Literary Bite: Rumors of Savages

A few weeks ago, Boss #3 mentioned something in passing. That she wrote a book.

Me: What? You wrote a book? Why have I not read it yet???

Her: You really want to read it?

Me: Ptche-yeah!

(Disclaimer: No, Boss #3 did not tell me to write this, or threaten me with the loss of my job if I gave her book a bad review. I’m an honest blogger - my impeccable blogger morals prevent me from using Eat, Run, Read for profit in any way!)

Rumors of Savages is more adventure-oriented than my usual type of fiction. The story reads a lot like a screenplay, or a Dan Brown novel (minus the potentially untrue fun facts). This does not surprise me, considering that the author, Carrie Regan, has a successful career in television. Each chapter might as well start with a “Cut To ____”, as the story jumps between the crew in Africa and the producers and TV station in New York.

Rumors of Savages is a fun and engaging read. There are no plot holes, and the ending ties up nicely (the end is actually almost too neat). This 212-page book flies by (I think I finished it in a generous 2 days, and my mama finished it in one).

This suspense-adventure tells the story of an ambitious TV crew, dispatched by a failing TV channel to the darkest jungles of Africa to find a missing anthropologist and a legendary and bloodthirsty lost tribe. (Check out the plot-summary here.)

Even though the book is much more plot-based than character-based, the characters feel authentic. And I know that they are (I asked). Carrie has lost a few friends due to her true portrayals of the TV business!

Even though it is clearly a work of fiction (sorry, but in the real world there are no mind-reading Bambada), the book is grounded in real-life experiences. Carrie knows about production in Africa - she's worked on documentaries in Tanzania, the Congo, and the Sahara Desert, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea.

Unlike a normal reading experience (where my unanswered questions must be satisfied by the Google-machine) this time I sit within shouting-distance for 9+ hours per day, so I could ask the author directly what was/wasn’t true (that’s a bit of an exaggeration, I don’t usually shout at Boss #3…)

So, for your benefit, here are some questions answered:

Prominent scientist toasting to “famine, disease, and war in Africa” because it “keeps the human population down”?

True. That happened. (Wow, that’s horrifying)

Young female associate producer left in the jungle alone with no radio/phone for the night?

Partially true. Carrie was left to spend a night with no way to reach the outside world. But she had one other person with her.

Crossing a shaky log over a fast-moving crocodile-infested river?

True.

Weird missionaries?

True. (But the cookie part is fictional.)

Late-night trysts with cameramen?

False.

Carrie: I have never slept with a cameraman, and neither should you. They’re all dirty chauvinist pigs. (Duly noted. Not that I was planning on it...)

If you’re looking for a good light fun adventure read – Rumors of Savages is your book.

According to Amazon: Ever watch a television documentary featuring a rugged host sloshing through a distant jungle and wonder what was really going on behind the scenes? …[Carrie Regan] now spins a spooky, satirical page-turner in which one such fictional expedition goes horribly wrong. Inspired by Regan's own encounters in the field and infused with insider details, RUMORS OF SAVAGES will have you sleeping with the lights on--and never looking at documentaries the same way again.

Zen Master Mollie: Bikram Yoga

I have a confession to make: I’m doing yoga. And not just any yoga, Bikram yoga!!! (The hot kind.)

Don’t worry, I’m not giving up on running by any means. I’m just taking a little break to cross train a bit and try new things. Things like yoga…

People always assume that I’m a “yoga person” (much like people assume that I’m a vegetarian…and that I’m a stable relationship kind of girl…and that I’m much older than I am...But in the words of my mama, You know when you assume you make an 'ass' out of 'you' and 'me'! Or…in the less appropriate words of Travis Dane…well, just watch this).

Anywhoozle, my point is that contrary to common assumption, I hate yoga. And it’s not that I just had one bad experience. I’ve tried it three times. In three different contexts. So I am very comfortable saying that I’ve given it a fair shot and it’s just not for me.

But then a running friend raved about a place in Dupont that had a $20 unlimited intro week deal. And as we all know, I am a compulsive volunteer…thus, yesterday morning I found myself rolling out before 6 am to go do some Bikram.

I expected the worst. I hate hot weather (Bikram is done at 105*), and I just told you that I hate yoga (Bikram classes are 90 minutes long). So why did I think Bikram was a good idea? I can’t even answer that one…

But to my surprise, it wasn’t that bad! Seriously, it really wasn’t. It was hot, but not in a hit-you-in-the-face, humid-can’t-breathe sort of way (I’ve been to Africa, I know what that particular brand of heat feels like).

And the part I hate most about traditional yoga is the slowness of it – you get in a pose…Ok now hold it…and hold it…and feel the stretch…and really feel it…doesn’t that feel great? No. No it does not. It stretches and hurts!

In contrast, Bikram is more about strength and balance than straight-up stretching. Each class is a series of 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises. You do a pose, then take a break. Then do it again. Then you move on to the next one. The instructor talks you through the whole thing, and the 90 minutes actually passes rather quickly. And even though it’s early, non-cardio in the mornings really isn’t that bad.

By the end you’re dripping sweat, but it’s not any worse than a hard workout in August. And one of the benefits of going early in the morning is that the class isn’t full, so it’s not like other sweaty people are getting all up in my personal space.

As far as Bikram’s benefits to runners, I’m up in the air on that one. There seems to be two schools of thought. Half the people out there think that yoga is beneficial to runners, great for injury prevention. The other half point to studies that show no connection between injury and stretching (actually, they show that athletes who stretch a lot may get injured more), and warn that overstretching can actually cause injury.

Personally, I just think that you have to be careful – don’t over do it in Bikram (remember, the heat makes your muscles bendier than usual, so even if you’re not feeling a super-huge stretch, you’re probably getting one).

As for me, I’m now onto Bikram Week Day 2 – so far so good. I haven't died, torn myself in two, or passed out in class or on the way home. It’s 10:15 am, and I’m feeling surprisingly Zen, despite the fact that Massachusetts just took a big step towards ruining domestic politics. (Thank God I was well into my second cup of coffee before I looked at the front page this morning! Sorry - don't be offended. I try to keep Eat, Run, Read as apolitical as possible…and you must admit that for a DCist I’ve done a pretty good job!)

Namaste. 

Cake of the Week: S'more Cupcakes

I was sitting at work the other day, minding my own business, innocently researching whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, when Jess emailed me a link to this blog. 

Woah - I want that. No wait, I need that, NOW!

So I immediately took my lunch break, walked to the grocery store, and bought all the necessary ingredients. Purse full of marshmallows and graham crackers? Yes. True story.

Let's just take a moment for graham crackers. (Sidenote: OMG - Wikipedia tells me that Dr. Graham invented these crackers as a part of a diet regimen designed to suppress "unhealthy carnal urges"!)  

Damn. Oh well, I love them anyway. They go well with chocolate, and with peanut butter, and with dried cranberries (preferably all 4 of these key ingredients at the same time) - which in my book qualifies any food as a good one, effects on my "carnal urges" aside...

Though graham crackers are pretty low on the evil-scale, they are a bit elusive. Are they a cookie? No, definitely not. I know what a cookie is, and graham crackers do not fit into that category by any stretch. But they're not really a cracker either. To me, a cracker is a dry, flat, baked good that goes well with a sharp cheddar or hunk of Camenbert.

Graham crackers and cheddar? No. I am not ok with that. The only context in which graham crackers and cheese work is if it's cream cheese in its frosting form (yes - I could do some graham crackers and frosting right now!).

Back to my recipe. S'mores Cupcakes. They're a layer of graham cracker cake, followed by a layer of chocolate cake, with marshmallow in the middle and graham cracker crumbles on top. Yowza!
Some Notes on the Recipe:

Mine turned out delicious, but not quite a pretty as the Bakerella's. Be careful that you don't fill the cupcake tins all the way! The recipe says it makes 12 cupcakes, but I'm not sure what kind of sumo cupcake pan she has! I made 18 overflowing cupcakes...

How did I get them out? Very carefully. Seriously, try prying them with a butter knife, and jiggling the pan sideways to get stubborn cupcakes out without them tearing in half.

Also, I used 5 mini marshmallows instead of a half of a big marshmallow inside each cupcake. They totally melted. Though after reading the comments on the original recipe, it looks like the marshmallow is supposed to melt. I guess it's just there to add sweet stickiness. 

And as for the gnache on top - I think that any form of frosting on these babies would just be way too sweet. (And that's a bold statement coming from this sugar-holic!)

I used cinnamon graham crackers, instead of the original honey variety.

You could probably make half the Graham Cracker Crumb Topping and have enough.

Overall, definitely a recipe worth trying again. Next time I won't get so over-zealous with the cupcake batter. Sometimes less is more (though, as you know, sometimes it isn't!)

S’more Cupcakes (from Bakerella)

Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup oil
• 6 jumbo marshmallows cut in half, plus more for decorating

Graham Cracker Crumb topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Ganache

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together with a wire whisk.

Separate the mixture in half into two bowls.

Stir cocoa into one bowl and the graham cracker crumbs into the other.

Add 1/2 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup oil to the cocoa mixture and beat on medium until combined.

Repeat adding the same ingredients to the graham cracker crumb flour mixture.

Prepare the graham cracker crumb topping:
Add the brown sugar and crumbs in a small bowl and pour on the melted butter. Stir until combined.

Pour a little graham cracker cake batter into the bottom of your baking cups and then sprinkle the topping mixture lightly on the surface.

Place a marshmallow half on top and then cover the marshmallow with the chocolate cake batter until it is about 3/4 full.

Sprinkle with more topping mixture.

Bake cupcakes for about 15 minutes. Place a cookie sheet underneath when you bake just in case. I had a little bit ooze over into the oven. Oops.

This recipe will make at least 12 cupcakes. I had a some batter from each left over so you can probably get more like 14-16.

Let cool and top with ganache.

Heat the butter and cream on the stove. Heat until just before it boils. Remove and pour over chocolate. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Pour over cupcakes and add more marshmallows if you desire.



Hope you like them!

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!!

I just stood in line for 2 hours to get free tickets to Let Freedom Ring, the India Arie concert at the Kennedy Center, at 6pm tonight. So that's exciting!

MLK Jr. Day is a great time to reflect on the Civil Rights Movement of the past...but more importantly, it is a good time to think about all those who still lack basic human rights around the world.
Last year, President Obama called on Americans to take MLK Jr. Day as a Day of Service and do something good for your community. It's not too late - just go to this website and enter in your zip code to find volunteer opportunities near you.

And don't worry - there will be cake tomorrow!

The Newbie: IT bands, Knees and Aches...Oh My!

My newbie running adventures are approximately 12 weeks old now. It's been really fun and motivating to be able to share with friends and family my weekly mileage, or my slowly increasing speed. It is also official---I got into the NYC Half Marathon lottery! Now I know for sure that my hard work will be put to use.

While I've enjoyed the challenge and the highs from workouts, I've recently hit a rut due to the wear and tear of running. As simple and natural as running is, it also can be quite brutal on your body. Years of swimming have tendered my joints to be flexible but not particularly strong, and the sport-switch is taking my body some time to adjust.  

I always thought of running as the "accessory free sport" but now I am the proud owner of a foam roller, tennis balls in my freezer, endless moleskin padding and some nice sport ice packs. The foam roller, if you've never used one before, is a log of foam that is basically self-torture (though it really does work). It's great for IT band pain, by helping to keep things from getting too tight. 

The tennis balls are to massage the neuroma in my left foot, apparently my old shoes weren't wide enough and as my mileage increased it caused swelling and now a distinctive nerve pinch between my third and fourth toe. Moleskin padding is almost permanently attached to the pad of my foot beneath the neuoroma to give some extra cushion and those ice packs practically go to bed with me now. 

Some days the aches make it hard to get up in the morning, and it can really frustrate me because a workout might get curtailed or changed due to another flare-up. 

At the same time it's taught me how important it is to pay attention to the details: my posture, how I distribute my weight, my gait/strike and how well I take care of myself pre- and post-run. While I'm somewhat of a free bird, I relish information and knowledge. The aches have led me to research more and be more aware of my body. 

When my neuroma flares up while running, I often recognize that it's due to sloppy form. When my IT band hurts, well...I was probably a wuss with the foam roller and didn't give myself enough time to warm up. I suppose I underestimated running's needs! 

The recent rut in dealing with pains have been well, a pain. I've been told my most running friends that this is probably as bad as it will get since I was vigilant about addressing the issues when they started. Now I suppose this is the less glamorous side of running: the rolling, stretching, icing routine that accompanies without fail, every run. 

While I often whine to myself I don't wanna! when I realize that I need to roll/stretch/ice before getting out the door, like a good kid I do it because I know it will save me and let me enjoy myself more on my run. 

As much as I hate being told what to do, running has tempered me a bit to listen better to my body. Man, I am totally an old lady huh? But at least a little smarter and hopefully in less pain in the future!! 

Much love and happy running, 

Newbie

Literary Bite: Suite Française

My dear friend ... think of me sometimes. I have done a lot of writing. I suppose they will be posthumous works, but it helps to pass the time. -- Irène Némirovsky

Without knowing the context or history of the book, I would say that Suite Française is a remarkable story with a lot of potential to be great. However, it’s ending seems unfinished, and the characters and story not developed to their fullest extent.

Well, that evaluation is truer than you think – Suite Française, by Irene Nemirovsky, was still in progress when the author was deported to a concentration camp and killed. Her daughters saved her manuscript and copious notes, which finally re-surfaced to be published in 2006. True story.

So really, by reading this book, you get two stories for the price of one. The one written by Nemirovsky chronicles the German invasion of France (from the French prospective). And the one “written” by historical events tells the story of Nemirovsky herself.

In Part 1, “Storm In June,” Nemirovsky tells of the mass exodus from Paris, from the point of view of 5 different people of varying social status.

Part 2, “Dolce,” lulls the reader into the gradual comfort of the German occupation. Occupying forces inhabit the country villages, and as the villagers become accustomed to their conquers, the line between French and German, friend and foe, begins to blur.

And then the narrative ends. Unfinished. Leaving you wanting more.

The extremely negative tone of these first two parts really struck me. I found myself wondering what the author had against humanity – it seemed that every time a character had the choice to behave honorably, they instead chose to yield to their basest most selfish human instincts. (I’m quite the optimist, and usually in stories about hardships, peoples caring for others surfaces in unselfish acts…but not this time. Sad face.)

However, the pessimistic tone can be explained (and even justified) by the author’s experiences while writing the book. Nemirovsky’s family was exiled from Russia when the Bolsheviks took over after the First World War. They took refuge in France, and Nemirovsky considered herself French, and her family Catholic. However, she was of Jewish ancestry, and suffered the torments of a Jew in Europe under Nazi rule. While composing her Suite (she imagined that the book would be like a 5-part symphony, divided by rhythm and tone, about 1,000 pages long), she attempted to shore up her family against the anti-Semitic onslaught.

Nemirovsky’s writing style involved extensive notes and character development pre-writing. Thus, her surviving notes give readers insight into her plans for the book. The book (Parts 1 and 2) is good on its own, but I strongly recommend you read the Appendices and the “Preface to the French Edition”. The first contains her notes. The second is a series of letters, tragically chronicling her husbands search for after Nemirovsky’s arrest. And the Preface tells the story off Nemirovsky’s life from the 3^rd person perspective.

 

Random Notes:

Two of her themes, wealth and fear:

“If I want to creates something striking, it is not misery I will show but the prosperity that contrasts with it.” (375)

 “The rest of the French, because they own less, are less afraid.” (377)

 She knew that she most likely would not live long enough to finish her masterpiece:

To lift such a heavy weight,

Sisyphus, you will need all your courage.

I do not lack the courage to complete the task

But the goal is far and the time is short. (374)

- NYT Review

- A Book Club Reading Guide

- More reviews

- Irene Nemirovsky Biography

 

I finished this book feeling profoundly sad. Sad for WWII, sad for the Holocaust victims, and most of all (and this is entirely contextual and selfish), sad that Nemirovsky died before she could finish this potentially amazing book. 

We Are Running People

I am a runner raised by runners. When people ask me how I got into running, I just kind of shrug and say that it was sort of inevitable. Not that anyone ever forced me to run. But I grew up with parents who ran every day, so it’s easy to see the source of my habits. Thus, this post is an ode to my family. Because I love them. Because I love runners. And because we are running people.

We’ll go by age.

1. Dad 

Picture a turtle. Now picture an older man running. Now combine the two. That is my father. (Though in his mind he is a svelte 90-lb Ethiopian...)

But don’t be fooled, though this guy may not look like a super-speedster now, he’s put in more than his fair share of miles over the years. He started running cross country in high school, and then got more serious after college. I mean, we’re talking 25 marathons, 13 of which were sub-2:30. That’s fast. That’s averaging under 5:30 minutes per mile pace for 26.2 miles kind of fast!

His PR? 2:24:28. Again, that's fast.

Since his speedster days, hhe’s coached college and high school track and cross country, and currently leads the cushy existence of waking up in the morning, driving to some trails for a run, and then chillaxing. (Am I jealous? Yes.) To be fair, he does put in a lot of work with his current high school team. And he seems to be a bit of a social director for the old runners in the Greater San Francisco area. He organizes runs, (going to Mt. Tam on a Sunday? He’ll be there.), and plans workouts for anyone who asks. Every time I go with them I hear stories – you know your dad, back in the day…

2. Mama

My mom and running is a bit of an enigma. She seems harmless. Almost spacey at times. Like she just goes out there and runs a bit and whatever happens happens. But let’s not discount the fact that at one point this little jackrabbit ran a 2:46 marathon. WTF??? I know, right??? She started running recreationally mid-college, and didn’t start training until after she graduated.

And get this, when she started training for her first marathon, someone at work told her that she needed to run a 20-miler beforehand. She knew a 1-mile loop in SF. So she went out one morning and ran it 20 times! Yep, true story. Exemplarary dedication or lack of creativity? I’ll leave that one up to you…

And I recently learned from my dad that her best marathon was the 1984 Olympic Trials. I mean, I knew that she ran in that race – but what I didn’t know was that until a couple months before the Trials she was training for the 1500m on the track (4:35 pr). AND that her longest run pre-marathon was only 12 miles!!!

So there’s that.

3. Sister1

Out of all 5 family-members, Sister1 probably is the least likely to consider herself a “runner.” Which says something, considering that she’s run a couple half-marathons, and did 2 years of Cross Country in high school!

4. Me.

 I’m a runner. Obviously. You all know enough about me for now.

5. Sister2

 Sister2 ran a pretty mean Jr. High mile. Then she opted for the non-running route through high school and played silly games (soccer and tennis – sorry to offend anyone) instead. 

But as we watched the Boston Marathon a couple years ago (Mama was running it), Sister2 thought, Hmm, I think I could do that. You know, I think I’ll do it next year. 

So she just went ahead and did that. She ran the marathon in under 4 hours, and is now in training for the National Marathon in DC (ever hear of the destination marathon trend? I am her destination!). Our running styles are pretty opposite - Sister2 is more into running long and slow than running fast. But whatever works for her!

And there you have it. That’s my family. And now you see why I am the way that I am. Like I said, we are running people. 

Cake of the Week: Mystery Ingredient Chocolate Cake

OK guys, this cake has a mystery ingredient. No, I won’t tell you what it is. You have to try it first. (I learned from my Mama’s mistake involving a zucchini apple crisp – make people try it before telling them what’s in it!)

I’ll give you a hint. It’s a vegetable derivative. Now guess!

Pumpkin?

No.

Cinnamon?

Umm, no. Vegetable derivative.

Tomatoes?

No, that’s a fruit.

You’ll never guess it, so I’ll just tell you. Sauerkraut!

That’s right, this week I made Sauerkraut Chocolate Cake. Bear with me here. I saw the recipe in the Washington Post a while ago, and have been meaning to try it.

But at that moment of truth, when I was supposed to add chopped saurkraut to my beautiful cake batter, I definitely hesitated. Really? It this going to totally ruin this cake? Will we have to throw the whole thing out? I wondered. The recipe says to. People have made it before – just do it!

And it’s actually not bad. The sauerkraut is rinsed and chopped, so you can’t even tell it’s in there. That being said, I’m not sure what it actually adds to the cake either. I don’t think sauerkraut has much moisture to make the cake richer. And it doesn’t add flavor. So it’s just kind of there. But the fact that no one could guess that it was in the cake speaks to its subtlety.

So give it a try, see what you think!

Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake

Ingredients:

10 2/3 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 2/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans

2 1/4 cups flour, plus more for the pans

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup water

2/3 cup homemade or store-bought sauerkraut, rinsed, drained and finely chopped

Directions:

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Use a little butter to grease two 8-inch cake pans; then flour them, shaking out any excess flour. If desired, place 8-inch circles of parchment paper or wax paper in the bottom of each pan.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition, and the vanilla extract.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.

Reduce the speed to low; add the flour mixture alternately with the water, beating until smooth.

Use a spatula to fold in the drained, chopped sauerkraut until well incorporated. Divide the thick batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans, leveling the surfaces.

Place both pans on the middle rack and bake for about 30 minutes or until the cakes spring back lightly when touched. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes two 8-inch, single-layer cakes (16 servings)

Recipe Source:

Adapted from a recipe by John Shields of Gertrude's in Baltimore.