Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Prodigious Savant: A Fascinating Thriller by J.J. White: 5 out of 5 stars.

Prodigious Savant by J.J. White:

A Fascinating Thriller by J.J. White:  Five out of five stars! Pages fly by quickly...
This thriller by J.J. White is a page turner. From the very first sentence the reader is drawn into the world of Burlington, Vermont in 1962. Once you start reading you won’t want to put it down. I read it all in one night. It is a very quick read. Teenager Gavin Weaver is injured in an explosion all because of one small act of teenage stupidity. Because of that act, his life is changed forever, and not necessarily all for the better. Waking up from a thirty-day coma, not only does he not suffer the usual disabilities from a head injury, he wakes up possessing several savant talents in music, art, math and memory. At the same time, his personality changes for the worst. He leans toward the dark side. Can Gavin survive the internal and external conflicts which keep him from the one thing he wants most, the girl he’s love since childhood? You’ll have to read it to find out. I promise you won’t be disappointed. I wasn’t.
Overall, Prodigious Savant is a worthwhile read, for any avid book reader and especially for the thriller lover. I highly recommend it.

Until next review, stay safe. Smile! Show compassion to others. Be nice to one another. Read a book and pass it on. Review it. Cheers!
Regards,
S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Coming in 2015 from Black Opal Books.
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Copyright 2015 by S.J. Francis. No portion of this blog post may be reprinted, modified or used without written permission of the author.

Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.
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Wednesday, December 3, 2014

5 out of 5 stars for A Kitchen in France A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse Mimi Thorisson

Five out of Five stars for this gastronomic look at French Cooking:
Front Cover
 

From Publisher: With beguiling recipes and sumptuous photography, A Kitchen in France transports readers to the French countryside and marks the debut of a captivating new voice in cooking.
When Mimi Thorisson and her family moved from Paris to a small town in out-of-the-way Médoc, she did not quite know what was in store for them. She found wonderful ingredients—from local farmers and the neighboring woods—and, most important, time to cook. Her cookbook chronicles the family’s seasonal meals and life in an old farmhouse, all photographed by her husband, Oddur. Mimi’s convivial recipes—such as Roast Chicken with Herbs and Crème Fraîche, Cèpe and Parsley Tartlets, Winter Vegetable Cocotte, Apple Tart with Orange Flower Water, and Salted Butter Crème Caramel—will bring the warmth of rural France into your home.

About the Author: MIMI THORISSON is the author of Manger, a blog devoted to French cooking that was named Saveur’s Best Regional Food Blog in April 2013. After a career in television and having lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Reykjavik, and Paris, she settled with her photographer husband, their five young children, her two older stepchildren, and the family’s fourteen dogs in a farmhouse in Médoc. She is the star of the cooking shows La Table de Mimi and the upcoming Les Desserts de Mimi, both on Canal+ in France.
Table of Contents
 
“When Mimi Thorisson, the author of this book and her family moved from Paris to a small town in out-of-the-way Medoc, she did not quite know what was in store for them.” What she experienced is this cookbook.
    Having a French background myself, and having visited this wonderful country of known for its beauty, culture, food and history, more than once, I’m always interested when I find a new book on French cooking.  When I saw this one, I knew I had to get it. It intrigued me. When I received it, I wasn’t prepared for the sheer size of it. It is a big, heavy book and at 304pgs beautiful photography, many of them are of the prepared dishes. Some are of the author shopping of preparing the dishes. Some of the photos are delicious enough to eat right off the page. The chapters are broken down into the four seasons and the recipes are set off into seasonal cooking. Mimi has the background to write this book. At the urging of her friends and family, before she left Paris, she began a food blog which contained recipes for French home cooking in English. Being half-Chinese and half French, she grew up in Hong Kong. Her mother is French. She spent her holidays in Paris or in the south of France with her mother’s family.  There with them, she was introduced to French cooking. Her maternal grandmother and aunt were terrific cooks, and “every day meant a feast.”  
Recipes and photos inside make up the book.
 
The recipes are many and varied from the starters to the main course and ending with dessert. There are soups, and meats with chicken, duck, and lamb, fish and the list goes on. There are dishes for the vegetarian and vegan or those that can easily be modified. Some are easy while others are time consuming. Overall, there isn’t any recipe in this book that can’t be made by anyone, even someone that never cooked before. Some of the recipes call for a dozen items or more, while some call for half that. Her recipes are clear and easy to follow. You can tell that she wrote it with the reader in mind.
Ready to get your mouth watering and follow it up with a meal that will have your taste buds applauding and you stomach yelling that it’s fantastic, but please I can’t handle anymore. Then grab a copy of this book for yourself or as a gift for someone you know. It is sure to be enjoyed by readers, cooks, and diners alike. Take a trip through the French countryside without leaving the comfort of your home. You’ll be glad you did. This is the first trip I didn’t have to pay for and I loved it!  
  
The author and her dogs and a delicious recipe. Is your mouth watering yet?


Until next review, stay safe. Smile! Show compassion to others. Be nice to one another. Read a book and pass it on. Review it. Cheers!
Regards,
S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Coming in 2015 from Black Opal Books.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest and fair review.
 
Copyright 2015 by S.J. Francis. No portion of this blog post may be reprinted, modified or used without written permission of the author.

Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.


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