The Swan Gondola by Timothy Schaffert

The author is a native Nebraskan, and has chosen to set this novel at the Omaha World's Fair in 1898.  The setting is the still rural Midwest that is somewhat removed from the rapidly changing world on the brink of the 20th century.  It is a popular time to set a novel because of the second Industrial Revolution and the wave of immigration it brought to the northeastern United States, but this book is very much removed from that.  Instead, Nebraska is the scene of traveling circuses and carnival people.  Ferret Skerritt (say that out loud) is an orphaned and impoverished ventriloquist always on the lookout to make a quick buck from a vulnerable and unsuspecting rube who falls quickly and madly in love with Cecily.  Cecily is an actress herself, a new and unmarried mother with a precious daughter and a fondness for Ferritt.  In many ways it is unfortunate for both of them that the rich and reasonably charming Mr. Wakefield falls for Cecily.  Despite her strong emotional attachment to Ferritt, neither of them stands a chance against the persistent Mr. Wakefield, who is not only wealthy but also very willing to fight unfairly for what he wants.  The novel thing about the story is that it does not end with Cecily's premature death, nor does it end sadly.

Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is the classic make anytime comfort food that can be whipped up with a simple tomato soup and transport me back to my childhood (when in truth the soup was Campbell's,  the cheese was American, and the bread was nothing to write home about.  Thank goodness the 1950's are behind us).

This is a great technique with a secret ingredient that every experienced sandwich maker knows can add the umami needed to make a good sandwich great.

• 20 (1/2-inch-thick) slices rustic bread (from about 1 1/2 loaves)
• mayonnaise 
• 1 pound shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1. Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Place half of the bread slices on a work surface and spread with half of the mayonnaise. Flip the bread slices over and evenly divide the cheese among the slices.
3. Spread the remaining bread slices with the remaining mayonnaise and place them mayonnaise-side up over the cheese to form 10 sandwiches.
4. Heat a large nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium-low heat until hot, about 4 to 5 minutes. Place 2 to 3 of the sandwiches in the pan and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the cheese is starting to melt, about 5 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and cook until the second sides are golden brown and the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
5. When all the sandwiches are cooked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes before cutting each sandwich in half.

Dumplings in Xi'an

Xi'an is a wheat growing region in China and so while meals come with rice just as you would expect , but there are a lot of noodles and dumplings.  The hotel had a noodle soup station at the breakfast buffet, with a man who took a small wad of dough, repeatedly kneaded it, and then quite dramatically stretched it and stretched it into dozens of individual noodles.  The end product was the best noodle soup that I have ever had, but in truth, watching the noodles being made was even better.

Xi'an is known for it's uniquely shaped dumplings and we spent one night at a dumpling restaurant that highlighted that speciality.  The duck dumplings are in the shape of ducks, the ham dumplings are in the shape of pigs, and there are very elaborate versions of all the various meats and vegetables that the dumplings contain.  Sometimes they are better to look at than they are to eat, but the best combination is that they are both beautiful and delicious.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

This is an action movie first and foremost.  Anyone looking for something deeper should turn away.  However, as spy thrillers go, this is a bit of a cut above, perhaps owing to it's director, Kenneth Branagh and a solid cast of Chris Pine as Jack Ryan, Kiera Knightly as his fiance and reluctant co-conspirator, and Kevin Costner as the man who recruits Ryan for the CIA.

The character Jack Ryan was created by Tom Clancy, but this movie breaks from the previous Jack Ryan movies in that the story line is not based on a book and with a new portrayal of the character.  There are the inevitable improbable paths that the  story line goes down, there are elements of a good thriller.  Branagh makes a convincing bad guy vis-a-vis Chris Pine's pretty squeaky clean, brave, and terribly smart good guy.  The prevalence of U.S. surveillance capabilities in modern day Russia is perhaps overstating the actual case, but maybe that is naive of me.  The action propels you safely to the end of the movie, and overall it is enjoyable if not all that deep.

Kale and Feta

It is true, this has been a summer full of kale.  I came home from my CSA and got to work.  I shredded some cabbage, kohlrabi,  and carrot to make an Asian style slaw while my husband used our new cast iron grill pan to make all the summer squash into a dressed room temperature salad.   Then I tackled the kale.  This can be served room temperature or cold.  Perfect picnic food.

1 bunch kale, chiffoned
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c. spring onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup feta, crumbled

Steam or boil the kale until it is tender, then drain completely, and add to a bowl with the garlic and onion, and toss.  Add in feta.  At this point you have a lot of options.  In addition to squeezing a lemon over the dish and drizzling some olive oil, tossing in some chopped fresh herbs,  and salt and pepper to taste, you can mix in one of a few other things depending on where you want to take the flavor profile, including:

Olives
Diced Apples
Chopped Pecans

The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan

The recession has just hit a small community in Ireland, one of the countries who has struggled most in the Euro zone since the world wide financial collapse started a domino effect of misery.  Ryan's book is a series of linked stories with 21 voices that puts a face on that problem.

The book pieces together a fractured portrait of a community in shock. The local building firm that was the motor of its former roaring prosperity has collapsed, and crooked boss Pokey Burke has fled the country, leaving his employees betrayed as well as broke: here, the global crisis wears the face of your neighbor. His foreman Bobby, once the village's golden boy, is now the visible face of that abandonment.

We hear from builders and their wives, anxious mothers and fathers, young people looking for a better life elsewhere, a prostitute who has seen the class of her clients take a nosedive, a child who reflects the world of the parent in a heartbreaking way.  In fact, the whole book is heartbreaking with a remarkably light touch (and it weighs in a well under 200 pages, so an afternoon read).  The tone is conversational and people are for the most part trying to tell their stories.  Coping exceeds whining, but the long range outlook remains bleak.

Veronica Mars (2014)

I have been almost completely divorced from popular culture for so long that I never saw the TV series that inspired this movie.  There were three seasons and they were critical if not commercial successes.

After the series was cancelled, the writer, Rob Thomas, and the star, Kristen Bell, wanted to do a movie, but they had trouble interesting a studio.  So they did what all good hipsters do, they launched a Kickstarter campaign, which yielded their goal of $2.1 million in just 10 hours and ultimately raked in $5.7 million.  Not bad at all.  They then got Warner to distribute the finished DVD.

The story line closely follows the original series, only now Veronica has just graduated from law school--the years have moved on and so has she.  In the middle of her interview for a high powered New York law firm she gets a call from an old high school fried.  He is accused of the murder of his ex-girlfriend and the openly corrupt sheriff's department shows absolutely no interest in justice.  They are all on the take, and her home town of Neptune has become a place of have's and have not's.  While the plot is pretty predictable, the dialogue is very good, and is on par with some BBC crime dramas.  You have to like detective dramas to enjoy this, but if you do this one is well worth watching.

Bok Choy in Coconut Red Curry Sauce

My CSA has had oodles of bok choy these days and I really love it.  The mild flavor combined with the crunchy texture when cooked is a winner in my book, and I can get bok choy at my local Asian market for a reasonable price throughout the year, so a good bok choy recipe won't go unused year round.  Here is an adaptation from the New York Times.  The sauce is prepared on it's own, and so can be poured over any vegetable--I quick fried some shrimp, put them on top of the bok choy and then poured the sauce over them.

1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon red curry paste 

1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon nam pla
1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 lime, cut in half
3/4 lb. bok choy

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, sauté the carrots and onions until onion become translucent, about two minutes.
2. Stir in the curry paste, and sauté for 30 seconds.
3. Add the sugar and stir until it begins to dissolve, about 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the nam pla and coconut milk. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a simmer.
5. Once the mixture reaches a simmer, turn the heat down to medium and let reduce for five to seven minutes.
6. Taste for seasoning. If more salt flavor is needed, add more fish sauce (or table salt). If more heat is needed, add more curry paste.
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the Thai basil and cilantro leaves.
8. Squeeze the juice of one lime half into the sauce. Stir and set aside.
9. Using a steamer basket, steam the bok choy in a covered pot for two minutes or until bright green.
10. Remove the bok choy from pot.
11. Ladle the sauce into shallow bowls. With tongs, top each bowl of sauce with the prepared bok choy. Squeeze the remaining lime half over the greens and serve.

The Forbidden City, Beijing

Lying at the city center and called Gu Gong in Chinese, it was the imperial palace for twenty-four emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was first built throughout 14 years during the reign of Emperor Chengzu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ancient Chinese Astronomers believed that the Purple Star (Polaris) was in the center of heaven and the Heavenly Emperor lived in the Purple Palace. The Palace for the emperor on earth was so called the Purple City. It was forbidden to enter without special permission of the empeor. Hence its name 'The Forbidden City'.

It is the world's largest palace complex.  It is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. Having been the imperial palace for some five centuries, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. it was listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987.  My favorite piece of knowledge gained in this whole sprawling crowded place was that the lion with a ball under it's paw is a male lion and the lion with a cub under it's paw is a female.  Now you know too.

Alan Partridge (2013)

This is apparently a reappearance of Alan Partridge, resurrected by his creator, Steve Coogan.  He is still in Norwalk, where no one who has a chance to get out has remained.  Partridge is still doing his mediocre radio show, with a small but seemingly faithful following.  He has been taken down a notch or two--he is driving a compact with the local dealership's logo on the outside.  He is middle aged and very clear on what the implications are for him.  When his radio station is bought by outsiders, he realizes that he is very vulnerable to being fired, but manages to avoid the axe by encouraging the new management to fire another old timer who is even more terrible than Alan.

The fired employee takes the station with a shot gun, holding the new crew hostage.  The local police are singularly incompetent, and send Alan in to hostage negotiate, which he is extraordinarily poor at.  But very funny.  He manages to single handedly keep the laughter rolling through one improbable scene after another to the film's bittersweet end.