Although set very far away from the Newfoundland of The Shipping News, the book that introduced me to Annie Proulx's sparkling prose and engaging storytelling, That Old Ace in the Hole (2002) shows some parallel to the earlier novel. The protagonist, Bob Dollar, is a shy man confused about his place in the world, who finds himself transplanted into a new environment full of interesting characters and rich in local customs and stories.
Adding to his clumsiness there is the fact that he is on a mission — to buy land to establish a hog farm— opposed by many of the same people that also show him kindness. Bob settles in a rough bunkhouse in Woolybucket and helps out at the Old Dog Cafe. There are no recipes in the novel, but many dishes are mentioned and I hope that some elements of the story will inspire you.
Above all, I hope that you will enjoy following Bob Dollar's adventure in the Texas Panhandle.
The deadline for publishing your post inspired by That Old Ace in the Hole is Tuesday, December 2nd
When you publish your post (or posts), you can leave a comment to this post or email me at simosite AT mac DOT com. Feel free to write a comment or email message, should you have any questions.
Buon divertimento (have fun)!
-Simona
-Simona
15 comments:
I loved the town of Wollybucket - they we so quirky! Here's my recipe inspired by the book: Egg-Topped Noodles with Asparagus & Bacon http://www.amyscookingadventures.com/2014/10/egg-topped-noodles-with-asparagus-and.html
G'day! I thought I would bake an Apple Pie in a Bag as thought would LOVE an apple pie (in the oven) as one of LeVon's quilter friends! :)
Cheers! Joanne @What's On The List
Interesting read! Will update when the blog post goes live!
Thank you, Amy for your contribution, which sounds lovely. I am glad you enjoyed the quirky town.
Sounds great, Joanne.
Simona---I will have to sort through all my highlights of this book. I have as many pithy quotes highlighted as I have food references. (And those names....) Have I told you lately I love this book?
I am so glad to read you liked the book, Debra, and can't wait to see what you cook and write from it.
G'day! My blog post just went live and commented on Amy's blog too!
Looks forward to what you cook or bake Simona and Debra's too!
Cheers! Joanne @What's On The List
http://whatsonthelist.net/2014/10/26/are-you-curious-about-apple-pie-baked-in-a-bag-cook-the-books-club/
Working on it, Simona. Can't wait to post for Cook the Books.
Hi, I posted my recipe tonight. What a plethora of wonderful recipes in this book!!! Thanks for hosting. You can find my post at http://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2014/11/ace-in-hole-chile-and-corn-bread-dinner.html
Apologies Simona, I may be in the minority, but just couldn't get into it or relate to the protagonist.
Thank you to all who posted.
Dear Claudia, please, don't worry. We've all experienced that with one book or another. It's disappointing, but as we are a diverse group, it is to be expected.
I am struggling with this book. I've started and restarted it twice already and haven't been particularly inspired to cook. Argh! I may bow out of this month. Sorry. I may try one more time this weekend to read it.
Loved, loved, loved Bob Dollar and this book. Thanks for choosing it, Simona. My post is now live:
http://wheat-free-meat-free.blogspot.com/2014/11/pigs-proulx-and-pernil-cook-books.html
Dear Camilla, please don't worry. It has happened to all of us to have a hard time with a book. Hopefully the next selection will make up for it.
Thank you, Rachel!
My post is up: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2014/11/sweet-potato-curry-chili-for-cook-books.html
Thanks for a great pick Simona! I will admit I struggled to get into the book at first but it ended up hooking me about halfway through and I really ended up liking it. ;-) Such great foodie inspiration too.
Thank you, Deb. Glad you liked the novel.
And here is my contribution: http://www.pulcetta.com/2014/12/crostata-crema-aceto-vinegar-tart.html
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