#7 The Help- A Glimpse in the Dark of the Deep South in the 1960's

I loved this book! It was recommended by my friend Camille and I would highly recommend it as well. I read the description a few months ago and I wasn't that interested. Sometimes reading about civil rights, just makes me feel guilty for things I had no control over. This book is more than a depressing story about the African American plight. It is about people. It tells the stories of all kinds of relationships and choices and consequences. It makes you realize how things can seem so important in the moment, but in the eyes of history, when you know the world is changing, how ridiculous important things can become. It also tells the story of how inhuman, humans can behave. It made me think about how I respond to people, not just to people who are of a different race, but to all the people in my life. I hope you will love this book, but if not, I hope at least this book makes you think.

#6 The Hunger Games- What's a Little Violence Between Friends?

I finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and I would definitely recommend this to adults, but not to kids. It is young adult fiction, but I found the violence to disturbing for anyone under 15ish. We have grown accustomed to pretend violence among kids in books like Harry Potter and recently in the vampire series Twilight. But something seems more real about this story. It is a bit of a cross between The Giver and Lord of the Rings. With that said, I liked the book and it is definitely a page turner. I was much more interested in the action than the love story, which is strange for me, but the love story felt a bit false. Then ending leaves you hanging and hungry for more. I haven't picked up the sequel yet and I am excited to read it, but I better get in line. These books are tough to get at the library. I might have to get a little violent myself, if I want to get a copy in the next decade.

#6 The Hunger Games- Am I the Only One?

I started reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins because it came in from the library and I only have it for a couple of weeks. I have been anticipating this book because so many friends told me how good it was. I am not going to disagree with them. It is a compelling story. It has been tough to put down and I have almost finished the 300 page book in 24 hours. But I have to admit that I am shocked by it's casual portrayal of violence. Am I the only one out there who feels this way. I believe that this was the authors purpose. To show us how numb we could become to human life. I kept thinking that things would work out and that no one would actually die, but that has not been the case. It reminds me of the shock I felt in The Giver when we discover that the father's job was to basically kill children that did not "belong" in their society. So what are your thoughts on this one. And please don't tell me the ending. I am on pins and needles to discover it myself.

#5 The Art of Simple Food- What a difference a Chicken Makes

Yes, making homemade chicken broth takes 5 hours. Yes, you have to wait two hours for it to cool before you put it in the fridge. Yes, I requires you to touch a whole raw chicken. But there is no comparison in the flavor of your soups and stews. The other advantage is that in the process of making broth, you cook a whole chicken which you can use in other dishes. The breasts turn out so delicious.

Here's how it goes. Get a really big pot. Put the whole chicken in the pot. Pour in 1 1/2 gallons cold water. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Skim off the foam but leave the fat. Add a whole carrot, a halved onion, head of garlic, a celery stalk, salt, black peppercorns, and a bouquet of fresh herbs. After 1 hour, remove the chicken breasts and return the rest of the chicken to the broth. Simmer for 4-5 hours. Strain. Allow to cool before you put it in the fridge or freezer.

The next day I made chicken noodle soup with onions and oil, broth, carrots, turnips, and the left over chicken. I added noodles to the broth and let them cook during the last 20ish minutes. It was so yummy!

#5 The Art of Simple Food

So, I got a little behind on my posts this week. Sorry about that. The next section of The Art of Simple Food covers sauces and vinaigrette. Although, I haven't tried making it yet, I learned that aioli is a fancy word for mayonnaise. I did make the simple vinaigrette which is so easy to whip up and delicious on everything (I ate it on tacos). Here's how it goes...start with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, add salt and pepper, whisk in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. That's it. You can add fresh garlic if you want, but then it will need to be eaten quickly or refrigerated. It tastes delicious on salads with fruit or vegetables.

The next section is about salads, which you make think is odd because who needs to learn to make a salad, but I loved the info she shared. First of all she encouraged you to salt each of the vegetables you will add to the salad before you add them to the greens so that their flavors come out in the salad. Also, you should dress the greens with dressing (she suggests you toss them with your hands) and then add the other items to the top of the greens and add more dressing on the top. Do not toss again or all your additions go to the bottom. It is amazing how much better a salad tastes that is prepared this way.

I am going to skip the next section which is about bread because I am not much of a bread eater. In my next post I will fill you in on the wonders of making fresh chicken broth. Yummy! I know you can hardly wait.

#5 The Art of Simple Food

A note before I start my commentary on this book. This is not a cookbook; it is a cooking book. Although you will find recipes in the book, the book if filled with instruction about how to cook. I told my roommate yesterday that I feel like as I read the book, I am actually taking a class. I have been applying the things I am learning, and enjoying some delicious meals. This makes me even more excited about the book. I hope some of you are able to locate a copy, so that we can learn together.

The first two sections of the book teach you about the ingredients and tools you should keep on hand. Most of the food items were not a surprise and were things I already like to use. I did feel envious of people who have windows were they can grow fresh herbs all year (I live in a basement apartment). One ingredient that surprised me was canned anchovies. I have never cooked with anchovies and would not consider them a staple for my kitchen, but maybe I will have to try them.

One thing I appreciated from this section is the information on eating what is in season. I am beginning to understand the rhythm of what you find fresh in the grocery store during various seasons, but I am definitely still learning. It is difficult to know what is in season, because we can get strawberries from South America in early fall, but does that mean they are actually nice and yummy? I am trying to pay attention to what actually looks delicious and fresh. Right now it seems like apples and squash are the thing to eat.

She also gives some good information on pans. She likes cast iron and earthenware pots and pans because they are thick and distribute the heat well. She also teaches about various cutting techniques, which was new to me. This is good info, but I am still too impatient to cut up anything fine. A rough chop is always quick and easy.

This was a good place to start. Next post I will comment on sauces and salad dressings.