 As the United States enters Thanksgiving week, we feel grateful for so much: health care workers, school personnel - teachers, administrators, and staff, grocers, restaurant staff, vaccines, boosters, friends, families, our town, good food, walks in woods ... The list could go on and on. And we recognize that things can be complicated when it comes to gratitude, including with the Thanksgiving holiday and how the story surrounding pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a meal for the good of all isn't a simple one. As part of re-examining stories, we are highlighting Native American Heritage Month and review in this post two recently published books by Native American authors. So, happy reading and happy Thanksgiving - in the best sense of that phrase.  Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac (2021). This, the first children's book I've read that directly addresses the Covid-19 pandemic, is spectacular. When the story begins, Malian's visit with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation, is interrupted by the Covid-19 lockdowns. The adults in her life decide it is better for her to stay with her grandparents than back in the city with her parents. And so she stays -- protecting her grandparents, just as they protect her. She won't go outside to play with friends. She tutors her grandparents about video chats. She cares for a stray dog; and, she attempts to keep up with her school online. Perhaps most importantly, she listens and learns from her grandparents' stories. Told in verse (fewer words per page for reluctant readers), with stories from the Wabanaki people woven throughout, this novel is a lovely read about what we do to help family, friends, our community, and the world when we can. It also specifically highlights how Malian's community has cared for one another throughout troubles of the past, and how they keep helping today. ~ Lisa Christie  The Sea In Winter by Christine Day (2021). In this tale of loss and growth, Maisie is supposed to be auditioning for amazing ballet programs across the USA. She's dreamed of being a prima ballerina since she wore her first toe shoes. She's also supposed to be able to talk to her father about anything and everything. Instead, a torn ACL has derailed, perhaps permanently, her ballet career, and a war took her father years before - so long ago she worries she can't really remember him. Eventually, her anxiety and dark moods hurt as much as the pain in her knee. Told with love, spirit, and hope, as well as excellent reminders about the power of good therapy - both physical and mental, this tale is an excellent one for any young reader - perhaps especially those for whom life right now is not very dreamlike or who are struggling to find their joy. I also appreciated the glimpses into Native American tribes on both coasts of the United States, as well as descriptions of nature in the Pacific Northwest. ~ Lisa Christie  NOTE FROM ONE WEEK AFTER THIS POST WAS FIRST PUBLISHED --- We are always delighted when people enjoy our reviews. And, recently through a series of connections (i.e., our good friend Katie Kitchel was cast in a demo reel/proof of concept by one of our town's indie filmmakers - Nora Jacobson - that stars members of a Native American tribe), one of the above reviews was seen by one of the reviewed authors - Joseph Bruchac. We are beyond thrilled he was delighted to be highlighted. We love the fact our small Vermont town connected us in one step (Hi Katie) to Mr. Bruchac. And, we were extremely moved by the poem he shared with us through Katie. With Mr. Bruchac's permission, and with our gratitude, we share his poem here. Tutuwas by Joseph Bruchac I know the names on this land have been changed, printed on maps made by those who claim their ownership. Some say nothing survives. But the wind still sings the same song of our breath. The hilltop trees still bend like dancers in ceremonies that never ended. And the little pines, tutuwas, tutuwas, lift up, protected from the weight of snow by the held-out arms of their elders. 
0 Comments
Grist, Grains, and Gastronomy: Two New Cookbooks to Help Cook through the Winter (and Beyond)11/9/2021  There's something novel in this day and age of myriad food bloggers and online recipe juggernauts about sitting down with and cooking from a good old fashioned cookbook. When this happens and If they're lucky, the reader is transported into another chef's kitchen and offered an intimate and curated food experience. I had just this sensation over the weekend when conducting research for this post. From suggested pantry ingredients to novel techniques to tested recipes, I felt inspired by the different kitchen worldviews I glimpsed in between the pages of the new releases Grist and À Table. The experience was almost akin to walking through the back of the wardrobe and falling into two refreshing and very different culinary Narnias. Since spending time with these two books, I've already served lovely dishes from both and plan to keep working my way through them this winter. I also have the sense of being slightly transformed by the new ideas I encountered, as if my own culinary journey has been slightly altered (for the better). May you also experience a similar feeling of gustatory pleasure and growth, no matter what cookbook you find to keep you company through the winter solstice and beyond. ~ Lisa Cadow  Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds and Legumes by Abra Berens (2021). This elegant guide will have you cooking creatively throughout the winter (and then right into spring and summer, too) with the jars of sustainable and long-lasting grains that line your pantry shelves. I think I heard my farro and polenta calling out to me immediately to get cooking as soon as I turned the first pages of the table of contents. On the menu tonight in our house is "Risotto with Leeks and Bacon," one of Beren's "variations on the theme" that she provides home chefs in each section of the book (side note: they are more often than not veggie-based). Reading Beren's recipes has me missing the copious amounts of eggplant and tomatoes that burst forth (sometimes too exuberantly) from the farmshare because I'm now armed with new ideas for how to make them shine brighter next summer. "Seared Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes with Fried Lentils and Tahini Dressing", next August anyone? She also highlights exceptional farms in her book - it's dedicated to "everyone who turns the soil to put food in our mouths - and offers helpful ways to turn a pot of beans or a pan of grains into five different interesting meals to last the week (e.g. "How to Build A Myriad of Fresh Bean Salads" and "A Week's Worth of Lentils without Any Boredom"). Fun new go-to sauces, spice blends, and herb relishes are also part of her generous offering to readers. After spending time with this book, it comes as no surprise that Berens was a recent James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Chef: Great Lakes. I'd write even more, but I need to head to my kitchen to make a batch of "Barley Thumbprint Cookies" (with raspberry jam, of course). ~ Lisa Cadow  À Table: Recipes for Cooking and Eating the French Way by Rebekah Peppler (2021). I'm impressed. As one who considers herself a Francophile, it's hard to convince me that I might need yet another French cookbook. Well, Ms. Peppler had me from the begining with her ideas for "apéro" (the custom of drinks and light hors d'oeuvres before a meal), house wines, and snacks such as roasted lemons and green olives as well as "Eggs Mayo with Persillade" (a parsley sauce I plan to make as often as possible from this point forward). I couldn't stop turning the pages of this cookbook, so entranced was I with her take on modern-day French cooking and entertaining from a decidedly young and hip perspective. As an American expat currently living in the 18th arrondissement, this food writer's got her finger on the pulse of Paris and includes wonderful recipes for dishes like "Parsnips with Fennel and Honeycomb" (whole gorgeous chunks of honeycomb!) and a "Sucrine Wedge" salad of lardons, radishes, and blue cheese that knocked our socks off - or perhaps I should say “chaussettes”?- when we enjoyed it with a hunk of warm crusty bread for dinner the other evening. I can't wait to make the “Carrot Tarte Tatin.” Four stars and a big Ooh La La. ~ Lisa Cadow
|
Archives
March 2023
Search |
RSS Feed