Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes
by Maureen Johnson
I am
much more excited about this recipe than I am about the accompanying
book, but I'll stick to form and start with the book anyway. It may
just be me, but I couldn't suspend imagination enough to really enjoy
“Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.” The protagonist, 17-year-old
Ginny, gets sent on an unchaperoned European tour by a recently
deceased aunt. Moreover, she is not supposed to contact anyone from
back home. I don't remember a single instance in which she calls her
parents to let them know she's okay. (Maybe she does—I listened to
the audio book and can't go back to check!) She does “break the
rules” and message her best friend via the internet, but...that's
it. Add to this the fact that Ginny seems basically clueless, and
it's a wonder that everything turns out as well for her as it
does.The whole time, all I could think was “What the heck was
this aunt thinking?!?”
What I
did enjoy about the book, though, was that it lets the reader take
their own European tour. From exploring Harrods in London, to the
house of the vestal virgins in Rome, to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam,
this book would be a fun resource for anyone seeking to become a
little more familiar with some of the more famous sights of Europe,
or for a middle-to-high school student preparing for a trip. I've
been to Europe a few times (England, Italy and Holland), and it
brought back good memories in addition to bringing some other sights
and cultural events to my attention.
In
conclusion, “Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes” was both fun and
slightly cringe-worthy (but I'm getting old).
Now,
this olive oil gelato is purely delicious. I found the recipe on Food
52 and was a little suspicious because it uses water and no cream.
But then I read the author's notes, which said that she had had
similar reservations when she first encountered the recipe. These were put to rest as soon as she tasted the end product. So I stuck with this
recipe because it only uses six ingredients, including the water. AND
IT WAS AMAZING! So creamy! So unique! I would love to make it again with different varieties and even
flavors of olive oil. The only downside is that this recipe makes a very small batch. I just made it last night and, three small ramekins later, it is all gone. :(
I chose
to pair gelato with this book because, out of all the delicious foods
Ginny eats in all of the fascinating places she visits, I most felt
like making gelato. Ginny eats gelato for the first time in Rome.
Overwhelmed by all the flavor options, she goes for the easy choice
of strawberry. But it's not strawberry season, and I wanted to try
something new. So here it is!
Link to the book on amazon: Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes
Olive
Oil Gelato
3/4 c. coconut sugar (this is what I used, but it does turn the gelato light brown. The original recipe
calls for regular sugar)
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. water
3/4 c. whole milk
Large pinch salt
4 egg yolks
4-6 Tbsp. olive oil
1. Make sure you have pre-frozen the bowl for your ice cream maker!
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, water, milk and salt over medium heat until just before it
simmers.
4. Pour the warm mixture slowly into the eggs, whisking the whole time. Pour that mixture back into
the saucepan, and return to heat. Heat until the mixture begins to thicken, about 185 degrees.
5. Remove from heat and pour into an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate several hours.
6. Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker, and churn/freeze as directed by the machine.
7. Enjoy immediately, or freeze.
Here is the link to the original recipe: Olive Oil Gelato
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