Wine, Dine and Read

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer was the book that started this blog.  I had been in book club for well over a year, but it wasn’t until Edward Cullen came into my life that I felt the need to blog about it.  Now I’ve read the entire series plus Midnight Sun (Edward’s version of Twilight), so I’m on to attending vampire couture fashion shows!  This was a special event through the Sarasota Chalk Festival. 

Beyond the vampire garb, there were gorgeous couture and wearable fashions.  This is the final walk from the last show.  The designer is France Engels.

1 Comment | In: Fantasy | tags: france engels, sarasota chalk festival, stephanie meyer, Twilight, vampire fashion. | #

An assigned presentation in college on Kate Chopin’s short stories and the book club intention that we were going to read different genres each month led me to host a book club for The Awakening.  Chopin’s progressive explorations of social norms regarding race, gender and sexuality in Desiree’s Baby and The Storm had me chomping at the bit to see what she’d reveal in a full-length novel.  Chopin’s work instantly becomes more interesting when considering the era in which she was writing.  It was the late 19th Century.  Women were relegated to the home, socially mandated to play the role of wife and mother.  Chopin was bucking the system and voicing unrest.  She was shattering the standard-issue image of the happy housewife/asexual mother.  Her female protagonists disregarded their familial expectations in pursuit of personal pleasures.  The characters come across as selfish even in current times – to think how they were interpreted in 1899! Chopin’s critics were harsh and unrelenting when The Awakening was first published.

Edna Pontellier’s explicit violations of the modes and codes on nineteenth-century American women’s behavior shocked contemporary critics, who described The Awakening as ‘morbid’, ‘essentially vulgar’, and ‘gilded dirt’. Banned in Kate Chopin’s own city of St. Louis and censured in the national press, The Awakening thus became a solitary book, one that dropped out of sight and remained unsung by literary historians and unread by several generations of American women writers.  -Elaine Showalter

Sex apparently didn’t sell back then – what a shame!  We should all be very grateful for the ressurection of The Awakening.  Classrooms everywhere are a little more exciting now, and it certainly makes for a fun book club.  From conversation to cuisine, the heat is on.  Spice up the menu with a pot of gumbo or jambalaya.  Neither are mentioned in the book, but both scream the setting, which is Louisiana.  I served a shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo over rice.  Dessert was a simple French snack – pats of chocolate melted on slices of French bread…delicious!

No Comments | In: Classic Literature, Fiction | tags: book club, desiree's baby, elaine showalter, gumbo, jambalaya, kate chopin, shrimp and andouille gumbo recipe, southern literature, the awakening, the storm, women's literature. | #

It’s been a while since my last blog post because it’s been a while since I finished a book club pick.  Summer tends to disrupt our meetings a bit.  We’re a traveling bunch, so we skipped a month.  The following month I couldn’t get into Land of a Hundred Wonders and instead ended up hooked on The Historian.  I pulled it out of a take/leave bin outside a public library and didn’t put it down.  Last month’s meeting was a wild card – bring your beach read.  This month Patrice chose The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  It was a quick read, which was refreshing for a particularly hectic month.  I was finished within a few days.  It’s a simple story with a limited number of characters.  The simplicity is clearly intentional judging from this early passage:

He started to read the book he had bought.  On the very first page it described a burial ceremony.  And the names of the people involved were very difficult to pronounce.  If her ever wrote a book, he thought, he would present one person at a time, so that the reader wouldn’t have to worry about memorizing a lot of names.

The Alchemist is biblical, not just because the main character is a shepherd, but in the sense that it was written for everyone to understand.  I found my copy in the young adult section of the library, and it’s been translated into 56 languages.  It’s also completely didactic; Coelho delivers a message on almost every page.  I normally don’t appreciate writing in margins or dog-eared pages, but it was fun to notice the underlines, highlights and stars along the way.  This is a sampling of what various readers found meaningful:

• If a person is living out his Personal Legend, he knows everything he needs to know. There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
• That’s what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.
• He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.

Our conversation focused mainly on our own personal legends. One of our members is moving to Gainesville to finish her degree in Forestry. She was diverted by a crystal shop, but the omens are finally pushing her toward her dreams.  Two questions will lead the conversation all night:

1. What is your personal legend?
2. Are you following your personal legend?

Now on to the party planning.  Patrice pulled out all the stops to stay on theme; a trip to Key West had her feeling inspired.  When the shepherd arrives in Africa, this is the first scene he describes, “Some men were smoking from a gigantic pipe that they passed from one to the other.” Well…Patrice read that, slammed down her margarita, slipped on her Kinos, and marched straight to the closest smoke shop in Key West to buy the girls a hookah pipe for book club! We filled the bottom with red wine and puffed on 7 Spice tobacco – a definite first for BC! 

The menu was Moroccan – couscous, olives, and hummus.  And the goblets we drank from were a fantastic touch.

Thanks, Patrice!

1 Comment | In: Fiction | tags: book club, book club menu, book club selections, paulo coelho, the alchemist. | #

The front cover of Still Alice by Lisa Genova reads:

Heartbreakingly real…So real, in fact, that it kept me from sleeping for several nights.  I couldn’t put it down…Still Alice is a story that must by told.”  - Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader

While I agree with most everything Barry says about Still Alice and highly recommend it as a book club choice, I could put it down.  That’s how truly real the story is; my empathy took over and forced me to put it down.  Genova had my heart not only breaking but aching over Alice’s pain, confusion and embarrassment. 

This post is a month late because it took me two to get through the book.  Of course, I attended book club anyway because finishing the book is never a requirement – See Rule # 2.  But to be perfectly honest about my personal policy, if I haven’t finished the book by book club night, I don’t bother.  There are no surprises anymore, so it’s simply on to the next book.  But Still Alice was different; there was a need to finish.  I wanted to experience the entirety of Alice’s journey, and this is from a complete skeptic at the start.  It seemed implausable to accurately and believably narrate the early onset of Alzheimer’s from a patient’s perspective, but Alice’s account is not only believable but surprisingly credible too.  Genova creates an incredibly smart, talented, honest, respectable character in Alice.  It’s difficult not to like her or, at the very least, admire her achievements.  Her character’s development makes Alice’s deteriorating condition all the more heartbreaking and compelling.  This is a brief interview with Genova where she talks about writing Still Alice.   

Party planning is easy-peasy on this one.  There’s a great book club guide in the back of the book; it contains 15 discussion questions, an interview with Genova and a few ideas to enhance your meeting.  Finding more information about Alzheimer’s and taking a virtual tour of Harvard are two of the suggestions.  Here are the links:

• www.actionalz.org
• www.alz.org
• www.hno.harvard.edu/tour/guide.html

There are a few mentions of food in the book but no major wine or dine themes.  We know Alice likes ice cream and used to make white-chocolate bread pudding around the holidays, but our hostess went the setting route instead.  Still Alice takes place in Boston, so we enjoyed a dessert of Boston Cream Pie.  Delicious!

2 Comments | In: Favorites, Fiction | tags: alzheimer's, book club, lisa genova, still alice. | #

Since starting this blog, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen has been in my head.  It was a great book and a fun party!  It’s perfect for book club because of its lively setting – the circus.  And there’s no need to go crazy.  We transformed from a group of fairly sophisticated women into a group of giddy little girls as we pounced on a simple but decadent buffet of hot dogs, popcorn and caramel apples.  To make our experience more authentic, our hostess found this great popcorn set at the Dollar Store.  I went out the next day and got myself one for only three-dollars!

Of course, you could go crazy.  Rent a circus clown if you’d like, but the book doesn’t require any frills.  It’s simply a good story with a fun and somewhat mysterious setting.  Water for Elephants travels behind the silk walls of the big-top and into the train cars and animal cages.  It’s a behind the scenes look at the greatest dysfunctional family on earth! 

One of the stops on Gruen’s research circuit was Sarasota, Florida – a city built from the circus and my home town for the past 15-years.  Sarasota’s most famed residents of all time are John and Mable Ringling.  Their former estate is now an art and circus museum. 

It was a kick to visit the Ringling Circus museum after having read Water for Elephants.  The old train cars and colorful costumes on display brought me right back into the book.  Categorized as historical fiction, Water for Elephants is a train ride through the Great Depression with a failing circus.  But it’s a lot more fun than it sounds!  Gruen creates an authentic, vibrant world for her characters.  Laugh, cry, marvel, wine, dine, and read!  Here are some party planning ideas:

Wine List

• Pink Elephant Rosé

• Circus by L’Ostal Cazes Shiraz

• Little Lion Chardonnay

Menu

• Hot dogs

• Popcorn

• Caramel apples

• Pretzels

• Cracker Jacks

• Snow cones

• Animal crackers

• Peanuts

• Lemonade

Party Favors

• Temporary tattoos

• Glow sticks

Visit http://www.saragruen.com/water.html for a complete reading guide.

4 Comments | In: Historical Fiction | tags: sara gruen, water for elephants. | #

Cheers to Marie for picking a great book for our last meeting - The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  Having family ties to Mississippi, she’s been talking it up for months.  The book bounces from narrator to narrator while chronicling the lives of both white and black women living in Mississippi during the early 1960′s.  The white women were in charge, and the black women were The Help.  Although the author admits to a few historical inaccuracies, the book can certainly be classified as historical fiction.  The segregation in Jackson is the backdrop that incites and envelops each character’s actions.  There are references to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the counter at Woolworths.  But more poignant than facts, The Help examines the gray area between the social norms of the time and the bonds that naturally form between two people regardless of race or social class.  Every one of us loved this book!  And the menu options are near limitless; these characters know how to cook!  But no one knows better than Minny, so here’s one of her menus found on page 124 in the yellow hardcover edition.

• Ham with pinapples

• Black-eyed peas

• Sweet potatoes

• Apple pie

• Biscuits

If you want to have more fun with the menu, fix some butter beans in honor of Celia.  Better yet, serve mimosas and chocolate custard pie!  Our hostess, Patrice, put out a beautiful buffet of Southern delights including deviled eggs, bean salad and macaroni-and-cheese.  But anything Southern will work just fine, Sugar!  And conversation flows as easily as the menu.  With such strong themes, this is the type of book that leads to a discussion automatically.  We told our personal stories regarding race and racism - stories of growing up in the South versus the North and having inter-racial/religious relationships.  We didn’t stop at race or religion; we discussed being women – black and white, married and single, oppressed and free.  Minny’s marriage led to a conversation about domestic violence, which led to another conversation about the ever-changing role men play in our lives.  Skeeter and Aibileen steered our discussion back to ourselves and onto women’s rights.  And when it came to Hilly, we mostly just giggled.  Our group is quite talkative; if you have a lull in the conversation, here are a few questions to get you back on track:

1. Who was your favorite character?  Everyone will agree on their least favorite character!
2. What did you think of Skeeter’s relationship with Stuart?
3. There’s been some controversy because of Stockett’s race.  She’s a white woman giving voices to black women.  In your opinion, were the characters authentic? 

And now it’s on to the wine because this isn’t dineandread.com; it’s winedineandread.com.  The problem is that Mississippi is not known for its fine wines.  However, there is one winery that could deliver some good ole’ Mississippi-made wine – Old South Winery.  If there are beer drinkers in your group, go for some Mississippi Mud.  But don’t worry too much.  With our crowd and most others, whatever is on sale will work!  Have fun as you wine, dine and read!

1 Comment | In: Favorites, Fiction, Historical Fiction | tags: book club, kathryn stockett, the help. | #

          Here If You Need Me - it wasn’t the first book we read, but it was the book that made us commit.  We all sort of trudged through the first book not knowing what to expect of the book or the gathering.  It was a collection of short stories, dark short stories by Jean Thompson called Throw Like A Girl.  The feeling was that we are a group of busy women, and some members worried they wouldn’t have time to finish the book.  A book of short stories seemed to be a good solution and starting point, and it probably would have been had the stories been slightly less disturbing.  This type of darkness may work for your group, but it didn’t work for ours.  To quote one of our members, “I have enough shit to deal with in my life!” 

          Strange enough after that reaction, our next selection, Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup, also dealt with a dark subject - death.  But this was not fiction; it was real – a real life account of a wife losing her husband.  And our reaction to it was totally different.  There seemed to be a universal sense of appreciation for our relationships that month.  It’s not a light read by any means.  You will cry, and if you’re like me, you will sob.  But every night since reading it, I appreciate the two minutes I spend by my fiance’s side brushing our teeth together.  

          The discussion will flow easily without guidance, but one great question to ask is “Would you live out your husband’s dream?”  We spent a lot of time discussing this, and the responses were varied and very interesting.  One woman said she would learn to speak an African tribal language in honor of her husband!  The food, unlike the conversation, was a challenge.  The book doesn’t feature any one food or even ethnicity, but the setting is Maine – sometimes deep in the forests of Maine.  My sister hosted, and she did a great job of getting creative.  We drank 3 Blind Moose wine and ate bear claws.  

          With that creative spirit in mind, this book is great for the busy book club hostess.  With no major theme for entertaining, you can serve whatever you want.  If not bear claws; how about buffalo wings?  And if your budget allows, Maine lobster never disappoints.  3 Blind Moose sells good, inexpensive red and white wines, but a blueberry wine has a special Maine twist.  Beyond the delicious lobster they’re known for, Maine has 60,000 acres of wild blueberries that grow naturally throughout the state.  Since grapes won’t grow in Maine, Bartlett Maine Estate Winery makes their wine from not only blueberries but apples and pears too.  For a more readily available fruit wine, try Tomasello Blueberry Wine.  It sells for about $10 a bottle in most grocery stores and has a nice flavor; it’s not overly sweet.  There’s a complete list of wine and menu options below – cheers!

Wine List

• 3 Blind Moose

• Bartlett Estate

• Tomasello Blueberry Wine

• Cellardoor

• Thirsty Owl

• Bear Flag

Menu

• Maine Lobster

• Maine Lobster Quiche

• Bear Claws

• Bear Claw Cookies -These are adorable; slivered almonds make the nails!

• Buffalo Wings

• Blueberry Spinach Salad

• Blueberry Pie

• Moose Munch

No Comments | In: Memoirs | tags: book club, Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup. | #

I was late to the trend, I know.  But to my utter delight, no one cared.  I hosted a Vampires and Valentines party for last month’s book club gathering, and it was so much fun to plan that it inspired this blog!  At first I was nervous to even bring it up…a young adult novel for my adult book club?  But after approaching a few friends and fellow book clubbers, I quickly realized I wasn’t alone with my private obsession.  The common reaction when talking to a middle-aged woman about Twilight is embarrassed hesitation leading into over-the-top excitement.  Once it’s known that you’re with another adult who is as equally obsessed, it’s okay to sigh over Edward’s chiseled chest or drool over Jacob’s massive muscles.  I’ll let my cupcakes tell you who has my heart…

These are red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing (dyed black or left plain and topped with chocolate sprinkles).  I’ll admit it; I used a mix.  There’s no shame in it, but there is a link below to a Paula Dean recipe if you’d prefer.  These vampire cookies were made from scratch:

They’re simple sugar cookies with dyed icing – any recipe will do.  I found the cookie cutter at Joann Fabrics, and the black and white accent icing came out of a can.  Wilton has a line of nine colors; each can comes with four different icing tips and costs about four dollars – cheap and easy.  Decorating in general is easy when it comes to Twilight.  As each movie comes out, there are more and more party favors to choose from. 

The cheap part, that’s up to you.  I showed some major restraint!  Had I been willing to blow the budget, a life-size cardboard cut-out of Edward would have greeted my guests at the door.  We would have drank from Twilight cups, wore Volturi medallions, and sported wax fangs.  When it came to dinner, there was only one mandatory ingredient - blood oranges. 

I had just seen some of the Mori variety at a local gourmet market, and what else could better fit the occasion?  There’s a great recipe on Yankee magazine’s website for an Arugula and Blood Orange Salad.  It’s absolutely delicious, but pick up a few extra oranges.  Besides the color, mine weren’t very bloody.  The recipe called for three, but I used that many in the dressing alone.  It’s obvious why I chose a blood orange salad, but there’s also a reason why the two quiches were on the menu.  One, Bella eats a lot of eggs.  And two, it’s my twist on the vegetarian joke – with bacon and without.  As for the wine, it was all about picking a team.  Team Edward drank Vampire Cabernet, and Team Jacob drank Wolf Pinot Gris.  

Our wine selection leads into the one official question that was asked all night, “Which team are you on?”  Our answers were pretty much split down the middle, which shocked me as a die-hard Edward fan.  Other than that, we talked non-stop without time for formal questions.  Almost all of us had read the entire series and seen both movies.  We gushed and giggled like we were sixteen again.  Even if you don’t have a formal book club going, host this party!  It’ll be easier than you think to gather a group of women in honor of the Twilight saga.  Here’s the full wine list and menu, plus some additional party favors:

Wine List

• Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon

• Wolf Pinot Gris 

Menu

• Blood Orange Salad

• Spinach Quiche

• Bacon Spinach Quiche

• Vampire Lips Sugar Cookies

• Red Velvet Cupcakes

• Twilight Bella Sweethearts Candies

Party Favors

• Vampire In A Box (Running Press Mega Mini Kits)

• Twilight – Edward – Lifesize Standup/ Poster #906

• Jacob Black (The Twilight Saga: New Moon) Life-Size Standup Poster

• Wax Fangs (1 dz)

• The Twilight Saga: New Moon Deluxe Party Kit Teen

Twilight (The Twilight Saga)

New Moon (The Twilight Saga)

Eclipse (The Twilight Saga)

Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga Book 4)

Visit the Book Club Store for tons of Twilight favors for your party - plates, napkins, rings, fangs…

No Comments | In: Fantasy, Favorites, Fiction | tags: Breaking Dawn, Eclipse, New Moon, Stephenie Meyer, Twilight, Twilight books, Twilight saga, Twilight series. | #