This book is set in Maine, as is the orphanage in which the main character Homer Wells is the eldest resident.

Unable to find him the right adoptive family, Dr Larch begins to train him in all the ways of medicine, except abortions, the one thing Homer refused to learn and the that took Homer away to find his way in the world.

When a beautiful young girl, Cathy Kendall, and her young soldier boyfriend, Wally Worthington come to the orphanage for an abortion, Homer leaves with them and goes back to Ocean View Orchards, Wally Worthington family home and business.

The rules of the cider house are written on a sheet of paper attached to the wall of the workers accommodation. A list that no one reads, making it a useless list for the workers and it seems of the life that they followed.

Homer came across a lot of firsts while he was away, teaching him all that he wanted to know about life. First, kiss, first love, first heartbreak and so many disappointments from the people around him.

Experiences enough to send home back to the orphanage to take over from the role of Dr from his old mentor Dr Larch.

And that’s it really, that’s what the story is about, but it’s much more than just that.

It’s a story about all of the cliched stuff that most books write about, but Cider House Rules is just written better, with no hurry in the writing, not a rush in site and for me , that’s one of the reasons its always going to be in my top 30 books to read again.

Let’s face it, it’s impossible and stupid to think that we can re-invent the wheel. Thinking we can re-invent stories, feelings, emotions around a subject for a book is equally as stupid, but John Irving is a skilled writer who slowly releases the emotions in this book to a timed perfection.

There are many more skilled reviewers of books that me, (I’m not a reviewer of books, I just write what I feel) so go and read some of those mighty writers and their reviews, but be aware, even a book reviewer can’t re-invent the reviewer’s wheel.

Try it yourself and see what you think?

The Foodie Club Book for June is:

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

By

Aimee Rose Edlestein

Enjoy Your Sweet Life

The ingredient for this recipe is cider, am I’m cheating yet again? Probably yes. Do I care? Definitely no.

I’ve used cider vinegar for no other reason than I wanted to make this dish and I had the things to make it already in my cupboard.

Good enough reason, to me anyway.

The change in the weather was also a factor, but don’t let that sway you.

This is a great dish as a side dish, great as a stand-alone dish, or as a I just want to make a potato salad that doesn’t involve mayonnaise. Or a just for Charlotte dish.

Yes, Charlotte, by beautiful daughter is a mayonnaise hater.

Normally this would sway me to not trust her, I mean everyone know that mayonnaise, olives, mustard, roasted sprouts, fresh anchovy or ketchup haters are not to be trusted.

If I was allowed to see a list of their most hated foods of the worst people in the world , I wouldn’t be surprised to see these items on the list of Donald Trump or Atilla the Hun.

For charlotte, I make an exception and she get’s a free pass every-time.

Enjoy Your Sweet Life

Best Potato Salad without Mayonnaise

What You Need

1 medium bag of Potatoes – which ever kind your family likes best – washed, cut into cubes about the same size
1 vegetable stock cube
5/6 hard boiled eggs – peeled and cut into 4
1 red pepper – sliced into cubes
1 bag of green beans – washed, topped and tailed & sliced in to about three per bean
1 bunch of spring onions – washed and sliced
1 medium leak – washed and sliced into medium pieces
Knob of butter and 2 tablespoon vegetable oil to cook
Salt & Pepper

Dressing

2½ / 3 tablespoon of whole grain or Dijon mustard
3 large cloves of garlic – crushed
¼ teaspoon Maldon Sea sale
¼ teaspoon Black pepper
2 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
3 Tablespoon good olive oil
Bunch of fresh herbs such as dill, parsley – finely chopped

How it’s Done

Add the chopped potatoes and the vegetable stock cube to a pot of salted water to cover the potatoes.
Boil, and cook until the potatoes cooked, don’t overcook them – See Tip Box
Drain and leave the potatoes to cool completely
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan then add the pepper, leak and green beans.
Cook slowly until the vegetables have softened and the leaks are translucent– See Tip Box
Once cooked, take off the heat until you need to use them
In a bowl, add the ingredients for the dressing except the oil.
Give the ingredients a whisk until combined, then slowly add the oil and whisk again until, a little bit emulsified.
Put the potatoes, the leak, pepper & green beans into a large bowl
Pour over the dressing and mix everything together.
Sprinkle over the chopped herbs
Add the sliced egg.
And serve while warm or cold

Tip Box

Cutting Potato – Cutting all the potatoes the same size ensure that they will at cook at the same time.
Cook – Don’t overcook the beans and pepper. It’s nice to have a little bit of a bit to them. Don’t overcook the potatoes, if you do, they will go soggy and mushy and not good for this dish.
Stock cube – If I’m ever boiling vegetables, very rarely, or potatoes, I’ll always cook in flavoured water using a stock cube – Adding more flavour at every point of cooking

Hi.