Book Club Love Letter

Bookclub in Manhattan Beach Sunday night, and The Sandoval Sisters was the book.  Trepidation, thy name is Sandra because this wasn't any old bookclub, but the most fun, wild, and critical book club on earth where for decades these women have read, and sipped wine, laughed uproariously, shared feelings, and opinions . . . on everything.  We usually eat and drink and weave in and out of our book discussions, and this was no different, although they seemed a bit in awe of my work.  Not sure if I should be insulted or complimented.  I guess I come off kooky (read: outrageous) sometimes, but with this book not only is my inner nerd on display, but also my latent romanticism (tinged with tragedy and irony, of course).  They seemed relieved that the sex in the book was palatable, and when it turned edgy, they just rolled their eyes, and thought, “That’s our Sandra!”  Our hostess, who is an outstanding chef-mom-businesswoman, served spicy posole with sweet potato, and stuffed peppers, and a pimiento cheese dip.  Delicious!

*original sketch above found on Google images by Moore.  Only one I could find featuring wine and not coffee.  Can't fathom drinking coffee at bookclub!

The Trip

Saw "The Trip" last night, a different sort of buddy movie.

Scenery of The Lakes district in UK breathtaking.  Also of the food these guys eat at upscale places on their driving tour. 

Funny stuff, but not in the usual slick American buddies with perfect teeth getting drunk and acting outrageous way. They're non-royal British so the teeth, well you know.  But they know how to entertain themselves in a civilized manner where the testosterone fueled competitiveness is roiling beneath the surface.

The other thing I liked about the movie is that seeing it was an unplanned event. Spontaneity rules.

Thanksgiving to My Mother-in-Law

How cooking on Thanksgiving would look without my mother-in-law's help:

I hate the whole preparation for this holiday: the sheer monotony of having “traditional” food and the resistance from those members of one’s immediate family who cannot tolerate the slightest variance from the ridges in the canned cranberry sauce, all the stores you have to go to, the slicing and dicing and making room in the fridge, all the expectations and subliminal messages.

I'm a reluctant matriarch.

Yet, it all turns out okay. My mother-in-law, that sweetheart, flies across the country to be with us. What a trooper! My husband is her oldest child. That's motivation enough, but she’s also very good about staying in touch with her grandchildren here. Her other children never left Memphis, so this west coast branch is decidedly different. My 14-year-old niece is active on Facebook.  My son refuses to have a Facebook entry, and disapproves of mine. We don’t smoke or eat a lot of junk food. We exercise and recycle. Radical.

During her annual visit, she and I go to lunch, we shop, and we have cocktails. She’s open to some new experiences. I could take her to the Olympic Spa where Asian women purify and cleanse in rocking hot water.  Then they lie naked on heated floor tiles to sooth away deep muscle aches.  We could get a side-by-side massage from Korean women clothed in black bras and panties who’d scrub us down with salt or sugar and pummel us to within an inch of any fantasy of our choosing.

I think my mother-in-law might be willing to join me because she’s the true matriarch.  I’m just her acolyte.

Food for Thought

Parties and celebrations abound this time of the year. I'm in the midst of planning the menu for a Winter Solstice Party and received the following in an email. It's a quick and fascinating gastronomic tour of how the worldwide family sets its table and what the relative cost is to do it.

Some stereotypes prevail --- a lot of bread in Italy and beer in Germany, but look at the processed foods in westernized countries. Also take a good look at the family size and the availability & cost of what is eaten in one week. Lastly, enjoy the smiling faces.


Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna. Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27


United States: The Revis family of North Carolina. Food expenditure for one week $341.98

Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca. Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily. Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11(think this might be higher with the current exchange rate).

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide. Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07 (oops, not too smiley. Guess they were caught on a bad shopping day).

Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo. Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo. Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp. Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village. Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

This is the time of year to count your blessings!

Information and pictures courtesy of:
Yvonne Savio
Common Ground Garden Program Manager
University of California Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County
PO Box 22255
4800 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90022

Website: http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/

2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, Los Angeles Community Garden Council
2007 Certificate of Commendation, Los Angeles Unified School District
2006 Certificate of Appreciation, City of Los Angeles
2004 "Feeding the Hungry" Garden Crusader Award, Gardener's Supply Company

Since 1978, the Common Ground Garden program has helped Los Angeles County residents to garden, grow their own food, and healthfully prepare it. Our targeted audience and priority are to serve limited-resource residents and those traditionally underrepresented. By training community volunteers, we empower neighborhoods to create their own solutions. Our Master Gardener volunteers work primarily with community gardens, school gardens, seniors, and homeless and battered women's shelters.

In 2007, 179 Master Gardeners volunteered 8,037 hours serving 64,262 low-income gardeners in Los Angeles County at 31 community gardens, 48 school gardens, 13 shelter gardens, 2 senior gardens, and 14 fairs and farmers markets.