A GREAT NOVEL DESERVES GREAT FOOD...

A GREAT NOVEL DESERVES GREAT FOOD...

Recipe and image © KevinIsCooking.com

CAJUN HOT ALASKA CRAB DIP

1 lb. Alaska lump crabmeat8 oz. cream cheese, softened8 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp. lemon juice (half a lemon)2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning blend1 tsp. hot pepper sauce1/2 tsp. ground mustard

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium size bowl mix together the cream cheese, half the shredded cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning, hot pepper sauce, and ground mustard. Gently fold in the Alaska lump crabmeat to incor-porate. Spread in a shallow baking dish and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Serve with crackers of choice or sliced French bread.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Recipe and image © Karista’s Kitchen

VINTAGE SOURDOUGH BISCUITS

1 cup all-purpose flour¼ tsp. salt½ tsp. sugar½ tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder6 tbsp. cold butter, cubed1 cup unfed sourdough starter

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture, and then, using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles little crumbles. Stir in the sourdough starter and mix until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough into a small disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. To make the biscuits, add a little flour to the top of the disc and then roll out the dough to about ¾ of an inch thick. Cut biscuits with a 2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter and then place them in a but-tered cast iron skillet, round cake pan, or pie plate. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden on top. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Serve with jam, honey, and butter or slices of ham and cheese.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Pair these delicious treats with your favorite wine. In honor of Cora, Leni’s mom, tantalize the taste buds with biscuits and dip that will make everyone feel right at home.

...AND GREAT MUSIC!...AND GREAT MUSIC!

“PIECE OF MY HEART”

This is a song—as are many of these—that brings my mother back to me in an instant. For a girl who lost her mother as young as I did, that is a true treasure.

“ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH”

John Denver was absolutely the soundtrack of my family’s 1970’s camping trips. We knew all the words to all the songs and sang along. Loud and off-key, but no one cared.

“BAD, BAD LEROY BROWN”

A real crowd-pleaser. Couldn’t have a family party without putting a little Jim Croce on the turntable.

“BILLY DON’T BE A HERO”

The first song that made me cry.

“GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD“

The first album I ever bought with my own money. My teenaged girlfriends and I sang along while we tried on makeup.

“YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD”

Another Helen Reddy classic that reminds me of my beloved mom. I think it’s a song that would have had the same effect on Leni and Cora.

“I AM WOMAN”

This is the first song that made me think about feminism and it sparked many con-versations between my teenage self and my young mom, who fought for the ERA.

“BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND”

This is purely my dad.

A SOUNDTRACK TO THE ’70s BEATS THROUGH THE HEART OF THE GREAT ALONE.

PLAYLIST #2 - SONGS REFERENCED IN THE GREAT ALONE“Alaska will become home, always and forever, the song you hear when all is still and quiet.” —Leni, The Great Alone

PLAYLIST #1 - ANNOTATED BY KRISTIN HANNAH“Some of the songs that were in my mind as I was writing. They definitely bring the period to life for me.” —Kristin Hannah

1. “Lost in Your Love’” by the Bee Gees 2. Theme song to The Partridge Family

(Come on Get Happy) 3. “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”

by Sir Douglas Quintet

4. “I Feel the Earth Move” by Carole King 5. “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Swede6. “Midnight at the Oasis” by Maria Muldaur

#GreatAloneBookClub