Pomegranates!
Pomegranates are pretty awesome. The fruit itself has a unique history - ancient Egyptians used them as medicine and Persephone became Queen of the Underworld by eating their seeds. Their color is a vibrant red and are super tasty. However, the health benefits are out of this world; they are a great source of fiber and preliminary research has shown that when eaten in moderation pomegranates can reduce blood pressure and heart disease. But I like them even more when I can make a great sangria with them!
I got this recipe from the Food Network and I just had to try it. Instead of the traditional apples and oranges that go into this wine beverage, pomegranates and pears are featured. It’s a drink that definitely has a kick to it, but it’s great for a warm, summer evening. I substituted cloves for the star anise and it still tasted wonderful. (I would cut the recipe in half, unless you’re making it for a party - it makes quite a lot!)
Ruby Red Sangria
2 large pomegranates
2 red Bartlett pears, seeded and thinly sliced
2 star fruits, thinly sliced
3 bottles red wine, such as Rioja
1 cup brandy or cognac
1 cup pomegranate juice, such as Pom Wonderful
1/2-cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
1 liter club soda, chilled
Spread some newspaper out on the counter because the bright red pomegranate juice can stain. Cut the pomegranate in half, open it up and you'll see clusters of very juicy garnet seeds encased in a smooth off-white pulp. Gently pry out the ruby kernels with your fingers or a pointed knife, removing any of the bitter membrane that may adhere. Put the pomegranate seeds in a large pitcher or container and add the pear and star fruit slices.
Pour in the wine, brandy, and pomegranate juice. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and star anise; give the mixture a good stir to combine. Chill the sangria in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to come together. Just before serving, top the sangria off with the club soda and mix to combine. Spoon the fruits into glasses or goblets and pour in the sangria to fill.
-Judy, Reference
Triple Feature for a Rainy/Hot Summer Weekend
If you need an infusion of magical realism on one of these endlessly rainy or super-hot summer weekends, here’s a triple feature that will fill you with so much joy that your heart may explode and you will have to fight the urge to randomly kiss strangers on the street.
There’s never been a movie that’s felt more like a giant hug than Amelie. If you only have room for one movie, this is it (don’t let the subtitles scare you away). It’s like an ice cream cone of hope with heart sprinkles. It’s joie de vivre, made concrete. It will make you believe in magic and love and fate. It will make you believe in endless possibility. It will make you run out to your garden to see if your gnome is still there…and then wish he wasn’t.
If, after that, you are not too filled with joy to move, you can put in Chocolat and experience a little more magical fairytaleishness (this time, in English). One woman’s journey to a town that medieval time forgot and her fated impact on all the residents there will leave you with a feeling of infinite connectedness and hopefulness. And, of course, a lingering belief in invisible kangaroos. And, with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp starring, there’s even eye-candy for everyone!
If, after all that, you still want more joy and hope and magic (you glutton, you!) and aren’t dissuaded by subtitles or surrealistic symbolism or some, shall we say, adult content, then let me introduce you to Antonia’s Line. Yes, it’s Dutch. Very, very Dutch. Hope rings eternal and joy practically pours out of this movie at times…although that joy, here, as in life, is juxtaposed with pain and suffering. Magic, again, finds its way into the essence of this film. Matriarch, Antonia, and her kinship line represent Life with a capital ‘L’. Antonia (the body), Daniela (the spirit), Teresa (the mind) and Sarah (the heart) represent the totality of the human experience in all its glories and tragedies. They live, they love, they dream, they die, as we all do but they do it with a spirit and a cast of characters that we could only hope, or dread, to experience.
Amelie and Chocolat are available at Acorn. Antonia’s Line is available through SWAN. Happiness and joy are available everywhere, if you just know where to look! So, seek, find, embrace and enjoy...Vive la vie!
-Danielle, Tech Services
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
Nora Eldridge is a dutiful daughter, considerate neighbor, and exemplary third-grade teacher. She's also a seething cauldron of rage whose barely repressed id goes haywire when she encounters the glamorous Shahids. She quickly befriends Sirena--a revered artist and confidence conduit--who encourages Nora to rediscover her own creative ambitions, becomes a confidante to the entertaining, enigmatic Skandar, and an honorary aunt to their darling son, Reza.
Though plenty of e-ink has been spilled over Nora's "unlikability", Messud's surprising, astute portrait of a misanthrope who is still seeking love and meaning will force you to care about her fate. And how will it end? Prison? A sanitarium? In a life with fulfilled artistic ambitions and satisfied material needs? Read this unsettling, incisive, and psychologically suspenseful book to find out!
-Megan, Reference
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