White Beans with Tarragon and (Coconut) Cream: A Nigel Slater Fast & Budget-Friendly Dish

Traveling this past week had me dwindling down the fresh food in my fridge before leaving. Then, I had a couple delays getting to the grocery store when I got back in town. Needing to put together a dish for I Heart Cooking Clubs this week, I pulled out Nigel's Real Fast Food and dipped into my pantry and into the vegetable crisper where the bunch of tarragon I bought a couple of weeks ago was still going strong. "Herby, creamy beans" caught my eye and I found that I had almost everything needed to whip up this bowl of comfort food, served alongside the remains of a bag of baby spinach sauteed with garlic. Good for the budget, great for the soul! 

(I made a few small changes to Nigel's recipe, noted in red below.) 

Nigel says, "A comforting dish of herby, creamy beans. You will need some bread to wipe up the juices from the plate, or serve it on toast."

White Beans with Tarragon and (Coconut) Cream
Adapted From  Real Fast Food by Nigel Slater
(Serves 2)

a bit of butter (I used 2 tsp olive oil)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1 small carrot finely diced (mine was not so finely diced) ;-)
2 sprigs fresh time (I only had dried--used a heaping teaspoon)
leaves from 4 branches of fresh tarragon
a (16 oz) can cannellini or flageolet beans
2/3 cup light cream (I used non-dairy/non-sweetened coconut creamer)
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Melt the butter (or warm the olive oil) in a saucepan and fry the onion (I added the carrot here) gently until it is soft and golden. It must not burn or it will become bitter. Add the bay leaf, carrot, thyme, and tarragon. Tip in the beans, well rinsed and drained. Pour in the cream and slowly bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, remove it from the heat, correct the seasoning--it may need a good grinding of pepper--and serve hot.  

Notes/Results: In my mind you just can't go wrong with creamy beans--add tarragon to them and they are even better. Together, Nigel and I have really been rocking the tarragon lately--with salmon, topping carrot soup, on eggs, and now in beans. These beans were tasty--such good herby flavor, even with the dried thyme. I didn't have cream on hand but the coconut creamer I used worked perfectly, cut down on the saturated fat and calories and (when olive oil is subbed for the butter), makes it a vegan dish. To turn it into a main course, I added the side of  garlicky spinach--wonderful in the flavorful sauce that oozed over. Having no fresh bread in the house (and Nigel is right, you'll want it to mop up the juices), I browned a frozen paratha. It works just as well with creamy bean juice as it does sopping up curry. A quick and budget-friendly meal that hit the spot--I will enjoy my second serving of beans with a piece of grilled salmon tonight. I will happily make this again.    

These beans are being linked up at IHCC this week. You can see the Budget Friendly Dishes everyone made by checking out the picture links on the post.

Happy Aloha Friday!
 
 

Asparagus Leek Soup: Quick and Easy for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

We are going for a fast and easy soup this week, made ahead since I am traveling and hanging out with my mom. Whenever I want a quick recipe with simple ingredients, I pull out Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express and flip though the 400+, under-30-minutes-to-make recipe sketches. I can almost always find something to whip up. The Asparagus Leek Soup caught my eye since I am a fan of both ingredients and they are plentiful right now.

Asparagus Leek Soup
Adapted from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express

"Slice the white part of a leek and cook it for three to five minutes in a couple of tablespoons of butter or olive oil along with a smashed clove of garlic, a chopped carrot,  a bunch of chopped fresh asparagus. Add about 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender; five minutes or so. Puree the ingredients until smooth. You can add a few tablespoons of cream if you want a richer finish."  

Notes/Results: Silky smooth and a good melding of the flavors of the leek and asparagus. Wanting the richer finish that Bittman suggests adding a few tablespoons of cream for, I added non-dairy coconut creamer. (That, and using olive oil, kept it vegan but still give it that richness.) This one goes together in about 20 minutes and would be perfect as a starter for an elegant spring/summer dinner. I would make it again. 

Let's take a cook in the Souper Sundays kitchen where a few friends and their creations await.

Foodycat is here with a creamy Roasted Garlic Soup with Nduja Swirl. (If you aren't familiar, nduja is spicy, spreadable pork sausage from Italy.) She says, "Aside from the nduja, the only ingredient that may be a little hard to find is the goats double cream. This is a new discovery for me, and if you are a goats cheese naysayer then you will not like it but for those of us who love that goaty tang, this cream adds a little extra savour and complexity to the mellow garlic soup."

Mireille of Chef Mireille's East West Realm shares spicy Roasted Pepper Gazpacho and says, "Gazpacho is a chilled tomato based soup originating in Spain but also popular in many South and Central American countries like Mexico. Modern versions may also include watermelon or papaya. The Mexican version is usually a little spicier than the Spanish version. Here is my version of this chilled soup, perfect to enjoy on a hot summer day."

Janet of The Taste Space made both a soup and a salad this week. First up, New Orleans Corn & Roasted Bell Pepper Soup. Janet says, "Reminiscent of my Sweet Pepper Coconut Corn Chowder, I loved how this one was virtually bursting with vegetables. Coconut milk would make this a thick and luscious soup. This version was inspired by one of my favourite cookbooks this year, Soup’s On!, since it is packed with quick and healthy meals. Mark’s inspiration was New Orleans’ Maque Choux, a Cajun-inspired corn soup.
I loved it. Simply delicious. I worked with what we had lying around and it made a light, summery bowl of vegetable soup."

Next Janet shares this salad with a twist, Colorful Veggie Tahini Noodles. She says, "Vegetable noodles, either created with a spiralizer, a shredder, or careful knife skills, can totally change your view on salad. This salad dressing is a fun twist on a creamy sauce, since it is made with tahini with accents from the rice vinegar, mustard and lemon pepper seasoning. As I said, the salad was fun to create, too: spiralized zucchini is tossed with shredded carrots, thinly sliced red cabbage and instead of edamame (which would be good, too), I added sweet sugar snap peas. A bit different but fun for a change. And nice when you do not feel like cooking."

From Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food, it's Gado Gado - Vegetable Salad with Peanut Sauce. She says, "The premonition is strong. We are going to have Gado Gado quite often this summer. In fact, we have had it some time ago when we were experiencing early 85+F heat just about two weeks ago, in spring, here in Bay Area, CA. This is take two of Gado Gado using the not-so-classic-traditional mix of ingredients such as bean sprouts, organic romaine lettuce, French green beans (Haricot Verts), and cucumber. The warm peanut dressing was perked up with fresh pineapple, then drizzled over the mix of refreshing vegetables."

A new face to Souper Sundays this week is Jo of yummyvege, blogging all the way from Southern Spain. Welcome Jo! She brings some gorgeous Mini Salad Wraps and says, "Why are my wraps mini? Because they’re easier to eat! You don’t have to worry about the filling falling out the bottom while you’re still only half-way through. And ‘cos they look cute that way too. ... I filled them with the chestnut and sundried tomato pâté I made the other day but these would also be good with hummus or any other veggie spread you have on hand.  The chestnut and sundried tomato pâté give the wraps a sweet flavour that I think make them special."

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays badge on my side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

The Book Tour Stops Here: "The Care and Management of Lies" by Jacqueline Winspear and Buttered Eggs with Tarragon

When it comes to historical fiction based during times of war, I have tended to stick to World War II novels. With my current obsession interest in all things Downton Abby and Mr. Selfridge on PBS, I have gotten more exposure to the first World War, aka 'The Great War' and the periods before and after it occurred. Although not very familiar with the author Jacqueline Winspear and her popular but unrelated Maisie Dobbs mystery series, I was still immediately interested in jumping on to the TLC Book Tour for her new book,  The Care and Management of Lies: A Novel of The Great War. The story portrays the effects of war on both those sent of to battle and those left back at home, primarily following the wartime experiences of Kezia (Marchant) Brissenden, her husband Tom and her best friend and sister-in-law Thea. 

Publisher's Blurb:

"The New York Times bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs series turns her prodigious talents to this World War I standalone novel, a lyrical drama of love struggling to survive in a damaged, fractured world.

By July 1914, the ties between Kezia Marchant and Thea Brissenden, friends since girlhood, have become strained—by Thea’s passionate embrace of women’s suffrage, and by the imminent marriage of Kezia to Thea’s brother, Tom, who runs the family farm. When Kezia and Tom wed just a month before war is declared between Britain and Germany, Thea’s gift to Kezia is a book on household management—a veiled criticism of the bride’s prosaic life to come. Yet when Tom enlists to fight for his country and Thea is drawn reluctantly onto the battlefield, the farm becomes Kezia’s responsibility. Each must find a way to endure the ensuing cataclysm and turmoil.

As Tom marches to the front lines, and Kezia battles to keep her ordered life from unraveling, they hide their despair in letters and cards filled with stories woven to bring comfort. Even Tom’s fellow soldiers in the trenches enter and find solace in the dream world of Kezia’s mouth-watering, albeit imaginary meals. But will well-intended lies and self-deception be of use when they come face to face with the enemy?

Published to coincide with the centennial of the Great War, The Care and Management of Lies paints a poignant picture of love and friendship strained by the pain of separation and the brutal chaos of battle. Ultimately, it raises profound questions about conflict, belief, and love that echo in our own time."

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Harper (July 1, 2014)

A moving and detailed glimpse of life during war and a story about love--between a husband and wife, best friends with lives on different paths, love of family, and even love of country and duty. The story moves along at a slow pace in the beginning as the characters are sketched and the stage as set with the action picking up more toward the end. For me it was worth the wait to see how the characters grew and changed with their experiences. Of childhood friends Kezia and Thea, Kezia was the easier to warm up to--young and naive but wanting to be a good wife and partner to her husband. Since that is not my style, I expected to identify and prefer Thea, the politically aware and active suffragette. I found her to be judgmental and not very likable in the beginning but she does improve later on as she jumps into the war efforts, driving  ambulances in the thick of the action in France. The love that Tom, a genuinely good man, had for Kezia was strong and tugged at the heart. The correspondence back and forth between Kezia and Tom with her descriptions of meals she 'cooks' for him in her imagination and his replies on how he enjoyed them were some of my favorite parts of the book. Her letters serve as a small escape for her, Tom and even his fellow soldiers. Because it is war, this isn't what I would call a happy book, but I found it engrossing reading and I was sorry to turn the final pages. It has inspired me to seek out the author's mystery series, set after The Great War, and give it a go. Lovers of historical fiction, romance, wartime novels and stories set in Britain and Europe will enjoy this one. 

Author Notes: Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels featuring Maisie Dobbs, a former World War I nurse turned investigator. Originally from the United Kingdom, Winspear now lives in California. Find out more about Jacqueline at her website, www.jacquelinewinspear.com, and find her on Facebook.

In times of war, many ingredients and even food itself is not plentiful either for those on the front or those back at home, but the book still has a strong food focus. Kezia seeks solace through the kitchen and instead of burdening her husband with worries of the farm and home front in her letters, she writes to Tom about the the inventive meals she makes for him in her mind. I loved how Kezia threw herself into the art of cooking, adding her own special and unique touches to the dishes she made, as well as seeing the love and care she poured into the food she made and shared with others.  

For my dish inspired by the book, I could have gone with all manner of Kezia's fanciful creations but I chose to go with breakfast and to make an egg dish. Even lacking money and some ingredients, the farm produced eggs and Kezia still managed to cook a wonderful breakfast each morning for the farm workers. 

I went with a Nigel Slater recipe from his Real Fast Food book--"Buttered Eggs"--intrigued by the sprinkle of sherry vinegar on top. I thought that it was something Kezia might have tried if she had stashed away a bit of vinegar purchased in London on her before-the-war trip. Kezia also mentions using sherry (the wine not the vinegar) for cooking in some of her letters to Tom. I added a sprinkle of minced tarragon because I love it paired with eggs. Adding herbs is something Kezia would have done to give it her special touch--although likely she would have chosen her oft-used rosemary. ;-) Served on long slices of toasted/fried grainy bread, it is a simple, homey dish made a bit special. 

Nigel says, "A very quick dish, cooked in a matter of minutes. Use any good vinegar to sharpen the butter: ordinary red wine vinegar would be good enough, mellow sherry vinegar even better." 

Buttered Eggs
Adapted from Real Fast Food by Nigel Slater
(For 1)

Melt 4 tablespoons butter (I used 2 Tbsp--rationing for the war and my arteries!) in an omelet pan or small frying pan. Break two eggs and slide them without breaking the yolks, into the bubbling butter. 

As soon as the whites are set, scoop the eggs out of the butter with a slotted spatula and slide onto a warm plate. Return the pan to the heat and cook over a slightly higher heat u until the butter starts to brown and smell nutty. Sprinkle a few drops of vinegar into the butter and pour quickly over the eggs. 

Notes/Results: If you are an egg lover--especially eggs with runny yolks, you'll love this dish. Simple but decadent even with halving the butter to a more reasonable amount. I just couldn't do the four tablespoons that Nigel was allotting for one serving. (Yikes!) It was still more than enough nutty brown butter with a kiss of the bright sherry vinegar to give it fabulous flavor and to soak into the bread a bit. The tarragon gave it that extra bit of herby flavor and, along with a sprinkle of sea salt and a generous grinding of black pepper, rounded things out perfectly. I am sure I will make these eggs again. 

This morning-starter is being linked up to I Heart Cooking Clubs where this week's theme is Let's Do Brunch!--featuring Nigel Slater recipes suitable for lazy morning indulging. This egg dish cooks up in minutes but is worth lingering over. ;-) You can see what brunch recipes everyone picked by checking out the picture links on the post.  
 

Note: A review copy of "The Book of You" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. 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 the Book Tour and what other readers thought about the book here.

 

Nigel Slater's 'A Soup the Color of Marigolds' --A Sunshiny Blend of Carrot & Yellow Tomato for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It was Nigel Slater's poetic title and recipe sketch that drew me to this soup, a simple blend of carrots and yellow tomato. "A Soup the Color of Marigolds" from Tender: A Cook and his Vegetable Patch sounds much more exotic than carrot and yellow tomato soup. It also seemed like the perfect way to kick off June, plus the fact that it can be served either warm or cold makes it a good fit for whatever weather and preferences you might be having.

'A Soup the Color of Marigolds'
Adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater
(Serves 4)

"It was a simple soup, ten minutes' hands-on work and barely half an hour on the stove. An onion, coarsely chopped, softened in a little olive oil in a deep and heavy pan. An equal amount of carrots and yellow tomatoes. (I used 1 pound [450g} of each to make enough for four), chopped and stirred into the soft, translucent onion. About 4 cups (a liter) of water (I could have used stock), and some salt, pepper, and a couple of bay leaves. It simmered for half an hour, then I pureed it to a thick, pulpy broth in the blender. We ended up with four big bowls of coarse-textured soup, as bright and cheerful as a pitcher of June flowers, a few chives stirred in a the table. As we licked our spoons, someone mentioned it would have been good to have it chilled. But by that time it was too late to try."

Notes/Results: A simple but tasty bowl of soup--really tasty in fact. The sweetness of the carrots and tomato are pleasant rather than cloying and although 'thick pulpy broth' may not always appeal, it works here with the combination. I actually think with the coarse-texture, I liked it best room temperature or cold rather than hot. With the few ingredients, you want fresh and good ones--I used small local carrots and yellow tomatoes and a sweet Maui onion and a fresh bay leaf from the plant on my lanai. I did choose to use a bit of mock chicken stock with the water, just to round out the flavor and a good pinch of white pepper. Also Nigel topped the soup with chives but I picked tarragon instead, thinking it's slightly bittersweet, anise flavor would work well with the sweetness of the soup. It is the bright and cheerful soup Nigel describes and would be excellent for a picnic or the starter for a meal on a warm night. Healthy too--with plenty of vitamins A and C and a bunch of other nutrients. I would happily make this again.  

This soup is being linked up at I Heart Cooking Clubs where this week's theme is Veg Out!--you can see the veggie-filled dishes everyone made by checking out the picture links on the post.

In the meantime, we have a some good friends sharing dishes in the Souper Sundays kitchen--let's take a look.

Such gorgeous color in this Black Beluga Lentil and Vegetable Soup from Simona of briciole. She says, "I like turnips  and don't need encouragement to put a bunch in my basket. Of course, in the company of red beets, white turnips cannot avoid getting painted in the same color, but they don't lose their delicately spicy flavor and stand up nicely to the sweet beets, creating a balance in the soup, together with lentils and fresh spinach (spinaci), the latter also from my CSA share." 

It was a popular week for Nigel Slater soups. My friend and fellow IHCC co-host Sue of Couscous & Consciousness shares Nigel's Roasted Pumpkin Laksa and says, "Today is the first day of winter here in New Zealand, so I was definitely on the lookout for something warming, and quite possibly "soupy".  When I stumbled across "A new pumpkin laksa for a cold night" in Tender, Vol. I, I knew I'd struck gold.  I'm not personally a huge fan of your run-of-the-mill pumpkin soup - it's ok, I guess, but it just doesn't excite me.  I do, however, love a good laksa, and the idea of combining the aromatic, coconut-rich broth and noodles with the sweet nuttiness of pumpkin really appealed."

And rounding out the Slater soup-fest is another friend and fellow IHCC co-host Kim of Stirring the Pot making a Nigel soup to help her get over some icky flu. She says, "All week long I fantasized about eating a nice healing bowl of soup. So my first foray back into the kitchen is in fact a huge pot of soup filled with green veggies, beans, pasta, and tender chicken.  In fact, the name Green Chicken Minestrone just sounds like it should nurse you back to health, doesn't it?  I know I certainly feel better after enjoying a bowl. Good thing cause I gotta get my strength back up so I can return to Jazzercise tomorrow."  

It's a vegan take on a classic from Janet of The Taste Space, here with her Eccentric Caeser Salad. Janet says, "Eccentric because it is no standard Caesar. I mean, it is a vegan version of a decidedly un-vegan salad but the twist comes from the nutritional yeast and curry powder in the dressing and the mishmash of additional ingredients. The cashew-based dressing was simply delicious, aka awesome sauce. Paired with the fresh lettuce, buttery avocado, briny capers and hemp seeds, it was a superfood-packed salad. (And by superfoods, I mean super tasting foods!) Instead of the herby croutons, I wanted this to be a complete meal and thus added the chicken-less strips overtop. The strips look a bit too perfectly rectangular but they tasted great." 

 
Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog is here with a salad of Roasted Caramelized Beets and Carrots in a Balsamic Glaze and says, "I happened to have some fresh beets in the refrigerator . The recipe calls for Balsamic vinegar, but I had have two gourmet flavored vinegars in the closet that I wanted to try: cranberry pear and orange champagne. I decided to try the cranberry pear vinegar that I had just received as a gift from our good friends Melissa and Stu. It has a sweet delicious mild taste.  I also decided to add carrots to the recipe as well."

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you want to share--just click on the Souper Sundays logo on my sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Raspberry-Cinnamon-Cream Croissant French Toast for Food 'N Flix May: Bridesmaids

If you are trying to eat healthy or diet I urge you to look away. This decadent Raspberry-Cinnamon-Cream Croissant French Toast is not the way to go. Sure, it contains eggs, yogurt and fresh fruit but that is not enough to off-set the butter and cream. Between it and the indulgent and boozy Kahlúa Latte Milkshake posted earlier this week, the 'mostly healthy' tagline on my blog is taking a beating. (Lucky for my arteries I made single portions of both) ;-) 

Still, if you want to treat yourself, this croissant, made into the flakiest of French toast, both sides spread lightly with raspberry preserves, the bottom piece topped with a cloud of spiced whipped cream and yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh raspberries, then crowned with the croissant top and another poof of the cream will do it. Quick and easy, but still special enough for a party or even a fancy Paris-themed bridal shower like the one in the movie Bridesmaids, our Food 'N Flix May selection hosted by at Evelyne at Cheap Ethnic Eatz.

I saw Bridesmaids when it came out and have since caught parts of it on TV (although a lot gets edited or cut when it isn't on cable), so it was fun to get it from Netflix and watch the whole thing again. Kristen Wigg is hilarious as Annie--her life heading quickly toward bottom with the closure of her bakery, her strange British roommates, and her not emotionally satisfying love life--featuring booty calls with a good-looking but jerky guy (John Hamm). She wants to be happy for her longtime and very best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) when she gets engaged and asks Annie to be her maid of honor, but it's hard, especially when a new friend to Lillian and one of the bridesmaids, Helen (Rose Byrne), wants to take her place in the wedding and in Lillian's heart. The humor is pretty crude at times but often laugh-out-loud funny--how can it not be with Wigg, Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper and the rest of the cast? Still, while raunchy on the outside, at its heart it's a movie about friendship and pulling yourself back up when life has you down. If you haven't seen it, Bridesmaids is a great film to watch when you need a good girl-power chuckle. Just be prepared to have it's 'anthem' of Hold On by Wilson Phillips stuck in your head for the next few days.

For food inspiration, it was pretty clear that the Brazilian restaurant and the subsequent bridesmaid dress shopping with food poisoning didn't make me feel like cooking or eating. Annie is a baker so I was going to go that route but then I decided to make something that might be served at the lavish bridal shower brunch that wealthy Helen hosts, stealing Annie's Paris-theme idea and taking it completely over-the-top. I thought of French toast and wanted to make a fruit-stuffed version, then I started thinking of making it with croissants, raspberries, and a version of the fabulous mix of spices and whipped yogurt, cream and mascarpone that accompanied Yotam Ottolenghi's Fruit Crumble Cream.

 
Raspberry-Cinnamon-Cream Croissant French Toast
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 2, easily increased to serve more)

2 croissants, each split carefully into 2
2 eggs
splash of cream
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
pinch of salt
maple syrup to taste (or sugar or other sweetener of choice)
butter to cook with

good, thick raspberry jam or preserves
Spiced Cream (recipe below)
fresh raspberries, rinsed gently and well drained/dried
 
In a large shallow pan or bowl, beat eggs until thoroughly mixed. Add a splash of cream, cinnamon, extract, a pinch of salt and maple syrup to taste and stir together until blended. Heat a large pan over medium-low and add butter. Dip each croissant half into the egg mixture until coated--turning to get both sides covered. Let excess egg mixture drip off and once pan is ready, add croissant halves, cut side down. Cook 3-4 minutes (taking care that they don't brown too quickly or too darkly) and when nicely browned, turn over and cook the other side 3-4 minutes or until brown and croissant is warmed through. Set aside for a few minutes--you want they warm but not piping hot to assemble.

To Assemble: Spread each cut side of croissant lightly with raspberry preserves. Place bottom half of croissant on plate. Spoon spiced cream mixture on top in a nice cloud. Top cream with fresh raspberries. Gently place the top of the croissant (already spread with the jam) on top at a slight angle to make it pretty. Top with a final small scoop of the cream and garnish with fresh berries. Serve and enjoy!

-----

Spiced Cream
Adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi 
(Makes a heaping cup+)

1/3 cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp thick Greek yogurt
4 Tbsp cream cheese (Ottolenghi's recipe used mascarpone, I went cheaper) ;-)
1 tsp super-fine sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 ground cardamom 

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk to soft peaks, taking care not to over-whip (it is quite thick to begin with, show it shouldn't take more than 30 seconds or so).

Notes/Results: Yep, this one is a keeper with all of the wonderful flavors and textures going on. It's good combination of sweet and tangy--the whipped cream is not too sweet and the cinnamon in the French toast plus the cinnamon and cardamom in the whipped cream add flavor complexity. A bite with each component coming together and topped with a fresh raspberry is pretty heavenly. I would happily make this again when I'm in the mood for an indulgent brunch treat. 

Of course I am right at the wire for the Food 'N Flix deadline (today)! But, if you missed out this month and you love food, movies and foodie movies, come join us for June when we will be watching Cher and Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck, hosted by the wonderful Debra of Eliot's Eats.

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: "The Book of You" by Claire Kendal with a Kahlúa Latte Milkshake

Imagine that every breath you take, every move you make, every step you take, someone is watching you. Not just part of the lyrics in the classic song by The Police, this is the reality for one in six women in the U.S. who have been stalked by someone according to a report by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In The Book of You, a chilling new novel by Claire Kendal, Clarissa, a secretary at a university, is being stalked, harassed and terrorized by a co-worker--someone she had a brief encounter with, and who now won't leave her alone.  

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper (May 6, 2014)

Publisher's Blurb:

"A mesmerizing tale of psychological suspense about a woman who must fight to escape an expert manipulator determined to possess her, Claire Kendal’s debut novel is a sophisticated and disturbing portrait of compulsion, control, and terror that will appeal to fans of Before I Go to Sleep, The Silent Wife, and Into the Darkest Corner.

His name is Rafe, and he is everywhere Clarissa turns. At the university where she works. Her favorite sewing shop. The train station. Outside her apartment. His messages choke her voice mail; his gifts litter her mailbox. Since that one regrettable night, his obsession with her has grown, becoming more terrifying with each passing day. And as Rafe has made clear, he will never let her go.

Clarissa’s only escape from this harrowing nightmare is inside a courtroom—where she is a juror on a trial involving a victim whose experiences eerily parallel her own. There she finds some peace and even makes new friends, including an attractive widower named Robert, whose caring attentions make her feel desired and safe. But as a disturbingly violent crime unfolds in the courtroom, Clarissa realizes that to survive she must expose Rafe herself. Conceiving a plan, she begins collecting the evidence of Rafe’s madness to use against him—a record of terror that will force her to relive every excruciating moment she desperately wants to forget. Proof that will reveal the twisted, macabre fairy tale that Rafe has spun around them . . . with an ending more horrifying than her darkest fears.

Masterfully constructed, filled with exquisite tension and a pervasive sense of menace, The Book of You explores the lines between love and compulsion, fantasy and reality, and offers a heart-stopping portrait of a woman determined to survive. Claire Kendal’s extraordinary debut will haunt readers long after it reaches its terrifying, breathtaking conclusion."

 Check out the book trailer:



It's always so much more frightening when the monster in a book is someone who you could easily encounter in your life--a coworker, a neighbor, an acquaintance--someone who outwardly seems mostly normal but is very far from it. Although I don't know anyone who has faced the intensity of Clarissa's situation, I, and so many others I know, have experienced some sort of issue where someone has made us feel at the least uncomfortable, at the worst extremely frightened, by their unwanted attentions. It is easy to feel empathy for Clarissa, any of us could so easily be Clarissa and you realize just how little recourse she has to get this man out of her life.  

The story unfolds in two ways--Clarissa's little black notebook, filled with detailed entries of her encounters with Rafe, recommended to help build a case against him from the safety leaflets she has received from the helplines she has called. (This is 'The Book of You' from the title.) Interwoven is the third person observation of Clarissa's daily experiences and the recaps of the trial she is sitting in on as a juror. Although her jury duty and the courtroom act as a 'sanctuary' for Clarissa to escape Rafe for the time she is there, the lifestyle and actions of the victim in the trial are being questioned and harshly judged, which doesn't help Clarissa's thoughts and guilt about whether any of her own actions caused or escalated her situation with Rafe. The book is set in the U.K. but the 'stalker laws' and court system are similar enough to the U.S. that it is easy to understand and relate to.  

Author Kendal has crafted an intense read that builds up the suspense page by page. I had to stop myself several times from going to the end of the book to see if it ended if not 'happily'--at least in a way I could tolerate. Throughout, I had that creepy-crawly feeling that made me want a shower and maybe a blanket to hide beneath after Clarissa's encounters with Rafe. It is disturbing for sure due to the subject matter and its realism but, if you like a good psychological drama and can stand the suspense, The Book of You is well worth the creepy feeling it will leave you with.

Author Notes: Claire Kendal lives in England, where she lectures in English Literature and Creative Writing. The Book of You is her first novel, and will be translated into over a dozen languages.

Being that this is primarily a food blog, I almost always include a recipe inspired by the book with my reviews. I tend to boast that I can do this for any book--food focused or not, but some books are more difficult than others. It's not that there wasn't food in The Book of You, but it is pretty hard to feel inspired by and passionate about food and eating with Clarissa's growing terror and Rafe's escalation of his stalking. I was going to do a mezze platter to represent a sense of freedom and joy Clarissa felt, shopping at a farmers market after being notified Rafe has received a restraining order and being told that she should be 'watchful and careful but optimistic' that Rafe will leave her alone:

"She bought bright red tulips, the first of the season, and olives and oak-roasted-tomatoes and ricotta-stuffed peppers and sweet dark rye bread and handmade halloumi cheese and a bottle of her favorite amarone. From the French chocolatier she bought pralines  and truffles and cocoa-dusted almonds. She bought the ingredients for her mother's beef casserole too."       

--The Book of You, Claire Kendall

But, as I read that passage my mind was screaming "It's not over Clarissa!!!" (Cue loud foreboding music in head.) Instead, I used the lattes that Clarissa is constantly drinking to combat her lack of sleep and the sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medications she takes to deal with her situation. It's been a bit humid these past couple of days and rather than make something warm, I thought about iced coffees and lattes which lead to coffee-flavored ice cream, which ultimately lead to a milkshake which fit because the book was so chilling to read. And since this book is so nail-bitingly stressful, I thought that some alcohol running counterpoint to the caffeine would be appropriate and so, this Kahlúa Latte Milkshake was born. 

Kahlúa Latte Milkshake
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 1 large milkshake)

1 1/2 oz Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur 
1/3 cup brewed dark roast coffee, chilled
1 1/2 cups of your favorite vanilla ice cream
whipped cream and cinnamon to garnish (optional)

Combine ingredients in blender and blend at medium speed until just combined. Avoid over-blending--milkshake should be thick and creamy. 

Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and cinnamon if desired.  

Notes/Results: Sweet, cold, creamy and boozy with a pleasing coffee flavor--this is one scrumptious adult milkshake indulgence. I wanted a latte feel so I used vanilla ice cream but, if you want it to be more coffee forward, use a coffee ice cream, or chocolate ice cream for a mocha milkshake. I will neither confirm or deny that I devoured drank this for lunch. (#its5oclocksomewhere, #advantagestoworkingfromhome) This one is a keeper for those times when you need a little indulging. ;-)

Note: A review copy of "The Book of You" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. 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 the Book Tour and what other readers thought about the book here.