Ever feel like flinging a book across the room? I had that sensation a few times while reading Caleb Carr’s new novel, Surrender, New York. A couple of State University of New York (SUNY) professors (like me) investigate a series of deaths of “throwaway” children. A “throwaway” child is a child whose parents have moved away and abandoned them. Carr’s narrator, criminal psychologist Trajan Jones, formerly of the New York City Police Department, now lives in a upstate town. Dr. Jones has a sidekick named Mike Li. Together, they teach online courses for SUNY and help the local police when they’re stumped.

Carr loves excess in Surrender, New York. Dr. Jones has a pet. No, not a dog or cat or fish. It’s a cheetah! Dr. Jones has an office. No, it does not look like a Dilbert cubical, it’s a World War II German airplane! The plot is compelling, but the over-the-top aspects of this book really mount up over its 600+ pages! If your tolerance level for annoying excesses is high, then I’d recommend Surrender, New York. If not, skip it. GRADE: C+

I love pizza and although Western New York has plenty of great pizzerias, I occasionally like to make pizza at home. The Elements of Pizza shows how to make great pizza in the comfort of your home. Ken Forkish shares the secrets of great crust. He enthusiastically develops great pizza recipes. And this book is full of mouth-watering photos of the world-class pizzas you could make, too. I plan to make the Pepperoni, Mushroom, and Onion Pizza this weekend! What’s your favorite pizza?
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1 Introduction

11 CHAPTER 1 THE SOUL OF PIZZA

39 CHAPTER 2 PIZZA STYLES

51 CHAPTER 3 EIGHT DETAILS FOR GREAT PIZZA CRUST

61 CHAPTER 4 INGREDIENTS AND EQUIPMENT

83 CHAPTER 5 METHODS

103 CHAPTER 6 PIZZA DOUGH RECIPES

SATURDAY DOUGHS
108 Saturday Pizza Dough
110 “I Slept in but I Want Pizza Tonight” Dough
112 Single Dough Ball
114 Enzo’s Pizza Dough
116 Saturday Pan Pizza Dough

REFRIGERATED LONG DOUGHS
118 24- to 48-Hour Pizza Dough
120 48- to 72-Hour Biga Pizza Dough
124 48- to 72-Hour New York Pizza Dough

NATURALLY LEAVENED DOUGHS
127 Wild Yeast (Levain) Culture
130 Overnight Levain Pizza Dough

SPECIALTY DOUGHS
134 Al Taglio Pizza Dough
136 Bar Pizza Dough
138 Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

141 CHAPTER 7 PIZZA RECIPES

SAUCES
145 Basic Tomato Sauce, Two Ways
146 FWSY Sauce
147 Vodka Sauce
148 New York Pizza Sauce

ITALIAN & ITALIAN-INSPIRED
150 Pizza Marinara
153 Pizza Margherita
156 The Ferdinando
158 Pomodoro Royale (with Cheese)
161 Prosciutto and Bufala
163 Mortadella and Pistachio Pizza
166 Zucchini Blossom Pizza
168 River Po Pizza
171 Carbonara Pizza
173 Pizza Bianca and Pizza Rossa

NEW YORK & NEW YORK–INSPIRED
175 New York Cheese Pizza
177 Simple Tomato Pie
181 Meatball Pizza
183 A.J.’s Pie
184 Vodka Sauce and Sausage Pizza
187 Brooklyn Hot Honey Pie
189 Pepperoni, Mushroom, and Onion Pizza
192 Grandma Pie
195 Adam Kuban’s “Love Supreme” Bar Pizza

KEN’S ARTISAN PIZZA CLASSICS
197 Margherita and Arugula, Two Ways
200 Arrabiata Pizza
202 Prosciutto Pizza
204 Fennel Sausage and Onion Pizza
206 Spring Onion Pizza

TRIFECTA FLATBREADS
209 Oregon Basil Pesto and Burrata Flatbread
211 Tarte Flambée
214 Nettle Pesto Flatbread With Morel Mushrooms

VEGETABLES & JUST BECAUSE
217 The White Owl
221 Escarole Pizza
223 Delicata Squash Pizza
225 Butternut Squash Pizza
227 Artichoke and Bacon Pizza
230 Chanterelle and Garlic Pizza
233 The Tommy Habetz Pizza
235 The Pie Hole Skillet Pizza
237 Hawaiian Pizza
240 Raclette Pizza

242 Measurement Conversion Charts

There aren’t very many good movies about business, but Equity is one of them. Anna Gunn plays an investment banker launching an Initial Public Offering (IPO) that will make or break her career. Very high stress. Directed by Meera Menon and written by Amy Fox, Equity shows the duplicity and backstabbing that can occur when millions of dollars are at stake. James Purefoy plays Michaal O’Connor, Gunn’s lover and possible competitor. Sarah Megan Thomas is convincing as Gunn’s Girl Friday. Alysia Reiner steals every scene she’s in as Samantha, an SEC investigator who yearns to bust some hedge-fund billionaires. I really liked the Machiavellian plot and all of the realism of the characters’ decisions. If you’re a fan of business skulduggery, Equity delivers. GRADE: B+

George Kelley, Diane Kelley, Jeff Meyerson, Bill Crider, Deb Pfeifer, and Jackie Meyerson

Jeff Smith, Janet Rudolph, Beth Fedyn, Joe Danger, Jackie Meyerson, and Kate Derie

Diane Kelley, Marv Lachman, George Kelley, and Art Scott
THE GOOD:
1. Meeting Deb and her husband, John. What a fun couple!
2. Free Books! Lots of them!
3. A decent Dealers’ Room. Good, but not great.
4. Loved the panel featuring Bill Crider, Joe Lansdale, Lawrence Block, S. J. Rozen, and Catherine Coulter.
5. Enjoyed seeing everyone who missed the Albany BOUCHERCON! And Raleigh!
6. Getting a tour of the Tammany Morgue by our niece who is a CSI agent for the Coroner’s Office. I saw a dead body they were about to autopsy!

THE BAD:
1. Heat, humidity, and torrential rain.
2. The faucet in the bathtub in our room at the Marriott leaked. I complained and the Front Desk sent an “engineer” to fix it. It continued to leak all during our stay. What a waste of water!

THE UGLY
1. Southwest Airlines sent us from New Orleans to Orlando, FL. Then there was a “mechanical” problem. Delay. Then Southwest decided to fly us to Buffalo on a “different” plane. But the plane had to fly in from Aruba. More delay. We left the Marriott at 11:30 A.M. and finally arrived home at 10:00 P.M. Not fun!

While you are watching your favorite NFL team, Diane and I will be flying to Orlando for the first leg of our return to Buffalo. BOUCHERCON was a blast, but there’s no place like home. The Bills are licking their wounds from Thursday Night Football and getting ready for next Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. How is your NFL team going to do today?

Southside With You is the story of Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson’s First Date. Parker Sawyer looks and sounds a lot like Barack Obama. Tika Sumpter is convincing as Michelle. Michelle insists that this “is not a date” because she is technically Barack’s boss while he serves his Summer Internship at the law firm in Chicago that Michelle desperately wants to succeed in. First-time Director, Richard Tanne, also wrote the script for Southside With You. This is where the movie struggles as Tanne tries to make conversations “dramatic” and “meaningful” within the context of a date. There are a few awkward moments and unconvincing moments. But, there is chemistry between Sawyer and Sumpter and that carries the movie. GRADE: B

This anthology from 2001 features writers I consider among my favorites. Ed Gorman and Marty Greenberg put together 439-pages of great story-telling. What I really like about this anthology is the length of the stories. Cain, Westlake, Block, MacDonald, Spillane, and Whittington showcase their talents in these longish stories. If you like what you see in Pulp Masters you’ll probably enjoy the two previous anthologies by Gorman and Greenberg: American Pulp and Pure Pulp. These are top-notch stories!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction by Ed Gorman p. vii
• The Embezzler by James M. Cain p. 1
• Ordo by Donald E. Westlake p. 81
• Stag Party Girl by Lawrence Block p. 142
• College-Cut Kill by John D. MacDonald p. 192
• Everybody’s Watching Me by Mickey Spillane p. 256
• So Dead My Love by Harry Whittington p. 330

The Bills lost to the Baltimore Ravens 13-7 in the Opening Day game. The Bills offense was listless. The Bills defense couldn’t stop the Ravens when they needed to. In this first Thursday Night Game of the season, the Bills face an AFC divisional opponent, the New York Jets. The Jets lost a squeaker to the Cincinnati Bengals 23-22. The loser of this game will be in a deep hole just one week into the NFL season! The Bills defeated the Jets twice last year. Can they do it again? If they do, the Bills need to score more than seven points!

By the time you’re reading this, Diane and I will be on a flight to Baltimore for the first leg of our journey to BOUCHERCON in New Orleans. If all goes well, we should be landing in the Big Easy around dinnertime. I’ve been to New Orleans three times (but not since Katrina) while this is the First Time for Diane. Our son Patrick will attend BOUCHERCON, too! The attraction of BOUCHERCON is the people. We have dinner plans with Beth and Joe and Art Scott. I’m sure we’ll have brunch with Bill Crider and the Myersons. And plenty of conversations with Maggie Mason, Ted Hertel, Marv Lachman, and other old friends. The highlight of this visit to New Orleans will be meeting Deb and her husband! Fun, food, and friends! It doesn’t get better than this! Will we see you at BOUCHERCON?

This new Blu-ray version of The Commitments looks great! I loved The Commitments 25 years ago and this 25th Anniversary Edition includes plenty of Special Features:
“25 Years Later: New Interview with Alan Parker and Cast”
“Audio Commentary with Alan Parker”
Four Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
Music Video
Image Gallaries
Collectible Booklet
If you’re a fan of The Commitments this new Blu-ray edition is a must-buy. And the music sounds even better!
TRACK LIST:
1. Mustang Sally
2. Take Me To The River
3. Chain of Fools
4. The Dark End Of The Street
5. Destination: Anywhere
6. I Can’t Stand the Rain
7. Try a Little Tenderness
8. Treat Her Right
9. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
10. Mr. Pitiful
11. I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
12. In the Midnight Hour
13. Bye Bye Baby
14. Slip Away