Book Reviews

Now time for that semi-regular feature: half-assed book reviews.

Gathering Blue
Lois Lowry; Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Nicely rendered sequel to The Giver, Lowry’s trilogy centers or three different visions of post-apocalyptic human society. The Giver focuses on Jonas’ village, where equality, convention, and respect for authority are valued above all. We read The Giver in our eighth grade Utopia unit— wherein the class came to the conclusion that Utopia is a naive fantasy. It was a sad day.

The village in Gathering Blue is much different. Kira’s society is much more primitive than Jonas’. While everyone works together for survival, there is no community spirit or goodwill, even within families, and while there is more personal freedom, there’s also much more violence and open hostility. Kira, born with a twisted leg, should have been exposed at birth, according to the community’s traditions. But Kira is gifted with needle and thread, and when her mother dies, she is taken into the government building to serve the Council with other gifted youth (whose parents also **SPOILER** died mysteriously).

I also liked the hints here about previous civilization, both in the the ceremonial song, and the clues in the landscape; the government building. Lowry subtly describes the people’s bewilderment at such lost knowledge, much like people in the Middle Ages must have marveled over aqueducts and Roman ruins.

A quick read, expertly executed. It brought me right back to eighth grade Humanities class.

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The Princess and Curdie
George MacDonald; Penguin Classics
George MacDonald was reportedly the favorite author of a very young JRR Tolkien, so perhaps he can be described as the grandfather of modern fantasy. First published in 1882, The Princess and Curdie is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, a true fairy tale, complete with fairy grandmothers, goblins, and a young pure hero, in the form of Curdie, the son of a miner, and a miner himself, who rescues the innocent Princess Irene who’s been kidnapped and held hostage in the middle of a mountain by scheming goblins. The simple moral is to be open to believing without seeing.

In this book, set a year after the previous volume, Curdie has lost some of his purity, and the fairy grandmother, whom he couldn’t see in the first book, sets a shamed Curdie on a quest to save his king and kingdom. The message is more complex this time. While it’s still about faith and trust in something greater than oneself, it’s also about recognizing who is worthy of faith and trust.

Some of the language is archaic and there’s some religion here and there (MacDonald was an Anglican ministerbefore his superiors realized he wasn’t proclaiming their message with proper respect for convention), this is a largely unknown classic that deserves more attention. Of particular note is the goddess-like characterization of the great-great grandmother.

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More to come: At the Sign of the Sugared Plum, Becoming Rosemary, and Fairest! Maybe. I only seem to do these reviews once every eight months, so I won’t promise anything.

Review of Morris East

5212 Morris Street, Halifax
phone: 902 444 7663

Morris East received a lot of press since it opened in early August at the intersection of Morris and Barrington. During the last week of September, the restaurant critics from both The Daily News and The Chronicle-Herald visited the spot in the same week, and both offered positive reviews. It’s fair to say Morris East is a hotspot.

What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, owner Jennie Dobbs is a restauranteur who takes pizza seriously, so of course she imported an Italian wood-burning pizza oven directly from the old country. And it makes all the difference.

Wood smoke lends the pizza crust a smoky flavor, obviously, but it also reveals fantastic sweet and savory notes hidden in the dough, proving that we sometimes sacrifice flavor when adopting modern conveniences. Wood loved wheat in a way that propane doesn’t— even in a brick oven.

But that marvelous oven is only part of what Morris East does right.

On the cool evening we stopped by, a weeknight, we were surprised to see that the place was packed. We were met at the door by a friendly waitress who took our outerwear and showed us to the only open table, along the side. A banquette runs along one side of the room. The space is cozy, maybe a dozen tables, and the walls show weathered, exposed brick. The kitchen is visible, and the oven’s back end pokes into the dining room like the hull of a battleship. If they keep that baby blazing, Morris East won’t have to use much heating oil this winter! The wine list and dessert menu are on chalkboards above the counter. The effect is a modern, minimalist European bistro.

We started by splitting the Artichoke Dip; their dip-of-the-day. I was expecting the usual hot, parmesan-y artichoke dip, but instead our waitress delivered a generous portion of a smooth, lemony celadon paste served cold. Rather than crackers or toasts, a fresh flatbread was the delivery method, giving us our first taste of that oven. The preparation was different and delicious; unlike any artichoke dip I’ve ever had.

While the menu offers some delightfully exotic choices (peach, proscuitto, and goat cheese; caramelized pineapple and Canadian bacon were two pizzas featured in September), we choose the more traditional The Pork Shop and Roasted Vegetable Pizzas.

The Pork Shop is topped with hot Italian Sausage from Denmark, Colchester County, as well as caramelized red onion and roasted red pepper. The combination is perfectly balanced, sweet onions and ripe peppers contrasting with the spicy sausage. Absolutely fantastic.

The Roasted Vegetable Pizza was a terrific rendition. Unlike so many waterlogged, pasty “roasted vegetables” at Halifax restaurants, the vegetables here— peppers, zucchini and tomatoes— were firm, distinct and flavorful. The pie was topped with a generous crumbling of goat cheese, and contrary to another reviewer’s complaint, we found no problem with the crust becoming soggy. Even twenty minutes after we’d been served, the crust remained crisp and chewy, with some tasty blackened bits.

And make no mistake. Morris East is all about the great crust. We fell in love with the sweet, smoky complexity imparted by that traditional oven, and only wish we could recreate those flavors at home. I also appreciate the restaurant’s focus. You won’t find a salmon special or a Thai chicken salad to start. They do one thing, pizza, and they do it very, very well.

Clearly, Dobbs cares about wines, too. Morris East offers its wines by the glass, half-liter, and bottle, and the short, smart list was carefully chosen by sommelier Jamie Urqhart. Urqhart has chosen some unusual bottlings here, like the Cuma Torrontes 2006, an organic Chilean wine with a bright floral nose and hints of peach and lemon. If you’re looking for something local, two bottlings from Jost are on offer, as well. We hope the wine list will continue to grow as the restaurant matures.

All desserts are made in-house, with homey choices like s’mores and chocolate hazelnut torte. They’re simple and rich, and all the better for it.

The pricing here is more than fair, and the service was fun and affable. We felt very well cared, and appreciated how everyone on the floor made us feel welcome and appreciated.

In fact, my only quibble is with the vegetarian options: a pizza margherita and the roasted vegetable were the vegetarian options for both September and October, surprising in a restaurant that changes its menu every month. Why should carnivores have all the fun? How about roasted garlic, potato, and Jerusalem artichoke pie with sage and ricotta; or roasted butternut squash, caramelized onion, thyme and goat cheese? Winter lends itself lots of hearty vegetarian options.

It’s a wonderful new neighborhood restaurant in a well-served neighborhood, but we’re sure Morris East will make a go of it. Honestly, we loved it.

“If I’d known it would make you so happy, I would have announced it years ago!”

Holy Mother of Pearl, how is it I didn’t know until this morning? There was a day when Mugglenet was my homepage… *sniff*

I can’t claim presience as some do, though. I’m a longtime Dumbledore/Pomfrey shipper. In fact, I may have been the only one in that boat.

Oh-so Literary

I’m going to write a short story about a charming couple who live in a first-floor apartment, whose upstairs neighbors erect a pumpkin-headed scarecrow and move it secretly in the night, arranging it so at first, its flat, unseeing eyes peep through this window, then that one, then another, so the couple never know when they’re being observed by the dread golem— until they suffer psychotic breaks and attack the dread thing with gardening tools.

It will be based on a true story.

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This poem by Babbette Deutsch is from the Everyman’s Library collection Pocket Poems collection, The Dance.

BALLET SCHOOL

Fawns in the winter wood
Who feel their horns, and leap,
Swans whom the bleakening mood
Of evening stirs from sleep,
Tall flowers that unfurl
As a moth, driven, flies,
Flowers with the breasts of a girl
And sea-cold eyes.
The bare bright mirrows glow
For their enchanted shapes.
Each is a flame, and so,
Like flame, escapes.

Warm and Safe

Autumn has arrived in full force here, and as we were at the beach gathering rocks this evening, I felt it was finally time to drag out my hat. Now I’m sitting in our drafty study wishing mightily for a fireplace, or at least a cubby in the wall where I could toss a few handfuls of crumpled red tissue paper for a cosy pretend.

We finally got around to listening to the Penguin Podcast from last November wherein they highlighted children’s audiobooks for Christmas 2006. One of the selections was Patricia Routledge reading Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice who ruin the dolls’ house in a rage when they discover that all the food in the dollhouse is pretend. It prompted me to draw up (silently, you understand) a complex theory about the differences in how live animals who live in the wild— though not in a very harsh wild— and “live” toys, who are both manufactured and cared for by humans, perceive reality in Beatrix Potter.

…But none of that is what I meant to say today. What I meant to say was:

Here are two book orders that arrived in our mailbox today. Can you guess which belong to me and which are Richard’s? And who works harder to coordinate with the bedspread?

Weekend Wrap-Up

So, oops, it’s been a week. And a half. Good thing NaBloPoMo doesn’t start for a few weeks. Incidentally, is anyone thinking of doing NaNoWriMo, too? That strikes me as impossible, but I suppose you’re not meant to start from nothing.

Anyway, when last we spoke, I had just secured tickets to the Sexsmith-Barber concert in Chester. It was fantastic. Lots of mid-fifties to mid-sixties people in the audience, but a few younger faces, too. Ron Sexsmith, of course, is a Canadian legend, beloved by the likes of Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Elton John, blah blah blah. He’s never generated much of a fan base, it seems, because all the famous people have been hoarding him, so you should go download some stuff from iTunes right now, just so you can be in-the-know, too.

Back? OK.

Jill Barber is actually based in Halifax, but she’s toured all over the country in the past two years, and Thursday night she kicked off a new tour. Her voice is both old-timey, smoky French cafe and really fresh and new, and the performance was fun and light— there was an electric mandolin in evidence, which pretty much spells heaven to me.

Ron Sexsmith’s set was a bit more subdued. Apparently there wasn’t money in “the budget” (whose?) to pay his whole band for the gig, so it was an acoustic affair, with just him playing guitar and keyboard. Which was perfect for both me and Richard who was enjoying the start of a two-day migraine, but Sexsmith seemed a bit disappointed. It bothers me that a man who’s been playing his heart out for twenty years— to great critical acclaim— still has to compromise. But then, muddling through is what we all do, disappointments and all.

Anyway, great set, and he took requests, which was another sad moment; clearly most of the crowd just knew his name, not his work, so they didn’t have any requests. I’m too shy to yell, and there was a guy behind us who kept shouting during applause “How about Secret Heart?” I like to imagine Bob Dylan’s reaction to that kind of thing: in the face of my decades of work and four-inch-thick songbook, you want to hear that one song someone else made famous?

Though I imagine Dylan would be much more of an asshole about it than Sexsmith was. He played it eventually, and very graciously.

On Saturday we saw Elizabeth: The Golden Age, which, despite its mixed reviews, was exactly what it should have been. A fantastical, sweeping costume drama with a little bit of acting and an eensy smidge of history thrown in. My only quibble is that the sea battle wasn’t long enough. And although I couldn’t watch it, I appreciated the inclusion of a (brief) scene wherein a Protestant’s tongue was cut out before he was shot. It behooves us in the West to be reminded forcefully and often that we have a recent history of fundamentalism and fanatacism.

Yesterday we went to the Annapolis Valley to collect pumpkins for slaughter this Halloween. The weather was tempestuous and moody, which made great cloud formations for photos. Late in the afternoon we were on the Acadia campus Geocaching and looked up to discover the brightest, fullest rainbow I’ve ever seen. There was a double arc for a few minutes, too, the whole thing circling the campus. It was raining so hard though, no one else even noticed.

Some Photoshop fiddling is required to correct the colors (to what they really were)> But you get the idea.

And finally, this optical illusion. Which way does it spin for you? After a bit of struggling, I can make her twirl clockwise at will, but counterclockwise is my natural state. If you’re having trouble, close your eyes and think either of a famous painting I use The Scream because it’s easy to keep in my head) or some rote memorization from history class, whilst simultaneously urging her to spin the way you want. Let me know how it turns out.

Finally following through on New Year’s Resolution #2: Get Out More

I just confirmed tickets for the Ron Sexsmith-Jill Barber concert on October 11. Three cheers! I believe this is my first real, indoor concert since I saw Raffi LIVE! in 1988. So. I’m excited.

Now to shake out the piggy bank and scrape together the funds for Garnet Rogers….

We went to the first movie of the season for the Lunenburg County Film Series— Waitress. It wasn’t at all what I expected. Quirky, of course, but some of the performances were perfect— the multi-dimensional abusive husband, for instance, and the asshole manager.

Last year we saw the episode of Law & Order based on the director’s murder, and I thought it was one of the most far-fetched L&Os ever (a high benchmark), so I was shocked to learn yesterday morning that Waitress’ writer-director-costar, Adrienne Shelly, was the inspiration. Ripped from the Headlines doesn’t seem so clear-eyed and take-no-prisoners in this light.

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I took a blog survey yesterday and it just kept going and going, so naturally (naturally!) I decided to it it to the bitter end, where I was presented with this.

I wish I’d answered differently. I’d have loved to see ads for UFOs all over Federated Media.

Preserving the Harvest

Summer comes late in Nova Scotia and so does the harvest. While Ontario and BC have been floundering in nightshades and stone fruits for months, we’re just hitting peak season. And with our cool weather, now is the very best time to embrace home canning. Maybe it’s the universal shift towards fresh local produce, maybe it’s the DIY aesthetic that’s flooded our magazines and local indie papers, but everything old is new again. Especially— and surprisingly— in the sphere of home preserving.

It’s apple season here, of course, with all that comes with it— apple butter and jam, for instance— but there’s lots more that you might not know about. Lots of Damson and Damson-type plums are available, so why not make your own plum sauce for take-out? How about making some crunchy bread-and-butter pickles out of those spiky cucumbers like Nana did in the 1950s? Or perhaps something more daring— maybe pumpkin jam?

Indeed, that’s part of the magic of making your own jams, pickles and chutneys— you can use your imagination. Why make marmalade with plain oranges, when you can use oranges and lemons and call it St. Clement’s Marmalade? While you’re at it, how about a pinch of cinnamon? A jar of homemade green tomato mincemeat makes a terrific Christmas present, and hey, what’s to stop you from adding a handful of walnuts? Or maybe you’re more interested in candied citrus peel or relish… you can even make your own ketchup. And it’s all quite easy.

If you’re put off, as I was, by the thought of boiling jars, don’t worry. Most hot-packed preserves can be spooned into jars that have just spent 15 minutes or so in a 220°F oven. No special equipment is necessary aside from jars and a kitchen scale, although a wide-mouthed funnel is often useful.

After you’ve packed your hot preserves into a jar, making sure to expel any air bubbles, immediately cover the surface of the preserve with a disc of waxed paper (shiny side down) add the lid and screw on the ring. If you’re using a lid that’s only one piece, just screw it on.

Now, the waterbath. I know, I know, it’s annoying, and if you’re just making jam for yourself and are satisfied that your jars are sterile and well-sealed, it might be okay to skip this part— I do, on occasion. But if you’re giving food as a gift or serving to company, better safe than make Aunt Gert sick.

The variety of preserves is truly astounding. Everyone thinks of jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys, of course, but what about nut conserves, spiced vinegars and oils, exotic relishes and condiments? Publishing houses are issuing a whole new world of preserves books to give you ideas. Try Preserves: The Complete Book of Jams, Jelllies, Pickles and Preserves by Catherine Atkinson, The Jamlady Cookbook by Beverly Ellen Shoonmaker Alfeld, or Gourmet Preserves Chez Madelaine by Madelaine Bullwinkel. Or, my very favorite, Sensational Preserves by Hilaire Walden.

Here are a couple of unusual examples to get you started.

Pumpkin Jam
adapted from Sensational Preserves by Hilaire Walden

Note: For the waterbath, put your filled jars into a big stock pot and add water to cover them by at least one inch, then bring the water up to between 190°F and 200°F. Generally processing takes between 10 and 15 minutes.

Ingredients
1 large pumpkin, halved, scooped out, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes

for each pound of prepared pumpkin flesh:
1lb sugar
1 oz fresh ginger, grated
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
juice of 1⁄2 a lemon

Steam the pumpkin for 20 minutes, or until tender. Add pumpkin, sugar, giner, spices, and lemon juice to a large, non-metallic* bowl, cover and leave in a cool place for 24 hours.

Tip the contents of the bowl into a large saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then boil hard for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is translucent and thick.

Ladel into warm, clean dry jars, seal with a disc of wax paper, screw on jar lid and then process in a waterbath (see note) for 10 minutes, then let cool. Store in a cool, dark place for one month to develop flavor before eating.

Spiced Plums
adapted from Sensational Preserves by Hilaire Walden

Note: For the waterbath, put your filled jars into a big stock pot and add water to cover them by at least one inch, then bring the water up to between 190°F and 200°F. Generally processing takes between 10 and 15 minutes.

Ingredients
2lb purple plums
1 1⁄2lb sugar
1 oz fresh ginger, grated
1⁄2 teaspoon whole cloves
1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick
16 fl oz red wine vinegar

Prick the plums all over with a darning needle (!!) and put in a large pot so the fruit is no more than two layers deep.

In another saucepan, add remaining ingredients and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, raise heat and boil mixtures for 5 minutes.

Pour the spiced vinegar over the fruit, and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for about 8 hours.

Strain off the liquid through a non-metallic* sieve and reserve. Pack the fruit into warm, clean, dry jars and set aside. Boil the strained liquid hard till reduced by one-third, then quickly pour into jars to cover the fruit. Swivel to expel any air bubbles, then screw on the lids. Process in a waterbath (see note) for 15 minutes, then cool. Store in a cool, dark place for one month to develop flavor before eating.

*Non-metallic because metals react with acid to produce a metallic flavor in preserves. They’re fine for jams and jellies— preserves that don’t contain lemon juice or vinegar.

— for infomonkey

South Shore Events for October

Ah, October. My second-favorite month, now that I’m out of school. Notable events this month include the Garnet Rogers in Lunenburg on Saturday the 6th, Ron Sexsmith and Jill Barber in Chester on Thursday the 11th, and the Second Annual International Ukulele Ceilidh in Liverpool the 25-28. Also, the Lunenburg Film Series has started a new season, and Pearl Theatre Movie Nights are back on, too.

This is just a partial list, and I’m certain I’ll add to it as October wears on.

Lunenburg Film Series
October 3 at 7:00pm; Bridgewater Empire 7
This month’s movie is Waitress starring Keri Russell, Cheryl Hines, and (personal favorite) Nathan Fillion.
for a Season Pass, email here

The Pearl Theatre
October 6 at 8:00pm; The Pearl Theatre in Lunenburg
Crown Prince of Nova Scotian folk music Garnet Rogers will be in concert with Eileen Laverty. We missed the Garnet Rogers concert last year, but won’t happen again, by God!
tickets $15, available at folkharbour.com, et al. (email me for locations).

Lunenburg Film Series
October 7 at 7:00pm; Bridgewater Empire 7
This month’s movie is Waitress starring Keri Russell, Cheryl Hines, and (personal favorite) Nathan Fillion.
for a Season Pass, email here

The Chester Playhouse
October 11 at 8:00 pm; The Chester Playhouse
Ron Sexsmith and Jill Barber in concert. Pretty exciting that they’re playing such a small venue; by hook or by crook, you’ll see me there!
tickets $30 in advance, $35 at the door

The Pearl Theatre
October 16 at 7:00pm; The Pearl Theatre in Lunenburg
Pearl Movie Night (film TBA)
admission $5 at the door

The Chester Playhouse
October 20 at 8:00 pm; The Chester Playhouse
Juno Award-winning folk singer Lennie Gallant performs from his new album, When We Get There.
tickets $20 for adults, $16 for students

The Pearl Theatre
October 16 at 7:00pm; The Pearl Theatre in Lunenburg
The Gilbert & Sullivan Society presents Pirates of Penzance

Liverpool Ukulele Ceilidh
October 25-28; various venues around Liverpool
The second annual Ukulele Ceilidh includes four days of concerts and events hosted by the Ukulele Society of Liverpool. Performers include Melanie and J. Chalmers Doane, John Kavanagh, The University of Maine at Machias Ukulele Club, Mike Conway… okay, I don’t know much about the ukulele circuit, but musicians are coming from as far away as Colorado, so it’s a Big Deal. I love the uke; I’ll totally be there.

The Chester Playhouse
October 27 at 8:00 pm; The Chester Playhouse
Lauded Nova Scotia songwriter Mary Knickle and Juno-affiliated fiddler Sean Kempt give what will be an intimate and memorable performance.
tickets $16 for adults, $12 for students

The Pearl Theatre
October 30 at 7:00pm; The Pearl Theatre in Lunenburg
Pearl Movie Night (film TBA)
admission $5 at the door