Book Club Food

Yesterday our book club discussed The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.  I had read that book and thoroughly enjoyed it last December (see blog post).  Our hostess, Nell, put out some of the food that played a role in the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the topic of that book.  You see Cracker Jacks, Juicy Fruit gum, Quaker Oats, Hershey's Chocolate, but she could have also added Shredded Wheat and Cream of Wheat, but that was okay!  We all very much enjoyed the book, especially how much we learned and that it's a gift when non-fiction reads like a novel.

Facebook Strikes Again

In the last week, I have found three of my best friends from elementary through high school on Facebook.  All three are recent newcomers to social networking, and I had occasionally looked for them to no avail.  Now they are on, and we have exchanged brief life updates.  This is our fourth grade class photo with Mrs. Brosius.  One of the friends moved to Wichita in fifth grade, so she is not in this photo.

Galore

I am on a mission to find the book I will choose for September's book club meeting.  Having read too many books that the chooser had not prescreened, I am determined to make sure the choice will be appropriate.

Based on mostly good reviews and an ad in the NY Times Sunday Book Review, I picked up Michael Crummey's Galore at the library.  I was intrigued by the beginning of the novel when a beached whale on the Newfoundland shore in the 1700s expels a naked albino mute who stinks like rotting fish, and is amazingly alive.

In this youtube video, Crummey discusses his use of Newfoundland folklore in this story.  He says that he tried to cram as many of these stories into this book as possible, and it reads that way.  At the front of the book Crummey has a family tree sketched out to keep track of the many generations of characters.  That was helpful as there are so many people in the two main families.

My interest wavered back and forth throughout the book.  The prose is lovely, the characters interesting, but the plot flopped all over the place.  Some of the plot kept me hooked, and then there would be whole sections where I had to convince myself to keep going.  I wish he would have a different editor and rewrite this to be more succinct, and I would read that version.

Long Lines

Who would have thought that Costco would be busier on a Monday than on a typical weekend?  All food court windows were open, each with a long line behind.

Plumicot Pie

This is the pie I am taking to book club.  I was not up to making plum jam, especially after that chutney, and I thought that even though I rarely see a plum pie, one should theoretically be able to make one.  Not only are the plums coming ripe, but the apricots on our fruit cocktail tree are all harvested.  We planted this tree a few years ago, and this is the first summer of a real crop.  We've picked all the apricots, but the nectarines and two types of peaches are still waiting to ripen.

So, I made this recipe, but I added apricots as well, used tapioca instead of cornstarch, and actually used way more than the 8-10 plums required.  We'll see how it tastes.

--Later, after book club.  I highly recommend this recipe!  It was delicious, and I think I'll make one more, at least, this summer.

Downtown Claremont

So, in the late summer of 2007, stores and restaurants and the Laemmle in the Claremont Village Expansion started operation.  Since then, it has been a popular hang-out and shopping place.  But, what to call it?  Many call it Village West.  There is a website which calls it Claremont Village Square.

Friday Nights Live! has started with live music from 6-9 in front of the Chamber or City Hall in the original Village with a second group in the, well, I think I call it the Plaza in Village West/Village Square.  Last night the Square was filled with people listening to the McCrevasse Brothers.  People were sitting in the outdoor eating sections of Le Pain Quotidien and Casa Moreno, and the trash cans were overflowing with Yogurland containers. Children were running around the fountains and through the people, and it was a wonder that there were no crashes.

Ahhh....summer!

The schedule for Village Events is online here.

Midnight in Paris

Thursday afternoon matinee.  Laemmle. Show your Premiere Card and get a free popcorn to eat while watching a wonderful movie.  With such rave reviews, we decided to treat ourselves to the theater showing of Woody Allen's latest - Midnight in Paris.  I was dubious about Owen Wilson as I am not a fan, but I had heard that he is okay in this flick.

Fans of Allen's Purple Rose of Cairo will undoubtedly enjoy this one with its fairy tale quality of bygone eras.  There is nothing to figure out as the theme of nostalgia is clearly stated, but the movie never lags.  From the jazz soundtrack to the lush visuals of Paris, I now have a hankering to visit that city (in the rain....).

Slurry Seal

The last time I remember the Village streets getting a slurry seal was 17 years ago.  You might wonder why I'm sure of this number.  Well, we've been in our house for 17 years, and I remember this being done just a month or so before we closed escrow.  Today was the day for College Ave., between 8th and 11th Streets, to get its seal, and there are various signs with various dates strewn about on other streets.

Before

During

After

Sarah's Key

I've seen Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay on the bestseller list for a long time, and last month my mom brought me her copy.  Add this book to the growing list of books about WWII, but this one is about the little-known Vel' d'Hiv Roundup in Paris where Jews were rounded up by the French police and shipped off to Auschwitz in July 1942.  I did not know about this particular gruesome episode, so the well-researched novel taught me another segment of history.

The narrative is divided into two alternating stories - Sarah in 1942 and Julia in 2002 who is a journalist uncovering Sarah's story.  The novel reads like a crafted story based on lots of research (rather like Good Things I Wish You which I blogged about on Nov. 30).  That is to say, it does not read like a character-driven novel, but something that has been pieced together.  I did not especially like the juxtaposition of a horrific atrocity against a woman whose marriage is falling apart, although both stories are linked by the theme of secrets (and how bad secret-keeping can be).

Housing Wanted in Claremont

Anyone know of an apartment for rent in the next 60 days in Claremont, preferably the village?  A young couple I know with no pets, do not smoke, and don't even have a car at this time, and pay their rent on time have been given notice because Pomona College just bought their complex.  Leave a comment or if you know me, call or email!