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Featured Review

Ground-hog day in Cuba? No...wait...


Once again the culinary expertise displayed by this wonderful gathering of women was remarkable! It is such a joy that the books we read to stimulate our minds also lead us on a road of dining adventures and add another dimension to the entire experience. The mojitos, with rum directly from Kathy's recent trip to Cuba got the discussion ball rolling! Unfortunately, most agreed that the book, Telex from Cuba, did not quite live up to the menu! There was discussion of the unusual life of ex-patriots living abroad. Where do they fit in? How do their lives blend or clash with the indigenous population? Why do they come in with an aid of superiority and treat their workers so badly? Do native land owners and business leaders treat their workers with the same level of disdain and cruelty? Many felt that the book was too slow in revealing itself, too many characters, too much going on, too hard to follow. What was the slant? We are all curious about Lu's feelings on this book and wonder if her discussion could have raised the 2 rating it received. Life after Life fared worse! Oy! While initially the premise seemed promising, it became way too tedious and confusing. We wondered if the author just had way too many ideas in her head and couldn't settle on a single storyline! As a result, she just threw it all in to the book and overwhelmed or just messed with the readers. Although a couple of twos made it to the vote, the ones dominated. If any of you who did not attend wish to cast a vote, let me know! (Lu's after the fact vote sealed the ranking at 2 - but couldn't raise it to a 3.) Around the table when we have a small group, talk invariably turns to the size of our group. When the topic came up last night at first it was quickly tabled. But, with Lyn's recent decision to leave the group, and the recurring questions of optimal membership and meeting size, we decided this is something we should think about for a few months, and then discuss in the near future when there is a quorum in attendance. Our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 3 and Lonnie will be hosting. The books we selected are: The Underground Railroad and Negroland: A Memoir.

Helene's delicious lentil soup started us off. Followed by a killer salad from Hilarie, complete with grilled pineapple! Nancy made fantastic grilled plantains and traditional beans and rice. Lonnie provided an incredible well flavored roast pork. And Carol sealed the deal with an interesting Cuban flan, toasted coconut ice cream and fried plantains! Sublime meal all around!!!

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