The Dutch House by Ann Patchett with Recipe by Chef Sophie Hyam
Author
The youngest of two daughters, Ann Patchett’s dad, was the police captain who arrested Charles Manson, he also had a hand in arresting the man who assassinated Robert F Kennedy, Sirhan Sirhan. What an early claim to fame!
After her parents divorce, she moved to Nashville when (she was six), with her mother and her now step father, who she described as a ‘very, very weird guy’.
He made her carry a gun at the age of sixteen and to this day, she attributed her annoyance with texting with the fact, in order to be constantly available to him, he forced her mother to carry a pager wherever she went.
After graduating from a private catholic school for girls in Nashville, she moved to a college in New York where she lived with the poet Lucy Grealy which experience, she drew on in her 2004 memoir.
For nine years, Patchett worked at Seventeen magazine where she spent her time writing non-fiction. After an argument, where she reportedly exclaimed, “I’ll never darken your door again”.
It was during her time at the Fine Arts Works Centre in Massachusetts where she wrote her first novel, published in 1992, which was later made into a television movie
In 2010, she co-founded a book shop which after adding a book mobile reached all over Nashville.
Her first marriage, in her early twenties, didn’t last more than a year, but now lives with her current husband in Nashville.
Her work has been translated into more than 30 languages.
Ann Patchet
The Book
Published in 2019, the Foodie Book Club choice for November, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett is about, a brother, a sister, (Danny and Maeve Conroy) their lives, and a house over five decades.
With a father in real-estate, and a mother who abandoned them, Danny was raised by his sister in the Dutch House.
Meeting Andrea, a woman a little obsessed with the Dutch House, their father marries again. She has two daughters of her own, she makes it clear that she doesn’t like Danny and Mauve. Their father becomes even more emotionally distant than he had been before his marriage and Maeve becomes the butt of Andreas jealousy.
When Danny was 15 and Mauve was 22, their father abruptly dies of heart attack while at work.
Andrea made sure she was the sole beneficiary of his estate before throwing Danny out of the housemaid and fires the housekeeper and cook, the only two people who had known the children all their lives and helped bring some consistency to their childhood.
After finding a flaw in their fathers will, Maeve discovers the only possible way to get any money from Andrea.
There is an educational trust fund set up for Danny along with Andreas two daughters, and to get back at Andrea, Maeve persuades Danny to go to the most expensive schools and universities, for as long as possible.
Danny begins a lot of years of education heading towards being a doctor, but his heart isn’t in it and he wants to be in real estate like his father.
Whilst training to be a doctor, a young woman, Celeste, sets her sights on him and because she wants to marry a doctor, she shocks Danny by proposing to him.
When he decides to take the real estate business seriously, she blames Maeve and this causes a feud with his sister and wife which lasts all the way through their marriage.
Two children later, Celest becomes increasingly bitter towards Mauve and this puts a strain on their marriage.
Maeve is unable to get the Dutch House out of her head, and each time Danny comes to visit, they drive to the house and sit outside for hours while Mauve reminisces about the loss of it.
On one of these visits, in their 40s, they see Andrea outside the house and this triggers something which at last stops their visits.
A few years later, Maeve has a heart attack and out of the blue, their mother (Elna) shows up.
Elna begins to nurse Maeve back to health and they start to re-build their relationship. With no real memories of his mother, Danny isn’t as forgiving as Maeve.
After some time, their mother suggests a visit back to the Dutch house, where they discover Andrea has dementia and doesn’t recognise Maeve or Danny.
Elna decides to stay in the Dutch house to look after Andrea but a few months later Maeve dies.
Its after the death of Maeve that Danny and Celeste get divorced and it’s around this time that Andrea was as horrible to her own children as she was to Danny and Maeve.
Years later, Danny’s daughter falls in love with the Dutch house and from money from her career as an actress, buys the house and uses it to entertain her famous friends.
The novel was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
The Dutch House
My Thoughts
I liked this book, and loved the fact the house was a character in its own right.
It provided a solid centre to allow the characters to rotate around it.
Watching Danny and Maeve develop over the years, the writer put enough depth into who they were to keep me interested enough to want to know what happens to them over time.
The dynamic between Danny and Maeve was interesting and it felt as if the author was drawing on their own experience of being a sibling. The caring and ambition Maeve had as an older sibling, felt at times, like it was real and based on a true bond.
Although there were times when i felt Dannys character was a little weak, and i would have liked to have known more about Mauve and her life.
I did like the ending, hoping the house would generate happier memories as it aged.
The reaction of the return of their mother could have been explored more as her original leaving, was a pivotal point in the development of the story line, i was a little disappointed that this wasn’t explored more.
I did like the pace of the book and it flowed really well between the characters and settings of the story. this was the fisrt book by this author i’ve listened to, and i would certainly explore more.
Overall this book is one i’d definitely recommend to others and give it a 4 egg rating.
4 egg rating
Chef
Watch Sophie cook live on Foodie Book Club YouTube Channel here!
Have you met Sophie Hyam?
Not yet! Then keep reading and you’ll find out a little bit about her from her very own lips.
When Sophie agreed to cook live for Foodie Book Clubs Lockdown Lunches, i was over the moon. She’s been doing some great cooking in her area and if you’re near where she’s based , make sure you seek her out if your looking for tasty food for an occasion.
If you missed Sophie live cooking, watch her again on our Foodie Book Club YouTube Channel.
“I am a Self Employed Qualified Chef / Event Chef returning to the full time world of catering in April 2019.
A decision I had been tinkering with for a while, but after the sudden loss of my beautiful Mum in August 2017 I decided “life is too short” not to do what you love.
I qualified as a Chef when I was 18 so now I pimp myself out in the culinary world to keep my “catering work” fun & varied.
Food Demonstrations are my forte, passion & love.
I undertake Children and adult cookery lessons & food themed parties.
My business model has had to change with the pandemic so now I offer home delivery of celebratory meals, picnic boxes and themed menus.
My focus is to champion local suppliers and use seasonal ingredients to ensure my dishes are of the highest quality.
My aim - educate anyone who wants to enjoy the wonders of food.” Sophie Hyam
‘There is no love sincerer than the love of food ❤️’- George Bernard Shaw
Sophie Hyam
Recipe
Chicken Milanese with Sauce Vierge Crushed Potatoes & Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
2 x 150 g skinless free-range chicken breast
100 g plain flour
2 large free-range eggs
100 g breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons light olive oil
25g unsalted butter
Method
Place the chicken breasts on a board and cover with a double layer of clingfilm. Bash with a rolling pin to flatten them to 5mm thick.
Tip the flour into one bowl, beaten eggs in a second bowl. Add the breadcrumbs to a third bowl & finely grate in half of the Parmesan, then mix.
Coat the chicken in the flour, then the egg and finally in the cheesy breadcrumbs, until thoroughly coated.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the chicken for 3 to 4 mins on each side, adding the butter half way through.
Cook until golden and the meat is cooked through, serve with a dollop of the sauce Vierge.
Chicken Milanese with Sauce Vierge Crushed Potatoes & Roasted Tomatoes
Sauce Vierge
Big Bunch of Tarragon
Big Bunch of Parsley
4 Anchovies
2 Tbsps Capers
1 Shallot
3 Tbsps Red Wine Vinegar
Sea salt & ground black pepper to taste
Method
Place all ingredients into a mini chopper or blender.
Whizz to a textured sauce. Season & taste.
Crushed Potatoes
500g new potatoes or peeled Maris Piper
Good pinch sea salt
Glug of virgin olive oil.
Handful chopped parsley.
Method
Cover potatoes of choice with cold water.
Add salt, bring to boil, turn pan down to a simmer & cook for 20 - 25 minutes until tender.
Drain.
Add a good flight of olive oil and just smash the potatoes down gently.
Stir in the parsley and keep warm until ready to serve with your Chicken.
Roasted Tomatoes
2 large / beef tomatoes
Sea salt & black pepper
Good glug of olive oil.
Method
Season and drizzle with oil
Place in a preheated oven 180oC
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes
