Turning over a new leaf
and a recipe for mussels for the perfect summer meal
It used to be that I would always finish a book. Even if the characters didn’t convince me, the story didn’t move me or the writing fell flat, I soldiered on. Always a fast and voracious reader, I could chalk up another read easily, even if it meant I couldn’t remember anything about the book a month later.
As I got older, I was more impatient with those less than enjoyable books. It wasn’t long before I decided that an “abandon quickly” strategy would serve me well. With time in ever diminishing supply, I wanted to spend that precious resource wisely. Hard to know when to stop – sometimes even the dullest read, like the slowest moving film, can suddenly take a twist that captures you entirely. Still, I learned to trust my instincts and move on.
Many happy returns
Lately, though, I’ve broadened the path of my reading journey. I’ve taken to revisiting old favourites, savouring the familiar turns of phrase, finding a new depth or nuance that my own life experience has given me. Like watching It Happened One Night, Truly, Madly Deeply or Groundhog Day again and again (that last irony not being lost on me), I am working my way back to Mr. Rochester with Jane, revisiting Alice and Katie Rose Belford from my childhood, rereading Alistair MacLeod and Alice Munroe. And, through the wisdom of my cherished book club companions, I’m not abandoning new books quite so quickly.
Hitting the books
When it comes to the thrill of the new and undiscovered, that book club has been a source of joy. We’ve been meeting for ten years now, once a month from September through June.
The June meeting has always held a special place in our club. It’s when we pick the books we’ll read for next year. With our history of reading everything from CanCon, science fiction, young adult and memoirs to social commentary, magical realism, short stories and classics from other places, choosing just 10 books is never easy.
Everyone comes with a candidate or two for consideration, and we debate the merits (does it come recommended from a trusted source?), the diversity (a new writer, a little-read genre, a timely issue?) the length (can we really get through it in a month?) the practicality (is it available from the library?).
This past week, at long last, we met in person for the first time in a long time. How fitting that it was also our special “picking” month. Amidst the tumble of conversations, the catching up and reacquainting, the ever-so-slight awkwardness of being social again, there we were - bound by our love of books, and reading and the conversation that springs from the sharing of new ideas.
While I still am perfectly happy to abandon a book, with this group I’m trying to be more thoughtful in the abandonment. The richness of ideas that spring from these intelligent, interesting and opinionated women have made me change my mind about a book more than once, and reconsider the limits I’ve put on my own imagination.
Mussels with celery, tomatoes and basil
From Bocca, Jacob Kenedy
Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main
I’ve talked before about the joy of reading a well-written cookbook. While our book club doesn’t go as far as to add any to our roster, there’s always one or two on rotation in my kitchen or bedside table. Savoured as much for the storytelling as the recipes, a kitchen magician often has a way with words, too.
In Bocca, Jacob Kenedy reveals the history of his love of Italian food, and serves up recipes that are simple, satisfying and delicious. These mussels are on constant rotation in our house. While the original recipe calls for fresh cherry tomatoes, I find that subbing in a can of really good imported Italian cherry tomatoes makes for consistently good flavour. I also love the clean and velvety broth. The absence of wine or any other kind of alcohol, so typical in a mussels dish, really allows the briny goodness to shine.
Ingredients
3 celery stalks, sliced on the bias into ¾ inch slices (including some of leaves)
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed and still whole
4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
A good pinch of dried chili pepper flakes
½ cup (200 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 14-ounce (398 ml) can imported Italian cherry tomatoes
A 2 pound bag (about 1 kg) mussels, bearded
Salt and freshly ground pepper
20 basil leaves
Method
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch high-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté the celery, garlic, thyme and chili pepper flakes in the oil very gently for 5 minutes, to infuse the flavours. Just before the garlic starts to colour, turn the heat to high and add the tomatoes and mussels, several turns of pepper and a tiny amount of salt.
Cover the pan and cook, shaking occasionally. After 3 or 4 minutes check to see if all the mussels have opened. Total cooking time shouldn’t be more than 5 or 6 minutes. When the mussels are open, stir in the basil, taste for seasoning and serve with good bread.
I like to take the mussels out of their shells all at once, and eat them much as you would a soup, sopping up the rich broth with crusty bread.
There is nothing quite like a great page turner…