not so much. I don’t see me buying beef cheeks much less cooking and eating it! There were other exotic dishes I am not familiar with and will have to spend some time on Google to find out what the heck they are. I did however enjoy some tea and Plum Scones while reading. If you like scones, they are really simple and easy to make. I had some fresh plums given to me this week so I substituted three chopped plumbs minus the pit and used a little less milk because the plumbs were juicy in my Apricot and Amaretto Scone recipe. They were scrumptious, much better than I imagine the biscuits described several times at her meetings were. [smiling at the thought] The adapted recipe is at the bottom of this page.
I’ve thought about being a tourist in London but with my fear of traveling abroad I doubt I’ll be dealing with the rough neighborhoods exhausted in this book. I would however enjoy touring the castle home of some wealthy locals. I would especially like finding my way through mazes and gardens like those described in the book.
The main character in this book, Louisa, was a grief survivor from the first novel. Her story really started in the first book and takes off full throttle in After You. I like the way Moyes builds her character with the way she must deal with all the people in her life. I felt satisfied the story was complete at the end though I’d like to read a follow up on several of the book characters, both hers and Lily. No spoilers here, you’ll have to read the book to find out who Lily is.
I'd recommend this easy read to young adults +. The language is jild ih American standards. I'm not sure how vulgar some of the words might appear to Europeans. There are references to sex that could make a conservative blush, but really it was pretty mild. The story starts with energy and progresses well with all the side stories and characters being relevant to the whole setting. I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars because a 5* book for me is a total surprise at the end. It's not difficult to see where this story is headed.
Fresh Pum Scones
by
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Keywords: brunch breakfast snack bread
Ingredients (8 wedges)
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 3 Tablespoons cold butter till it resembles coarse sand
- 3-4 ripe plums
- 1/3 cup milk
Instructions
Stir together dry ingredients.
Use a pastry cutter to cut butter into dry ingredients until it resembles small peas.
Chop fresh ripe plums and discard the pits.
Make a well in the center of the flour/butter.
Add plums and milk.
Quickly mix together just until a dough ball forms.
Add a little more flour if it is too sticky.
Pat the dough into a 2" thick circle.
Cut into 8 pie shaped wedges.
Sprinkle granulated sugar over top.
Place wedges on cookie sheet or oven griddle.
Bake 370° F oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool a little before sprinkling with powdered sugar or drizzle with a powder sugar glaze.
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