No, that's not a book they're holding. For their book club discussion of ARR and Skype Chat with Garth, the ladies of Westlake Village Book Club enjoyed a special cake frosted to look like the paperback version of The Art of Racing in the Rain. Harriet Benton, holding the cake on the viewer's right, created the realistic frosting job.

 

These veteran book clubbers started in the late 1990's and are still going strong!  

 

Sports announcers know their sport well, but sometimes their color commentary is not as accurate. Click the link to watch and listen as the commentator shares what Olympian and World Cup champion skier Bode Miller is reading these days. Don't miss the "dead dog" reference. At least we all know he's discussing ARR! 

 

 Watch it here 

What could be more fashionable than a stylish umbrella that reveals your literary chops as well? A bright red "Raven Stole The Moon" umbrella with the custom designed Raven Moon logo does just that. During the month of April you can get these festive umbrellas for half price, and with each order you'll be entered in a drawing to win an autographed copy of this first novel by Garth Stein. Just click on the 

Enzo Store to find out more! 

 

The Turning Pages book club, hosted by a homeless shelter in Charlotte, NC, received a pleasant surprise for their latest book discussion--free copies of The Art of Racing in the Rain. Here they are with their new books. 

 

And what kind words they had to share afterward!

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the wonderful WebEx session today, the donated books & the bags. I had so many great comments from the group afterwards and tried to take notes during the video chat. We really had a nice meeting with you and I loved some of the questions the group came up with. Garth, you truly provided us with a wonderful gift and we can't thank you enough. 

In honor of Passover, I present one of the simplest dishes ever, but a real kid pleaser!

My grandfather worked at a famous Jewish dairy restaurant in New York City called Ratner's. When my father would take us back East to NY, we would always go down to Delancy Street to get their matzo brei. On most days, you could order your matzo brei "pancake style" or scrambled, but on weekends, it was so crowded, you could only get scrambled. Ratner's closed in 2002, and took a little piece of New York history with it. If you're ever on the Lower East Side, I recommend going on one of the many tours offered by The Tenement Museum, which will really give you an idea of what life was like in New York back in the day. www.tenement.org

Matzo Brei
Ingredients:
Matzo
Eggs
Milk
Butter or oil

The basic ratio is one egg to one piece of matzo to one kid. So you do the math depending on the size of your crew.

1. Hold a piece of matzo under warm running water briefly, dousing both sides with the water, but not soaking (or you'll end up with matzo mush, a totally different dish). Break the now damp matzo into bite-sized pieces in a mixing bowl. Repeat with each piece of matzo you'll be using.

2. For each piece of matzo you broke up, crack an egg into another mixing bowl. Beat the eggs together with a splash of milk until smooth.

3. Combine the eggs and matzo. Don't mash up the matzo too much when mixing. Let this mixture sit for five minutes or more to settle down from all the excitement.

4. Heat up a frying pan and melt a big glob of butter in it. When all the bubbles are gone, add the matzo brei mixture. Let it cook until golden brown on the bottom.

5. Here's where you make the decision. If you want pancake style, flip the whole unit in one piece using two spatulas. If you don't care about that kind of thing, flip it in chunks and smoosh it around a bit, breaking up the larger clumps.

6. Fry until the egg is cooked and the matzo is crispy.

7. When I was a kid, my mother would serve this with butter on top, some salt, and maple syrup. Some people forego the syrup in favor of jam. Heck, some people go crazy and serve it with sauteed onions or even apple sauce. My kids eat it with honey drizzled over the top. I'm sure you will find your own way to enjoy.