This year, for the first and probably the last time I will celebrate them on the same day, Chanukah begins on Thanksgiving. I usually make some Chanukah recipes with oil, or fried, as is traditional, but I also like to…
Features
Riding the Rails Home for the Holidays
by Nora H. Caplan • • 0 Comments
I’m sorry to say that my experience on Amtrak just isn’t the same as the B&O and the Frisco trains were when I used to take them in the late l940s and early ‘50s. Part of my pleasure of being…
Mike at the Movies
by Mike Cuthbert • • 0 Comments
The Counselor (R) **** When you see the cast of this film and its credits, you know you’re in for an interesting time: Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Bruno Ganz and Rosie Perez, just to…
“The Good House” Written by Ann Leary
by Betty Hafner • • 0 Comments
Hildy Good is someone you will want to know. The outspoken narrator of Ann Leary’s 2012 novel “The Good House” takes you into her confidence right away, or so it seems. Leary’s 60-something character is a top-notch realtor in the…
“The Chaperone”
by Staff • • Comments Off
By Laura Moriarty I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to get a social history lesson on the 1920s than reading Laura Moriarty’s 2012 novel, “The Chaperone.” Moriarty brings alive that decade while telling a story that is impossible to…
Mike at the Movies
by Mike Cuthbert • • Comments Off
“Prisoners” (R)**** Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal play opposite types in this excellent thriller whose only real problems are the musical score and its length of 153 minutes. The score is often unnecessary and even irritating as it underlines the…
Wings of Wonder
by Nora H. Caplan • • Comments Off
Just beyond my patio garden there is an abelia bush that is bursting with pale pink blossoms. This year it is especially eye-catching because of a host of yellow and black swallowtail butterflies that flutter, dip for a moment into…
‘The Burgess Boys’
by Staff • • Comments Off
Written by Elizabeth Strout Athought crept into my mind as I read Elizabeth Strout’s newest novel, “The Burgess Boys” (2013) — “Do they ever award a Pulitzer Prize to someone twice?” This is Strout’s first novel since winning the esteemed…
Mike at the Movies
by Mike Cuthbert • • Comments Off
“The Spectacular Now” (R) ***** As a critic, I have been hard on low-talent, high-glamour young actors who mistake posing for acting and care little for depth or development of character. What a joy, then, to find not one but…
Cookie Time
by Sheilah Kaufman • • Comments Off
I love cookies. I try and keep all different kinds in my freezer for company, but usually I just eat them myself. August Alfajores (Spanish Sandwich Cookies) This recipe is from my friend Linda Sendowski (www.theglobaljewishkitchen.com). The word alfajor stems from the…