Tag Archives: book end babes

In Total Surrender – Anne Mallory

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I love the title of this book.  What I love more is whose surrender it is.  The hero is so dark, one has to wonder how he can find the light.  But, of course, he does—its romance.

Andreas Merrick is a big time crime lord.  If you read Regency, you will understand how unusual a hero this is, at least, in historical.  His thought process is fascinating.  Ms. Mallory does a fabulous job in convincing the reader how he little he believes in his deserved happiness.

Enter, our heroine, Phoebe Pace.  Her father has been showing signs of losing his mental facilities over the course of the past few years.  She and her mother have, so far, been able to keep her father’s illness a secret.  (In current day, it’s known as Alzheimer’s.)  Phoebe has single handedly kept the family business above water, but it’s ripe for takeover.  She manages this by posing, somewhat, as a ditz with an over-bright smile and…food—an unorthodox method.

She shows up on Andreas’ doorstep.  But he has several dark secrets of his own.  That’s all I am willing to say.  Suffice to say this book is more unusual than the Historicals I usually read.  But I loved it.  You will not be disappointed…I promise.  —Kathy L Wheeler

A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes – Suzanne Enoch

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Page 82—’nuff said.  Okay, not really.  But, honestly.  I’ve owned the book for a month and have already read it twice.

Let’s see! Where to start?  Diana Benchley, Lady Cameron, widow, destitute, of course.  After the death of her gambling husband, she times her return from the Continent to London perfectly.  This is a heroine who may have been down, but never out.  She had plans—big plans.  Upon her arrival in Town, she finds her original benefactor has tested fate and succumbed to his death with a broken neck, chasing foxes­—in the rain.  She is struck with another notion, insane, notion.  To blackmail the man she’d once believed her hero.  When she announces her plans in a London ballroom to open a gaming hell, she is destined for destruction.  (Again, page 82; On your e-reader, the last line of Chapter Seven—ingenious).

Clever, clever plot.  Brilliant dialogue and a twist of suspense that will NOT allow one to set down a truly intriguing tale.  There is so much to say that I hesitate, because to give away such a delicious story is flat out ruinous.

Suzanne Enoch’s acumen is intelligent, creative and, in this case, outrageous.  Excellent fun!—Kathy L Wheeler.

Savvy Aunties Unite!

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Sometimes the right book at the right time can do wonders. At a recent girls’ night out, the polite conversation took a hard right into the hot zone. Marriage. Family. Children.

Maybe one day women will be able to talk about these things in peace. Maybe some days we do. This was not one of them. Lines were crossed, misconstructions were made, and before I tiptoed off to the 1 train, I was told, in exactly these words: why didn’t I stop theorizing about children and get down to having some?

For the sake of sisterhood and good will toward woman, not to mention the fact that I couldn’t believe my ears, I let it slide. But still. It hurt. Happily, my husband did the proper menschy thing. He gave good shoulder (to cry on) and agreed that there ought to be a special ring of hell for women who commit such crimes against womanity. But even though we were in the non-parenting boat together–and by choice (not that it should matter but it does), I needed to hear from one of my own.

I needed the Savvy Auntie.

The author and chief fairy godmother Melanie Notkin launched Savvy Auntie, first the website, then the book, to answer a similar need for community. And she’s succeeded. With a great sense of humor and a generosity of spirit for women of all stripes and life circumstances. Sure, some of the terms she’s dreamed up are a little cutesie for someone of my (imagined) sophistication, but maybe the trick to getting that generosity of spirit thing is learning to better embrace my freak flag–and everyone else’s.

Turns out I’m a PANK: Professional Aunt No Kids. (Savvy Auntie has an Auntiepedia for the acronymically-challenged.) I can’t say I was surprised to find out I wasn’t alone. I was surprised to find out that nearly 50 percent of the adult women in the United States are nonmoms. Notkin wisely avoids pondering whether this is a good or bad thing for the future of humanity. (There’s more than enough of that going on right now as it is with the world population about to hit seven billion.) Instead she focuses on the contributions every woman (and man) makes to what she calls “the American family village,” whether it is babysitting, taking on extra work during another woman’s maternity leave, contributing toward a niece or nephew’s education or any number of gestures large and small.

The book offers practical advice for women whose babysitting days are further behind them than they’d like to admit–and anyone else looking to brush up on what’s new and hip without actually buying a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. (Too many questions.) Popular baby-wrangling techniques, the latest in stroller technology (dizzying), crib notes (so to speak) on baby’s physical and emotional development.  The most reassuring thing about the book, though, is that it’s impossible to read without realizing that there are as many ways of auntie-ing as there are aunties. The beauty of the role is that we are always extra, except in the direst of circumstances.

I can’t say I wasn’t happy with my life choices before I read Savvy Auntie, but I do feel there’s something to be said about safety–and validation–in numbers. On a practical level, I feel I’ve done a bang-up job in the shopping for toys and gifts that don’t choke the neffs department. But it can’t hurt to have a savvy second opinion.

 

MACARONS

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Parisian Style Macarons. They are dainty little meringue cookies that are light, crisp, and filled with a variety of custards, ganache, or jam. When I first started making them, not many books were available  on macarons. I learned with the help of many friends online, and from various websites. Things are changing however, and there are several books coming out with recipes for a variety of macarons

The first one that I purchased is I Love Macarons, by Hisako Ogita. This is a great book for someone who is wanting to learn the techniques involved in producing a great macaron. Hisako goes into great detail with every step of the process, and shows you how to add colors and flavors to make wonderful treats. At the time I purchased this book in late 2009, it was pretty much the only book available on macarons. Things have changed as macarons are becoming a popular and more familiar treat across the country. Both Mad About Macarons  by Jill Colonna, and Macarons by Cecile Cannone, were just released in December 2010, and there are four more books on the topic of macarons on the horizon for this year.  

 

This recipe and technique are from Hisako Ogita’s I Love Macarons. I chose to top them with cocoa nibs, and fill them with a very simple chocolate ganache. I hope you enjoy them.

Chocolate Macarons 

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons (1 ounce/25 grams) Cocoa Powder (My preference is All Natural Cocoa Powder. I use Askinosie)

1/2 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) Almond Powder 

1 cup (1.75 ounces/ 50 grams) Powdered Sugar

3 Large egg whites at room temperature

5 Tablespoons/65 grams Granulated Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup of cocoa nibs to garnish the tops

Cut a piece of parchment to fit your baking sheet. Draw 1 inch (2.5  centimeter) circles on the paper, spacing them at least a 1/2  inch (1.5 centimeters) apart. This pattern will be your guide for squeezing out the macaron batter.

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In a food processor, grind cocoa powder, almond powder and powdered sugar. Set aside. 

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In a stainless steel mixing bowl, beat egg whites on high until they are foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites. Add vanilla and stir lightly. When the meringue is stiff, firm, and has a glossy texture it is done.

Add 1/2 of the sifted flour mixture and fold it in. Add remaining flour and mix it lightly in a circular motion. When you have run out of flour, press and spread out the batter against the bowl’s sides. Scoop the batter from the bottom and turn it upside down. Repeat this process about 15 times.

 

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When the batter becomes nicely firm and drips slowly as you scoop it with a spatula, the mixture is done. Attach a .4 (1.01 centimeter) tip to a pastry bag. Twist the bag to hold the tip tightly. This prevents the batter from leaking out. Place the pastry bag, tip down,  in a measuring cup and pour the batter made into it. Clip the bag top, to prevent batter from coming out. You can use a string or rubber band as well.

Line a cookie sheet with the parchment prepared in step 1 and squeeze batter onto the center of the circles. Make small circles since the batter tends to spread out. Rap the baking sheet firmly against counter. This helps the macarons retain their rounded shape and helps the pied, or little “foot” to form. Top each round with 3 cocoa nibs.

Dry the batter at room temperature for 15 minutes. A slight crust should form on top of the macarons. On rainy days it helps to dehumidify the room.  If the batter doesn’t stick to your fingers when you touch them, the drying process is complete. On a dry sunny day, the drying process takes approximately 3o minutes.

Baking the Macarons 

Place racks in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 375°. 

Stack the baking sheet with the prepared circles into an empty baking sheet and slide both into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, if the macarons are still soft lower oven temp to 300° cover the tray with foil and bake for 2-3 minutes.

The macarons are done! Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

For the Ganache

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) – 8 oz chopped

Heavy cream – 8oz

Directions:

Place the chopped chocolate into a heat resistant bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, scald the cream. Let it come to a simmer with bubbles just forming around the edge of the pan (do not let it come to a full boil).  Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and allow it to cool to room temperature. It should be thick and easy to spread.

Assembly:

Spread a teaspoonful of ganache on the flat side of one macaron shell, and place the flat side of another shell against it. Gently press together to allow the filling to bind them. Your macarons are now ready to enjoy.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-31

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