I’m not sure I have the fortitude to tackle this book as I’m so anxious about the fascist influences buffeting our country. The point Madeleine Albright makes about societies suddenly waking up to find fascists have taken over is utterly chilling, but one we obviously can’t afford to ignore. I’m planning to share your wonderful list with a small book group I’m part of that has taken a historical turn.
Very curious to read your upcoming food post! More cookies?
Ruth -- so I found this OLD POST -- it was my first weeks of posting. I didn't tell ANYONE I had a Substack. I had, perhaps 5 subscribers. This was about cookies. If you like it I will share the recipe. https://markdolan.substack.com/p/id-like-a-large-cookie -- as for the list of books I hope your friends find some they can enjoy. In no time we will add next year's 2024 reading list. The link is public so you can forward it with no special gymnastics. I am not sure all the links work but they should. In our club the dynamic is many of our members are older. We try to choose books with library availability or easy to find on the secondary markets. The spreadsheet has links to a wonderful website AbeBooks. I buy used books from them all the time. Sometimes when 30 people are scouring the library at the same time, getting a book can be tricky.
Hey Mark! I really enjoyed the old post. Your precision in baking seems to transfer to writing. The latter includes generous dashes of humor and the skill and curiosity to come up with tangents that provoke your readers to consider topics that wouldn't normally enter their heads. (I.e., costly appliances and off-road vehicles that never get used).
I believe you did send me the recipe for the cookies--"Big Soft Ginger Cookies." It seems perfect for the upcoming holidays, but I'll probably make it before then for one of the groups I attend. I think I'll make both your version and the original recipe from Taste of Home. The reduction of sugar and the almond flour seem like excellent modifications.
I started reading--or rather listening to--Madeleine Albright's book. She is the reader and it's really engrossing, though, as I expected, troubling. Even though I know many of the basic facts about the rise of fascism in Italy, Germany and Spain, I haven't heard it put together in quite the way she does. I'm only about a quarter of the way through, but I know I'll finish it and will let you know what I think. Thanks again for the suggestion, the excellent book list, and the cookie recipe!
One of my dearest friends here in the Twin Cities is surname Stern. His family had served honorably in WW1 but none of that mattered. Once people are swept up in identity garbage, things get bad quickly. Only a small subset of his family made it to the US and survived. With his permission I might interview him someday and tell their story. It is a remarkable one.
Thanks for your always kind and upbeat message. Having her read the book is fantastic. A while back we read "The Pope & Mussolini". It is a lot about complicity.
The writing gave me pause for sure. We have read about a fair amount of fascists of the past. I recently did an international climate program. The fellow students from Brazil have been in lockstep with recent history in the US (along with Turkey) I think.
I'm not sure yet but I have a host of half-baked stuff in drafts (haha). The other day I stopped at my favorite Eastern European deli and had the BEST CABBAGE roll ever (Golumpki). Here's a photo to make you covet -- https://photos.app.goo.gl/ByU6emF99SbjAk2t5
I haven’t heard of golumpkis, but the dish looks delish and reminds me of the cabbage rolls my mother used to make! Now of course I want to write about that!
I think just like dumplings, lots of cultures have cabbage rolls. I am sure wars have been fought over the best dumplings and cabbage rolls :) Golumpki is the Polish term I think. I think the pronunciation as I remember Mom correcting us was GAH -WUMP-KEY -- I love them in the fall and will be making a batch for our fall Scotch Club being hosted by a friend. My daughter-in-law after joining our family has changed our perspective about dumplings and we now love Gyoza!!! They are great! I hope you can share what your Mom called the cabbage rolls.
Thanks for your perspective on this dish, Mark! I think you’re right that wars (hopefully verbal rather than with flying frying by pans!) may be fought over such things. I just looked it up and saw it spelled Golabki, but I’m sure spellings, like recipes, do vary. Popularity of old recipes wax and wane too. And they do cross borders and alter in the process. Maybe food, like books, can offer us a lesson on being open to new things we imagine we won’t like too. I definitely will have to make this dish and write about it soon.
THANKS SO MUCH -- it is fun when the TBR grows. Since you are interested in the genre I am just finishing "The Three Body Problem" by Cixin Liu -- a new and improved war of the worlds!!!
" I was born with a reading list I will never finish" Maud Casey Mark, I think ( I tell Myself this is my big chance) of a book as my rare opportunity to sit down with the author and have a one on one. Could you have coffee or lunch with Madeline Albright? Probably not. But through her book you spent time with her and know her and her ideas in different way now. Ive recently had time with Thoreau and learned he didnt stay in that little house all year long, He sometimes went into town to get some of his mothers cookies!
Thanks as always for your fun takes Paul. I read recently that 1/2 of Americans did not read a book last year. No judgment -- to each his own I suppose. What I have come to believe is we are weird creatures with a primitive impulsive lizard-brain in the back. The one in front is built for contemplation and that rarest opportunity to question what we believe and perhaps change. I think it is only those activities we engage that require the blob on top of our neck to slow down allows growth. Reading is not the only path but it sure is a great one I think. I love your virtual 1-on-1 analogy. Even though they are usually not famous, I think meet the author opportunities are close to what you describe also. Mom's cookies sound like a good reason to get off your chair and go into town.
I’m not sure I have the fortitude to tackle this book as I’m so anxious about the fascist influences buffeting our country. The point Madeleine Albright makes about societies suddenly waking up to find fascists have taken over is utterly chilling, but one we obviously can’t afford to ignore. I’m planning to share your wonderful list with a small book group I’m part of that has taken a historical turn.
Very curious to read your upcoming food post! More cookies?
Ruth -- so I found this OLD POST -- it was my first weeks of posting. I didn't tell ANYONE I had a Substack. I had, perhaps 5 subscribers. This was about cookies. If you like it I will share the recipe. https://markdolan.substack.com/p/id-like-a-large-cookie -- as for the list of books I hope your friends find some they can enjoy. In no time we will add next year's 2024 reading list. The link is public so you can forward it with no special gymnastics. I am not sure all the links work but they should. In our club the dynamic is many of our members are older. We try to choose books with library availability or easy to find on the secondary markets. The spreadsheet has links to a wonderful website AbeBooks. I buy used books from them all the time. Sometimes when 30 people are scouring the library at the same time, getting a book can be tricky.
Hey Mark! I really enjoyed the old post. Your precision in baking seems to transfer to writing. The latter includes generous dashes of humor and the skill and curiosity to come up with tangents that provoke your readers to consider topics that wouldn't normally enter their heads. (I.e., costly appliances and off-road vehicles that never get used).
I believe you did send me the recipe for the cookies--"Big Soft Ginger Cookies." It seems perfect for the upcoming holidays, but I'll probably make it before then for one of the groups I attend. I think I'll make both your version and the original recipe from Taste of Home. The reduction of sugar and the almond flour seem like excellent modifications.
I started reading--or rather listening to--Madeleine Albright's book. She is the reader and it's really engrossing, though, as I expected, troubling. Even though I know many of the basic facts about the rise of fascism in Italy, Germany and Spain, I haven't heard it put together in quite the way she does. I'm only about a quarter of the way through, but I know I'll finish it and will let you know what I think. Thanks again for the suggestion, the excellent book list, and the cookie recipe!
One of my dearest friends here in the Twin Cities is surname Stern. His family had served honorably in WW1 but none of that mattered. Once people are swept up in identity garbage, things get bad quickly. Only a small subset of his family made it to the US and survived. With his permission I might interview him someday and tell their story. It is a remarkable one.
I would like to read it, Mark.
Thanks for your always kind and upbeat message. Having her read the book is fantastic. A while back we read "The Pope & Mussolini". It is a lot about complicity.
The writing gave me pause for sure. We have read about a fair amount of fascists of the past. I recently did an international climate program. The fellow students from Brazil have been in lockstep with recent history in the US (along with Turkey) I think.
I'm not sure yet but I have a host of half-baked stuff in drafts (haha). The other day I stopped at my favorite Eastern European deli and had the BEST CABBAGE roll ever (Golumpki). Here's a photo to make you covet -- https://photos.app.goo.gl/ByU6emF99SbjAk2t5
I haven’t heard of golumpkis, but the dish looks delish and reminds me of the cabbage rolls my mother used to make! Now of course I want to write about that!
I think just like dumplings, lots of cultures have cabbage rolls. I am sure wars have been fought over the best dumplings and cabbage rolls :) Golumpki is the Polish term I think. I think the pronunciation as I remember Mom correcting us was GAH -WUMP-KEY -- I love them in the fall and will be making a batch for our fall Scotch Club being hosted by a friend. My daughter-in-law after joining our family has changed our perspective about dumplings and we now love Gyoza!!! They are great! I hope you can share what your Mom called the cabbage rolls.
Thanks for your perspective on this dish, Mark! I think you’re right that wars (hopefully verbal rather than with flying frying by pans!) may be fought over such things. I just looked it up and saw it spelled Golabki, but I’m sure spellings, like recipes, do vary. Popularity of old recipes wax and wane too. And they do cross borders and alter in the process. Maybe food, like books, can offer us a lesson on being open to new things we imagine we won’t like too. I definitely will have to make this dish and write about it soon.
Thanks for the review!
SciFi recommendation: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.
THANKS SO MUCH -- it is fun when the TBR grows. Since you are interested in the genre I am just finishing "The Three Body Problem" by Cixin Liu -- a new and improved war of the worlds!!!
" I was born with a reading list I will never finish" Maud Casey Mark, I think ( I tell Myself this is my big chance) of a book as my rare opportunity to sit down with the author and have a one on one. Could you have coffee or lunch with Madeline Albright? Probably not. But through her book you spent time with her and know her and her ideas in different way now. Ive recently had time with Thoreau and learned he didnt stay in that little house all year long, He sometimes went into town to get some of his mothers cookies!
Thanks as always for your fun takes Paul. I read recently that 1/2 of Americans did not read a book last year. No judgment -- to each his own I suppose. What I have come to believe is we are weird creatures with a primitive impulsive lizard-brain in the back. The one in front is built for contemplation and that rarest opportunity to question what we believe and perhaps change. I think it is only those activities we engage that require the blob on top of our neck to slow down allows growth. Reading is not the only path but it sure is a great one I think. I love your virtual 1-on-1 analogy. Even though they are usually not famous, I think meet the author opportunities are close to what you describe also. Mom's cookies sound like a good reason to get off your chair and go into town.