The Golem and the Jinni Book Club and Book Review

A few weeks ago I got to host the most amazing group of girls at Delicious Reads. We read The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. This historical fiction/fantasy book sent us back in time to 1899 New York and also across the globe to the Syrian Desert. In honor of the Jinn, from Helene's book, I transformed my house into a "Little Syria". With some beautiful fabric provided by my mom and some props borrowed from Delicious Reads members, my house became an Arabian dream. Syrian food and golem-making made this night worth remembering!

I transformed my house into "Little Syria" for The Golem and the Jinni Book Club 

I love ice cream and had so much fun creating this ice cream bar in honor of Ice Cream Saleh in the book.

To see more pictures from our amazing book club and get ideas on what activities and recipes I used to recreate your own Arabian Nights Party, check out it out at Delicious Reads (Part I and Part II). And a special thanks to them for spotlighting my upcoming book, Remembrandt, coming in October!

MY BOOK REVIEW:

Book: The Golem and the Jinni

Author: Helene Wecker

Publisher: Harper Collins

Year: 2013

Pages: 496

Reading Level: Adult

Genre: Adult, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Summary: An immigrant tale that combines elements of Jewish and Arab folk mythology, The Golem and the Jinni tells the story of two supernatural creatures who arrive separately in New York in 1899. One is a golem, created out of clay to be her master’s wife—but he dies at sea, leaving her disoriented and overwhelmed as their ship arrives in New York Harbor. The other is a jinni, a being of fire, trapped for a thousand years in a copper flask before a tinsmith in Manhattan’s Little Syria releases him.

Each unknown to the other, the Golem and the Jinni explore the strange and altogether human city. Chava, as a kind old rabbi names her, is beset by the desires and wishes of others, which she can feel tugging at her. Ahmad, christened by the tinsmith who makes him his apprentice, is aggravated by human dullness. Both must work to create places for themselves in this new world, and develop tentative relationships with the people who surround them.

And then, one cold and windy night, their paths happen to meet.

My Opinion: A fantastic look at 1899 New York through the unlikely eyes of a creature made of clay and a genie. 

4.25 out of 5 Stars

This book was a little bit fantasy, a little bit mythology, a little bit historical and a whole lot of different. Helene's knowledge of New York right before the turn of the century was seriously astounding! I loved the little bits of history that filled the pages while we experienced the story of the Chava and Ahmad.

When I think back on everything I read, I still can't believe all the events that took place. From Chava's creation and trip to America to Ahmad's reawakening and flashbacks to his life in the desert, you never really knew where the story was going to turn next--which would have been annoying if everything wasn't so interesting. It wasn't just the history that grabbed my attention (Why do people of the same heritage gravitate towards one another? How much did language barriers shape our culture over hundreds of years ago?). The mythological elements had me thinking for days (Do Golems have souls? Can the Jinni have kids? Why is Ice Cream Saleh seeing bones where flesh should be? What if evil souls were reincarnated over and over, only to have the same goal/outcome in each life? What would it be like to know everyone's wants?).

(Possible spoilers) I wasn't sure where the story was going when the Golem was first created. I wasn't sure I would come to have a connection with this character who didn't have her own desires and goals. In the end, she ended up being one of my favorite characters because she grew into this woman who had to chose which desires she could fulfill and which ones she didn't need to fill. Though things didn't quite turn out as I would have liked between her and Michael Levvy, I think their relationship kept me on my toes.

The same goes for Ahmad and Sophia. I didn't love how things turned out (Poor Sophia!), but I think that is part of the reason this novel is so different. You have these two magical characters--the Golem and the Jinni--and they have to interact with humans. I like that their relationships twisted and turned in different directions, eventually ending up where they could both help one another.

My only wish, if Ahmad could have granted it, was that I hoped Chava and Ahmad could have found each other sooner. I would have loved to see more of their interactions!

Overall, this was one of those reads that wasn't just for entertainment. I felt culturally enriched. The historical elements interested me and I learned fascinating details about a society that has been forgotten. No matter what walk of life you come from, The Golem and the Jinni is one of those novels worthy of a read.

The Secret to Perfect Homemade Ice Cream

I have a problem. It's a serious problem, one that has cursed my thighs and waistline since I was five.

I am Robin King and I am an ice cream-aholic. 

There. I said it. I love ice cream. Cones, sundaes, shakes, with or without toppings, it doesn't matter. I love it. My favorite ice cream of all time is HOMEMADE! My problem is so bad that I currently have 3 different ice cream makers and I'm always on the lookout for another.

Luckily, our Delicious Reads book this month, The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker, gives me the perfect excuse to pull out my ice cream makers and gain a few pounds. One of the characters in the book, Mahmoud Saleh is an itinerant ice-cream vendor in 1899 New York. Now we all don't need to be old school like Saleh with an old fashioned ice cream churn, but EVERYONE can have successful homemade ice cream.

An old-fashioned wooden ice cream churn
like Saleh used in The Golem and the Jinni (source).

Since I've been around the block a few times when it comes to homemade ice cream, I'm going to give you my best kept SECRET to the perfectly creamy homemade ice cream. It's not the mixer. It's not the cream or sugar. It's not the milk or the vanilla. It's the . . .

SALT!!

Yes, I said SALT. 

Now I'm not talking about the pinch of salt that you add to the actual ice cream. I'm talking about the ROCK SALT that you use with your ice in your ice cream maker. The salt isn't as important as how you use it. In fact, to save money, I buy one of those big 50 pound bags of water softener rock salt for about $5 and keep it in a 5 gallon bucket. It keeps for years and you don't have to worry about how much you use. Because the real key to homemade ice cream is all about using A LOT of rock salt.

All of you science geeks out there know that the reason we use rock salt is to lower the freezing point of the ice to freeze the cream. Now every ice cream maker is a little different, but here is my rule: for every 3 inches of ice, add 1/2 cup of rock salt.  Just keep layering until you reach the top of your canister, but don't cover it.

If you pack the salt and ice correctly (and add a layer as the ice melts), you should get perfectly creamy ice cream in 30-45 minutes for a 4-6 quart canister. Just follow the instructions that come with your ice cream maker!! If you want ice cream that works for a cone, don't forget the RIPENING & HARDENING STEP. This just means that you remove the beater, put the top back on, cork/plug the hole at the top, put more ice and salt around the canister, and cover with a towel.

Here's a good guide as to how much ice and salt you need:

Freezer Size	Ice for Making	Ice for Ripening	Rock Salt Making	Rock Salt Ripening
4 qts.	10 lbs.	5 lbs.	2-1/2 cups	2-1/2 cups
5 qts.	15 lbs.	5 lbs.	3 cups	3 cups
6 qts.	20 lbs.	5 lbs.	3-1/2 cups	3-1/2 cups

Now you may be thinking this all sounds a bit complicated, but once you've done it once, it is super easy and fun. And yummy! 

But, Robin, you may be asking, what about for those of us that are too scared or lazy to use ice and salt. Can we still enjoy homemade ice cream? Why, yes. Yes, you can. In fact, one of my favorite ice cream makers is a 1.5 quart ice cream maker that requires no ice or salt. The bottom part stays in the freezer until you are ready to use it. It has a special solution that freezes perfectly every time. All you have to do is put in your ingredients. It is ready in 20-25 minutes and makes enough for 2-3 people.

My favorite no-ice-no-salt Ice Cream Maker!

So what is my secret for using an ice cream maker like this? Use the instructions that comes with it!! I have found that if I use the recipes that come with my maker and follow it to a T, the ice cream is perfect every time.

My favorite recipe is this one (I double, triple or quadruple this one depending on the machine I use:

Easy Vanilla Ice Cream

(for 1.5 Quart Capacity)

1 1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

dash salt

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine milk and sugar. Stir with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in half and half, whipping cream and vanilla. Pour into canister and freeze. 

**If you want to do an Oreo or Candy Bits flavor, just add 1-2 cups AFTER the mixture is thick (I usually do it the last 2-3 minutes). For fruit flavoring, like Strawberry, I like to add 2 cups of pureed fruit at the beginning and then at least 1 cup of chunks AFTER as well. For chocolate ice cream, combine 3 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate with the milk and sugar, put in the microwave for 2 minutes and stir. Return to microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Then stir in the half and half, whipping cream, and vanilla. You may want to refrigerate it before using the ice cream maker.

Now pull out that ice cream maker (or borrow one) and make at least one batch of ice cream this summer. Your spouse will thank you, your kids will lick their bowls, and your waistline, well, it will keep you warm in the winter.

Source

XoXo, Robin

P.S. For those awesome people that made it to the bottom of this post, you get to be the first to know that I will be doing a COVER REVEAL next week for my book Remembrandt which will be coming out Fall 2014!!