2020 #11: The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead)

 

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am really glad I read literally NOTHING about this book beforehand--no summaries, no reviews. As a friend said in her review, there are reminiscences of Gabriel García Márquez. In the event that someone doesn't know the main fictional point of the book, I won't post a "spoiler" here, but suffice it to say---I found it a tremendously effective device.

Now that I've read several reviews, I'm astonished at the amount of "I couldn't relate to the protagonist" comments and the like. I can't "relate" to the protagonist either--that's because I'm white. That doesn't mean I can't engage with her. I found that Cora's relative stoic demeanor helped ground the realism of the novel---when your life is a series of traumas (on a repeated loop, it would seem), you redefine "normal" so as to cope.

There are so many layers of tragedy in this book, but the one that Whitehead reveals near the end was personally very gut-wrenching. It tells us that a loss of faith (broadly interpreted) can shape our existence and understanding forever. This is a book full of lessons -- both historical and modern. If you read it just as a "story", I'd suggest that you are missing out.

2020 #10: Saha: A Chef's Journey through Lebanon and Syria (Greg & Lucy Malouf)

 

Saha: A Chef's Journey Through Lebanon and Syria [Middle Eastern Cookbook, 150 Recipes] by Greg Malouf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Part coffee table book, part travel journal, part cookbook, Saha: A Chef's Journey Through Lebanon and Syria Middle Eastern Cookbook, 150 Recipes is truly a wonderful volume to own. Matt Harvey's photography transports us to Syria and Lebanon, something valued even more so in this travel-restricted time. The rich prose that accompanies the recipes is by Lucy--she recounts their meetings with Arak makers, pine nut growers, peasant bread-bakers, ice cream makers, and more. All of this against a backdrop of smells, images, and sounds that she describes with great beauty, but not romanticized hyperbole. There are good days and then there are the harder days--tales with which anyone who has traveled for an extended period of time will empathize. There are a few slight editorial issues--a misspelling here or there, a word defined after it has already appeared several times--but these are minor. The book is a compelling journey---not just of a "a chef" as the subtitle implies--but also of Lucy. We experience much of it through her eyes, ears, and taste.

Then there are the recipes. I tried the "Swiss Chard with Crisp Fried Onion and Tahini Sauce", "Zucchini and Mint Fritters", "Lebanese Nut Rice" and "Monk's Salad with Garlicky Dressing." Tomorrow I step up my game and make my first kibbeh! And not just any kibbeh: "Zghorta-style kibbeh patties stuffed with cinnamon and pine nut butter." I'm slightly terrified, which is why I am writing this review NOW. At the end of the day, I figure I love all the ingredients in the recipe so if my kibbeh lacks a certain je ne sais quoi, hopefully it will still taste good.

It is worth noting that reading through the recipes will likely make your mouth water. The combinations of flavors seem to bring Lucy's prose to life and you feel lucky to have this touchstone to their travels. Now, if you don't have access to good spice stores, you might feel a bit frustrated. It would seem Chef Malouf is not a fan of substitutes---that's not to say he's dogmatic in his recipes, but what is missing is a "resources" section. You aren't likely to find "pistachio halawa" (for example) or even orange blossom water in your standard American supermarket. Sometimes the harder-to-find (in the US) ingredients are marked "optional" so you can feel ok about making your Lebanese Lemonade Sorbet without Turkish apple tea. But I honestly don't know where to find katalfi pastry or even ground sumac -- that is not to say I won't try! There are also several recipes where you have to make a recipe on another page FIRST. There are times where this is appropriate, but others where if you haven't planned ahead, you will find you do not have time to make two recipes for the price of one.

Overall, however, this is definitely not a cookbook you would ever want in a "Kindle" version. It is a package: the sights and sounds of the the restaurants, shops, landscapes are nestled in between the beautiful recipes. The pages provide beautifully designed backdrops that recall the gorgeous Islamic mosaics and designs that graced their travels. It is an experience. Lucy leaves the reader with the image that helps us understand what is truly important about reading and sharing in this book and its food:

"One by one, people got to their feet and I saw a young man behind me brush a tear from his eye as, old and young, men and women, Muslim and Christian, they started to sing Lebanon's national anthem. And for a few precious moments it was as if the whole of Lebanon was united in one voice."