Think Twice – READ EAT And DRINK

Read, Eat and Drink

Featuring
Think Twice by Harlan Coben

CHAPTER 1 – READ

For a reader, the best day of the year is when a new book from your favorite series is released. It is even better when you think the series has concluded, but you are surprised by a new release. This is the case with Think Twice, a new installment of the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben.

Harlan Coben is on my Mount Rushmore of writers. All of his books are great, but the Myron Bolitar series is my favorite. The series stretches nearly 30 years, starting in 1995. Myron Bolitar is a former college basketball star whose promising professional career was cut short due to an injury. He goes to law school and becomes a successful sports and entertainment agent. In his spare time, he solves crimes with the help of his best friend, the ultra-wealthy and often violent Windsor Horne Lockwood III, otherwise known as Win.

Myron has a long history with former basketball player and coach Greg Downing. The two have competed on and off the court for many years until Greg passed away three years ago. Myron is shocked when Greg is somehow placed at the scene of a murder. Myron enlists Win and his former assistant Esperanza to help search for Greg and stop a string of murders that might be the work of a serial killer.

Think Twice did not disappoint. Although it has been eight years since Coben’s Home, I loved being back with Myron, Win, and the gang and savored every word, knowing I would be done reading it in a few days.

The twists and turns are solid, but the relationship between Myron and the other recurring characters turns the pages. You can’t help but root for Myron, laugh with Win, and hope the series continues forever.    

CHAPTER 2 – EAT

Pastrami Sandwich and Tomato Soup (Printable recipe)

In Chapter 29, Myron and his son grab a bite at Friedmans (an actual restaurant on 72nd Street in New York) to discuss the case. They order pastrami sandwiches and tomato soup. I remembered my killer homemade tomato soup recipe as Myron dips his sandwich.

Let’s start with the soup. It is a little work, but it is worth the effort. Tomato soup is a comfort food that never disappoints.

Ingredients – Tomato Soup:

  • 1 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 celery stalk chopped
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ¼ cup chopped basil leaves
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Strain the tomatoes, keeping the juices. Spread the tomatoes on a baking sheet with salt and pepper, ¼ cups EVO, and roast at 425 for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat EVO in a saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the roasted tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken broth, tomato puree, brown sugar and butter to the pan.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
  5. Pour the mixture into the saucepan and add the bay leaf, basil, and cream.
  6. Simmer @ 15-20 minutes.
  7. Enjoy!

While the soup is simmering, build the sandwich. Although I do not eat much of the smoky and spicy cured meat, I thought it might be fun to experiment with it.

One important note. This is not a Ruben. No cheese and sauerkraut, but that is an option for another time. I wanted to taste the pastrami and rye without all the other noise.

Ingredients – Pastrami Sandwich:

  • Pastrami
  • Rye Bread
  • Mustard
  • Butter

   Instructions:

  1. Buy a good quality pastrami from your deli. A good pick is Boar’s Head First Cut Pastrami Brisket.
  2. Coat the outside of the rye bread with butter and then pile the meat inside. Make it high, but not too high.
  3. Add deli mustard or my favorite, Inglehoffer Original Stone Ground Mustard, on one slice of the bread.
  4. Place the sandwich on the flat top and cook for about 5 minutes per side.
  5. Enjoy!

Tips:

Dip the sandwich in the soup. The combination is fantastic.

Try it without the mustard. The combination of the sandwich and soup is enough.

Make extra soup. It is excellent for a couple of days.

Tell me what you think if you try this recipe and send a pic to ChrisKneerAuthor.com. Once a month I will have a drawing for a great prize (well… maybe not great, but a prize 😊). 

CHAPTER 3 – DRINK

Beer

I had to get creative with the drink in Chapter 3 of READ. Not only did I need to find something mentioned in the book, but also something that pairs well with pastrami. Chapter 13 had the answer—good old beer!

Myron makes a trip to Montana to find one of Greg’s acquaintances and a possible suspect. After landing, he heads to the Shanty Lounge. The cowboy and trucker bar is adorned with many neon beer lights, and the bartender pours a beer from a Carter’s Brewing Tap.

I checked out Carter’s, which happens to be a craft brewery in beautiful Billings, Montana. It was a little too far of a trip from Florida for a site visit, but I did check out their brews online, and they have a wide range of IPAs, Scottish Ale, and even a porter. Looks like a legit craft joint.

This gave me an excellent opportunity to educate myself on beers. I like golden ales and wheat beers, but I am open-minded. And lord knows I drank enough Bud Light in my twenties.

The first thing to know is the major difference between beers is the type of yeast used to ferment them. Depending on the process, a beer can be a lager or an ale. Examples of ales include pale ales, India Pale Ales (IPA), porters, stouts, wheat, and Belgian styles. Lagers include pale Pilsners, German Helles, and darker American lagers.        

The next step was to find out what beers pair well with Pastrami. Suggestions included a glass of red wine or a Zinfandel, but I wanted a beer. The winner was a hoppy IPA, which enhances the salty, savory, and smoky flavors of Pastrami. The beef has a strong taste and needs an equally strong beer to hold up to it.   

IPAs get their characteristics from hops and herbal or fruity flavors. They can be bitter and contain high alcohol levels, though the final product depends on the variety of hops used. According to Bon Appétit, New England IPAs carry a fruity flavor with low bitterness, while the British style is maltier and bitter. West Coast IPAs appear to stand somewhere in the middle.

I tested a few IPAs and found many to be too bitter for me. I settled on a Hazy IPA which has stronger fruit flavors and looks cool in a glass. My favorite was Bell’s Hazy Hearted IPA. I tasted a lot of grapefruit in it and enjoyed sipping while I cooked. The brewery is located in Michigan and has been around since 1985.

The final step was to determine the right glass. IPA nerds will insist on Spiegelau Craft Beer IPA Glass. This favorite features a bulbous shape that tapers inward and a short ridged stem. It is specifically designed for IPAs.

For those of us who want a beer with our pastrami sandwich, any glass will do, but you should strive for one that has a bulbous glass that tapers inwards. You want a glass that can create and maintain a good, frothy head.

Bottoms up!!