The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

November 2007, Hosted by Cat

It was a Southern meal inspired by the Southern setting of Carson McCullers' The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

"Supper", as we Southerners call it, included:

Black Eyed Peas*
Uncle Ben's Long Grain Converted Rice (the brand is specific, it's what we always used growing up in Georgia)*
Collard Greens*
Homemade Mac n' Cheese*
Potato Rolls - store bought Martin's
a big green greek salad from Mona Lisa Pasta (the only non-Southern part of the meal)
Two kinds of Breyers ice cream - Peach and Butter Pecan, classic Southern flavors


* Notes and recipes:
Black Eyed Peas
For a true Southern experience, it's best to start with dried black eyed peas, which is what I did for our supper. Using dried beans of any kind is time intensive, but it's a very low maintenance affair. Follow the package directions, being sure to sort and rinse the peas well. You can either soak the peas overnight, or if you have at least two hours of prep time, you can use the Quick Cook method (bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes and then let soak off the heat for 1 hour before simmering for 20-30 minutes) for same day preparation. True Southerners will flavor black eyed peas with a ham hock or bacon, but in the Nuovo-Southern/Veg Friendly style, adding some nice olive oil and salt and pepper is all you need.

Black Eyed Peas and Uncle Ben's long grain white rice are a classic Southern pairing. Be sure to add a few dollops of butter when you're a cooking the rice and serve the two items side by side on the plate so that they can mingle on your fork.


Collard Greens
For our book club supper, I used chopped frozen collards, which are the poor and lazy man's way, just like my parents did when I was growing up. They are fast and easy and require little preparation. Like with the Black Eyed Peas, adding ham hocks for flavor is the traditional way, and most Southerners would insist that you cook collards for a minimum of two hours, or all day if you have the time (although such a long cooking period isn't generally necessary with pre-cooked frozen collards).

I'm pretty sure I was well into my 20's before I ever saw fresh collard greens, but they are easier to handle than they seem. About a half a pound of pre-cleaned collards is about one serving. Wash well in a very large bowl, remove the thick center stems, stack the leaves on top of each other and then roll them up to make chopping easier. Add the chopped collards to a large pot with sufficient water to cover. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Flavor with olive oil or ham hocks, add salt and pepper. Slow cook for a long as you can, and add vinegar (I prefer balsamic now, but I'm sure that my parents probably use apple cider vinegar) as the finishing-touch flavor.


Macaroni and Cheese
Homemade is always best, but Kraft was the staple in my childhood home. For book club, I used my friend Valorie's recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 lb (= 8 oz = 2 cups) elbow macaroni
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter
1 cup (1 small) onion - chopped
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Melt butter in a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion and saute until transparent. Stir in flour and salt.
Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add milk, stir to blend. Bring to a low, steady simmer.
Add uncooked elbow macaroni. Cover and continue to simmer gently for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Mixture will thicken as it is cooking.)
Remove from heat. Add cheese. Stir gently until cheese is melted.
Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

September 2007, hosted by Lara

Lily is haunted by memories-of who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. She has nothing but time now, as she recounts the tale of Snow Flower, and asks the gods for forgiveness. In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu ("women's writing"). Some girls were paired with laotongs, "old sames," in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become "old sames" at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. With the period detail and deep resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel delves into one of the most mysterious of human relationships: female friendship.

Other book choices for the month:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Menu
I had fun browsing the aisles of Charlottesville's Asian Market and Oriental Food Store for this month's meeting!
Here's the menu that I remember...

• rice crackers
• winter melon soup
• variety of steamed dumplings with sauces (sweet & sour, ginger soy)
• cold sesame noodles (OK, so this isn't what we had, but I can't find the noodle recipe I used, so I'm including this other Chinese favorite)
• lychee jelly snacks (a fond memory from my college roomate, whose family is Taiwanese)

Winter Melon Soup
1 cup winter melon, boiled until tender (I substituted cucumber)
2 cups chicken broth
handful Chinese dried black mushrooms
2 - 3 slices ginger
1/4 cup cooked ham, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 green onion, green part only, washed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1. Wash the winter melon, remove the green skin, seeds, and the pulp. Cut into 2-inch pieces. 2. Reconstitute the Chinese dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 - 30 minutes until softened. Squeeze out any excess water. 3. Add the chicken broth, mushrooms, ginger and cooked ham. Add seasonings as desired. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add green onion for garnish. Serve hot.

Ginger Soy Sauce
1/2 C soy sauce
1/4 C water
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and heat through.

Sweet & Sour Sauce
1 C water
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 C granulated sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 C ketchup
dash hot sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 green bell pepper, or 1/2 red and 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

In a small bowl, mix 4 teaspoons of the water with the cornstarch. Set aside.
Bring the remainder of the water, the sugar, vinegar, ketchup, hot sauce and soy sauce to a boil, stirring a few times. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and add to the sauce, stirring constantly. Add the bell pepper chunks. Heat through.

Cold Sesame Noodles
16 oz Chinese flour stick noodles
2-3 chicken breasts, boiled and diced (or cut into thin strips)
3-4 eggs (2 whole eggs and 2 whites only)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large carrots, julienned
1-2 large cucumbers, julienned/shredded
2 cups snow peas
3-4 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup boiling water
soy sauce
seasame oil
red wine vinegar

Boil the noodles until done, drain and set aside. Beat the eggs until just frothy. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, when oil is hot pour eggs into pan and let cook on medium heat until it is solid enough to flip. Flip the egg sheet and cook the other side for another 30 seconds or so. Remove the egg sheet and cut into thin strips (length like those of the julienned vegetables). Heat water to a boil and stir in a little at a time into the peanut butter until the peanut butter is a thick sauce. It may look all icky at first but keep stirring and it will become a darker paste. Keep adding until it's a lighter colored slightly soupy mixture. Add about 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 1-2 tbsp seasame oil and about 1-2 tbsp vinegar. Stir. Add more of whatever to taste. Serve cold noodles and top with vegetables, chicken and egg. Pour sauce over top and mix the noodles up to spread the sauce. Add a little chili oil to the peanut sauce for some kick.