February 2010: The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hosts: John and Emily's
Book: The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jaimie Ford.
Discussion leader: Lynne Armstrong
Recipes: See post

The book about Seattle's Japanese and Chinese communities during World War II brought us together, minus Schefflers (babysitting) and Frank (enjoying the warmth of Florida). Crab rangoon's by Wayne and a plethora of Chinese and Japanese appetizers from Sue & Jerry set the stage for a good discussion.

Kathy suggested I include a synosis of the book on this site, since we're getting older and our memories are getting shorter, so here goes, courtesy of Publisher's Weekly;s excerpt on Amazon:

Ford's strained debut concerns Henry Lee, a Chinese-American in Seattle who, in 1986, has just lost his wife to cancer. After Henry hears that the belongings of Japanese immigrants interned during WWII have been found in the basement of the Panama Hotel, the narrative shuttles between 1986 and the 1940s in a predictable story that chronicles the losses of old age and the bewilderment of youth. Henry recalls the difficulties of life in America during WWII, when he and his Japanese-American school friend, Keiko, wandered through wartime Seattle. Keiko and her family are later interned in a camp, and Henry, horrified by America's anti-Japanese hysteria, is further conflicted because of his Chinese father's anti-Japanese sentiment. Henry's adult life in 1986 is rather mechanically rendered, and Ford clumsily contrasts Henry's difficulty in communicating with his college-age son, Marty, with Henry's own alienation from his father, who was determined to Americanize him. The wartime persecution of Japanese immigrants is presented well, but the flatness of the narrative and Ford's reliance on numerous cultural cliches make for a disappointing read.

Ronnie's Bok Choy Salad

Bok Choy Salad

• 1 Medium head of Bok Choy (or Napa Cabbage)
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced

Wash and dice cabbage into thumb-nail sized chunks

Put in separate container:

• 2 1/2 oz. sesame seeds
• 1 pkg. sliced almonds (approx. 2 oz.)
• 2 pkg. Ramen noodles or Chinese noodles, broken up (don't use Ramen seasoning pack)

Saute noodles in oil with garlic powder. As noodles begin to brown, add sesame seeds and almonds and brown them also.
Cool and store in covered container.

Salad Dressing

• 2 T. soy sauce (generous)
• 1/4 C. cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 3/4 C. oil
• generous tsp. peanut butter
• 6 drops sesame oil
• 6 drops hot oil

Combine in a saucepan and boil no more than one minute. You'll need a wisk to break up the peanut butter.

Combine the three mixtures just before serving.

February 2010 recipes

Wayne:    Crab Rangoon
Sue:         A plethora of Chinese and Japanese appetizers
Ronnie:    Bok choy salad, with crispy noodles
Emily:      Cioppino
Kathy:      Apple Clafoutis

Emily's Cioppino

Based on Epicurious’s Quick and Easy Cioppino and Grandfather’s Cioppino – these are the proportions I used. We were nine. I suspect if we hadn't eaten such great appetizers, we might have finished the pot. As it was, there's enough left for another dinner for two.

• 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded and bulb cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
• 3 medium onion, quartered
• 4 stalks celery
• 5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 bay leaves 
• 3 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in juice
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• @ 1 ½ cups homemade tomato sauce (last summer’s, from freezer)
• 2 cups water
• 2 cup full-bodied red wine
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
• 1 cup shrimp stock from shells (or use two bottles of clam juice
• 1 pound skinless fillets of thick white-fleshed fish such as halibut, hake, or pollack, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 cup white wine
• Pinch of allspice
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 pound cultivated mussels
• 2 pounds large shrimp, with tails
• 2 pounds scallops
• 2 pounds crab legs

PREPARATION
(in the morning or day before)

1. 1. Pulse fennel, onion, celery and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then stir in chopped vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes,salt, and black pepper. 
3. Cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 -6 minutes. 
4. Add tomatoes with their juice, water, red wine, clam juice and shrimp stock and simmer, covered, for about an hour.

BEFORE SERVING

1. Reheat, adding white wine, allspice and cinnamon.
2. Add mussels, check to see they all open.
3. Add the remaining seafood and fish, and enjoy!

Emily on Oz

Since I can't be with you at the Lione's, here's just a few quick thoughts on Rhyming Life and Death:

Earlier this year I took a creative writing class. I thought it would be fun - I didn't realize or anticipate how really hard it would be. After all, I've been a writer for my whole adult life. I'd never written fiction but, after all, I'm pretty good at writing just about anything else....so what would be so hard?

Whew. What a surprise. It's tough.

We spent a bunch of time on character development, and the assignment was to go someplace -- a coffee shop, a book store, a train station, whatever -- and observe people and make up stories about them. We had a long list of characteristics to fill in. Some were expected and easy: age, economic status, clothing, hair, etc. But others were much more difficult, meaning we needed to make up the story behind the person. I confess: my imagination wasn't up to the task.

So reading Rhyming Life and Death I was in awe of Oz's ability to do just this -- and also intrigued by how he wrote a book about writing a book.

I'll be interested in how the conversation goes.

EG

January 2010

December was cancelled due to weather...so the next meeting is January 16th at the Liones. Book is Rhyming Life & Death by Amos Oz (here's a link to some reviews).

Emily & John can't be there as we're committed to celebrating the 65th birthday of a good friend....but we'll be happy to host  in February - -the 20th.  I'm pretty sure it's Wayne's turn to lead a book. 

Sorry we won't be with you....

Emily

November 09: A Death in the Family

November 21, 2009, Lois & Mark's
Book: A Death in the Family by James Agee.
Discussion leader: Emily

Continue reading for some of my notes and and links to articles that I found useful in preparing. Emily.