Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Ann hosted a fun book club Thursday with midwest flare for Amy, Bianca, Tamar and me. I loved the relish tray complete with baby carrots, black olives and "midwest sushi" -a pickle smeared with cream cheese wrapped in ham. Yum!

For dinner we had a delicious Frito pie chili and salad. Then warm chocolate chip cookies over shots of milk and the decadent cupcakes Amy brought for dessert. Double yum!

Most everyone had read the book and we discussed what a page turner it was until a disappointing  ending. Bianca had some insider insights since she used to work with the author at Entertainment Weekly. As always the conversation veered to other topics other than the book, like Scientology. I think hairy balls were left out this time though.

Thanks Ann! Tamar is hosting next in January and I think the book is The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach.

The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger

I almost forgot to write about Suzy's September Book Club! It was small - Suzy, me (& Shepard) , Amy S and Tamar. Suzy got delicious Indian take-out apropo of the book. It was a fun, intimate group. I had to leave by 10 with the baby but apparently the girls burned the midnight oil with talk not about the book since I think Suzy was the only one who finished it. I have by now and liked it a lot. Go Marlborough!

Fifty Shades of Grey and The Blue Zones

AmyR hosted a lovely Book Club al fresco with really delicious mediterranean inspired food. There was hummus and an awesome kale salad and a delicious chicken dish. Thanks David! We also had our reoccurring, special, surprise guest, Stefanie!

The conversation diverted from the books as ushg, but I think we all agreed Fifty Shades of Grey was a terribly written yet hot and sexy read. We didn't talk too much about the Blue Zones but I blogged about it on my other blog, www.mollynilesrenshaw.com!

Our next book was written by fellow Marlborough Violet, Nell Freudenberger, The Newlyweds!

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

Amy S hosted an awesome book club last week! It was a pretty small group which is fun because you really get a chance to talk to everybody. I was the first to arrive with baby Shepard and he got to hang with the big boys for a while before everyone else got there.

It was me, Shep, AmyR, Courtney and Suzy. Amy prepared a delicious and nutritious spread of soup and salad. Most of us read the book. As a fan of Jeannette Walls' first book Glass Castle, I loved this one too. Lily Casey Smith made me feel like a lazy slug with all that work she had to do to finish her education and the grueling work on the ranch.

I think Ann is hosting the next one at the beach. We decided on two books for the next one - the sexy Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James and The Blue Zone by Dan Buettner.

Blue Nights by Joan Didion

I missed April Book Club because I was too pregnant to drive. I had my baby soon after!  So, sorry no picture and no report. It was at Liesel's I believe. You guys can comment on who was there, the food, etc! The book was Blue Nights by Joan Didion.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

I hosted last night's Book Club and although I was bummed so many people couldn't make it last minute it's fun to have a smaller group sometimes. I felt like  I got a chance to talk to everyone! It was AmyS, AmyR, Bianca and Liesel.  I love having you girls over to my house. Thanks for driving all the way to Venice!

I cooked my standard vegetable stew, which I'm sure most of you had had before.  The kale chips seemed to be a hit - they totally satisfy my salty cravings and they can't be bad for you. They're just bite sized pieces of kale spread out on a cookie sheet, drizzled with olive oil and salt. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Delish! Not sure my Coconut Surprise dessert turned out as planned, but it still tasted good!

As usual we didn't talk about the book a whole lot and I think we were mixed on our feelings about it. I liked it but didn't love it - it was well written but a little slow going in the beginning. I could relate to much of it - the private school experience and travel abroad to Paris and India.  I hope to make the next BC but may be in Heather's situation - 3 weeks before due date and unable to drive - but I will try! The next book is Blue Nights by Joan Didion.

City of Thieves by David Benioff

Heather hosted another fabulous Book Club last night with a special surprise guest! It was so fun catching up with Stefanie - what a treat! The food, as always was amazing and almost everybody read the book (except me but it seemed like a page turner)!  In attendance was Hostess Heather, Stef, Liesel, Bianca, AmyR, Suzy, Courtney and me. Ann had her baby boy, Riley on Dec.1st so didn't make it but Heather and I took up space with our bellies! It's getting harder and harder for me to stay up late but it's so hard to tear myself away from the girl talk! Sorry Heather for keeping you up so late and sorry to John for more ball talk. We just can't help ourselves.

I'm going to host the next BC in February while I still can! The book is The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. Here's the NYTimes review: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/books/review/the-marriage-plot-by-jeffrey-eugenides-book-review.html?pagewanted=all

   
The Fab Recipes:
PENNE ALLA VODKA: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Penne-alla-Vodka-106042 and a delicious chopped salad...

NANCY'S CHOPPED SALAD (from the new Mozza cookbook):  Ingredients For the salad: Half of a small red onion (halved through the core) 1 small head iceberg lettuce 1 medium head radicchio 1 pint small sweet cherry tomatoes (such as Sun Golds or Sweet 100s), halved through the stem ends, or cherry tomatoes, quartered Kosher salt 1 1⁄2 cups cooked ceci 4 ounces aged provolone, sliced 1⁄8-inch thick and cut into 1⁄4-inch-wide strips 4 ounces Genoa salami, sliced 1⁄8-inch thick and cut into 1⁄4-inch-wide strips 5 peperoncini, stems cut off and discarded, thinly sliced (about 1⁄4 cup) 1⁄2 cup oregano vinaigrette, plus more to taste (Recipe follows) Juice of 1⁄2 lemon, plus more to taste Dried oregano, for sprinkling (preferably Sicilian oregano on the branch) For the oregano vinaigrette: 2 1⁄2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons dried oregano 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste 2 garlic cloves, 1 smashed and 1 grated or minced 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste 1 1⁄2 cups extra-virgin olive oil Preparation To prepare the salad:Separate the layers of the onion, stack two or three layers on top of one another, and slice them lengthwise 1/16-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining onion layers. Place the onion slices in a small bowl of ice water and set them aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad. Drain the onion and pat dry with paper towels before adding them to the salad. Cut the iceberg in half through the core. Remove and discard the outer leaves from the head and remove and discard the core. Separate the lettuce leaves, stack two or three leaves on top of one another, and slice them lengthwise 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining leaves and thinly slice the radicchio in the same way. Cut the tomatoes in half, season them with salt, and toss gently to distribute the salt. Combine the lettuce, radicchio, tomatoes, ceci, provolone, salami, peperoncini, and onion slices in a large, wide bowl. Season with salt and toss to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette and squeeze the lemon juice over the salad, then toss gently to coat the salad with the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, lemon juice or vinaigrette if desired. Pile the salad on a large platter or divide it among individual plates, piling it like a mountain. Sprinkle the dried oregano on top and serve. To make the oregano vinaigrette:Combine the vinegar, oregano, lemon juice, smashed garlic, grated garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk to combine the ingredients. Set the vinaigrette aside to rest for 5 minutes to marinate the oregano. Add the olive oil in a slow, thin stream, whisking constantly to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice, if desired. Use the vinaigrette or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to three days. Bring the vinaigrette to room temperature, whisk to recombine the ingredients, and taste again for seasoning before using. Makes a little more than a cup. Serving Size Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course.