Reporting in on the November meeting.

No December meeting of course, Merry Christmas to all.

Next book is The Inheritance of Loss, by Kiran Desai, and we will meet at Jane's house, on 28 January 2007.

The copies I have seen of the paper back are green - this must be the hardcover version.

The February book will be Mister Pip by the New Zealand writer Lloyd Jones (text publishing) It is set during the Bougainville blockade.

Here's a review:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20677237-5003900,00.html



The discussion of Carry Me Down went well, with varied responses. Ros voted it her best book of 2006, while some others found the main character unconvincing, and did not believe it was a serious Booker contender. Everyone agreed that MJ Hyland writes well.

Everyone agreed that Stella's food was great, and begged for recipes. These should set us up for the Xmas season:

Katie's Brownies ........... mmmmmmm

180g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
330 g dark good quality cooking chocolate
3 eggs
270g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
90g (3/4 cup) plain flour.
handful of walnuts, raising or currants, chopped in food processor.

Preheat overn to 175. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler. Place the eggs and sugar into a mixing bowl and whip until they are light, fluffy and pale in colour. Add the melted chocolate to whisked egg & sugar mixture. Stir well to combine. Add the sifted flour and the chopped walnuts/ fruit and stir well.

Pour into a lightly buttered 25 cm x 30 x 30 cm baking tray lined with parchment paper (don't skimp). Smooth out using a spatula or knife. Bake for 30 - 35 mins until skewer in centre comes out clean (often a good deal longer). Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tray before cutting into squares and serving, sprinkled with icing sugar.

Prunes in white wine
Soak prunes overnight in white wine. Add zest of orange and chopped rosemary. Mix well and serve in with cheese platter.


Cream cheese with Capsicum Jam
Cook chopped red capsicum slowly with vinegar, dash of tabasco sauce and brown sugar until mixture starts to become sticky. Watch carefully!

Allow to cool a little and pour over round of philadelphia cream cheese. Serve with water biscuits or similar.

NOTE: Stella doesn't measure, so you're on your own with the quantities.