Curious Cats and Whiskery Puns

I've been on a cozy mystery kick lately; maybe it's the onset of spring, but I've been craving tales of country life and the outdoors.  Accordingly, I've picked up where I left off in the Mrs. Murphy Series by Rita Mae Brown. I've posted a general series post, The Cat's Meow, on these books before, where I covered the overall feel of the series.  But, I think it's time to dig deeper to give you more of an idea of why you should pick this series up, so let's start with book 12.

The Basics
Brown, Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown. Whisker of Evil. New York: Bantam Books, 2005. Print.

In reviewing my previous blog post, I've realized that I never did a bio for the author - a gross oversight.  So, Rita Mae Brown. Ms. Brown has a rich history as a political activist in various rights movements. She's an active participant in American fox hunting, and her passion for fox-hunting and horses hovers ever present in much of her fiction. Lastly, she co-authors the Mrs. Murphy series with her cat Sneaky Pie, and that's probably the most awesome fact at all (or so Sebastian R. Gato informs me).

To date, there have been 20 Mrs. Murphy books and one cookbook (which I really should get my paws on). Set in the rural Southern town of Crozet, Virginia, the series follows Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen as she sticks her nose into every mystery that comes her way. And, there's a whole lot of murder going around in Crozet (perhaps they should check the water).  Fortunately, Harry has her animal companions to bail her out with their superior senses and mystery solving skillz:  Mrs. Murphy, a tiger cat; Pewter, a somewhat chubby gray kitty; and Tucker, her loyal and dauntless Pembroke Corgi.

The Book
Let's start with the title: Whisker of Evil.  I mean, what's not to love about that title! Doesn't it just conjure the image of a cat twirling its whiskers like a villain twirls his mustache? Which brings me to the best characters in the series, the animals.  Much of this story (and the others) is told in a third person point of view that follows not the human characters, but the animals who are in the human's presence.  This makes for a really fun, interesting, and different perspective.  And, as usual, Mrs. Murphy, Tucker and Pewter are whip smart and on the job.

So far, this has been my favorite book in the series to date.  In part, this is the result of the atmosphere Brown creates for her chosen setting.  I've complimented this series before on the vividness of the countryside in which the books are set, but this book exceeds all expectations.  You don't simply get a feel for the South or Virginia in this book. The book is so steeped in themes of country life, farming, horses, Southern charm and hospitality that I feel like I could reach out and run my hands over the slightly rough wooden exterior of Harry's barn.  I don't just feel like there's a well-described vivid world for me to view; I feel like I've been plopped down in this corner of Virginia and let loose to explore. It's that well done.

The other reason this is one of my favorite books so far is the quality of the mystery. This one took me and extra long time to solve. I still got there ahead of Harry (my typical goal when reading mysteries), but this one was a little harder to piece together.  I found my suspect about halfway through, but wasn't at all sure of the whys and hows, the mechanics of the mystery, until very close to the conclusion.  I'm never convinced that I've pinpointed the correct culprit until I understand those elements.  This book really drew me in by keeping me guessing.

Extras

• Let me again direct you to Rita Mae Brown's official website.
• If you're interested in picking up this series (and you really should be; it's worth it), start with Wish You Were Here.
• In honor of Sneaky Pie Brown, who is a rescue herself, let me direct you to my favorite local cat rescue, Forgotten Felines.  Don't live around here? Check out Petfinder's shelter list and search.

   

Let's Talk about Quiche

Cause really, who doesn't want to? (*glares menacingly*) Quiche is something of a family tradition on my mother's side, likely because her parents were so fond of French cuisine.  Today's recipe is for Ham and Cheese Quiche, and is only loosely based off my family recipe.  Quiche is easily adaptable to fit whatever is in your fridge at the time, so long as you get the basic custardy goodness down. This particular quiche version was inspired by my need to use up the last of the New Year ham. (waste not!) The recipe below is for two quiches, since I had two pie crusts, but the original is for one, and this recipe can be easily halved.

What You'll Need

Supplies

Large mixing bowl                                                   Cheese grater

Mixing spoon                                                            Liquid measuring cup

Medium mixing bowl                                                2 pie plates

Whisk

Ingredients

8 eggs                                                                       1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 cans cream of onion soup                                       salt and pepper to taste

8 oz swiss cheese                                                      6-8 oz leftover ham

8 oz white cheddar cheese                                        1 cup nonfat milk

2 tsp mustard                                                            2 pie shells

Now Let's Make Ham and Cheese Quiche!

Preheat the oven to 375F. 

Crack your eight eggs into your medium mixing bowl. Whisk them together until the yolks and whites are thoroughly blended.  Don't forget to fish out any shell before this step in order to avoid much grumbling.  Set the eggs aside.

Open the 2 cans of cream of onion soup and spoon the soup into your large mixing bowl. Ignore any directions on the side of the soup can, as we'll be using the soup undiluted. Over the bowl, begin shredding your swiss and cheddar cheeses.  I hope you have a nicer grater than my handheld one, although mine at least comes equipped with a lovely assistant.  This is a long, arduous process, so try not to nod off and grate yourself (flesh totally ruins quiche).  However, it's necessary, as pre-shredded cheese messes up the chemistry of the dish (what do they put on that stuff anyway?).

Once your cheese is all shredded over the onion soup (it's easier to mix that way, hence the order), add your eggs, 2 tsp mustard, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. I typically use about 2 tsp of salt and pepper respectively.  Mix everything together until it is well blended and the cheese is fairly evenly distributed.  

Now, it's time to add the ham. Take whatever ham you've got and begin pulling it apart into small pieces.  The pieces should be smaller than bite size, since they need to fit inside a bite of quiche.  I typically do this over the large mixing bowl, adding the pieces of ham as I go. Continue this process until all the ham is shredded, and mix the ham into the rest of the mixture.  Make sure that both the ham and the cheese are evenly distributed.  Pour 1 cup of nonfat milk into the bowl and stir it in. This should achieve the appropriate consistency for the custard filling of the quiche.  You want a relatively thick liquid filling here. Do NOT add too much milk, or you'll wind up with a runny quiche (mumph).

Set your filling aside for the moment.  Take your two pie shells and press them into your two pie plates. Make sure to gently press the crusts into all areas of the plate; you don't want any gaps that can create air pockets during the cooking process. I typically use one box of pre-made pie crusts with this, since each box contains 2 crusts (when I do my more traditional quiche recipe, I'll show y'all how to do the crust from scratch). Take the edges that go over the glass and fold them in, sealing them to the inner side of the crust.  The resulting edge of your pie crusts should come right up to the edge of the pie glass.

Now, pour your custard filling into the pie crusts, dividing it evenly between each. This is definitely a two person job!  You need someone to hold the bowl and half pour as you scrape the filling into the shell.  As you scrape, make sure the cheese and ham don't settle or you'll wind up with an uneven filling distribution (i.e. one pie with more liquid and one with more solids. Ick). Scrape the bowl clean to take full advantage of all that quichey goodness.  

Bake the quiches at 375F for about 50 minutes.  Check the quiches at 30 minutes: you should see the edges beginning to set with a still liquid center.  At 40 minutes the edges should be beginning to brown and the center should be almost set.  Don't be alarmed if your quiche looks puffy; it's supposed to rise.  Remove it from the oven after 50 minutes, and allow the quiche to settle and cool for a bit.  You do not want to the quiche too soon, as it might run everywhere (And being chased by a rampaging quiche is just embarrassing). 

Mmmmm... quiche!

Wait about 5-10 minutes and then serve.  A quiche divides into about 8 slices, and it pairs very well with salad.  In fact, I've never eaten quiche without also having a salad, so anything else just seems wrong.  Quiche also keeps well refrigerated for about a week. Personally I think the leftovers are even better. Now, go impress someone with your newly acquired snooty quiche recipe!

My name is Sebastian R. Gato, and I *burp* approve of this recipe.

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The Cat's Meow

I'll admit it, I'm forcing myself to write this post tonight.  Y'all are getting a post on a series that I'm a little over halfway through, because I still (yes, still) have not powered my way through Anne Patchett's State of Wonder (don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it, it's just not a quick read).  So, tonight, I'm going to post about Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown's Mrs. Murphy Mystery Series.  What kind of author is named Sneaky Pie, you ask: a cat!

The Basics
As of May 2011, there are nineteen books in this series.  That's right, 19!  And they're awesome!  The Mrs. Murphy books are cozy mysteries, meaning they're nice and light and fluffy (in this case, literally. Har har). In reading order, the books are (*deep breath*) Wish You Were Here; Rest in Pieces; Murder at Monticello; Pay Dirt; Murder, She Meowed; Murder on the Prowl; Cat on the Scent; Pawing through the Past; Claws and Effect; Catch as Cat Can; The Tail of the Tip-off; Whisker of Evil; Cat's Eyewitness; Sour Puss; Puss in Cahoots; The Purrfect Murder; Santa Clawed; Cat of the Century; and Hiss of Death.

Got that?  As you can see, the majority of the titles include a cat-themed pun, which naturally appeals to my cheesy little heart.  The books follow the adventures of heroine, Mary Minor "Harry" Harristeen, the local postmistress of tiny, rural Crozet, Virginia.  Harry has a sense of curiosity that rivals any feline, and is routinely involving herself in mysteries that crop up in the area.  Fortunately, she is also aided by her pet tiger-cat (read Tabby) Mrs. Murphy and corgi Tucker and their numerous animal cohorts.  The two intrepid detectives are determined to protect their human, helping Harry along in solving mysteries as best they can.

The Books

Of course, the heavy feline presence throughout the books appeals to my cat-loving nature, but these books are so much more than just warm and fuzzy.  First and foremost, they are excellently written, well-plotted murder-mysteries.  The story moves along at a galloping pace as the characters (animal and human alike) rush to find the solutions to the puzzle with which they are presented.  While following the basic tenants of mystery writing - introducing the murderous character early on and dropping clues along the way - the stories are rarely predictable.  While I can usually (though not always) solve the mystery before it's revelation in the book, I always feel a sense of achievement for having done so. Not once have I been disappointed by too easy a solution.  Nor does Brown resort to hiding things from her readers in order to maintain the mystery (a device which I find cheap and annoying).  Everything you need to solve the plot is provided; you just have to follow the clues (and try not to let your dull human senses get in the way, as Mrs. Murphy would caution).

Brown also imbues her novels with a light, witty sense of humor.  This necessarily prevents the stories from becoming overly serious and also combats the potential ridiculousness of highly intelligent animals.  Speaking of whom, I am pleased to report that the animals are completely believable as characters, especially to anyone already inclined to provide pets with a voice (who me?).  The animals are every bit as intelligent as their human counterparts, however, they are still very much animals.  Mrs. Murphy sees the world through a very cat-like perspective, and Tucker is very much a dog. For example, the animals often rely on their sense of smell to help them solve the mystery at hand, a sense that is much more highly utilized by the animal world than the human.  The animals also behave as animals might: tearing through the house in a fits of anger, hunting mice, and begging for scraps from the table.

One of my favorite aspects of the series is the very vivid sense of place and people. As you're reading, you can practically feel your lungs breathing in the air that is Crozet, Virginia.  Brown has clearly rooted her town in a place and history with which she is very familiar.  Readers come away with a sense that this town could really exist, and more so, they come away with a sense of the South and of Virginia.  Brown's characters are also especially well developed (and, really, given the length of the series they'd better be); you come away with a real sense of each recurring character's strengths, weaknesses, wants, needs, etc.  Readers also witness the characters grow over the course of the series, moving through personal trials and reforming opinions.  Brown has created a literary world where readers witness the place and the people change and evolve.  This creates a binding thread that runs throughout the series, connecting readers to each book despite the varied central plots.

And really, what's not to love about a series with a book entitled Whisker of Evil co-authored by cat?

Extras

• Don't forget to visit the author's webpage, filled with fun facts about the author and her writings.
• Definitely read her mini autobiography while you're there.  For just a taste of her delightful sense of humor, here's an excerpt: "My entrance occurred on November 28, 1944, and the cats, hounds, and horses of the world rejoiced.  The humans didn't give a damn. What do they know?"
• And of course the site for the Mrs. Murphy books themselves.
• Because credit must go where it is due, here's a photo of both authors, most importantly, the illustrious Sneaky Pie:

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Villainy and a Cat

It's about time for me to feature another Young Adult novel on the blog, so today's post will focus on Catherine Gilbert Murdock's recent release, Wisdom's Kiss.  As the covers declares, this book is a "Thrilling and Romantic Adventure Incorporating Magic, Villainy, and a Cat." The book fulfills that promise and more and is eminently suitable for its target teen audience, perhaps most especially girls.  Although, we all know that the black cat on the cover is what really attracted me to the book.

The Basics
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert. Wisdom's Kiss. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2011. Print.

Murdock was born in South Carolina and grew up on a Christmas tree farm (Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I think that's pretty awesome).  She is the author of several young adult books, including the acclaimed Dairy Queen series.  She is also the sister of Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame.  Wisdom's Kiss is a sequel of sorts to Murdock's novel, Princess Ben. However, it's definitely a stand-alone story, set in Ben's world, but not really picking up any of the same story line. (I have not, yet, read Princess Ben, and I was just fine).  The story follows several characters, including the prescient tavern maid, Trudy; the miller's son turned "soldier," Tips; and the adventure-seeking, not-wise-at-all Princess Wisdom.  Wisdom hastily agrees to marry the Duke of Farina on the promise of adventure, only to realize too late that she is about to enter into a family of immoral schemers.  The novel is full of adventure and suspense with just a dash of romance and magic to help things along.

The Book
There are so many things to love about Wisdom's Kiss that it's hard to know where to start. (Seriously, I've been dreading having to write this post). But, perhaps the most striking feature of the novel is the variety of forms that Murdock uses to tell her story: epistolary (letters), diary entries, a play, encyclopedia entries, and first and third person narratives.  Knowing this before I went in, I was a little wary and worried that the book would seem disjointed, but I discovered that just the opposite was true.  Each form Murdock uses tells the story of Wisdom's Kiss (here I refer to the event rather than the novel) from the perspective of a different character, giving readers a fuller picture of the story than they would find by following only a few perspectives. (It also thrills my inner literary nerd to see all the different forms).

I also liked how Murdock managed to connect all the threads of her various characters into one cohesive story line. With characters from such disparate worlds as Trudy the village tavern maid and Princess Wisdom the spoiled thrill seeker, it was important for Murdock to convincingly pull all the characters together, which she does.  She does this in large part through the various mysteries swirling around the novel.  The mystery of the nature of Tips's true profession ultimately pulls Trudy (though she has no idea there's a mystery until it's solved) along in the story line, leading her to link up with Wisdom and the Queen Mother.  Then we have the mystery surrounding Wisdom's fiance's mother and her machinations, which drive the overarching plot of the book.  A clever reader can follow along and even anticipate the goings-on that so puzzle the characters, but Murdock still manages to slip in some twists that you won't see coming. (At least one even had me exclaiming aloud). 

In all this plotting and storytelling, we also find some really great characters.  Murdock develops these characters with ease through her use of literary forms.  Each one has a particular form in which his or her story is told. Trudy gets a 3rd person narrative memoir; Wisdom, a diary; the Queen Mother, letters to her granddaughter Queen Temperance ; Tips, letters to Trudy; Felis, pompous 1st person narrative accounts of the past; and more.  And if any character need fleshing out beyond first hand accounts, we get entries in the Encyclopedia of Lax.  The book largely focuses on movement through the plot as each character is inexorably drawn to the conclusion, but in telling the story through each character's perspective and voice, Murdock simultaneously creates a real sense of character that seems so much more effortless than other novel's lengthy character descriptions.  I get the feeling that each reader will form their own attachments and have their own favorite characters, since each of Murdock's creations are equally engaging. (Personally, I liked the Queen Mother).

Lastly, you'll love the book's light and witty sense of humor that permeates almost every page. For one thing, Murdock selects some truly hilarious names for things, such as the Empire of Lax, the Siege of Cheese, or the Magnanimous Goat Incident (which, really, I'd like to know more about).  Princess Wisdom is also a great source of humor.  She's constantly and irreverently poking fun at things, creating an interesting combination of insensitive and hilarious.  For example, she ridicules her own country's naming traditions after learning that Trudy's mother's name was Mindwell: "Which is extremely ugly & extremely virtuous & only someone from Montagne would ever inflict something that awful on a poor defenseless little baby girl!" (239-40). My favorite moment, though, comes after Wisdom's entire retinue grows violently ill after eating some bad oysters and Wisdom deems the subsequent trip to Trudy's village the "Puking Path" (47).

I loved every minute of Wisdom's Kiss and think it would make an excellent stocking stuffer for the teenage girl in your life (or am I the only weirdo who thinks books are great stocking stuffers?). I know I would have adored this book as a teen. I mean, come on, it features a black cat named Escoffier for crying out loud!

Extras

• Visit the author's website for an excellently written author bio and other neat features including some good advice for aspiring authors.
• While you're there check out the book's own site, which features some nifty extras, including the author's own insight into writing the book, and a set of questions for readers, which would be great for a book discussion.
• And don't forget to pay homage to Escoffier, modeled here by Murdock's cat Charcoal.

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

So, as you see, we're getting a little festive here at The Book Pantry.  In preparation for the upcoming All Hallow's Eve, I've decided to do some special, themed posts for the week.  Tonight's post will feature Halloween-themed books - for kids! (Because I'm too much of a fraidy cat to read something for adults).  Since this is a little different than your average book post and young children's books are a little on the short side, I'll be featuring a total of 4 books.  These range from cute to Halloweeny to down-right spooky, and hopefully you'll find something that'll fit the kid in your life (even if that's just you) from among them!

Squeeeeee! Kitty!

The Cute: Pumpkin Cat
This book was written and illustrated by Anne Mortimer and published by Katherine Tegen Books in 2011.

Pumpkin Cat is a pretty tame introduction to Halloween, since it's one nod to the holiday is the pumpkin theme. Otherwise, it's a book about gardening.  I love the cover (I mean, it's a black cat, come on!) and the illustrations.  Illustrations can make or break a children's book, and this one has adorable, realistic pictures done in paint (not sure what kind, but it doesn't look like watercolor) with nice vivid colors.  Mortimer incorporates a nice sense of movement and personality into her animals, which I found kept my attention engaged nicely. The story has a cute premise, featuring Cat who wants to know where pumpkins come from and Mouse who teaches Cat to grow one.  The book ends when the pumpkin is harvested and Mouse turns it into a surprise for Cat.  The book has a repetitious structure that's great for developing early literacy skills in kids, making it a nice choice from an enrichment standpoint, too.  I also thought the instructions for growing pumpkins at the end of the book was a neat addition and a potentially fun project. (And, did I mention the cat, cause there's a cat)

"I'll do you such a trick!"

The Halloweeny: The Vanishing Pumpkin
This book was written by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Tomie dePaola, and published by G.P. Putnam's Sons in 1983.

The Vanishing Pumpkin is one of my absolute favorite children's books, Halloween aside.  Growing up, this was the Night Before Christmas of Halloween in our house.  This book covers a range in audience, being tame enough to read to a very young toddler but complex enough to be enjoyed by older children (hey, I still love having read to me).  It again features repetition, but in a more complex form.  It builds on itself, which makes it easy to hold kids' attention and encourage their participation as they catch on to the form. It also features some really great alliteration ("in fact, they fairly flew").  All of which are great for building reading skills.  The illustrations are fun and very cartoon-like and look to be done with mixed media. The story follows an 800-year-old man and a 700-year-old woman on a search for their missing pumpkin and pumpkin pie. It provides a great opportunity to do some voices as you read, like the old man, old woman, various critters, and wizard (my Da did great voices). It's just an all-around great Halloween choice, so be prepared for multiple reading requests.

D'awww.  Kitty.

The Witchy: Cat Nights
This book was written and illustrated by Jane Manning and published by Greenwillow Books in 2008.

Cat Nights again features a story great for a range of ages in kids.  In this book, we meet Felicity, who just turned 263 years old, gaining the ability to change into a cat 8 times; she loves being a cat, but if she changes a 9th time she'll be stuck as a cat forever. You'll have a great time guessing what she'll choose to do.  I liked the names in the book: Wanda, Willa, and Woo are model witches, while Felicity is more feline.  This creates some nice (though subtle) letter associations for kids to pick up on.  The illustrations are also very nice, with a unique cartoony style done in watercolor. You'll love how cute the warty little witches (I know, sounds oxymoronic) and Felicty's orange cat form are. There's also a nifty note at the end that ties the premise of the book to the Irish mythology surrounding cat nights.  This is definitely a new favorite of mine.

Those pumpkins are awesome!

The Spooky: The Bones of Fred McFee
This book was written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus, and published by Harcourt in 2002.

Let me just say that this book would have scared the pants off me as a kid (my imagination is way too active).  That said, it's not really a horribly scary book.  In the story, a brother and sister hang a plastic skeleton in a sycamore tree that does a little bit more than dance in the wind.  The book has some great features from a reading and literacy standpoint.  There is a very distinct rhyme scheme, alliteration, and a definite pattern to the rhythm of lines that creates a constant "sound" to the book.  This also adds to the spooky feel.  The artwork is in a comic book style that combines ink and watercolor.  The dark, graphic lines of the ink enhance the overall creepy factor.  It's a fun book, but only read it to kids if you want to spook them a bit (it'd be a great campfire story).

So, I hope this inspires you to grab a book and a kid (your own, of course, don't be a creeper) and read together.  Hopefully you'll have some time to scurry to a library or bookstore and snag some of these great Halloween picks.  In the mean time, know that these books come with the Sebastian R. Gato seal of approval:

My name is Sebastian R. Gato, and I approve of this message.
(Not pictured: Cat Nights)

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