Shuna’s Journey, by Hayao Miyazaki

Shuna’s Journey, by Hayao Miyazaki (First Second, 160 pages)

At a glance, Shuna’s Journey feels like well-mapped territory for author and acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki. Originally published in 1983, the story about a prince who leaves his home on an ungulate steed for parts unknown bears a striking resemblance to Miyazaki’s 1997 film Princess Mononoke. Assumingthe graphic novelis only a springboard for the acclaimed animator’s later film, it would only seem accessible to mega-fans of his work. Assumptions are often proved wrong and Shuna’s Journey is much stranger than anyone could hope to assume.

The book itself is not laid out like a traditional comic or manga, stereotypically filled with sliced and diced frames meant for frenetic page-turning. In fact, the layout of Shuna’s Journey shares more commonality with a children’s book of myths and legends. Pages primarily consist of large single-columned panels, the maximum being only three per page. They bleed over onto the corresponding pages in uneven hand-painted watercolor, bringing humanity to the larger-than-life renderings.

The book opens peacefully among the mountains that tower over Shuna’s village with the lines, “These things may have happened long ago, they may be still to come.” and it could almost serve as an excuse for an unrealized, undeveloped setting. Instead, the stage is set with background art portraying an environment triumphant over human civilization. Empty ruins look like dry bones against barren plains and the desert lands stretch endlessly into the horizon, marbled in red and blue hues. Even human creations feel alien in this land. As Shuna makes his way west he takes shelter under giant abandoned robots as well as a colossal battleship, grounded and wasting in a sea of sand. All serve as breadcrumbs of a mythic past where humans thrived, making the reader wonder what happened to make Shuna’s world this way.

There is also an anthropological element that helps flesh out Shuna’s world. In his home village, walls painted with cosmological designs hint at a culture with deep-rooted beliefs and customs. The fur hat Shuna wears marks him as someone of high status, and other characters who also wield power wear similar headgear. Some of the bigger antagonists in the story, those participating in the slave trade have their own menacing iconography differentiating themselves from the small village kingdoms. These details help cut down on exposition that could cramp the page. The narrative does not need to slow down with backstory exposition when Thea (a character whose perspective takes over for the final third of the book) is introduced. Her distinctive hair ornaments tell everything about how she treasures her past and fights for her individuality even as the slave trade tries to take it from her.

Storywise, the book follows the archetypal hero’s journey, making the narrative easy to follow. Shuna and his people are caught in a cycle of hunger and scarcity. There’s not enough food for the people and animals, so when there is a chance to break the cycle, the hero sets off on his quest for a crop that will sustain his people. Miyazaki makes sure to impress upon the reader the constant looming state of desolation in which the characters find themselves. While Shuna must overcome physical challenges to survive, he needs more than muscle to accomplish his goal. The trials during the story test his resolve to complete the journey, making him learn what it means to both help and hurt others.

The pacing is even; the climax hits when Shuna finally makes it to the land of the god-folk. This is where the graphic novel’s art and story both reach their peak. The environment, with its vibrant forests filled with animals and large cultivated fields, is completely different from the wastelands Shuna previously journeyed through. The land of the god-folk is more than paradise and it is here where Shuna’s Journey dips into the realm of cosmic horror. The creatures that make the land their home look like they come straight from the Cambrian explosion, while the mechanisms that cultivate grain are beyond human comprehension. When the truth is finally revealed the reader may find themselves so horrified and filled with existential dread that they wonder whether it was worth it for Shuna to have left his home after all.

The story does not end in the land of the god-folk, but comes to a satisfying, if not complete, conclusion. The final third of the book, with Thea at its center, feels slightly disjointed from the first two-thirds of the story, but it would be much more disappointing if Thea’s section were not included. Since the core of Shuna’s Journey focuses on the quest to cultivate grain it makes sense that part of the story should involve farming. After all, the problem of hunger in Shuna’s world will not solve itself with force, but instead with patience, understanding and kindness. A

— Bethany Fuss

Album Reviews 22/11/03

Brothertiger, Brothertiger (Satanic Panic Records)

If you were around in the late ’80s, you probably heard your share of corporate metrosexual chill-techno music by Tears For Fears, Scritti Politti, Spandau Ballet and all that junk, usually at the most inopportune times, like when you were stuck someplace where it was being played loud enough for you to hear it. No, I kid this kidder, because you could do a lot worse these days than this kind of thing, Perry Como makeout tunes for the generation who thought John Waters was the greatest filmmaker of all time. This guy — the mononymed Jagos, who’s done four other LPs with this project — has really nailed the vibe; there’s pretty, slick synth-cheese all over the place, as well as the staple fake-bell sounds that signified ’80s-pop more than basically anything else if you think about it. It’s all well done, the vocal lines smooth and low-slung. There’s no reason for this kind of music to exist in current-year, but it is what it is. A

Amanda McCarthy, “Lifeline” (single) (self-released)

When last we left this New Hampshire-based country-pop singer-songwriter, she’d released her 14-song debut LP Road Trip, which, now that I’m re-listening to it for the first time in forever, actually has almost a Christian-pop feel to it, but that’s probably mostly owed to my listening to a lot of church-rock nowadays for some reason. Anyway, she’s in Nashville or thereabouts now, shooting for the bigs, and to make it in the bigs, one needs big-sounding – and, yes, I hate this word as much as anyone — production. This song does have that, let’s get that out of the way; it’s got as much a Tegan and Sara feel as it does a slight Faith Hill twang to it. It’s a very catchy rock-ballad-ish tune, one she “tried to write for years,” so she says”… my brain kept coming back to this song.” Good thing it did. There’s nothing amiss here. A

Playlist

• Like Zippy The Pinhead always says: Yow, look at all the new CDs that are coming out! Yup, it’s a huge pile of new albums due out on Friday, Nov. 4, and the worst, I mean first, one is Aughts-indie stalwarts Phoenix, with their new album, Alpha Zulu! You know, back when I first started writing this column — before the Best Of New Hampshire CD Reviews award and the other one, I forget which it was — I was really intimidated by Phoenix and their musical meatloaf of Kaiser Chiefs and whatever else, like, it was kind of heavy but also kind of awkward and badly done, which was all the rage back then, so I had to watch what I said about them because I was afraid some 98-pound hipster with skinny jeans and a flavor-saver patch under his lips would tell my editor to fire me because I just wasn’t sufficiently plugged into the zeitgeist. Of course, the happy ending came years later, when music journalists who’d suffered under the whip of utterly incompetent Brooklyn scenesters who pretended to like bands like Pavement and Air — you know, the really bad stuff — finally decided enough was enough and that it was OK for us writers with a bare modicum of taste to admit that we couldn’t stand any of those bands. It was kind of organic for me, like, I had gotten to the point where I just couldn’t take it anymore and had started dragging some of them (ha ha, remember Snow Patrol, how they couldn’t quite write a song that Gin Blossoms wouldn’t laugh at? Write those weak, unsellable B-sides, Snow Patrol! Write!). OK, and whatever, I’ll go listen to this dumb Phoenix album so that you don’t have to. I assume they’ve improved by now, seeing as how they’ve had what, 15 years to think about all the damage they’d done to rock ’n’ roll? I have no expectations at the moment, I just hope it isn’t completely unlistenable, whatever it is — ah, there it is, the title track. Oh jeez, they’ve gone the Yo La Tengo/Chk Chk Chk route but (and you’ll never believe this) less interesting. Kind of mellow, a sneaky little hook in there halfway through the song, vibe with no purpose other than ordering avocado toast or something. Anyway, there you go, Phoenix, everyone.

• For whatever reason, some of you are really big into Queens Of The Stone Age and buy all their albums, and for that, they thank you, and you’ll want to know about Tropical Gothclub, the new solo album from QOTSA multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertita, streeting this Friday! This fellow also played with Dead Weather, so he’s supposedly seen Jack White eat an entire bag of Wendy’s hamburgers in one sitting, a story he can tell his grandchildren. I expect this will be a set of stoner-rock songs, given Fertita’s liking for stoner rock, but let’s do a quick CSI just to be sure. So the first single, “Wheels Within Wheels,” is, you guessed it, basically a QOTSA song, but with a more boneheaded, King Gizzard-ish psychedelic angle. Good lord, it’s noisy and pointless, I’m unimpressed but will admit it’s better than a lot of the trash out there.

• What in tarnation is the Ezra Collective, fam? I don’t know, I have no idea, let me Google it. Ah, OK, I get it, they’re a jazz band of some sort; their 2019 instrumental single “Quest for Coin” was premiered as a “Hottest Record in The World” on BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac show. Where I’m Meant To Be, the new album, features the single “Life Goes On,” a weird but irresistible thingamajig combining breakbeat, ska and Fela Kuti. Simply too cool.

• We’ll wrap up this nonsense with Swedish folk-rock girls First Aid Kit’s new LP, Palomino! Not much to say other than if you ever wanted to hear a slightly depressing version of ABBA, you’ll love this. Great stuff.

If you’re in a local band, now’s a great time to let me know about your EP, your single, whatever’s on your mind. Let me know how you’re holding yourself together without being able to play shows or jam with your homies. Send a recipe for keema matar. Message me on Twitter (@esaeger) or Facebook (eric.saeger.9).

Wine pairing, Italian style

What to drink with each course of a hearty Italian meal

The crisp days of autumn call for a reunion of family and friends. Italians are well-practiced at family reunions over hours-long dinners, with multiple courses, accompanied by the appropriate wines, punctuated by short rests between the plates.

The gathering may start with a traditional aperitivo, a sampling of a plant-based dip, olives, nuts, and cheeses, followed by a traditional antipasto, an arrangement of best cheeses, meats, marinated artichokes, olives, crostini, the spread before the main meal. It is a delight to both the eye and the tastebuds. The primi piatti, or first course, can be a pasta, risotto, soup or polenta; the possibilities are endless. Secondi piatti, or second course, will feature different types of meat and fish. The portions are small and will typically have a vegetable alongside the protein. Just when you think you have completed the meal, along comes the insalata, composed of leafy greens dressed with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper; and lastly, followed by the dolce, or dessert. Panna cotta or tiramisu are prime examples, served alongside a tiny cup of dark, strong coffee.

What sort of wines are served with this mélange of courses, all different from each other? The aperitivo calls for a prosecco or spritz. The antipasto calls for an unoaked white or a light dry red wine like a barbera. The primi piatti course typically calls for a wine that will match the dish, dry for a pasta laced with pesto, or a creamy chardonnay with a pasta with clam sauce. The secondi piatti course will be matched to a wine that depends on the protein, from pinot gris, which pairs well with a creamy seafood dish, to a dry Chianti, the most commonly consumed wine of Italy. The insalata and dolce are the only two courses without a pairing to wine.

Two red wines noted in the paragraphs above include barbera, from the Piedmont region of Italy, and Chianti, from Tuscany, made primarily from sangiovese grapes. What are their similarities and differences? Sangiovese is a relatively “sweet” newer wine, but its sweetness can be brought closer to barbera when blended with dry red wines. Both have strawberry as a primary flavor, but that “sweetness” may be more apparent in the sangiovese than in the barbera. We should note the term “sweet” does not imply sugar; it refers more to the level of fruit that is experienced in the nose and on the tongue.

The Vite Colte Piedmonte Spasso Passito Appassimento Rosso, available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, priced at $39.99 and reduced to $19.99, has a deep ruby red color. To the nose it is open and elegant, with ripe fruit of berries and plum. On the tongue, the wine is dry with light tannins; the fruit carries through with some herbaceous notes. Barbera is not grown on the best real estate of the Piedmont, but its lowly position should not be ignored. It is meant to be enjoyed young, is affordable, and is a perfect complement to the antipasto, or perhaps also enjoyed with the courses that follow.

The 2015 Castello Fonterutoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, from the Mazzei Vineyards, available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, priced at $71.99 and reduced to $35.99, may not be the least expensive Chianti, but it is an excellent choice, coming from one of the most prestigious wineries of Tuscany, owned by the Mazzei family for 26 generations. This blend of 92 percent sangiovese, 4 percent malvasia nera and 4 percent colorino, two indigenous varietals, it hails from the vineyard’s best parcels. With a deep red color and pronounced fruit to the nose and tongue, this Chianti calls for rich, dark meats, mushrooms, herbs, herbaceous cheeses, root vegetables and braised greens. It will complement a rich, meaty secondi piatti.

Autumn is a time to settle back indoors. Plan a four-hour, multi-course Italian dinner, with family and friends. Enjoy the camaraderie of sharing a well-planned spread, paired with an excellent selection of wines. Repeat those great stories again, revisit those shared adventures, all enjoyed over great food and wine. Enjoy a meal the way Italians do!

Caramel-stuffed chocolate chip cookies

It’s the week after Halloween, and you may be wondering why you would need a dessert recipe. Think of it as a way of reducing the amount of candy floating around your home. Alternatively, this recipe could go into your holiday planning file.

This recipe was created with caramel-filled chocolate candies, but you definitely could make a substitution. Peanut butter-filled candies, Hershey’s kisses, or other small chocolate candies could be used as the filling for this recipe. Take a peek in your candy stash, and see what you could use.

These cookies store well. I have made batches that were shipped cross country and weren’t eaten until a week after baking and were still as delicious as the day they were made. So, as you start to think about your holiday baking, these could be a perfect choice. Make them in advance of gatherings or cookie exchanges, and know that you will have cookies ready when you need them!

Note: I have always used muffin tin liners when making these. Greasing the pan will work, but it is definitely a distant second choice for me.

Caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies
Makes 48

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips
48 chocolate-covered caramels, unwrapped

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars.
Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
Stir in vanilla.
Add salt, baking powder and flour, mixing until blended.
Add chocolate chips, stirring until combined.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a mini muffin pan with liners, or grease each cup.
Place a heaping teaspoon of dough into each cup.
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
Place tray on wire rack and push one caramel candy into each cookie.
Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies from muffin pan to cooling rack.
Store in a resealable container once fully cooled.

Featured Photo: Caramel-stuffed chocolate chip cookies. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Sergio Metes

Sergio Metes is the executive chef of Luna Bistro (254 N. Broadway, Salem, 458-2162, luna-bistro.com), a tapas and wine bar that opened in Salem’s Breckenridge Plaza on North Broadway in June. A New Hampshire native, Metes got his start in the restaurant industry working in southern Florida under acclaimed chef Mennan Tekeli. Much of his practice combines Central and South American cuisine with some American or Spanish influences. Prior to joining the team at Luna Bistro, Metes worked at several local restaurants as a chef or consultant, including the former Unum’s in Nashua, which was known for its eclectic New American cuisine. He has also had culinary stints all over the Seacoast of New Hampshire and in southern Maine. Best-selling items at Luna Bistro include the cola-braised short rib tacos, the truffle fries, the crab cakes and the artichoke dip. The eatery is also a popular spot in town for its lounge seating, live music and comedy shows.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I have to have very sharp knives. … It makes everything fast and accurate, and you’re able to really maximize your time-efficiency.

What would you have for your last meal?

I would have some really nice traditional Peruvian-style ceviche. It’s just a beautiful, tasty and wonderful thing to have … and for me, there are some memories associated with it as well.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I really enjoy The Birch on Elm [in Manchester]. … They’re under construction right now, but I’m looking forward to when they’ll reopen soon.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Luna Bistro?

You know who I really enjoy is Bradley Cooper. Something about him just says to me that this would be a really funny guy to talk to and socialize with. … He reminds me in a way of a brother-in-law, just [because of] his mannerisms, and my brother-in-law is a fun guy.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The one that I enjoy the most, I would say, is the cioppino. It’s basically a dish that consists of a little seafood broth, and then I add some arrabbiata sauce, which is a spicy tomato-based sauce, and some shrimp and mussels, and then just basically let them do their magic in the broth. … We serve it with a grilled lemon and a couple of grilled crostinis and some scallions, and it’s just a very comfortable, enjoyable dish to have.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I’ve noticed a lot of places … [that are] bringing that rustic feeling into restaurants, and then just more local flavors … from farms in the area.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I like to make coq au vin. … It’s basically chicken that has been braised and cooked in red wine with some aromatics in there. I like making that because the chicken gets really tender and it has this really nice flavor from the wine. I’ll have it normally with either some risotto or rice, or some roasted or boiled potatoes.

Cioppino (seafood stew)
From the kitchen of Sergio Metes of Luna Bistro in Salem

2 cups seafood broth
Mussels
Scallops
Shrimp
¼ cup white wine
1 Tablespoon basil chiffonade
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 roma tomatoes, cut into quarters
¼ cup to ½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper as needed

Cook the garlic on medium heat for two minutes. Add the mussels, scallops, shrimp, wine and tomatoes. Allow to simmer for two to four minutes. Add seafood broth and basil. Cover for about four to five minutes, until the mussels are open and the shrimp is fully cooked (scallops can be added as preferred to achieve the desired level of doneness). A touch of fresh-squeezed lemon and crusty bread for dipping are recommended.

Featured photo: Sergio Metes of Luna Bistro in Salem. Courtesy photo.

Soup’s on

Bouillon Bistro now open in Milford

Scratch-made artisan soups, chowders and stews are the stars of the menu at Bouillon Bistro — formerly known as Wicked Pissah Chowdah, the eatery has found a new home on the Milford Oval, where it held a grand opening Oct. 7 just in time for the town’s Pumpkin Festival weekend.

Co-owner Sue Poulin left her corporate career to purchase Wicked Pissah Chowdah, at the time located on South Street just off the Oval, from founder Ellen Muckstadt in June 2020. Poulin and business partner Lisa Gamache have also since opened a second location in Townsend, Mass.

Bouillon Bistro is unique for featuring a different lineup of around six to eight home-cooked soups every single day, with a total of 35 to 40 rotating soups available any given week. By Monday, the new menu for the upcoming week is posted to the website and on social media.

“There’s a lot that goes into it. The process starts at around 8, 8:30 in the morning … and then by about 10 or 10:15, everything is nice and percolating,” Poulin said. “We open the doors at 11, so we like to let the soups sit in the cauldron for 40 minutes or so to let the flavors do their thing.”

Hot soups are then served straight out of the pot from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. (or, for the really popular soups, whenever they sell out — Poulin said it’s not uncommon for some soups to not make it past the lunchtime hour). A cooling process begins at 2:30 p.m. for the leftover batches.

“Whatever is left, we put them in an ice bath, bring the temperatures down and then we package them in pints and quarts to go in the cooler. Then we’re open until 6 for cold takeout,” Poulin said. “[They are] good for up to a week in the refrigerator, or up to a year in the freezer.”

Saturdays are when Bouillon Bistro will serve what Poulin calls a “wild card” lineup of soups, or options based on whatever excess inventory or ingredients they’ll find themselves with.

Since taking over the business, Poulin estimates amassing around 120 different soup recipes. They’ll often run the gamut from traditional offerings like beef stew, corn chowder, broccoli cheddar soup and New England-style seafood chowder to more unique soups, like a Mexican-inspired chicken tortilla soup, a cheeseburger soup with ground beef, shredded carrots, diced celery and potatoes, a Buffalo chicken soup, a creamy sausage tortellini soup and more.

In addition to the soups, the eatery offers bread, bagged crackers and a small menu of paninis.

“I really want to be known for the soups, and going forward we’ll be doing different sides just to accompany the soups,” Poulin said, “Each one would have a fun side.”

Poulin said that, like at its South Street predecessor, the plan is for Bouillon Bistro to temporarily close just before Memorial Day and reopen Labor Day weekend.

Bouillon Bistro of Milford
Where: 123 Union Square, Milford
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
More info: Visit bouillonbistro.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram or call 213-5443

Featured photo: Sausage and gnocchi soup. Photo courtesy of Bouillon Bistro of Milford.

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