other country has truly conquered them. That said, the women of Afghanistan have a potential that will remain untapped, unexplored, and leaving no hope for an economically independent country. The author has lobbied for foreign aid to be linked to women's human rights, but at the end of this book that seemed like a very distant goal indeed.

Domme, Dordogne, France

After leaving the market in Cénac-et-Saint-Julien we headed what felt like straight up hill, with many a hair pin turn, to the walled medieval city of Domme. I really wich it had not been pouring down rain, because it would have been fun to see the views from atop the hill. As it was we were surrounded with fog and for once I was happy that I am an over packer when it comes to rain gear and I had both a longish rain coat and an umbrella of adequate size.

When we entered one of the two access ways into the city we saw a parking space and took it immediately--all too often we have gotten ourselves into trouble on ever narrower streets and then we have no obvious way out--it turned out not to be necessary, because at the top of the town there was a big open space--probably where the weekly market sets up, and plenty of parking.

The stone that is seen in all these Dordogne River towns is the color of the cliffs, and I find it very warm and inviting, but the other thing that never gets old with me is the doors, and Domme had an abundance of beautiful doors, this being just one example.

A Quiet Passion (2016)

This is a movie that is not for everyone, just as its subject, Emily Dickenson and her poetry are also not for everyone. I think the story telling is both disjointed and at the same time probably pretty representative of Dickenson's life. A womanin the 19th century who had ambitions for herself needed either a special family who both got her and would support her, which Dickenson did not apparently have, or the resolve to go it alone, come hell or high water, whcih she very much appears to have had. So the story is told in fits and starts with some successes and a lot of adversity. At the core of the story telling is a clear love of the subject coming from those who participated, and it is streaming on Kanopy, so if you belong to a library you can have access to it.

Charcuterie Et Fromage, Perigord Noir, France

One thing that my spouse and I love to do is to go to outdoor weekly markets, and even though we are not cooking at all on these short trips, we do get fruits and cheese and charcuterie to eat in lieu of dinner. So on our first full day in the Dordogne we headed off to the closest town with a market on Monday, which was Cénac-et-Saint-Julien. There were several vendors who had their display cases on trailer beds, so they literally drive up and shop is more or less set up already. There was a seafood trailer, this one with cheese, another with fois gras and pates, a boulangerie on wheels, a boucherie, and the charcuterie trailer pictured below (as you can see, it was a chilly and also rainy morning).

We bought bread, some amazing strawberries, which the region is well known for and that are available through November typically, and cheese and salamis to have in the apartment we had rented for a few nights. The cheeses are all local--this is also a truffle region, and there are cheese with truffles and some with the local almonds, but my consitent favorite is the Rocamadour, named for a town in the Perigord that we missed (next time) and belongs to a family of goat cheeses called Cabécous. It is a very small whitish cheese (average weight 35 g) with a flat round shape. Rocamadour is usually sold very young after just 12-15 days of aging and is customarily consumed on hot toast or in salads. Rocamadour can be aged further, but why? It is so delicious soon after leaving the goat.

Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail

We are deep in the heart of fresh apple cider season, and what with the delta variant still keeping us mostly socializing outdoors, this is a nice seasonal cocktail to have on offer at your outdoor bar. 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) bourbon 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) apple cider 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) sweet vermouth ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lemon juice 1 dash orange bitters For the garnish: Apple slices (optional), sprig of thyme Combine the bourbon, cider, sweet vermouth and lemon juice in mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain it into cocktail glass. Add a dash of orange bitters and garnish with apple slices (if desired, spritz them with a little lemon juice to prevent browning).

Ô Moulin, Carsac-Aillac, France

This was our first lunch in Perigord Noir and it was a good one. Situated in a small town south but near to Sarlat, it is in a beautiful o;d building, sitting atop a stream, and in a medieval town that is lovely to drive through. It is a Michelin Gourmand Bib dwesignation, which in France is a new favorite. The fixed price meals are slightly smaller than a Michelin 1-star place, but very delicious and elegant, a good value. Pictured above is the amuse bouche, one of which had fois gras in it and that was a common theme in many of the menus because it is from the region.

For the starter I had a trout dish, pictured here, and my husband had a poached egg dish--I did not know it before hand, but poached eggs are also a specialty. The mains were delcicious--beef for him and steelhead trout for me, and we had a really nice cheese plate where all the cheeses are made in the Perigord, some of which have walnut in thenm, because that is another specialty. We would definitely return to this restaurant.

Bewilderment by Richard Powers

This is a story of a father and his neurodivergent son battling the harm we are doing our planet. The father, Theo Byrne, is a university astrobiologist, programming simulations of life on extrasolar planets, though his job takes second place to caring for Robin, his son. Robin is mourning the death of his mother, Alys, an environmental activist, in a car crash. He is intensely focused on the natural world, and prone to violent rages when thwarted or challenged. Bullied at school, he narrowly avoids expulsion after breaking the cheekbone of another boy by hitting him with his Thermos. The knife-edge of Robin’s moods is rendered with remarkable believability and sensitivity, and the love between son and father has an emotional truth and vividness that wrings the heart. But the focus is so tightly on these two, while the larger tragedy of a world increasingly poisoned and abused is so unremittingly pushed home. It is the gift that Powers has, of giving us the big picture while focusing on the narrowly told story. This is both beautiful and sad.

La Roque-Gagaec, Dordogne, France

The golden yellow houses with their traditional Perigord rooves, line the river and spread up the hill behind. This was our home base for the first half of our trip, and it is a beautiful setting. There are some very majestic houses here, but ours was quite modest. We were sandwiched between Le Belle Etoile Hotel and the troglodyte fort, which is set in the cliffs 40 metres above La Roque Gageac, as well as significant vestiges of the 12th century construction are still standing. The strong defensive position of La Roque Gageac and the fortress whose defences continued to be elaborated up to the 17th century meant that it held an important strategic and defensive position in the area.

The streets were crushed with tourists all day long, but early in the morning and in the evening there is nary a soul about and we sat on the side of the Dordogne River reading and doing a modest amount of people watching. Really a lovely place.

Black Widow (2021)

While this movie got decent reviews, and may have grabbed even more headlines when Scarlet Johannsen sued Disney related to the release of the movie, I did not care for it. Maybe I just do not get the Marvel universe, that is entirely possible. The movie revolves around family and loyalty. Natasha Romanoff is on the run from one makeshift family when she’s thrust back into the arms of another. The film opens with a scene right out of “The Americans” as it’s revealed that a young Natasha and her sister Yelena (played by Florence Pugh) had a brief life in Ohio under parental figures Alexei (David Harbour) and Melina (Rachel Weisz). They seemed like a normal family, but ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ were really Russian spies, and the girls were only being prepped for their coming induction in a super soldier program back in the homeland. Yelena becomes and elite killing machine while Natasha becomes an Avenger, but they get together again with a mission to destroy the program they were part of as well as the brains behind it. There is a lot of girl power on display here, but for me, it wasn't enough.

Le Cheval Noir, Argenton-Sur-Creuse, France

When the first meal in a country goes well, it sets a nice tone for the rest of the trip. Often we do not do sure a great job of making that happen. We are exhausted (this trip was no exception--we even napped a bit after we checked in to our hotel before getting up to explore the town) and our judgement is not always the best. I hadn't even scoped out what might be open on Sunday at lunch time, so unprepared for this trip was I. Luckily none of that mattered. We found a Michelin plate restaurant open and were the last diners sat.

The fixed price menu for 35 Euros became a theme this trip, and it started here. The starter for me (pictured above) was spectacular--perfectly poached shrimp and scallops in a saffron flavored cream sauce, was incredibly delicious. My spouse had fois gras stuffed ravioli with a muchroom sauce that was equally amazing, and the main courses came with the classic French mashed potatoes that seem to be equal parts butter, cream, and potatoes, that is how rich and delicious they taste. We could not manage to eat the cheese course that followed, so we got an aller container that was so perfect that we used it up to the last meal we had in France. Recommended!

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

I loved this book, which was long listed for the Booker prize this year, but did not make the cut for the short list. It is an interwoven tale that spans decades in scope, and successfully grapples with love, loss, redemption, and what it means to be part of a family and a community. The later is so relevant when it comes to how various communities and countries have navigated COVID, and this really hit the spot for me. The book is told from three different points of view. Elizabeth Orchard, ailing and hospitalized far from Solace. She is a relative newcomer to town, having come to live with her sister, and now she lays dying. She’s asked Clara, a child who resides across the street, to care for Moses, her cat. From home, Clara is happily dutiful; not only does she relish the responsibility, but she welcomes the distraction: 12 days earlier Rose, her rebellious older sister, ran away from home. Rose hasn’t been heard from since. Nearly eight, Clara’s frantic with worry and has convinced herself that keeping watch on the neighbouring house will secure Rose’s safe return. The third leg of the tale is Liam, who Mrs. Orchard is seeking to make amends to by leaving everything she has to him. She tried save him once before, and she is working to do so again. I don't want to give much away, but it is a deftly told story you will be happy you read.

Argenton-Sur-Creuse, France

En route to our vaction in the Perigord region of France, we made a slight detour to this town, located on the Creuse River in the Loire region. Our original plans were to take a train to Bergerac, allowing us to snooze a bit after our trans-Atlantic flight, and end the day biggest town in the Perigord Noir. Every travel sight I haunted mentioned the uncharming terrain and the ease of a train for transport. It made sense but it was not to be.

The rise of the delta variant made us pause, wanting to avoid too much contact with a lot of people, as well as requiring an additional 2/3 of a day masked up. So looking at something about 1/2 way between Paris and Sarlat, something convenient to the A20 as well, I came upon this really lovely and charming town. It was settled before the Romans invaded (that site is a bit north of the city and will be saved for a future visit), it is largely a medieval town with two bridges crossing the river and lots of paths to walk along. Even our hotel was small and charming and has a wonderful view. I think there are dozens, if not hundreds of towns that we could have chosen, and that in itself is what I love about being in France, you don't have to be good or lucky, there are lots of great options, and this is definitely one of them.

Junction, Essex Junction, VT

I would say that this restaurant thought more of itself than I did, and while the food was good, it was not knock your socks off good, and it was expensive. It is nestled in a complex that used to house the New England Culinary Institute, and now houses a hotel that offers cooking classes on site. The setting is beautiful, nestled in a town that abuts Burlington, and on a substantial grounds. There was a broad selection of seafood on offer, which is nive, because while Vermont does not touch the ocean (it's neighbor to the east, New Hampshire, barely has a coast), it is not very far from one and that was a real plus. If the food was more affordable, I would consider going back, but even then, there are other options.

Cruella (2021)

I watched this on a trans-Atlantic flight, which is always makes me a bit generous in my assessment of the worth of a movie (captive audience and all), but I enjoyed this. The cynical amongst us would note that there really is no need to know Cruella's back story, and that this is just a way to generate a movie without having to delve too deeply into the creation of a new character, but then that is a lot of what Disney is all about. The truth is just what you would suspect, that in order to end up at the point where one would consider making coats for humans out of a coat of a dog would have come from a traumatic childhood. Just how traumatic is what unfolds over the course of the movie, starting early on with witnessing the death of her mother, and finding herslef alone on the streets of London as a child without a cent to her name or a skill to go with it. There are two great Emma's (Emma Thompson and Emma Stone) and they both do well with what they are given, and I enjoyed this.

Travel in the Age of COVID--The French Version

I am newly home from a ten day trip to france and while it is certainly still possible that I might have gotten COVID while I was gone, France is certainly doing a good job of making both it's citizens and it's visitors feel like the risks are minimized. I was very trepidatious about traveling abroad. I was fretting and I am not one to do a whole lot of fretting. One of my friends noted it as being unlike me, what exactly was I afraid of? And what would help me to feel better? If it had been up to me, I would have stayed in the US, vacationed somewhere, to be sure, but close enough to get home without much fuss. My spouse, on the other hand, was adamant. He needed a vacation that approximated a pre-COVID vacation, and because I love him, I agreed. That did not mean that I planned. Oh no, we were still booking accomodations after we landed, but go we did. France is higly vaccinated, far more so than the US, and in order to go into a public building or a restaurant you needed to display your helath pass, issued by the government after reviewing your evidence of vaccination. They QR code is scanned at every place you enter--wearing a mask-- and so in many ways, I felt safer than I have any reason to feel at home. It was a breath of fresh air to see people masking up and protecting each other.

Frida Kahlo, The Early Work

I really enjoyed an exhibit that I went to last month that featured quite a few of the artist's early works. I almost skipped it, thinking it was kind of an expensive exhibit entry price, and that COVID numbers were rising--are Frida Kahlo fans more likely to bbe vaccinated actually crossed my mind--welcome to the pandemic and the continuing realization that some people really cannot think for themselves or sift through facts. But I am glad that I decided to put a medical mask on, pony up the entry fee, because this small and concise examination of her early work points directly to her later and more famous works. She was a beautiful woman who thought she was ugly from an early age, and that sympathy with the grotesqueis a hallmark of her work, and that is true even at the beginning. She is endlessly fascinating and I would encourage seeking out her work where it is shown. It will get you thinking, which is usually a good thing.

Frida Kahlo Clothing

I was at an art exhibit of Frida Kahlo's early work recently and the companion exhibit that was set, dresses derived from the matriarchal society located in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in Oaxaca State where she was from. The style featured full skirts, embroidered blouses, and elaborate hairstyles, and when Kahlo combined these indigenous garments with the contemporary elements of her wardrobe, the result showcased her cross-cultural identity, and honored Mexican women of the past and present. She was the daughter of a German-Hungarian father and a half Spanish, half indigenous Tehuana mother, she was a proud mestiza, "mixed race woman," from the start, and during her contentious relationship with fellow painter, Diego Rivera, he encouraged her to embrace that part of her heritage. The clothing are works of art and craft mixed together and worn rather than exhibited, and it is a part of Kahlo that I have alwasy loved.

Coconut Carrot Cake

My recommendation is that you watch the GBBO, preferrably binge watch a couple of seasons and then you will be ready to make this cake. Browning the butter and fussing with white chocolate for the frosting will not seem like a big to do. And you will be happy with both results. 17 tablespoons (8.5 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan 2 tablespoons honey 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 4 1/4 cups loosely packed grated carrots (about 1.1 pounds) 1 tablespoon finely grated, peeled ginger For Garnish: 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds For Frosting: 12 ounces blond chocolate (preferably Valrhona Dulcey) or white chocolate, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream 1/2 cup granulated sugar 14.1 ounces full-fat cream cheese 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon To make the cake layers: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until the milk solids brown and the butter is golden, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and watching it closely toward the end to prevent scorching. Scrape the browned butter and milk solids into a small heatproof bowl, stir in the honey, and let cool completely. Meanwhile, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If your oven isn’t wide enough to accommodate two pans side by side, adjust two racks just above and below the middle. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment rounds, and wrap dampened cake strips (or undampened silicone ones) around the pans if you have them. (Note: They help keep the sides of the pan cool, allowing the sides and top of the cake to rise at the same speed, resulting in a level top.) In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until the sugar dissolves and the whisk begins to leave a trail as it mixes, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running, add the browned butter mixture in a steady stream and beat until blended. Add the flour mixture in three equal parts, beating at the lowest speed just until incorporated after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the carrots and grated ginger with a large silicon spatula. Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans (about 26.5 ounces each) and level it with a small offset spatula. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating pans top to bottom after 20 minutes if they are on different levels. Set the pans on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Leave the oven on. To make the garnish: Spread out the seeds on an unlined baking sheet in a single layer and bake until they are fragrant and the skins are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately transfer the toasted seeds to a plate to cool. To unmold cakes: Pressing firmly against the pans, run a small knife around the edges to loosen the cakes, invert onto wire racks, and remove the parchments. Invert the layers a second time onto the racks and let cool completely. (The cakes will keep, wrapped airtight, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.) To make the frosting: In a medium heat-proof bowl set over a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, heat the cream and sugar until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the pan and add the hot cream mixture, cream cheese, and cinnamon. Blend with an immersion blender (or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade) until smooth. You will have about 4 cups of frosting. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before using to allow to thicken. (The frosting will keep, wrapped airtight, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Whisk chilled frosting until smooth before using.) To assemble the cake: With a large serrated knife, trim away the thin, soft crusts from the tops of the cakes. Dab a bit of frosting in the center of a serving plate to prevent the cake from sliding and center a cake layer over it, cut side up. Slide wide strips of parchment paper beneath the cake on all sides to protect the plate. Put 1 cup (8.5 ounces) of frosting on the cake and spread it with a large offset spatula evenly over the cake, going just past the edge. Place the second layer on top, cut side down. Put 1 cup of frosting on top and again spread it evenly over the cake, going just past the edge. Cover the sides of the cake evenly with remaining 2 cups of frosting. Carefully slide the parchment strips out from under the cake. Arrange toasted pumpkin seeds along the top edge of the cake, pressing them gently into the frosting to secure them in place. Cover the cake with an aluminum foil tend, poking holes in the foil with a fork to prevent condensation, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. For Bundt cake version: This carrot cake also can be made in a 10-cup Bundt pan. Generously butter the pan, and pour in the cake batter. Bake on a rack in the lower third of a preheated 350-degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes. Remove pan to a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely. Using a cake lifter, transfer the cake to a serving plate, and serve.

The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr

This is the second book this month that I have read that reimagines a past in the antebellum American South, and both of them have an underlying gay theme. In this one, there is a tie to pre-colonial Africa, and in particular to a religion where Black queer lives are revered rather than reviled. This was long listed for the National Book award, the other longlisted for the Booker Prize, so the themes here are getting a broader audience. At the center of this book is a love story between two enslaved men, Samuel and Isaiah, who dare flout their owners’ intended use of them for breeding by choosing to love each other instead. Their relationship sets off a chain of events on the aptly named Empty plantation in Mississippi, including the malicious interference by a jealous older man who claims to preach the gospel. The book also conjures a mythical African kingdom ruled by a female king where same-sex desire is honored. In a gesture that acknowledges the historically fraught relationship between Black LGBTQ communities and the Christian church, the book’s chapter titles alternate between the characters’ names and the names of books of the Bible. It is a well written first book for the author.

Oakes and Evelyn, Montpelier, VT

On my recent trip to Vermont we explored some new restaurants in central Vermont. We were spurred on by a couple of things. One was that a favorite place had no reservations and another was closed for the week. Less wonderful is that some places were shuttered permanently. It is true that no one person can keep a place open, and the intermittent visitor, such as myself, is even less helpful, but it is yet another reminder of what the pandemic has cost all of us beyond the loss of life.

The New England Culinary Institute has also shuttered it's doors in Montpelier, but two of it's graduates opened this restaurant and that is a good thing. There is a lot of seafood on the menu, and if you eat octopus, the small plate of that is highly recommended. The other real highlight was the gnocchi. Do not make the mistake we did of getting the small order. These light, pillowy version of a classic were someof the best I have had, and inspired us to try again to make them at home. So so good.

Hand Mixed Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are hand mixed--which Genieveve Ko contends makes the cookies crisper on the edges and more tender in the middle. You also make them smaller, so they can let more people try them more times. I see them as a good recipe to take for a pandemic family trip, where you rent a house and cook for yourselves but you are at the mercy of what the kitchen has. You can buy a cookie sheet if need be (I never do this, but I should really look at how far the Airbnb is from a thrift store and a good market as much as gauging the view), but you are unlikely to buy a mixer. ¾ cup/100 grams all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 8 tablespoons/114 grams unsalted butter, softened ½ cup/94 grams packed brown sugar ¼ cup/59 grams granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 ¼ cups/134 grams old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup/189 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips ½ cup/63 grams chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Mix the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until creamy. Beat in the egg until incorporated, then stir in the cream and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and gently stir until no traces of flour remain. Add the oats, chocolate chips and nuts (if using), and fold until evenly distributed. Loosely scoop a rounded ball of dough using a measuring tablespoon or small cookie scoop and drop onto a prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls 2 inches apart. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Let me start off by saying that this is only the third book by this author that I have read, and that represents only a small percentage of her oeuvre. This is important because I may have initially stumbled onto a book which isn't really what she usually does. This book, unlike The Nightingale, has characters that are almost all good or almost all bad. There is not a lot of in between about them, which is something that is both less appealing to me and also not much like the way most humans are. Other than that, this is a well told story. This book is set in the time and place of the Dust Bowl, and the main characters are appealing and the story is compelling, all the more so because it resonates with what we know about history, as well as fiction written in this era that precedes this book. It weaves in some of what led up to the move westward during the Depression, and without saying so, gives the reader something to thing about as we continue to face immigration and what to do about it.

An Impossible Love (2018)

I watched this on Kanopy, which is a streaming service that your library might subscribe to, and has some really great films you might not find another way. This is French story of lust, which leads to a mother-daughter story. It has the erotic intensity of a love story and the pathos of a coming-of-age saga, but with a much darker, messier, and more unresolved segue than is strictly traditional in either genre. Christine and Phillipe meet and become involved. It is mid-twentieth century France, and he is very classist, clear that he would find her more marriage material if she had money, is she sure her father doesn't have any? Jews always hide their wealth. At which point she should have kicked him to the curb, but she doesn't, she can't, and over a very long time, she comes to really regret that. The movie has a lot of psychological depth, and the story is deftly told. This is far more than a sincle mother raising her duaghter alone to adulthood, it has a lot to think about wrapped in a 120 minutes.

Korean Style Beef Bowl

Early in the pandemic, when it looked like there might be shortages of some things, my household went wildly different directions. I stocked up on dried legumes--there was no way I was going to do without lentils and chickpeas and pinto beans for months on end. My husband, in contrast, got a cow. And when he found out that we did not have the open freezer space to manage that sort of a purchase, he got cracking on finding us a used one. The new ones at that point were on a six month wish list, and so that is how we went on a very rewarding quest for different and interesting recipes for ground beef, amongst which this is one. Easy weeknight nothing fancy but delicious and kid friendly. 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, or more to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound ground beef 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. Stir in soy sauce mixture and green onions until well combined, allowing to simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired.

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

This is a well written book that focuses on two recently freed slaves in a southern location immediately after the war. There had to have been a lot of temptation to make this horrifying, and with a couple of sections as exceptions, it really is not that. There is plenty of open racism, but it is balanced by characters who are working to rebuild in a way that treats those who were enslaved fairly. I have not read a lot about early Resonstruction, neither fiction nor non-fiction, and there is a lot to think about in this book. Two people die but the violence is minimal, and there is a sweetness in the writing that is such that I already want to read the author's next book. Every ending suffers in the aftermath of reading Great Circle, and this one is no exeption, but besides that it is an excellent book.

A Little Chaos (2014)

Oh my gosh I loved this movie, which is direected and acted in by Alan Rickman. I found it filed under period pieces on my Netflix home page, and hesitated slightly because the lead actress is Kate Winslet, who I just saw play Mary Anning in Ammonite. This is a totally different character. She plays an independent, slightly damaged, complex, compelling, captivating, strong, and creative woman. She is stunning in this, and I loved having her at the center of the entire story. Rickman - may he rest in peace - was so very respectful of women and women characters, and it really shows in this small and quiet movie. The period it is set in is the reign of Louis XIV and the time is the building of Versailles. Rickman is the king, Matthias Achoenaerts is his landscape designer and Winslet is the woman he hires because her designs are more radical and less balanced than his. He respects her before he loves her and the romance between them is light and organic, kind of in the usual British fashion. The outdoor spaces are gorgeous (I am a non-gardener--there may be thiings that are totally off kilter if you acatually know what they are talking about) and it was a really lovely movie to watch.

Charred Corn and Arugula Salad

The corn season is in the rear window, but luckily, I saved a fair bit of it when it was cheap and plentiful. This recipe is a variation on one from the cookbook, Cook With Me, and if your corn was frozen by you you can skip the adding brown sugar part. 1 cup of corn, charred up in butter 1 Tbs. dark brown sugar salt and pepper to taste, both dressing and corn 2 cups arugula (more, if you like) 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar 2 Tbs. olive oil Spritz it with a lemon wedge or two. Trim kernels from corn. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add butter. Add corn kernels and sugar, stirring to coat. Add salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup water. Reduce heat to low; cook 10-12 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a serving bowl; cool 5 minutes. Stir in arugula and lemon juice. Drizzle with vinigrette.