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The woman who takes up the most space throughout Claire Jiménez’s devastatingly affecting debut novel, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez, is, ironically, not technically present. In fact, she’s been missing for years when her two sisters, Nina and Jessica, become convinced that she’s resurfaced as a primary cast member on the trashy unscripted television program “Catfight.” When Nina and Jessica plot to spring a reunion on Ruthy, their mother catches wind of their plan and wants in. This is a read that will warm your heart while making you laugh, as their personal journeys are revealed, and as you come to know them through and through. This sassy, smart, sweet novel will also sneakily break your heart. Be prepared to be moved, and be prepared to want more, more, more from this author.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez

by Claire Jimenez

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Brazo Gitano with Burge Road Cherry Cream Filling

From: Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook

by Illyanna Maisonet

We’ll snag any excuse to dive into Illyanna Maisonet’s fantastic collection, Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook. The Ramirezes, Puerto Rican by ancestry, now live in Staten Island, New York. Certainly there’s that oft-present tension between old customs and new ways of life, but certainly none of that oppositional pulling happens where food is concerned. For this particular pairing, we wanted a cake, not just to pay homage to the cake that Dolores buys to celebrate her daughter’s graduation, but also because it’s exactly what we’d picture her and her curmudgeonly and churchy friend Irene slicing into while gossiping over tea.

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup coarsely chopped pitted ripe cherries (see Note)
1 lemon wedge
5 eggs, separated
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup
1 pinch kosher salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 tbsp milk
10 tbsp cake flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

STEPS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter and flour a 10-1/2 by 15-1/2-inch jelly-roll pan.

2. Put the cherries in a bowl and squish them with your hands. Squeeze the juice from the lemon wedge over the cherries and set aside to macerate.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer (or with a whisk), whip the egg whites on high speed for 30 seconds, or until foamy. Gradually add the 1/3 cup granulated sugar and continue to whip for 5 to 7 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Clean the mixer beaters (or whisk).

4. Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Add the salt and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and whip for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the yolks are pale yellow and fall in ribbons from the beaters (or whisk). Add the melted butter and milk to the yolk mixture and beat on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour and baking powder and mix for 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly incorporated into a batter.

5. With a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter, until no streaks of egg white are seen. Repeat with the remaining egg whites, folding them in one-third at a time. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Then cover the entire cake with a clean kitchen towel and invert the pan to release the cake onto the towel. Use the towel to roll up the cake and then set the cake in the towel on the wire rack for about 30 minutes, or until cooled completely. This step will give the cake muscle memory for holding its shape after it’s filled. Leave it rolled up until it’s completely cool and you’ve finished making the filling.

7. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, combine the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cherries, and most of the juice they’ve produced. The mixture should have spreadable consistency; if it doesn’t, incorporate more cherry juice, 1 tbsp at a time, until it does.

8. Unroll the cake, leaving it on the towel. Spread as much of the cream cheese mixture as you can over the cake, leaving a 1-inch border along the ends and the long side farthest from you. Starting with the long side closest to you, roll up the cake. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Using the towel as a sling, transfer the cake to a serving platter, positioning it seam-side down.

9. Using a serrated knife, cut the brazo gitano into slices and serve. It is best eaten the day it is made.

Note: There’s no easy way to pit cherries. Either you have one of those little gadgets that pits them for you, or you just smash the shit out of them on a cutting board in the same way you’d smash garlic. And if you can’t access fresh cherries, use the same amount of great-quality cherry preserves!

Reprinted with permission from Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook by Illyanna Maisonet copyright ©2022. Photo copyright © 2022 by Dan Liberti. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

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In addition to being prepared for a little heartbreak, we also recommend that you prepare for a little discussion, as What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is going to make you want to talk and talk and talk it out some more. Get going on your conversing by digging into these discussion questions.

Get the questions.

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One of the very many wonderful things about What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is its peek into contemporary Puerto Rican culture, and how so much shifts from generation to generation. Want to immerse yourself for a while longer? Peep Claire Jiménez’s primer to Puerto Rican literature. Here's what she has to say about a few of the fab reads from her list. Read through and then click the link to get them all!

Antes Que Llegue La Luz

by Mayra Santos-Febres

“Mayra Santos Febres is one of the most prominent authors in Puerto Rico. With visceral detail and haunting imagery, this memoir, written in Spanish, examines the aftermath of the 2017 Hurricane Maria, the legacy of colonialism, and what it means to survive.”

When We Make It: A Nuyorican Novel

by Elisabet Velasquez

“Velasquez applies her talent as a poet to this beautiful young adult novel written in verse about growing up Puerto Rican in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York. If you purchase the audiobook you can hear Velasquez read the story herself! Truly a treat.”

When Trying to Return Home: Stories

by Jennifer Maritza McCauley

“This New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice was just longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. McCauley’s voice in this debut collection of short stories is pitch-perfect, as her characters explore race, gender, colonialism, and the meaning of home.”

Velorio

by Xavier Navarro Aquino

“This is a fierce debut by a talented author examining the impact of disaster, both natural and manmade. Told through multiple perspectives, this book asks, how do we carry the weight of the dead and imagine a new world without reenacting the same violences of capitalism and colonialism?”

Ordinary Girls: A Memoir

by Jaquira Díaz

“Diaz’s memoir is a powerful reflection on growing up in Puerto Rico and Miami and grappling with her mother’s mental health and her own sexual assault. This book is a force.”

Our Bruises Kept Singing Purple

by Malcolm Friend

“Malcolm Friend is one of my favorite poets. In this unforgettable collection of poetry, he examines his life growing up as a Black Puerto Rican in the Rainier neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.”

Get the full list.

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We asked Claire to share a favorite recipe. Here’s what she offered — a perfect little something for your quiet solo reading time or for your book club! Says Claire, “I used to eat this snack as a little girl. My grandparents and mother often ate them with coffee. But now that I’m grown, I also love queso blanco and a little guava jelly or paste on a Ritz cracker with a glass of sangria.”

INGREDIENTS

Queso Blanco (White cheese)
Guava paste
Ritz crackers (or your favorite cracker)

INSTRUCTIONS

Slice up and layer the queso blanco and guava paste into small squares, then layer them on top of your favorite cracker.

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Celler Del Roure Vermell	Vanderpump Chardonnay
Our red pick this week — Celler Del Roure Vermell — is inspired by Ruthy’s quite distinctive head of red hair. It’s a blend mostly made of Garnacha and Aramon Noir, and is medium bodied with a fair amount of personality to it. It would pair perfectly with the novel, as well as your favorite reality television show.	For our white pick this week, Speaking of your favorite reality show, we’re leaning into the unscripted with this Vanderpump Chardonnay. We wondered at first if wine talent was going to fall far behind Bravo star Lisa Vanderpump’s finesse on the entertainment front but were we ever wrong! You won’t be able to look away from this quite lovely wine.

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