A. J. Fikry's life was not at all what he expected it to be. His wife died, his bookstore was experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, was stolen. Slowly but surely, he isolates himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who was hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who kept on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. only saw them as a sign of a world that was changing too rapidly.
And then a mysterious package appeared at the bookstore. It was a small package, but large in weight. It was that unexpected arrival that gave A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It didn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. As surprising as it was moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry was an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
Our delicious dinner that evening included the following recipes. We hope you enjoy this book and this meal as much as we did!
Appetizer
Hard Salami & Havarti Cheese with crackers of choice
Salad
Bag of baby mixed greens
Cucumber
Radishes
Pea pods
Tomato
Salad Dressing:
Girard’s Champagne or dressing of choice
Place mixed greens in bowl, wash and slice vegetables, toss into greens.
Serve with salad dressing.
Entree
Jeanette Wilson's Lasagna
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 pound bison
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces of mushrooms, chopped
1-12 ounce can of tomato paste
3-14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon minced dried parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
24 ounces of Ricotta cheese
8 ounces of sour cream
2 eggs
1 pound of shredded mozzarella
8 ounces of shredded parmesan
1 box of no-boil lasagna noodles (Barilla brand preferred)
1. Brown meats, then add chopped onion and saute until onion is translucent in large skillet. Stir in chopped mushrooms, along with minced garlic and saute for a few minutes more.
2. In a saucepan, mix tomato paste, diced tomatoes along with all the seasonings. Simmer for 1-2 hours, removing bay leaf at the end of the simmering time.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Ricotta cheese, sour cream and eggs.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease lasagna pan.
5. Begin layering in this order: light layer of meat sauce; 3 noodles laid across pan; another layer of meat sauce; layer of Ricotta/egg mixture; layer of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheeses; repeat until lasagna pan is filled. Finish with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses on top.
6. Bake lasagna at 350 degrees for one hour. If needed brown cheese on top under broiler for a few minutes.
7. Cool for 5-10 minutes, cut into squares and eat your heart out!
Dessert
Apple Crumble Cake
3 large tart mixed apples (around 4 cups), peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dried blueberries or raisins (optional)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour (I used almond flour)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Butter an 8 inch square pan.
In large bowl, place apples and dried fruit together and sprinkle orange juice over fruit, mixing well. Pour into pan.
Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and nuts. Cut in butter as for pie crust. Sprinkle evenly over apple mixture.
Bake 375ยบ for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Also good topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
