Recipes Trending

There are few moments like the coming of morning down by a lake.  

Throw some line out into the water, stake your fishing pole into the ground... 

Then watch the land and water wake...

And the clouds come rolling in...

Then suddenly the sun comes out, fully shining above the hills. It warms your chilly hands, and cleanses busy minds and souls. 

There are others by the water...

And some on it, too. 

Barely speaking, just casting. Feeling the water through our fingertips. 

The sun rises higher and higher. The air grows warm. You watch the blue lake shine and sparkle, and dance under the light.

Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

And the lizards started coming out. 

It turns out to be a slow, hot day. The fish just werent biting. 

But its okay. 

Smile. Have a beer and call it a good day. 

Because any day by the lake is a good day. 

If you enjoy stories of strong women, like the White Queen, on TV at the moment, you might want to pick up a copy of My Notorious Life by Madame X, a novel  based on a true story by Kate Manning. It would be a great book to take on holiday, easy reading and great story-telling.

About My Notorious Life by Madame X:
In the end, they celebrated. They bragged. They got me finally, was their feeling. They said I would take my secrets to the grave.
They should be so lucky.’
Axie Muldoon, the headstrong daughter of Irish immigrants, forced to beg for pennies as a child on the brutal streets on New York City, grows up to become the most successful – and controversial – midwife of her time.
‘Saved’ from poverty by a well-meaning philanthropist, Axie is sent West with her younger brother and sister. But the kindness of strangers is short-lived and soon Axie returns to the city of her birth, alone, but determined to one day reunite her family.
When she is taken in by a Manhattan doctor Axie learns the craft that she will live by – and later fight for. She rises from the gutter to the glitter of Fifth Avenue high society, and discovers that the right way is not always the way of the church or the law, and that you should never trust a man who says ‘trust me.’ But what if that man is an irresistible risk-taker with a poetical Irish soul?
As Axie’s reputation grows she finds herself on a collision course with the crusading official who would be the righteous instrument of her downfall. It will take all of her power to outwit him and save both herself and those she loves from ruin.

About the Author:
A former documentary television producer (and winner of two Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award), Kate Manning has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times Book Review, Glamour and More, among other publications. She is the author of Whitegirl, a novel, and is an adjunct faculty member of the English Department at Bard High School Early College. She lives with her family in New York City.


My Review
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters are well drawn, lively and appealing.  The story is told by Axie Muldoon and lapses into the vernacular just enough to remind you of her lowly roots.  There are no heros or heroines in this story just desperate people trying to make their way in a rich MANs world.  It is very much a mans world and reminded me just how fortunate I am to have been born where and when I was. In Axies time both rich and poor women suffered from medical ignorance and moral posturing.  Today it is mainly poor women who still suffer but unfortunately there are still many societies where matters of conception are still hugely contraversial and, of course, it is women who suffer.

If you enjoy a good story of a feisty young girl and her family, fighting fate, at first to survive and then  to make something of themselves, you will enjoy this novel.  Its a family story full of love and compassion without being soppy, its a tragedy, a social history and an entertainment. My Notorious Life by Madame X will hook you in and keep you reading until you discover just how Axie survives her trials and outwits her enemies.

My Notorious Life by Madame X
Author Kate Manning
Publisher - an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing
RRP £12.99
Online Price £11.69

www.bloomsbury.com/author/kate-manning/
@KateManning10


Many thanks to Jude for providing this copy for me to review, I was not paid for this review and my views are my own.

Review by Jen.

Photography (c) 2013 by Holly A. Heyser

Duck, Duck, Goose. Hank Shaw.
New York: Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc., 2013. 240 pp. 

Buy it here: Amazon.com

When it comes to cooking wild game, few works are as impressive as Hank Shaws. Even if youve never heard of him before (and how could you not?), a passing glance at Shaws latest book Duck, Duck, Goose will tell you exactly that. Featuring Holly A. Heysers mouthwatering photography on the cover and throughout, Duck, Duck, Goose promises hunters and cooks "the ultimate guide to cooking waterfowl, both farmed and wild." 

  
Ive seen my fair share of wild game cookbooks since weve started blogging. Rick has a ton of them, collecting dust on the shelves or sitting in cardboard boxes inside our garage. Theyre there because we dont use them, kept as novelties and little more. The reasons were usually the same: overused recipes that are still being printed over and over again; unappetizing photography that looks like it was done in the 70s, or lack of it; incomplete or overwhelming explanations of the basics; poor writing; or just plain ol dull. 

But where others have failed, Duck, Duck, Goose shines. Shaws clear and upbeat writing, Heysers top-notch photography, the books sharp layout and design, and not to mention all the mouthwatering recipes that we actually want to try-- these are all the things that set Duck, Duck, Goose apart from other wild game cookbooks. They are the reasons why this book will stay in our kitchen, and not lost somewhere in a box. In Ricks words, "Its the most complete cookbook Ive ever seen."

Photography (c) 2013 by Holly A. Heyser

Duck, Duck, Goose is broken up into 5 sections: "Basics," "Whole Birds," "Pieces," Extras," and "Stock, Glace, and Consomme." 

The "Basics" will cover what most people will want to know about cooking waterfowl-- the differences between domestic and wild, information on the different breeds, how to break down with clear illustrations, field care, hanging, plucking and wine and beer pairings.

But the recipes sections are where youll have most fun.  I always believed that a good cookbook should not only offer fantastic recipes-- a given, but it should also teach. Before every recipe is an introduction written by Shaw to reveal tips and tricks to make that specific dish, in addition to valuable explanations as to why certain recipes are prepared certain ways. The book is also sprinkled with helpful sidebars and notes throughout to further wet your curiosity on cooking waterfowl. 

Through great variety, Shaw shows the versatility of waterfowl. Featuring both domestic and international dishes such as Roast Wild Duck with Fried Hominy, Duck Bulgogi, Coot or Duck Risotto, Duck Chili, Thai Duck Curry, English Duck Pie, German Style Goose Meatballs, Buffalo Duck Wings, Duck Egg Pasta and an assortment of charcuterie how-tos, there is something for everyone in Shaws new cookbook. Roasted, grilled, smoked or barbecued-- you name it, Shaws covered it. 

(c) 2013 by Holly A. Heyser

And although written from a hunters perspective, Shaws recipes and kitchen virtues are easily transferable between domestic and wild birds, between hunter and non-hunter.

Clean, sophisticated, yet easy to follow and understand, Duck, Duck, Goose will quickly become any waterfowl enthusiasts go-to in the kitchen. Shaws cookbook receives 5 stars from us! As for me, I always get hungry whenever I look at it. 

Duck, Duck, Goose by Hank Shaw would make a fantastic gift for all the waterfowl hunters in your life this holiday season. Buy it here: Amazon.com

 Check out Hanks blog Hunter Angler Gardner Cook at http://honest-food.net/