Thursday, November 12, 2009

CLEAVING: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

A BINGLE BELLS BOOK CHOICE
[<span class=
A GREAT GIFT FOR THE
BOOK LOVER ON YOUR LIST!

GIVEAWAY ENDED
CLEAVING

A STORY OF MARRIAGE,
MEAT, AND OBSESSION

BY JULIE POWELL

AUTHOR OF JULIE & JULIA

ABOUT THE BOOK:


Julie Powell thought cooking her way through Julia Child's
Mastering the Art of French Cooking was the craziest thing she'd ever do--until she embarked on the voyage recounted in her new memoir, CLEAVING. Her marriage challenged by an insane, irresistible love affair, Julie decides to leave town and immerse herself in a new obsession: butchery. She finds her way to Fleischer's, a butcher shop where she buries herself in the details of food. She learns how to break down a side of beef and French a rack of ribs--tough, physical work that only sometimes distracts her from thoughts of afternoon trysts. The camaraderie at Fleischer's leads Julie to search out fellow butchers around the world--from South America to Europe to Africa. At the end of her odyssey, she has learned a new art and perhaps even mastered her unruly heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I was born and raised in Austin, Texas. After graduating from a northeastern liberal arts college with an incredibly useful double major in theater and fiction writing, I embarked, with husband-to-be Eric in tow, upon a seven-year foray into New York City's dizzying wealth of temp jobs. This enlightening tour of desperate dead-end jobs culminated in a year-long blogging endeavor, "The Julie/Julia Project," which ended in late August of 2003. I now write in my pajamas for a living - long may this career path continue. I live in a "loft" in Long Island City, Queens, with my long-suffering husband, three cats, one snake, and a 110-pound dog named Robert.

I found Julia Child website created by the Smithsonian, both fascinating and enormously helpful in writing "Julie and Julia." Aside from the usual suspects - chowhound.com, egullet.com, epicurious.com - I'm a regular Salon reader, and a guilty fan of the entire Gawker empire, particularly wonkette.com.

My answer to "what's your favorite read" changes every time I'm asked it, but I can say that as far as cookbook authors, Paul Prudhomme, Andries de Groot and, yes, Nigella Lawson are folks I enormously admire. Elizabeth Gilbert is a fantastic writer as well as a great person, and I look forward to her next book with bated breath. I am in awe of Alice Munro. As a kid I was a bit of a sci-fi and fantasy geek, and read Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's trilogy on a bi-yearly basis, and was a big fan of Pyrdain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander.



MY REVIEW:

In CLEAVING, quite a bit has changed for Julie. She was so happy having realized her dreams and even thinking about having a family with her husband. She had given Eric credit for much of her success but wasn't feeling that way much any more. Where she had felt her marriage was perfect, she was discovering things weren't quite that simple.

Of course, just because things weren't 100% isn't a reason to start back with your old beau, or does it make it all right for your husband to be out late at night with another woman you know nothing about. In the harsh light of day, she regrets the nights and takes out her stress by deboning chickens and cracking ribs and tearing apart meat. Even though she is not being faithful, she is angry and jealous at Eric's dalliances. I found it still a bit hard to feel too bad for her when she was not treating her husband very well at all.

So of course, something has to be done and she drops her former lover and moves out of her apartment and does some crazy things like stalking the ex before settling on what she wants to do next. She takes on an apprenticeship at a meat market and is really able to tear into some meat with a vengeance. She then goes on what is called a "Grand Meat Tour" where she visits different countries to learn about their butchers and meat recipes. She goes to places like Buenos Aires and visits one of those huge meat markets, the Ukraine where a highlight (?) is her eating raw liver salad, and even to Tanzania where she is almost raped by a cook.

I enjoyed the book and found it easy to read but as much as I wanted to like this second memoir ..and I did but there was just something about it that didn't hit me the right way. Maybe because I didn't feel like she was a victim and had brought a lot of this on herself. Or maybe it is because it was so hard to follow the wonder of JULIE AND JULIA and my expectations were too high. Either way, I still would recommend it as your take on it may be different than mine and like I said, it was enjoyable but just not quite up to what I had hoped for from Powell.



THE GIVEAWAY:

THANKS TO KELLY AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
5 COPIES OF THIS EXCITING BOOK
TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU
NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY!

RULES:


--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!


HOW TO ENTER:
+1 ENTRY: Comment and name your favorite kind of meat and how you like to cook it, or have it cooked. If you are a vegetarian, tell me your favorite protein meal.

+1 MORE ENTRY:
Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and leave link in your comment!

+1 MORE ENTRY: Follow on Google Connect (see left hand sidebar) or tell me how you do follow

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS
6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 4

57 comments:

Linda Kish said...

I prefer chicken especially a rotisserie chicken with skin removed. We make it into enchiladas, burritos and sandwiches or eat it by itself.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Sue said...

I have to say that buffalo is my favorite meat. I know that probably sounds bizarre. I use it every way I use beef, but it's leaner and tastier.
Thanks for the giveaway.

s.mickelson at gmail dot com

A Bookshelf Monstrosity said...

I'm a huge fan of meatloaf, but just my mom's kind. Nobody makes it like her!

+1 Posted this on my blog:
http://bookshelfmonstrosity.blogspot.com/2009/11/weekly-monstrosity-giveaway-list-1112.html

+1 I'm a follower via Google Connect.

fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com

Reading said...

My favorite meat is Porterhouse steak on the grill. We are in the Northeast and we grill all year long. My husband shovels the snow and makes a path to the BBQ.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Reading said...

I follow on Google Friend Connect.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

g.g. said...

I'm not crazy about meat but guess if I had to name one, it would be bacon...I like crispy bacon at breakfast with eggs if someone else cooks it!

anjamie4 (at)gmail (dot) com

g.g. said...

I follow you on google friend connect

anjamie4 (at)gmail (dot) com

fredamans said...

I am a huge carnivore, and absolutely love BEEF!! Any way I can get it, but a nice steak is best!!

freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca

fredamans said...

I tweeted giveaway; http://twitter.com/fredalicious/status/5682288601

freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca

bermudaonion said...

Even with it's faults, I'd like to read this book. I'm not crazy about meat, but I'm not a vegetarian. I guess I'll say my favorite meat is pork since I do love bacon. milou2ster(at)gmail.com

Carol W. said...

I rarely eat meat, but I do like the occasional hamburger cooked on the grill- medium.

wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

What a great book. Thanks for this lovely giveaway. I prefer chicken, although I enjoy buffalo burgers. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Julie P. said...

I usually eat chicken, but I love filet mignon cooked medium.

I follow you via Google Reader!

Anonymous said...

My favourite kind of meat is steak and I love it cooked "blue" which is rarer than rare. So tender!
I would love to be entered in your draw. Thanks.

wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I am a Google Friend Connect follower.
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

mariag said...

I would have to say the few times I do eat meat I prefer a New York Strip Loin Steak.

mariag said...

I follow on google reader

fmlj94 at yahoo dot com

holdenj said...

I love a good, old fashioned pot roast--not usually the most perfect cut of meat, but always come out so wonderful after a long, slow time in the oven.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

I'm a google friend connect follower.
JHolden955(at)gmaild(dot)com

Simply Stacie said...

I love steak cooked on the bbq medium rare.

simplystacieblog at gmail dot com

Simply Stacie said...

I am a follower.

simplystacieblog at gmail dot com

Sandy Jay said...

My favorite meat is pork tenderloin.

I follow with google reader.

forwhlz at gmail dot com

Mary said...

My favorite meat is T-bone steak. I love it fried in oil and butter and then mound it with tons of onions and mushrooms, mmmmmmm

Mytyme2 at gmail dot com

Beth (BBRB) said...

I'm going to have to say bacon. I love it super crispy with pancakes in the morning.

BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com

Beth (BBRB) said...

I'm a Google Friend Connect follower.

BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com

Pam said...

I also love a good steak on the barbecue, medium rare with some yummy mushrooms on top. I usually cook chicken though - grilled or stir-fried most often.

melacan at hotmail dot com

Pam said...

follower

melacan at hotmail dot com

Jonnie (JB) said...

I know its bad for me, but I love bacon.
dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

Jonnie (JB) said...

I follow with google friend connect
dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

PW said...

My favorite cut of meat to cook is a pork loin roast. Our dog Lucy has cancer and that is the only thing she will eat, so needless to say, we eat a lot of it at our house!!!!

Benita said...

I have to admit I'm not much of a meat eater, but every once in a while, I just love that juicy well-cooked hamburger.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Benita said...

I follow via google friend connect.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

pippirose said...

My favourite is ground beef...meatloaf...meatballs...cabbage rolls...
:o)
pippirose59 at gmail dot com

pippirose said...

I follow via Google Friend Connect.

pippirose59 at gmail dot com

Kim said...

my fave is fried chicken! so southern.

Kim said...

follow on google

Libby's Library said...

I love fillet mignon, medium well, with A1 - YUM.
+1 I'm a Google Friend Connect Follower.
Thanks for the giveaway.

libneas[at]aol[dot]com

Heidi V said...

I love grilled steak.

Thanks
heidivargas [at] live dot com

Heidi V said...

Blogged about the giveaway @ http://theblackcell.com/blogs/index.php/book-giveaway-cleaving-by-julie-powell-ends-12-04-2009/

Thanks
heidivargas [at] live dot com

Rebecca Orr said...

I like most types of meat. I think venison...jerky style is great. And elk meat in chili is also really good. Thanks for the chance. bekki1820cb@gmail.com

Rebecca Orr said...

Follower! Via gfc. bekki1820cb@gmail.com

mrsshukra said...

I like veal, especially Veal Milanese!

delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

mrsshukra said...

Google friend connect follower!

delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

ossmcalc said...

I like chicken that is prepared on the grill. I have health problems that really give me fits with eating red meat. Grilled chicken suits me just fine with maybe some barbecue sauce on it.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/6189327779

thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow on Google Connect.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow on Google Connect.

thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

catss99 said...

I am really boring and unhealthy--I like frozen chicken strips, thawed in the toaster oven.
amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

catss99 said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/catss99/status/6262733708
amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

catss99 said...

i follow with google connect
amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

have to be julia childs boeuf bourgoinne..thx for contest..
thehighflyer3(at)hotmail(dot)com

FrankSandy said...

Please enter me. walkerd@primus.ca

dsandyboy said...

Count me in.

dsandyboy@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I like a chuck roast cooked in the crock pot all day with onions and cream of mushroom room and onion soup mix.

rhoneygtn at yahoo dot com

Nancye said...

My favorite meat is chicken grilled with BBQ Sauce.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Follower via Google Friend Connect

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Tweet! Tweet!

http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/6352055890

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

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