Category: Food

Tidy Tidbits: Medicine, Crime, Food

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READING—FEMALE DOCTORS

The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura

The book’s subtitle:  How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine, aptly captures the mission of Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell.  Born in Bristol, England, into a large family, Elizabeth and Emily emigrated to Cincinnati when they were just eleven and six.  Although not wealthy, their parents prized education and, Elizabeth from an early age thought herself destined for greatness of some sort.  She believed herself superior to most everyone and especially to other women.  

(hhnmag.com)

Rejected by several medical schools, she ultimately was the lone female student at Geneva Medical College in upstate New York.  In 1849, she became the first woman in the U.S. to become an M.D.  Elizabeth put in her time observing and treating patients in Edinburgh and Paris, but she much preferred writing and teaching.  Later she founded and directed the first clinic and hospital in New York solely for women and children.  This was long before the germ theory of disease was put forth. 

Elizabeth was forceful, and she prevailed on Emily to pursue her medical degree and then join her.  For years, Emily followed in Elizabeth’s wake in a subordinate position until finally she tired of it.  These women doctors were dedicated to medicine in their separate ways and yet remained supportive of each other’s efforts.  Of the two, Emily was the more compassionate and caring practicing doctor.  

A fascinating account of the obstacles they overcame in their intertwined careers, it’s also a detailed study of complex sibling relationships.  Neither woman ever married.  

ON THE SCREEN

Historical Crime Series

Vienna Blood (PBS Masterpiece)

Max & Oskar (bbc.co.uk.)

Set in the early 1900’s, this 6-part Austrian crime series pairs Detective Oskar Rheinhardt with Max Liebermann, a young doctor in training.  Oskar was happiest working alone and less than enthusiastic when Dr. Liebermann came along to observe a case.  Max is studying to be a psychiatrist.  An admirer of Freud and his methods, Max thinks about the criminal mind and what motivates a murder.  As Max becomes more involved, Oskar begins to appreciate his insights and the two form an unlikely team.  

The murder scenes are gruesome ones, graphic and appropriately bloody, and “viewer discretion is advised.”  I found the first episode grim and dark but got more engaged as Oskar and Max become partners.  Along the way, we get to know Max’s family and his fiancée and learn a bit more about Oskar’s personal life.  There are plans for a second season and we’ll be there!

Mouthwatering Fare

Stanley Tucci:  Searching for Italy (CNN)

Sampling pasta (cnn.com)

I thought Stanley Tucci was marvelous in the film, Julie and Julia, as Paul Child alongside Meryl Streep.  That was at least ten years ago, and Tucci is still charming and sexy with a lovely deep voice.  Here he brings his passion for food to the fore introducing viewers to the tastes, smells, and sights of culinary Italy.  There are six episodes in this first season, and you don’t need to watch them in order.  

We began with Campania (think Naples and pizza) and then moved on to Tuscany (steak Florentine and panzanella).  The other evening it was on to Bologna, source of delectable prosciutto, nutty Parmesan, and delicate tortellini.  Stanley is a warm and relaxed guide who provides snippets of history and then meets up with professors, farmers, producers, and chefs.  Everywhere he goes, he tastes and exclaims and tastes some more.  

If you are an Italianophile, you’ll appreciate anew the variety and richness of the country’s cuisine and its passionate citizens.  If you are a foodie, it’s essential viewing!  Just be sure you eat before you watch.

CULINARY CORNER

Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen

(heraldtribune.com)

Located in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts, this newish restaurant has a spacious back patio and boasts tasty southern cuisine.  We went with friends mid-week and were the only outside diners for most of our meal.  Our waitress was friendly and helpful as we decided on our orders.  

The fried green tomatoes were perfect.  The fried calamari Thai style was an interesting attempt but a bit lacking.  The ribs and the meatloaf burger (adorned with tater tots) were very good very large portions.  The crab cake and shrimp and cheese grits entrées also got high marks.  A selection of wines by the glass and beers including original Pabst Blue Ribbon rounded out the meal.  If you like live music, Tuesday and Saturday are the nights, and on Sundays they offer a hillbilly/ gospel brunch.  We might try the latter—just for the experience!

Note: Photo of a gallery in Village of the Arts courtesy of 83degreesmedia.com.

March Diversions

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women’s Day.  The theme for 2021 is Women in Leadership:  Achieving an Equal Future in a Covid-19 World.  IWD was started in 1910 at the suggestion of a woman named Clara Zetkin at a conference of working women in Copenhagen.  In 1914, Germany marked the day on March 8 because it was a Sunday.  Ever since, IWD has been observed on March 8, Sunday or not. It focuses on women’s rights.

It’s also worth noting that in the United States and several other English-speaking countries, March is Women’s History Month.  This month is a time to celebrate and appreciate women’s contributions to events in history both recent and past.

OUTING

Yesterday, just to get off our little island, the Chief Penguin and I went to downtown Sarasota to shop at two of our favorite stores.  It wasn’t a wine and cheese expedition, but rather one for books and cheese….and fancy butter and crackers.  Although Sarasota did not extend their mask mandate, both shops required masks, sanitizing, and social distancing.  (Not so the restaurants we passed which were packed with patrons cheek by jowl.)

Happy book buyers BEFORE Covid! (Mapquest.com)

Bookstore 1 this year is celebrating its 10th anniversary.  They have a wide selection of current fiction and nonfiction plus cookbooks, mysteries, and children’s books.  I think they are stronger on picture books than middle grade readers, but I found several volumes for a granddaughter.  I have missed buying note cards in museum shops and so was pleased to find both blank cards and greeting cards to add to my collection at home.  And I succumbed to a new biography for myself—not that I need any more books right now, but how can I resist?

Louise and two assistants (herald tribune.com)

Artisan Cheese Company, helmed by Louise and her band of knowledgeable young women, has survived the pandemic and continues to stock a wide range of distinctive and unusual hard and soft cheeses.  The C.P. goes for the soft stinky ones (Oma, for example). I’m always on the lookout to try a new cheddar with bite or another variation on gouda, gruyere, or manchego.  And the store stocks imported butters, crackers, jams and spreads both sweet and savory, as well as a variety of homemade soups, pot pies, and sinfully rich mac and cheese.  Plus wine!  Needless to say, we never leave empty-handed!

WHAT I’M READING

The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell

This is a highly touted first novel published in 2019, but it’s also a challenging read.  It’s the March selection for my book group and long.  It brings together three intertwined families and the history of Zambia from the early 20th century to present day.  I found the first section about one of the grandmothers slow going, but I am now getting a bit more into it and have read about twenty percent.  We’ll see how it goes and I’ll report back after the book group discussion.

Movies, Mystery & More

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WHAT A WONDERFUL WEEK!

The inauguration of Joe Biden as U.S. President and Kamala Harris as Vice-President was marvelous and memorable in so many ways. A reset in tone, a return to competence, a series of firsts, and the beginning of an administration more representative in gender, race, background, and experience than the previous one. Hooray!

ON THE SCREEN

SPACE EXPLORATION MEETS EARTH’S FRAGILITY

The Midnight Sky (Netflix)

Iris & Augustine (commonsensemedia.org)

George Clooney both directs and stars in this film about Augustine, a terminally ill scientist holed up at an Arctic Circle outpost. Simultaneously, a team in space is trying to return from an exoplanet, but there’s been a catastrophe on earth.   

There’s another story within the story about the young Augustine and a failed relationship that overlaps the present when a little girl is inadvertently left behind with him.  The visual effects are amazing, the space station elaborate, and the sense of hurtling through the universe quite real.

Given the risks faced by the astronauts, it’s surprisingly unsuspenseful and too slow moving.  Nonetheless, we watched it to the end and were rewarded with a slight twist which brings everything together.  Overall okay, not great.

HEAVY METAL VS. DISTORTED SOUND

Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime)

Riz Ahmed (apnews.com)

This film about a drummer in a heavy metal band who is losing his hearing can be painful, painful for the ears.  The entire film is captioned (for good reasons) and, the soundtrack sometimes is distorted and muffled as it conveys how Ruben experiences the world around him.  Initially refusing to accept his situation, but nudged by his girlfriend Lou, Ruben reluctantly agrees to become a resident of a deaf community.  I found this portion of the film with all of the sign language fascinating and an insightful look at how deaf culture can work.  Riz Ahmed, a British Pakistani actor, is superb taking on the challenging role of Ruben.  Recommended! 

ON THE PAGE

MYSTERY FUELED BY PODCAST

Conviction by Denise Mina

This was my first exposure to this author. I selected it for my book group because it was touted as one of the year’s best mysteries by the Washington Post, NYT Book Review, and Publishers Weekly.  It’s a quirky book and much of the way, I didn’t much like it.  But several in the group loved it.

Anna McDonald’s husband leaves her for her best friend.  Devastated, she becomes obsessed with a true crime podcast that concerns a man, Leon Parker, whom she once knew slightly. Leon died when a yacht he and his family were on exploded.  Convinced that not all is true or right with the podcast, Anna goes on a quest to find answers.  She is joined by her neighbor Fin, a failed musician and her friend’s husband.  

They fly hither and thither across Europe checking out stories and interviewing possible relatives and suspects. All the while Fin is creating podcasts in response to the original one.  Anna is not who she has claimed to be, and her multiple identities unravel as they get deeper into their research.  

IN THE PAN

RECIPE REVIEW

Saucy Chicken Puttanesca

A plate of food Description automatically generated with medium confidence

(bonappetit.com)

Since the start of the pandemic, the Chief Penguin and I have eaten many more meals at home.  That’s meant a reprise of favorite entrees from the past plus trotting out new dishes to try.  Most recently, I cooked this chicken puttanesca from the February 2021 issue of Bon Appetit.  

It’s fairly straightforward in that chicken legs or thighs (I used boneless thighs) are browned on the stove and then transferred in a skillet to the oven.  It combines some of my favorite ingredients: olives (black ones for us), capers, lemon zest, and tomato, with garlic and anchovies, to make a dish that’s greater than the sum of its parts.  The flavor is robustly bold and deeply satisfying.  I served it over egg noodles dressed with a bit of butter and some truffle oil.  A definite keeper, I will make it again.  Bon appetit!

Note: Header photo of Kamala Harris taking the oath of office from wionews.com

Tidy December Sunrise

December Diversions

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ON THE SCREEN

Holiday Cooking Class 

The other evening, we enjoyed a cooking demonstration.  Clarkson University, the Chief Penguin’s alma mater, invited alumni to see and join their campus chef in the preparation of several dishes.  They included a colorful cranberry and whiskey cocktail, baked brie, baby potatoes wrapped in bacon, and julienned root vegetables with pistachio butter.  

One example of baby potatoes (serious eats.com)

The ingredient list was shared ahead of time and full recipes after the event.  The chef was very well organized, moved efficiently through the steps, and we could almost taste the results!  This was a different kind of viewing experience and a very successful one!  We haven’t yet bought any ingredients, but we will likely try at least one recipe.

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

Young Beth (Netflix.com)

The Queen’s Gambit, the name for an opening chess move, is a suspenseful seven-part series, even if you don’t play chess or understand the intricacies of the game.  It’s the 1950’s and when Beth Harmon’s mother dies in a car crash, the eight-year-old is sent to a very strict orphanage.  Lonely and feeling out of place, she lingers in the basement where the custodian plays chess by himself.  Observing and later learning from him, she demonstrates a real aptitude for the game.  

As a teenager, she is adopted by a childless couple. With the encouragement of her new mother, Beth enters a state chess championship, mostly to earn the prize money. As the 1960’s advance, Beth’s prowess takes her across the country and around the world.  She stands out as female in a very male world  One wonders if and when she will stumble.  

At first, I thought her character was based on a real person, but this is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Walter Tevis published in 1983.  Good entertainment!   

RECENT READING

CHILDHOOD IN POSTWAR BRITAIN

This Time Next Year We’ll be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear

Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the popular and award-winning Maisie Dobbs mystery series.  She has now put her hand to writing about her childhood growing up poor in rural Kent.  Born in 1955, when asked if she considered herself more a child of the 50’s or the 60’s, she reflected that her childhood was really Edwardian.  Steeped in nature and the countryside, she and her brother John spent summers spent picking hops with their parents.  They also lived for many years without indoor plumbing or a telephone.  It was a spare life based on hard physical labor of all sorts.  

In sprightly prose, Winspear shares her delight in being outdoors in all weathers and her love of stories, stories told by her mother, but also by her many aunts and uncles.  Her parents started married life as vagabonds of a sort. Later, her father established a business as a home contractor while her mother rose in the civil service as a prison administrator.  The memoir is a collection of stories and reminiscences, many grounded in the horrors of WWI, with only a bit about how Winspear became a writer.  More than anything, it is a loving and candid tribute to her parents, both deceased, and to a way of life now gone.  (~JWFarrington)

A NOVEL FOR LIBRARY LOVERS

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Writers of historical fiction often settle on a particular period and then create multiple works set in that era.  Fiona Davis focuses her novels on notable historic buildings in New York.  Earlier works highlighted the Dakota apartment building, the Barbizon hotel for young women, and the art school housed in Grand Central Terminal.  Her newest, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, takes place largely within the New York Public Library’s grand edifice.  In the early years of the 20th century, an interior apartment for the library superintendent was tucked away out of sight.  

Lion sculptures outside the New York Public Library (nypl.org)

In 1913, Jack and Laura Lyons, the superintendent and his wife, live in this apartment with their two children Harry and Pearl.  Jack is responsible for the safety and security of the building including its rare books.  When books go missing, he is a prime suspect.  Fast forward to 1993.   Sadie, a special collections librarian, is organizing an exhibit of rare first editions and other works in the Berg Collection, when several volumes go missing.  How the thefts in 1993 are linked to the events of 1913 make for an intriguing story of family relationships and the world of books.  

Davis has done her research, and it shows in her knowledge of the NYPL and the trade in stolen books.  She also brings in changing sexual mores and the constraints faced by women who desire more than just housewifery and motherhood.  The reader can assume there will be a happy or satisfactory ending, but how the author gets us there keeps us engaged.  (~JWFarrington)