Posts archived in At Home with Algonquin
Today, Publicity Director Michael Taeckens turns…(well, wouldn’t you like to know). We’ve been celebrating in the office with giant cakes and a champagne kiddie pool and a visit from Michael’s best friend, Robert!
Camping!
Right before we hit the discotheque!
Baby-mama-drama for senior publicist, Kelly Bowen, and her snails, Snookie and The Situation.
So for those of you who frequent the Algonquin Book blog, you might remember my last post about the new additions to the Algonquin family – Snooki and The Situation, our pet snails. The past few months have been a whirlwind of snail suburbia activity – Snooki and The Situation moved to a larger home (a mid-sized terrarium), explored new lands (by changing their landscape weekly with new branches, leaves, and random items), and today I discovered they gave birth to a very adorable snail baby!
He's the orange one, not the apple slice.
Obviously, we named the snail baby J-Wow, continuing in our Jersey Shore theme. But amid the squealing and cooing by everyone crowded around the terrarium (including Publisher Elisabeth Scharlatt and Workman Publisher Bob Miller, who are in town for a few days from NYC), we get this email:
Everyone,
I want to let you know I snuck the snail baby in this morning. Seriously, do you think a snail could give birth to something that big? I apologize for your excitement, but
adoptions among snails are just as meaningful as a real birth.Thank you for making Friday morning lively.
Craig
So apparently Craig Popelars, who was the original instigator of the pet snails, PLANTED a snail baby in my terrarium this morning. That’s right, folks; it was all an evil prank. What about J-Wow’s parents? Do they miss him? Does J-Wow feel abandoned since he was snatched from his home and the only short life he knew? Hopefully J-Wow will come to love Snooki and The Situation, his new godparents, and his new home at Algonquin Books just as much.
J-Wow, welcome to the family! We will love you like you’re our own.
-Kelly
PS: You can send snail baby shower gifts to the attention of Kelly Bowen at Algonquin Books. Snails love cucumbers, carrots, and large stuffed animals.
Love snails as much as we do? Check out The Sound Of A Wild Snail Eating, coming August 24th!
I once tried to bake my own bread. I had a shiny new red KitchenAid and a “simple recipe” in hand. I was on a mission to save money, avoid preservatives, and in general become the kind of person who bakes her own bread.
Most of my Day of Baking Bread was spent kneading, punching, rising, kneading again, punching again, until my loaf made its way into the oven. My kitchen was covered in a thin layer of flour, the sink had a gluey residue of dough slowly forming on its edge, and the sun was beginning to set when my apartment was suddenly filled with the glorious aroma of baking bread. That was enough encouragement for me, and I mopped the floor eagerly, awaiting a taste of my honest day’s work. Now imagine my disdain when the bread I had slaved over tasted like . . . well . . . bread. Not even good bread! Just regular old bread from the grocery store. And there ended my adventures in bread baking – until, that is, William Alexander’s new book 52 Loaves: One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust arrived on my desk.
Like me, Alexander didn’t think he had the bread gene – he had tried baking bread, always with mediocre results. Unlike me, though, Alexander refused to give up on his dream. Instead, he worked diligently (and, luckily for us readers, extremely entertainingly) in a year-long effort to master this culinary art, to understand the exact chemistry of flour and water and yeast and salt that would produce a delectable crust, just the right crumb (otherwise known as air holes), and a fantastic flavor. So, inspired by his memoir, I am now giving bread baking another chance.
Alexander makes his own starter, also called levain or sourdough, which is used in place of yeast. Step One in my efforts to replicate Alexander’s journey (you’ll have to read the book to learn if he ultimately succeeds in baking the perfect loaf) started with an apple (and the peel of another apple), which right now is fermenting at room temperature on my kitchen counter. This will become the start of the levain. (If you’ve ever wiped off the haze from a fresh-picked apple, you’ve wiped off yeast.) I’ll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned!
-Katie (Katie Ford is the Assistant Marketing Manager for Algonquin Books)
For more on William Alexander and 52 Loaves:
1. Visit his WEBSITE.
2. Watch his slide show and listen, as he talks about the inspiration for his year-long quest for the perfect loaf.
3. Check out his contribution to a New York Times article about local food.
For this month’s Algonquin Test-Kitchen, Brittany – armed with a handy blow torch – took on Bill Smith’s Crème Brulée, from Seasoned in the South. These little potted custards, featuring lots of heavy cream, are the perfect ending to a dinner party, or a nice treat to pull out with a bottle of wine at your next book group!
The Recipe:
Serves 6
3 cups of heavy cream
1.5 cups of half and half
1 split vanilla bean
9 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the ramekins in a 9 x13 baking dish or roasting pan and set aside.
Scald the cream and half-and-half together with the vanilla bean. Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar. When the cream begins to steam on the surface, whisk it gradually into the eggs (Note: It’s important to stir frequently, as the mixture will begin to form a skin as it heats.).
Strain the mixture and divide it among six 6-ounce ramekins, saving the vanilla bean for another use or two, and pour enough hot water in to the baking pan to come halfway up their sides. Bake in the bain-marie uncovered. They should become firm but still jiggly. In my small ramekins this can happen in 20 minutes, but custards are weird and will sometimes take much longer (Note: In my oven, which tends to run a little hot, this took about 30 minutes.). When they are set, transfer the custards to a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate them, uncovered, for at least one hour.
At serving time, dust the top with a thin later of white sugar and brown in the broiler until the sugar has caramelized. Or do like I do, and bring a blowtorch to the table and do it on sight. Watch your fingers.
These are best eaten right away, but the caramel will hold its crunch for a few hours if you need to prepare them in advance.
As Courtney and Christina move away from Algonquin to start on fresh new adventures, we’re excited to welcome new staff members to take over their roles. A warm welcome to Julianne Lowell, former Algonquin Publicity Intern and a new face in our publicity department! Julianne wrote today’s post about how it feels to be back in North Carolina after a couple of years in New York.
The strange thing about Algonquin’s office is that it’s practically located in the neighborhood where my parents live, and where I grew up. In college, I strictly avoided that end of town on principle. Going “away” to college in my hometown was difficult enough: making sure that I didn’t become that kid who went home every weekend, lugging a sack of laundry and eager for a hot meal courtesy of Mom, but at the same time, wanting to show off my knowledge of Chapel Hill to all my new friends. I vowed to pretend that the UNC campus, a mere 10 minutes away from my parents’ home, was located in another state completely. So, riding the bus across town, from one end to the other, to get to my college internship—it felt like traveling back in time.
Now, in Chapel Hill again after a few years in New York City, everything looks and feels utterly different. Still without a car, I take the same bus that carried me to my internship, except now it takes me to a job in Algonquin’s Publicity department. It’s a good feeling. And instead of a self-conscious fear of being seen as a “townie,” I’m pretty stoked to be back in Chapel Hill. I can really appreciate the close-knit family that makes Algonquin so successful at producing great books and making sure that each one gets the attention it deserves. Being able to slow down and enjoy what I’m working on and cultivate relationships with each author is pretty awesome. Of course, the ultimate sign of importance and indication of my changed status—I now have my own office! No longer do I reside at the intern’s table right by the front door, a spot that feels removed from the exotic and faraway land that is the rest of the office.
Here, there’s no scanner in the lobby. No ID card to rummage around for in my purse every morning, just my own copy of the building key for those mornings when I’m the first to arrive at work. And—get this—people bring their dogs in to work, on a regular basis. The difference between Algonquin then and Algonquin now? The same great people, great books, and great work environment—what’s to change?
-Julianne
Publicist (and frequent blog contributor) Christina Gates recently decided to take on a brand new job with the website yelp.com. We wish her the best of luck in her new position, and we are certainly going to miss her like crazy around here! On her last day, Christina shared her reflections on her time at Algonquin, beginning with her first post-college job in 2004.
I first arrived at Algonquin the summer after I graduated college. I was nervous, jobless… and pretty sure I’d accidentally walked into an abandoned warehouse. There were boxes of books haphazardly strewn and not a single desk or cubicle or person in sight. I finally gathered enough courage to wander out of the “lobby” in order to let someone know I was there for my interview. I heard about the gig through the creative writing department at UNC and knew it was a part-time opportunity as the “publishing coordinator” (which I later learned equates to: office manager and then some).
I landed the job and began my days at 10am with a pick-up at the PO boxes. Most of my time was spent folding press materials, stuffing jiffy bags, weighing parcels, and kicking the photocopier. We had an ancient meter machine that allowed us to illegally turn back time (and make a few last-minute awards deadlines!). The strips were wetted to adhere (blegh!), and the machine had to frequently be un-jammed with the help of a paper clip (and infinite patience).
I loved the casual atmosphere and all my cool colleagues, but being in grad school and working for less than peanuts was not cooperating. So after a year-and-a-half, I found full-time work elsewhere. One production house and one university press job later, I was thrilled to hear about an opening in the publicity department at Algonquin. An opportunity to come back to my old stomping grounds and work with Craig and Michael all over again? Yes, please!
I found a lot of the things had stayed the same: we still have bagels every Wednesday; we still rely a lot on our awesome interns; we still hold our 10am meetings closer to 10:30; and we still publish great books. But things had changed too. The majority of mailings go out of our warehouse now, which makes that “lobby” a lot more spacious (if not quite yet feng shui). And there’s a real-deal state-of-the-art meter machine! The house seems to have really found its stride and – though it’s always pumped out great books – now it’s also tremendously successful in making sure all of them get noticed. I was lucky enough to cheer on several Algonquin titles as we watched them climb the New York Times bestseller list and I can’t tell you how rewarding that’s been. I feel so lucky to have been a part of that process and a player on the Algonquin team.
But the winds have shifted, and once again I find myself saying goodbye to my friends (and “family”) here. It’s time for me to explore the world beyond publishing and dive into something entirely new. Believe me, I’m putting on my floaties first! I’ll miss all my colleagues and the fab authors I’ve worked with over the years. If any of you ever need me, I’m just a Yelp away!
Farewell, Algonkians, farewell. I leave you with my gratitude, my best wishes – and my toaster. Enjoy.
-christina
Welcome back to Meet the Staff, where we learn a little more about the lovely people with whom we work! This month, we are saying farewell to a very valued member of the publicity team, Courtney Wilson, as she heads back to school.
How long have you worked for Algonquin?
Since before I graduated from college, technically – I interned here and then started working right when I graduated! So total…I guess three-and-a-half years?
What is your favorite part about your job here?
I love the wide range of personalities – it’s such an eclectic place to work, and there’s rarely a dull moment. If there is, I can always look forward to Craig yelling something out from his office.
So, why on earth are you leaving Algonquin? And how do you plan to adjust in the absence of “Wednesday Bagel Day?”
I graduated only a few years ago, but I’ve already decided to get back into the classroom. I’m returning to my alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill (go Heels!) for nursing school. I’m so excited for a new adventure, but I’ll miss this place loads. I’m sure I will have to work a lot less to keep my weight down without my weekly 600-calorie bread breakfast.
You’re getting married in May. Congrats! What 3 songs top your “do-not-play” list?
Thanks! We’re having the wedding at our house in our backyard out in the country, so it’s a little nontraditional….as such, I refuse to have the wedding march played. I also do not want to hear the Electric Slide or the Cha Cha Slide.
What are your top 5 favorite foods?
Oh that is not a fair question! I love almost every food on the face of the planet, and eating lots of everything. My favorite foods change every day! The first is easy – cupcakes. But from there…hmmmm….
1) Cupcakes
2) Fresh steamed or sauteed veggies
3) Sushi
4) Anything with a potato
5) Sandwiches (that’s broad enough to include a ton of options!)
To make sure that our representation of Courtney is well-rounded, here are some other fun facts, straight from her co-workers (who would never lie).
Courtney's devoted (and adorable) canine companions, Gypsy and Lucky
-Katie
Friday morning, the entire Algonquin staff in Chapel Hill worked together to get 350 packages of A Reliable Wife (and a fleece blanket to read it under) out to bookstores and booksellers across the country. We wanted to make sure they had a chance to read the book in paperback before it goes on sale on January 5.
The Algonquin elves stacked, taped, stamped and tied every package–and we got them out the door before Friday’s storm hit!
Boxes and boxes of books needed to be unpacked.
Stacks of Algonquin fleece blankets were packaged with the books and a letter.
The assembly line in action, as blankets and books were loaded into boxes and taped up.
Labeled, stamped, and out the door!
Thank you Algonkians for all of your help!
-Katie
Thursday night was the annual Algonquin Holiday Party, graciously hosted by the Popelars family. This year’s event included all of the Algonquin traditions, plus a few new ones (zip line, anyone?).
We have a pot luck dinner, which wouldn't be complete without the macaroni and cheese.
Ana seems to have begun a new tradition with an extremely delicious (and popular) flan.
Gathered around the bonfire, warming up and toasting (ok, burning) some marshmallows.
Chuck didn't hesitate to brave the zipline
Carefully wrapped presents by the Christmas tree, cleverly concealing the white elephant gifts within!
Kathy was the lucky recipient of a unique Mushroom Lamp.
What would a white elephant Christmas exchange be without trolls dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause? Happy Holidays!
Our holiday office party is tonight. And that means a big pot-luck dinner, a white elephant exchange full of cheesy delights, and apparently –this year– a bonfire beneath a backyard zip-line. Katie will be reporting live from the scene, so you can virtually join us for all the festivities!
As the sign-up sheet circulated, I was tempted to cop out with my traditional dish of sausage-cheese balls…but then I decided they scream Super-Bowl a little more than Holly Jolly Christmas and that it might be time to expand my party-food repertoire. What could be more holiday-esque (or a better excuse to drink bourbon) than egg nog?
Here’s a wrap-up of the experience, and the complete recipe thanks to Bill Smith’s Seasoned in the South: Recipes from Crook’s Corner and from Home.
Egg Nog
Serves 8-12
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whiskey, either bourbon or half bourbon and half rum
- 6 cups heavy cream
- Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish (*my note: I scoured the grocery stores and couldn’t find this anywhere, so had to go with the far-less-gourmet ground variety from the spice aisle. )
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale, thick, and golden. Slowly and gently stir in the whiskey.
Feel free to add bourbon liberally.
Beat the cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mix to stiff peaks. (*my note: Six cups of whipped cream yields quite a lot of volume, so I suggest splitting the amount into two separate medium mixing bowls, to give yourself enough space for the cream to fluff up.) Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside as well.
Cream peaks to the left; egg white peaks on the right
Gently fold the cream and then the egg whites into the egg yolks with a spatula and chill until very cold. Serve in punch cups with a dusting of fresh nutmeg on top. Sit down. I swear, this is the last instruction.
The finished product is obviously quite rich and it has a pretty milkshake-like consistency. If you prefer, you may thin it out by stirring in a bit of skim milk. I felt like I could have filled a whole kiddie pool with this recipe…but it ended up just being two pitchers’ worth. Sure hope Algonkians likes egg nog!
-christina
Books for a well-read life.
