The Masque of the Black Tulip

Summary: Modern-day graduate student Eloise achieved the academic coup of the century when she unmasked one of history's greatest spies, the Pink Carnation, who saved England from Napoleon. But now she has a million questions about the Carnation's deadly French nemesis, the Black Tulip. And she's pretty sure that her handsome on-again, off-again crush, Colin Selwick, has the answers somewhere in his archives. When she finally comes across an old codebook, Eloise discovers something jucier than she ever imagined: an unlikely pair who were hot on the trail of the Black Tulip and had every intention of stopping him from killing the Pink Carnation and bringing down England. But what they didn't know was that while they were trying to find the Tulip - and stumbling upon something like love - the Black Tulip was watching them... (Source: Book Cover)


Comments: This is the second in the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig and continues closely on the heels of the first book in the timeline of both the contemporary story and that of the Napoleonic era. Again the duel stories are both interesting and lively - one thing in particular that I like is that the contemporary story is told in first person, while the story of the spies et al is in third person. It's refreshing and creates some tension in each story when the change occurs.
This is largely the story of Lady Henrietta Selwick (younger sister of the Richard, Purple Gentian in the first book) and her friendship with Jane Wolliston. It's hard to say more than that w/out spoiling the first book, so ...
I love to read books in order and don't want to ruin that for anyone, so if you read below this point - there be spoilers ahead - you've been warned.


Jane Wolliston is the Pink Carnation, a unassuming girl that no one seems to notice, but who, with her formidable friend Miss Gwen, have slowly created havoc in the French government. Jane communicates via code to Henrietta and she passes the information off to the home office via Miles Dorrington, the dashing best friend of her brother Richard (ie. the Purple Gentian). One of my favorite characters, and thankfully, he will be in future books, is Lord Vaughn. He's a mysterious one and slightly devious and who knows who's side he's one,
but I like him. The phrase "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" comes to mind.
I also find the story of Eloise and Colin very intriguing, possibly the result of training as an (art) historian as well. I understand the hunt involved in doing research - that in fact was always my favorite part. What could I find that no one else had quite found. Might also
explain my enjoyment of mysteries as a genre in general. Either way, onward and upward. Up next The Deception of the Emerald Ring.

4th of July 2010 - Food in Review

I'm finally getting a little more back in the kitchen - at least on the weekend (sometimes). Still not my normal style, but ... Keep Calm and Carry On -- right? Right. And I made home-made Lemonade - what can beat that (besides beer, perhaps)? 


Menu:
Burgers / Hot Dogs - cooked on the grill by MotH
Baked Beans
Mac n Cheese
Garlic Cheese Bread
Cobbler
Oatmeal Cookies
Chips n Salsa
Lemonade 

The Lemonade was just fantastic and took just no time to make - just need lots of lemons and a little help from the Boy to squeeze them all. (Thank you Cook's Country - the membership is totally worth it!) I could easily find myself making this every weekend just to have, esp. in this hot, humid, oil-polluted summer (how depressing). 


The Garlic Cheese Bread is really just obscene, but I do love it. It's too rich, can't be good for you and is probably technically a sin somewhere. I think I got the recipe from some newspaper somewhere about 20 or so years ago. It's French bread or Cuban bread or a baguette - whatever. split horizontally. Melt butter and add minced garlic, and spoon this over the bread, top with good blue cheese dressing (think Marie's), and some chopped onions. Put the bread back together and wrap in foil - 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes  - long enough to get warm and mushy. Remove from oven - unwrap and open and top w/whatever type of cheese you want - return to oven until cheese is gooey. Yes, totally disgusting sounding if you don't care for cheese, but only weird people don't like cheese. No picture because it's not all that appetizing to look at. Still good though. 

I have no real recipe for baked beans or mac n cheese. I just know how to do it - learned mac n cheese from my mom, but don't measure anything. I start w/ a bechamel sauce and just keep adding cheddar until is seems right - then mix in the pasta - usually penne and bake it up - it's a pretty forgiving thing really. 

Even more forgiving are the baked beans. The baked beans are a mixture of different things I have had and enjoyed - mustard (dijon, if possible), worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and chopped yellow onion mixed into vegetarian baked beans - usually Bush's or Publix brand. I taste it before it goes into the oven to see if the balance is there and adjust accordingly - no measuring, just tasting. Sometimes I top with bacon - sometimes not. 350 degree oven until they seem done and bacon, if using, is cooked through. 


Salsa is home-made ... to a degree. I start with Ro-tel tomatoes (one original and one Mexican) and then start adding tom them. Dried basil, dried oregano, lots o' cumin, and chopped jalapeno pepper and some onion (small yellow onion), some Tobasco sauce, lime juice, and black pepper. If I have cilantro growing in the herb garden, I'll add it. If not, no biggie. Needs to be done ahead so it can sit in the fridge and all the parts can get to know each other in a personal way.