I always feed sophisticated ...

... while reading a book by Donna Leon.

Commisario Guido Brunetti and his wife Paola are elegant. Their family sits down to lunch every day. They even have wine at lunch

Donna Leon's prose is elegant. Her detailed description of Venice, Italy; traveling along the canals; looking at the architecture are all elegant.

While I read the books (the one I just finished is Quietly in their sleep), the ambiance begins to permeate my body and I feel elegant, too. I want to sit at a cafe and sip wine; I want to cook and serve elegant meals; I want to have stimulating intellectual conversations; I relish life.

Despite the fact that there are crimes being committee - usually murder, but lots of other things, too - this series is just plain elegant.

Leon's  descriptions of Venice are so thorough that, before visiting the city, friends of mine read several of her books and took copious notes. They felt they could actually find their way around by following in Guido Brunetti's footsteps.

Italy is a country about which I've heard many good things. Everyone I know who has been there loved it. Perhaps one day I'll have the chance to visit Italy and, specifically, Venice. I'll be sure to read (or maybe re-read) Donna Leon's books so that I know the best places to sit and sip wine and be elegant.

Book: Bland Ambition

If you think that the happenings in Washington D.C. today are anything new and different, reading Bland Ambition by Steve Tally will likely change your mind. It seems that not much has changed in our nation's Capitol since 1789.

This political satire includes brief biographies of the men who held the position of Vice President of the United States of America. The subtitle reads: From Adams to Quayle - the cranks, criminals, tax cheats, and golfers who made it to Vice President.

Dan Quayle (remember him? He's the one who said he wished he had taken Latin in school so that he could communicate better with the people in Latin America.) is the person who inspired this book. Unfortunately, it was written during the Bush/Quayle administration, so that we don't know Tally's opinion of Al Gore, Dick Cheney, or Joe Biden.

Tally sometimes sacrifices clarity for humor (I wasn't always sure, without doing further research, exactly when an event occurred), but the facts themselves are all accurate. I've read lots of political biographies and Tally's descriptions square with what I know - even if his interpretation is somewhat unique.

I found this book most useful in gaining perspective on Washington politics today. I sometimes worry about our country and it's current atmosphere of anger and vindictiveness. I keep reminding myself and other that we survived the administration of Richard Nixon. It's a relief to know we've survived a whole lot more, too.

Swordfish Plaki

Being a pescatarian (that's a vegetarian who also eats fish - though I do admit to sometimes eating chicken), I'm always on the lookout for fish recipes. I especially look for recipes that are fast and simple so that I can make them after work and still eat at a reasonable hour. I hope they will also be delicious, not only for M and me, but in case we have company for dinner. Many of my friends are really good cooks and I don't want to embarrass myself by serving a blah meal.

This is a recipe I found in the local newspaper. It met the criteria for fast and easy and turned out to be quite tasty. I served it with roasted potatoes.

Swordfish Plaki
2 8-ounce pieces of swordfish
lemon juice
salt & pepper
1 large onion, sliced
2-3 large tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 small cinnamon stick
2 Tablespoons fresh dill
1 teaspoon honey or sugar

Wash fish and sprinkle with lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan (large enough to hold the fish in one layer) and cook the onion slices for 5-6 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, dill and cinnamon stick. Season lightly with salt. Cook gently for 10-15 minutes. Taste and add honey or sugar if it is too tart. Add fish pieces and spoon the sauce over them. Cover and cook gently for 10-15 minutes or until fish is opaque. Serve hot with parsley or dill to garnish.

Bon appétit!