Burning Down George Orwell's House by Andrew Ervin Recipe by Alex from Hunter Gatherer Cooking
Author
Andrew Ervin author of Burning Down George Orwells House
Andrew Ervin, author of this months read, Burning Down George Orwell’s House, was born in Pennsylvania in 1971, spending some time living in Budapest.
He released his first writing in 2010 with a collection novella ‘Extraordinary Renditions’.
Not just a writer but a critic too, for USA Today, New York Times Book Review, The Believer, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, American Book Review and elsewhere.
He has twice been guest editor for American Book Review
Burning Down George Orwell’s House, was his debut novel (2015) and was listed as an Editor's Choice in the New York Times Book Review, and in 2017
Bit by Bit: How Video Games Transformed Our World was published.
He currently lives in Philadelphia.
Book
Burning Down George Orwell’s House
by Andrew Ervin
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Life leads Ray Welton a high-flying advertising executive living in Chicago, to run away from a life he doesn’t like and decisions he has to make, his divorce and past advertising campaigns which he feels have contributed to the negative state of the world.
Eventually fulfilling a dream of going to Jura in order to be on the island George Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty Four, he’s surprised by the lack of hospitality he receives from the locals.
Living in the same house George Orwell lived in when writing his favourite book, Ray soaks himself in the local whisky.
Rays stay means he has time to deal with eccentric locals, a teenage girl who uses the house he stays in as a place to get away from her controlling father, and taking part in a drunken hunt for a werewolf during the summer solstice.
What a delight to read!
Great characters, that I believed in, writing that flows which made me excited to know what came next and then there’s the subject, well, why haven’t I discovered this book before?!
Burning Down George Orwell’s House, is a book I was surprised to enjoy as much, and I’m not sure why that is!?
The main character is just flawed enough to feel real for me, with honest dents in his personality making his wallowing in self-pity (at the beginning of his introduction) feel familiar.
Lots of references to Scottish single malts (not my tipple) was another source of interest, not necessary the single malt but more the way it was integrated into the writing making it another character in its own right.
I give this a 4 egg rating!
I give it a 4 egg rating
Chef Alex & Hunter Gatherer Cooking.
This months recipe has been gifted to Foodie Book Club by the amazingly generous Alex from Hunter Gatherer Cooking.
Here’s a little bit about Alex and what he’s doing right now:
Alex, Hunter Gatherer
Alex, who is Hunter Gather, describes themselves on Instagram as ‘A nomadic YouTuber supporting food and drink businesses with content creation’. What a great description!
With a YouTube channel with over 5300+ subscribers, 750+ videos, 500,000+ views and 14,500+ watched hours of content.
Love the Hunter Gatherer logo
“I am proud to say that I am an up and coming 'YouTuber', making videos about the food businesses that I see. I review food producers of all descriptions and always give my honest opinions” ALex
Taken from the Hunter Gatherers website, here’s some info about Alex and Hunter Gatherer:
The story so far...
“2019 is where it all began, with me trimming pieces of meat at home and practicing smoking and BBQ'ing in the garden on my gas BBQ.
This soon led to the set up of the Youtube channel, Instagram and Facebook page. It was a safe space to post content and start this creative journey.”
He goes on to write:
“2020 the logo was made, the website was built and I started a blog! Things were going really well and I was enjoying leaving the recruitment life in the office and getting out and about with my firebox and cooking up meals on my own with beautiful backdrops. Later in the the "Hunter Gatherer Cooking Ltd" was born.”
Then:
“2021 was the year I gained my first 1000 Youtube subscribers and saw over 150k views from the videos. Instagram saw over 10,000 followers and I launched Hunter Gatherer Sleeping. I was on stage at SizzleFest and supported Somerset Grills at Smoke and Fire Fest. I launched the BBQ school and held lessons at peoples homes as a nomadic teacher.”
Alex goes in to write:
“2022 saw a rise in Instagram followers to 35,000+ and Youtube climbed to 4000+ subscribers. Tiktok saw it's first 2000 followers. HGS saw 3 more sleeps and HGC joined Food Club Review. The BBQ lessons continued and I expanded into groups, including schools with sizes up to 40 students at a time. Boardwalk Bristol made a professional film about what I was doing and a new series of farming and vineyard life started on Youtube.”
And:
“2023 is unwritten but there are plenty of ideas to fulfil.”
Very exciting times!
Find on linktr.ee here: Website here: Tiktok here: Facebook Here
Alex doing what he loves.
Food
By Alex - Hunter Gatherer Cooking
Honey Glazed BBQ Pork Chop with Turmeric & Ginger
“This is a seriously delish dish! It's sweet, it's yummy and really moreish! I like this because it's a different take on bbq food.
Watch the full video on YouTube here, please subscribe :) Hunter Gather” Alex
What a beauty
Ingredients
2 good sized pork chops
4 tbsp of runny honey
2tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
Half a jar of Turmeric and Ginger root paste (I found one at M&S)
Salt and Pepper to season
Tenderstem Broccoli
Method:
Mix together the honey, olive oil, vinegar, turmeric and ginger paste as well as some salt and pepper.
Put the pork chops into a shallow dish and pour the mix onto them, let them sit for 10-15 mins
For the BBQ: - with a lid!
Light your coals, you can do this as your meat sits in the sauce.
You can use a charcoal or a briquette for this, you just want a steady heat of about 220C
Set your coals to one side of your BBQ so you can cook indirectly.
Set a skillet on top the coals and add some oil - I use the Weber cast iron skillet
Sear the meat for about 1-2 minutes on each side
Move the skillet off the coals and away from the heat.
Add your broccoli either in the juices or on top the meat (i like to sit them in the juices)
Put your lid on and wait about 10 to 12 minutes - pork is cooked at 145F to be safe.
Serve with mash, rice, salad, as it is, it's totally up to you.
In the Kitchen:
You could easily grill this or bake in the oven, just make sure you hit the 145F to be safe.
Make this
