Thursday, April 19, 2007

Attention Philippa Gregory Fans

The following Philippa Gregory books are now available in the LHS library:

The Constant Princess
The Queen's Fool
A Respectable Trade
The Virgin's Lover

The Boleyn Inheritance is due back on May 1st.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Productive Meeting!

Titles decided upon:

The Coast Of Chicago Sturt Dybek
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan
Prince of Tides by Author Conroy
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons Lorna Landvik
The Great Influenza by John M. Barry
Birds Without Wings by Louis De Bernieres
Unbowed by Wangari Maathai

Still in the Hopper

Monkey Bridge by Lan Cao
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
The Tango Singer by Tomas Eloy Martinez
The Professor and the Madman: by Simon Winchester
The Savage Detectives by Roberto BolaƱo
In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall
Life on the Color Line: by Gregory Williams
Her Majesty’s spymaster: Budiansky
Flight of Passage: A Memoir Rinker Buck

Okay so we eat and discuss......

Sausage, Chili and Cheese Tartlets

¾ LB sweet Italian sausage casing removed
½ cup medium hot bottled salsa (do not use chunky style)
½ cup loosely packed shredded Monterey jack cheese (about 2 ounces)
½ cup loosely packed shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces
½ of a 4 ounce can of diced green chilies
Olive oil
24 purchased wanton wrappers
Sour cream
Green Onions


Cook sausage, breaking up with fork, drain off fat. Add salsa, cheeses and green chilies to skillet and simmer until mixture thickens about 5 minutes. Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350.
Brush mini muffin cups with olive oil.
Press wonton wrapper into each muffin cup. (Wrapper will extend beyond the top of cup)
Fill each wrapper with generous tablespoon sausage mixture. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead) Cover and refrigerate.

Bake until wonton wrapper edge begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
Transfer pastries from muffin cups to baking sheet.
Bake pasties until bottoms are crisp, about 10 minutes.
Place dollop of sour cream on each. Sprinkle with green onions.

Makes 24
Appetizers from Bon Appettit

Manchego Cheese and Catalan Tomato Bread

Serves 4
2 large ripe tomatoes
4 slices rustic sourdough bread toasted
Spanish olive oil to taste
4 slices (2oz) manchego cheese

Traditional way:
Cut tomatoes in half rub open face of tomato into the toast until flesh is absorbed, throw away skin. Drizzle tomato rubbed bread with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with a slice of cheese and drizzle again with oil

Modern Way:
Cut tomatoes in half onto the grater until flesh is grated and mix with olive oil. Throw away the skin. Spoon the Olive oil and tomato mixture over the bread. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with a slice of cheese and drizzle again with oil

Monday, April 9, 2007