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The Final Culinary Frontier: The Star Trek Cook Book by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel

28 Sep


I have at times been disappointed by some cookbooks based on popular TV shows, books, or movies due to not having food that actually feels like it comes from that world, but instead just having food items with cleverly titled names, but no connection to the franchise itself.  The Star Trek Cook Book by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel, however, truly feels immersive.  Dishes are listed by the alien species whose planet originated the dish and it is explained that the earth ingredients are substitutions for hard to find off planet ones.  Dishes included resemble those from a variety of earth cuisines and have a sprinkling of molecular gastronomy type techniques that give the dishes a futuristic feel like the Porakan Cloud Eggs which have you separating chicken eggs, beating the whites, and then combining them again when baked for a dish that “replicates the unique properties” of the Porakan variety.  Large full color illustrations are included with each dish. 

I’m planning to have a cocktail party with some of my Star Trek loving friends featuring Ferengi Tube Grub Skewers (don’t worry gnocchi stand in for grubs), Denobulan Sausages, and Klingon Krada Leg Skewers with libations including Klingon Bloodwine, Romulan Ale, and Risan Mai-Tais.  My son is particularly looking forward to helping me with the Starfleet Food Rations, which are suspiciously similar to mochi candy. 

Difficulty is cleverly measured in pips and the reader is given tips on what the recipe pairs well with as well as “diplomatic plating” suggestions.  Definitely recommended for Star Trek fans, even those who aren’t usually fans of cooking will smile over recipes like Spatchcocked Tribble.  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to an early copy. Fantasy Foodies can check out a previous post featuring cookbooks based on Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and True Blood.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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A Big Novel with even Bigger Impact: Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra 

8 Sep

I love this blurb excerpted from the New York Times Book Review in the front of my copy of Vikram Chandra’s novel: “Sacred Games [is] as hard to put down as it is to pick up.”  The paperback edition I read runs to 947 pages and weighs in at 1 3/4 pounds. If the sheer size of the book is a deal breaker for you, consider the ebook; you won’t be sorry.

The story involves a Sikh policeman working in Mumbai, Sartaj Singh, and his quarry, a mafia-like crime boss Ganesh Gaitonde. It is told in alternating chapters by those two, with a few insets to fill in some back story. There is also a heavy dose of religion, and the tensions between Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh faiths is a running theme throughout. The search for a Hindu guru is also a significant plot point.

The demise of Ganesh is apparent toward the beginning of the book. But the question as to how he met his end provides the suspense. What a wild tale it is to reach that point, as the story unfolds in a largely chronological manner. You can imagine the narrative playing out like a Bollywood movie. The characters are all conversant in the classics of Bollywood and frequently quote the lyrics of the songs, refer to actresses and actors, and plot lines. Not to worry if you’re not up on them. There is an extensive glossary at the back of the book that translates the Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi words and phrases, including the Bollywood lyrics. Ganesh is involved in bankrolling a movie at one point. And characters make comparisons of movies to real life. If something is too “filmi” it could only happen in the movies.

The glossary also has translations of what I would consider four letter words in English.  If you are easily offended by coarse language, you may want to skip this one. But definitely don’t overlook the glossary if you are reading the ebook version. You may also want to avail yourself of translate.google.com or quick google searches. While the glossary is extensive, you will still find a lot of the foreign words aren’t included.

If you are going to read in ebook format, I suggest checking out the ebook version available from Hoopla (hoopladigital.com). Did you know that you can renew several times without having to worry about availability? That’s a most welcome feature in a book of this length. Hoopla also has an album of Bollywood tunes available, as well as an ebook titled Bollywood Kitchen, a cookbook that pairs some Bollywood movies with dishes to make for “Dinner and a Movie” enjoyment.  You can work off the extra calories with Hoboken Public Library’s Bollywood fitness program, you can check out on Hoboken Public Library Health and Wellness YouTube channel.

Written by:
Victoria Turk
Reference Librarian

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