Last weekend I had a very French weekend! I made eclairs which I posted about here. We then went and had a French dinner before attending the arena performance of Les Miserables. The performance was amazing, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the meal that we had. It was a fixed price menu and I was a bit worried that it would be underwhelming but every thing we had was delicious and a very generous serving.
On Saturday, my friend and I went to a 3 hour long class to make macarons. I have made macarons once before. That was during COVID when a couple of friends bought a kit, and we all made them and then had a Zoom afternoon tea. Remember those days! It turns out that this class was from the same people who sold the kit. The pastry chef, Josh, was very excited to hear that we had made them and wanted to see all the photos. I posted about that experience here.
Thank goodness those days are now gone, and we can do classes in face to face environments now. After a glass of wine to get started, we headed into the professional kitchen which was our classroom for the day!
First we mixed together the almond meal, icing sugar and egg whites. Then Josh showed us how to make Italian meringue and then we all got given the necessary amount from a pre-made batch which we then mixed together to form the macaron mixture! Once our mixture was the right consistency we filled up the piping big and piped what was supposed to be a 20cm size. Mine were probably all a bit bigger and not that consistently sized. After giving the tray a bit of a wobble on the bench top, they then needed to rest for about an hour until there is a skin formed on the top of the macaron. This is what helps the foot that is such a distinctive part of a well made macaron.
While we waited for our macarons to rest, we were treated to an amazing afternoon tea of quiches sandwiches, and delectable cakes. It was almost like what you would have for afternoon tea. It was way more than I was expecting!
Once the shells came out of the oven, they were all put into the blast freezer as quickly as possible. At home they would need to rest until completely cool.
Then it was time to make the passionfruit and milk chocolate ganache which formed the filling which is made from chocolate, glucose syrup, cream and passionfruit puree. This is another element that normally needs quite some time to cool completely so we got to bring the ganache home and use a pre-made batch for our filling.
Finally, it was time to assemble. After finding all the shells which were similar sizes to each other and putting the ganache in a piping bag it was time to pipe. A handy hint was to generously pipe the ganache in the middle, when you put the two halves together give it a bit of twist so that the filling goes right to the edges.
I learned a few handy tips from the class:
Put any food colouring in with the meringue, not in the almond meal mixture. It will blend much better and give you a consistent colour
When you combine the meringue with the almond mixture, keep on mixing it until the mixture is loose enough to fall back in on itself. It needs more mixing than you might think. This is why my previous attempt looked more like meringue kisses instead of macarons.
Aim for a 20 cent size when piping the macarons. Mine were bigger but as long as they are consistent sizes it will be fine. Leave to rest for about an hour before baking.
Once they are baked you want them to still be chewy. They should be able to peel off the baking paper once they are cooked but not just slide off as a meringue kiss would.
You can freeze filled macaroons. Just take them out of the freezer 24 hours before you want to serve them and thaw them in the fridge. This means you can make big batches
The flavour is much better if you leave them for a day before you eat them. If you can resist them!
This was the first time they had run this class so I think that it was an experiment to make sure that they had the timings right etc. The ladies who were part of the group also had lots of suggestions for other classes that they would love to do. I would definitely go again.
In addition to the macarons, I also bought home the tub of passionfruit and milk chocolate ganache which I then had to figure out how to use. In the end, I used it to top some of the eclairs that I had previously made and then filled with chocolate cream. We still have a lot left. One of the chefs who was working with us suggested you could have it on ice cream or toast. I could do ice cream, but I am not sure that I could do toast! All suggestions for how to use it gratefully accepted!
A while ago, I bought a kit to make salted caramel macaroons and now, having done the class, I feel much more confident to give them a go than I did previously. I think I will probably do them in a couple of weeks time!
Weekly meals
Saturday - Spicy Prawn Curry with rice and roti (new) Sunday - Steak, baked potato, carrot and broccoli Monday - Pea and ham soup with artisan bread (new) Tuesday - Zucchini, mushroom and tomato pasta Wednesday - Normandy Pork and mash Thursday - Takeaway Friday - French Onion Casserole
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
This month the theme for our read on a theme book club is 1960's. It was very fortuitous that the week before that was announced I had visited our local library for an author talk by Amanda Hampson about her latest release, The Deadly Dispute, the third book in the Tea Ladies series. The series is set in the Sydney garment trade with each book set in a different year. This book, the first in the series, is set in 1965.
In the series, our four tea ladies are Hazel, Merl, Betty and Irene. They all work in different businesses along Zig Zag Lane. They are all very different from each other but they always support each other as best they can! Hazel is the glue that holds the group together. Irene is a bit of a rough diamond and may or may not have her own interesting past, Merl is a bit bossy and Betty is the list maker. I look forward to learning more about them all as I progress in the series
Hazel works at Empire Fashionwear. In her role as tea lady, she not only knows what everyone's preferred biscuit choice is (Shortbread Cream for me thanks Hazel) but she is often called upon to be confidante and sometimes even the peacemaker if there is any dissent between staff members. She has access to all levels of the business from the machinists to the big boss.
One day Hazel sees a distressed woman in the window of the supposedly abandoned warehouse across the road. The woman is holding up a note but it is in another language so Hazel isn't able to understand it. When the warehouse burns down and the Empire Fashionware bookkeeper is found dead, Hazel and her friends are drawn into the investigation, especially seeing as the police just don't seem to be interested.
Unwittingly, Hazel finds herself caught up in the dangerous Sydney underworld where crime boss rules the streets, where people she knows are caught up in risky business, you don't know who you can trust and every action she takes could lead to danger.
That is not the only issue Hazel is facing. She is not sure why but her husband Robert is acting a bit out of character. They are very happy together, and usually have a really set routine but there is something not quite right and she needs to figure it out.
I liked this book a lot, especially the camaraderie between the tea ladies (well, three of them at least). It really captures the feeling of the impact of rapid social change. I guess it is true of most decades, but the 1960s was a decade where there were seismic changes, particularly in the rag trade. The company where Hazel work is very conservative. They produce knee length skirts and tailored jackets in drab colours like brown. When English model Jean Shrimpton shocks the country by wearing a mini dress to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, fashion changes overnight, but not everyone at Empire Fashionwear wants to change with the times, especially given some of the psychedelic fabric that is around. The orders dry up overnight, and suddenly many of the staff members are facing unemployment if things dont improve.
As an aside now the dress looks very conservative compared to some of the fashions that are seen at the races but at the time it was very controversial because not only was the dress short, but she also was not wearing a hat, gloves or stockings.
By the time I started working tea ladies were a thing of the past, but there were still a couple of people who did remember the days when they would work their way through the building, distributing tea or coffee, biscuits and a friendly bit of banter. I do love the idea of having someone like Hazel wandering through the building every day, dispensing biscuits and advice!
I have already requested the next book in the series so will be looking forward to reading more about the Tea Ladies and their adventures!
I am sharing this review with the Foodies Read challenge hosted at Based on a True Story, with Weekend Cooking and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, both of which I host!
Sophie is a wedding planner who goes above and beyond for her clients, so if they want to have a wedding that includes climbing mountains in Italy, then she can make that happen. Given that more couples are wanting adventure/destination weddings she flippantly suggests to her boss that maybe they should join forces with an adventure company. She is still a bit shocked when her boss announces that they are merging with one. Of course it happens to be the company where her ex, Andreas, works.
Eight years previously Sophie and Andreas had a brief but very deep relationship. On February 29th she proposed to him, but he said no, leaving a heartbroken Sophie behind to pick up the pieces. She moved on, married and then divorced, but Andreas has always had a bit of her heart.
Having to spend time in Italy scouting for the ideal wedding location, Sophie and Andreas are forced to spend time together, and they are both still very attracted to each other. Andreas avoids any kind of emotional attachment, mainly because he knows how dangerous it is when he goes climbing on some of the biggest mountains in the world, and he also knows how traumatic it is for those that are left behind when something goes wrong. He has seen it in his own world when his best friend died during a climb.
There are times when Andreas is a bit frustrating. He is so closed off to the idea of allowing himself to even be open to have a relationship, despite the pressure he is getting from his family.
Part of the charm of this book lies in it's setting in Northern Italy, close to the German border. Historically the border has moved many times over the centuries, with the area sometimes being German and other times Italian, and this is reflected in the language, food and characters. Coincidentally, I was watching the new Tucci in Italy series, and Stanley Tucci visited this area in one of the episodes. I love that Leonie Mack takes us to Italy, but not just Tuscany or the Amalfi coast. She takes us to the lesser visited parts of Italy and makes me wish that we were going back to visit some of these fantastic locations.
Bearing in mind that the most climbing I do is off the couch or occasionally out of the bath, the adventure stuff is not really my jam, but the idea of seeing all that gorgeous scenery overlooking the lake - that I would love. There were times that the technical terms got a bit draggy for me, but I do think it was great that they were there, and it is clear that the author has done a lot of the things that she is talking about.
We did, however, have a location wedding. Ours was just the two of us on a beach in Vanuatu, so a little less strenous!
This is the first in a series, and we have already met some of the people who are going to feature in the future books! The next one is due to be released in September and I am already looking forward to reading it
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
And above all, don't forget there needs to be a terrible secret at the heart of the story.
Successful author Jessica Rose has been hired to run a writing retreat on the gorgeous Greek island of Santorini. Jessica's book Only. Ever. You. was a runaway hit, even being made into a film. At the retreat Jessica, whose real name is Jo, is expected to share her writing wisdom to a group of eager wannabe authors. But Jo has a terrible secret at the heart of her story, and she doesn't know how to fix it for herself, let alone guide others! What she does know is that the retreat should provide her with some time away from her controlling and most likely unfaithful husband Rees.
One of those students is Karmela. She is a professor who escaped from Sarajevo as a refugee as a child. Over the years she has closed herself off from being close to people for years. After spending some time in Dubrovnik last year doing research, this year she is at the retreat, determined to write the book of her heart, not only for herself but also to prove to her distant mother that she can. Other guests include Sophie and Diana, two friends who want to write a romance together, Ellen and Susan and Iain with his retired greyhound dog Sybil.
For the owner of The Retreat House, Zina, the success of the retreat is crucial. She and her husband, Lambros, have returned to Santorini from Athens where she worked in marketing. They live on the family farm with her widowed mother. Lambros is happy working the farm which includes growing pistachios and raising troublesome goats with all the manual labour that farming requires but the couple get little privacy. This is such a change for Zina that there are times where she struggles with what her life has become. There are times that her own traits, like being very competitive, don't help matters.
Gradually Jo, Zina and Karmela become closer and soon each of their secrets and desires are being revealed, and they are able to help each other. As well as being a book about the strength of female friendship, even new ones, it is also about mothers and daughters, and about the bravery it takes to take charge of your own life.
One of the strengths of this book is the location. From the descriptions of Santorini to the food, Eva Glyn brings the island and culture to life! I would love to take a dip in the sea about now but it's a bit cold here in wintery Melbourne! Thanks goodness we can travel to other places, like Santorini, through the pages of books.
Oh, and as for the books that are mentioned in the story Only. Ever. You. sounds fabulous and I would love to read the book that Karmela is writing which is historical fiction set in Croatia. If only they were real books!
Eva Glyn has been on my reading radar for a little while. I own her last book, The Dubrovnik Book Club, but I still haven't read it. After reading this book, I am definitely going to have to fix that oversight, especially seeing as I want to see where Karmela's story started.
How does a trip to Santorini sound to you?
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and the Bookish Books Reading Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Don't forget to enter the international giveaway below.
Rating 4/5
About the book
The Santorini Writing Retreat
Secrets make the best stories…
Three women, one writing retreat, endless possibilities…
Bestselling author Jessica Rose needs to escape from a terrible secret that’s robbed her of her creativity. Could leading a retreat on a gorgeous Greek island be just what she needs?
Coming home to Santorini was never in Zina’s plans, but now she’s determined to make her new business a success.
And then there’s Karmela, who just wants to write her book and make her mother proud.
In the heat of their Greek island paradise, these new friends find the courage to shape their own stories, and write endings they can all be proud of…
Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.
Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. Her latest book, The Santorini Writing Retreat, is her first set in Greece.
In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter. All her books are published by One More Chapter, a division of Harper Collins.
Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable. Social Media Links –
Giveaway to Win a paperback copy of The Santorini Writing Retreat (Open INT)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Animal Companions (These animals can be real or fantasy!) (submitted by P.S. I Love Books)
I was thinking about just doing a post with the word dog in the title, but it turns outI already did that a couple of years ago and I would have used a lot of the same titles! Instead, I am choosing books where there are dogs in the books. First though, here's a recent picture of our good boi, Max.
Now, onto the books!
A Snowy River Summer by Stella Quinn - Features a black labrador named Herbert.
Snowy Mountain's Daughter by Alissa Callen - There is a kelpie named Bundy in her series who just moves from place to place around town, whereever he is needed! (My review)
The Woman Who Met Herself by Laura Pearson - One of the characters, Debbie, starts walking a dog called Bonnie. (My review) The Recipe for Happiness by Jane Lovering - Seren finds herself temporarily owning a Collie called Kez. Or is it temporary? (My review)
The Mirror by Nora Roberts - Mooks, Jones and Yoda! With all the books that Nora Roberts has written how on earth does she come up with character names and then have multiple dogs in the story too! I'm listening to this one at the moment!
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - How could anyone forget Six-Thirty the dog? (My review)
Starting over at Starlight Cottage by Debbie Viggiano - Tilly tells her dog Cindy all her secrets. I mean, I talk to Max. I am not sure that he is that good at keeping secrets. (My review)
Hopefuly Hearts at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash - Gladys the labrador plays a big part in this book. (My review)
A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - When Molly the dog gets sick, Rachel takes her to the vet and meets the vet locum, Luke, who just happens to be her first love. (My review)
Muster Dogs: From Pups to Pros by Lisa Millar- I haven't actually read this but it is the book that accompanies the Muster Dog TV series, which I adore!
This was another week where I started more than I finished. Whilst that isn't a terrible thing it also isn't ideal, especially seeing as I haven't started that one book that I need to review this week! I guess there's still time.
As Imentioned last week, I was in Perth for the Rachael John's Book Club Retreat last weekend, and I took The Bad Bridesmaid with me to both read and get signed. I ended up finishing the book 5 minutes into my flight home, and then I tried to sleep because it was the red-eye flight. Notice I said tried, not really succeeded. I have shared a post about the retreat yesterday.
I then finished Wicket Maiden by Chrissie Harrison, which is a book featuring a woman cricketer as the sport star. I reviewed it here.
Next up was The Woman Who Met Herself by Laura Pearson, who is now an auto-buy author for me! My review is here.
On audio I finished listening to Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. I had seen a lot of reviews saying it didn't feel like an Emily Henry romance, but it did to me!
For my next audiobook, I started listening to The Mirror by Nora Roberts, which is the second book in the Lost Brides series. I listened to the first one at the beginning of last year.
I also started reading Page Turners by Viola Shipman. Shipman's books can be very difficult to get hold of here, so when I saw that my old library system had it I decided the 40 minute drive to the library was worth it!
I also started reading Head Over Wheels by Leonie Mack. This is another sports romance, this time featuring professional cyclists! Have only read a few chapters but I am really liking it to so far!
In other news, Emma from Words and Peace has announced that she will once again be hosting Paris in July, which is one of my favourite blogging events! Check out the announcement post!
I'm watching
This week we watched all five episodes of the new Stanley Tucci show, Tucci in Italy. If you watched his previous series it follows the same format where he visits different places, they all love him, he loves the food they share and so on! There's every chance I might watch it again yet. I still enjoy watching his previous series.
I also watched the Netflix movie, Nonnas which stars Vince Vaughan and Susan Sarandon amongst others. It tell the story of a man who wants to start a restaurant on Statton Island where all the chefs are nonnas. It was a lovely movie, made even better by the fact that it is based on a true story.
We also watched the first few episodes of Murderbot, based on the books by Martha Wells. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this. We now have to wait for each new episode to come out.
Life
I started listening to a new podcast called No One Saw it Coming which is hosted by Marc Fennell. I am becoming a big fan of Marc Fennell. He does intelligent TV and podcasts, as well as hosting the TV quiz show Mastermind. In this series, they talk about the things that kind of just happened, and no one was expecting. This week's episode was about how you can trace the roots of chemotherapy as a treatment back to a WWII attack on the port of Bari in Italy.
We had a very French weekend. It wasn't necessarily designed that way but it just happened. Last week I made chocolate eclairs. Then on Friday night we went to a French themed dinner before we went to see the arena version of Les Miserables. It was so good!
Then on Saturday, I went to a macaroon making class, which was so much fun. I am aiming to post about that for my next Weekend Cooking post.
Now, we are going to be eating macaroons and chocolate eclairs for the next few days. We had a lot of passionfruit flavoured ganache left over from the class, so I ended up using this as a glaze on some eclairs, and filling it with chocolate cream, so in effect combining the two!
Last weekend I was privileged to attend the third Rachael Johns Book Club Retreat which was held in Perth in Western Australia with around 80 other readers and 16 authors. I have been to all three and they are always a lot of fun, and a great chance to connect with other readers and with authors! Here are the links to my 2023 and 2024 recap post. For context, Perth is about at a 3 and a half to 4 hour flight from where I live in Melbourne, which it turns out it the perfect length of time to read a book that you have left to the last minute to read!
I was born in Perth, and I still have a lot of family left there so I was able to combine the retreat with spending a little bit of time with a few of them, particularly my aunts! We went to lunch at a nearby pub on the Friday before one of them dropped me off at the hotel in Scarborough, and the other one picked me up on Sunday afternoon before we all had dinner together before I got on the red-eye flight which basically leaves Perth at midnight and arrives in Melbourne at 5.15 the next morning (still about 3 and a half hours allowing for time zone changes)
One of the highlights is always catching up with the people who you don't get to see very often. We now have a pretty established group of people, most of whom come from Sydney, but there are a couple from Melbourne and Adelaide. One of the people who goes is Bree from All the Books I Can Read. There are a few other bloggers and bookstagrammers who attended too. Here are some of us at the photo booth during the Friday night cocktail party in our bad bridesmaid and/or devil horns! The theme is related to the last book released by Rachael Johns, which is called The Bad Bridesmaid
Scarborough is a beachside suburb and the venue was literally across the road from the beach. Think long sandy beaches, decent waves, and the weather was a perfect 25 or 26 celcius every day. I did manage to go and stick my feet in the Indian ocean. And the sunsets? Absolutely spectacular.
I mentioned the theme for the Friday night cocktail party. There is another reason to dress up which is the formal dinner on Saturday night. The theme for that was All that Glitters. As you might imagine the sequins got a big workout! There was bling everywhere! It was fantastic!
It's not all about socialising though. During the weekend their are two book club discussions. The first was for Stella Quinn's latest book A Snowy River Summer, which was the book that I read on the plane, and the Sunday session was for Natasha Lester's The Madamoiselle Alliance (which I reviewed here). Both sessions included an In Conversation with the featured author and an opportunity for us as readers to have a face to face conversation about the books.
In addition there were also several author panels. These covered topics like The Dark Side of Fiction, Bold Women, Big Stories and finally From Meet Cutes to Magic. The last two were moderated by Bree who did a great job! We also got to meet all the authors in a couple of speed dating sessions. And what is the effect of all of these reader/author interactions? An ever expanding TBR list of course! And there are also lots of opportunities to get books signed. The dodgy curtains did provide a distraction during the panels because the sun was beating down on the glass and the maintenance guy had to come in to try and move them. I wasn't sure that they weren't going to fall down at one point.
I did come home with 3 books, one from the goodie bag that we received on arrival, which is also packed with things like bookmarks and other merch, and one as a prize. There are always so many great prizes to choose from through the weekend. I did also buy some book earrings, a tea strainer and mug and one book! Here's some of the merch. Yes, there is more!
One of the highlights every year is the closing debate. This year the theme was that historical fiction is harder to write than contemporary fiction (paraphrasing but it was basically that). This is always so much fun and has everyone laughing. I have to say that Stella Quinn did amazingly well given that she got called in at the last minute. And the winner? The historical fiction writers for the win!
There are so many others things I could talk about and photos I could share but I hope that this summary gives you a good feel for the event!
Next year's event is a bit closer to home in Geelong, which is about an hour an a bit from my place. I have already booked my ticket and the hotel and I am already looking forward to it! We were also given a clue as to what the Friday night cocktail party theme might be. That gives me just over a year to stress about what to wear!
It seems impossible to me that it has been more than 14 years since I read Helen Simonson's first book Major Pettigrew's Last Stand which I reviewed here. I know that there has been another book since, which I haven't read, but as soon as I heard about this book I knew that I wanted to read it, so when it was chosen as the April/May selection for Cook the Books, it was serendipitous.
The year is 1919 and Britain is returning to normal after the end of WWI, whatever normal means.
During the war, Constance Haverhill ran a country estate. Now that the men are back from war, she has been asked to give up that role and the cottage that comes with it. Her employer, Lady Mercer, who was also sort of kind of a lifelong friend of her mother, is suggesting that she might become a governess, a thought that Constance dreads. She hopes to find a role as a bookkeeper or something similar. However, before that she has been asked to perform one last role - accompany Lady Mercer's mother, Mrs Fog, to holiday in Hazelbourne-by-the-Sea. What neither Constance or Lady Mercer know is that Mrs Fog has her own reasons for visiting the town, one that is bound to cause upset in due course.
There Constance meets Poppy Wirrall, daughter of local gentry, and they become firm friends. Poppy runs a taxi and delivery service where the drivers are all local women. She also runs a motorcycle club for women and wants to add a flying club. Like Constance, many of her drivers are facing the loss of their jobs due to the fact that they are seen as men's roles.
Constance also meet's Poppy's brother, Harris. He too is struggling with what the future looks like. He has friends who own an airfield but they won't allow him to fly due to his war injuries. The estate that he has now inherited is struggling, and the way of life that he would have expected to live before the war are pretty much gone. However, no-one seems to have told his mother who still lives extravagantly.
Harris struggles to adapt back to normal life, or as normal as it can be when you have lost part of your leg, but also the mental challenges, the shellshock and the survivors guilt. I am not normally someone who takes notice and shares quotes but there were two in this book from Harris that really stopped me in my reading tracks and take notice.
The CO was still with them at the forward base in Saint-Omer. By the time he disappeared during the Third Battle of Ypres, the numbers of dead had become numbing, the grief briefer.
Brief grief: always there was the moment of turning away, of giving up on straining to hear another engine coming home behind the hill. A sandwich or a hot pie chewed in silence and a cup of strong tea burning the throat. Then a quick wash and maybe a sleep. Because in the Flying Corps, the ritual was clear. To honour the men who did not come home in the evening, the dawn flight would go out uninterrupted.
In this second passage, Harris is speaking to Constance.
"It would be nice to think that something good might come out of all these years of misery," she said. "World peace is all very well, but for the average person - let us say the average woman - it would be nice to think there might be some enduring changes. Some additional respect, some freedom, some scope for a larger life."
and then a bit later
"What would you like to see come from these shadowed years of misery?" she asked as gently as she could. "You who have given the greatest sacrifice should design our future."
He laughed sharply, but his eyes, when he looked up from his cocoa, did not blaze with contempt. He took a moment to consider her question, turning it in his mind as if it was a think of many facets.
"Those who have given the greatest sacrifice are not here to speak," he said, his voice hoarse. "Those of us who are - Well, I must rack my brain every day to discover if I am a coward. If I made some decision to save myself. Because why else am I here and better men are gone?" He buried his head in his hands and made a low animal moan of pain.
Once again Helen Simonson has given us a book which feels lighthearted, and yet covers many serious topics including racism, the effects of war, class differences and social change, and asks questions like how should the end of WWI, or indeed any war, be commemorated the year after it ended. She does it with a gentle humour and wry observations about society and class. Now I need to go and find her last book, The Summer Before the War because I really have enjoyed both of her other books.
To be honest, I was a bit surprised when this book was announced as the Cook the Books selection because nothing on the cover, or in the blurb, suggests that it is foodie book. I mean, if the title had of been the the Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Fly Club Cafe, yes, but it wasn't. However, I needn't have worried because while it isn't foodie like a book about a cafe would be, there is plenty of food throughout the pages. I was keeping notes as I read through the book every time food was mentioned, and there were a lot, ranging from bacon and onion sandwiches to anchovy toast to blancmange. However, it was around half way through the book when I found what I was going to make.
The characters are sitting on the Palm Terrace of the hotel eating chocolate eclairs and drinking hot chocolate, waiting for the German submarine which has been left stranded on the beach to be destroyed.
"Ah yes, we are to be assaulted with the noise of that dreadful submarine on the beach being blown to pieces," said Lady Mercer as Klaus approached with a bouillon cup on a saucer. "But the young man assured us we only need cover our ears briefly. "
"Yes, madam," said the waiter. "I believe they expect to slice it in two with a single cannon blast. You will enjoy a front row view from here."
"Extraordinary," said Lady Mercer, in a voice that carried to all the neighbouring tables. "I can't imagine such a thing passing as entertainment in Brighton or in St-Tropez." Constance suppressed a grin, having never personally seen Lady Mercer leave her gardens in Surrey to visit the seaside either at home or abroad.
"I suppose it's entirely safe," said Mrs Fog. "Perhaps we should move away from the windows?"
"Nonsense, Mother, the view is in obvious demand." Indeed, there were more hotel guests and others crowding at the door and Klaus moved away to assist the undermanager in finding seats for the new arrivals.
Needless to say, things don't quite go to plan.
My husband has been asking me to make eclairs for the longest time, but I have been putting it off as I was a little bit intimidated at the thought. I have made choux pastry once before, but not eclairs, but now is the time for it to happen. I should mention that a bit further along in the passage, Lady Mercer swallows a piece of eclair awkwardly and nearly chokes. I hope that doesn't happen with hubby!
To make the eclairs I used Masterchef Australia winner Emelia Jackson's recipe from her book First, Cream the Butter and Sugar. On Masterchef she is known as the Choux Queen! I have posted about this book before here. I then used stabilised cream and chocolate ganache recipes that I have used in other recipes before to make the filling and topping.
I tried to make these as perfectly as I could, but as you probably recall I have said before, I am better at baking things that taste good rather than looking pretty. I tried to put lines on the baking tray so that I could pipe exactly 10cm long eclairs, but I couldn't see the lines against my tray so I ended up having to freehand them! Straight lines are not my forte!
This recipe made a LOT of eclair shells, way too many for 2 people, so I ended up freezing a lot of them. Maybe I will experiment with some other flavour combinations over the coming weeks. Watch this space. I suspect I will be asked to make the chantilly cream in that same way again. Robert, my husband, is very happy with all of it, but especially the cream! Happy husband!
Chocolate Eclairs
Choux Pastry
225g water 100g unsalted butter 1tspn caster sugar 1tspn salt 140g plain flour 265g whole eggs (about 5 large eggs), weight without shells
Preheat the oven to 150C (no fan). Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
To make the dough, combine the water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rapid boil before adding the plain flour. Cook this roux stirring rapidly for 5-7 minutes or until a thick crust forms at the base of the saucepan - this ensures the flour is well hydrated and you achieve the most consistent results.
Transfer the hot roux to the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until all of the steam dissipates – this helps to evaporate off any excess moisture that could weigh down the choux, leaving you with the lightest possible pastry.
Start adding the eggs, a little bit at a time, and mix until the dough comes together to a silky, shiny batter. The dough should be firm enough to hold its shape, falling off your scraper when you lift it out of the bowl.
Transfer the choux to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle (approx 1.5cm diameter) and pipe each eclair around 10cm long, leaving ample space between them so they can spread and rise.
Bake the choux for at least 45 minutes before opening the oven door. Cook until a deep-golden, caramelised brown colour all over. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature.
Cut the eclairs in half then dip the top halves in the chocolate glaze. Cool in the fridge before filling with whipped cream using a piping bag fitted with a star shaped nozzle.
Chocolate Glaze
Finely chop 100g of dark chocolate. Heat 2/3 cup of cream and 3 teaspoons of glucose syrup until hot and then pour over the chocolate. Leave for 1 minute and then stir until thick and glossy.
Chantilly cream
Whip 3 cups of whipped cream, 1 cup of mascarpone, 1 and 2/3 cups of icing sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste until stiff peaks form.
I am sharing this review with the Foodies Read challenge hosted at Based on a True Story, with the other participants in Cook the Books and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host!
I am very excited about the next selection which is Aimie K Runyan's A Bakery in Paris. At this stage I am planning to post about this book some time in July as part of Paris in July
Weekly meals
Saturday - Away Sunday - Away Monday - Nasi Goreng Tuesday - Sausages, mash, gravy and broccolini Wednesday - Spicy Beef Noodles (new) Thursday - Zucchin, Tomato and Parmesan Risotto Friday - Out for dinner
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
A few weeks ago, I posted about an author I love and I said that I was genetically predisposed to love her books! I think that, having now read four of Laura Pearson's books, I am almost prepared to make that same declaration for her! I love her unusual ideas and the ways that she goes about writing them
When there is an unexpected knock at her door, Ruth Waverley has no idea that her life is going to be completely changed. Standing on the other side is widow Debbie Jones who is working as a charity doorknocker. When the door opens, they see a woman who looks practically identical to themselves. After the initial shock wears off Ruth and Debbie agree to meet to begin to discover each other's pasts. After all, it can't just be a coincidence that they look so alike.
Ruth has been married to Nigel for many years. They have raised twin boys, and now she has a cherished granddaughter. She bakes cakes from her home kitchen - fancy birthday cakes and the like - but she doesn't really feel seen by her family, especially by her husband. She and her younger sister Kate are also dealing with their elderly mum whose dementia is getting worse. There are the clear days when she recognises her children, but other days she has no idea who they are.
Debbie has just started her job working for the charity. Her husband Richie died unexpectedly the year before so she loves that this job will keep getting her out and about and that she will be meeting people. She quickly forms a bond with her co-workers Jitu and Matty. She really is a people person. People are drawn to her. She also has a bit of an adventurous spirit.
As the two women try to figure out exactly how they are connected and what led to their separation, family secrets are revealed that have been kept hidden for more than 60 years come to light. We see the two women as they begin to form a bond, which brings challenging moments for Kate as well. It isn't only a book about looking to the past though. It is a chance for both women to reevaluate their lives and decide if they want to make changes going forward to be able to live their best lives.
I am someone who has a face that people recognise. Just last week a woman was looking at me as we walked past each other and asked if we knew each other to which my answer was no. She told me that I definitely have a doppelganger who lives on the other side of the city! The idea of actually meeting a doppelganger though...that would be quite freaky!
The previous books I have read from Laura Pearson all had an element of magical realism in them but this one doesn't. It relies on the unusual premise for the framework and it works! This is another fine book from Laura Pearson, a real treat on many levels! I enjoyed the way that she weaves serious issues through her stories, without ever feeling too heavy, and yet I get all the feels from reading her books too!
I do have a few more Laura Pearson books to read, and I will get to them, especially when I need something magical to take me away from my own life!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4.5/5
About the book
The Woman Who Met Herself
What would you do, if you met your double?
Debbie Jones thinks life is an adventure. Even having lost her husband a year ago, she’s ready for whatever the world might throw her way. Being in her sixties doesn’t mean it’s all over for her yet, and she loves her new job doing neighbourhood support for a charity. Then she knocks on a stranger’s front door.
Ruth Waverley doesn’t like surprises. Her life isn’t perhaps all she once dreamed off, but what other options are there for a woman in her sixties? She’s proud of her home and children. And she likes her life well enough. Then she hears someone knocking at the door.
As the door opens, both Ruth and Debbie get the shock of their lives. As their eyes meet – the recognition is instant. Not because they’ve met before. But because they have the same face. They’re completely identical.
And everything is about to change, for both women. In ways they couldn’t possibly imagine…
Laura Pearson is the author of the #1 bestseller The Last List of Mabel Beaumont. She founded The Bookload on Facebook and has had several pieces published in the Guardian and the Telegraph.
Recently I went to hear Australian author Natasha Lester speak at a library in a small town about half an hour away from me. The talk that she gave was absolutely fascinating. She talked about the main character in her latest novel, a French woman by the name of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade who was the only woman who led a French Resistance organisation during WWII. She shared some of her exploits in her talk, and I left that event knowing that I was going to have to read the book asap. I did have another reason for needing to read the book too. This was the book club selection for the Rachael Johns Readers Retreat that I attended last weekend and so I needed to read it before the group discussions. Natasha Lester was there as one of the authors, so I got to hear her speak again. Here she is being interviewed by Anthea Hodgson.
The story of Marie-Madeleine is absolutely fascinating. She married young and moved to Morocco where she learnt to fly, did some rally car driving and a bit of espionage which helps her husband's career! When her marriage breaks down, she returns to France with her children. There, at a party, she witnesses two men having a very intense disagreement. One is Charles de Gaulle, and the other a man who will recruit her to help create a resistance network known as Alliance, whose code name is Navarre.
Alliance worked closely with the British MI6 and provided them with a lot of information like U-boat locations and maps of the coast of France which eventually helped with the planning for the D-Day invasion. However, there is a very high cost for this information with the loss of members through arrest and death, the constant threat of betrayal, the constant moving around, always living with fear, and more.
For Marie-Madeleine the human cost of the work that she was leading was immense and it did take it's toll. Despite that she continued relying on her risk taking mentality, her intuition and those closest to her to help lead. There was a physical cost too. Some of the stories that are told in these pages seem incredibly far-fetched and yet those are the ones that are true including being smuggled to Spain, making split second decisions to leave a headquarters based on instinct alone, and sending her children away so that the Germans cannot use them to get to her.
Despite the success of her team's work, she also faced a struggle due to her sex. No one, including the Germans most of the time, could believe that a woman could lead the network and do such a great job! This is reflected in the fact that, after the war, whilst others were public acknowledged by de Gaulle for the resistance work done during the war Marie-Madeleine was not, despite several of her subordinates receiving the acknowledgement.
There is a lot of action in this book, and sometimes it was a little difficult to keep up with the constant location changes, new people in the organisation and the who was doing what in the various acts of resistance. This is despite the fact that the author did combine a lot of the real life characters and moves so that there was less in the book than there was in real life! There was also the personal story of the woman, Marie-Madeleine, who cared too much for the people that she put in harm's way but who inspired great loyalty from the people in the network, the leader who felt every death and betrayal to her very core, the mother who couldn't see her children, the woman who had a passionate love for a man who served France wholeheartedly, and the woman who gave everything that she had to fight against the Germans.
In the acknowledgements at the end of the book, Lester wrote that she had been told that WWII were not as publishable as they have been because it isn't what readers want any more, and it is a sentiment that I have seen expressed multiple times in reviews. The market is saturated with WWII stories. My response is if it is WWII stories like this one, of the amazing people who gave everything and more in the fight against the enemy, those as yet unknown stories of heroes, then I still want to read them!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host! This book has also been released in the US so if you would like to give this Aussie author a try, if you haven't already done so, you should be able to find it in other markets!
Ellie is a professional cricketer but she has been having a tough time over the last few months. Some things happened in her life that meant that she lost a bit of focus, and she was also injured. Now she's fully recovered and she is aiming to get back to the top, to reclaim her spot in the English cricket team and she doesn't need any distractions. At the same time, in the back of her mind she is starting to think about the big question of what comes after cricket.
Adam is a big fan of the Scorpions cricket team, and particularly of Ellie, but not in a stalkerish way. He is also an artist and a photographer who does whatever work he can to make ends meet. When their paths begin to cross, Adam knows he likes her, but he has no intentions of dating a famous person, particularly since he was dumped by his ex who was a wannabe social media influencer.
As they spend more time together they both push away from anything more but they are drawn to each other. Adam has long admired Ellie's dedication and drive and she admires his artistic flair and wishes he would push himself forward more!
Whilst this is a sports romance, there is so much more going on here with sub themes around grief, epilepsy, the impact of social media particularly on well known people and more. There is also a gentle humour running through. One clever little thing is that each of the chapters is headed as 1st Over, 2nd Over, 3rd Over etc. At the back of the book the author has shared a list of Easter Eggs where the cricket action was inspired by something that happened in real life and also a guide to the fielding positions which is useful. If you weren't a cricket fan a term like Silly Mid On would make no sense at all without the guide!
Sports romance seems to be having a moment right now, and it is great to see a different sport given the chance to shine. I don't think I have even read a cricket romance where the man is the sport star. I do wonder what someone who doesn't understand cricket would make of it, but then again there are millions of cricket fans around the world so there would still be a super huge market. Growing up in Australia, you can't really avoid cricket in summer and I have been known to head to the MCG to watch Australia play along with 100000 other people! I must confess I can only name a few women cricketers though
I also love that some of the proceeds of this book are going to the grass roots of women's cricket, so I hope that this book gets lots of sales!
This is the first in a trilogy so I will be interested to see who the next cricketer is to have their story told.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 3/5
About the book
Wicket Maiden
WICKET MAIDEN is a groundbreaking romantic comedy set in the world of women’s cricket.
It’s the start of a new season for professional women’s cricket team The Scorpions.
Acclaimed batter Ellie, 32, is returning to the game after a long injury, determined to regain her form and her place in the England squad. This is her last chance, and she won’t let anything stand in her way.
Cricket fan Adam, 34, an artist and photographer, has followed Ellie and the team through highs and lows. He’s drawn to her talent, athleticism and public persona - but is content to be a face in the crowd, cheering her on. He’d never date a famous person, anyway.
When events on and off the pitch bring Ellie and Adam together, friendship blossoms, and their careers initially soar. Yet, with romance in the air, Ellie loses focus, jeopardising her dream.
What’s more important to them both - love, or cricket?
A share of the book’s royalties will be donated to pertinent clubs and organisations who champion the development of grassroots, girls’ and women’s cricket.
The story echoes the film “Notting Hill” – the challenge of love between a ‘star’ and a ‘normal person’.
The book touches on the good and bad sides of fame, and shines a light on women’s cricket – the mental and physical challenges, pressure of relentless media attention, community outreach, fan engagement, and the finite nature of the career of professional athletes. Above this, it is, of course, a love story.
The book is a non-spicy romance, and also includes neurodiversity and epilepsy representation.
I’m an incurable romantic at heart, and a sucker for great humour. I’ve been writing for many years, and all the stories contain either love, or humour, or both – I simply can’t keep these elements out of my work.
I’m inspired by the big and small screen as well as books, and have a soft spot for Richard Curtis’ romcoms, timeless TV comedy like The Good Life and Blackadder, less well-known feelgood films and romances (Always, Forget Paris, Roxanne), and books which make me laugh (Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, The Rosie Project).
I have a soft spot for stories with strong women and nerdy or hapless guys.
Fundamentally, I try to write the books I like to read. I hope to distil humour, romance – and sometimes pathos or bittersweet vibes – into my novels.
Outside of writing, I enjoy photography, great scenery, a nice peaceful train ride, delicious coffee and cake, and catching up with old friends. I’m also something of a geek, fascinated by maths, science and even fonts!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books that Feature Travel. I've done quite a few travel themed Top Ten Tuesdays over the years. This time, I am keeping it simple and just sharing some of the recent books that I have read that feature travel in one way or another!
Let's go, or should I say, bon voyage!
An Italian Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack - Wedding planner Sophie is asked to organise a wedding at the top of a mountain climb so she needs to travel to Italy to find the locations. The catch, her guide is her ex-boyfriend.
Booked for Summer by Kathryn Freeman - British woman Jade Taylor goes to the island of Nantucket to run a cute bookstore for three months where she meets the owner of the resort that wants to close the store down. (My review)
One More Day of Us by Shari Low - Singer Moira Chiles spent a large part of her career working on cruise ships. This story takes us back to her first trip when she lived in Hong Kong back in the early 1990s. (My review)
A Greek Island Gift by Mandy Baggot - When Molly receives an inheritance from someone she has never heard of, she has to travel to Corfu to accept it. What is she going to do with half an apartment, half a boat and a quarter of a cat amongst other things! (My review)
Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley - This is the final book in the Seven Sisters series, and follows Pa's life as he travels all round the world.
Secret Beneath a Riviera Sky by Jennifer Bohnet - Francine travels to Cannes with her mother and daughter after her estranged father dies. (My review)
Where the Birds Calls Her Name by Claire van Ryn - The travel in this one is a bit closer to home. Saskia and her daughter drive from Broome in far north Western Australia to Tasmania as they discover who Saskia's mother is and who Saskia needs to be in the future. (My review)
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin - Ava travels from her job as a librarian in the Library of Congress to work in Lisbon in Portugal during WWII. (My review)
The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley - The method of travel in this one was by ship and by horse. A group of travellers go to Scotland from London on the King's business. (My review)
White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton - A young girl travels from Korea to Japan in the years prior to WWII, and then she struggles to return home. (My review)
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