full of beans

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BOOK REVIEWS FROM THE OWNERS & STAFF OF BRIDGTON BOOKS

PAM’S PICKS FOR KIDS & YOUNG ADULTS

The Belonging Tree

By MaryAnn Cocca-Loffler, Ages 1+ Ma, Pa and Zeke Gray live happily in the center of an oak tree amongst other squirrels. Summer arrives and so does a family of loud and bossy blue jays. Their arrival infuriates Ma and Pa. Zeke, on the other hand, embraces the new neighbors. With every passing season, other families encroach on their piece of woods. No trespassing signs are posted, but eventually Ma and Pa have had enough and decide to move. Readers will discover an unexpected twist with a great message for unifying diverse communities.

How to Read to a Grandma or Grandpa

By Jean Reagan, Ages 2+ Grandparents have always loved sharing the joy of reading with their grandchildren. This book puts kids in charge of teaching grandparents how to read with them. The experience starts with knowing where to find books, then moves to using the perfect voice while reading. The fun doesn’t stop when the book ends so enjoy the journey with this great book.

How to Find a Bird

By Jennifer Ward Bird watching for kids has gained in popularity over the years. This delightful and beautifully illustrated book shows kids different ways to spot a variety of bird species found across the USA.

Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom

By Louis Sachar, Ages 8+ Wayside School reopens its doors and it is just as hilarious as previous books in this series. The builder apologizes for constructing the school thirty stories high with only a single classroom per floor. The school bell system is critical to learn so the kids can get to their classroom before the late bell. Todd reaches Mrs. Jewl’s 30th floor classroom one second late and “detention” is scribbled under his name on the board, and that is the start of his day.

Scary Stories for Young Foxes

By Christian McKay Heidicker, Ages 9+ Seven baby foxes beg their mother to tell a scary story before bedtime. The kits yawn as she retells boring stories. Mother fox warns them that deep in the woods lives an old storyteller who knows the most bone chilling stories, but the woods are dangerous and they should stay close to the den. Once mother is fast asleep, the kits quietly step into the deep dark woods in search of a terrifying story.

The Girl and the Witch’s Garden

By Erin Bowman, Ages 10+ From the outside, the majestic Mallory Estate with its manicured lawns is beautiful, but whispers of strange happenings have the neighborhood kids on high alert.

Piper doesn’t fear the estate like the others, but she also doesn’t want to spend her summer vacation there with her mother. She wants to be with her sick dad. When Piper befriends a band of orphaned kids with magical talents who are determined to discover the secrets hidden within the estate’s neglected garden, she joins the search in hopes of discovering a cure for her father.

Sisters of Sword and Song

By Rebecca Ross, Ages 13+ Reviewed by Sophia Berry Two magicless sisters in a world bursting with magic must find their way. One sister, Halcyon, is a soldier and the other sister, Evadne, tends the family’s olive grove. Their lives change when Halcyon is convicted of a murder she says she didn’t mean to commit. Sensing there is more to the story, Evadne takes the last five years of her sister’s sentence and quickly realizes that something is happening that could shake the foundation of her world. My favorite part of this novel is the masterful way Rebecca Ross switches between the perspective of the two sisters.

Into the Clouds: The Race to Climb the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain

By Tod Olson, Ages 13+ Although Mt. Everest stands at 27,988 feet, K2 is technically more difficult. Houston’s first attempt at K2 in the 1920s helped fuel his obsession to return and summit, fifteen years later he traveled back to basecamp to fulfill his dream. While there are lots of mountaineer books available, what I found interesting about this YA book is how ill prepared they were by today’s standards.

Foolish Hearts

By Emma Mills, Ages 14+ Trapped in a bathroom at a friend’s house party, Claudia accidentally overhears the school’s hottest couple, Iris & Paige, breaking up. Her cell phone chimes at the worst possible time as they discover their conversation exposed. Things go further south when Claudia is forced to try out the for the school play along with Iris. Iris’s dislike for Claudia is obvious, but they must work together as Iris deals with her break-up and Claudia falls for the lead character in the play.

This story for teens has it all: a bromance, a romance and exposed vulnerability. Emma Mills doesn’t shy away from teenage struggles.

A Breath Too Late

By Rocky Callen, Ages 15+ Regret . . . it only takes one second, and then there is no turning back. Ella reflects on her pre-suicide life from an out-of-body state and questions how she got to this place and why she’s there.

Ella’s mom repeatedly promised to escape her verbally and physically abusive husband, but each time he begs for forgiveness with a promise of change. People don’t change without help and Ella knows that.

Even though this book left me speechless, Ella’s story of losing the fight must be told because there is help out there, and she found that out one second too late. The book ends with a list of domestic abuse hotline numbers.

continued from page 19 a bucket with water and car wash and they would spend hours washing the trucks because they didn’t want them to look gross.”

Kyle explained that they might whine and have some morning issues at home, but when they hopped on to their equipment, they were 100% better and willing to work together.

Fruit snacks, Coolattas®, a small purple picnic table, beach umbrella, Tonka Trucks® for Archer, and mounds of dirt kept the kids entertained when they needed a break from work. They, however, hardly considered what they were doing to be work despite the fact that the girls helped lay out at least two tenths of the trail. Their grandfather would load their trucks, they’d drive them across the field and dump the dirt or gravel, which their father would spread while they went back down for the next load and so it would go.

Instant gratification came in the form of Kyle spreading the dirt or gravel as soon as the girls dumped it so that when they returned with another load, they could see that ten more feet of the trail had been constructed. Said their dad, “It gave them a sense of value and importance. And now they get to come walk it and know that they built it. Forever this is going to be a part of them.”

Of the trail and work, Tillie said, “I enjoyed running my track truck back and forth. I liked moving dirt. When we caught up, we could pick blueberries and I found mica.”

For Hazel, “My favorite parts were helping dump the dirt and daddy helping me. And beeping my horn. It’s very loud.”

Archer didn’t say much. He didn’t have to because his sisters talked for him, But his joy was evident in his eyes.

At the end of the day, much like we imagine Edwin Peabody Fitch and his siblings, and the Monroes and Normanns who followed, the Warren kids were exhausted, hungry, and disgustingly covered with dirt. They were as ready for business as those who had come before them. R

Full of Beans by perri black

Some people inherit fine jewelry, valuable artwork, or large tracts of real estate; I inherited jars and bags of dried beans, and not the kind that grow into giant beanstalks leading to castles in the clouds. While not redeemable for significant amounts of hard currency, these beans are a welcome and nutritional part of my family legacy.

My mother was a big fan of dried beans, especially the heirloom varieties she grew to exhibit at the Fryeburg Fair. Mom was a historian who earned her second degree in New England Studies from the University of Southern Maine. She focused on traditional rural home crafts, such as spinning fibers and weaving textiles, and I’m sure dried beans appeared somewhere during her research into 19th century New England life. At any rate, something sparked her interest and she began to grow dried beans in our vegetable garden.

After her first harvest, she was hooked. She continued to grow different varieties of dried beans over the years and won many prize ribbons, including blues, at the Fryeburg Fair. To enter the fair, however, one needs only enough beans to fill a few halfpint jars; the rest of the harvest is presumably consumed by the farmer. Not so with Mom—she wasn’t interested in cooking. Despite my protestations, she continued to grow several kinds of dried beans every year; she’d shell some to enter in the fair and leave behind paper bags full of the rest, still in their crispy pods. Thus, my inheritance.

I’m not complaining, though. I whiled away many autumn evening hours shelling those bags of beans and fondly remembering my mom. The beans are very decorative in their jars lined up on the shelves and they are delicious in salads, soups, and other recipes depending on the season. I have also given some to friends who will carry on my Mom’s tradition of growing the beans to exhibit at the fair.

Beans are culturally ubiquitous, versatile, and good for you. Most cuisines include some of the thousands of varieties—think soybeans in Asia, lentils in India, Italian cannellini beans, Mexican black beans and navy beans in the U.S., to mention only a few. Beans are high in fiber and protein and can serve as a low-carb substitute for potatoes in many recipes, particularly soups. They are also inexpensive, easy to cook, and freeze well. Properly stored dried beans will keep virtually indefinitely in the pantry but for the best taste and nutritional value they should be consumed within two or three years of drying.

As an added bonus in these pandemic times, the (usually undesirable) flatulent effect of beans may encourage social distancing and wearing face masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Perhaps the CDC should include bags of dried beans in their list of essential Personal Protective Equipment.

There are a number of ways to cook dried beans so experiment to find which way suits you best. I always soak beans before cooking. Beans dried from the current harvest won’t need much soak time, maybe as little as a few hours, but older beans require much longer—I’ve soaked some for as long as three days. My mom cooked her beans in a crock pot and I usually do, too. Drain soaked beans and put three parts water to one part beans in the crock pot; cook on high for three hours. When the time is up, taste the beans and, if necessary, continue cooking, tasting every 20 minutes or so until desired tenderness is reached. You can also bring the soaked beans to a boil in a large pot, cover the pot, and simmer on the back burner until done, tasting every 20 minutes after about an hour. Like soaking, the length of cooking time will depend on the age of the beans.

I often put a halved onion, some whole garlic cloves, a few black peppercorns, and a couple of bay leaves into the crockpot with the beans to add a little flavor. Other spices and herbs can be added depending on how you intend to use the cooked beans. The jury is still out on whether or not to salt the beans before they are fully cooked (apparently some think salt toughens the bean skins). I salt mine after cooking, just to be safe.

There are too many recipes for traditional New England baked beans to include here—I’m sure most people already have their own favorites. I prefer the English version with Heinz baked beans (vegetarian in a tomato sauce) on toast topped with chopped onion and grated Cheddar cheese, anyway. But I will share a few of my favorite bean recipes that most people seem to like. R

quick, easy bean salad 2 to 4 servings as a side dish This delicious salad is very free-form and has endless variations. It can also be doubled or tripled to take to potluck dinners or picnics. Use whatever beans you like and have on hand. Vary the amount and type of sturdy fresh salad vegetables depending on taste and availability. Use a pre-made bottled vinaigrette dressing or make your own—try experimenting with different types of vinegar. 1 1/2 c cooked chickpeas (1 can) or other beans of choice 1/4 c each diced onions, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, and cucumber salt and pepper to taste 1/4 to 1/2 c vinaigrette dressing* *Classic French vinaigrette: In a small bowl mix together 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/8 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper until salt dissolves. Whisk in 4 tbsp olive oil and 1 teaspoon

Dijon mustard until thoroughly combined.

Combine beans and vegetables in a bowl. Add ¼ cup dressing and taste. Gradually add more dressing plus salt and pepper, tasting all the time (as cook you decide when it’s right!). Chill at least an hour before serving. Refrigerate leftovers for a great lunch. creamy white bean and fennel casserole From Aaron Hutcherson in The New York Times, 4 to 6 servings 6 tbsp olive oil 2 large fennel bulbs (about 2 lbs.) salt and black pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 c cooked dried white beans (cannellini,

Great Northern, navy) or 2 14-ounce cans 1/2 c heavy cream 1 tsp fresh lemon zest plus 2 tbsp juice from 1 lemon 1/2 c panko breadcrumbs (use chopped nuts for a gluten-free dish) 1/2 packed c finely grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 425˚. Trim fennel, reserve and roughly chop about ¼ c fennel fronds. Cut bulb in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel, season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally until softened but retaining a little bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour 1-1/2 c cooked beans (or 1 can with liquid) into a blender. Add cream, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp oil; puree until smooth. Add remaining beans to the skillet along with the bean puree. Stir and season generously with salt and pepper.

Mix panko with remaining oil in a small bowl. Add Parmesan, lemon zest, and ½ tsp pepper, toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly over fennel/bean mixture in skillet.

Bake until bubbly and lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Broil 1 or 2 extra minutes until topping is browned in spots (if desired). Top with reserved chopped fennel fronds and serve hot. ribollita (Tuscan “reboiled” bean soup) Adapted from Soups and One-pot Meals by Christian Teubner, 4 to 6 servings 8 1/2 ounces dried (or 2 cans) white beans (cannellini, navy, Great Northern) 4 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic, diced 2/3 c diced onion 5 ounces ham, meaty ham bone, or pork chop 1 small dried chili pepper 2 thyme sprigs and 1 rosemary sprig, or 1/2 tsp each, dried

1 c diced carrots 2/3 cup thinly sliced celery 3/4 c thinly sliced leeks 10 ounce pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, or equivalent fresh

Salt and pepper 4 to 6 slices baguette or country-style bread, toasted

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese If using dried beans, soak overnight and drain. Heat half the olive oil in a large pot and sauté garlic and onion without letting them brown. Add the beans and ham/pork, pour in 9 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add chili pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Simmer covered for an hour.

Heat remaining olive oil in frying pan and sauté carrots, celery, and leeks 3 to 4 minutes stirring continuously. Add vegetables to beans and meat, simmer 50 minutes. Add spinach and simmer another 20 minutes.

Set oven to broil. Remove meat from soup and chop into small pieces. Set aside.

Remove half the soup to a bowl or blender and purée using an immersion or regular blender and then return to the pot. Add meat and season with salt and pepper.

Put toasted bread in ovenproof soup plates or bowls and sprinkle with half the Parmesan cheese. Ladle in the soup, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and place briefly under the broiler to melt the cheese. Serve immediately. cassoulet with lots of vegetables Adapted from Mark Bittman’s The Food Matters Cookbook, 4 to 8 servings I make this is my slow cooker. 2 tbsp olive oil 1 pound Italian sausages, bone-in pork chops, bone-in duck breasts, or mushrooms 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 leeks, rinsed and sliced, 2 sliced onions, or 2 small sliced fennel bulbs 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 zucchini or 1 small head green cabbage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Salt and pepper 2 c chopped tomatoes (canned are fine – include their juice) 1/4 c chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried 2 bay leaves 4 c cooked beans of choice (canned okay, reserve liquid) 2 c stock (vegetable or chicken), dry red wine, bean liquid, or water Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add meat or mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned, 10 to 15 minutes for meat, a bit less for mushrooms. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and transfer to slow cooker (if using) or plate.

Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, leeks, carrots, celery, and zucchini; sprinkle with salt and pepper, cook about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with their liquid, herbs, and meat/mushrooms (if not using slow cooker) and bring to a boil. Add beans and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. If using a slow cooker, transfer everything to it now. If not, reduce heat so mixture bubbles gently and continuously, cook 20 to 30 minutes, adding stock or other liquid about halfway through cooking if mixture gets too thick and vegetables are melting away.

For slow cooker, set to high and cook 2 to 3 hours, checking on progress starting at 2 hours. Add stock or other liquid if mixture looks too dry.

When ready to serve, remove meat (if using) and debone (if necessary) and chop into chunks. Discard bay leaves. Return meat to pot, add a pinch of cayenne, cook another couple minutes to warm through (may take a little longer with a slow cooker). Taste and adjust seasonings.

These recipes are lovingly dedicated to Sue Black, who passed away on June 22, 2018, and is deeply missed by her family.

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