Book Club: Brooklyn

Brooklyn by Colm  Tóibín is set in Ireland and New York City in the 1950s.  The novel was originally published in 2009 but regained popularity after the 2015 movie adaptation.  Our group as a whole loved both the book and the movie.  If you have not enjoyed either read the novel first! Our host, Gin Smith, prepared a wonderful Irish meal for the occasion.

The Cocktail

The Irish Shillelagh

1/2 Lemon, Juiced
1 tsp. Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 oz. Irish Whiskey
1 tbsp. Sloe Gin
1 tbsp. White Rum 

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries, strawberries, a cherry and two peach slices.

This was an interesting drink and one was plenty!

The Menu

Sunday Best Irish Soda Bread

Raspberry Pecan Salad with Raspberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Colcannon

Lamb Roast

Irish Soda Bread served with Dubliner Cheese and Preserves

Raspberry Pecan Salad with Raspberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Gin slaved over a hot stove all day to prepare a traditional Irish meal  keeping with the theme of the book.  She used many recipes compiled by her sister, Kaureen, in a wonderful cook book. The Colcannon is an Irish dish consisting of mashed potatoes and sautéed cabbage.

For dessert she served coffee with Devonshire Cream and coffee ice cream topped with Irish Cream. 

Recipe Courtesy of Gin’s Sister Kaureen

The Devonshire Cream would be perfect on fresh berries too!

Thanks to Gin for a wonderful time.  Excellent job hosting!

Plant Some Succulents

Succulents are very hip plants.  They come in many funky shapes and varieties. What really captured our attention was the key phrases “low maintenance” and “minimal water”. We have been known to kill a few things in our day. Some terrible people have even suggested we have black thumbs!  We opened a bottle of Rosé and got busy making succulent planter boxes that turned out really great and appear to be surviving a few days later!

Step 1.  Make the planter box or just pick out a container.

  

 We used lumber scraps.  For full disclosure our planter boxes were assembled by a local woodworker, Ryan McGrath.  He got a really skeptical look in his eyes when we asked to borrow a hammer and nails. We probably could have done just as good of a job…Maybe.

After the boxes were assembled the wood was “aged” by Ryan using a solution of vinegar and steel wool.  To do this technique place a piece of extra fine steel wool in a glass jar, fill the jar with distilled white vinegar and let is set for at least 24 hours.  Brush on the wood liberally and then rinse well with water.

We lined the bottom of our planter boxes with screen to allow for better drainage without the soil spilling out.

Step 2. Selecting your plants.

Succulents have varying sun, water, and temperature needs.  Select complementary  zoned plants for your succulent box.  We wish someone, who has a lot of knowledge and was there while we were buying ours, would have told us that! Live and learn.

Step 3.  Prepare the soil.

To plant succulents use a mix of potting soil and gravel. This allows for really good drainage. We found the gravel we used in the aquarium section. Once mixed wet the soil.

Step 4. Plant.

 Step 5.  Finish the wine and enjoy your handiwork.

Of course Cindy had to outdo us by putting a bird on it!

Book Club: The Japanese Lover

For February's book club we wanted to pick a book that was a love story. If you have read The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende you know it is not a typical happily ever after love story. It is a beautiful love story just the same. We all really enjoyed the read and would highly recommend it to others.

Skylar hosted the group and themed it based on some of the settings and characters in the book so the food and drinks were a mix of Polish, Japanese, and a little San Francisco. What a combination! 

Latkes with Sour Cream and Apple Sauce

Blood Orange Martini

The cocktail was a blood orange martini and included polish vodka, fresh squeezed blood orange juice, and simple syrup. They were a big hit! They were easy to make by the pitcher so you don't also have to be making cocktails all night. You can find the recipe here. 

On the menu:

Latkes served with sour cream and applesauce

Broccoli bites served on San Francisco Sour Dough

Homemade Pierogis

Salad

Japanese Cheesecake

Broccoli Bites on San Francisco Sour Dough

If you have never had a Japanese Cheesecake before it is a must try. It is a not too sweet, nicely fluffy and all around delicious. Serve with a nice glass of champagne and you have the perfect end to a great night.

You can find the Japanese Cheesecake that Skylar made here.