Cooking With Ideas

Cafe Mangal

There is no bad food in Turkey. I know that cannot be true, but I think I might have eaten one teensy bit below excellent meal when I spent a few weeks there some years ago. I read a lot before I went -- a huge book about Ataturk, and other books on the history of Istanbul. I even read a book onTurkish food --but it did not really prepare me for what I experienced. The very first thing I ate, I think, might have been this incredible pizza-like bread thing covered in delicious sausage, egg and who knows what else. We over ordered and ate it for days. I can still taste the meat -- the best thing I have ever eaten, I thought at the time. But that was only part of the delight of eating in Turkey. Breakfast was -- wow, feta, olives, a hard boiled egg, some indescribably delicious sausage-y meats, fresh orange juice, incredible coffee, and mullberies plucked from a nearby tree. Not to mention the view. And lunches -- from very lovely fish to every conceivable salad. And, I have some great Turkish cookbooks. So: I can say, definitively, I like Turkish food. So: Cafe Mangal in Wellesley has always attracted my attention. And, I was glad to try it recently. Self-described as "Mediterranean and American cuisine," the fairly extensive blackboard menu includes sandwiches and salads of various sorts and with a more than occasional emphasis on foods "with turkish flavors." Their web site says that the family running Cafe Mangal has been working with food since the 19th century in Turkey. Yes, they do a Turkish style breakfast -- but I had lunch on my visit to Turkey-on-Wellesley (ok, that sounds weird and I amjust kidding). I am dying to see if the meat they mention might in their description, just oh please might be the incredible tasting sausage I had sitting on the rooftop in Sirince. (No, I did not read Farewell, My Anatolia before I went. I had no idea that was where I was going. Yes, I will read it some day. One day. Once I find the elusive sausage taste again.) Alas, I did not have dinner at Cafe Mangal -- but I definitely will try their mezze plates next time I am there. Lunch was a great place to start. 

Hoping for the elusive taste of sumac, I ordered borek. (It might also be spelled burek.) Filo with a filling. Sort of square. The meat filling was a peculiar pinkish color, perhaps due to the spices, and so this particular borek was not much to look at. But it tasted great. The phyllo was tender and tasty. Overall what did I think? Yum. And I had a very good cup of coffee with it. Browsing Cafe Mangal's web site, reminded me that I had been tempted by their hand made baklava sitting there by the cash register. Next time. Meanwhile, these photographs of the folks from Cafe Mangal making walnut baklava  will have to do. 

Cafe Mangal

555 Washington Street

Wellesley, MA 02482

781-235-5322

email: [email protected]

Laura Childs' Mysteries

Laura Childs is the pseudonym of a prolific mystery author, Gerry Schmitt, former owner/CEO/Creative Director of a marketing and advertising firm in Minneapolis, many of whose mysteries include attention to food. Her series include a set of books with a tea shop focus, a second set with a scrapbook focus, and a new "Cackleberry Club" series. She recently (truth be told) emailed and then sent along some mysteries, which I review here. Each is well written, entertaining, and, though each has a bit of a gimmick, each also attends in smart ways to foodie interests. Indeed, these are all much better written than many series, which seem to me to deteriorate over the course of authors' careers in too many cases. Plus each of these is a pretty good mystery per se -- somewhere between a cozy and . . .  Yes, there's a formula to these -- especially when you read three in a short amount of time -- but they are better than your average mystery. So: read away and watch Cooking with Ideas in the next month or so for an interview with Schmitt (aka Childs). Why? Because each and every one of the following is a 2008 entry from her, with the third one due out December 2, 2008. (I loved having the chance to read the book before it arrived in stores! How exciting.) Each of the books below is from a different series, with a different (entreprenurial) amateur detective, store/restaurant, and locale (New Orleans, Charleston, Kindred, Minnesota). 

Death Swatch is labeled a "scrapbooking mystery" on its cover and, as a result, I probably would not have purchased the book. In fact, I think I have passed right over it in various mystery buying binges. And this is so despite the fact that, in addition to indicating that the book includes  "scrapbooking tips," the cover quite directly says "recipes included." Somehow, scrapbooking made me think that the book would be a bit too twee for me. While it was not my favorite of the three reviewed here, I was wrong. Set in New Orleans around Mardi Gras themes, the scrap booking is not too off-putting, at least for me.I have no urge to be a craft-obsessed type, but I just ignored that part. I liked the bits of New Orleans trivia -- from Emeril and K Paul to krewes and absinthe, gumbo and po' boys, antiquing, cajun lingo and pseudo-voodoo shops. And, key to the mystery: Jean Lafitte. Yes, there are a few impact-of-Katrina and yucky politics of the clean up points hidden here and there in the book. 

The Silver Needle Murder is a "tea shop mystery" and also comes with a tiny cover comment stating that the book "includes recipes and tea time tips." Yes, for those in the know, silver needle is a type of tea. (For some information, click here.) I am not a big tea drinker -- but there are loads of varieties and lots of intriguing information about them in this book. Indeed, the lingo for tea drinkers blossoms throughout the book, sort of like encountering the language of the wine tasting subculture for the first time. The main character, Theodosia Brown, owns and runs a place called Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, SC -- and the book takes place around Charleston's first ever film festival. Complete with a tea shop owner amateur detective (yep, Brown herself) who left a high powered job in marketing to run the tea shop (why is every main character in books like this pursuing a dream that involves leaving a high powered job doing something else? Is it the capital investment needed to pursue these dreams or is it that abandoning those sorts of jobs is everyone's fantasy? or, perhaps, is it that the author, Gerry Schmitt, left such a job to write mysteries and that is everyone's fantasy?). Between the Charleston historic ambience, the film festival details (many of which are truly funny), the mix of obnoxious and love-able characters, and the tea, well, the mystery keeps you reading along at a nice clip. And they even use teas from a place I have been in Paris, Mariage Freres where I had amazing tea-flavored chocolates as well. If you stay up too late reading the book, you can place tea bags on your eyes to relax them. 

Eggs in Purgatory is the first in a new series for Childs: the "Cackleberry Club Mystery" series. And yes, this one would have drawn my attention had I first seen it in a bookstore -- the title raises the spectre of both food and religion! Due out December 2, this book was truly fun. (As, in fact, they all are.) Set in Kindred, Minnesota, a fictitious small town, the book (and the series, I presume) features a breakfast joint and a team of amateur sleuths (Suzanne, Toni, and Petra,with Suzanne in the lead). Each -- in very different ways -- has lost a husband --to Alzheimers, death, divorce -- and their friendship leads them to the Cackleberry Club and forms the core of this breakfast foodie oriented book. The religion aspect involves a "cult" which seems to point to polygamy and domestic abuse -- and a more respectable church down the road. In addition to "egg tips and factoids," the book concludes with recipes for the titular "eggs in purgatory" (think tabasco sauce), buttermilk scones, corn and red pepper pancakes, and other tasty treats of the brunch-ish and breakfast variety. While the theme is most definitely small town Minnesota (the dedication says "this one's for the hometown folks") anyone who lives in a small town will recognize the many ways lives get entangled. Definitely worth a read, sitting at the counter at your favorite breakfast joint. (And, by the way, if you need a further Minnesota mystery hit after reading this, there is always Ellen Hart!) 

Want to know more about Laura Childs and her mysteries? Keep an eye out here for the interview with her! Yes, she's prolific. Once you read her (or if you have already), be prolific in your comments. 

In the Land of the Amish

The Finger Lakes does, in fact, have a substantial presence of Amish and Mennonites, including plain folk. Yes, that's what the yellow road signs with a horse and buggy on them are telling you -- you may indeed see such vehicles along Route 96, clip clopping along. And yes, in Ovid right there at the intersection of 414 and 96, you might see what for modernity-loving, gas-guzzling folks is the oddity of a horse drawn buggy pulling up right beside a gas station. (For information on the Amish, click here or here. Or even here, for FAQs. For the Mennonites, try here, for example. Or, if you are interested in gay/lesbian issues and Mennonites, click here.) 

What does all this have to do with Cooking with Ideas? Well, my reflections were spurred by one of my surprises in the mail: a cookbook by Lovinda Eicher with Kevin Williams entitled The Amish Cook at Home: Simple Pleasures of Food, Family, and Faith. The book is a 2008 publication from Andrews McMeel and has pictures by Betsy Blanton. The book is connected to the story of "the Amish Cook," a column which Lovinda Eicher inherited from her mother (Elizabeth Coblentz), and which ran (and runs, I think) in various newspapers (yep, around 130 of them). The column was a sort of odd collaboration, as far as I can tell, between an Amish woman and a non-Amish young man (the young man is the co-author of this cookbook) -- represented in all its oddity, for example in this web site. Yep, an Amish web site. Weird. 

The book itself is a delightful blend of recipes and reflection, including seasonally organized entries on Amish life, discussion of faith and religion, and related tidbits. (A word that seems to appear a lot on the Amish Cook web site.) I particularly like the discussions of faith and also, I'll be honest, the buggy. I have a sort of fantasy (well, not exactly sort of, I have a total fantasy) of rendering life more simple which is simply not what is described here. Simplifying does not mean, in this instance, less work. It simply means a different sort of busy life, perhaps more seasonally organized, closer to the earth, with closer ties between farm and food. Yes, I romanticize it a bit. 

Here's part of the book which I really like: "Most buggies are black and made of sturdy oak or hickory. There are exceptions, though. An Amish community in MIfflin Count, Pennsylvania uses yellow- and white-topped buggies. In addition to the Old Order Amish, Old Order Mennonites in Ontario, Canada, and Virginia, and some Old Order German Baptist Brethren near Delphi, Indiana, use buggies." (p. 72) This section on buggies goes on . . . But why do I like it? Its a reminder of diversity within these folks -- something I don't always think about. And besides, it appears right beside a beautiful photograph of a horse drawing a buggy (taken from the interior of the buggy). 

What else? The food ranges - from home-made vegetable juices to pie dough and sour dough bread, from peanut brittle and popcorn balls to sausage and noodle dinner. I admit it, though, the best part is the bits between -- whether pictures or tidbits, they illumine a way of life that makes me reflect on my own. So, whether I cook from it or not, this surprise in the mail brought a moment of grace. Thanks. 

Candy Cane Murders

  Thanks to www.sugarusonline.com for the picture! 

The book of this title brings together shorter novella length pieces by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier. Yes, I have read books by Fluke before, including  Fudge Cupcake Murder featuring Hannah Swensen and conveniently reviewed right here on Cooking with Ideas. The other two authors are less familiar to me. Laura Levine is described in the back of the book as a "comedy writer whose television credits include The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, The Jeffersons, Three's Company, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." And Leslie Meier is the "acclaimed author of twelve Lucy Stone mysteries. . . " (No, I have no idea if the character is named after the identically named figure in the history of women's rights. For information on that Lucy Stone, click here or here.) 

So, as is obvious from its title, this omnibus is a Christmas-themed collection, read a bit too early in November -- when even I am complaining that Christmas trees arrived in Wegmans before Halloween. The Fluke entry to the threesome is the longest, and shares its title with the book as a whole. Levine's is entitled "The Dangers of Candy Canes" and Meier's is called "Candy Canes of Christmas Past."  In some ways, Fluke's offers revenge on an unrepentant Scrooge. Embedded within the tale are recipes for Lemon Whippersnappers (a cookie), quiches, seed cakes, date cookies, and a multitude of other cookies and bars. Levine's premise involves competitive Christmas decorating. And, it offers the rare occasion that keeps me from the impersonations that seem so easy for fictitious private eyes: the sleuth is caught out claiming to be employed by an insurance company and is not. "Candy Canes of Christmas Past," finally, is a bit of a parable too -- wrapped around a murder mystery. Like he Scrooge-y Fluke entry, this one offers a moral to the story -- in this case, about the delights of new found friends. 

This book, by the way, comes complete with a Christmas recipe card (for Candy Cane Bar Cookies) and the suggestion that your favorite baking recipe could appear in fluke's next Hannah Swensen mystery. For information on the relevant contest, click here. 

So, it is true. It is only early November. Maybe wait a bit. Or stick the mass market paperback in a stocking if you are a Christmas stocking stuffer type of person. Along with a candy cane or two. (Though I admit, I am not a big fan of eating candy canes, I do love the look of them.) 

How Do You Say One More Time In Italian?

Okay, so some people wrote in with interesting arguments about why I should extend the Italian recipe contest referred to here and here. So, I thought about it. I did really. And here's Bibliochef's decision: If we can (that is, if you can) get over 15 people to offer an Italian recipe by commenting on this entry, I will consider the contest re-started. The deadline is Thanksgiving. And no fair just putting a link to another site -- whether yours or someone else's -- though adding sites will also add to the fun. And pointing to your favorite Italian and/or Italian restaurant in the Finger Lakes and. . . . . And yes, the winner will receive something free. You will. Check out the earlier entries to figure out what. And spread the word. 

Postscript: I am counting Abby's comment as a recipe -- though I hope she'll cut and paste and re-enter it here! 

On What Grounds?

 Thanks to ladyofsilences.blogspot.com for the picture.

The murder mystery referred to in the title of this entry, On What Grounds?, by Cleo Coyle is the first in her series of "coffee house mysteries," also the name of her official web site. The series now has seven books in total. As usual, I am reading mysteries rather than dealing with real life. There's nothing like a formula to get you through the night. Anyway, Coyle's first book is pretty darn good. It opens with a sort of creepy prologue reminiscent of late Patricia Cornwell, but the rest of the book is less creepy. In fact, it is not creepy at all, though there are murders. Hmmm. The very definition of urban cozy -- a coffee house? Anyway, the book is well written, matter of fact, and fun. Set in a 100 year old business in the Village (complete with an antique sign) which roasts its own coffee and whose manager (returning after a decade in the New Jersey suburbs raising a daughter) knows her coffee. The romantic interests  -- her ex-husband (who is a coffee broker) and a police detective called in to investigate the murder -- are appealing characters themselves,and not a distraction from the plot as sometimes happens in mysteries which feel obliged to insist that their heroines are heterosexual despite being smart and intrepid. Her ex-mother-in-law, a role all too often cutesy to the point of annoying -- is also appealing, as the owner of the coffee place and just a tiny teensy bit interfering. The main character is named Clare.  And the coffeehouse is called Village Blend. 

Of course, there is a substantial tradition of coffee houses in the Village. I associate them with the bohemian (aka beat) days -- famous places where I first had espresso decades before the more recent coffee explosion. Places like Cafe Wha? on MacDougal Street (click here for a sort of virtual walking tour of Bob Dylan's Village which includes this coffee joint) and the one I actually went to for my first ever expresso, Caffe Reggio, which has been around since 1927 (also on MacDougal Street). And there is always McNulty's Coffee and Tea Emporium on Christopher Street, right there in the heartland of gay-land. (On the history of coffee houses generally, including some mention of the Village, try here.) 

What else? Well, reading this mystery and thinking about blogging about it, I asked myself: Is coffee a food? Should this series even be here on this blog? Well, as you may be noticed, I have a new sub-category on "Wetting Your Whistle" so I can legitimately take up things like VeeV and coffee. Even so, is coffee a food? Why must we say food AND drink? Why not a general category for things we consume (and no I do not mean your last buying spree at some outlet mall)? Whether or not coffee is a food, there are plenty of reasons to know more about it; for a Food and Wine piece on coffee, click here. Among other places, the article points to Gimme! Coffee in Ithaca! And, for a great blog called Coffee is Food, click here. 

Like many in this sub-genre, Coyle's book ends with recipes. Here, too, they are not terrifically well integrated into the plot, though they do get mentions. (Think of it like that Coca Cola or cigarette brand you just saw in a movie --product placement.) In this case, the recipes are for mainly drinks (Village Blend Caffe Cannella, the Village Blend Raspberry-Mocha Bocci, Black Russian, and Screaming Orgasm --also known as Burnt Toasted Almond) and one dessert (Clare's Cappucino Walnut Cheesecake). 

Will I read more of Coyle's books? Probably. On what grounds? They boil down to (no, do not boil your coffee) pretty darn good. Fun. Readable. Oddly informative. And a good mystery. 

Coming Soon to a Blog You Are Reading Right Now!

What will appear on Cooking with Ideas in the next while? 

A review of a coffeehouse mystery! Author Cleo Coyle's opening gambit in her series (and the first one I have read): On What Grounds

A review of a set of three food/mystery/holiday previews by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier, collected under the title Candy Cane Murder 

And much much more!