Since we haven’t been successful in having Curtis Stone come to our homes in person, we’ll have to settle for the next best thing: Curtis Stone What’s For Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life Cookbook! And just so you know, there’s no settling going on here – this is one fabulous cookbook…

Neatly divided, each night of the week has a different theme:

Motivating Mondays (start the week off right with healthy fare)

Time-Saving Tuesday (because so often Tuesday is “to-do” day)

One-Pot Wednesday (is there anything better for midweek pick-me-up)

Thrifty Thursday (so there’s a bit more for splurging on the weekend?)

Five-Ingredient Friday (being exhausted ≠ drive through window)

Dinner Party Saturday (food + family + friends = joy3)

Family Supper Sundays (#1 best way to grow happy, healthy kids)

And one final chapter, because no dinner is complete without Something Sweet (Peaches with Melted Bûcheron…be still my heart!)

The layout is just like we want it: enticing photograph (every dish!!) and complete recipe on one page (thank you for listening, cookbook editors).

Last week we went for Motivating Monday’s Grilled Chicken with Arugula and Zucchini Salad with Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette (henceforth dubbed A to Z salad).  A simple supper that was packed with bright, light flavors.  The star of the show was the Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette – a snappy sauce that made both the salad and chicken come alive – just a splash was enough to bring a little mojo to what could otherwise be Mundane Monday.

Last Sunday, Julia, Valerie and I headed to the Tanger Outlets in Texas City where Curtis Stone will be signing copies of What’s For Dinner. Who knows, maybe we’ll even convince his to come to our house for Sunday Supper –Martha

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I chose Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins as my book to be an evangelist for during the April St. George’s Day contest. Collins’ poems are about situations and feelings and places that are common, yet in the exacting words of this fine poet, they can become spectacular and singular. Collins’ poetry is sometimes funny, sometimes thought provoking, always accessible. My copy was given to me years ago by a friend who knows well my taste in words. I pull it down several times a year and am always rewarded with the satisfaction of a fine poem and the warmth of a great friendship.

But I also want to be an evangelist for poetry in general. Not sure what someone likes to read? Poetry has it all; it is part fiction, part non-fiction, part memoir. Only like “good” writing? Poetry is narrative condensed, every word matters. Like to skip around? You can read the last poem first and not spoil the ending, pick a poem in the middle and not reveal a plot twist. Poetry for a book club? Absolutely! Not only could you discuss specific poems, but members could take turns reading their favorites out loud. Listening to poetry can definitely cast a poem in a different light. I sometimes read poetry out loud just to hear how it sounds in a quiet place, or I read poetry silently to help drown out the noise around me.

Some people are intimidated by poetry, so let me take this opportunity to teach you how to read a book of poetry:

Step 1: Come to Blue Willow Bookshop.
Step 2: Pick up Billy Collins’ Sailing Alone Around the Room.
Step 3: Open to any page.
Step 4: Read and enjoy.

Finally, I have to share the first stanza of one of my favorite poems from the book, Forgetfulness.

The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never even heard of,

So true, so true.

- Nancy

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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

A long time ago (or back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, as our kids like to say), my husband and I both read MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL by John Berendt.  Berendt spent 8 years in Savannah, Georgia, immersing himself in the city and its society.  He weaves the tale of Jim Williams, a wealthy antique dealer accused of murdering a young handyman, with the stories of debutantes, voodoo priestesses, drag queens and trial lawyers.  We were enthralled with his vivid descriptions of parties and customs so foreign from our own.  He shows us that truth really can be stranger than fiction. Pick this up if you want to step into another world without leaving your living room.  And happy St. George’s Day!

– Cathy

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Occasionally a dazzling thought comes our way that once read, we know is going to be an essential lifelong truth.This happened the other day as I was drooling over, reading through Mr. Wilkinson’s Vegetables: A Cookbook to Celebrate the Garden by Matt Wilkinson. So what is this nugget of truth? This pearl of great price? Drumroll, please…

“SO WHY A BOOK ON VEGETABLES, I HEAR YOU ASK
It’s quite simple. Thinking about the vegetables first is how I cook. Today a lot of people think about what protein they feel like eating – will it be beef or chicken, fish or pork? Then what starch will be add to bulk out the meal and, as a final touch, throw in a few vegetables. This is where I’m a little different with my veg first approach.”
– Matt Wilkinson

Genius! Brilliant! Bouleversant! (one of my all-time favorite French words – loosely translated it means “turns your life upside down!) Once stated, deeply moving truths often elicit the response of “duh, why didn’t I think of that?” and it’s then you realize that deep down this is how you’ve wanted to live, you just needed someone to state the obvious. And so begins a love affair with vegetables, no longer turned to as a last resort, but brought out front and center to shine at each meal.

As a cookbook, Mr. Wilkinson’s Vegetables radiates earthiness and vitality. From the rich feel of the matte pages to the crisp, clean photographs, to the thick cardboard covers, like a garden brimming with plump, luscious homegrown vegetables each pages, begs, “pick me, pick me!”
Thoughtfully arranged from A for Asparagus to Z for Zucchini, Wilkinson has included recipes for 23 of his favorite vegetables as well as recipes for the one vegetable he detests, but included anyway. He leaves it up to the thorough reader to discover which one he just can’t abide.

Also included are two essential tips for a successful culinary experience. The first I already do: clean as you go. A dear friend once taught: upon entering the kitchen to fill the sink with hot soapy water and clean as you go (thank you, Bets!). The second tip is laborious yet in the end provides a more fulsome cooking experience. If I could train myself to do this one essential step (actually 5, but who’s counting), it would, to quote Mr. Wilkinson, “help me immensely”.

Having a bounty of carrots and all the other ingredients on hand (always an added pleasure), Carrot Cake was the recipe of choice. More like carrot bread than cake, it was an immediate Blue Willow favorite – especially when served with a slice of brie, as suggested by Mr. Wilkinson.

Years ago in elementary school we had a creative writing unit. I still remember a story written by Juwene Palotta (isn’t that an awesome 60’s name?) entitled Unvegetablitis about a girl who gets sick because she won’t eat her vegetables. Mr. Wilkinson’s recipes for Raw, Pickled & Roasted Cauliflower or Spinach, Mustard Greens & Baked Ricotta Cheese or Roasted Butternut Squash & Heirloom Carrot, Macadamias, Caper & Raisin Dressing guarantee to cure even the most serious case of Unvegetablitis!

-Martha

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Blue Willow is fortunate to be an official host for Children’s Book Week. We love to work with the Children’s Book Council to highlight this week each year!  All of us know the value and joy that reading can bring to kids and their families and we celebrate that week with special events (Jessica Day George will visit May 8) and the coveted Children’s Book Week posters and tote bags.  This year’s poster was designed by Brian Selznick, of HUGO CABRET fame:

You can celebrate Children’s Book Week too, by voting in the Children’s Choice Book Awards.  Take a look at the ballots below and make your choices by May 9 (winners are announced at an awards gale in New York on May 13).  If you don’t know what book to choose, ask your favorite kid, librarian or bookseller. They’re sure to have an opinion!

-Cathy

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Back by popular demand AND the incentive of a contest we are again celebrating St. George’s Day and the International Day of the Book and World Book Night and Shakespeare’s birthday (too much?).  I am kicking it off with a favorite from years past.

If you know what I like then you know that I mostly read novels–I like a good story, characters that either surprise or enlighten me, and a first rate narrator.  The sign of a good novel to me is when I stop, close the book, and think “Yes!” or “Wow” or “What does that mean?”

All of these emotions were going through my head and heart when I read THE SOLACE OF LEAVING EARLY.  Could I relate to Langston with her inability to move forward until propelled by events beyond her control?  I don’t know.  What I remember is thinking that this is what life is really like.  This is what parental relationships look like once we strip away the veneer and trappings of our outward life.

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The Girlboss, a customer, and I were chatting about books last Friday during Bibliotherapy and we started talking about favorite authors. We talked about the different ways to define “favorite.” Is it the author of your favorite book? Maybe, but sometimes one title may stand out while others fall short by comparison. Is it the author who you’ve read every single book they’ve published? We were all three proud to say we read and loved the entire oeuvre of Harper Lee.

I don’t hesitate to claim that my favorite author is John Steinbeck and I have read most, but not all, of his work. He died in 1968, but I recently stumbled across a collection of newspaper columns he wrote from Southeast Asia while reporting on the Vietnam War. I had no idea that Steinbeck had written about Vietnam. These columns were his last published material and I loved reading every word.

Then the customer asked the perfect question: What author are you most looking forward to publishing their next book?
I’d have to say Anne Tyler. Her books have never disappointed me. They never feel formulaic, but they all feature quirky and flawed characters that I’m sure could be living in my neighborhood, or in my house.

Or maybe Mary Doria Russell. Her books are all so completely different, feel so well-researched, and are beautifully written. I never know what to expect other than enjoyment.

I know there’s great anticipation for Khaled Hosseini’s new book coming out this summer, and several staffers are fighting over the advance copy we have from Kent Haruf. Personally, I’m waiting to see what Stephen Merrill Block will come up with next.

So. What author ARE you most anticipating reading their next book?

~ Nancy

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Friend of Blue Willow (you remember her last visit, don’t you?), Nigella Lawson whisks us off for a lovely visit to Italy in her newest cookbook, Nigellissima.  And what a delicious visit it is.

A feast for the eyes as well as the table, Nigellissima boasts more than 100 recipes from pasta to panna cotta – each one promising to be a decadent delight.

When the centerfold of grilled lamb chops scrumptiously arranged on a bed of arugula caught my eye, I knew there was no running from temptation; they would make a memorable meal for this month’s dinner group.  The pistachio pesto green beans, grilled potatoes, and fabulous salad filled our plates with a sumptuous bounty.  Incredibly simple to prepare, it made a wonderful meal to share with guests while not spending hours in the kitchen.

Earlier that morning the veggies were prepped while the lamb chops basked in the herb marinade.

A quick spin in the food processor created a nutty pesto that sautéed nicely with the fresh green beans.

The bed of arugula was a lovely backdrop for the lamb chops and grilled potatoes.

Nigellissima offers a bounty of recipes that are not the typical Italian fare, in fact she makes no claims that the “recipes are authentically Italian”.   She makes no apologies but rather invites us to share her passion for all things Italian. I, for one, heartily accept! I’m looking forward to pasta with zucchini next summer when the mountains of zucchini arrive in our veggie co-op boxes and cranberry pistachio biscotti will be pure bliss in my Christmas coffee.  Nigella’s wonderful introduction also includes a brief description on key ingredients, which I find most helpful – as quantities and varieties often make a substantial difference in the outcome of any recipe.  An added bonus is the final chapter – a Christmas dinner that will keep family and friends around the table for all the festivities.

– Martha

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The other side of the conversation is that according to studies, people who work from home are more productive.  I can understand that. You would too if you’ve ever been in our 200 sq ft backroom. Interruptions are (excuse me I’ll be back) often. In Quiet by Susan Cain, you will learn how powerful being alone can be.

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