Book Challenge #1: The Informant, by Kurt Eichenwald

The Informant, Kurt Eichenwald (Nonfiction)

I bought this book because I'd loved the This American Life episode "The Fix Is In," which was based on the book, and I wanted to learn more. I wasn't disappointed, although having heard the episode it meant that I already knew a lot of the plot twists. But not all of them.

Because this is a book full of twists, so many that at times it's unbelievable -- until you get to the end, where Eichenwald extensively and meticulously documents the sources for every twist, turn, plot, and even line of dialogue. The first eighty percent of the book is written in a compelling, thriller-esque style that makes the banal workings of white-collar crime seem extremely exciting even without, you know, explosions and car chases -- and the last twenty percent backs up the facts. It's a great technique, and one that I think works well.

( The "setting" is Archer Daniels Midland Company (aka ADM)... )

(no subject)

Also, the famous New York Times No-Knead Bread Recipe? Really is as good as they say. And you really don't need to knead it. (Although you really do need a covered pot that can handle temps up to 450F -- I used my new cast iron dutch oven.) (More about the recipe/process here.

I just tried my first loaf. (I was going to make sourdough, but it turns out that my neglected starter finally did grow a mold, so no go there right now -- and no-knead sounded like an interesting alternative.) The bread has a toasty-colored, crispy-chewy crust, and the bread inside is chewy yet tender with great big holes, like artisan bakery bread. Part of it is the long rest (the dough has to sit for 12-18 hours), which lets time do the protein-unwinding and gluten-aligning that usually is managed by vigorous kneading. The other part is the heavy, covered pot, which lets the bread steam in its own moisture -- in a regular oven, the oven space is too big, and the moisture dissipates rather than creating a good crust.

I digress. This recipe is quite simple as breads go -- and tastes soooo good. Next up: I'm going to try to engineer a sourdough version of the same no-knead process.