Last Post

Hello,
  I've decided to say goodbye to blogging. I started this blog as a way to share my love of reading, but doing it isn't fun for me anymore, so this is my last post.


Page

Food and Charles Dickens

How the food of Charles Dickens defined Christmas

By Emma Jane Kirby

Charles Dickens was a serious foodie and his literature introduced a festive menu that has barely changed since the Cratchits gathered round their table in A Christmas Carol.

"The thing about Dickens," says food historian Pen Vogler as she takes a tray of caraway seed biscuits out of the oven, "is that he knew what it was like to be hungry."

She's explored how cuisine shaped his writing in her recipe book, Dinner With Dickens. In it she recreates dishes that the literary giant wrote about, and shows how he used food to create character and comedy but also highlighted social issues.

She's also whipped up a Christmas pudding but thankfully has avoided making gruel.

"Dickens did not have food security as a child," continues Pen as she slips the steaming biscuits onto a wire rack to cool.

"His novels often contain innocent, hungry children - he wanted to show readers that good food and nourishment were a human right, even if you were poor."

When Charles Dickens was 12, his father was imprisoned for debt and while the rest of the family went to live with him in prison, Charles was sent to work in a blacking factory where he had to manage his tiny wages to buy penny buns and bread to eat.

His interest in food, says Pen, stems from this time.

In his writing, his characters' attitude to food often gives us clues to their morality. Fat adults often starve thin children; characters who share and enjoy lavish feasts are good, characters who make lavish food just for show or who waste food are generally bad. Think Miss Havisham's wedding cake….

"If the right emotional feelings are not there, it is worse than worthless," says Pen. "Food's got to be enjoyed in the right way and appreciated. Food for him was much more emotional than showy."

Charles Dickens was a serious foodie (check out his leg of mutton stuffed with oysters) who was famous for his generous dinner parties; his wife Catherine even published a little book of recipes to suit all budgets.

"If Dickens had been alive today," muses Pen as she chops apples, "I could definitely see him judging Bake Off, although he was much more of a savoury man than a pudding man."

She grates some nutmeg. "There are very few cakes and puddings in his writings except in the autobiographical David Copperfield where he remembers the sweet tooth and treats of childhood."

Pen's little black cat watches attentively from the floor as she stirs currants into her Christmas pudding mix. She tips in a very generous amount of brandy.

"Dickens loved a drink!" she says. "He even sent a recipe to a friend for punch so we know exactly how he made it - and his characters drink it all the time! He also drank champagne and claret for celebrations and things we've lost the taste for like purl, flip, dog's nose and wassail."

In 1843, Dickens published A Christmas Carol, which contained the famous scene of the Cratchits contentedly gathered round the crackling fire with their goose, apples and oranges, chestnuts and the "speckled cannon ball" pudding.

With his emphasis on a family gathering, believes Pen, Dickens set the template for today's Christmas celebrations.

"Until the publication of a Christmas Carol," says Pen, "Christmas pudding was known only as plum pudding - but after that, plum pudding was afterwards always referred to as Christmas pudding… and if you think about it, our Christmas menu hasn't changed since the Cratchits!"

Leg of Mutton Stuffed with Oysters

Young John Chivery, son of the Marshalsea Turnkeeper, is rewarded for running "mysterious missions" with a banquet, for which Miss Rugg "with her own hands stuffed a leg of mutton with oysters." Dickens invited Daniel Maclise to share the same dish before a night walk through the slums (letter, November 20, 1840), and later invented his own twist, adding veal to the stuffing, served at the office of his journal, Household Words.

SERVES 6-8

2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 dessertspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

1 dessertspoon freshly chopped savoury

2 hard-boiled egg yolks

6 oysters, cleaned, shucked, and chopped, reserving the liquor, or 6 finely chopped anchovies

3 garlic cloves, minced (I think garlic is better than onion in this dish, but if you prefer to follow Catherine, use one very finely chopped shallot)

leg of mutton (or lamb if you cannot find mutton), approx. 5½-6¾ lb/2.5-3kg

2 teaspoons all-purpose/plain flour

1¼ cups/300ml lamb or chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/Gas 7.

Chop the herbs as finely as possible - a meat cleaver is useful for this. Bind them together with the egg yolks, oysters (or anchovies), and garlic (or shallot).

Using a sharp knife, make about 6 indentations in the fleshy part of the leg of mutton (or lamb) and push in the mixture. If you make the indentations at a slight angle, you can pull the fat back over the cut.

Place the meat in a roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 325°F/160°C/Gas 3. Baste the joint with the fat and juices in the pan and continue roasting for 15-20 minutes per 1 lb/450g.

When the meat is done, remove it from the oven, cover with foil, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.

Make the gravy by mixing the flour with the fat in the roasting dish over a low heat, and slowly adding the stock and the oyster liquor. Skim the fat off the gravy (putting it in the freezer helps it coagulate on the top) and serve as it is, or add to the Piquant Sauce ingredients

PIQUANT SAUCE

1 shallot, finely chopped

a little oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped gherkins

1 tablespoon finely chopped capers

4 tablespoons good red wine vinegar

1 anchovy fillet, pounded

Sweat the shallot in the oil until it softens, then add the gherkins, capers, and vinegar. Simmer for 4 minutes.

Make gravy from the joint, add the oyster liquor (to make about 1¼ cups/300ml), the shallot mixture, and the pounded anchovy. Simmer for a few minutes before serving in a gravy boat.

"Adult hunger is dangerous in Dickens," warns Pen as she puts the kettle on for tea.

In A Tale of Two Cities, adult hunger leads to riot and revolution, and in Great Expectations, the hungry Magwitch, an escaped convict, is dangerous and frightening to young Pip who must steal food for him.

The seedy biscuits are delicious - the same kind that the young David Copperfield offered to a little girl he had fallen in love with as a token of his esteem- and they go beautifully with our Darjeeling tea.

Pen has worked out that good characters take tea in Dickens' work while the slightly dubious ones tend to drink coffee.

Under the circumstances, it seems only polite to pour another cup and have another soft seedy biscuit...

Holiday Wishes

May your holidays be filled with wonderful reading and may the new year introduce you to new authors and new adventures.


Happy Reading!

Page

What Libraries Will Lose if Net Neutrality is Repealed

The New York Public Library's Presidents Just Wrote A Beautiful Letter In Support Of Net Neutrality

ByMADDY FOLEY

SHARE

Yesterday, on the eve of the Federal Communications Commissions' (FCC) vote on net neutrality, the presidents of the New York, Brooklyn and Queens public library systems did something very in keeping with the spirit of libraries: they banded together and they wrote a letter. If you're feeling stressed, anxious or just struggling to articulate your thoughts, check out this ode to net neutrality from the New York Public Libraries and remember: there are still good people in charge out there.

First, let's talk about net neutrality. What is being voted upon today, Dec. 14, is an unprecedented decision by the FCC to deregulate the broadband industry. The current guidelines of net neutrality, which were adopted in 2015 by former President Obama, are centered around keeping the internet free and open to the public. Repealing these rules would incentivize major corporations like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to govern the internet and would pave the way for paid access. Essentially: individuals and corporations would have to pay for the use of fast, reliant internet. Those unable or unwilling to shell out additional fees would be relegated to a "slow lane." Broadcast companies could dictate which websites run slower or are blocked completely.

A recent poll from the University of Maryland that found 83 percent of Americans, including three out of four Republicans, were against repealing net neutrality. Ajit Pai, the Trump-appointed Chairman of the FCC, has stated he will not "bow to pressure" (to be clear, by "pressure," he means "the will of the American people" and by "bow" he means "do his job as the member of a democracy") and continue with the vote anyway.

Giphy

In a letter published by The Verge, Anthony Marx, president and CEO of the New York Public Library, Linda Johnson, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library; and Dennis Walcott, president and CEO of the Queens Library, explain how repealing net neutrality isn't simply a matter of, "Oh no, what about my Netflix binges?"; if we begin offering priority access to essential resources, they write, the digital divide in this country will be ripped apart.

"Since their inception, public libraries have fought to ensure that all people — regardless of their background or beliefs — have access to knowledge, education, and opportunity," the letter begins. "That noble mission hasn’t changed, even as technology has."

For many of us who grew up using public libraries, we know that they're more than book collections. Millions of people rely on public libraries as one of the few places they can receive free access to both computers and the internet.

To see who will be affected, simply walk into any New York City library branch. See the students who literally cannot do their homework without our computers. See the parents and caregivers who are learning English and applying for jobs online to improve their circumstances. See the higher education students, independent researchers, and scholars who need our databases and online collections to further scholarship. Imagine how frustrated they will be, how demoralized, that they can no longer access what they need.

Public libraries, most of whom are either non-profits or government agencies, will be forced to buy into, literally, this concept of priority access, say the NYPL heads. And that's a heavy, and in some cases an impossible, burden.

14 Sexy Books To Read Since You Finished '50 Shades' Faster Than You'd Like To Admit From More magazine

14 Sexy Books To Read Since You Finished '50 Shades' Faster Than You'd Like To Admit

Books that tug on your heartstrings—and pull on your panties.

By Sierra Burgos

1. Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning

What happens when one hot, young psychologist goes on tour with five gorgeous guys? Well, you can find out in Olivia Cunning's series, Sinners on Tour. Solely based on the fact that the band's name is "The Sinners", we already know we're in for a wild ride.

2. Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

Young professor Gabriel Emerson believes he's beyond all hope of escaping his dark past, until he meets graduate student Julia Mitchell. Innocent Mitchell enrolls in his class, and the attraction between them is immediate—but their forbidden intrigue could jeopardize his career.

3. On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Jocelyn Butler leaves her tragic life behind when she moves to Scotland from the United States to start over completely. Forgetting her past goes just as planned, until she meets Scotsman Braden Carmichael. They plunge into a no-strings-attached arrangement, but the physical passion won't hide her past forever.

4. Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

If you loved both Fifty Shades and the Twilight books (it's okay to admit), check out the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It's basically the sexiness of Fifty combined with the whole vampire thing. Edward Cullen has nothing on Wrath.

5. Thoughtless by SC Stephens

When an unexpected obligation forces Kiera and her boyfriend miles apart, she turns to a friend for support: local rockstar Kellan Kyle. As her loneliness grows, so does her connection to Kellan. If only we all had a sexy, musically inclined "friend" to lean on...

6. The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst

Billionaire Nicholas Ryan is completely against marriage, but he needs a wife in order to inherit his father's business. Bookstore owner Alexa Maria McKenzie fantasizes over her soulmate, but she needs a man with money to save her family home. Each one has something the other needs—but the two couldn't be more different. They arrange to marry with one rule: Keep everything business. They should be able to follow one rule, right?

7. Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

Caroline has just moved into a beautiful new San Francisco apartment. She has a successful design career, a Kitchen Aid mixer, and a great rack—what could be missing? Enter Simon Parker. Thanks to the paper-thin walls in her new apartment, Caroline gets to know Simon pretty intimately before ever seeing him face-to-face. That is, his wall banging keeps her up all night long. When she finally confronts this mystery man, she discovers an entirely new definition of neighborly.

8. Big Rock by Lauren Blakely

This book, told from the male's perspective, will capture you right from the first sentence: "My dick is f*cking awesome." Spencer has a crowd of ladies lined up to sample his *ahem* big rock. But when he must play the role of a family man in order to impress a potential buyer, he's forced to retire his "favorite appendage" and convince people he's engaged to his best friend, Charlotte. It shouldn't be too hard to fake-kiss his fake-fiancee... Right?

9. Playing For Keeps by R.L. Mathewson

Jason is the neighbor from hell. But Haley, the shy school teacher next door, always let his crazy antics slide. That is, until he ruins her flower beds (obviously the breaking point in any relationship). Haley confronts him with a game plan, and she refuses to believe he's capable of being anything but aggravating. But those ocean blue eyes!

10. The Mighty Storm by Samantha Towle

Jake Wethers is the sexy bad-boy lead singer of world-renowned band, The Mighty Storm. Tru Bennett was Jake's childhood best friend, until he and his family moved to America and Jake didn't see Tru for 12 years. Tru, now a music journalist, is sent to interview Jake for her column—and the sparks return immediately. The band offers Tru her dream job of travelling on tour with them, but her boyfriend of two years makes the decision difficult. How long can she ignore her connection with rockstar Jake?

11. Down To You by M. Leighton

And you thought Christian Grey was Fifty shades of f*cked up? Down To You will not disappoint. Olivia meets Cash Davenport, the bad boy who makes her insides melt. And the next day, she meets his twin brother, Nash, who's just as sexy plus incredibly successful—only he's taken. Neither guy is good for Olivia, but she finds herself falling for both of them at once. Which twin will she choose?

12. Driven by K. Bromberg

Maybe you loved Fifty Shades, but were annoyed with Ana Steele's character. She's quiet, subordinate, and sometimes a pushover. Driven mirrors Fifty Shades, except the protagonist, Rylee, isn't afraid to speak her mind. She has no intention of letting Colton, the controlling yet sexy racecar driver, get in her pants—but their chemistry is undeniable. Will she give him the green flag?

13. Seducing Cinderella by Gina L. Maxwell

Reid Andrews, a famous MMA fighter, gets a shoulder injury that could end his career for good—only months before his big fight. He goes to Lucie Miller, a physical therapist, who is hopelessly in love with a man who doesn't see her as anything more than a friend. Reid offers up lessons in the art of seduction in exchange for a quick healing. As he's coaching Lucie towards winning the man's affection, he can't help but wish she was chasing after him.

14. Naked by Raine Miller

Brynne Bennett (the very Anastasia Steele-esque protagonist) is an American art student and part-time model living in London. When uber-successful businessman Ethan Blackstone (her Christian Grey-esque counterpart, of course) buys one of Brynne's nude portraits, he becomes enthralled with her and they start to date. If the Fifty Shades books made you feel some type of way, then this series is sure to have you turning pages.

Happy Reading!

Page

Art of Making Books

I saw this on NPR's website and wanted to share with you.

When Making Books Was As Much Of An Art As Writing Them

Listen·4:

 NOAH ADAMS

When was the last time you picked up a book and really looked at how it was made: the typeface, the feel of the paper, the way the words look on the page? Today, when people can read on their phones, some books never even make it to paper.

Once, bookmaking was an art as refined and distinct as the writing it presents. And in some places, like Larkspur Press in Kentucky, it still is.

For more than 40 years Gray Zeitz has been creating books one at a time in his two-story print shop near the town of Monterey. He works with the some of the state's finest writers, including Wendell Berry and Bobby Ann Mason, and his Larkspur Pressturns out just a few editions a year.

"I have had, and still do have, printers that come in that used to work on presses like this and they are just tickled to death," says Zeitz, 69, showing me his 1915 Chandler & Price printing press. He cuts stacks of paper on another machine that dates from the late 1800s.

Zeitz left the University of Kentucky in the winter of 1974, half a semester away from finishing an English degree. He'd been learning letterpress work – the way individually set type makes an impression on high-quality paper –- and he wanted to make fine books, especially poetry. At that time, the letterpress craft was fading as printers moved to faster offset printing.

But to Zeitz the moment seemed right. He didn't need electricity at first, or indoor plumbing. He'd grow tobacco to sell and they'd raise calves. Kentucky writers would be featured.

Later, to pay the bills, he added in smaller print jobs. "There was a point when my wife, Jean, came up to me and said, 'Gray, you're either going to have to start doing some of these jobs — job printing — or you're going to have to go out and get a job."

He began taking orders for things like business cards and wedding announcements. "That became interesting to me as well."

In those days, Monterey was attracting hippies and musicians and artists and candlemakers. Early on they started a fall festival at Larkspur, and people come from all over the country to see the books Zeitz creates — to touch and feel their hand-sewn bindings and see the perfection Larkspur strives for in the pages.

"This whole concept of texture and lightness, there's a kind of sensual quality just to the book itself," says his friend Jack Campbell, who works in industrial design.

Gabrielle Fox is a professional bookbinder who's done lots of high-end work for Larkspur. Every summer she goes out to Colorado to teach at the American Academy of Bookbinding.

"And the books that they sell to their students to begin learning are Larkspur Press books," she says. "The students come from all over the world to that school."

Zeitz has one full-time employee: Leslie Shane. "I have just sewn 20 of this little book of poetry by Erik Reece," she says. "It's called Animals at Full Moon. Now I'm just cutting them

Larkspur only brings out about four books a year, and they can be two years behind. If Gray Zeitz knew how to use a computer he could open the Larkspur Press home page and see the covers of 100 books he has on his shelves in inventory.

Some of the prices reach $200 for special editions, but the press is best known for the books they can sell for $20 or $25.

In another part of the shop, Gray Zeitz shows me the lead type, which he sets — each letter and space — by hand. "When the ink's ready we'll put this on the press and pull a proof and see what we have."

At day's end Zeitz shuts down his shop and walks up the hill to his house, which is a fading purple.

It's a quiet house; Jean passed away four summers ago. His two dogs come over from playing in the creek.

"Well, I don't intend to retire," he says. "If I did retire then I'd just print books, so I might as well stay in business."

Happy Reading!

Page

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Page