Friends is a non-profit organization based in Manzanillo and dedicated to the well-being of pets in the community, providing medicine, care and sterilization services.
It’s a sunny Thursday afternoon and Fred and Maria invite me along to return two sterilized dogs to their owner.
Ramone lives on a plot of land overlooking the lagoon south of Manzanillo. His modest home is surrounded by a stone fence with an iron gate. When we arrive, he comes to greet us with at least a dozen dogs happily trailing behind him.
“How many dogs do you own?” I ask.
“Twenty.” Ramone shrugs helplessly. “People know I love dogs. They come and shove them through the bars in my gate. I cannot turn them away.”
With aid from Friends, Ramone is able to sterilize and care for the dogs, many of whom arrive with diseases like mange, or injuries. Thanks to contributions, Friends was able to help Ramone and many more pet lovers with big hearts but modest means. Please go to their site at Friends and help them out!
MY FAVORITE RECIPES
Watermelon Salad
This is absolutely the most amazing fruit salad, one that your guests will be talking about for ages. It is very easy to make and is a refreshing palate cleanser between courses. Most of all, it will put a big smile on everyone’s face!
Ingredients
Seedless watermelon.
1/4 cup of Pine nuts.
1 cup Feta cheese, cubed
Mint leaves (optional)
Creamy balsamic vinegar
Directions
Cut the watermelon into cubes (just under 1 inch on the side).
Lightly toast the pine nuts.
Cube the feta cheese into ½ inch size.
Just before serving, mix all the ingredients together (this keeps the pine nuts crispy). Serve at the table and let guests add the creamy balsamic vinegar as dressing.
SPECIAL EVENT
A Paris Moment Giveaway!
Happy Holidays! For this month only, you can download A Paris Moment, my travel memoir recounting the year that Linda and I lived in Paris. It’s a great book to read if you’re planning on going to France next year, or even just dreaming about it!
Download A Paris Moment for Free!
MOVIES AND BOOKS THAT I LOVE
The Irishman
Starring Robert de Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Produced by Netflix.
Based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses, by Charles Brandt.
The Irishman tells the story of Frank Sheeran, a young Boston truck driver (played by de Niro) who willingly joins the mob in order to support his family. He soon gets drawn to murder and extortion, earning him the recognition of major mob figures, including Russell Bufalino (played by Joe Pesci). Along the way, he encounters prominent American figures including Bobby Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa (played by Al Pacino).
Under the patient hand of Scorsese, the story plays out in a leisurely fashion over several decades, endowing the murky goings-on of the mafia with an almost legitimate panache that belies their corrupting effect on society. Rather than face the usual fates – a hail of bullets or a hundred years in the pen – Sheeran finds himself in old age, shunned by his family and ignored by a world that has moved on.
The Irishman is evocative of Scorcese’s earlier work, Goodfellas (also starring Pesci and de Niro), depicting a domestic path far from the hyper-violence that typically characterizes a gangster movie (think Scarface, starring Al Pacino and directed by Brian de Palma).
At 3 ½ hours, The Irishman is definitely long, but in true Netflix fashion, you have the option of binging or sampling the movie one delicious slice at a time. Either way, it is a true confection.
BOOKS THAT I LOVE
PRESUMED INNOCENT
By Scott Turow
I love Scott Turow. In my opinion, he is the best court procedural novelist in existence.
Presumed Innocent is his first novel. It takes place in Kindle County, a major US metropolis. Public prosecutor Rusty Sabich is in charge of the investigation into the murder of fellow prosecutor Carolyn Polhemus after her nude, bound body is found in her home.
Events quickly turn bad for Rusty. Investigators soon discover that he had a passionate, obsessive affair with Carolyn, a fatal attraction he was desperate to conceal from his wife Barbara. The circumstantial evidence mounts, and he is charged with her first-degree murder and taken to trail by prosecutor Tommy Molto.
Piece by piece, Molto puts together a water-tight case, outlining to the jury the means, motive and opportunity for Sabich to murder his lover. It’s up to Rusty’s wily defense lawyer, Sandy Stern, to prove his innocence. As the trial proceeds, the tension builds inexorably to a shattering conclusion.
Even though the book was written over 30 years ago and made into a feature movie (starring Harrison Ford as Sabich), it still remains one of my favorite books to go back and read time and time again. If you’re looking for a wonderful holiday treat to fill a cold afternoon, then Presumed Innocent is the book for you!
Great recipe Gordon. I’ll try it. Also will read your book on your life in Paris. Jeannie
Gotta love that salad! See you Tuesday eve!
Enjoy your intrigue and excitement in novels
Great! I hope you enjoy some of the recipes, too!