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PENGUIN, 2004
(available in paperback from Penguin, 2005)
ONE MORNING IN post–Spanish Civil War Barcelona, ten-year-old Daniel Sempere and his father arrive at the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a mysterious sanctuary for books that have lost their owners. There, Daniel searches for a book whose soul he promises to protect for his lifetime. The book he finally plucks from the shelf—The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax—grips him; he devours it in an afternoon, and Daniel’s quest to unravel its mysteries will transform him.
The book first draws him near to Clara Barceló, a blind, porcelain-skinned beauty and the daughter of a local book trader, who encourages Daniel to read aloud to her. Daniel falls in love with Clara, although she is almost twice his age. His unrequited love torments him as he slowly comes to realize the depth of the power and mystery behind the book he reads aloud to her.
Daniel soon learns that The Shadow of the Wind is a rare book: someone has been systematically seeking out and burning all of Carax’s novels. When a mysterious stranger with a leather-masked face who calls himself Laín Coubert—the name of the devil in Carax’s novel—offers Daniel an exorbitant sum to purchase his copy of The Shadow of the Wind, Daniel’s interest in Carax’s life deepens. Carax’s bullet-ridden body had been dumped in a Barcelona street in 1936. With the help of his colorful, leftist best friend, Fermín Romero de Torres, Daniel seeks to solve the mystery of Carax’s violent death. Along the way they uncover revealing facts about the author’s early life: his friendship with Javier Fumero, now a sadistic police officer in hot pursuit of Fermín, and his ill-fated love affair with Penélope Arraya. As Daniel and Fermín approach their goal of unraveling the tragic truth that destroyed two families, Daniel begins to notice eerie similarities between his own life and Carax’s, and comes to realize the danger he has put himself in.
I wanted to serve a true Spanish dish, one that could transport our senses to the ‘flavor’ of the book,” says Debbora Childress, about her quest for tapas dishes to pair with The Shadow of the Wind for the Wednesday Afternoon Lunch and Book Club of Northern San Diego (see More Food for Thought for the group’s full menu). Tapas is the name for a wide selection of hot and cold snacks or appetizers typically served at bars and cafés across Spain. Daniel and Fermín order tapas at Els Quatre Gats—a café a short walk from Daniel’s house and one of his favorite haunts—where a plainclothes policeman has followed them. “Tapas, or small bites of Spanish foods, appealed to me as a way to test out lots of new flavors,” says Childress. She explains that in Spain, a tortilla is similar to a quiche or egg frittata, and is nothing at all like a Mexican tortilla. “This tortilla is unlike anything we Southern Californians would imagine,” Childress says.
This recipe first appeared in Gourmet magazine (December 2006).
NOTE: This is a versatile recipe that can be made with many types of sausages (Childress used vegetarian sausage).
Tortilla can be baked one day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Cut into squares, then bring to room temperature before serving or reheat to warm in a preheated 325°F oven.
1 bunch scallions 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped (1½ cups) 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1¼ teaspoons salt, divided ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 6 ounces Spanish chorizo (cured spiced pork sausage), cut into ¼-inch dice (see note) |
1½ pounds (about 4 medium) yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon gold, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice 9 large eggs ¾ cup sour cream 5 ounces (2 cups) manchego or white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated |
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9 ÷ 13-inch baking pan or dish.
Finely chop white and green parts of scallions and reserve each part separately.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onions, garlic, white parts of scallions, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Add chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown and release oil, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate, then stir in potatoes and cover skillet. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool slightly.
Whisk together eggs, sour cream, cheese, scallion greens, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then pour into baking pan. Sprinkle potato mixture over eggs (some potatoes will stick out). Bake until custard is set, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack to warm or room temperature. Trim ½ inch off each side, then cut tortilla into 1½ ÷ 1-inch rectangles.
Yield: 64 small squares; 12 to 14 servings
“In The Shadow of the Wind, people are obsessed by books, saved by books, betrayed by books. They even destroy books to lessen their power. Books are so central to the story that they are practically a character in the novel,” says Nicola Weideling of the Drinking Woman’s Book Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. Group members related to the power of books as depicted in The Shadow of the Wind, because they had experienced that force in their own lives. “Reading can take us out of ourselves, inspire us, allow us to dream,” remarks Weideling. “A really good book leaves you thinking about the characters weeks later. We talked about the books that had stayed with us, even ones we had read as children.”
The group also noted the role of parents in the story. “So many of the characters have an absent parent, or one who is emotionally absent,” says Weideling. “Many of the characters appear to act as surrogate mothers and fathers to Julian, Daniel, and Penélope.” The character of Clara provoked the most controversy. “Some felt that she was good for Daniel and a positive influence, an ‘angel’ in fact. Others felt she was manipulative and selfish and that her pretty face and blindness hid her true personality,” explains Weideling. Overall, the group raved about this “lyrical, unputdownable” novel that they describe as “a love story, a thriller, and a literary tour de force celebrating the impact books can have on a reader.”
The nine current and former teachers of the Thomas Jefferson Book Club of Falls Church, Virginia, ate Spanish tapas, including Spanish olives, serrano ham, manchego cheese, chorizo, almonds, dried apricots, magdalenas, Maria cookies (popular cookies in Spain), and nonalcoholic sangria during their Shadow of the Wind discussion. A plate of olive oil sprinkled with salt, along with bread for guests to sop up the oil, was added to the menu at the suggestion of member Miguel Gonzalez, who hails from Barcelona and said his mother often served those items.
“We started serving food to match the theme of the book at our very first meeting in 2003,” says Pam Davis, a founding member of the Wednesday Afternoon Lunch and Book Club of Northern San Diego. “We thought we were the only book club in the universe that paired food and literature!” For The Shadow of the Wind, Debbora Childress prepared a selection of tapas dishes, including albondigas (meatball) soup, Spanish manchego cheese and membrillo (quince paste), quesadillas, chorizo and potato Spanish tortilla bites (see recipe), Spanish green olives, and green salad with toasted pepitas and red wine vinaigrette. Childress selected the albondigas soup based on the recommendation of a friend, whose Spanish grandmother serves the soup at special occasions. She also offered white sangria, and, for dessert, churros and dulce de leche ice cream.
Childress relished both the experience of shopping for the ingredients (it was “like a trip to Spain in itself!”) and sampling the unusual flavors, which enhanced the group’s appreciation of The Shadow of the Wind. “It was a new experience for most of us to taste and smell the foods of Spain. The cryptic tone of the book was reflected in the newness and mysterious nature of the dishes I prepared,” she adds.
The Dixie Divas of Birmingham, Alabama, savored Spanish sweets, including flan, Spanish almond cake, marzipan almonds, and Sugus candies, when they discussed The Shadow of the Wind. Sugus candies are a favorite of Fermín, who touts their wondrous properties. “At one point in the book, Fermín offers Daniel a Sugus because ‘it is the cure for everything,’” explains Ricki Jill Treleaven. “Our hostess thought it would be fun to decide for ourselves if Sugus is the cure for everything.” (Sugus candy is not sold in the United States but can be purchased online.)
