Creamy Potato and Spinach Soup for Cook The Books October/November Pick: The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

It's Cook the Books time again and for October/November, we read The City Baker's Guide to Country Living.by Louise Miller, hosted by Claudia of Honey From Rock. It's a foodie/baked goods-friendly novel, although I don't bake and chose to make a warming Creamy Potato and Spinach Soup as my book-inspired dish. 

Publisher's Blurb:

When Olivia Rawlings—pastry chef extraordinaire for an exclusive Boston dinner club—sets not just her flambéed dessert but the entire building alight, she escapes to the most comforting place she can think of—the idyllic town of Guthrie, Vermont, home of Bag Balm, the country’s longest-running contra dance, and her best friend Hannah. But the getaway turns into something more lasting when Margaret Hurley, the cantankerous, sweater-set-wearing owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, offers Livvy a job. Broke and knowing that her days at the club are numbered, Livvy accepts.

Livvy moves with her larger-than-life, uberenthusiastic dog, Salty, into a sugarhouse on the inn’s property and begins creating her mouthwatering desserts for the residents of Guthrie. She soon uncovers the real reason she has been hired—to help Margaret reclaim the inn’s blue ribbon status at the annual county fair apple pie contest.
 
With the joys of a fragrant kitchen, the sound of banjos and fiddles being tuned in a barn, and the crisp scent of the orchard just outside the front door, Livvy soon finds herself immersed in small town life. And when she meets Martin McCracken, the Guthrie native who has returned from Seattle to tend his ailing father, Livvy comes to understand that she may not be as alone in this world as she once thought.
 
But then another new arrival takes the community by surprise, and Livvy must decide whether to do what she does best and flee—or stay and finally discover what it means to belong. Olivia Rawlings may finally find out that the life you want may not be the one you expected—it could be even better.

• Publisher: ‎Penguin Books; 

• Paperback: 352 pages

My Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this story as books where starting over in a small town/community or starting over, in general, are my jam, especially where food is involved. I do admit to not liking Olivia much when the book started, but she grew on me as the story continued. The town of Guthrie with all its quirky residents and small-town politics grew on me as well. Although I fear I could never warm up there--the blood things after 22+ years in a tropical climate, the book definitely made me want to go for an extended visit. And Salty the dog was perhaps my favorite character. In the end, it's a good rom-com that had me smiling and tearing up a few times and a good story to cozy up with. 

There is food galore in the book from apple pie (there's the contest of course) to muffins and scones, cookies (macaroons, butter cookies, sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, and pecan sandies) to locally-made cheeses, and all manner of breads. There were desserts aplenty, but also a harvest dinner with corn consommé, a fancy salad, prime rib, mushroom risotto, popovers, a cheese course, and even a Thanksgiving dinner. I was going to do the riff on the risotto as it's a favorite and then I switched to a corn soup (heartier than consommé), but at the end of the day, I was craving a simple potato soup, so that's what I made..Is it in the book? Not at all. Would I have wanted it if I was staying in a sugaring house in Vermont in the fall and winter? Absolutely!

Creamy Potato and Spinach Soup

By Deb,  Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes about 4 Large Servings)

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp celery seeds

½ teaspoon thyme

1.5 lb potatoes of your choice, cubed

2 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup whole milk or milk of choice

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 bag (8oz-ish) baby spinach washed & chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and herbs, and cook for an extra minute or two, until the onion is coated and smells good. Stir in the cubed potatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and flour in a cup. When potatoes are tender, add the flour and milk slurry and stir until the liquid in the pot comes back up to a simmer and starts to thicken (it should take about 2-3 minutes).

Add the spinach to the pot and cook stirring for about 3-4 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and add salt and pepper, adjusting the seasoning to your liking. 

Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes/Results: Sometimes it's the really simple things in life that taste the best and this soup is an example of that. Heartly, creamy, warming, and delicious, it was perfect for our starting to get a bit cooler at night, weather. I only wish I'd made a bigger batch. 

The deadline for this round is today (surprise, surprise) but if you like food and books, and foodie books, join us for December/January, when we'll be reading I’m hosting for December/January when Debra of Eliot's Eats is hosting with Undercooked: How I Let Food Become My Life Navigator and How Maybe That’s a Dumb Way to Live by Dan Ahdoot.   

 

Spinach Artichoke Risotto for Cook the Books April/May Selection: Lessons in Chemistry

Hi Friends, it's been a while. Lots of life changes, some good (I got a new job and out of some toxicity) and some bad (I lost my fur baby Max, the best cat ever, and got bronchitis and COVID again and have some lingering breathing junk) and I'm still not doing a whole lot of cooking. I missed our last round of Cook the Books, even though I read the book and I really didn't want to miss this one, so I am coming in right at the wire with my dish for the fabulous, lives-up-to-its-hype novel, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats. 

I think you might have to have been living under a big not-reading rock this past year to not hear about this book and see the many gushy reviews about it. It's been on my radar for a while now and this was the push I needed to read it.

Here's the blurb:

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. 

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.  

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

My Thoughts: Although I bought a hard copy of the book, I ended up using an Audible credit and listened to most of the book. It was delightful, the narrator captured the characters well and I enjoyed spending time with them. I really loved this novel, it's a charming and smartly written book and a debut novel which is hard to believe, it's so good! I loved Elizabeth Zott, she is just quirky enough of a character to be endearing without overdoing it. Intelligent, strong, funny, and dealing with so much struggle and sexism while making her way as a chemist and a woman in the 1950-60s. The supporting characters were fun--my absolute favorite was Six-Thirty. I could keep talking about the book, it will go down as one of my favorites for the year, but it's been a long day and really, you should just go read it (or listen to it) if you haven't already. I am also in half excitement, and half fear that Apple TV+ will be doing the series but the end of the audiobook was an interview with the author and she seems to think it's in good hands, so, fingers crossed... 

With Elizabeth Zott and her cooking show, there was food in the book. Dishes like baked spaghetti Bolognese, chicken pot pie, broccoli and mushroom casserole, vinegar, and brownies. I know there were more mentions but it was hard to keep track with the audiobook. 

I took inspiration from a spinach casserole Elizabeth made. I was thinking spinach and rice but rather than something baked in the oven, my thoughts turned to risotto which I love to make (the zen of stirring) and to eat. Given the fact that I am working remotely from home, but still remain super busy and not wanting to spend a lot of time or dirty up many dishes, I decided to add a little pre-made magic to my homemade risotto dinner and so I bought a container of parmesan spinach artichoke dip from the deli and also added a can of halved artichoke hearts and pre-shredded cheese. (OK, so I was having a dip craving too!) I'd like to think Elizabeth would understand the shortcuts, even if she wouldn't have approved them!  

Spinach Artichoke Risotto
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen  
(Serves 4-ish) 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced

2 tsp garlic, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1 tsp salt
1 cup dry white wine, room temperature
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or non-chicken stock, warmed 

1 (8 oz) container prepared spinach artichoke dip or homemade

1 can artichoke hearts, cut into bite-size wedges 
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or other favorite cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan + more to top 
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp fresh lemon juice or to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat add the butter, shallots and garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly. Add the rice and salt and stir with a wooden spoon to coat all the kernels with oil. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes, or until the rice is sizzling. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it is almost completely absorbed. Now begin adding the chicken broth, one cup at a time, stirring frequently between additions. 

After the first cup is almost entirely absorbed, add the next cup. Continue in this way until the rice is cooked through and you have a creamy risotto, about 20 minutes in all. (The risotto should be slightly loose, not dry; it should run off your spoon. If it gets too dry, add a bit more broth.) Gently stir in the prepared spinach dip, artichoke hearts, cheeses and black pepper and warm through. Taste and add lemon juice, salt and more black pepper as need. Serve and enjoy.

Notes/Results: Oh yeah, this was tasty comfort food and other than the stirring time, quick and easy to put together. The dip blended right into the risotto and the extra cheese didn't hurt. If you wanted more protein, some chicken would be nic but I was more than satisfied with it as written. I will happily make this again. 

So, yes, the deadline for this round of Cook the Books is today, but if you want to join in the next one, Simona of Briciole will be hosting our June/July pick, Food Americana by David Page (May 2021).

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Excerpt and Review of "The Summer Getaway" by Susan Mallery, Served with Fish with Three Herb Salsa & Braised Little Gems

Aloha! I am excited to be today's stop on the TLC Book Except Tour for The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery. Along with the excerpt, I am posting a review and a dish that I think suits the summer mood of the book.

HQN; Original edition (March 15, 2022)

Hardcover 416 pages

Publisher's Blurb:

One woman discovers the beauty in chaos in this poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold family together from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.

With her divorce settlement about to run out and a mortgage she can’t afford, Robyn Caldwell needs a plan for her future. She nurtured her family and neglected herself. But how’s she supposed to think when her daughter has become the most demanding bride ever, her son won’t even consider college, her best friend is on the brink of marital disaster and her ex is making a monumentally bad decision that could bring everything crashing down on Robyn’s head? So when her great-aunt Lillian invites her to Santa Barbara for the summer, Robyn hops on the first plane.

But it’s hard to run away when you’re the heart of the family. One by one, everyone she left behind follows her across the country. Somehow, their baggage doesn’t feel as heavy in the sun-drenched, mishmash mansion. The more time Robyn spends with free-spirited Lillian, the more she sees the appeal in taking chances—on dreams, on love, on family. Life is meant to be lived on purpose. All she has to do is muster the courage to take a chance on herself.

My Quick Review:

I enjoy Susan Mallery's books for beach and pool reads as they are easy to pick up, put down, and get swept away to a vacation escape in between. They cover the gamut of relationships from family to romance and always with some character growth thrown in. Robyn is a likeable character, as are many of the supporting characters. I wanted to explore her Aunt's historic Santa Barbara house and all its treasures (and also want to know where I can get a relative to leave me a mansion or its contents--I promise to take the 15 cats with it!) ;-) Is the story completely realistic, no, but it is a good soapy drama that was fun and engaging to read and I found myself wanting to stay with the characters after I finished.

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Author Notes: #1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives, family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. 

Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

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Excerpt:

Robyn faked her way through lunch. She preferred to mull over Madison’s bombshell before

talking about it. She alternated between disbelief and resignation. What had Cord been thinking? Dating his daughter’s fiancé’s twin sister? Really? Couldn’t he settle for someone only ten years younger who wasn’t related to Kip?

Once she was home, she quickly texted her ex, asking him to stop by that evening. Within

seconds, he answered with, What did I do now?

She ignored the question.

Six works for me. See you then.

She thought about texting Harlow and asking her about her father dating Zafina, but decided that wasn’t a good idea. Based on her daughter’s silence on the subject, she would guess Harlow didn’t know. Better to find out if it was a weekend fling that could be ignored or something that was going to blow up in their faces.

“Dammit, Cord,” she muttered, wondering why, four years after their divorce, she was still dealing with his messes.

In the kitchen, she got out ingredients for a citrus marinade. Once she’d juiced the oranges and the limes, she chopped basil before turning her attention to the chicken pieces. She carefully removed the skin and any visible fat. While she’d always tried to provide healthy meals for her family, since she’d started dating Jase, she’d become even more aware of the food she prepared. She put the chicken and marinade into a large resealable plastic bag. She’d just finished when Austin, her youngest, walked into the kitchen.

“Hey, Mom,” he said, stretching before slumping onto one of the bar stools by the large island. 

 

His dark blond hair fell into his eyes. He was tall and lean, with that too-skinny look teenaged boys had. Sometime in the next couple of years he would start to fill out.

“You’re home early.”

“It was only a six-hour fishing charter.”

“That’s why you were gone before sunrise.”

“I had to be on board by five thirty.”

“Pesky fish and their timetables.”

Austin flashed her a grin. “I blame the fishermen.”

“Them, too.”

Austin, barely eighteen and a recent high school graduate, eyed the plastic bag. “More chicken?”

“It’s healthy.”

“Did you have to start dating a cardiologist? All we ever have is chicken and fish.”

She held in a smile. “That’s not true. Last week I made vegetarian enchiladas.”

“I know, but I try not to think about it. Couldn’t you start seeing a guy who owns a rib place? That would be better for me.”

“It’s not bad for you to learn to eat healthy. You won’t be eighteen forever.”

“I’m figuring I’ll be eighteen for about a year.”

She laughed. “I think you’re right. You hungry?”

“Always.”

She cleaned up, then walked to the refrigerator. “Isn’t there leftover Thai?” A takeout dinner she and Austin had shared. Something they would only have when Jase wasn’t coming over.

“I had it for breakfast.”

“There’s still some of the poached salmon. I could heat that and put together a salad.”

Austin made a gagging noise in the back of his throat. “I want something good.”

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You can read the next excerpt at From the TBR Pile tomorrow:

Here are the rest of the stops on the excerpt tour:

Monday, February 21st: Books Cooks Looks  
Tuesday, February 22nd: Reading Reality 
Wednesday, February 23rd: SusanLovesBooks 
Thursday, February 24th: Kahakai Kitchen 
Friday, February 25th: From the TBR Pile 
Friday, February 25th: View from the Birdhouse 
Sunday, February 27th: Subakka.bookstuff 
Monday, February 28th: Laura’s Reviews 
Tuesday, March 1st: Bookchickdi 
Wednesday, March 2nd: The Bookish Dilettante 
Thursday, March 3rd: What is That Book About 
Friday, March 4th: The Romance Dish 
Sunday, March 6th: The Cozy Book Blog 
Monday, March 7th: Girl Who Reads 
Tuesday, March 8th: Bibliotica 
Wednesday, March 9th: Helen’s Book Blog 
Thursday, March 10th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers 
Friday, March 11th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy 
Sunday, March 13th: Novel Gossip 
Monday, March 14th: Books and Bindings 

What food would I pair with this book? As it was set in Florida and California and on the water in both, a healthy fish dish is in order.

 

I have all kinds of fish recipes on the blog but this book took me back to a 2010 post, where I made three local fish with Nigella Lawson's Three Herb Salsa and Braised Little Gems (Lettuce) from her Forever Summer cookbook. These dishes definitely have that healthy, summer vibe going on.

You can find the recipes here.

Note: A review copy of "The Summer Getaway" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.  

You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of The Killing Kind by Jane Casey, Served with Mushroom Spinach Pizza & a Recipe for Garlic Cream Sauce

Happy Aloha Friday! It's officially Fall and this season is always a good time for a twisty psychological thriller, so I am happy to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for The Killing Kind by Jane Casey. Accompanying my review is a tasty Mushroom Garlic Pizza and a recipe for a Garlic Cream Sauce to use on pizza or pasta.

Publisher's Blurb:

He tells you you’re special…
As a barrister, Ingrid Lewis is used to dealing with tricky clients, but no one has ever come close to John Webster. After Ingrid defended Webster against a stalking charge, he then turned on her – following her, ruining her relationship, even destroying her home.

He tells you he wants to protect you…
Now, Ingrid believes she has finally escaped his clutches. But when one of her colleagues is run down on a busy London road, Ingrid is sure she was the intended victim. And then Webster shows up at her door…

But can you believe him?
Webster claims Ingrid is in danger – and that only he can protect her. Stalker or saviour? Murderer or protector? The clock is ticking for Ingrid to decide. Because the killer is ready to strike again.

Publisher: Harper Collins (September 21, 2021)

Hardcover: 480 pages

My Review:

As mentioned above, I love a good dark thriller with plenty of twists and The Killing Kind is definitely that. It follows Ingrid, a 30-something barrister in London, who has seemingly good reason to believe that the death of a colleague crossing a busy street may actually not have been an accident and that she might have been the intended victim. That this happens after a former client, John Webster, who stalked her, burnt down her flat and ruined her relationship with her fiance (and is generally a charismatic sociopath) is released from prison certainly gives her reason to fear for her life. I don't want to go into a lot of the details of the plot (because of potential spoilers) but soon Webster is back in her life and claiming that she needs him to help her figure out who is really behind the threat.

So many twists and turns and side characters and plots--a bit chaotic but it kept me going for the almost 500 pages and made them fly by. At time things got a little fantastical, and I had to yell at Ingrid a lot in my head--for a seemingly smart person most of the time, she made some very questionable choices in terms of who she listened to and to whom she granted trust. There is a lot of British law jargon--I am more familiar with British police procedurals but not as much with the court system. (I found it interesting though.) John Webster was a fascinating character, one of those psychos who you just can't wait to see what they do next. I did guess the major twist in the book, but there were enough surprises left to make it intriguing and keep my interest.This is my first book from this author but after reading it, I am now inclined to give her two series (Maeve Kerrigan and Jess Tennant) a try. If you like dark and a little crazy, you will likely enjoy it too.

 

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One quote that I really liked from John Webster about how predictable people (especially  Ingrid) are in the choices and decisions we make:

"You think you're making free choices but really the decisions you make are about what you know, and what you find comforting."

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Author Notes: JANE CASEY is the author of the Maeve Kerrigan novels (Let the Dead Speak, After the Fire) and the Jess Tennant Mysteries (Hide and Seek, Bet Your Life). A graduate of Oxford she also has received a M. Phil from Trinity College, Dublin. Born and raised in Dublin, she lives in London where she works as an editor.

Find out more about Jane on her Twitter and Facebook.

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Food Inspiration:

There was food to be found in The Killing Kind. Sadly, much of it was tied to people's murders, but there was food. ;-) Mentions included a bowl of cereal, brunch with bottomless mimosas, buying "something strange and exotic to cook for dinner," herbs, "sickly sweet cocktails," lamb ragu with pappardelle, tinned chopped tomatoes, brittle pizza loaded with mozzarella, wine, vegetarian food. steak, rainbow-tinted macarons, almond croissant, kebabs, Diet Coke, goat's cheese and cranberry roulade, scallops, beans on toast, tea and a "vast oozing cream bun", a massive burger, ice cream, snacks and vegetable stir-fry.

For my bookish dish, I was thinking about making a vegetarian ragu with pappardelle or beans on toast but as per usual lately, work and weeknights have me heading home in a tired daze. I was craving pizza and a local neighborhood cafe does pizza from 3:00 PM to Close and I have been wanting to try it out so I ordered one to go. In the book it was "brittle pizza loaded with mozzarella" and I took that to be a thin crust margherita-style pizza which was on the menu however, it was the SMG that I wanted with "Roasted Garlic Cream, Button and Oyster Mushrooms, Spinach, Shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan." 

The crust is on the thinner side but soft and chewy rather than "brittle" and it was delcious as was the garlic cream sauce and mushrooms. This pizza made me happy for a week night dinner and the second half will be dinner tonight!

Since I usually post a recipe, I thought I would give you one for a Garlic Cream Sauce, similar to the one on my cafe pizza. Truth be told, I prefer a white sauce or pesto to tomato sauce on pizza. This sauce is similar to an Alfredo and works equally well on pasta.

 

Garlic Cream Sauce for Pizza or Pasta

By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen 

(Makes about 1 1/4 cups)

2 Tbsp olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried thyme

freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cream or half-and-half (or coconut cream)

 

In a large skillet or pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened. (Make sure not to burn it.) Add the flour and oregano, basil and thyme and whisk well, cooking a minute or two until flour starts to turn color. Stir in the cream, whisking constantly. Cook, about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly until sauce is thick and bubbling.   Let cool slightly and spread on pizza before adding your toppings and baking, or thin it with a little more cream or pasta cooking water and use with your favorite sturdy pasta.

Notes/Results: Sure tomato sauce is healthier and less calories but when you want to indulge, a creamy, garlicky white pizza sauce is the way to go. This one is easy to make and tastes great. As for the pizza, I will definitely be ordering it again--yum!

I'm sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event  being hosted by Marg at The Adventures of An Intrepid Reader. It's a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. Here's a link to this week's post. 

Note: A review copy of The Killing Kind was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.    

You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here. 

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "Mrs. Rochester's Ghost" by Lindsay Marcott, Served with a Shrimp Cobb Salad & a Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

It's almost Friday! I am excited about that and the fact that I am today's TLC Book Tour stop for Mrs. Rochester's Ghost by Lindsay Marcott, a modern retelling of Jane Eyre.  Accompanying my review is a Shrimp Cobb Salad from a nearby restaurant and a recipe for one of my favorite Blue Cheese Salad Dressings.  

Publisher's Blurb:

In a modern and twisty retelling of Jane Eyre, a young woman must question everything she thinks she knows about love, loyalty, and murder.

Jane has lost everything: job, mother, relationship, even her home. A friend calls to offer an unusual deal, a cottage above the crashing surf of Big Sur on the estate of his employer, Evan Rochester. In return, Jane will tutor his teenage daughter. She accepts.

But nothing is quite as it seems at the Rochester estate. Though he’s been accused of murdering his glamorous and troubled wife, Evan Rochester insists she drowned herself. Jane is skeptical, but she still finds herself falling for the brilliant and secretive entrepreneur and growing close to his daughter.

And yet her deepening feelings for Evan can’t disguise dark suspicions aroused when a ghostly presence repeatedly appears in the night’s mist and fog. Jane embarks on an intense search for answers and uncovers evidence that soon puts Evan’s innocence into question. She’s determined to discover what really happened that fateful night, but what will the truth cost her?

Hardcover: 398 Pages

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (August 1, 2021)

My Review: 

Although Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte does not garner the same level of love and devotion from me as Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion and Jane Austen do, I have always enjoyed it and have read it four or five times throughout my life. This made me more than happy to jump on the tour for Mrs. Rochester's Wife, the modernization of the classic novel. I love a good retelling--preferably where the author doesn't just pick up the novel and put it in a different time or setting, but rather one that reaches out and gives me another angle to explore. 

Mrs. Rochester's Wife manages to keep the dark gothic vibe of the original, even as it moves the story to the dramatic and rugged coastline of Big Sur. Jane is now the unemployed writer of a gothic television series that was recently canceled--making it impossible to afford her rent. She is also recently an orphan, having lost her mother to cancer, and she also lost her boyfriend and best friend who together, betrayed her when her mother was sick. An old friend calls and talks her into leaving New York for California to take a summer job tutoring a notorious tech mogul's teenage daughter and living in a cottage on a massive coastal estate, she is unsure but low on options. Evan Rochester is darkly handsome, and is thought to have killed his mentally unstable wife Beatrice--although no one has been able to prove it. Jane begins to look for answers and finds herself falling for her employer at the same time.

The story is told both by Jane and in flashbacks of Beatrice Rochester which adds an interesting element, as she is quite mad and these bits are very dark and twisty. I liked how the Thorn Bluffs estate setting was brought to creepy and gothic life and how some of the supporting characters in Bronte's work were reimagined here. I did get annoyed a time or two by Jane and some of her actions, and at how quickly she fell for Evan, despiser her misgivings, his secrets and lies, and some pretty good evidence that at the very least, he may have driven his wife to drown herself. But, I get a bit annoyed at the original Jane Eyre too--so it wasn't a new feeling. For me, overall it worked and I had a hard time putting the last third of the book down. I think someone with an appreciation for the original novel (but who is also open to interpretations of it) will enjoy it and someone less familiar or completely new to the story will appreciate it as a slightly soapy and gothic mystery/thriller. 

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Author Notes: Lindsay Marcott is the author of The Producer’s Daughter and six previous novels written as Lindsay Maracotta. Her books have been translated into eleven languages and adapted for cable. She also wrote for the Emmy-nominated HBO series The Hitchhiker and coproduced a number of films, including Hallmark’s The Hollywood Moms Mystery and the feature Breaking at the Edge. She lives on the coast of California.

You can connect with Lindsay on her website, Twitter or Instagram

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Food Inspiration:

Jane's friend and Rochester's cousin is the chef on the estate and so there was plenty of food and drink to be found in Mrs. Rochester's Ghost. Mentions included, a menu of pear and allium to start, black cod with caviar beurre blanc, chocolate ganache, and cocktails made of lavender and lemonade, caraway cookies, a bottle of Sancerre, tapas, peanuts, cabernet, Frappuccinos, a turkey wrap, margarita, coffee, orange juice, homemade cranberry muffins, honey, gelato, a $27 Cobb salad at a sidewalk cafe, a Manhattan, copping (chunky with fresh seafood and fragrant with anise and oregano), a mascarpone fig tart, Cristal, baby back ribs, cheese, soba noodles, garlic, cherries, mojitos, a turkey and Swiss clubs, tubs of assorted salads, apples, peaches, Argentinian Malbec, liqueur, kirsch, chicken tikka masala, mezcal, venison chili, clove tea and lacy rose water cookies, Dr. Browns Black Cherry Soda, cokes, Wavy Lays, burgers, wilted kale and a pear, kugel and potato knishes, matzo ball soup, egg creams with extra Hershey's, Le gloop (penne pasta glooped together with a bunch of random ingredients from the fridge like leftover steak, sour cream, Greek olives), a tale of eating fried rattlesnake, cantaloupes, pizza, popcorn shrimp, Mac and cheese, candy-colored tropical fruit drinks, breadsticks shrimp in cocktail sauce, crab salad lemonade, Perrier, salmon, chocolate-hazelnut biscotti, an açaí bowl, soft-shell crabs, eggs, Fat Tire beer, sushi, bison burger, sweet potato fries, zinfandel, Vanilla Spice Energy tea, fried food, Grape Nuts with blueberries on top, a salad of arugula, radicchio, and fennel with white sardines and toasted slices of sourdough, pistachios, croissants, strawberry-and-kiwi tonics, champagne, martinis, vegetable curry, carrot cake, ice-cold Stoli, Sweet Chili Doritos, steak, and cranberry-bread toast and vanilla yogurt. 

Set in Big Sur, California, salads seemed to feature heavily-- a crab salad for Beatrice, a Cobb salad Jane purchases on a first day there and various salads that Otis made. I decided on a Cobb salad--mainly because it sounded good for a hot and humid night. It has been a long and busy week, and even though a Cobb Salad is not at all difficult to make, I wanted someone to make it for me so I ordered one from a local restaurant/brewery by my house and ran in and grabbed it. I subbed in shrimp for the chicken and although I asked them to hold the bacon, it came with it. 

But, because you probably come here for a recipe, I am including one of my favorite easy blue cheese dressing recipes, perfect for a Cobb salad. It comes from Ina Garten and I first tried it on her Crunchy Iceberg Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese, here. 

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing
Slightly Adapted from Ina Garten via BarefootContessa.com
(Serves 4)

For the Dressing:
4 oz Roquefort blue cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup good mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the dressing, place 4 ounces of blue cheese in a small bowl and microwave for 15 seconds, until it begins to melt. Place the mayonnaise, yogurt, warm blue cheese, sherry vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes/Results: Never underestimate the power of a good Cobb Salad. This totally hit the spot and I didn't complain that they left the bacon on. ;-) I will order it again. 

 

Ina's dressing recipe above is pretty perfect too--just blue cheesy enough without being too overpowering and thick and creamy enough to be a dip or spread. If you love blue cheese, give it a try.

I'm sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event  being hosted by Marg at The Adventures of An Intrepid Reader. It's a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. Here's a link to this week's post. 

And of course a delicious salad and dressing has to get linked up here at Kahakai Kitchen for this week's Souper Sundays post, my weekly feature where anyone can share their soup, salad or sandwich recipes. Here's the link to this weeks post. 

Note: A review copy of Mrs. Rochester's Ghost was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.   

 
You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.