I just made Kitty Morse's Mint tea from her book Scent of Orange Blossoms. For years I have been digging and chopping away at a large patch of spearmint that takes over a section of my yard trying to get rid of it. Now after making Kitty's mint tea I am looking for another empty space to plant more. A simple infusion of fresh spearmint leaves, a little green tea and some sugar provided am amazing treat.

A celebration of Jewish cuisine that came from the interaction between Jews and Moslems in North Africa and Spain. When the author Kitty Morse led eating tours of Morocco, the highlight was a meal at the villa of retailer Danielle Mamane in Fez el Jdid. Both women have collaborated on this well designed and interesting book of recipes. I recommend it for its recipes, design, stories, and photographs. In addition to recipes, letters between mothers and their newly married daughters, and introductory stories, the authors list menu plans (with recipe page numbers) for the Jewish holidays, as well as the more Moroccan Jewish celebrations of La Mimouna (Pesach period), Hillula (visiting sages), and Kappara (pre-Yom Kippur). For Jewish weddings, there is the customary flan (t'faya). For Mimouna, the recommended recipes are Chicken with Orange Juice; Sephardic Mafleta pancakes; and couscous with raisin and onions confit. My favorite recipes include Walnuts with Pomegranate Seeds (which uses a heavy dose of orange blossom water); a cucumber with lemon salad; fish filets made in Fez style (with tomatoes, potatoes, and garlic); Fresh Fava Bean Soup with Cilantro for Passover; Chicken Couscous with Orange Blossom Water for Yom Kippur; Harira or Lentil and Chickpeas Soup (for Moslem Ramadan and Jewish Yom Kippur break-the-fasts); Meatballs in Onion Cinnamon Sauce, Chicken with Saffron and Ginger and Onions; and Honey Doughnuts for Hannukah. There are Fish Fillets a la Fassi (Fez style); Dafina Shabbat Stew (skhina); Chicken with Garbanzo Beans in Tetouan style; and Tangier style Potato Stew that uses preserved beef (kleehe). The Tagine of Beef uses carrot and turnips as well as cilantro, garlic, ginger, and tumeric. The Cornish Hens with Fresh Figs uses 12 figs and 12 threads of saffron; the Chicken with Onion and Tomatoes uses toasted almonds, ginger and eight threads of saffron. Preserved fruits, lemons, and kumquats play an important role in the cuisine. There is a recipe for Sephardic Shabbat Challa, and the Top of The Shelf spice that is often used; it includes a blending of cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, allspice, mace, salt and ginger. La Maguina, a vegetable and meat frittata, is sliced like meatloaf. Some unique soups and salads are a white and chard soup a la Tangiers; a fennel salad; a tomato and bell pepper salad with garlic, paprika and sugar; fava bean salad with cumin; and tomato with preserved lemons.

The Scent of Orange Blossoms is a lovingly assembled cook's tour of a regional cuisine that obviously has special meaning for the author. All eight of Kitty's cookbooks have been beautifully written and illustrated, but this one, with its mouthwatering recipes and pages of luscious photos by her husband Owen, is truly a feast for the senses.

I spent three wonderful years living in Morocco and although I learned many recipes from Moroccan neighbors and some from Kitty herself, I have found in her latest book new combinations of spices, fresh vegetables and meats that I can't wait to try. Most of the Sephardic families had left Morocco when I lived there in the seventies and most of their recipes had gone with them. Kitty's meticulous research with Danielle and the wonderful stories and letters that illustrate this tome make it as much a history book as a cook book.

More than anything else, at this time of great conflict and crisis in the world, The Scent of Orange Blossoms is a wonderful reminder of how Jews and Arabs can live (and cook) together in peace and harmony as they did for centuries in Morocco.

I must go now and begin preparing my preserved lemons (p. 20).

Salaam and shalom.

The Sharpest Sight by Louis Owens is a mystery, a police procedural, a thriller, an exploration of identity, and magical realism all rolled up into one excellent novel. Sharpest Sight takes place in a [lightly fictionalized] Salinas Valley, California sometime near the end of the Vietnam War. Attis McCurtain, Vietnam vet and insane killer, has escaped from the state hospital and may or may not be dead. Mundo Morales, who is Mexican-American, Catholic, a Vietnam vet, a sheriff's deputy, and an old friend of Attis', and Cole McCurtain, who is Choctaw-Irish-American, and Attis' younger brother, must each try and unravel the mystery of Attis' disappearance. Mundo is aided by his duty to his buddy, his duty to his position in law enforcement, his love of his wife and child, and the ghost of his grandfather. Cole gets help from his dad Hoey, his Uncle Luther, a Choctaw elder and shaman, Old Lady Blue Wood, another elder and shaman, and his duty to his brother. The local crazed bartender, a twitchy Vietnam vet FBI agent, and the family of the girl Attis killed also play a major role. As the flooded river recedes towards dry river bed, all the characters converge towards a solution to the mystery and in some cases, a greater understanding of self. Potential readers unable to suspend disbelief in order to deal with ghostly grandfathers and magical Choctaw dirty tricks shouldn't even try to wade into this novel. For all others, I recommend that you dive into The Sharpest Sight and see where the flow takes you.

"The Sharpest Sight" reads a little like a murder mystery and a little like a road trip book, though both descriptions fall woefully short of doing this book justice. This is a complex tale of self-discovery and psychic healing set amid a backdrop of Native American and Hispanic culture and history, with Viet Nam flashbacks, fumbling feds and some mildly graphic sex scenes to help keep the action moving forward. While the main characters are vividly drawn, and completely believable and sympathetic, for my money it was some of the secondary characters who made this book worthwhile. The bar owner, Jessard Deal, is particularly entertaining, especially as he disintegrates late in the book. Some of his dialogue is priceless. The same goes for some of the FBI agents, which take on absurd cariciature-like qualities late in the book. Louis Owens has a deft hand with subtle intrigue and the surreal qualities of truth and discovery, and is expert at creating an authentic sense of place and character.

up your spine with this mystery evocative of Garcia Marquez and Hillerman rolled into one. Choctaw/Cherokee/Irish Vietnam vet Attis McCurtain is murdered; his friend Mundo Morales and his great uncle Luther know it immediately through vision and dreams. His brother Cole and father Hoey must find the body which authorities believe is still a living psycho on the lam.

As with his other novels, Owens tightly weaves many cultures to achieve a beautiful, funny and suspenseful story. If you're familiar with the mythological alter egos of Attis McCurtain and Diana Nemi it will take your breath away in its intricacy. A quick trip to read up on these two in Frazer's The Golden Bough will bring the story full circle, as many Native American stories tend to be presented. This book has the sexiest octogenarian couple readers are ever likely to encounter along with surprise players from across cultures and times

I really love this book ~ it is perfectly illustrated for children.

Peter Spier is one of my favorite illustrators of children's books. Here, his illustrations for three verses of Francis Scott Key's poem and song, "The Star-Spangled Banner," provide an excellent introduction for children to the meaning behind his famous lyrics.

I usually read this aloud to primary classes around a patriotic holidays. This year, because of our late school year, I read it for Flag Day. Since the words and historical setting are unfamiliar to most younger students, I have begun introducing this book with "The Story of 'The Star Spangled Banner,'" which can be found in "The Children's Book of America," edited by William J. Bennett. These two volumes make fine companions.

Even with this introduction, Key's text needs explaining, however with Spier's finely detailed illustrations, this task is much easier. Children love to examine the intricacies and they usually come up with some excellent comments and questions. On the page featuring Arlington National Cemetery, they ask about who died in battle, why some of the grave markers are stars instead of crosses, and why the flag is flying at half-mast.

Our copy of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is nearly worn out from heavy use. That should say something about the popularity of this excellent patriotic book.

our four-year-old claims this is his FAVORITE book. Perhaps it is because his mother chokes up and tears drop to her cheeks as she reads this book. We have found that this is an excellent read-aloud and has stretched our four-year-old's language skills in many ways. As if The Star Spangled Banner weren't moving enough, the arrangement of pictures flows along with the words of the song to create an image of heroics and bravery. In addition, little incidentals like soldiers feeding their horses and wet clothes hanging to dry aboard ship cause us to remember that these were real people fighting. Peter Spier mixes history with the present as he causes us to remember what these men were fighting for. We see schools and businesses, Arlington Cemetery and the Statue of Liberty, cities and rural farms, synagogues and churches, Amish buggies and a Friends Meeting House all as evidence of our cultural diversity. We also see that the fight continues as we witness a renovation project and scientists working in a lab. The first, second and fourth verses are illustrated. The pictures help the capable parent define words such as "conceals" and "discloses." In addition, the artwork contains so much information and story that conversation just develops as the book is read. There is an oustanding collection of Flags of America and a thorough history of the War of 1812. The words to all four verses of the Star Spangled Banner and the music by J Stafford Smith follow. Peter Spier is becoming our hero as the author of our favorite children's books.

Todd Borg is a Tahoe resident and small businessman. He also teaches part time at Lake Tahoe Community College. TAHOE ICE GRAVE is his third Owen McKenna and Spot mystery. Mr. Borg's first two novels in the series, TAHOE DEATHFALL and TAHOE BLOWUP, won several awards, including "Top 5 winner of Bay Area Independent Publishers Association" and "Librarian's Choice, Best Fiction 2001" by the Cincinnati Public Library.

Thos Kahale's body is found naked near Rubicon Point in Lake Tahoe, his clothes neatly folded onshore and a bullet through his head. Thos's mother, Janeen Kahale hires Owen McKenna to look into the death. Thos was an upstanding young man with a successful business and a discreet nature, and there is no apparent reason for his death. Owen has to dig deep to find the reasons, and in the meantime the Kahale family seems to be dying at an alarming rate. All Owen has to go on is a suicide note left by Thos and his family history:

"'Janeen, Thos's note says he was responsible for the deaths of three people. Jasper's father and brother have died in the last few weeks. Could they be two of he people Thos referred to?' 'Of course not. Jasper's father died of lung cancer. His brother in a car accident. Obviously, Thos could not have had anything to do with either death.'"

One of the real strengths of the Owen McKenna series is the characterization. Mr. Borg has a knack for telling a "tall tale" with larger-than-life characters. Owen himself is 6'6", and his dog spot is a Great Dane who is perfectly tuned to Owen's commands. McKenna's girlfriend Street completes the triad; an entomologist (science of insects) who deals with the grisly forensic side of murder. Together the threesome make for a winning combination of grit, intelligence, strength, and tenderness that is captivating to the reader. But Mr. Borg's plots are also super-twisters that take the reader back and forth, into and out of the mountain scenery at a dizzying rate. TAHOE ICE GRAVE is as compelling as any of Todd Borg's tales to date. With each book his writing advances to a new level, much to the delight of his growing audience. A big thumbs up.

Todd Borg knows how to win fans...
Taho Ice Grave is a well executed story that
provides fast moving, compelling suspense.
Owen and Spot pack the realism that all mystery
readers enjoy.
Add Todd Borg's name to your list of favorite
authors!!!

Murder in the deep icy waters of Lake Tahoe; the search for a priceless manuscript and the ruthless killer who would do anything to get his hands on it; a frantic chase up frigid mountain cliffs to a hidden ice cave-Owen McKenna and his faithful Great Dane "Spot" are at it again.
"Tahoe Ice Grave," Todd Borg's third thriler in the Owen McKenna myatery series, is every bit as fast paced and spell binding as his first two, "Tahoe Deathfall" and "Tahoe Blowup." Borg's attention to detail and unique talent for character portrayal go a long way to make "Ice Grave's" people and places larger than life. A fast paced read that will keep you turning the pages 'till the wee hours of the morning.

I believe William A. Owens is all too often overlooked as one of Americas greatest authors and this book just proves my point. It is a great piece of work and an inspiration to all that read it.

My one line summary says it all. I am sure I was there. I anticipate each chapter anxiously waiting to see what funny, tragic desperate event is next and admiring the author for the practical and inventive mechanisms he has in place to keep his education going. I would like to know more about him in his later life.

I first read This Stubborn Soil 8 years ago and I can still recall images conjured up by this books beautiful writing. I consider this book to be a classic. It is written in a simple, straight forward manner which fits the story perfectly. The characters are vivid and you can almost feel the dust blowing and the rain drenching you. The hardships endured by Mr. Owens family and the story of his success are truly inspirational. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel real emotions being brought out by a piece of literature. When I read it I cried

I first read Wonderful Fool in a high school English class, it was out of print so my teacher photocopied 60 copies of the entire book, and it was wel worth it. I loved both the story and the way it was told, with vivid colors and moods. Highly recommended

Didn't Mr Endo pass away in 1996?

Being a large fan of Shusaku Endo, when I saw this book with an interesting title, I decided to read it. I was very happily surprised. Not only is this excellently written story a very moving tale, but it is often very funny. Endo has used his talent to tell the story of an often foolish man named Gaston Bonaparte, a man with a passion for Japan. He travels to Japan and stays with a small Japanese family. While his old pen pal, the only son of the family, is very supportive of him, the only daughter does not like him at all. Things get even worse when he is abducted by an angry gangster, and eventually forced to make the greatest sacrifice of all. If you like dramatic, moving, and funny stories, make sure you read this one.

This book is excellent-not only are the portraits of our canine fellows top-notch, the writing is insightful, informative, and compassionate-providing a truly unique veiw on the lives of these "working dogs" and the profound impact their services have on all of our lives, whether we are aware of them or not (for example, the mine-detection dogs). And there are the dogs that entertain us as well (circus dogs, broadway stars and 'supermodels'). Dogs are an integral part of American culture, and this book is a wonderful look at them (and us). Packed with pictures, this book is more than your average coffee table book and makes an excellent gift for dog-owners and animal lovers alike. Also a great book to share with children-the facts of these dogs lives are every bit as interesting and compelling as fiction.

This Book is GREAT! It is loaded with dogs. Chock full. I like to browse a book and this one takes hours just for the first pass. Not only are the pictures endearing, subtle, and insightful, but the text is a pure treat. I have literally laughed out loud (Sparky the guard dog) - been moved almost to tears (Nadia the seizure alert dog) - and have been simply awestruck (William Wegmen's Batty the super model). I have learned things about dogs that I absolutely did not know before.

Dog lover or not - this book is a must!

A heartfelt look at many of man's best friends and their life's work. Pictures are all black and white and give insight into these pooches lives. Stories are vivid and entertaining. Great for the coffee table or a gift for the dog lover in your family.

I stumbled upon this book while searching for another anthology. This book is outstanding! It's like a breath of fresh air on a topic that has received more heat than light. I'm tempted to buy another copy!

This collection fills a void in literature by placing in one volume praisesongs to the many Black men who rarely make the evening news: fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers--heroes who never stopped and who never will abandon their commitment to their women, families and communities. Without hypberole, these sister- poets celebrate the Black men who have graced their lives; in so doing, they provide a welcome opportunity for the rest of us to do the same. Whether I share Adam of Ife' with students or "celebrants" at a funeral, people are genuinely thrilled that such an anthology exists. Naomi Long Madgett is to be commended for editing such a powerful volume.

I wanted to just "read" the book to the kids. But gosh, I started singing it. And did they love it. I sang and flipped pages as fast as I could. Over and over. I teach preschool and this was America week. This was pretty much the only book about America their "level." It has beautiful "impressionistic" painitings of all sorts of beautiful and significant places in America that you can talk about. And if you are proud and interested, the kids will be too. We sit on a map rug so the kids are getting familiar with all our landmarks. But this book helps learn the song and gets them familiar with our nation. The last page has a picture of the Statue of Liberty in the harbor, "from sea to shining sea." I felt so good to read this to the kids. Please get this to make not only children feel good about where they come from, but also you as well!

The book has good illustrations and it has the song five times. The illustrations go very nicely with the words to the song.

Louis Owens is one of America's most astute literary critics and one of her finest authors. A better choice as editor for this book could not have been made.

You owe it to yourself to read this man's books. He's a geniuswhen it comes to literary interpretation, and a writer of very goodfiction in his own write. Right!