Gobble! Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Review: May We Borrow Your Husband?

Short stories are hard. They are, legend has it, hard to write. They are certainly hard for me to read. I generally skip a short story collection for a novel every time because I usually find short stories either pointlessly atmospheric or gimmicky.

But Graham Greene's little collection of 12 stories, May We Borrow Your Husband?, won me over. The title story about two gay men who woo away a honeymooning husband is a pitch-perfect Mid-Century period piece on closeted homosexuality. The others range from wryly comic to tragic, but all share a nerve-twinging honesty.

"Cheap in August" about a wife seeking a fling and "Two Gentle People" about star-crossed lovers are probably the best of the bunch from a literary standpoint. But my favorites were "A Shocking Accident" about a father killed by a pig, which I found delightful all around, and "The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen" about a self-absorbed young writer, which made me cringe and laugh at the same time.

May We Borrow Your Husband? made me reconsider the short story genre. And it raised Graham Greene even higher on my list of favorite authors.

OTHER REVIEWS

The New York Times (April 30, 1967)
My review of The Comedians

If you would like your review of this or any other Graham Greene book listed here, please leave a comment with a link and I will add it.

NOTES

I read this book for the Graham Greene Challenge and for the Books Written in the First Years of My Life Challenge.

Teaser Tuesday: Polite Society

  

Before turning in, she pads softly down the hall to her mother's door.  She peeks in and gazes at the sleeping figure that is such a stranger.

-- Polite Society, a charming debut novel by Colleen Sohn, illustrated by Maren Jensen. 

I think this is a great scene because the idea of a mother who is a stranger raises so many possibilities. 

There are still a few of the lovely, limited edition hardbacks left (see here for details). And, Polite Society is now available in a Kindle edition, with all the illustrations.



Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event. 

Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring event (details here).

Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog stepped up to the plate to host in November. The link for today is here.

I am excited about the one book i got last week because it is the Ian Rankin book I
need to continue reading his John Rebus series in order.



Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin

This is the sixth novel in the Rebus series, the seventh book, counting a book of short stories that slipped in there after the third novel.

Perfect for a long holiday weekend. 

Weekend Cooking: White Bean Casserole

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, this is the weekend to look for recipes and inspiration.  This isn't a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but it is sometimes good to have a vegetarian option for those who forgo turkey.

This recipe didn't come from a book, it came from my head. But since I invented it for Book Club, that is connection enough for me to post it today as part of Weekend Cooking.

The Book Club ladies all raved and asked me to type up the recipe, so I am going to take them at their word. I think it is yummy.

WHITE BEAN CASSEROLE WITH ARTICHOKES 

NOTE: This serves four as a side dish, or two hungry people for dinner. Multiply accordingly. 

one 14oz can artichoke hearts, chopped in 1/2" or so pieces
one 14oz can little white beans, drained and rinsed
one 14oc can diced tomatoes, with juice
two whole eggs, beaten with a fork
1/2 cup ricotta, or 1/2 cup grated soft white cheese
1 Tbsp. or so dried Italian herbs (parsley, oregano, basil)
1 big garlic clove, crushed
salt & pepper to taste*
8oz or so sliced mozzarella, or other soft melting cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, or other dry bread crumbs
good olive oil
hot sauce

Mix the canned ingredients in a bowl. Beat the eggs and ricotta with a fork until well blended. Mix the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper into the egg mixture. Add mixture to canned ingredients and stir well to mix.

Butter an 8" soufflé dish or other deep casserole dish. Spread half the casserole mix in the dish. Sprinkle a thorough layer of panko over the mix – enough to coat but not more than 1/4" deep. Layer half the mozzarella over the panko. Spread the other half of the casserole mix on top of the mozzarella. Sprinkle on another layer of panko. Layer the other half of the mozzarella on top. Finish with a little sprinkle of panko, mixed with some chopped parsley if you feel fancy.

Bake in a 350 oven for a about an hour, or until it is very hot in the middle and bubbly on the top. Reheats very well. Serve with olive oil for drizzling and hot sauce.

* Whether you need to add any salt at all depends on how salty the cheese is and the canned ingredients. 

WEEKEND COOKING

Hosted by Beth Fish Reads