My parents were visiting this weekend, which means they brought me my favorite things: books, and then bought me my favorite things: books. was a very enjoyable weekend hanging out with the 'rents.
the now out of control "to be read" list looks something like this -
The Servants, by Michael Marshall Smith
The January Dancer, by Michael Flynn
A Voyage Long and Strange, by Tony Horwitz
Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain
A Storm of Swords, by George R R Martin
Soul Catcher, by Frank Herbert
Action Philosophers, Volume II, by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey
Rice & Risottos (cookbook), by Elizabeth Wolf Coren
Not to mention that I'm desperately trying to finish "Someplace to be Flying", by Charles deLint, which i am happy to say i am in love with. Many years ago, i read most of deLint's discography, till i realized he only had maybe a story and a half to tell. I'm thinking Neil Gaiman and deLint had a sit down one day, where Gaiman said to deLint "what the hell are you doing? Can i show you how it's done?" and he did. and it was. review forthcoming. . . eventually.
That said, where did all my time to read go? I work less hours these days, have fewer obligations, yet i barely get through 50 pages a day, when in previous years, i could easily get through 150 pages a day. What's the most tactful way of saying to a loved one "leave me alone so i can finish this damn book!"?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Finally! Carrot Salad Success!
AC has been blasting non stop for a few weeks, the dog days of summer are here, husband and I haven't been very inventive lately. we're cooking old standbys, not cooking at all (tabbouli or tuna salad anyone?) or not having success with new creations.
101 Cookbooks to the rescue. Ok, so everything she does is vegetarian, and there's a little too much tofu for my tastes, but can i tell you that her website is the best thing to keep me from falling asleep during a slow day at the office? then i hit on the idea of blending two different Carrot salad recipes that i found there. the results were heavenly, easy, vegetarian friendly, and probably passover friendly. thank god for that last one, i don't ever want to have to choke down another overly sweet carrot tzimmes again.
here is the easiest, and only Carrot Recipe you will ever need:
Carrot salad with olives
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pine nuts
olive oil
1-2 lbs young spring carrots, skinned and sliced thin on a mandolin *
salt
1 tbsp honey
lemon juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, each olive cut in half
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped mint
* what the hell is a mandolin?. Or, you could use an uber sharp knife, or put the carrots through a food processor for a more slaw type texture
put the orange juice in a small sauce pan, and simmer till reduced to 1/2 cup (this takes about 15 minutes). meanwhile, toast the pine nuts by putting them on a foil lined baking sheet in your toaster over, and using a medium "toast" setting. When toasted, set aside to cool.
put a little olive oil in a skillet, and gently saute the carrot slices until they have lost most of their rawness. the center parts will turn a yellowy color when they are done. put carrots in a bowl with any oil remaining in the pan and add a few good pinches of salt (don't skip the salt. seriously. don't do it.). add honey, lemon juice, olives, reduced orange juice and cumin, and mix well. Just before serving mix in the cilantro, mint, and pine nuts.
is excellent served over lettuce, or with couscous, or with anything, or straight. the pine nuts are awesome. and i was able to get the most awesome baby carrots at the farmers market.
I haven't made a salady type thing that i liked this much in a really long time. the carrots and honey are sweet, the citrus juice and olives are twangy, and cumin and pinenuts are earthy. it's just super good. and good for you! now i'm starting to sound like the 101 Cookbooks lady!
101 Cookbooks to the rescue. Ok, so everything she does is vegetarian, and there's a little too much tofu for my tastes, but can i tell you that her website is the best thing to keep me from falling asleep during a slow day at the office? then i hit on the idea of blending two different Carrot salad recipes that i found there. the results were heavenly, easy, vegetarian friendly, and probably passover friendly. thank god for that last one, i don't ever want to have to choke down another overly sweet carrot tzimmes again.
here is the easiest, and only Carrot Recipe you will ever need:
Carrot salad with olives
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pine nuts
olive oil
1-2 lbs young spring carrots, skinned and sliced thin on a mandolin *
salt
1 tbsp honey
lemon juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, each olive cut in half
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped mint
* what the hell is a mandolin?. Or, you could use an uber sharp knife, or put the carrots through a food processor for a more slaw type texture
put the orange juice in a small sauce pan, and simmer till reduced to 1/2 cup (this takes about 15 minutes). meanwhile, toast the pine nuts by putting them on a foil lined baking sheet in your toaster over, and using a medium "toast" setting. When toasted, set aside to cool.
put a little olive oil in a skillet, and gently saute the carrot slices until they have lost most of their rawness. the center parts will turn a yellowy color when they are done. put carrots in a bowl with any oil remaining in the pan and add a few good pinches of salt (don't skip the salt. seriously. don't do it.). add honey, lemon juice, olives, reduced orange juice and cumin, and mix well. Just before serving mix in the cilantro, mint, and pine nuts.
is excellent served over lettuce, or with couscous, or with anything, or straight. the pine nuts are awesome. and i was able to get the most awesome baby carrots at the farmers market.
I haven't made a salady type thing that i liked this much in a really long time. the carrots and honey are sweet, the citrus juice and olives are twangy, and cumin and pinenuts are earthy. it's just super good. and good for you! now i'm starting to sound like the 101 Cookbooks lady!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Too hot to cook
it is really, truly, too hot to cook. 80 degrees outside, 80% humidity. I was at an outdoor bridal shower last night and got eaten alive by bugs at the hosts house (her backyard garden looks like a gardening magazine!!)
home made salsa to the rescue. i shouldn't even have to post a recipe to this, because not only is it that easy, but everyone makes it different, so your favorite recipe is bound to be different that mine (also, see above:too hot to cook, so i ain't got nothin' else going on right now). but this did come out mighty tasty, and only burned my mouth off a little.
3-4 large tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced, with seeds
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
good pinch black pepper
am i missing anything?
put chopped tomatoes in a colander to drain some of the juice out. blend all ingredients in a bowl. chill for about an hour. enjoy! is beyond excellent in an omelet. in fact, i think that's what i'll have for lunch today.
books!! getting through Martin's 2nd Song of Ice & Fire book, and if it's taking me this long to read it, that means i liked the first book better. The first book flowed easy, because it focused mainly on the Stark family and Danearys. 700 pages in which to develop those characters, and mainly the development of the children. A good balance of action and "coming of age". One of the best books i've ever read.
but now that i'm slogging through book 2, i feel like i'm in for 1500 pages of build up, build up, and more build up. As the series progresses, i know i'm in for the introduction of countless new characters that will take pages away from the characters i've grown to love and fear for. Maybe i'm just getting cranky waiting for book 5 to come out? Or maybe i need to take a break from this series, wait for Martin to FINISH the DAMN THING already, then read all 9? 10? books and not have to worry about waiting. i hate waiting.
the only thing i hate more than waiting is being itchy. which i am, from the swarms of mosquitos last night. i am a bucket o' itch.
home made salsa to the rescue. i shouldn't even have to post a recipe to this, because not only is it that easy, but everyone makes it different, so your favorite recipe is bound to be different that mine (also, see above:too hot to cook, so i ain't got nothin' else going on right now). but this did come out mighty tasty, and only burned my mouth off a little.
3-4 large tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced, with seeds
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
good pinch black pepper
am i missing anything?
put chopped tomatoes in a colander to drain some of the juice out. blend all ingredients in a bowl. chill for about an hour. enjoy! is beyond excellent in an omelet. in fact, i think that's what i'll have for lunch today.
books!! getting through Martin's 2nd Song of Ice & Fire book, and if it's taking me this long to read it, that means i liked the first book better. The first book flowed easy, because it focused mainly on the Stark family and Danearys. 700 pages in which to develop those characters, and mainly the development of the children. A good balance of action and "coming of age". One of the best books i've ever read.
but now that i'm slogging through book 2, i feel like i'm in for 1500 pages of build up, build up, and more build up. As the series progresses, i know i'm in for the introduction of countless new characters that will take pages away from the characters i've grown to love and fear for. Maybe i'm just getting cranky waiting for book 5 to come out? Or maybe i need to take a break from this series, wait for Martin to FINISH the DAMN THING already, then read all 9? 10? books and not have to worry about waiting. i hate waiting.
the only thing i hate more than waiting is being itchy. which i am, from the swarms of mosquitos last night. i am a bucket o' itch.
Friday, July 4, 2008
there are monsters in my garden
the trials and tribulations of a gardener who has been reading Science Fiction since she was old enough to pick up a book.
do you understand now why i find weeding so bloody scary????
do you understand now why i find weeding so bloody scary????
Sunday, June 29, 2008
They'd be so much happier if they had fruit tarts.
the summer of the re-reads continues. sitting on my bedside table is the first two books of George R R Martin's Song of Ice & Fire series. I'm half way through the first one. maybe by the time i finish all four (again!), the fifth will be out? yeah right!
Reading A Game of Thrones for the second time, i'm picking up on all the dropped hints, the quick mentions, Old's Nan's stories. . . everything i missed the first time, because i didn't realize in an 800 page book, George R R Martin doesn't waste a single word.
- a single sentence describing some physical characteristics of Jon Snow's mother
- Ned Stark's comment about "Arya growing up to marry a King and be a Queen" (he says something like that
- a quick introduction to Gendry
- the thin line between "ward" and "hostage"
- all the subtly brilliant foreshadowing.
So sure, I know what's going to happen at the end of this novel, I know what's going to happen at the end of all four novels in the series. But the characters have no idea what's coming. The Stark children, so innocent, their parents have done a wonderful job of keeping them away from the corruptions of the King's court, the concerns of knights and lords. The Stark children haven't a clue what the real world is. they have no idea the pain and suffering in store for them. they might see it as pain and suffering, but isn't that just a form of growing up?
on a happier note, my house is exploding with fruit. Everything in the produce dept at the grocery store looked so good, i couldn't help myself from buying as much as possible. The next morning, i made the mistake of going to the farmers market, where nearly everything looked even better. peaches, cherries, snow peas. . . what am i going to do with all this food? Ok, other than the snow peas, can you say "Fruit Tart"!
you'll need:
3 cups sliced fruit (take skins off, remove pits or seeds)
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
Pie/Pastry Dough (that recipe is enough for two pie crusts - so, cut it in half, or make two fruit tarts.)
preheat oven to 400.
prepare the dough, and roll out to just larger than a dinner plate, and transfer to a greased cookie sheet. don't roll it out too thin!! mix fruit, suage, and cornstarch in a bowl, and using a slotted spoon, put the fruit mixture in the center of your dough, spreading it to about 2" from the edge. if it's mounded in the center, that's OK. fold the edges of your tart up, covering a little of the fruit. if the dough doesn't want to stay where you put it, "glue" it in place with some cold water and pressure. bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are browned and fruit is bubbly. cool completely before serving, to set the juices. if desired, warm slightly before serving, and sprinke with confectioners sugar.
if you are feeling really ambitious, you can make little shapes and designs with your fruit. but ambitious kicked me in the butt the other day, so i think i'm just going to dump it all in. then i'll test it on my co-workers.
Reading A Game of Thrones for the second time, i'm picking up on all the dropped hints, the quick mentions, Old's Nan's stories. . . everything i missed the first time, because i didn't realize in an 800 page book, George R R Martin doesn't waste a single word.
- a single sentence describing some physical characteristics of Jon Snow's mother
- Ned Stark's comment about "Arya growing up to marry a King and be a Queen" (he says something like that
- a quick introduction to Gendry
- the thin line between "ward" and "hostage"
- all the subtly brilliant foreshadowing.
So sure, I know what's going to happen at the end of this novel, I know what's going to happen at the end of all four novels in the series. But the characters have no idea what's coming. The Stark children, so innocent, their parents have done a wonderful job of keeping them away from the corruptions of the King's court, the concerns of knights and lords. The Stark children haven't a clue what the real world is. they have no idea the pain and suffering in store for them. they might see it as pain and suffering, but isn't that just a form of growing up?
on a happier note, my house is exploding with fruit. Everything in the produce dept at the grocery store looked so good, i couldn't help myself from buying as much as possible. The next morning, i made the mistake of going to the farmers market, where nearly everything looked even better. peaches, cherries, snow peas. . . what am i going to do with all this food? Ok, other than the snow peas, can you say "Fruit Tart"!
you'll need:
3 cups sliced fruit (take skins off, remove pits or seeds)
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
Pie/Pastry Dough (that recipe is enough for two pie crusts - so, cut it in half, or make two fruit tarts.)
preheat oven to 400.
prepare the dough, and roll out to just larger than a dinner plate, and transfer to a greased cookie sheet. don't roll it out too thin!! mix fruit, suage, and cornstarch in a bowl, and using a slotted spoon, put the fruit mixture in the center of your dough, spreading it to about 2" from the edge. if it's mounded in the center, that's OK. fold the edges of your tart up, covering a little of the fruit. if the dough doesn't want to stay where you put it, "glue" it in place with some cold water and pressure. bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are browned and fruit is bubbly. cool completely before serving, to set the juices. if desired, warm slightly before serving, and sprinke with confectioners sugar.
if you are feeling really ambitious, you can make little shapes and designs with your fruit. but ambitious kicked me in the butt the other day, so i think i'm just going to dump it all in. then i'll test it on my co-workers.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
your fan-girl-ness is showing.
It's been a week. I devoured Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora. It was ambrosia and I felt like I hadn't eaten in a week. Any concerned I had that I wouldn't like it as much the second time around evaporated, when I felt myself becoming a Locke Lamora fangirl. Again. Even worse than the first time.
I may never again have the opportunity to use the word “immature” as a compliment. All those things written on little scraps of paper than authors through into the wastebin because “you can't do that in a book”, well, Lynch does it. And then he does it again. With flair. And sarcasm. And language that would make Gordon Ramsey blush.
What have we learned?
If you don't like swearing, don't read this book.
If you want a book where people follow the rules, don't read this book.
If you want a book with a good moral message and a happy ending, don't read this book.
If you want dirty cutthroats, and even dirtier cut-purses, women who will break your heart right before they break your knee caps, man eating sharks, handsome liars with swords and lying priests with hatchets, naïve nobles, gangster kings, cringe worthy torture (at least twice!) the best friends a boy could ask for, and characters who could give Jack Sparrow lessons on the art of the one liner, you might want to read this book.
And did I mention, there is a sequel? Apparently more of the above, plus pirates.
I can't help but envision James McAvoy (who i'm totally in love with) in the movie version.
My husband just picked it up. I hope he doesn't laugh at my fangirlness.
I may never again have the opportunity to use the word “immature” as a compliment. All those things written on little scraps of paper than authors through into the wastebin because “you can't do that in a book”, well, Lynch does it. And then he does it again. With flair. And sarcasm. And language that would make Gordon Ramsey blush.
What have we learned?
If you don't like swearing, don't read this book.
If you want a book where people follow the rules, don't read this book.
If you want a book with a good moral message and a happy ending, don't read this book.
If you want dirty cutthroats, and even dirtier cut-purses, women who will break your heart right before they break your knee caps, man eating sharks, handsome liars with swords and lying priests with hatchets, naïve nobles, gangster kings, cringe worthy torture (at least twice!) the best friends a boy could ask for, and characters who could give Jack Sparrow lessons on the art of the one liner, you might want to read this book.
And did I mention, there is a sequel? Apparently more of the above, plus pirates.
I can't help but envision James McAvoy (who i'm totally in love with) in the movie version.
My husband just picked it up. I hope he doesn't laugh at my fangirlness.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
mostly keeping my promise
OK, so i've mostly been keeping my promise to myself to spend the summer reading things i KNOW will make me happy, because i've read them before, and enjoyed them before.
on the happy side of that equation is Steven Brust's The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars, which nearly has me in tears by the end. and after finishing this novel, i tearfully say to my aspiring writer other half "keep writing baby! i'll support us!" (it's easier to say these days, as I finally have a decent paying job). really, Steven Brust is a master writer, and it doesn't seem like anyone knows who he is! i flipped through some reviews of The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars on Amazon, seems like people either loved it or hated it. I think that people who didn't like it had already made up their minds about what they were looking for before they even started reading it. it's not that kind of book.
additional weight is given to the happy side of the entertaining book equation, because today i picked up my very own, paper back copy of Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora. and you know what? it's just as fun, snarky, and irreverant as it was the first time through. Makes me want to move to rural Minnesota (or wherever Lynch lives), to see what kind of pranks he plays on people. i get the impression that the phrase said most often in the company of Mr. Lynch is "grow up already!" coming from someone who earlier today was playing muppets with oven mits in Bed Bath and Beyond (and getting laughed at by the store manager), my response is "don't you dare, ever grow up, Mr. Lynch. and if you need some inspiration to quite your day job and write full time, just read some Steven Brust!".
now, for the not so happy end of my equation. i couldn't help myself. the book said "Steampunk". and it had the coolest steely blue pipy picture on the cover. i couldn't help myself, really, it's not my fault. seriously! scroll down and look at the picture! you know you can resist that kind of gothy, steampunky awesomeness! i bought the Steampunk anthology, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer (and you know how much i love Jeff Vandermeer!). i'm about halfway through, and i gotta say, i'm pretty lukewarm on most of the entries. why is it that genre anthologies always suck so hard?
not too much food news. my husband made the most incredible pizza i've ever had. i think the trick was we cooked up some turkey sausage, and then fried onions in the sausage grease. omg, heaven! most of the rest of my cooking recently has involved tossing a bunch of stuff in a skillet, and hoping for the best. maybe with all these good books, will come some good cooking.
on the happy side of that equation is Steven Brust's The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars, which nearly has me in tears by the end. and after finishing this novel, i tearfully say to my aspiring writer other half "keep writing baby! i'll support us!" (it's easier to say these days, as I finally have a decent paying job). really, Steven Brust is a master writer, and it doesn't seem like anyone knows who he is! i flipped through some reviews of The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars on Amazon, seems like people either loved it or hated it. I think that people who didn't like it had already made up their minds about what they were looking for before they even started reading it. it's not that kind of book.
additional weight is given to the happy side of the entertaining book equation, because today i picked up my very own, paper back copy of Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora. and you know what? it's just as fun, snarky, and irreverant as it was the first time through. Makes me want to move to rural Minnesota (or wherever Lynch lives), to see what kind of pranks he plays on people. i get the impression that the phrase said most often in the company of Mr. Lynch is "grow up already!" coming from someone who earlier today was playing muppets with oven mits in Bed Bath and Beyond (and getting laughed at by the store manager), my response is "don't you dare, ever grow up, Mr. Lynch. and if you need some inspiration to quite your day job and write full time, just read some Steven Brust!".
now, for the not so happy end of my equation. i couldn't help myself. the book said "Steampunk". and it had the coolest steely blue pipy picture on the cover. i couldn't help myself, really, it's not my fault. seriously! scroll down and look at the picture! you know you can resist that kind of gothy, steampunky awesomeness! i bought the Steampunk anthology, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer (and you know how much i love Jeff Vandermeer!). i'm about halfway through, and i gotta say, i'm pretty lukewarm on most of the entries. why is it that genre anthologies always suck so hard?
not too much food news. my husband made the most incredible pizza i've ever had. i think the trick was we cooked up some turkey sausage, and then fried onions in the sausage grease. omg, heaven! most of the rest of my cooking recently has involved tossing a bunch of stuff in a skillet, and hoping for the best. maybe with all these good books, will come some good cooking.
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