This Day

Our friend Peter Rush (aka the Pitch Doctor) sent along this Sanskrit proverb by Indian poet and playwright, Kalidasa. We thought  sharing it here would be a nice way to begin the week:

Look to this day
For it is life,
The very life of life.

In its brief course lie all
The realities and verities of existence, The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power  -
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
 Look well, therefore, to this day.

November Book Swap

As this session comes to a close, we thought it was high time we shared the November book swap contributions! Roisin Meaney, a novelist and children's book author from Ireland, and Peter, the Pitch Doctor, Rush discuss their picks in their own words below. On an only semi-related note, we'd like to say in advance how much we'll miss Roisin's amazing baked goods and Peter's top-notch dinners. As sorry as we'll be to return to our own devices in the kitchen, at least now we have a chance at once again buttoning our pants.

Roisin on her donations:

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín evokes rural Ireland of the 1950s, and introduces the reader to Eilis Lacey, a young woman who emigrates reluctantly to New York, more out of a sense of familial duty than a real desire to spread her wings. This simple-sounding story, written from Eilis's viewpoint in Tóibín's usual sparse style nevertheless manages to convey pathos, sharp observation, and humour, while avoiding sentimentality as the heroine moves from Ireland to America, adapting as best she can to her changing circumstances. It's an easy and, in my opinion, rewarding read.   

William Trevor's fourteenth novel Love and Summer is also set in rural Ireland of the mid twentieth century, but there the similarity ends. The 82-year old 'master of quiet, Irish brooding' (the Guardian) has produced a doomed love story of sweetness and poignancy, steeped in end-of-summer sunshine and peopled with subtly drawn and very recognisable characters (recognisable to this Irish reader, at any rate!) Love and Summer will linger in the memory long after the last page has been turned. 

Peter discusses his picks (The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda, A Pathway to Peace by Gerry Adams, and The Big Book) in the video below.

              Follow Peter on Twitter.

The library grows lovelier with each and every book swap, and the bedside to-read stack grows taller, too.  

The Pitch Doctor's Spicy Basmati Rice

Last night, Peter Rush (The Pitch Doctor) blew our minds with his spicy rice dish. He's graciously agreed to share the recipe here. Take it away, Peter: 

 Spicy Basmati Rice as told by countless generations of Indian chefs to me personally in chat rooms on the internet but finally, finely honed by The Pitch Doctor for your delectation and inner huskards beloved rice-heads and rice-headettes.

1. Ingredients enough for a LaMusein of writers, one hungry American painter or five ordinary souls

With Prodigy playing loud in background, Firestarter set for track one, max it.........

1. 1/2 kilo or 1 lb to the rest of us of the best basmati rice you can get your mitts on, white or brown 
2. A generous pinch or two or three of Panchoori Pann (special spice mix you can get in any good Asian/Indian shop) I get mine from Mattas in Bold Street Liverpool because my mates Daleep and Dipak run it, its cheaper there than anywhere else and it's a mainline Pool vibe but you can get yours online http://www.mattas.co.uk/  
3. Two shallots chopped finely 
4. Nice generous thumbs of skinned ginger chopped finely 
5. Two bulbs garlic salt crushed chopped finely (drop salt onto chopping board, lay bulb on it press down with flat of knife, crush and see the skins just drop off and the oils release) 
6. Organic chicken stock cube or vegetable if a sandal wearer, diluted in cup of boiling water 
7. Good olive oil say two tablespoons but you will decide your own balance here and a knob of Ghee (Indian clarified butter) if you are a buttery slippery type of affair and like some cholesterol which actually  is part of a good balanced diet, gives extra authentic flavour and a slight bulbous shape to stomach and arteries.  
8.  Two teaspoons of Gara Masala. See 2 if you haven't a feckin clue what this great shit is Fistful of finely chopped fresh coriander split into two piles 2/3 to 1/3 

Click read more for the Rules of Cooking or click here to download a PDF of the recipe. 

Fridge Poems

Today, one of our many great attendees this month, Peter Rush, had the fun and inspired idea to put a load of word magnets on one of the La Muse fridges.

Hence: the new world of Fridge Poems!!! Anytime anyone puts one up there we'll take a photo of it and post it to the blog!

The one above is the inaugural Fridge Poem by Peter.