Showing posts with label Peru. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peru. Show all posts

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Vanishing Trail - The Taking of Jonathan Bishop - Stephen Kosa, Author


 
Kalamata-Balsamic Chicken with Feta
(A favorite dish of Author Stephen Kosa)
 

·         4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
·         Cooking spray
·         1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 
·         16 pitted kalamata olives, halved
·         3 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette
·         3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
       2 tablespoons small basil leaves 


Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Cook chicken 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.  While chicken cooks, combine tomatoes, olives, and vinaigrette in a medium bowl.  Add tomato mixture to pan; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until tomatoes soften. Spoon over chicken. Top evenly with cheese and basil.


Vanishing Trail - The Taking of Jonathan Bishop - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish


His rocking slowed slightly as his mind drifted.  He could still see her, running vigorously along the sandy beach, just paces ahead of her pursuer.  Her feet churned heavily in the thick sand as she struggled to pull ahead.  she gasped for breath while her heart pounded fiercely - her freedom just strides away.  She was young and athletic, but ultimately no match for the swift moves of the former wide receiver from Wisconsin.  with a burst of power he closed the gap between them.  It was inevitable.  He reached for her and with one fluid motion cradled her in his arms as they spilled gently to the ground.  "You run pretty fast for an attorney," she said with a thick Spanish accent, giggling and gasping for breath.  "You're not so bad yourself for a stodgy old museum curator."

A contented silence ensured as they watch the sun slide into the ocean like a giant orange ball melting into a mirror.  He would never forget that day in Peru.  It was a magical day - a day of life, a day of hope, a day of promise.  It was the beginning of their life together, the life they had both dreamed about.  But like so many dreams, reality was certain to trickle in.

He slipped the photograph back into his shirt pocket and headed inside to bed  Tomorrow would bring another long day in court - another act in the seemingly endless theatrical production.

Attorney Jake Bishop's mind seldom strays from his beautiful wife Blanca who had died in a car accident in her home country of Peru while on an archaeological trip.  She left his heart with a void but not before giving him a precious son they named Jonathan after his best friend Professor Jonathan Albright.

Jake's life was drifting along until fate hit again with someone taking his son.  Jake vowed to find him and after months of hopes that didn't pan out he felt that he would never hold his son again.   After the death of Professor Albright and the letter he left, Jake found a new hope that sent him right back where his journey began... Peru.  But not in search for his son but for the possibility that Blanca just might be alive. 

This book is a hard one to put down.  It combines romance, mystery and the black market.  I held my breath in hopes that the woman the Professor wrote about in his letter to Jake would turn out to be his wife.  I crossed my fingers while hoping that he or the FBI would find Jonathan.  And then there was Jake's old girlfriend Maggie from years back who still had strong feelings for him.  That brought questions that I couldn't wait to find answers to.  Will it have a happy ending?  Will the woman be Blanca?  Will they ever find Jonathan?  Will Jake even make it out of Peru alive?   I have to say that the ending of this book took me by surprise, as I think it will you.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Love of a Stonemason - Christa Polkinhorn, Author

Zabaglione:

Quantity (for one person):
for 1 egg yolk:
- half eggshell of Marsala
- half eggshell of dry white wine
- 2 small spoons of sugar

Whisk the sugar with the yolks very well, then add the Marsala and the white wine. Cook the whole thing in a double saucepan.
When the cream gets thick and hard, remove the pan from the fire.
The Zabaglione is ready to be served, hot with some cookies.

From the "ricette della nonna" ("recipes from the grandmother"), a summary of typical recipes from the Ticino Region by Noride Beretta-Varenna and Giovanna Sciaroni-Moretti, editions Dadò, Locarno.

Love of a Stonemason – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds Dessert

‘She saw the car just as she stepped into the crosswalk.  An old beat-up Fiat screeched to a stop within a few inches away from her.  Karla jumped back and dropped her portfolio, spilling its content onto the pavement.  Her heart thudded and she took deep breaths, trying to calm the queasy feeling in her stomach.  That smell.  Burnt rubber.  A young man got out of the car and stared at her, stunned.  “Are you all right?”  Karla still dazed, nodded.  She bent down and began to pick up her drawings.  A few pedestrians stopped but when they realized that nothing major had happened they walked on.  The driver’s dark voice rose to an angry pitch.  “Jesus Christ.  What’s the matter with you?  You practically threw yourself in front of my car.  I could’ve killed you.  Are you suicidal or something?”  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching.” Karla slid the papers back into her portfolio.  “Yeah, well, that’s obvious.  Wake up, for heaven’s sake.” 

Meet the characters:

Karla Bocelli is an artist whose first exhibition opens the following Friday.  The gallery belongs to a friend of hers who devotes time and money to help fledging artists showcase their work.  Karla’s mother and grandmother were both killed in a car accident when she was still a child, leaving her to be raised by an aunt.  Her father Arturo and her mother had never married and there was never a real father/daughter relationship between he and Karla.  He now lived in Peru with his wife and family.  The few times they had seen each other, the feelings were strained.  Then Karla finds not just one but two men of extreme importance stepping into her life.  Andreas O’Reilly and her art instructor Jean Philippe.

Andreas O’Reilly is a stonemason.  He not only makes head stones for the cemeteries but he also does sculptures.  His childhood, in ways, was like Karla’s.  His mother Emilia had married his father Robert but at an early age in his life they had divorced, he and his mother moved in with her brother and his father moved back to the United States.  His relationship with his mother is also strained.  He blames her for the nightmares he lived through as a child.  His chance meeting with Karla has brought life back into his existence.  But not without problems that must be dealt with for both of them.

Through Love of a Stonemason I have traveled to Peru, Florence, Switzerland and many other countries in-between.  I’ve experienced not just the beauty of these places but also took a history lesson in the arts.  Through the author’s description, I feel as if I’ve just returned from a journey that I’ll never be able to take in person.

As for the story, it’s been a long time since I’ve read a love story as beautiful as Love of a Stonemason.  When you combine the mistakes, the forgiveness and the love filling the pages of this book you can’t help but have a truly inspiring book.  It makes you realize that there are always two sides to each story and unless you listen to both, you’ll never be able to expel the resentment you might be feeling.  Great book!

 
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