The Backyard Bookworms

Cafe Drake's always vivacious and chatty bookclub - The Bookworms - met recently at the home of Jen Ruske and Anthony Castro, and as always during the outdoor season, Jen and Anthony treated us to a deluxe, grilled meal (this time the theme was Fajitas). Platter after platter arrived on the backyard table, each the product of Anthony's deft hand at the grill and Jen's impeccable sense of seasoning: heaping bowls of homemade salsa and guacamole, corn and tomato salad, grilled mushrooms/leeks/onions/zucchini/potatoes, marinated flank steak, tender and spicy chicken, grilled whole wheat tortillas, chipotle cream sauce, saucers of snipped cilantro, marinated onions and crisp radishes. And oh yes, we also discussed Ruske's book selection, Cormac McCarthy's modern classic The Crossing.