Cornucopias + Reading Ruts
Thanksgiving Treats + Cassandra at the Wedding
READ
Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker, pub. 1962
Buy: Bookshop.org or your local bookstore
Every so often – I’d say once or twice a year? – I hit a reading rut. It usually lands out of the blue, and this time was no exception. Thankfully, I’ve been in a major reading flow state since the beginning of the year, but suddenly, a few weeks after my UK trip, wham! It hit me: reader’s block. Over the past three weeks I tried and failed to read three books, making my way about 50 pages through each and feeling unsettled, disengaged, bored, annoyed, disheartened…you get the idea. So I gave myself the advice I’ve given countless friends over the years who’ve felt a) unable to start reading at all or b) are in the midst of a reading rut: Get a gateway book. A gateway book is one that eases you back into the swing and routine of reading, whether through plot or voice. Books I’ve suggested to friends in the past include Fates & Furies, Such a Fun Age and Nothing to See Here, among others. All excellent and unputdownable, in my opinion. Smart and funny, with strong narrators; well written and deep, but not *too* deep. You aren’t necessarily looking to be challenged (unless that’s your particular reading kink); you’re merely aiming for a good thread to pull you (even if the content itself leans melancholy).
After my three failed attempts, I went back to the drawing board (aka my sagging bookshelves), found my gateway book, read it in two days, and can report back that I feel replenished and alive. I was gripped from the first page of Cassandra at the Wedding thanks to Dorothy Baker’s incredibly potent sense of voice. This is one of many examples of an exceptional book published by a woman decades ago that’s been reissued, giving us lucky readers the opportunity to discover it anew. Daunt, one of the best bookstores in London, has its own imprint and boy, does it deliver. I want to hug everyone there for believing that this book deserved a modern day audience.
The story takes place over the course of two days and centers around Cassandra and Judith, identical twins who, we quickly glean, are almost unbearably close. Though they lived together in a Berkeley apartment at one point, seemingly sharing everything, a nameless fracture is alluded to. Now, Judith is getting married and has invited one guest: her sister. Cassandra drives to the Edwards family compound in the California valley to attend the festivities.
The first half of the book is in Cassandra’s voice; in the second half, we hear the story through Judith’s eyes, and then round back out with Cassandra. I loved this structure, and reading about a singular experience from both girls’ points of view was an excellent reminder of the subjectivity of life. Baker briskly opens the novel by whisking us into Cassandra’s state of mind – she’s an especially electric character, and you immediately feel this woman is very much alive and real. She plays fast and loose, doesn’t think before she speaks, and has a wicked, dark sense of humor. We also learn that she’s been suffering from a debilitating depression since Judith left her in Berkeley and moved to New York about a year ago.
The Edwards family is eccentric and insular; the girls’ father and their grandmother (his mother-in-law) live on a sprawling family ranch together. We learn that the twins’ mother is dead, and that they hadn’t wanted anyone to attend her funeral; they prefer their own company (oftentimes to the detriment of their happiness). Spending time with this family – their addictions, insinuations, obtuseness and grit – was pure gateway bliss. Baker writes family dynamics like no other, and is especially deft with her descriptions of the unspooling of the twins’ relationship. She goes straight to the heart of the matter through Cassandra’s eyes, and we get an aching, deep sense of yearning and loss.
When we switch to Judith’s perspective it’s an immediate shift and drop in tone: She’s less severe, more practical and conflict-avoidant than her sister. Where Cassie is fire, Judith is water – cool, collected, at times remote. She’s also struggling with her sister’s state of mind, in addition to being newly in love with a man who’s vying for her attention.
I don’t want to give anything more about this gem of a book away except to say that the twins have a deep, intricately intertwined history, and the wedding lays bare both the delicacies and strengths of their bond. I tore through it. I laughed. I wept. It’s a perfect gateway book and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
EAT
Holiday season is imminent! To celebrate, may I present you with a very lengthy assortment of Thanksgiving recipes (you’ll likely have to click through the bottom of the email to see it in its entirety)? Stipulation: You obviously won’t find anything classic here; what you will find is a bunch of seasonal, cozy, colorful and vegetable-friendly dishes I’ve been making for years, plus a couple newbie hits I made for Friendsgiving just last night. It was the first time I’d cooked dinner for 12 in our place and it was a total blast. (Shoutout to my restaurant, from which I lovingly borrowed extra plates, wine glasses and knives! And to Aaron, who moved furniture around for hours and poured perfect vermouth and sodas all night long.) Here’s to merriment, dirty aprons and full bellies.
Lemon Zest + Pimenton Butter: A go-to starter while you prepare dinner. Last night I served fat slices of sourdough and Fishwife anchovies alongside, and people made little buttered toasts with anchovies on top. Chef’s kiss! (It’s also delicious on radish discs.)
Coconut Creamed Greens: You know it, you love it. A truly perfect side dish. Cozy, vegan, goes with basically everything.
Roasted Squash with Fried Rosemary Salsa Verde
Note: I usually make a roasted squash dish with either chermoula or zhoug plus a tahini-lemon-garlic drizzle for Thanksgiving. This year I simplified and wasn’t sorry about it. I think it’d be great with a tahini drizzle if you want extra credit, though!
For the squash:
Multiple varieties of winter squash (I used kabocha, delicata and honeynut), quartered or halved, depending on size
Evoo
Kosher salt
Seeds from one pomegranate
Maldon
For the Salsa Verde (batch up if you’re cooking for a large group):
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons vinegar (red wine, sherry, Champagne and moscatel will all work)
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
1 bunch parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped
4 hearty sprigs fried rosemary (heat an inch of evoo in a wide pot til it’s sizzling, drop in the sprigs and fry for about a minute; drain on paper towels, then remove the rosemary needles and finely chop)
Kosher salt
Evoo, to cover
For the squash: Roast the squash at 425F until it’s caramelized and a fork eases gently into it. (I like to caramelize both the skin and flesh; I keep honeynut and delicata skin on and remove kabocha.) Set aside to cool, then, using your hands, gently tear into ragged wedges.
For the salsa verde: Macerate the shallot in the vinegar for 10 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients. Add the garlic and all of the herbs to the shallot mixture and stir well. Season liberally with salt, then pour enough oil over to cover the herbs and give it another hearty stir. You want a savory, herbaceous, not-too-acidic result. Add more evoo if it’s too piquant.
To plate: Arrange the squash on a platter and douse with the salsa verde. Finish with pomegranate seeds and a sprinkle of Maldon.
Wintry Brussels Sprouts, Raw and Roasted
Note: This is more of an idea than a recipe. It’s super flexible and will taste great if you follow the general framework!
Roasted Brussels sprouts (halve and roast at 425F for about 20 mins)
Raw Brussels sprouts, shaved (use a mandoline unless you’re a masochist)
A sweet fruit (I love apples or persimmons), sliced
A tart fruit (pomegranate seeds, barberries, cranberries?!)
A nut (toasted almonds, Marcona almonds and hazelnuts all work well), chopped
An herb (mint and parsley are nice here), chopped
An allium (scallion, shallot), sliced
A vinaigrette (try smashed garlic and anchovies, lemon and evoo; creamy, caesar-like dressings are also good here!)
Maldon
Fresh pepper
Add everything except the vinaigrette to a bowl and mix. Drizzle the vinaigrette atop and mix well, making sure everything is evenly coated. Season with Maldon and serve.
A Pot of Beans, But Better
Note: I make beans year-round, and rarely do more than soaking and cooking on the stovetop with lots of aromatics. After being inspired by my (gifted and fabulous) friend Rebekah Peppler and her wonderful book, A Table, I went a step beyond and cooked the beans “longtemps.” Whoa. Beans will never be the same!
1 pot cooked beans (from 2 cups dry) and their cooking liquid (I strongly urge you to soak and cook your beans for this; canned simply won’t yield the same result, plus you need the cooking liquid for the recipe to actually work!)
Evoo
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon pimenton dulce (aka smoked paprika)
½ cup red wine
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated
2 cups toasty breadcrumbs
In a large oven-safe dish over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic and pimenton until fragrant and translucent. Add the tomatoes and crush with a wooden spoon, then the red wine, beans and their cooking liquid. Simmer until it’s thickened and glossy, stirring every once in awhile – for me this took a few hours. Stir through 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cover the beans with the breadcrumbs, dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter, then bake uncovered at 325F for 30 minutes until the beans are bubbly and the top is golden.
Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Ganache (aka mousse)
Note: I told you a few months back that I’d give you my long-cherished recipe for dark chocolate olive oil ganache (aka mousse). Today is the day! I’m so glad I waited, because I discovered a new technique this year and it changed the game. I got hooked on this dessert while staging at Moro back in 2014. Henry, the chef at Moro’s next-door sister restaurant, Morito, taught me to make it and I got obsessed. Once home, I tweaked the recipe, replacing the sugar with honey and using 100% chocolate rather than bittersweet. The result is dairy-free yet utterly decadent. I like to destroy the premise and serve it with cardamom-scented whipping cream. You can make the nut-date-coconut crust (linked above) in a springform pan and pour the mousse into it for a tart, or do as I did last night and serve it out of a bowl with an ice cream scoop. Lastly: Apologies for only having this recipe in grams! Kitchen scales are worth it! (This makes one 10” tart or 1 large bowl for a crowd.)
400 grams 100% chocolate, melted
1 cup good, fruity-with-a-bite olive oil
10 room temperature eggs, separated (use large enough bowls so you can manage the volume)
280 grams runny honey
Maldon
Whipping cream, to serve
Pour your chocolate into a bowl to cool; whisk in the olive oil and set aside. Using a handheld or standing mixer, start beating your egg whites with a pinch of Maldon. Slowly stream in about half of the honey and beat until you have firm peaks. Next, move onto the yolks. Beat with another pinch of Maldon and the rest of the honey until they’ve doubled in size and are light yellow. Re-whisk your chocolate-olive oil mixture, then pour and fold it into the yolk mixture until no streaks remain. Gently fold in the egg whites in three separate batches: the first batch you can be less careful, folding with a bit of gusto; for the second two batches use a gentle touch, folding to fully incorporate the whites into the chocolate before moving onto the last batch. The result should be glossy, thick and resplendent. Pour the mousse into your tart shell or a pretty ceramic bowl, cover and refrigerate. It needs to firm up for a few hours before serving. Sprinkle liberally with Maldon with a dollop of cardamom-scented cream on the side.