Author: gr4c5

I write. I read. I cook. I run. That's me, in a nutshell.

Cookbook Trouble

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For Christmas I got this book…or cookbook…or whatever. It’s both and actually perfect for me. Cooking and books. Books and cooking. That combination is just as perfect as running and yoga, knitting and meditation, pickles and peanut butter. Never mind. So, where’s the trouble you might ask? Here’s the deal: I’ve decided to read every book mentioned in The Book Lover’s Cookbook in addition to Book Lust and More Book Lust. Am I crazy? Quite possibly. Luckily, quite a few of them are on my list already thanks to Pearl’s list(s). I’ve also decided to try to cook every recipe in the book as well. I think I’ve lost it.

A morning this week, despite wanting craving heuvos rancheros I actually made “Behold! Ichabod’s Slapjacks” (Wenger, Shaundra Kennedy and Janet Kay Jenson. The Book Lover’s Cookbook. New York: Ballantine, 2003.) while reading the excerpt from Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The “slapjacks” came out sweet and cake-like thanks to sifting and sugar. I instantly regretted pouring maple syrup on them. They would have been perfect with just a light dusting of powdered sugar, a small smear of jelly, or even nothing at all. In fact, their sweetness and lightness would have made a great pairing with something salty and crunchy like turkey bacon or thinly sliced grilled ham. I’m even thinking these slapjacks could be sandwich material… I made a note in the margin, reminding myself to try that next time. A twist on a monte cristo maybe?

Always Outnumbered

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Mosley, Walter. Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. New York: W.W. Norton, 1998.

Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned is like looking at snapshots of one man’s existence. Each chapter is a different time in Socrates Fortlow’s life, a different picture. His past, his friends, and his skewed sense of morality are the common threads in each scene. Socrates is a man, free after 28 years in prison, trying to make his way in Los Angeles, California. The violent streak that landed him in the penitentiary is still prominent in his personality. He is an angel and a devil all in one. A saint with a dark side. A demon with a halo. My favorite example of this split personality is when a friend’s wife comes looking for her husband at Socrates’s door. While telling Corrine she should leave her no-good husband (and be with Socrates) that same no-good husband is hiding out in Socrates’s back room.

Some of my favorite quotes describing Socrates:
“Back then he enjoyed the company of fear” (p 19).
“He wasn’t a thief. Or, if he was, the only thing he ever took was life” (p 64).

BookLust Twist: from More Book Lust and the chapter “Walter Mosley: Too Good To miss” (p 169). Happy Birthday Mr. Mosley!

Stew Luxury

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stew.jpg

Not many people like change. Very few people actually want to live outside of their comfort zone…at least not on a regular basis. Tonight’s dinner was all about reaching beyond the comfortable; moving beyond the typical. I don’t know what made me do it, but I wanted to make stew for dinner. I don’t make many soups or stews of any kind and I’m not exactly best friends with red meat. Like I said – way out of my comfort zone with this recipe. In addition, I did not want to make just any stew, but chunky, healthy, yummy beef stew since I haven’t been feeling well. No pressure! Thanks to the food network I made something I could dress up or down (read- make expensive or cheaper). Here is the luxury version and in parenthesis, the cheaper version. I went for a combination of the two. Kisa had seconds despite the fact he is a self-proclaimed squash hater.
Stew for You

  • olive oil
  • fresh, fragrant rosemary (dried)
  • flour
  • Spanish onion
  • fresh thyme (dried)
  • marsala wine
  • garlic, minced fine
  • butternut squash
  • sundried tomatoes, chopped (diced tomatoes)
  • beef broth (water)
  • stew beef cut into 2″ cubes, dredged in s&p and flour (cut into 1″ cubes)
  • portabella mushrooms, chopped (white button mushrooms)
  • parsley – fresh, chopped (fresh no matter what)
  • garlic bread

Butternut squash was an interesting twist, but you could go for standard-stew-inclusions like potatoes. I would like to try sweet potatoes in addition, or a combination of everything. I added the mushrooms even though they weren’t called for in the recipe. One other note – I would omit the salt in the beef dredge because the beef broth is salty enough (even if you use low sodium, which I prefer). Sop up the extra stew juice with the crusty garlic bread and enjoy a winter’s feast!

Wish You Were Here

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diner.jpg

If I could sit beside you in a worn down diner, I would. We would sit at the cracked counter, balancing on wobbly, spinning stools and peer at the menu, already knowing what we want. Nowhere to put our coats and hats, we’d drape them over our knees. Before the day is over I would lose a glove, dropped to the snow-melted wet floor, trampled on before it’s even missing and missed. But, before then we would order plates of runny eggs and almost burnt toast. We’d let steaming cups of coffee sit untouched at our elbows, too hot to sip. Conversation would be silent because enjoying each others unusual company would be all we need. You would eavesdrop on the couple behind us, nodding knowingly; wise to their hushed argument about buying a bigger truck. The exclamation, an outburst of sorts, “but, it’s New England!” would make you smile small. The corners of your mouth would barely move, but the barely contained laughter would still show in your eyes. You want to say something, but would busy yourself with fixing my coffee the way I like it instead. You would even stop to test its temperature, your tongue knowing exactly how I can take it. “It’s cool enough” you would indicate with a small nod, pushing the cup towards me, eyes still laughing. Thank you, I would acknowledge you are right. Again. 
Getting up to pay the bill. That’s when I’d lose the glove. I wouldn’t notice it slide off my lap, bounce off the stool leg and land soundly in the cold puddle of slush created by my too-big black boots. Instead I would trudge my way to the cashier, my coat bunched under an arm. You hand over the check and wait for change. “Ready?” you would ask with your smiling eyes. Yes. And out of the diner we would go. If I could, I would.

January Is…

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Here are the parameters for this month’s reading and what is at the top of the list. January is… 

  • Walter Mosley’s birth month (Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned)
  • Nevil Shute’s birth month (Beyond the Black Stump)
  • Benjamin Franklin’s birth month (The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin)
  • National Yoga Month (Everday Zen)
  • The month Michigan became a state (The Dollmaker)

Of course, I’ve been reading something else lately….But, now that January is here, Happy New Year & Happy Reading!

December Was

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I was looking back on the books I supposed to read from the December list and suddenly I found myself lamenting about how I’ll have to wait a whole year to get to the ones I didn’t even start. I decided to recap the month and after I made a list of what I did read I felt much, much better. I can honestly say all in all I am happy about what was and what wasn’t.
Here’s what I said I would read and what actually happened:

  1. Bill Bryson’s African Diary by Bill Bryson – done.
  2. Bellweather by Connie Willis – I read Miracle and Other Christmas Stories  instead. I don’t know…it just seemed more appropriate for December.
  3. Fer-De-Lance by Rex Stout – done.
  4. Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky – I never to this one because the library system was slow in loaning it.
  5. Body is Water by Julie Schumacher– Done.
  6. 24 Hours by Greg Iles – Done.
  7. Last Supper by Charles McCarry- I simply ran out of December and never got to it.
  8. Age of Grief by Jane Smiley – Done. 
  9. Father Christmas Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien – Done.

And the Christmas books not included in the list that I got to read were:

  • Polar Express by Chris Allsburg, and
  • Little Porcupine’s Christmas by Joseph Slate, and
  • Hilary Knight’s 12 Days of Christmas by Hilary Knight.

As an extra bonus I received a RandomHouseRead, Have You Found Her, and was able to squeeze that into the list during the last week of December.

Chourico Content

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For three months now I haven’t wanted to cook. I have come home feeling exhausted, worn down and depressed. Kisa asks a one-word question “pizza?” and my only response is another question “order out or make in?” I’m not feeling guilty about the laziness. We got a pizza stone and peel for our wedding and I truly enjoy making fresh pizza at home. But, but, but. It’s not what I consider cooking. I’m not really making anything when I lay down a crust with sauce and cheese.
Tonight, all that ended. I shook off the blues and I’m back in the kitchen. My first recipe to ring out the old year is chourico/turkey sub sandwiches in honor of the Saturday night Patriots game.
Ingredients:

  • chourico, red and spicy, stripped of casing and chopped small
  • ground turkey
  • sweet vidalia, chopped tiny
  • zesty tomato sauce
  • ruby red tomatoes, diced
  • crunchy, bright jalapenos (I cheated with jarred because I prefer my friend, Mrs ‘Fro), chopped smaller than small
  • dried oregano
  • sugar
  • black pepper (fresh cracked, of course)
  • tapioca
  • big black olives, sliced
  • monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • fresh, fresh, fresh rolls, guts taken out
  • crunchy tortilla chips (I like red hot blues)

I prefer to cook the turkey and chourico in batches, alternating between the two. End with a batch of turkey so it can soak up the crusty bits of chourico left behind. This method also gives the otherwise grayish turkey a deeper color. The whole thing stews for 6-12 hours so the flavors can have a lasting relationship and not just a one night stand. Serve with plenty of napkins and water for the wimps.

The Book Lover’s Cookbook

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Wenger, Shaundra Kennedy and Janet Kay Jensen. The Book Lover’s Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature, and the Passages That Feature Them. New York: Ballantine Books, 2003.

I grazed on this book a while ago. The hardcover (borrowed) version sat on my desk for a few days and every so often I would pick it up, skim the pages, eye the recipes, until it was time to send it back. I couldn’t get into it because I was truly afraid I would mark up a book that wasn’t mine. I have that habit with cookbooks – writing in them. So, I sent it back, barely digested.
Fast forward to last year. Book Lover’s Cookbook was on The List. I was thinking I could call it accomplished until I remembered how I didn’t devour it.
Skip to this Christmas. My sister and brother-in-law gave me the softcover version and suddenly, I’m not only devouring the book I’m dedicated to cooking every recipe, reading every book mentioned. This version is mine, mine, mine and I can write in it all I want.

What is so special about this book is that it includes a variety of books and are not all standard Oprah favorites. There are classics, stories for children, chick lit, murder mysteries, nonfiction, and even poetry. Same goes for the dishes – they aren’t all typical recipes. There is something for everyone.

BookLust Twist: From More Book Lust in the chapter “Dewey Deconstructed” (in the 600s, p72).

Looking Up

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I’ve been achy and almost silent for three days now. Sore throat and sniffly. I hate being sick. I missed out on getting my car fixed, a dental appointment and those crazy after Christmas sales. My cell phone is dead and I’ve only answered my sister via email. A sorta self-induced vow of silence. I have no voice to speak of (although I would make a great obscene caller).
But, things are looking up. January is the month for music. Natalie. Natalie. Natalie. Natalie. sirsy. Greg. Here Comes the Bride. In that order. I’m nervous about Natalie. I’ve never had a good time at general admission shows. I’m short and shy which means I won’t see much. But, it will be good to hear my favorite voice again. And again. And again. And again.
Looking up indeed.

Fer-De-Lance

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Stout, Rex. Fer-De-Lance. Pennsylvania: Franklin Library, 1934.When I saw this book arrive in the library van box for me I got very excited about the cover alone. It’s beautiful! I didn’t even know it was my requested book, just that it had a gorgeous cover. How’s that for judging a book by its cover? I have heard so much about Rex Stout and his Nero Wolfe mysteries but had never read one before now. I have to admit, I didn’t really care for the character of Mr. Wolfe. He seems to spend a lot of time bossing other people around while being very, very particular about his own activities. The story is actually told from the point of view of his assistant, Archie Goodwin, who seems to do all the legwork work solving mysteries since Wolfe never leaves home.

So, the plot to Fer-De-Lance is this: a man is found murdered. Clues in his room lead to the death of someone else. Ultimately, it’s the solving of the second death that leads to the truth of the first death. It’s a fun story. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“I made some sort of conversation so O’Grady’s ears wouldn’t be disappointed” (p 39).
“Maybe your salary is the only rope that holds Saturday and Sunday together for you” (p 48).
“It is always wiser, where there is a choice, to trust inertia. It is the greatest force in the world” (p 190).
“A genius may discover the hidden secrets and display them, only a god could create new ones” (p 246).

BookLust Twist: From Book Lust and the chapter “Rex Stout: Too Good To Miss”

This Is Me

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This is me saying goodbye to 2007. The dog and I have decided we are ready to wake up to a new year. Wake me when it’s over, won’t you? While this year wasn’t particularly terrible, it ended with an I-hate-fall moment and I am so ready to move away from that mindset.
Here’s the deal: I normally have scoffed at anyone making a new year’s resolution. I mean, why bother. You are full of crap and you know it. As a rule I don’t make them because in my mind, MY new year is my birthday, the day I turn another year older. A new year just begun. I end up making the same resolutions everyone else made a month earlier (because I’m full of crap, too). I end up not sticking to the resolutions just like everyone else. I’m not different, definitely no better. It’s pretty pathetic, actually. This year I’m not a scoffer. I’m a maker. I made a list of resolutions and for once, I’m not going to announce my good intentions to the entire world. I’ve done enough “this is IT!” ranting as it is.
This is all I will say. I am changing some things. See if you can tell what they are. Take a good look at this me because this time next year I won’t be.

Have You Found Her

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Erlbaum, Janice. Have You Found Her, A Memoir. New York: Villard Books, 2008.

I often say “I couldn’t put it down” to describe a page turner; a really good book. I just finished Janice Erlbaum’s Have You Found Her and I have to say first, it only took me six hours to read. Only six hours because not only was it a real page turner, but it was a too-good-to-stop page turner. It was a roller coaster of a read. Emotional and unpredictable. I felt every one of Janice’s highs and lows like they were happening to me.
To sum up the plot is to sell it short. To say it is the story of a woman’s journey through a relationship with a troubled homeless teen is to leave out the heartaches, the loves and hates, the hardness of being homeless, the despair of addictions. In addition to asking “what next?” from chapter to chapter the reader is also left asking “how is this possible?” Janice’s experiences are so fantastic and her feelings vibrate so strongly that every page is a live wire of tension. This is not your typical “soul searching” memoir for the author, her subject…or the reader.
I only found one discrepancy with the detail. Janice finds out her homeless friend has been discharged from a hospital back into the care of the shelter where Janice is a volunteer. Because if “rules” Janice must wait two days until her schedule volunteer day (Wednesday) before she can seek out the girl. Yet, when Janice arrives at the shelter she says she knows Sam was discharged on Wednesday when in fact, according to detail, it would have been a Monday (page 73). This is a small oversight in an otherwise fascinating and haunting story.

Seasick

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I want to say see you next year. I want to say maybe next time. I want to make promises I know I can’t keep. Life isn’t fair and Mother Nature is a cruel mistress. Next year my better half gets the call. I know what he will say. I know what he deserves to say. We aren’t going anywhere. It’s our turn to stay put. His family derves a merry christmas delivered on the right day, too.
I cannot make promises I shouldn’t keep. I cannot be unfair to my partner for life.
But, but, but. Know this – I was ready for you. I was ready to come back to you. For this first time in 15 years I was prepared to face all the haunts and hells of yesteryear. Just because it isn’t happening this year doesn’t mean I won’t be ready some other time. I will face you and I will win. Seasick or not, I will succeed.

working it not

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What do you do when the heart goes one way and the mind wanders another? When is right really right and wrong isn’t totally out of the question? One eye on the weather, one heart waiting for disappointment to crest so it can begin to ebb away. Subside. Anticipated sorry is worse than anything I could bring on myself.
The tide of bad timing is fast approaching. Try as I may I want to dodge it, duck under it, let it crash over my head and then let it move on without me. To say we have been planning this all year would be a lie. No plan, just the remembrance of a promise. We said we would be there. We assumed we would. We wanted to. Seriously. The promises broken would break my heart. When I say I want to go home it’s not for the sake of space. It’s not about the place. It’s never been about the place.
 

24 hours

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Iles, Greg. 24 Hours. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2000.

A kidnapping mystery set in Mississippi…sort of an odd read for the holiday season, but December is the month Mississippi became a state.
Here’s the storyline: Basically, this guy, Joe, has set up the perfect kidnapping scheme. He targets a doctor who has a spouse and child, learns all he can about the doctor’s family and then while the doc is at an annual convention he kidnaps his/her child. His cousin (a hulking man with the IQ of a chipmunk) holds the child in a remote location while his “wife” entertains the male parent and Joe entertains the female parent for 24 hours. They call each other every 30 minutes and if a call is missed Cousin Chipmunk kills the kid. In the AM one parent wires the ransom to the other parent so the kidnapper doesn’t have any connection to the withdrawal. The money is always an amount the doctor can afford and the kidnapping always works because the child is worth more than getting the money back or calling the police. The detail that makes the whole thing work are the every 30 minutes phone calls. Everything hinges on those calls and the convention – because the convention is the guarantee the doctor will be separated from the rest of the family for at least 24 hours.
Despite the brilliant plot I have two problems with detail. In the beginning both parents are told their family has been scrutinized and studied in great detail. The kidnappers claim to know everything about the family. If that is true then why did they not know their latest kidnapping victim was diabetic? If they knew everything how did they miss such a large piece of a child’s life? The second problem with detail is on page 164 – one of the kidnappers says “You have to chill, Will!” and is delighted by the rhyme of the doctor’s name, yet two pages later Iles writes, “Why don’t you at least face the truth about something, Will.” It was the first time she [the kidnapper] had used his Christian name” (p 166). No, actually it wasn’t. She told Will to chill two pages earlier. Ugh.
All in all, this moved fast and was a constant page turner. Every time I had to put it down I was at “the good part” and hated to stop reading. The end is a little over-the-top dramatic and there are loose ends, but well worth the read.

BookLust Twist: In More Book Lust in the “Southern Fried Fiction (Mississippi)” chapter (p 208).