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P.S.: More Good Reading
Another Book Recommendation by Lee Peoples Every Secret Crime
The constant twists and turns the plot takes make for great suspense; and just as the reader thinks the crime is about to be solved, here comes another twist. The ending, however, is a disappointment. A prime player disappears and turns up later miles away in Topeka, Kansas, of course, in disguise. As this is Cummings’s second Reno McCarthy novel, I suppose this is fodder for a third. All in all, though, a great read! By Lee Peoples |
Category: Book Reviews
The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follet
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The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett
Set in the Middle Ages, this book is very good but sometimes quite implausible. A cathedral seen through the eyes of an eleven-year-old boy who until recently has known only a cave in a forest for home with his young mother. His mother only weeks now has fallen in with a master builder. Tom’s hopes of one day building a cathedral causes him to talk about cathedrals all the time as they travel, looking for work. He and his family have recently become impoverished because of the veritable villains the Hamleighs. Their son, the ubiquitous William—he’s there from the beginning to the end, causing one problem after another for the heroes and heroines—is spurned by the woman he loves, and as a result cancels the building of the home they were to occupy, thus impoverishing Tom and his family. In their travels in search of work, his pregnant wife Agnes dies after giving birth to another son, and as is sometimes the custom, the baby is left on the grave of its mother to die of exposure rather than of starvation, as there is no way to feed the child. Miraculously, the child is saved and later becomes a major character and sometimes the catalyst to continue the dream of the cathedral, both on the part of the monk and Tom Builder. Thus eleven-year-old Jack, although quite bright, implausibly learns about cathedrals and their construction. And if this is at least somewhat historically accurate, we enjoy seeing that women in power were quite common in medieval times. But historically accurate or not, seeing women in charge added to the delightful reading. And while we take delight in the accomplishments of our heroes and heroines, we are sometimes disappointed to see the corruption of the Catholic church in all its sordidness. |
Water for Elephants – Sam Gruen
Water for Elephants
Sara Gruen
A 90-year-old man─or is he 93?─narrates the story of his one summer as a veterinarian with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth during the summer of 1931 in depression-era America. Jacob Jankowski resides in an assisted living home with other elderly people, many of whom require more medical attention than he. He is quite mentally astute for his age, yet because of his age, most of the people in charge of the facility treat him as mentally incompetent, all but Rosemary, a forty-seven-year-old nurse, who treats him and the rest of the patients/residents with the loving care, dignity, and respect they deserve as human beings. But she is moving away and will be quitting the facility, which in the end leads to Jacob’s decision to continue his life─what little he may have left─in dignity.
There is a circus that has come to town. It is so close to the facility that the big tent and other goings on can be observed from the window. All of the old people reminisce about their experiences in their youth going to the circus. One old man and a newcomer to the home, Mr. Joseph McGuinty, who is considerably younger than Jacob, brags about having worked in a circus, carrying “water for elephants.” Jacob becomes upset because he knows Mr. McGuinty is lying to attract the attention of the other residents; and the memories of the truth of his past life are triggered.
Flashback to young Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student at Cornell University in his last year! Just before he is scheduled to take his final exams, after which he will graduate and receive his degree, both his parents are killed in an automobile accident. After their burial and after learning the truth of his financial situation, Jacob is unable to focus. He leaves the exam room and leaves Cornell. Distraught, he leaves with only the clothes on his back and no money in his pocket.
Because of the Depression, people were unable to pay for his father’s services; and his father, also a veterinarian, worked for people even though they could not pay him, taking whatever they could give him─eggs, chickens, whatever they had. Therefore, his parents had nothing to leave their son but debts. To pay his tuition, the house had been mortgaged.
So not being able to focus, he leaves without ever putting pen to paper. Without aim or destination, he walks and soon finds himself beside the railroad tracks, when along comes a train. Like a hobo, he hops the train with no idea where he is going. He soon learns this is a circus train and is not tossed off it because the Benzini Brothers, whose circus it is, discover he is a veterinarian; and his services are badly needed.
Working as a veterinarian that summer leads to all kinds of experiences, tantamount among them which are falling in love, getting married, and eventually working with the circus’s one elephant.
After his summer with the Benzini Brothers, he is hired by Ringling Brothers. He, along with his wife, and his growing family, spends seven years as a circus veterinarian. He then becomes the veterinarian for the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. His seven years experience with exotic animals and his degree, in addition to bringing an elephant with him, insures him the job when the former vet suddenly dies.
Jacob, ninety years old─or is he 93? he asks himself, recognizing that his old age has caused some memory loss─struggles to hold onto his humanity and his dignity as long as he can. It is he who in his reminiscences about his circus life, his friendships, and his deep love for his wife narrates the story. The reader falls in love with Jacob and develops an even greater love and respect for “old folks.” Sara Gruen’s novel awakens the reader to the often mistreatment of and disrespect for the elderly, evoking empathy in their cause. Especially hurtful is seeing how their own families, their own children, mistreat them, or forget about them. Old people are still human beings. In many cases, their bodies may be broken, their hands and fingers gnarled, but in all cases, there is a brain inside their heads as Jacob proves. In having Jacob tell his story inWater for Elephants, the author informs us of this and reminds us of the fact that we will grow old someday. At the same time Sara Gruen affords us a moving and delightful read─so do not be misled by the title.
Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples
Recommended Must-Reads
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Recommended Must-Reads
By Lee L. Peoples
The Kite Runner Now a major motion picture, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is the very touching story of jealousy, love, betrayal, and redemption, among many other themes. The novel, set first in Kabul, Afghanistan, where Amir, the main character, was born and raised, moves to Pakistan, where the father and son flee after their country is overrun by the Russians and then other warring factions. Finally, they flee to America, where Northern California becomes home for them. Amir’s mother dies while giving birth to him, and to Amir it seems that his father, Baba, loves his servant Ali’s son, Hassan, more than he loves him. In spite of this, the two boys grow up like brothers, best friends. One of their favorite activities during the winter is kite flying, which culminates in a kite fighting tournament requiring two people, the actual kite flyer/fighter, Amir, and an assistant who is also the kite runner, Hassan, who expertly runs in the direction of the falling kite to claim it as their own. Khaled Hosseini’s first novel is fast-moving, suspenseful, and expertly written. The reader, having experienced emotional turmoil after emotional turmoil in this war-torn country, where class differences abound, is pleasantly surprised at the ending, where after so many years have passed, the secret of their lives, their friendship is revealed. It is only then that Amir, the main character, is able to forgive himself for the wrongs perpetrated upon Hassan because of his jealousy. This New York Times bestseller is a must read! A Thousand Splendid Suns One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, The two lines above are from a poem about Kabul, Afghanistan, in which the poet expresses his love for his homeland; and it is from this poem that Khaled Hosseini has taken the title of his latest number one bestseller, A Thousand Splendid Suns.
When it becomes possible, the surviving protagonists flee to Pakistan, where they seek refuge from the horrors of war, but in the end they return to their country to help rebuild it after the Taliban are ousted. In his characters the reader gets the feel that Hosseini is expressing a wish that he in real life himself cannot fulfill. |
In spite of having fled his country, the author’s love of his country is clearly evident in both of his books. In this book in particular, his story of two women not only exhibits his love for his country but also his respect for women and their rights. Mariam and Leila, both forced into marriage to a much older man, first meet as rivals in a polygamous marriage but become the closest of friends and each other’s protector from their abusive husband.A Model Summer – Paulina Porizkova
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A Model Summer
Paulina Porizkova
A Model Summer is the story of an innocent fifteen-year-old girl’s rise to the position of top model during, ironically, a model summer in Paris. Watching how others before her have achieved this coveted spot, in spite of her goals and ambitions before being discovered, she succumbs to the tricks of the trade, among the worst, sleeping with whoever she thinks will benefit her career. Like others at the many parties she attends, she learns to smoke and drink; she experiments with drugs. It is unbelievable that the adults responsible for her encourage such behavior. On her rise to the top, she falls in love with one of the world’s great photographers and becomes pregnant. Jirina Radovanovicova, Swedish, is fifteen years old. It is the beginning of summer in Sweden. She has just completed the ninth grade. Her parents, Czechoslovakian, are divorced, and her mother spends more time with her many boyfriends than she does supervising her girls. Therefore, Jirina is looking forward to spending even more time with her little sister, Kristynka. However, thanks to her friend and schoolmate Hatty, Hatty’s obsession with fashion and makeup leads to Jirina’s being discovered and given a chance at this “model summer” when she accompanies her friend to a seminar. Hatty has found an ad in the local paper for a modeling seminar, run by a famed modeling scout to the most exclusive modeling agencies in the world. So to keep her friend company, she tags along. At the end of the seminar, Malin, the scout, tells her she has modeling possibilities and sets her up with an appointment in Paris with Jean-Pierre, the owner of Sirens Modeling Agency. The author, a former model herself, gives us a candid picture of what life as a model is like. When Jirina arrives in Paris, she meets Britta, another young lady, who like herself, is trying modeling for the summer. Unlike Jirina, this young lady, though not much older than she, is far more mature and sophisticated. The sex, the drinking, the drugs…the ease with which the author writes about these, especially with teenagers, is at times disgusting, as if there is nothing wrong with fornication. Virginity is made to appear as a curse. Before the summer is over, Jirina has succumbed to this life. I found it hard to believe anyone would be so naïve and so easily influenced. Granted she was from a broken home – her parents are divorced; her mother is more interested in men than she is in her two daughters; and her father, who does not believe Jirina’s younger sister is his child, virtually ignores her. Prior to her summer in Paris, her only friend, the only person in whom she can confide, is her friend Hatty, the same age as she. Perhaps the author is saying that girls with strong family ties can succeed in this corrupt modeling world, as one minor character, a world-renowned model, rose to the top of her career without the degradation and stooping we see these young models succumb to. At the end of the summer, Jirina has made it, but what will she do now? She is pregnant. Where will she go? Will she return home to Sweden, or will the father of her child – old enough to be her father himself, but honorable and in love with Jirina – marry her? The book ends on the happy note, albeit a cliffhanger, that things will work out for this previously very deserving young lady. An enjoyable, well-written novel, A Model Summer is guaranteed to keep you reading from the first page to the last, as you experience one emotion after another: anger…happiness…sadness…disgust…and finally, hope. ISBN: 1-4013-0326-9; ISBN-13: 978-14013-0326-6 Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples |
The Road – Cormac McCarthy
The Road
Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a novel of survival in post-apocalyptic America. The world as it was no longer exists. Black ash years later continue to rain down on everything. There are no specifics as to what actually happened to cause this apocalypse, but the few clues the author gives us suggest a nuclear bomb: “The clocks stopped at 1:17. A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions … A dull rose glow in the windowglass” (52). A father and his young son, survivors, are traveling “the road” from their home in the north in expectation of reaching the south, where they expect to survive the winter.
All that they own has been packed into a supermarket cart: blankets, the little food and water they have managed to salvage along the way, what extra clothes they have, anything of use they find in homes or markets that escaped the fires and overlooked by survivors before them. When the novel opens, the pistol the father carries for protection contains three bullets in it. At the end of their journey, it contains only one. He has had to kill in order to survive. And because the survivors of the apocalypse fall into two categories—the good and the bad—he has taught his son how to do what he must if something happens to him: commit suicide. The bad people consist of cannibals, pederasts, all types of evils; yet there must be others like themselves, and he hopes the south will yield those good.
We’re never told the names of any of the characters because each is representative of a member of the surviving larger group.
This novel reminded me of other post-apocalyptic novels I had read, particularly The Stand by Stephen King, an allegory symbolizing the battle between good and evil, in which we are always left with the hope that good will win out. And in this case, just as things get their worst, again there is that hope resurfacing.
Black ash swirls everywhere through their entire journey. Sometimes the snow, no longer white but gray, falls; and soon it, too, is covered with black ash. When they reach the coast, the father’s promise of blue water to his son is dashed by the black ash covering the surface.
Yet the south holds hope of a future. Whatever has caused the apocalypse has left many of the survivors, among them the father, with tuberculosis. His endless cough, full of blood, presages his destiny. The young boy, his son, is a Christ figure, and any hope of a future world lies in him. “He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke” (5). And later, after he has had to kill to protect his son, he tells him: “My job is to take care of you. I was appointed to do that by God. I will kill anyone who touches you” (77).
The entire countryside had been scavenged, but almost everywhere they stop—places that had not been completely burned or otherwise destroyed—the father ingeniously manages to find something of substance to keep them going. In one place he drains oil from long ago discarded oilcans to have enough for a lamp he improvises from a bottle and a rag. After all, he has a mission. The boy is his “warrant,” and though it seems he is too ill to last much longer, he must somehow keep the boy alive.
McCarthy manipulates the language so that the mostly staccato sentences and phrases give the reader the impression of dancing, more specifically, of waltzing, thus creating a lightness in the midst of the hopelessness and dangers the two encounter throughout the entire journey. Also, this simple language reemphasizes the fact that the young son, born after the apocalypse, is learning about a world he knows nothing of from the stories his father, his only teacher, tells him. In addition, the short, simple sentences are reminders of their simple goal: stay alive.
The mother, unable to endure any more of the dangers they constantly faced in their efforts to survive, and completely without any hope of survival, had taken her life sometime before. Unable to convince her husband to do the same—as well as take the boy’s life—she had used a small piece of obsidian, leaving the few bullets left in the gun for their protection. When they set out on their journey south, the son never looks back, nor does he speak of his mother. The omniscient point of view with an unknown narrator adds to the suspense, giving the reader very few clues as to how the story will end.
Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples
The Measure of a Man Sidney Poitier
Book Review
The Measure of a Man
Sidney Poitier
Having always thought of Sidney Poitier as a gifted, consummate actor, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the trials he went through to become that way. A current Oprah’s pick, his memoir,The Measure of a Man, is the story of how a young man with so limited advantages and resources rises to become the consummate actor.
The consummate artist interprets rather than play acts, Poitier learned very early in his career, and in spite of acting lessons, turned to other artists to emulate, while achieving through imagination and daydreams (210). Thus, his outstanding, memorable performance in such movies as Blackboard Jungle, Cry the Beloved Country, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, To Sir with Love, and others. Among his many awards for his performances both on stage and in the movies is the Academy Award he received in 1964 for best actor in Lilies of the Field.
With a back and forth movement—moving from the present to the past, then back to the present—the memoir shows how his past shapes or explains his being. This memoir could be called an intellectual study into who Sidney Poitier is, how his past defines his measure as a man.
Sidney Poitier was born on Cat Island in the Bahamas, where he lived until ten and a half years old, when the family, of necessity, moved to Nassau. Until he went to Nassau, the outside world for him did not exist. Cat Island was a small, idyllic island, where the only threats Sidney met were those posed by nature and the strong discipline of his mother and father. Though very poor, his family was close. It was in Nassau that he was introduced to the prejudices toward blacks and the limitations racism placed upon them. Cat Island was idyllic, as opposed to the obvious haves vs. the have-nots of Nassau. He wore clothes made from flour sacks but loved and respected his parents so much he did not make a big deal out of the teasing he took from his schoolmates: “…knowing that my mom and dad were doing the best they could gave me the strength to suck it up and move on” (39).
He dropped out of school by the age of thirteen and was sent away from this environment—friends, even his older brother, were sent away because of the trouble they had gotten into because of the influence of the environment. (On Cat Island, the only dangers he had faced were those posed by nature.) Little Sidney was jailed briefly for stealing corn. So his father sent him to Miami to live with a brother ten years older than he. There, he also encountered race issues but did not let them interfere with what he had chosen for himself; so “the Jim Crow way of life had trouble overwhelming me” (42).
Sidney Poitier never compromised his values, refusing to play parts he did not believe in. Yet, this is exactly what his own race accused him of (118). Of course, he’s angry about what he and other blacks had to endure, but “… I’ve learned that I must find positive outlets for anger or it will destroy me. I have to try to find a way to channel that anger to the positive, and the highest positive is forgiveness” (128).
There are lessons to be learned from this memoir on how to achieve in spite of the obstacles life and society may place in the way, for one’s response is the measure of a man; and I agree that once again Oprah is right on in her selection. For example, hurt over the failure and breakup of his first marriage, he does not fail in fulfilling his father’s legacy: the measure of a man is how well he takes care of his children (181). He is quite proud of his six talented and intelligent daughters he helped raise in spite of his divorce from their mother. Poor though he was, his own father, Reggie Poitier, always took care of his family, and in this respect, as well as others, Sidney chose to emulate him.
I would say “the measure of a man” is one’s response to all of the opposition one is faced with in society, and Sidney Poitier certainly lives up to his measure as a man in all the racial opposition he encountered as a black man on his journey to becoming the consummate actor, beloved by so many.
Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples
Son-Rise – The Miracle Continues
Book Review
Son-Rise – The Miracle Continues
Barry Neil Kaufman
T
here’s nothing like a true story made into a book, made into a television movie to get one inspired, and Barry Kaufman’s Son-Risedid just that for me. This is the story of a child with autism. Barry and his wife Samahria Kaufman gave birth to Raun, who exhibited all the characteristics of a normal child. He was developing normally, but at four weeks old, Raun battled with an ear infection that spread thoughout his nose and throat, Raun was treated with antibiotics, which caused a severe dehydration, eventually landing him in the hospital for several days. The treatment had severe side effects and the doctors feared he would have permanent hearing loss. Finally, the Kaufmans were allowed to take their infant home. At first, Raun developed normally, but eventually he started exhibiting unusual behavior, giving Samahria and Barry cause for concern. He was detached and shunned all human touch. Raun was eventually diagnosed as severely autistic.
Samahria and Barry went through a series of tests only to be told there was no cure. The best they could hope for was that maybe Raun would eventually learn a few skills, like dressing himself and uttering robotic responses. But eventually he would be institutionalized. Against the odds, Samahria decided to take action, ignoring the doctor’s advice. She decided that she was going to reach her son, no matter what it took. She had no expectations, only acceptance—she wanted to connect with her child. The best way that she knew how to do that was to enter his world in hopes that he would feel safe enough to eventually enter hers.
Samahria spent every waking hour mimicking Raun’s behavior. If he spun a plate, she spun a plate. If he threw his food, she threw her food. If he jumped up and down, so did she. And she did all this in the tiny bathroom of their home. She chose the bathroom because there wasn’t much in there that Raun could destroy, and it was a place where they always had their interaction. Eventually, Raun began to respond. The Kaufman family eventually all got involved, including Raun’s two older sisters, Byrn and Thea. The Kaufmans elicited help from volunteers to get involved with treating their son. And with time, patience, and a few setbacks, Raun began to develop like a toddler and eventually showed no signs of autism.
The doctors who had diagnosed him as autistic were astounded. Caseworkers and teachers of special education programs came to observe Raun’s daily routine. In their opinion, it was a miracle.
What moved me the most about Son-Rise, The Miracle Continues is the amount of love this family had for their child. They gave up a lot to be able to connect with him and to be in his world. They also took a big chance, not knowing the outcome. Their methods were unorthodox, but safe. There were no drugs involved, only dietary changes.
The Kaufmans eventually created their own institute, showing parents how to work with their autistic children—the main medicine being unconditional love and acceptance. And to this day, The Option Institute has helped thousands of children rise above autism, as well as a host of other related and non-related disorders. Raun, who is now completely recovered, is the director of The Option Institute.
Son-Rise was first published over thirty years ago. A television movie about autism was based on that book. It offered hope to those families who were told there was no cure for autism. The newly published Son-Rise, The Miracle Continues has three parts. The first part is about the struggle and the eventual success of Raun Kaufman. Part two of this book explores Raun’s development from childhood at age four to becoming a young adult.
Part three interviews five other families who went through similar circumstances and were victorious over their child’s diagnosis. All five families have inspiring success stories, and their once unreachable children are now happy, thriving, and functional beings. These testimonies offer hope along with the limitless opportunities.
This is a must read. I read the 346-page book from cover to cover in just 48 hours, unable to put it down. Autism is a growing epidemic, and could affect you or someone you know. Son-Rise, The Miracle Continues teaches us to be more accepting of people’s differences. It teaches us to love unconditionally, and it is a true testimony to what the human mind is really capable of.
Son-Rise, The Miracle Continues can be purchased at most bookstores everywhere.
Reviewed by Kaylene Peoples
Recommended Reading: One Child by Torey L. Hayden, Copyright 1980
When special-education teacher Torey Hayden wrote her first bookOne Child almost two decades ago, she created an international bestseller. Her intensely moving true story of Sheila, a silent, profoundly disturbed little six-year-old girl, touched millions. From every corner of the world came letters from readers wanting to know more about the troubled child who had come into Torey Hayden’s class as a “hopeless case,” and emerged as the very symbol of eternal hope within the human spirit.
The Tiger’s Child by Torey L. Hayden, Copyright 1995, the sequel toOne Child.
NONFICTION
Description by Amazon.com
The Good Eater – Author Ron Saxen
The Good Eater
Ron Saxen
The Good Eater by Ron Saxen, due to be published in March, is the true story of a male model’s struggle with binge eating. This is a problem more common among women, but this young man at a very early age found solace from his problems by eating, and as a result, always struggled with a weight problem.
Ron’s binge-eating roots, like most people with emotional problems, lay in his past. He was the third child of a very strict, tyrannical father and a mother who was a religious fanatic. He had two older brothers and two younger sisters.
His binge eating started at thirteen years old, when waiting for his father to come home and punish him for the wrongs of the day his mother had written down in her notebook, he began to eat the chocolate from the school sales he had stored in his closet. And he felt better immediately! From then on, to placate himself, he ate. Food gave him pleasure. He had learned that anything he could do to please his parents and maintain the “fragile” peace was a good thing. Winning food contests at the dinner table—finishing before everyone else—was one of those things that pleased his father and kept the peace, staving off the punishments and whippings. And he loved food!
At sixteen, his father left home; and since his two older brothers had moved out, he became the man of the house. He went on his first diet; but since his answer to every problem was eating, of course, he always returned to eating for comfort. He became obese, and for the next years struggled with his weight.
However, Ron was very good looking, and in 1984, at the low end of his yo-yo dieting (260-
225), he was asked a number of times if he was a model. He was twenty-one years old. Encouraged to try modeling, he lost enough weight to qualify as a model. He tried out and was very successful, until confronted with a problem and returned to binge eating to solve it, or at least to make himself feel better. He put the weight on again and gave up modeling. He tried being a comedian, writing acts and performing them on stage. Eventually, failing at that, having now received his college degree, he tried the Marine Corps’ Officers Candidacy School. He hoped that being a Marine would magically erase his past and solve all of his problems. When this failed, he tried selling insurance, then using drugs . . .one attempt after another to control his eating and thus his weight.
See how, with some lifestyle changes and the help of friends, Ron finally, years later, gets his eating under control, and as a result, his life. This memoir, at times light and funny, at others dark and sad, reads like a novel, with a plot whose conflict I kept wanting to be resolved happily for Ron so that he could stop bingeing and keep his weight under control in order to get back to his modeling. You, too, will find it interesting and moving.
The following is from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/Bingeeating.html):
Although it has only recently been recognized as a distinct condition, binge eating disorder is probably the most common eating disorder. Most people with binge eating disorder are obese (more than 20 percent above a healthy body weight), but normal-weight people also can be affected. Binge eating disorder probably affects 2 percent of all adults, or about 1 million to 2 million Americans. Among mildly obese people in self-help or commercial weight loss programs, 10 to 15 percent have binge eating disorder. The disorder is even more common in those with severe obesity.
Binge eating disorder is slightly more common in women, with three women affected for every two men. The disorder affects blacks as often as whites; its frequency in other ethnic groups is not yet known. Obese people with binge eating disorder often became overweight at a younger age than those without the disorder. They also may have more frequent episodes of losing and regaining weight (yo-yo dieting).
If you think you might have a problem with BED, there are many programs to help you. You can find help first by simply doing a search on the Internet to learn just how serious is your eating problem and get help early, unlike Ron, who took twenty-one years of trying to solve his own problem alone before he got help. Recognizing he had a serious problem, as he tried one thing after another only to fail again, I kept screaming at him: Get some professional help!
You may visit Ron Saxen online at www.ronsaxen.com.
Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes – A Holiday Recipe
Brunch: Fried Catfish Sausage Scramble Biscuits Cheese Grits Fried Green Tomatoes Ambrosia Biscuits (Serves 4) 2 cups self-rising flour 1/2 stick of butter 1 egg 1/2 cup of milk Preheat oven 350 degrees. Cut butter into flour until it looks grainy. Set aside. Mix milk and egg together, and then mix into the flour mixture. Do not mix too much. Knead mixture for 30 seconds on floured surface. Let stand for 10 minutes. Shape into biscuits. Place on cookie sheet dusted with flour. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove promptly from oven. Set aside to cool. Makes approximately 10 biscuits. Serve with jam and butter. Fried Catfish(Serves 4) 4 medium sized catfish filets 3/4-cup cornmeal 1/4-cup flour Salt and pepper Cooking Oil Mix and Cut filets into quarters. Season with salt and pepper. Mix flour and cornmeal. Dredge filets in mixture. Deep fry for 10 minutes or until golden brown, set aside to drain on paper towels. Cheese GritsFollow directions on box to serve four. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Crack an egg into the mixture and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Follow with 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle cheese on top of mixture. Sausage Scramble1 dozen eggs 1/4-teaspoon of water 1 package of sausage 2 green onions minced 1/8-teaspoon red pepper flakes Salt and Pepper Red Pepper Sauce 1/4 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded. Crumble sausage and cook through in large skillet. Set aside. Crack eggs and mix thoroughly; mix in water. Add onions, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cook in separate skillet on low heat. Be careful not to overcook. The eggs will have a curdled appearance when done. Add to the sausage mixture. Sprinkle red pepper sauce over mixture. Mix. Sprinkle cheese over top. Fried Green Tomatoes4 large green tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch in thickness Cornmeal Salt and Pepper Hot oil Sprinkle tomato slices with salt and pepper Dredge in cornmeal Fry until brown. Enjoy. Ambrosia PunchThis punch will be sure to pack a punch! 1qt. of Orange Juice 1 liter of 7 up 1 pint of Rum 1 pint of Grenadine 1 orange, sliced, peel and all Serve over ice and enjoy. Enjoy your Christmas brunch, and don’t worry about the calories. Christmas comes only once a year! See the next issue for the after Christmas brunch workout, sure to burn calories. Written by Lisa A. Trimarchi |
