Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann is a novel about New York City during the 1970's and the people that inhabit this complex city. It begins as a mysterious tightrope walker is running, dancing, leaping between the Twin Towers, a quarter mile above the ground. Below the tightrope walker, ordinary lives become extraordinary. From a young Irish monk who lives among the prostitutes in the Bronx, to a group of mothers that mourn for their sons who all died in the Vietnam War, Colum McCann weaves their lives together, as well as other characters, into a novel that will deliver you to the streets of New York in modern day times.
Our dinner included the following. Enjoy!
Our dinner included the following. Enjoy!
Appetizer
Sliced salami and sliced
cheeses. We enjoyed cheddar, swiss, and havarti with crackers.
Salad
Variety of salad greens,
coarsely torn
Tomato, sliced
Cucumber, sliced
Radishes, sliced
Toss ingredients in large salad
bowl and serve with salad dressing
of choice.
Main Dish
Chicken with Peppers and Onion
*This was a recipe from one of our members who was lucky enough to take cooking classes in France during 2010. The amounts of ingredients are only estimates and should be adjusted to taste.
6-8 peppers - red, yellow, green and/or orange peppers
4-6 tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves
1 large onion or shallots; 1 shallot for chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup crème fraiche
1/2 t curry powder
¼ t thyme
1 bay leaf
Dash of cream
Peppers: Thinly slice peppers. Put olive oil in skillet at medium heat.
Add peppers and adjust heat to low, cook until very soft. This may take 1-2 hours**. Start with uncovered skillet and then cover skillet to let juices stay in pan.
Tomatoes: Add cut up tomatoes to peppers. You can add 3 Roma tomatoes that had been partially peeled.
Garlic: Add garlic cloves (remove green piece in middle).
Onions (or shallots): Slice onions. In a separate skillet, heat olive oil on med-low heat. Add onions and cook. Watch so they don't burn. Cook until golden. This may take 1 hour. The onions will be done before the peppers are.
When ready to serve, combine peppers and onions.
Chicken: Cut chicken into strips and sauté. Add curry powder, thyme, crème fraiche, 1 bay leaf and shallot. Continue to cook.
At the end, add small amount of cream. Add to vegetables, removing bay leaf.
**By cooking vegetables until soft they make their own gravy. It is also easier to digest them.
Dessert
Cranberry Coffee Cake
Topping ingredients:
2 cups uncooked cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Grease 9 inch pie pan and mix above ingredients as you add them to pie pan.
Cake ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix these ingredients together and pour over topping in pie pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. Delicious served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
