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Manifold Destiny: The One, The Only Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine by Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller

There’s a new car commercial that shows different children at play in different settings and the voiceover announces that “summer is for kids” but this summer, kids need to accept that it’s also for this newest model car.

Considering the climbing cost of gas prices, the traditional family vacation, which brings kids and cars together, may not seem to be in your future. So what can a family do this summer? Taking shorter trips is one alternative unless you’re planning to dip into your 401K for that drive across America. However, there’s another option for using your car for this summer’s vacation while still saving money. It’s possible to take a longer trip by taking the money you would normally spend in roadside and fast food restaurants and buying cheaper groceries before your trip, putting them in a cooler, and with proper planning, enjoy delicious, healthy and hot meals all cooked while you’re driving - under your hood. Yes, that’s right. No eating in the car or in restaurants but wherever you choose to stop to pop the hood if you follow the advice found in “Manifold Destiny”.

When a friend gave me this book many years ago, I thought it was a joke; a funny novelty book about cars and food. But authors Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller aren’t joking and the relationship between cars and food is real in their book “Manifold Destiny: The One, The Only Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine.” To prove their sincerity, the authors begin by explaining how they came to the realization that they could not only use their car engine to warm up already cooked food, but actually prepare and cook gourmet meals. It takes little more than three strips of aluminum foil, finding the right places under your hood to hold your food, and a knowledge of how many miles it will take to cook, and you’re ready to roll.

While this book IS funny and lighthearted, the writers have put together some seriously scrumptious recipies, divided by geographical regions and one state within the United States: the Northeast, Midwest, South and California; perfect for planning shorter family vacations around the area you live, with each recipe providing the exact number of miles required for cooking. Even if your vacation includes one full day in the car, you could have a breakfast of “Eggs on Cheese Pie” after 55 miles of driving, then about 30 minutes before lunch, pull over, reach into your cooler and pull out your aluminum foil package of 10 hot dogs wrapped in bacon and topped with cheese that you prepared before your trip, find a place in your engine for the food to fit snuggly, pull back onto the road and enjoy “Hot Dog Surprise” after only 40 miles of driving. End your day of driving by dining on Stuffed Crabs, Three Pepper Salmon Steaks, or Cruise Control Pork Loin, with Safe at any Speed Stuffed Eggplant and Pat’s Provolone Porsche Potatoes shortly before pitching your tent or piping hot in your hotel room; no room service needed here.

Not sure where to put all this food or how to prepare it ahead of time? Fear not, because the authors include great diagrams of car engines, suggested parts of the engine for maximum – or minimum – heat, and full instructions on preparing and packing your meals ahead of time. So don’t let gas, or even the higher prices of food stop you from that great American ritual of piling the kids and the dog into the car and heading to that perfect vacation spot. With “Manifold Destiny” in your glove-box, you’ll not only save money on high priced restaurants, but you’ll keep your family away from the fast food joints while being entertained by the reactions from familes eating their cold cut sandwiches at the nearby picnic tables as they watch you pull out the Veal Scallopine or Stuffed Whole Fish from under the hood of your car.

If you would like to order this book, click here.

Don't Forget Mom!

Mother Goose and Mother's Day: Tributes in May

If there is only one month in our year that celebrates the feminine, it would have to be May. Aside from the reverent Memorial Day, which we celebrate at the end of this month, May is remembered for May Day on May 1 which historically represents nature and fertility, Mother Goose Day, also recognized on May 1, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, on May 12 and Mother's Day which always falls on the second Sunday of May, this year on May 11.

Of all of these events, the two we're most influenced by are Mother Goose and Mom. In celebration of these two remarkable females, here is some interesting information.

Mother Goose: Who among us cannot recite at least a partial rhyme from Mother Goose, whether it is Little Jack Horner (a real person), or Ring around the Roses? According to May Hill Arbuthnot of Case Western Reserve University, the "tales" came from France in a collection entitled "Contese de ma mere" (Tales of Mother Goose) from Perrault. By 1720, the stories were translated into English and in 1791 were printed by John Newberry as "Mother Goose Melody", containing fifty two versus and making its way to the children in the United States. In America, the first official printing of "The Real Mother Goose" with over 60 rhymes appeared in 1916 with the now famous illustrations of Blanche Fish Wright, who to date, is unknown. While many of us may gasp at the political references and serious undertones in some of these rhymes, none of us can disagree that, for children, the collective enjoyment of its musical rhythms, colorful imagery and sing-a-longs are all that matters. The entire collection of "The Real Mother Goose" is available free at http://www.fidella.com/trmg/.

For those seeking a hard-back copy, I suggest www.addall.com; created by booksellers for book buyers that compares prices all the major internet bookstores.

Mother's Day: There are three components to celebrating our moms on Mother's Day: a card, a call, and a meal. If you're lucky enough to have your mom near you, every restaurant can attest to the fact that this is one of their busiest days of the year. The greeting card and telephone companies agree. While we know these facts, here are some that you might not have known: - and perhaps you can share with your mom! (from www.chiff.com)

Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, suggested the idea of an International Mother's day to celebrate peace and motherhood in 1872. One of the women, who was working on establishing Mother's Day as a national celebration was the mother of Anna Jarvis. Mrs. Jarvis held an annual gathering, Mother's Friendship Day, to heal the pain of the Civil War. After she died in 1905, Anna campaigned for the establishment of an official Mother's Day to commemorate her mother.

"Miss Anna Jarvis was as good as her word. She devoted her entire life to the struggle to have Mother's Day declared a national holiday. In the spring of 1908, Anna wrote to the Superintendent of Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where her mother had taught Sunday school classes for over 20 years. She requested that a Mother's Day service be held in honor of her mother. Thus, the first official Mother's Day celebration was held at Andrew's Methodist Church on May 10, 1908, with 407 persons in attendance. Anna Jarvis sent 500 white carnations to the church in Grafton. One was to be worn by each son and daughter and two by each mother in attendance. Another service was held in Philadelphia later that afternoon where Anna resided with her brother. Anna had requested that the first official service be held in Grafton, where the Jarvis family had lived so much of their lives and where her mother had served for so long as a teacher and public servant." ( Mother's Day Shrine.org)

Anna Jarvis' campaign is the reason we have a formal holiday. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared that Mother’s Day should be celebrated as a national holiday on the second Sunday in May. If you're looking for unusual or inexpensive ideas for gifts for Mother's Day try:

Mother's Day: http://www.mothersday.net

Mother's Day Ideas: http://www.mothersdayideas.org/

The Home and Family Network: http://www.homeandfamilynetwork.com

Amazing Moms: http://www.amazingmoms.com

Kaboose: http://holidays.kaboose.com/mothers-day

Family Fun: http://familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday/minisite/mothers-day-main-ms

Pairings: A Valentine's Day Tribute

So, it’s that month again. Lover’s celebrating everywhere or singles celebrating what Ted wisely provides as an alternative - “Singles Awareness Day,” (though the abbreviation is not so uplifting). By the way, did you know that there is an “Unmarried and Singles Awareness Week” on the third full week in September? This, according to a U.S. Census report, is due in large part because over 41 percent of Americans are single and/or unmarried in the 2005 census.

But this month’s column is not about celebrating the steadfast Single, nor is it a review of the hottest (um, bestseller) romance novel, or a ‘cooking for two’ recipe book, although “Cooking in the Nude: For Wine Lovers" (from the Cooking in the Nude series), certainly looks interesting and offers some pretty tasty recipes.

Since, A Big Slice identifies food and wine pairings throughout the year, why not offer some different pairings? This month, let’s celebrate pairings who, for good or bad, we all probably recognize; couples who are etched in our history and culture for all time. It was incredibly agonizing to narrow each list to just 10, but after careful deliberation, I’m offering my Top 10 Pairings. I hope you would’ve included many of these in your own list or feel free to offer up other names on the abigslice blog if you feel your pairings warrant more recognition. For an idea of just some of the names to consider, I recommend the wonderfully amusing website (www.famous_couple.com). So without further musings, I present to you the Top 10 Best Pairings of 2008 in the Celebrities, Movie and TV, Book, and Music categories.

1. Famous/Celebrity Pairings
Antony and Cleopatra
Mary Wollstonecraft and Percy Bysshe Shelley
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor
Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio
Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson
Joann Woodward and Paul Newman
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and John F. Kennedy
Nancy David Reagan and Ronald Reagan
*Honorable Mention: James Watson and Francis Crick (discovered the DNA molecule)

2. Movie and TV Pairings
Antony and Cleopatra - Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in “Cleopatra”
George and Martha - Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”
Captain Von Trapp and Maria - Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in “The Sound of Music”
Marge and Homer Simpson
Harry and Sally - Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in “When Harry Met Sally”
Richard Sumner and Bunny Watson - Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in “Desk Set”
Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle - Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady”
Rhett and Scarlett - Clark Gable and Vivienne Leigh in “Gone with the Wind”
Bonnie and Clyde – Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty
Ricky and Lucy Ricardo – Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball

3. Book Pairings
Adam and Eve – the Bible
Romeo and Juliet – Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare
Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Eyre
Catherine and Heathcliff – Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson - Arthur Conan Doyle
Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Guinevere and King Arthur (and Sir Lancelot)
Superman and Lois Lane – Superman or The Man of Steal by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, John Byrne
Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin – Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

4. Music Pairings
Simon and Garfunkel
Elton John and Bernie Taupin
James Taylor and Carly Simon
Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille (The Captain and Tennille)
Ike and Tina Turner
Sonny and Cher
Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart
John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash
George Jones and Tammy Wynette
*Honorable Mention: Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen/Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain

Movie Review : I am Legend

No, you’re not losing your memory. This is not “Stacie’s Books” column and I’m not Stacie. Fortunately for her, Stacie is taking a break from some of her many projects to breathe a little. It is unfortunate for us. Her column was an essential part of A Big Slice’s monthly newsletter and since she provided so many useful book reviews, Ted and Clare wanted to keep offering you the same literary enrichment. I was lucky to be asked to continue this tradition. As we embrace a new year, I hope you will embrace this new column The Culture Klatch. As you may already know, a “klatch” or “klatsch” is often synonymous with people, (usually visualized as women) sitting around the table drinking coffee and sharing news (e.g. gossiping in a coffee klatch). In fact the German word “klatschen” means “to gossip.” However the American Heritage Dictionary 4th edition defines a “klatch” as a “casual social gathering, usually for conversation.” So with that little bit of pop cultural linguistic history behind us, you may have guessed that I’ll be including book reviews, as well as other reviews and topics from different cultural mediums including movies, TV shows, and music and any suggestions I receive from you.

While thinking of what to write for this column, I started thinking about how many books have been made into movies, especially since I just saw I Am Legend over the holidays. As I’ve heard some relate - and it’s true - if you liked Tom Hanks in Castaway and you enjoyed Night of the Living Dead, you’ll love this movie or if you’re a special effects or a Sci Fi aficionado, you’ll love this movie. Smith doesn’t show the range of emotions that Hanks did in Castaway, and Hanks had fewer props than Smith’s character, Colonial Robert Neville, to help him chase away his loneliness. But like Castaway’s Wilson, the soccer ball, I Am Legend gives us some memorable supporting roles in the form of Neville’s dog and the Manhattan cityscape, both adding a depth to the story that would otherwise bring it down within the first 30 minutes, and a giving perhaps a subconscious nod to nature’s tenacity to survive over man. The premise of the movie is both fascinating and frighteningly real; a vaccine found to cure cancer goes awry and creates a world-wide plague and Smith’s Neville is a believable scientist trying to find a cure.

Frankly, I enjoyed I Am Legend as an original. However, the man sitting two seats from me did not and proceeded to tell me how different the movie is from the book as the final credits were rolling. Did you know that the movie was originally a book? It was written by Richard Matheson in 1954 and set in the late 1970’s and made into two prior movies, The Last Man on Earth and The Omega Man, according to a Robert Ebert review. Every time I see a movie made from the book, I remember an old phrase that if the book was good, then expect the movie to be bad. Often this is the case.

But I was curious about this book so I read some reviews by people who had read it and seen the movie. Overall, many were disappointed and frankly I was amazed at how different the movie really is from the original story. Like the man sitting next to me, I felt it would have made a better story, and a far less disappointed audience, if they had changed the name. Stephen King said that this book is one of the top most influential books that he has ever read. I don’t think he’d share the same sentiment about the movie. Like many books turned into movies, this one falls short. But for those of you who enjoy seeing how a director interprets a great story and keeps true to its story line, try to see “Into the Wild” directed by Sean Penn based on the true story of... well, I’ll save that for another column.

LB’s Review: Three out of Five Wine Glasses.