2024 04 09

April 2024 Newsletter

by Newsletter

Life in Paris

Sigh. It’s snowing like hell in Calgary so I thought I’d dig through the vault and find a bit of happiness in Paris. This is the El Vecino Mexican Restaurant located near Place de la République. We didn’t eat there, but the sign out front caught my eye and I couldn’t resist a selfie. Fu*K your Diet is the name of their signature German ginger beer.

Life in Mexico

Years ago, the area around Club Santiago was a castor oil plantation. The beans from the plant were used to make plastics, varnishes and paints. When cheaper alternatives were found, the plantations were abandoned. But the plant itself is quite hardy, and descendants can be found growing in ditches along roads throughout the area.

Unfortunately, the beans contain ricin, one of the deadliest poisons known to mankind. Even a speck as small as a grain of sand can kill you. Casual contact with the skin can also lead to burning and blistering.

The reason I’m calling it to your attention is because the plant grows around the Club Santiago golf course; you can see them in profusion along the third and fourth fairways where they border the highway.

If the beans are inadvertently ground up and dispersed by the ground crews mowing the fairways, you can accidentally come in contact with traces of ricin.

Soviet agents have used ricin to poison their foes, so you should avoid them too. (That’s Xenia Onatopp, the deadly spy from Goldeneye, in case you’re wondering.)

Should you break out in a rash or blisters, treat it with over-the-counter cortisone cream or Calamine lotion.

TV Review

The Gentlemen

Streaming on Netflix

I’m not the biggest fan of film producer Guy Ritchie. He loves to do British crime gang movies with lots of Cockney low life and grisly shot-gun duels. So it was with trepidation that I approached The Gentlemen.

On the surface, it’s much like his usual fare. A career officer by the name of Eddie inherits a dukedom from his father Lord Halstead when the latter prefers him over his dissipated eldest son Freddy. Freddy is flamboyantly aghast at this turn of events, mainly because he owes 4 million to a nasty bit of business to whom Theo must cough up lest his brother suffer defenestration

That’s not the worst of Eddie’s problems. It turns out that a gang run by a carbuncle named Bobby Glass has established a grow-op on the estate and isn’t about to up sticks. His daughter, the delicious Susie Glass, must play intermediary as various shenanigans, including heists and murder, complicate matters.

What makes the TV series so much fun is the fast-pace, plot twists and general eccentricity that seems to permeate every character. It’s a lot of fun to watch, and I highly recommend The Gentlemen!

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Movie Review

The Holdovers

Streaming on Amazon Prime

It’s a quirky premise; a cranky professor at a prestigious prep academy is forced to stay on duty over the Christmas holidays along with a stranded student and a grieving school cook.

So, why did this period piece set in 1971 receive 5 Academy award nominations, including Best Picture of the Year?

Paul Giamatti is reason number one. The award-winning actor brings his rumpled everyman persona to the role of Paul Hunhan, a life-long bachelor who has dedicated his career to nurturing the pampered spawn of America’s elites. His efforts at Barton Academy in the face of supreme apathy has completely depleted his passion for teaching, leaving a bitter husk of a man.

Angus, the student (played by Dominic Sessa), has been abandoned at the last minute after his mother and his new step-dad elope to St. Kitts.  He vows to make the holiday as miserable as only an angst-filled teenage boy can do.

Mary, the head cook (brilliantly portrayed by Da’Vine Joy Randolph), has lost her drafted son in the Vietnam War. Her grief and anger toward the deferred boys who attend Barton is palpable.

Together, the three form an unlikely alliance in an effort to survive their odious fortune. Slowly, they forge bridges between their emotional isolation. Each character grows in self-esteem and maturity, achieving the gift of Christmas that no mere present beneath the tree could achieve.

Although the only winning Oscar went to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for Supporting Actress, all of the nominees, including Giamatti as Leading Actor and David Meningson for Best Original Screenplay, are highly deserving.  This is a gem of a movie; I highly recommend The Holdovers!

Recipe: Roast Pork Belly

Cooking dinner literally doesn’t get any easier than this. You can pick up fresh pork belly at any Chinese butcher (a big shout-out to T&T market in Calgary!) and make this tender, succulent dish in under an hour.

Ingredients

1 kg of pork belly

Instructions

Score the top fat layer in a diamond shape pattern. Place in a shallow tin pan (I line the pan with parchment paper to make the clean-up easier).

Roast for 40 minutes at 400F.

Slice and serve with baked sweet potato and corn. Enjoy!

Book Review

Table for Two

By Amor Towles

Creating a short story is undoubtedly one of the most difficult tasks a writer can face. You have to create the main characters, setting, story and outcome to the satisfaction of the reader, all in a fraction of the space that a novel allows you. In addition, you have to include a twist in the plot, one that is both totally unexpected and, at the same time, totally believable.

I’m not an avid short story reader for that reason. I find that contemporary writers fall short of the mark when compared to O. Henry.

The exception is Amor Towles. We’ve always enjoyed his novels (A Gentleman in Moscow), so I didn’t hesitate when his latest fictional effort, Table for Two, was published. It’s a set of six short stories set in New York, and a novella set in Hollywood. The short stories are crafted like a fine Swiss watch, every word and phrase so exact that each tale captures the frailties and aspirations of the characters with exquisite precision, and each ending comes as both a surprise and a wish for the story to continue.

As an aside, people often ask me where I get my ideas. As any writer will tell you, it’s a combination of observation and inspiration. I’ll give you an example of the former. I was driving down McLeod Trail adjacent to the Stampede Grounds one evening when I glanced over and spotted a woman sitting at a bus shelter clutching a giant stuffed panda and crying her eyes out. Now you know there’s gotta be a story there.

Well I didn’t write about my observation, but Towles did. I will Survive involves a happenstance encounter that the author must have made while walking in Central Park that was so unique that it inspired him to cut a fascinating tale out of imaginary cloth. I won’t tell you and spoil it, but you’ll recognize immediately what I’m talking about when you read it. I highly recommend Table for Two!

2024 03 03

March 2024 Newsletter

by Newsletter

Life in Mexico

It’s the little things in life that makes living in Mexico so enjoyable.

Every other week, we go down to the Santiago market where the chicken ladies have a stall under a staircase. Their counters are festooned with broilers and eggs and poultry appendages.

Their free-range produce is classified as Mexi-organic, because Tia Maria who raises them can’t afford hormones or antibiotics, so you get them the same way they’ve been sold for the last 500 years.

Mama Angelica is in charge. When I ask for ‘Milanesa’, she picks up her razor-sharp cleaver and slices a breast so thin it’s the size of a bread board when she’s done.

Whenever I want to make paté, I always buy my livers there; although ‘buy’ is a misnomer as they just give me a bag.

And the price? I can buy enough chicken for twenty servings for around twenty-five bucks. Read it and weep.

Recipe; Mariposa Chicken

Mariposa (or butterfly) chicken is easy to make in less than an hour, and it always comes out moist, tender and delicious!

Ingredients

1 whole chicken

½ cup of butter, soft

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp of salt

½ tsp of black pepper

2 Tsp of parsley, chopped

Directions

Heat the oven to 425F. (You can also cook it on the BBQ).

Split the backbone so that the whole chicken lies flat. You can do it at home if you have a good pair of meat shears, but it’s also sold pre-prepared; if you don’t see one out on the shelf, just ask the butcher to split one for you (butterfly translates as ‘mariposa’ in Spanish – easy to remember).

Lay the chicken skin-side up in an oven tray that has been sprayed with oil or covered with parchment paper and allow it to warm to room temperature.

Mix together the butter, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley into a paste. Place half the paste under the skin of the breast and legs, and spread the rest on top of the skin.

Roast for 45 minutes, then cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Enjoy!

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You can also purchase eBooks and Paperbacks on Amazon!

Book Review

The Appeal

By Janice Hallett

The novel attracted quite a bit of attention when it debuted in 2021 due to the unusual structure; rather than telling the story of a murder using chronological narrative, the majority of the book is told through a series of emails and instant messages sent between the primary suspects.

This is a bit of a spoiler, but it will help you understand the premise right from the first paragraphby rather than having to fumble through several chapters trying to figure out what’s going on. Two independent investigators have been hired by the lawyer representing the imprisoned murderer in an attempt to overthrow the conviction. They are trolling through messages sent between friends and acquaintances prior to, and after, the murder in an attempt to find the real killer.

The story itself points to an intriguing range of motives. A two-year old girl is suffering from a rare brain cancer, one with little chance of survival. Her parents and grandparents are part of an amateur theatre company in an affluent English village, and they decide to launch a Gofundme appeal to raise money for an expensive, experimental treatment developed in the US.

As the investigators work through the correspondence, however, troubling questions emerge. Is someone stealing money from the appeal? Does the experimental cure, in fact, even exist? The reader is drawn through a series of interpersonal disputes that could very well escalate into nasty repercussions.

Even though the author creates a dozen potential suspects, in the end, Hallett wraps it up neatly with a bow, much to the satisfaction of yours truly. This is a unique twist on the Agatha-Christie English village murder mystery. I highly recommend The Appeal!

TV Series Review

Expats

Streaming on Amazon Prime

This six-part mini-series set in Hong Kong is based on the novel by Janice Lee. Normally, I would give the domestic drama a pass, but it stars Nicole Kidman, and I’d be a fool not to give it the sniff test.

I’m sure glad I did. Nicole stars as Margaret, the mother of three children, who is stationed in HK with her husband Clarke (played by Brian Tee). One day, she takes the children with their young nanny Mercy (Ji-Young Yoo), to the night market, where her four year old son Gus suddenly disappears.

The abduction sets off a series of crises in her family, with Margaret searching the city for signs of her son, and Michael retreating to the comfort of religion. The remaining two children are traumatized by fear that they might be next, and there’s nothing their parents can do to protect them.

The series explores a further layer of trauma within the extended community of HK’s domestic service industry. The opportunity for work draws hundreds of thousands of Filipina and Indonesian women to Singapore, HK and the North America seeking to support their families back home. Mercy is wracked by guilt, and Essie, who raised Margaret’s children from infancy, experiences the same nightmare that every mother faces.

The series is brilliantly cast, but it is Nicole who rises a level above with her unrivaled ability to evince her character’s grief through the tiniest of micro-expressions, magnified by the intense close-ups used by the cinematographer. You feel her pain, not through cries of anguish, but the immense, deep distress in her eyes.

This is a feast of Nicole Kidman’s talent that equals her best performances on both the big and small screens; I highly recommend Expats!

Documentary Review

American Symphony

Streaming on Netflix

For years, Jon Baptiste was well-known as the bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

He is also an accomplished song writer, singer and performer, teaming up with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Ed Sheeran. He has won 5 Grammy awards, including Album of the Year for We Are, in 2021.

The documentary, directed by Matthew Heineman and executive-produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, follows the artist as he composes American Symphony, an orchestral arrangement featuring black musical styles, and simultaneously deals with his wife Suleika’s relapse into leukemia.

This is a portrayal of their struggles to beat a deadly disease and to finish the biggest musical challenge of his career. The documentary is both intimate and majestic, as they suffer the pains of chemotherapy and celebrate the debut at Carnegie Hall. I highly recommend American Symphony.  

2024-02-09

February 2024 Newsletter

by Newsletter

Life in Mexico

There’s a line of coconut vendors at the side of the toll road heading toward Colima. Just past that is a shady cantina consisting of half a dozen picnic tables and a cow.

The cantina serves ‘pajarete’, which is made from milk straight from the cow. The vendor then adds vanilla, chocolate, strawberries and pure cane liquor. Essentially, it’s a milk-shake for alcoholics.

Because cows are milked in the morning only, pajarete is consumed at breakfast, and you can see many a thirsty truck driver at the cantina bracing themselves for the windy mountain roads ahead.

Pajarete tastes best when drunk from a clay mug, but if you’re in a hurry, they have go-cups that fit into the beverage holder on your console. The nice thing is, if you run out of gas, you can probably pour it into the tank and it will work just as well as the stuff you buy at Pemex.

FYI: Pajarete is also known as the ‘drink of death’, due to the fact that unscrupulous vendors swap out the cane liquor with wood alcohol. About two dozen people have been killed in the last year.

Recipe; Fish and Shrimp Curry

This is a great way to enjoy the fresh seafood we have in abundance in Manzanillo. Easy to prepare, and delicious to eat!

Ingredients

1 lb of dorado (or any white fish), cut into 1-in cubes.

12 peeled shrimp

2 Tsp of butter

Half an onion, chopped

Half a red pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp of ginger, minced

1 Tsp of curry powder

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of paprika

1 can of peeled tomatoes

Fresh coriander and mint.

Directions

In a Dutch oven or large pan with lid, lightly fry the fish and shrimp in butter. Remove.

Fry the onion, garlic, ginger, pepper, and spices (add a little more butter if it gets dry).

Add the tomatoes, cover and simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Return the fish and shrimp to the pan and simmer for another two minutes.

Serve on rice with mint and coriander topping.

Enjoy!

Read all my books with a subscription to Kindle Unlimited!

You can also purchase eBooks and Paperbacks on Amazon!

Book Review

The Paradise Trilogy

By Elin Hilderbrand

We’ve always been big fans of Elin Hilderbrand, who has written about a million novels set in the island of Nantucket. As an author, she creates a background ‘bible’ for every major fictional character, in which their life is lovingly detailed with everything from their favorite childhood sundae to the designer jeans they wear.

I know, it sounds a little over the top, but this allows the celebrated ‘Queen of the beach read’ to take the dramatic circumstances of the main characters (death of a child, a cheating spouse), and weave a rich tapestry that literally pulls you into their lives.

The Paradise Trilogy (Winter in Paradise, What Happens in Paradise, and Troubles in Paradise), is an outlier for two reasons. Most of Hilderbrand’s novels are stand-alone, in that they rarely have sequels. The trilogy is also set in the US Virgin Islands, which happens to have an identical tropical environment to what we experience in Manzanillo.

The series revolves around Irene Steele, wife of Robert Steele and mother to two adult sons, Baker and Cash. She lives in Iowa City in a Victorian house; its restoration has been her main occupation while her husband travels the world on business.

Irene’s life is turned upside-down, however, when her husband dies in a helicopter accident in the US Virgin Islands. When she journeys there with her two sons, she learns that Robert owned an immense mansion overlooking the St. John harbor.

She also discovers that he has been living a secret life with a mistress in the mansion. As the plot unfolds, her bewilderment turns to anger as she realizes the depths of duplicity that her husband has descended. One twist follows another as she and her sons try to adapt to the new reality of their lives.

We both found the series very addictive, and read all three books in a matter of days! I highly recommend The Paradise Trilogy.

Documentary Review

The Greatest Night in Pop

Streaming on Netflix

In January 28, 1985, three dozen of the greatest pop stars on the planet got together for a single night to record We Are the World, a pop tune designed to raise money for the relief of starvation in Africa.

The original idea came from Harry Belafonte, who had been inspired by the Christmas Carol, Do They Know It’s Christmas? He asked friends Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson to write the tune and lyrics, and encouraged American and European stars to participate.

The challenge, of course, was to get all the singers in one room for one night. They chose the evening of the American Music Awards, knowing that the majority of participants would be in Los Angeles to celebrate, and then cajoled stars like Bruce Springsteen who were on tour to make a special detour.

The documentary largely relies on taped footage that was recorded during the rehearsal and performance, as well as interviews conducted by director Bao Nguyen with participants such as Richie, Springsteen and Huey Lewis. In the end, the documentary is much more than a stroll down musical memory lane as it is a revealing insight into the real people behind the carefully crafted public personas of the performers.

The song was rewarded a Grammy and ended up raising $100 million in aid. I highly recommend The Greatest Night in Pop.

Mexican Strawberry Champagne Cocktail

We’re celebrating Linda’s birthday this month, and there’s no better way than Champagne on the beach!

Ingredients

Strawberries

1 Tsp of lemon juice

½ tsp of vanilla extract

Champagne (or any dry sparkling wine)

Gently pulse the strawberries, lemon juice, vanilla extract and crushed ice in a blender, then mix with bubbly in a large wine glass. Enjoy!

2023 02 06 small

February 2023 Newsletter

by Newsletter

Life in Mexico

Driving in Mexico

Driving in Mexico is a delight. It’s like traveling 50-years back in time, when you could ride in the back of the station wagon with the dog or stand on the rear seat and stick your head out the sun roof. Here are some invaluable tips:

  • When you are approaching an intersection and the light changes from yellow to red, hit the gas. Otherwise, the driver behind will rear-end you.
  • Throw your baby-seat out. That’s because the safest place for children is in their mother’s lap (especially if she’s driving).
  • Don’t waste money replacing burnt-out brake lights. Your budget is far better spent on 300-watt speakers for the rear window ledge.
  • The four-way hazard lights are an invaluable tool when you spot a taco stand on the other side of the highway. If you miss your turn-off, flicking them on also creates a new law that allows you to back up on the shoulder for up to one mile.
  • Cut the seatbelts off and throw them away. If you are in an impending accident, the best way to avoid injury is to roll down the window and leap out.
  • Texting while driving is mandatory. That way your next-of-kin will know your last location.
  • In case you missed breakfast, the beverage holder in the console is designed to hold a large can of beer.

That’s just a few helpful suggestions! Readers are invited to write in and share their own observations.

Joan the Saint now Available at Amazon!


Another amazing book by Gordon Cope!

Amazon 5-star Review

Joan of Arc, born in northeast France during the Hundred Years War between England and France, arose from obscurity to become her nation’s greatest hero. Guided by the voices of St. Margaret and St. Catherine, she defeated the English army at Orleans and crowned Charles VII king of France in Reims.

The year is 1431. Joan of Arc has been captured by the English and is being tried for heresy in their stronghold of Rouen. Abandoned by the French, Magnus the Magnificent sets out on a quest to foil her fiery fate.

Joan the Saint is available free with your subscription on Kindle Unlimited!

TV Review

Mom

Streaming on Amazon Prime

The creation of Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory), this comedy series set in California ran for eight seasons through the 2010s.

The story revolves around a newly-sober mom Christy (Anna Faris), trying to raise her two young children under the interfering eye of her mother (Alison Janney, The West Wing).

The series won several Emmy awards during its run, primarily for the excellent cast and scathing comedy. The insults and one-liners are reminiscent of Lorre’s earlier work on Roseanne, but with much more mature subject matter.

If you happen to have a lewd sense of humor, you are guaranteed at least one laugh-out-loud moment every episode.

I highly recommend Mom!

Book Review

Daisy Jones & the Six

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an amazing chronicler of the hedonistic California lifestyle, and this is one of my favorite books by her.

Written in the oral-history style made popular by Rolling Stone, the novel tells the story of a young singer named Daisy who comes of age in the late sixties. Her talent for creating and singing unforgettable songs is paired with the on-stage presence of Billy Dunne, the front-man for the Six. They create sparks – both on and off stage – that becomes the stuff of rock-n-roll legend.

The story has been made into a series, currently scheduled for March release on Amazon Prime. Riley Keough, the grand-daughter of Elvis Presley, plays the title role. I have no doubt that the new production will be excellent, but if you prefer to read about it before you see it, I highly recommend Daisy Jones & the Six.

Recipe: Creamy Chicken Marsala

This is an excellent dinner meal when you’re having guests over; it’s easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

1 cup mushrooms, sliced thick

¼ cup of flour

2 Tsp olive oil

2 Tsp butter

1 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup of Marsala wine (or Sherry)

½ cup of cream.

Cooked pasta

Grated parmesan

¼ cup of chopped parsley

Directions

 Cut each chicken breast in half thickness-wise. Pound with meat tenderizer.

Coat each piece with flour. Fry in olive oil and butter 3 minutes per side, until brown. Remove and tent.

Fry mushrooms for several minutes in oil, butter, salt and garlic, until brown.

Stir in Marsala and simmer.

Turn off the heat. Slowly mix in cream while stirring. Simmer gently until it thickens.

Return chicken to pan. Simmer for another five minutes.

Serve on cooked pasta with parsley and parmesan garnish.

JoanTheSaint_Cover-1-JPEG-small

November 2022 Newsletter

by Newsletter

Joan the Saint – Official Launch!

Join me at Oasis Restaurant in Manzanillo on Wednesday November 9 for the official book signing during the Mujeres luncheon.

Another amazing book by Gordon Cope. A must read!

Amazon 5-star review.

Joan of Arc, born in northeast France during the Hundred Years War between England and France, arose from obscurity to become her nation’s greatest hero. Guided by the voices of St. Margaret and St. Catherine, she defeated the English army at Orleans and crowned Charles VII king of France in Reims.

The year is 1431. Joan of Arc has been captured by the English and is being tried for heresy in their stronghold of Rouen. Abandoned by the French, Magnus the Magnificent sets out on a quest to foil her fiery fate.

Order eBook or paperback on Amazon!

Recipe: Bagel bread and Lox

Let’s face it; they don’t make the best bagels in Mexico. I’ve tried everywhere, and except for a few excellent artisanal bakeries in San Miguel de Allende, they generally taste like puffy cardboard. Making your own bagels isn’t easy, so I was delighted to finally find a recipe that is both simple and yummy. It doesn’t take long to prepare, and it’s a fun way to spice up your Sunday brunch.

Ingredients

1 cup of flour

½ tsp of baking powder.

3 Tsp of yoghurt

1 Tsp of Olive oil

Chopped shallots or red onion

Toasted poppy and sesame seeds

Lox

Cream cheese

Directions

Mix the flour, baking powder and yoghurt in a bowl and stir until it has the consistency of Play Doh.

Roll the dough out into a 12-in crust, sprinkling with flour to keep the rolling pin from sticking. (I use a 12-in round of parchment paper to make the crust easy to roll and handle).

Rub the crust with olive oil and sprinkle on the onion and seeds. Bake in the oven at 450C for 15 minutes.

Cut into 8 slices and serve with lox and cream cheese. Enjoy!

TV Series

From Scratch

Streaming on Netflix

This is an 8-episode mini-series that, frankly, starts a little slow. Amy Wheeler (played by Zoe Saldana), is expected to follow in the law footsteps of big daddy Hershel (Keith David), but instead kicks off the traces and runs away to Florence, where she meets Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea), an impoverished but talented chef.

Sparks fly from the moment that Amy and Lino meet, but Hershel gathers up the Wheeler clan and flies to Florence in an effort to dissuade his baby girl from marrying some foreigner. The family is like a Texas bull in a china shop, but Amy prevails and the nuptials are set in a fancy palace overlooking the Arno River.

Lino’s family is from a small town in Sicily, and dad Giacomo wants nothing to do with Americanos, forbidding his wife Filomena to attend the wedding. Spurned by his family, Lino marries his beloved Amy and they all fly back to America.

At this point, I must confess I was a little put off by the cliché-ridden depictions of Texans and Sicilians (‘Mama Mia!’ ‘Durned tootin!’). But it gets a lot better as Lino struggles to get his own Sicilian restaurant off the ground in Los Angeles. Scriptwriters Attica and Tembi Locke flesh out the story and give every character vitality and life.

Eventually, Amy and Lino adopt a baby girl, but her upbringing is complicated by Lino’s struggles with cancer. The story finishes in a big climax back in Sicily, where everyone is finally reconciled.

Warning; this is a five-Kleenex-box series that will have even the most hard-hearted weeping to the very end. I highly recommend From Scratch!

Movie Review

Enola Holmes 2

Streaming on Netflix

Enola Holmes is the sister of Sherlock Holmes. Frankly, I have no idea if Arthur Conan Doyle ever mentioned her in his many books, and I don’t care. The copyright expired a long time ago, and ever since, everyone and his dog has been cranking out their own version of the world’s most famous detective.

This is the sequel to a 2020 movie made with the effervescent and eminently-watchable Millie Bobbie Brown in the lead role, with handsome Henry Cavill playing her brother Sherlock and Helena Bonham Carter as her mother Eudoria. Louis Partridge is also back as the rather wet Lord Tewkesbury, whom Enola is always saving from imminent demise.

The plot revolves around impoverished girls getting sick at the matchstick factory. A young woman searching for the truth goes missing, and her sister hires Enola to track her down. Our heroine is soon up to her big brown eyes in trouble, with anarchist mom Eudoria making things worse with home-made explosives.

Will Sherlock save the day? Not bloody likely, if Enola has anything to say about it! This is definitely not advised viewing for serious Holmes fans, but it is an entertaining romp from beginning to end for everyone else. I highly recommended Enola Holmes 2!

2022-10-05

October 2022 Newsletter

by Newsletter

Life in Mexico

Mexicans are hard at work spiffing up the graves of their beloved ancestors in anticipation of Day of the Dead.

The festival is often compared to Christian ceremonies such as All Saints Day, but the pre-Columbian celebration is a lot more light-hearted, with gifts of sugar skulls and lots of rum. Grannies are remembered through irreverent verse and beloved uncles with scurrilous eulogies.

All are welcome, of course. On November 1, take time to visit your local cemetery and party with Mexicans honoring their rich ancestry.

Official Release of Joan the Saint

The much-anticipated sequel to Magnus the Magnificent is finally available!

Joan of Arc, born in northeast France during the Hundred Years War between England and France, arose from obscurity to become her nation’s greatest hero. Guided by the voices of St. Margaret and St. Catherine, she defeated the English army at Orleans and crowned Charles VII king of France in Reims.

The year is 1431. Joan of Arc has been captured by the English and is being tried for heresy in their stronghold of Rouen. Joan has been abandoned by the French; Magnus the Magnificent sets out on a quest to foil her fiery fate.

Join me at the Mujeres luncheon at Oasis restaurant on Wednesday, November 2 where I’ll be signing paperbacks.

You can also purchase the eBook edition and paperback on Amazon!

Recipe: Home-Made Thin-Crust Pizza

I get a lot of requests for this recipe from dinner guests!

Making your own pizza is quite easy and the result is both healthy and delicious! All it takes is a little preparation and you’ll be the toast of your family and friends!

(Makes four pizzas)

DOUGH

5 ¼ cups of OO (fine) flour.

1 tsp of salt.

1 tsp of dry yeast.

1 tsp of brown sugar

400 ml of warm water.

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.

Mix the yeast and brown sugar in the warm water and let stand for 15 minutes.

Pour the liquid into the flour and knead until the consistency of soft Play-Doh. (You may have to sprinkle some flour on if it’s too sticky).

SAUCE

1 jar of tomato sauce

3 Tsp of Italian seasoning mix.

1 tsp of salt.

1 Tsp of olive oil.

Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the olive oil into the jar of tomato sauce and swish around then add that to the mix. Let rest for at least half an hour.

TOPPINGS

Pepperoni, ham

Chopped onion, peppers, olives, etc.

Shredded cheese

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 450F. Divide the dough into four balls (any dough you don’t need can be frozen for later use). Roll out the ball flat with a rolling pin (hint; I cut a piece of parchment paper into a 12” circle as a rolling surface). You will have to sprinkle some flour on the dough to keep the rolling pin from sticking.

Place the rolled dough into a pizza pan and bake it in the oven for 5 minutes. (You can do this in advance and keep the crusts in the freezer indefinitely).

Spread 5 Tsp of sauce on the pizza crust and add desired toppings. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot!

Book Review

Suspect

By Scott Turow

I’ve been a big fan of Turow for several decades, ever since I read his break-out novel Presumed Innocent (made into a great movie starring Harrison Ford), so I always look forward to a new chapter in the canon.

Suspect is the latest installment of his multi-generational saga of courtroom dramas set in the fictional Kindle County. Clarice “Pinky” Granum is a paralegal working for a criminal law firm run by her cousin Rik Dudek. A young, single woman sporting a nail through her nose, Pinky is a bane to her long suffering family but a talented and tenacious sleuth.

Rik is defending Lucia Gomez, the chief of police for the city of Highland Isle. The first black woman to hold the post, she is incorruptible, and fiercely dedicated to cleaning up the reputation of her force.

She is also charged with sexual assault by three of her male subordinates. The men allege that she garnered sexual favors from them in support of their promotions. The case has been placed before the Police and Fire Commission for adjudication.

Pinky quickly uncovers a connection to local crime kingpin Moritz “the Ritz” Vojczek. On the surface, the Ritz is a wealthy property developer, but his real profession is big-scale drug dealing. Wily and ruthless, he uses his filthy lucre to pay off the police – and destroy those he can’t.


While Rik works diligently to clear his client’s reputation, Pinky finds herself romantically embroiled with a mysterious neighbor who seems to be spying on a big defense contractor operating in Highland Isle. All the loose strings come together in patented Turow style as the case against Chief Gomez reaches a dramatic climax.

I highly recommend Suspect!

TV Series Review

A League of their Own

Streaming on Amazon Prime

Penny Marshall’s original 1992 movie, starring Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Geena Davis featured a host of talented actors portraying the trials and tribulations of an all-female professional baseball league in World War II.

Now, 30 years later, the original premise has been recast as an 8-part series that follows the struggles that the women endured to make their mark in a male-dominated world.

Series creator Abbi Jacobson stars as Carson Shaw, a small-town slugger with a husband serving in war-torn Europe. She finds herself as the unlikely sparkplug for the Rockford Peaches, a rag-tag collection of talented women seeking fame on-field.

Her story is mirrored by Max Chapman, a gifted black pitcher striving for a chance to spotlight her talents on an all-male team. Played with grit and determination by Chanté Adams, Max refuses to take no for an answer.

While on-field struggles dominated the original movie, this series has time to fully explore the personal challenges that women in the 1940s faced, from sexism and racism to family expectations and gender identity. It is a much warmer, more intimate story, one that takes the opportunity to delve into each character and make their aspirations more authentic. This is not so much a tale about baseball; it is an adventure into the complex yearnings that inspire all women.

I highly recommend A League of Their Own!  

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September 2022 Newsletter

by Newsletter

European Dreams

Linda and I had a wonderful journey this summer through southern France, Italy, Paris and London. There are so many wonderful memories and experiences that it would take a book to encapsulate them all!

We were amazed by the wonderful hospitality we encountered. People were happy to greet us and eager to speak English (even in Paris!). We always felt safe and welcome wherever we went; if we were in a bind, strangers on the street were eager to help.

Here are a few highlights!

Best Restaurant

Tough one to decide! The veal Milanese (pictured) in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele was to die for, but I have to go with Café les Arcades, our local in Juan Les Pins. A classic bistro, it served a daily lunch prix fixe that was inexpensive and delicious; sea bass, veal, steak in pepper sauce – all served with the best French fries! Frederique the manager was cheerful and eccentric and always made us feel like guests of honor, treating us to a cold glass of Kir whenever we arrived.

Best Museum

We went to see Pitti Palace in Florence, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and a host of other museums, but the one experience that stands out is our visit to the Leonardo3 Museum located in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. This is a pop-up museum, a private display that re-creates Leonardo’s inventions, including a full-scale version of his man-powered airplane, but the treat was an interactive show explaining his iconic Last Supper (The original, of course, is just down the street, but you have to pay a king’s ransom to see it). Not only did the exhibit detail how he painted the fresco, but it also described each element of the composition, from Christ and his disciples to the humble plates of food on the table. I was enthralled!

Most Romantic Spot

The Ponte Santa Trinita. This is the bridge directly downstream of the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Every evening, we would gather with other Florentines to watch the sun set over the Arno. A wonderful way to end the day!

Best Place to Chill

We had the opportunity to stay in many wonderful places all over Europe (including the Marais in Paris), but our favorite, be far, was Juan Les Pins in Antibes. Our rental in the beachside district was a gem, a newly-renovated one-bedroom apartment one block away from the beach. The neighborhood also boasted a butcher, a baker and a wine shop where we got to know the proprietors; they made us feel part of their community. We look forward to returning next year to visit with our dear friends Rosa and Reinier!

Life in Mexico

We arrived back as twin tropical storms battered the Manzanillo region. The moment they receded, however, we were hit by a major earthquake!

Over the course of a decade, we have experienced numerous minor shakers. This is expected, as Manzanillo is located about 80 km from a major subduction zone, a common source of seismic activity around the world.

But the quake on Monday, September 19, measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, making it several hundred times as powerful as previous events. We had just finished lunch, and were standing in the dining room cleaning up the dishes. It started slowly at first, then quickly escalated into furious shaking.

Our home is made of concrete and steel rebar, but the shaking was so violent that we immediately feared that the house might collapse. We raced outside and stood on the pool patio deck, which gyrated like a surfboard for the better part of a minute.

Fortunately, we and our neighbors were unhurt (although several people did lose their lives in the city due to falling debris). To say that were frightened, however, is an understatement; experiencing a major earthquake is a terrifying experience. We hope that we never have to go through it again!

My Latest Novel!

The much-awaited sequel to Magnus the Magnificent is about to appear! Joan the Saint officially arrives November 1; we’re just putting the finishing touches on the paperback and eBook versions, soon to be available on Amazon for pre-purchase. We’ll also be doing special promotions and book signings in the Manzanillo area, so stayed tuned for more news!

If you haven’t read Magnus the Magnificent, it’s a great book!

You can order eBook copies from Amazon HERE, or buy a paperback at the next Mujeres luncheon.

Movie Review

Bullet Train

Folks who criticize Brad Pitt’s latest movie as a brainless blood bath miss the point. This is a summer blockbuster action thriller; it makes no pretense of any connection to reality, other than the sun comes up in the morning. Trains hurtle through the air, assassins get split in two with Samurai swords and Thomas the Train achieves philosophical nirvana.

The premise is simple; down-on-his luck Ladybug (played by Brad Pitt), is hired to steal a briefcase full of cash aboard the Tokyo-Osaka bullet train.  What Ladybug doesn’t know is that someone has hired a gaggle of assassins with orders to kill one another.

Ladybug stumbles through the ensuing Kung-Fu mayhem with the help of Maria, a disembodied guru supplying advice and emotional support via cell phone. Even though the director tones down Brad’s good looks with a bucket hat and a goofy haircut, his wry charm still comes shining through as he seeks out the true meaning of life with homicidal maniacs trying to splay his guts. It’s kind of what you might expect if you mixed Sophocles with Quentin Tarantino. Not everyone’s cut of tea, but I highly recommend Bullet Train!

Book Review

The Bullet that Missed

By Richard Osman

Richard Osman clearly enjoys writing. The British-based author positively sparkles with wit in The Bullet that Missed, the third in the Thursday Murder Club series.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, it takes place in a bucolic old-folks home in Kent. Elizabeth, a former MI6 operative, and her pals Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron meet each Thursday to investigate cold-case murder files. They invariably end up neck deep in desperados and ne’er do wells intent on causing them bodily harm.

The latest installment focuses on an investigative reporter who dies while researching a massive tax fraud. Her car is found at the base of a cliff overlooking the English Channel, but her body is never recovered. The club soon finds themselves dealing with ruthless thugs, nefarious KGB agents, a murderous drug lord intent on revenge – and a nice cup of tea when it all gets too exhausting. I highly recommend The Bullet that Missed!