01. We had our annual international night with friends last week. This year’s country was Argentina – empanadas, Quilmes, Provoleta, Malbec, big steaks, chimichurri, sweet potato jelly (!) and Argentina’s answer to chocolate ripple cake (before you go rushing to make this cake, know that is was almost unbearably sweet – I’ll stick with the empanadas and grilled cheese).
02. The Wellcome Book Prize longlist has been announced – yay for The Trauma Cleaner! If I wasn’t focused on the Stella Prize, I’d be reading lots of these titles (instead I’m going to let Bookish Beck’s shadow panel help me decide which ones can’t be missed).
03. This discussion about the Stella Prize judges’ comments over at Whispering Gums.
04. I said last week that Zero Gravity had Eurovision written all over it… I was right. She doesn’t need to change a single thing, it’s Eurovision-ready.
05. Not your usual library.
06. Isn’t it weird that they’re making podcasts into tv series…? But I’ll watch.
07. Speaking of podcasts, I’m currently hooked on Broken Harts.
08. There will always be difficulties about the ‘facts’ used in historical fiction. I had reservations about The Tattooist of Auschwitz – this article by the Auschwitz Memorial Research Center is very interesting.
09. I’m still obsessed with You’re the Worst. And its theme song. And its whole soundtrack.
10. I’m unlikely to make this (because strawberries and passionfruit go on pavlova) but isn’t it gorgeous? High chance I will make the mandarin curd though.
Bookish Thoughts is hosted by Christine at Bookishly Boisterous. Pop by, say hi.
My teeth hurt just looking at that cake… the pavlova on the other hand….yum!
And we had dessert so late that night…two bites and the kids were still crazy at 1am…
Mandarin on pav sounds delicious. I’m more open to my pav toppings after my boss showed me how delicious crushed up peppermint crisp was on it (with cream). SO GOOD!! Also, thanks for reminding me of Kate Miller-Heidki! I was obsessed with her album Curiouser when it came out.
Peppermint Crisp on pav takes me right back to the seventies – my nan always made two pavs for family gatherings – one with fruit, one with peppermint crisp (with green-tinted cream!).
OMG YUUUUMMMMMM!!! Perfect for St Paddy’s Day!
What a travesty! Peppermint crisp on pavs? I’m not all that keen on mandarins at the best of time so that doesn’t appeal either, though I agree it looks pretty. My favourite pav is not strawberry – BORING – but mango and passionfruit. You can NEVER go wrong with mango and passionfruit. (I’m not a Queenslander for nothing!)
Also, have you heard KMH’s collaboration with Paul Kelly? They recorded Shakespearian sonnets – they are beautiful. She also did the music for the recent MTC production of Twelfth Night and it was amazing.
No, I haven’t but that sounds amazing!! I’m off to find it now. Thanks!! x
Is that cake almost entirely butercream? I’ll take the pavolova, please! I’m sure Madame Bibi would share.
Frighteningly, the cake is made mostly from dulce de leche and cream cheese. And chocolate and cream.
Thank you so much for the link about the tattooist of auschwitz. After reading that book, I wondered why it was in fiction and not non-fiction but I couldn’t find any good answers on why that was. I thought that maybe the author had condensed some of the facts for the sake of the storytelling. Then I wondered if maybe it was because the tattooist seemed to be so secretive about his life that there were gaps she had to fill. I don’t think I would recommend this book to someone reading about the Holocaust even if I think it is still a good story. I think Night, Anne Frank’s story, and Walls are much better.
x The Captain
Pingback: Off the Charts and On the Horizon – the tattooist of auschwitz (Heather Morris) – Captain's Quarters
Enjoyed this post Kate … and thanks for the link.
South American desserts are very sweet (unlike pavlovas!)
I haven’t read The tattooist of Auschwitz. It certainly sounds a bit divisive from all I’ve been reading.