My Weekend with Maeve

Recently, I spent a long weekend in the west of Ireland and didn't have to cross the Atlantic via plane or ship. Irish writer Maeve Binchy transported me to a seaside village via A WEEK IN WINTER, the book she finished shortly before her death last July.

The premise of A WEEK IN WINTER is the time-honored one of strangers gathering for a specific purpose. Remember Chaucer's CANTERBURY TALES? In both works, most of these strangers are, at least initially, identified by their occupations. Chaucer introduced us to the Prioress, the Friar, and the Knight. Binchy gives us the Principal, the Doctors, and the Librarian.

The pilgrimages in A WEEK IN WINTER are mental or spiritual. The strangers hope to restore themselves with long walks along the cliffs, sea air, and good food. To that end, they gather at Stone House, a mansion-turned-inn operated by Chicky Starr, an Irishwoman who spent twenty years in New York City and harbors a secret.

Within a frame narrative, Binchy tells each person's story. In addition to the Principal, the Doctors, and the Librarian, Stone House attracts an American actor traveling incognito, a youngish woman and her difficult mother-in-law to-be, a Swedish musician grappling with his duty to take over the family's accounting business, and a couple who supplement their income by entering contests.

We also learn about Stone House's employees Rigger and Orla and the mansion's original owner, Miss Queenie Sheedy, who is thrilled to see her family home restored to glory.

Chicky Starr's story is compelling, as is her desire to create a refuge where others can relax and recharge.  

Readers can dip into the book one character's story at a time or devour the whole thing at once. I enjoyed the mention of characters from previous Binchy books, particularly Ania, the young Polish cleaning lady/factotum from HEART AND SOUL who is now, I learned, training to be a nurse. (Yes, Ania is fictional, but I am happy for her all the same.)

I enjoyed my stay at Stone House and am grateful for the hours I've spent in Ireland, England, Greece, and other locales with Binchy as my tour guide. I'll miss her.

The following dessert is a recipe from Ina Garten, better known as the Barefoot Contessa. My first attempt wouldn't have passed muster with Chicky Starr, but I'll improve. This treat is ideal for summer and is much easier to prepare than I thought it would be. That said, I did NOT, ahem, make my own mango sorbet. I bought Trader Joe's version. (And TJ's raspberry sorbet, too.) The Barefoot Contessa says the recipe serves eight, but it easily serves twelve.

Above is a shot of the ice cream bombe I made, with the photo of Ina Garten's (from her BAREFOOT IN PARIS cookbook) in the background. As you can see, I poured the berry sauce with too heavy a hand. (Mine, by the way, was made with blackberries.)

Who wouldn't enjoy a weekend in Ireland plus sorbet and ice cream for dessert?

Are you a Binchy fan? If so, do you have a favorite book or character? When it comes to dessert, do you have a favorite? What is it?

Links for Writers, Cake for Everyone

Writing's on my mind, and I read how-to articles and pieces about publishing when my work is finished for the day.  Five articles or blog posts recently caught my attention, so I'm sharing them.  (If you're not a writer, scroll to the end of this post for a cake recipe. You won't be sorry.)

First up is an article from The Virginia Quarterly Review. Kathleen Schmidt offers insights into and predictions for book publishing in 2013. Don't skip over the book buyer/reader statistics from Bowker that were presented at the recent Digital Book World conference.

Digital Book World and Writer's Digest surveyed authors and found one-third of traditionally published authors are interested in self publishing. 

Writer Chuck Wendig delivers 25 hard truths about writing and publishing. Read them all, but pay special attention to the last one: "You can’t control publishing. You can’t control the audience’s reaction to your book. Control what you can control, which means: write the best book that lives inside you."

Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Last Runaway, applies "less is more" to her writing.

Developmental editor Alan Rinzler advises authors to mine their experiences to give authenticity to their writing.

Bonus: For a great round-up of articles for and about writers and writing, bookmark The Author Chronicles' Top Picks Thursday. 

http://authorchronicles.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/top-picks-thursday-01-17-2013/

In unrelated news, my France-inspired dinner party last Sunday proved a success. The Barefoot Contessa's (Ina Garten's) recipe for boeuf Bourguignon rocked, and I turned to an old friend dessert that wouldn't be out of place in France. 

Sometimes my absorption with all things French crowds out my absorption with writing. Early this morning, I turned on my bitty laptop and saw a list of articles to read, including: Your Personal France. I clicked tout de suite, only to discover wishful thinking (and poor eyesight) had swapped France for Finance.  A personal finance article at half-past dawn? That would be a non.

Your turn: share your favorite source for writerly information, name your favorite dessert, or both. 

How the Internet Saved My Dinner Party

This is the ideal. My version's yet to come.

I'm planning a dinner party for friends visiting from out of state. The party part is easy because they're the kind of people who bring the celebration with them. It's dinner that's tricky. Know the feeling?

Are you wondering why I don't pull out one of my three tried-and-true menus for company? Alas, these friends know the first names and nicknames of my old standards. It's possible they left Texas to get away from my Artichoke 'n' Chicken Alfredo over Wilted Spinach. (It's an easy yet impressive recipe from Southern Living, but I've lost count of the number of times I prepared it.) 

Because my pals spent ten weeks in France last summer, I decided on French food but not as a theme. Instead, I want to pay homage to their grand adventure. 

I rifled through my cookbooks, but nothing looked right AND easy. What to do? I called on Monsieur Google, who came to my aide with the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon. 

Who doesn't like Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa? On her cooking show, she exudes calm and friendliness. Alas, I am a worrier and a big believer in Murphy's Law, so I asked Monsieur Google for examples of real people who had made the Barefoot Contessa's Boeuf Bourguignon. He did not disappoint. Indeed, he ushered me into the world of food bloggers.

Mon dieu! I've long been a fan of The Pioneer Woman and appreciate the photos that accompany her step-by-step recipes. I've seen Julie and Julia and read the memoir by Julie Powell that inspired the movie. Yet, did I know there are thousands of camera-wielding food bloggers out there? I did not. Nevertheless, they exist and form America's test kitchen.

These food bloggers tweak and modify recipes--just as I do. Of course, I tweak in the privacy of my own kitchen and hate to admit I left out a certain ingredient because my kids won't eat it or went without something else because it cost the earth. Food bloggers, bless 'em, tell all. And because they do, I am going to use The Amateur Gourmet's trick for lighting cognac and Confessions of a Chocoholic's tweak of tossing in the onions earlier in the process. (Confessions of a Chocoholic wanted to make sure the onions cooked. I want to be able to talk to my guests without the distraction of running into the kitchen to add an ingredient late in the cooking.)

Whew! With an appetizer, salad, and some crusty French bread, I'm home free. Wait! I forgot the best part.

Monsieur Google, s'il vous plait, find me a fast and easy French dessert.

Your turn: Who or what saves your bacon when you plan a meal for company? Recommend a food blogger to me, won't you? I need kitchen inspiration.