Book Reviews | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

CONCLAVE by Robert Harris

November 28, 2016

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One of the most secret meetings to be held anywhere on earth is the Conclave, established upon the death of a Pope which is called to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church. Robert Harris has written a fascinating account about a Conclave held on the demise of a Pope. He is writing based upon conjecture and supposition since there is no manner that could have granted him the means to learn what really happens.

Beyond this, the novel is a fascinating adventure into a meeting of the Church’s Cardinals summoned from around the world to choose a new Pope. The men assembled are deeply religious, committed to a lifetime of service, and anxious to do what is right in choosing a new Pope. They reflect, pray and hope for divine guidance in making their choice. They are holy men, but do have ambition and many will attempt to influence the choice made.

Harris is very successful in bringing the reader into the mind and thoughts of several of the Cardinals assembled in shaping the events depicted. The man appointed “Dean” by the last Pope is charged with moving the conclave forward. He is a man deeply devoted to his beliefs and to his appointed task of guiding the actions of those present. Several of those in attendance want to be the next Pope and attempt to guide the others into choosing them.

The author introduces the problems that are faced by the Church both at present and in the near future. They must be confronted by both the new Pope and the other senior leaders under him. There is the place for women, the use of local language, not Latin in the litany, and the enmity radical Islam feels towards Christianity in general. Definitely not a dry discourse, but a fascinating study of human nature reacting in a stressful environment.

CONCLAVE by Robert Harris. Knopf (November 22, 2016). ISBN 978-0451493446. 304p.

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FOOD CITY by Joy Santlofer

November 24, 2016

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Four Centuries of Food-Making in New York

When a book is a labor of love, it shows on every page, and it truly does in Food City. Joy Santlofer was chair of New York University’s Food Studies Program, and she passed away in 2013, leaving her book to be published posthumously. Her colleague Marion Nestle wrote the forward.

This book explores the history of New York City through food. I was expecting bagels, roasted chestnuts and Chinatown. Instead, I got a fascinating education about beer, bread and so much more. I learned that the early Dutch settlers in the 1600’s drank beer – all of them, including the children, because it was cleaner than the water. I learned that the hipster paradise of Brooklyn was all farmland, and later on that giant of the food industry, Nabisco, got its start there making hard crackers for the Union army. I learned that there was a New York Tea Party four months after the Boston Tea Party.

German frankfurters paved the way for Coney Island hot dogs. Many of our most beloved foods started out in New York – Oreos, Hellman’s Mayonnaise, Thomas’s English Muffins, Gulden Mustard, and Twizzlers.

Santlofer isn’t just dispensing facts here, she makes it really interesting and fun to read. I loved the stories about George Washington being sworn in as president (which for some reason I assumed had been done in Philadelphia,) John Jacob Astor’s first job as a delivery boy for a bakery, and I could easily visualize the herds of cattle being moved across 42nd Street to the slaughterhouses. I learned what life was really like for those first New Yorkers and how those lives changed over the years.

You don’t have to be a New Yorker to appreciate this book. Foodies will love it, as will history buffs. There really is something for everyone.

It seemed somehow fitting to write about this extraordinary book on Thanksgiving, a time when we are all thinking about food, and maybe thinking about those no longer sharing our table. I miss my mom and dad every day, but especially on Thanksgiving, it was her favorite holiday.

I didn’t know Joy, but I know her husband, the über talented Jonathan Santlofer – author, artist, and teacher at the Crime Fiction Academy at the Center for Fiction in New York City. It was Jonathan’s diligence and determination to honor his wife’s work, and their daughter Doria’s to honor her mother, that got her book published, and readers everywhere should be grateful. I know I am.

11/16 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch™

FOOD CITY by Joy Santlofer. W. W. Norton & Company (November 1, 2016). ISBN: 978-0393076394. 480p.

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FOOD52 A NEW WAY TO DINNER by Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs

November 23, 2016

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A Playbook with Recipes & Strategies for the Week Ahead

When I first received this cookbook, it reminded me of Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day cookbook. It’s for those working moms or anyone who likes to plan their week’s meals ahead, do a bunch of cooking on the weekend and minimal fuss during the week to get dinner on the table. It’s a great concept, and I know people who have been doing this sort of thing religiously for years. I’m not one of them, but I can appreciate the thought behind it.

The book is divided by seasons and by authors, and the chapters reflect that. The chapters are Merrill’s Spring, Amanda’s Spring, Amanda’s Summer, Merrill’s Summer, and so forth. Each chapter has two weekly plans with menus, grocery lists, what needs to be cooked ahead and what needs to be done day of. Lots of substitutions are easily available and tips for saving more time abound. And of course, the recipes.

Looking through it I soon realized that Amanda’s food was more to my aesthetic, but both have interesting ideas. I love that they also suggest leftover lunches that will work with the menus, and tips like how to use up leftover herbs or cheeses make planning even more specific.

Since we are in the fall season, here’s an idea from Merrill’s Fall:

Baked Pasta, Chicken Thighs, Zucchini, Applesauce Cake

That turns into 5 meals and 9 recipes, including Rosy Chicken, Roasted Zucchini with Chile and Mint, Warm Chicken Salad, Boiled POtatoes, Baked Pasta with Sausage Ragu, Baked Sweet Potato with Sausage Ragu, Applesauce Cake with Caramel Icing, Roasted Applesauce, & Apple Fool

And since we are heading into winter, here’s an idea from Amanda’s Winter:

Bolognese, Blood Oranges, Potatoes, Chocolate

That turns into the 5 meals and these recipes – Blood Orange Salad, Avocado and Blood Orange Salad; Luciana’s Porchetta; Bolognese; Oven-Roasted Polenta; Garlicky Greens; Spinach Salad with Pancetta, Wheat Croutons and Egg; Porchetta, Pickled Onion, and Garlicky Greens Sandwich; Chocolate Rosemary Pudding

If you like to plan ahead, this is the cookbook for you. Virgos, I’m talking to you here. One of these ladies is a Virgo, FYI, and I’ll let you figure that out!

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FOOD52 A NEW WAY TO DINNER by Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs. Ten Speed Press (October 18, 2016). ISBN 978-0399578007. 288p.

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OUTLANDER KITCHEN by Theresa Carle-Sanders

November 22, 2016

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The Official Outlander Companion Cookbook

Diana Gabaldon wrote the forword for this unusual cookbook, thus granting it legitimacy for fans of the books and Starz TV series. Carle-Sanders has a blog, also called Outlander Kitchen, and contributed a chapter, “The Diet and Cookery of 18th Century Highlanders”, to The Outlandish Companion Volume Two by Diana Gabaldon. So she definitely has some authority here. While most Outlander fans might expect to find a Scottish cookbook, Carle-Sanders explains in the introduction that it is not the case, neither is it historical. She says, “It’s an Outlander cookbook, meaning we have two centuries and several different countries’ cuisines to explore, along with a diverse cast of characters, many of who scream their kitchen inspiration to me from the pages of Diana’s books.” So now you know why there is a chapter on Pizza and Pasta, which frankly, had confused me.

The chapters:

Basic Recipes
Breakfast
Soups
Appetizers
Beef
Poultry
Pork
Lamb
Game
Fish and Seafood
Vegetarian
Pizza and Pasta
Side Dishes
Breads and Baking
Sweets and Desserts
Drinks and Cocktails
Preserves and Condiments

The first chapter is actually called “My Outlander Kitchen” and is about the pantry: “A time-traveling kitchen requires a versatile pantry…you won’t find a lot of exotic ingredients [here.] So the pantry includes things like butter, oats, oil, salt and pepper, flour, and so forth.

What I love about this book is that all the recipes include a quote from one of the books that inspired that recipe. And all that said, Scottish recipes abound if that is what you coming here for. Pumpkin Seed and Herb Oatcakes, Fergus’s Roasted Tatties, Cherry Bounce, Jocasta’s Auld Country Bannocks, and the ubiquitous Scotch Eggs are all here. But there are French dishes like Conspirators’ Cassoulet and Cheese Savories (Gourgeres,) standard British fare like Shepherd’s Pie, and meatballs and spaghetti and pizza.

There are beautiful photographs throughout. The recipes are clearly laid out and explained, and many have notes at the end to help as well.

A perfect gift for the Outlander fan, or treat yourself.

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

OUTLANDER KITCHEN by Theresa Carle-Sanders. Delacorte Press; First Edition edition (June 14, 2016). ISBN 978-1101967577. 352p.

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EAT LIKE A GILMORE by Kristi Carlson

November 21, 2016

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The Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of Gilmore Girls

Bonnie Matthews, Photographer

When my daughter was in middle school, we used to watch the Gilmore Girls together. That lasted a season or two, probably 5 & 6. When it moved to the CW, we stopped watching.

With all the excitement about Netflix picking it up, I decided to go watch them all, beginning to end. It took a few weeks of not reading or watching anything else – back in the day, a season was 21 episodes, not like today’s 6-10 episode seasons. And I got completely hooked, I loved it. So when I heard about the cookbook, I was like, yes please! It is adorable.

So like many of us, Kristi Carlson is a big fan. But lucky girl lives a few blocks away from Stars Hollow – the real one, on the Warner Brothers lot. She even finagled an invitation to watch them filming once.

Kristi came up with the idea for a cookbook and put it on Kickstarter where it generated quite a bit of excitement. Next thing she knows a real publisher comes calling and voila, a book is born. There are lots of contributors and recipe testers and you can read all about them in the book, including their favorite episodes, a very nice, much appreciated touch. Testers are the unsung heroes of most cookbooks. Kudos, Kristi – you are a class act.

The chapters:

Feature: Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!
Cocktails, Mocktails & Other Assorted Beverages
Pancakes, French Toast, Omelets & Cereals
Muffins, Rolls, Breads & Scones
Soups, Sauces & Butters
Burgers & Sandwiches
Pasta & Rice Dishes
Appetizers & Side Dishes
Meats, Seafood & Main Dishes
Cookies, Cakes & Ice Creams
Feature: Cakery

There is also an author’s note, reference guide, index, conversion charts and a recipe guide.

The best thing about the book is how every recipe is related to something in the show. Chilaquiles are on the menu, as they were when Caesar served them up at Luke’s Diner while Luke was away. Emily’s famous Salmon Puffs, served at every one of her events, Rory’s favorite, Parker House Rolls, Sookie’s guilt induced Ratatouille, made with Jackson’s competitor’s vegetables, and even Butter – yes, really, a recipe for butter along with a nod to Emily kicking Richard out to the pool house because he didn’t ask her if she wanted any.

If none of this makes sense to you, you are not a Gilmore Girl fan and there is no use trying to explain. If you understood the previous paragraph, you probably want to buy this book, and you should.

There are many cookbooks based on TV shows and I’m not talking about actual cooking shows on Food Network or Cooking Channel or even PBS. I mean TV shows like the Gilmore Girls, Game of Thrones, Modern Family, Orange is the New Black, and Outlander (soon to be reviewed here.) Some are much more successful than others, and I’m happy to report that Eat Like a Gilmore is a good one. And Amazon.com (click on the book cover above) has some of the recipes on the website, so you can take a peek.

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

EAT LIKE A GILMORE by Kristi Carlson. Skyhorse Publishing (October 25, 2016). ISBN 978-1510717343. 288p.

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MAD GENIUS TIPS by Justin Chapple

November 19, 2016

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& the Editors of Food & Wine

Over 90 Expert Hacks and 100 Delicious Recipes

This may be the most useful kitchen book/cookbook you’ll ever read. I am completely enthralled with Justin; I’ve been watching and sharing his videos for years, so I was delighted to see they gave him his own book.

I learned to halve cherry tomatoes and grapes between two plastic container lids, to pit cherries with a wine bottle and a chopstick, and to cut the corn off the cob in my Bundt pan (don’t scoff, try it once and you’ll never do it any other way.) Plus he includes recipes for a variety of terrific dishes, like taking that corn and making Corn-Studded Corn Muffins with Honey Mascarpone Whipped Corn Dip with Chili Oil. Yes, I said that. That same Bundt pan is used to make a terrific Buffalo-Style Roast Chicken with Potatoes.

Use your box grater to DIY Your Bread Crumbs, then make Braised Leeks with Fennel Bread Crumbs. It’s as good as it sounds. Loved the grilled cheese hack where you end up with Stuffed Grilled Cheese just using a fork. Learn to pipe using a Ziploc bag then make Frozen Yogurt Dots with Strawberries and Pistachios.

This book is laid out by kitchen tool, for lack of a better word. But what I love most is that the whole idea here is not to go out and buy a multitude of one-job kitchen tools. Justin uses stuff you already have. The chapters:

Aluminum Foil justin-chapple
Baking Rack
Box Grater
Bundt Pan
Cheesecloth
Cookie Cutters
Floss
Food Processor
Fork+Spoon
Knife
Mason Jar
Microwave
Muffin Pan
Oven
Plastic Baggie
Plastic Lids
Scissors
Sticks+Skewers
Waffle Iron
Wine Bottle

There’s a workable index and lots of great photographs, including many with Justin’s irrepressible smile. I love this book and hope you will, too.

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MAD GENIUS TIPS by Justin Chapple. Oxmoor House (November 1, 2016). ISBN 978-0848748425. 256p.

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RULER OF THE NIGHT by David Morrell

November 17, 2016

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Thomas and Emily De Quincey, Book 3

Morrell brings to a conclusion his well researched trilogy featuring Thomas De Quincey, known as the Opium eater, and his daughter Emily. He brought us into the mid-19th century in England, at a time when Russia was at war with England in the Crimea, and the railroad was in the process of transforming the country and bringing it head long into the Industrial Revolution.

De Quincey was one of the first figures to utilize logic and the finding of clues into solving criminal cases. He was a huge consumer of opium, using the intake of laudanum which was used as a painkiller to imbibe it.

The first death aboard a train was about 25 years before the year 1855, which is when this novel is set. We re-meet De Quincey and Emily when they are aboard a train coming out of London, and discover a horrible murder committed in the next compartment to theirs.

The war against Russia is not very popular in England and the first thoughts are that the killing has been done by a Russian agent. The De Quinceys join forces with friends of theirs at Scotland Yard, Detectives Ryan and Becker. Both of these men have learned much about crime solving from Thomas and also each has an open crush on Emily.

Other murders occur in London with the thought the same that they have something to do with the Crimean war.

In solving the cases, David Morrell ties up some past conflicts for De Quincey and in a literary license manner tied to the truth brings the trilogy to a very satisfying ending. Due to the prodigious amount of research into the period and the people living then, the reader experiences the sights, the smells, and the living conditions for both rich and poor.

Well done, a possible prelude to more historical novels with portraits of the people living then.

11/16 Paul Lane

RULER OF THE NIGHT by David Morrell. Mulholland Books (November 15, 2016). ISBN 978-0316307901. 352p.

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THE JEKYLL REVELATION by Robert Masello

November 16, 2016

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Robert Masello has the knack of writing books that incorporate both the supernatural with a well researched time and place for the action. The thoughtful combining of these two factors provide the reader with a unique reading experience which will hold him or her captivated by the novel.

Rafael Salazar is an environmental scientist working in the Topanga Canyon in California with a project of classifying the habits of coyotes. While he does expect to find animal poachers in the normal course of his work, he is surprised to find an antique steamer trunk when a rain shortage brings the item to a newly dry area of a lake.

Investigating the contents, Salazar finds an old journal written by the famed author Robert Louis Stevenson and describing events centering in the 1880’s. At that time Stevenson, a sickly man, was a resident at a care center headed by a doctor developing new and radical treatments. Taking some of the treatments described require an acceptance of literary license. For example, pertinent to the story Stevenson is injected with blood taken from a wolf. The doctor also offers him a specially made tonic which somewhat invigorates the famed author.

Readings from the journal are interspersed with Rafael Salazar’s adventures in the Topanga Canyon in present day California. Stevenson moved to London from the care center and met such literary figures as Charles Dickens and Bran Stoker, the creator and author of Dracula. Stoker, during the period he met Stevenson, was the manager of a theater and coincidentally had a dramatization of “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” playing. The book had recently been published, becoming a hit in England. The play featured an actor that achieved an almost miraculous ability to change quickly on stage from Jekyll to Hyde.

During the period when the play was drawing big crowds, the famed serial killer “Jack the Ripper” appeared in London mysteriously murdering several prostitutes, and surgically cutting them up. For a short while the blame fell on the actor playing in Stoker’s theater since Mr Hyde looked like the supposed description of Jack. But, as is known, the ripper was never caught.

Stevenson left England with his wife and family, stopped in California for a short time and than moved to American Samoa with the hope that the climate there would help his illnesses. He passed away leaving the world with a brilliant literary legacy. What his trunk was doing in California is explained and as part of the narration it’s contents help Rafael Salazar move forward in a budding affair with a woman living in the Canyon, and also do away with a drug manufacturing ring based there.

Very well done and certainly another captivating book by Masello.

11/16 Paul Lane

THE JEKYLL REVELATION by Robert Masello. 47North (November 8, 2016). ISBN 978-1503951198. 492p.

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WHILE THE DUKE WAS SLEEPING by Sophie Jordan

November 14, 2016

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The Rogue Files, Book 1

One my favorite Christmas movies is “While You Were Sleeping“, Sandra Bullock’s first starring role and if you, too, like that movie, you will like this book. The film:

Lonely transit worker Lucy Eleanor Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) pulls her longtime crush, Peter (Peter Gallagher), from the path of an oncoming train. At the hospital, doctors report that he’s in a coma, and a misplaced comment from Lucy causes Peter’s family to assume that she is his fiancée. When Lucy doesn’t correct them, they take her into their home and confidence. Things get even more complicated when she finds herself falling for Peter’s sheepish brother, Jack.

This book is the same story, only set a couple of hundred years earlier.

Poppy Fairchurch is a salesgirl in a flower shop where the Duke of Autenberry shops nearly every day. He is handsome, kind and generous, and Poppy fancies herself in love with him. He, of course, doesn’t even know she’s alive.

One day after shopping, Poppy sees the Duke throw a punch at another man. The Duke ends up in the road and a horse drawn cart is racing down upon him. Poppy flings herself on the Duke, pushing him to safety. A moment later, the other man in the fight pushes Poppy to safety.

Turns out the men are half brothers and don’t get along. Poppy’s boss insists she accompany the unconscious Duke home, where due to a mis-overhead conversation, the housekeeper thinks they are engaged. The Duke is in a coma, but family is delighted with Poppy somehow, despite the difference in their classes.

Meanwhile Struan, the half-brother, who was raised in Scotland, is intrigued with the shopgirl and can’t quite believe she is engaged to the Duke. The Duke’s best friend knows it isn’t true, but he peruades Poppy to allow the family to think they are engaged.

Poppy and Struan are both fighting an intense physical attraction but none too successfully, and there are a few steamy scenes there.

The happy ending is eventually reached, and Poppy and Struan realize they fell in love while the Duke was sleeping.

11/16 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch™

WHILE THE DUKE WAS SLEEPING by Sophie Jordan. Avon (October 25, 2016). ISBN: 978-0062222541. 384p.

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A WEDDING FOR CHRISTMAS by Lori Wilde

November 13, 2016

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A Twilight, Texas Novel

Although there are several Twilight, Texas novels, this is really the sequel to last year’s I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. That story was a takeoff on the film, The Holiday, where Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet trade homes over the Christmas holiday. In the book, Kate and Gabi trade homes, and Gabi falls in love with Kate’s brother.

This book starts off with Kate’s adventure in Los Angeles while staying at Gabi’s home. She goes to a club where she runs into her first high school crush, Ryder Southerland. He is security at the club and tackles her, mistaking her for a stalker. They end up spending the night together having mind blowing sex, but Kate slips out in the morning and heads home.

The story then picks up a year later. Gabi and Joe’s wedding is taking place on Christmas Eve and Kate is the maid of honor. Ryder is the best man and it is his first time back in Twilight in over a decade. He comes home a few weeks early after he finds out the stepmother who hated him has died. His father is in the hospital and Kate is hired to clear out the house before he comes home. There were major hoarding issues going on there.

Kate and Ryder meet up and the sparks fly, but Kate is afraid of a relationship because of Ryder’s commitment issues. Ryder has feelings for Kate, but is afraid to take the next step. Meanwhile the housecleaning goes on, as do the pre-wedding parties and Ryder and Kate are constantly thrown together.

They end up back in bed again but Kate is treating him like an embarrassment. Eventually Gabi and Joe point out that everyone knows what’s going on and they come out of hiding. A pregnancy scare moves things forward but there is no easy path to the happy ending.

Another fun, sexy read in Twilight, Texas.

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A WEDDING FOR CHRISTMAS by Lori Wilde. Avon (October 25, 2016). ISBN 978-0062311450. 384p.

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