The silky butternut squash puree adds a spiced sweetness to the crisp shrimp. This is an ideal starter for a fall dinner.
To make the pumpkin seeds: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with some parchment paper.
Toss the pumpkin seeds with the oil and salt. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake, stirring once, until golden and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.
To make the ginger syrup: Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and squeeze the ginger juice into the saucepan. Return the squeezed ginger pulp back to the saucepan and stir well. Cool to room temperature, then strain through a Âfine-Âmesh sieve. Set aside.
A love story inspired by The Age of Innocence, about a young man and woman thwarted by tradition and the fears of a world suddenly defined by tragedy.
How does the alternative life that Nasr imagines for himself affect his relationship with Farah? In your experience, has the ability to imagine a path not taken haunted your life?
What do you think of Nasr’s mother’s generation’s desire to push their children into arranged marriages?
In a love marriage, the desire to commit to someone for life comes after falling in love. In an arranged marriage, the opposite is true: with the commitment of marriage comes love. Given this difference, would a love marriage between Nasr and Jameela have been more successful than the arranged marriage he has with Farah? Can Nasr ever hope to develop feelings for Farah that are as strong as the feelings he has for Jameela?
From the author of the 2007 Orange Prize finalist A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers comes a wholly original and thoroughly captivating coming-of-age story that follows a bright, impassioned young woman as she rushes headlong into the maelstrom of a rapidly changing Beijing to chase her dreams.
The questions and discussion topics that follow are intended to enhance your reading of Penny Vincenzi’s An Absolute Scandal. We hope they will enrich your experience of this mesmerizing novel.
What were your first impressions of the characters? How did your opinion of them shift throughout the novel? Which characters captured your imagination the most?
What are the main differences between Nigel and Blue? Why was Lucinda drawn to each of them, in different ways? How important is it for a couple to share similar economic and social backgrounds?
How does Flora’s personality affect her son’s marriage? Were you more sympathetic to Debbie or to Flora? What is the ideal role for in-laws and grandparents?
Imagine taking a walk on a beach on a warm spring day. That’s what this dish reminds me of. You have these bright, slightly crisp vegetables, which get transformed by the juices from the crab, joining them with the flavors of the sea. Tarragon and parsley add a welcome note from the herb garden, while a hint of smoky bacon reminds you that it’s not quite summer. Like lobster, Âsoft-Âshell crab is best when purchased alive. You can have the crabs cleaned by the fishmonger, but cook them on the same day you buy them. Even better, bring them home alive and clean them yourself as directed in the note. To get the best flavor from the crab—it really is quite amazing when mixed with the pea puree—be sure not to overcook it. (more…)
“Apparently Radiohead liked the movie [Choke] so much, they’ve written the score, most of the ambient music throughout it. So it’s ‘Choke– with the music of Radiohead’.” As for the new Radiohead track, that will play over the end credits during the movie.
With letters that span more than three centuries of American history, Posterity is a fascinating glimpse into the thoughts, wisdom, and family lives of those whose public accomplishments have touched us all. Here are renowned Americans in their own words and in their own times, seen as they were seen by their children. Here are our great Americans as mothers and fathers.
Though most of the figures in the book are widely known and thoroughly studied, their personal letters often show a side of them overlooked by history books. Were you surprised by the content or tone of any of the letters? Did reading them change your opinion of any of the figures in the book?
Do any of the letters remind you of your own communications with family? What values do you feel you have in common with the correspondents?
One criticism of the current reliance on email and text messaging is that it’s difficult to convey tone and feeling accurately through the written word. Do you think this applies to the letters in the book, as well? How much emotion are you able to perceive through the writing? Are letters and emails similar or dissimilar in this way?
Every so often a new writer appears who is wiser than her years would suggest, whose flesh-and-blood characters embody more experience than a young writer could possible know. Sana Krasikov is one of those writers. Her first published story appeared in the New Yorker, her second in The Atlantic Monthly’s fiction issue. One More Year is her debut collection, made up of stories of people who hold out hope, despite the odds, that life will be kind to them. Here’s a collection of the highly acclaimed praise for Sana Krasikov:
“An amazing mature work for a young author. The eight stories herein are all shrewdly humane and formally exquisite… Krasikov is as good as Junot Diaz and Jhumpa Lahiri…” —Miami Herald
“…Graceful and keen, these stories seep into memory not only for their unflinching gaze but also for their sane compassion.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“…Ms. Krasikov’s short stories are some of the finest debut work to appear in recent years.” —The New York Sun
“Whether male or female, teenage or elderly, in chaotic Moscow or a bucolic New York City suburb, their stories feel immediate, urgent, and gratifyingly real.” —Entertainment Weekly (A-)
“Lang Lang is a 26-year-old classical pianist who tickles both ivories and eardrums with formidable skill.” —USAToday.com
The sensational Chinese musical prodigy tells his heartbreaking, dramatic, and ultimately triumphant story in Journey of a Thousand Miles. Catch Lang Lang in his element when he launches the 2008 Summer Olympics in Tienanmen Square. Watch more videos and learn more about the book at LangLang.com.
Update: The above video is apparently not from the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics as it was uploaded 4 months ago. Also, the outfit he’s wearing in the above video doesn’t jive with the photo of Lang Lang’s opening ceremony performance over at the Vuture blog. Sorry for any confusion. We’ll try to hunt down Lang Lang’s performance at the Olympics asap but from what the Vuture blog is saying it might be a bit difficult.
When socialite Jo Vann sets out to start her own business, she envisions a catering company that gets it right: good food, good service, and good working conditions for its employees. She’s soon joined by three female colleagues: Daisy, the professional pastry chef with a stellar resume and less-than-stellar sense of decorum; Cate, an interior designer with a great eye for decorating and a taste for change; and Ellie, an old-Atlanta doyenne whose past intersects uncomfortably with Jo’s. The four women make an unlikely combination, but they soon learn to work together for the love of the company–and a growing fondness for each other.
Did you like the book? Why or why not?
Jo is at first reluctant to leave behind her original name idea, Divine Foods–but warms to Jelly Jar partly in an effort to be flexible and collaborative. Do you think this was a good decision? What would you have named the company?
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