I got tagged by a friend on Facebook to do the BBC's The Big Read - Top 100 Books list. Apparently the BBC believes that the average person has read only 6 of the following 100. So here goes, I've marked the ones I've read with an X, and ones I think I've read (but don't remember for sure) with a ?. And just for fun, I've also put a ! by ones that are currently on my bookshelves.
Keep in mind that this list was compiled by a BBC poll from 2003, asking for UK residents' favorite novel. Over 750,000 people voted. (I've found other versions of this list online, but below was the first, at BBC's site, so I went with it.)
1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien (X)
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling (X!)
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (X)
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne (X)
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell (X!)
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis (X!)
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë (?)
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë (?)
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger (X)
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens (X)
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (X)
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy (X!)
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell (X)
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling (X!)
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling (X!)
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien (X)
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck (X!)
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez (X!)
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams (X)
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald (X!)
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas (X!)
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell (X)
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck (X)
53. The Stand, Stephen King (X!)
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy (X!)
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky (X)
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden (X!)
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens (?)
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett (X!)
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (X!)
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett (X)
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding (X)
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett (X)
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar (X)
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley (X!)
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist (X)
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac (X!)
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo (X)
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett (X!)
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho (X!)
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (X!)
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
So if you're counting along with me, I've read 38 (or possibly 41) of the 100 on the list, and currently own 20 of them. I was hoping to have read at least half, but maybe you have to be British to appreciate some of the ones on the list...
Anybody else want to join in the fun?
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Non-Food Post - Books Read in 2008
At the beginning of 2008, I decided to keep track of all the books I read for the year. I was about to add another to the list, when I realized it's 2009 now!
So, here's what I read last year:
Dark Love – ed. Nancy A. Collins
The Man Who Ate Everything – Jeffrey Steingarten
Drinking, Smoking & Screwing – ed. Sara Nicklès
Duma Key – Stephen King
The Art of Eating – MFK Fisher
Dragon’s Winter – Elizabeth Lynn
Going Postal – Terry Pratchett
Consider the Eel – Richard Schweid
Best Food Writing 2001 – ed. Holly Hughes
The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar and the Geography of Desire – Richard Adams Carey
Best Food Writing 2002 – ed. Holly Hughes
Best Food Writing 2003 – ed. Holly Hughes
Best Food Writing 2005 – ed. Holly Hughes
A Fortress of Grey Ice – J.V. Jones
Best Food Writing 2006 – ed. Holly Hughes
The Amber Spyglass – Phillip Pullman
Shadows – John Saul
One Door Away from Heaven – Dean Koontz
The Man Who Ate the World – Jay Rayner
Amador – Fernando Savater
The Black Dahlia – James Ellroy
Serve the People – Jen Lin-Liu
Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
Dave Gorman’s Googlewhack Adventure – Dave Gorman
Garlic Lover’s Cookbook – Gilroy Garlic Festival Committee
Eight Immortal Flavors – Charles Leong, Johnny Kan
The Origins and Development of the English Language – Thomas Pyles
A Widow for One Year – John Irving
The Magician’s Guild – Trudi Canavan
The Novice – Trudi Canavan
The High Lord – Trudi Canavan
Just After Sunset – Stephen King
In Evil Hour – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Linguistic History of English – Robert A. Peters
Shattered Mirror – Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Of Love and Other Demons – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
That's 37 books in 365 days, or about 1 every 10. Admittedly, some of them were cookbooks, albeit with long sections of text and minimal recipes. Some of them were brutal (but I loved them anyway), specifically the 2 English language history books. Apparently, I like to punish myself, because I have two Anglo-Saxon Readers, an Old English anthology, and a book on the Indo-European dialects on the list for this year. Yes, I'm insane.
I'm always looking for reading recommendations - what do you suggest?
So, here's what I read last year:
Dark Love – ed. Nancy A. Collins
The Man Who Ate Everything – Jeffrey Steingarten
Drinking, Smoking & Screwing – ed. Sara Nicklès
Duma Key – Stephen King
The Art of Eating – MFK Fisher
Dragon’s Winter – Elizabeth Lynn
Going Postal – Terry Pratchett
Consider the Eel – Richard Schweid
Best Food Writing 2001 – ed. Holly Hughes
The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar and the Geography of Desire – Richard Adams Carey
Best Food Writing 2002 – ed. Holly Hughes
Best Food Writing 2003 – ed. Holly Hughes
Best Food Writing 2005 – ed. Holly Hughes
A Fortress of Grey Ice – J.V. Jones
Best Food Writing 2006 – ed. Holly Hughes
The Amber Spyglass – Phillip Pullman
Shadows – John Saul
One Door Away from Heaven – Dean Koontz
The Man Who Ate the World – Jay Rayner
Amador – Fernando Savater
The Black Dahlia – James Ellroy
Serve the People – Jen Lin-Liu
Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
Dave Gorman’s Googlewhack Adventure – Dave Gorman
Garlic Lover’s Cookbook – Gilroy Garlic Festival Committee
Eight Immortal Flavors – Charles Leong, Johnny Kan
The Origins and Development of the English Language – Thomas Pyles
A Widow for One Year – John Irving
The Magician’s Guild – Trudi Canavan
The Novice – Trudi Canavan
The High Lord – Trudi Canavan
Just After Sunset – Stephen King
In Evil Hour – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Linguistic History of English – Robert A. Peters
Shattered Mirror – Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Of Love and Other Demons – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
That's 37 books in 365 days, or about 1 every 10. Admittedly, some of them were cookbooks, albeit with long sections of text and minimal recipes. Some of them were brutal (but I loved them anyway), specifically the 2 English language history books. Apparently, I like to punish myself, because I have two Anglo-Saxon Readers, an Old English anthology, and a book on the Indo-European dialects on the list for this year. Yes, I'm insane.
I'm always looking for reading recommendations - what do you suggest?
Friday, December 19, 2008
Non-Food Post - Reviving a Literary Meme
I remember a meme running around the Interwebs a while ago, that asked you to pick up the nearest book at hand, go to the 123rd page, find the 5th sentence, and then post the following three sentences. Here's mine:
Anybody want to join in? I don't like 'tagging' people, so if you want to participate, please leave a comment.
Look forward to seeing what you guys are reading!
The allomorphs of a morpheme are in complementary distriubtion or free variation, that is, in noncontrastive distribution. The allomorphs /-s/ and /-z/ of {noun pl.}, for example, are in complementary distribution. /-s/ occurs after voiceless sounds as in caps /kæps/, and /-z/ occurs after voiced sounds as in cabs /kæbz/.This is from A Linguistic History of English by Robert A. Peters (thanks, Mom!), a book I'm sure that nobody but me would bother reading unless required to.
Anybody want to join in? I don't like 'tagging' people, so if you want to participate, please leave a comment.
Look forward to seeing what you guys are reading!
Monday, December 15, 2008
John Sarich at Chateau Ste. Michelle - For Cooks Who Love Wine
A little while ago I entered The Crispy Cook's November Cookbook Giveaway, and was lucky enough to win John Sarich at Chateau Ste. Michelle - For Cooks Who Love Wine.
I'll admit I had never heard of John Sarich or Chateau Ste. Michelle, but one flip through this book and I want to visit the winery, immediately!
John Sarich is a James Beard Award winning chef, and the culinary director of Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodinville WA (just outside of Seattle). In his introduction, he documents the Chateau's history, as well as his own, and goes on to explain why certain wine pairings work, which I never knew - for instance, the "acids and fruit flavor of a Semillon or Sauvignon Blanc will cleanse the palate and cool the heat of a spicy Asian shrimp dish, while at the same time the fruit flavors of the wine complement the sweet sea taste of the shrimp." The last section of the book is a chart devoted to food and wine pairing, foods down the left, and wines across the top, with *'s indicating good matches - I want to Xerox it and carry it with me everywhere.
The rest of the book is divided into 3 sections, the bulk being White Wine Foods and Red Wine Foods, with a small section at the end for stocks and sauces. What jumped out at me right away from this last section was Ginger Chardonnay Cream Sauce with Caviar, for topping spinach fettucine, steamed mussles, roast chicken, or asparagus. Pardon me, but I think I'll eat that sauce with a spoon!
From the white section, the recipes that beckon to my mental palate the most are The Ultimate Baked Onion (stuffed with chanterelle risotto), Italian Pounded Chicken (which sounds almost exactly like the chicken I had at Rosebud in Naperville IL), and Croatian Kraut, Sausage and Chicken Stew (which appeals to my Eastern Euro side, I guess).
From the reds, you have choices like Polenta with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan (and whipping cream!), Spicy Pickled Green Tomatoes (which I've always wanted to make but never have), and White Beans with Puttanesca Sauce (why did I think it could only go on pasta?).
And the photographs? Unlike anything I've seen in any other cookbook. Photographer Darrell Peterson definitely has some magic. The colors are dark, mostly reds and greens, but with little bits of light expertly directed to the right places. Just looking at the pictures makes you feel like you're in a romantically lit restaurant. (Please check out Mr. Peterson's website, the photos there are completely different from the ones in this cookbook, very white-bright, but absolutely beautiful.)
Conclusion? Very nice cookbook to have. I may actually make some of the recipes (and if you know me, you know that's rare). Thanks again to Rachel at The Crispy Cook for sending it to me.
I'll admit I had never heard of John Sarich or Chateau Ste. Michelle, but one flip through this book and I want to visit the winery, immediately!
John Sarich is a James Beard Award winning chef, and the culinary director of Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodinville WA (just outside of Seattle). In his introduction, he documents the Chateau's history, as well as his own, and goes on to explain why certain wine pairings work, which I never knew - for instance, the "acids and fruit flavor of a Semillon or Sauvignon Blanc will cleanse the palate and cool the heat of a spicy Asian shrimp dish, while at the same time the fruit flavors of the wine complement the sweet sea taste of the shrimp." The last section of the book is a chart devoted to food and wine pairing, foods down the left, and wines across the top, with *'s indicating good matches - I want to Xerox it and carry it with me everywhere.
The rest of the book is divided into 3 sections, the bulk being White Wine Foods and Red Wine Foods, with a small section at the end for stocks and sauces. What jumped out at me right away from this last section was Ginger Chardonnay Cream Sauce with Caviar, for topping spinach fettucine, steamed mussles, roast chicken, or asparagus. Pardon me, but I think I'll eat that sauce with a spoon!
From the white section, the recipes that beckon to my mental palate the most are The Ultimate Baked Onion (stuffed with chanterelle risotto), Italian Pounded Chicken (which sounds almost exactly like the chicken I had at Rosebud in Naperville IL), and Croatian Kraut, Sausage and Chicken Stew (which appeals to my Eastern Euro side, I guess).
From the reds, you have choices like Polenta with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan (and whipping cream!), Spicy Pickled Green Tomatoes (which I've always wanted to make but never have), and White Beans with Puttanesca Sauce (why did I think it could only go on pasta?).
And the photographs? Unlike anything I've seen in any other cookbook. Photographer Darrell Peterson definitely has some magic. The colors are dark, mostly reds and greens, but with little bits of light expertly directed to the right places. Just looking at the pictures makes you feel like you're in a romantically lit restaurant. (Please check out Mr. Peterson's website, the photos there are completely different from the ones in this cookbook, very white-bright, but absolutely beautiful.)
Conclusion? Very nice cookbook to have. I may actually make some of the recipes (and if you know me, you know that's rare). Thanks again to Rachel at The Crispy Cook for sending it to me.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Kitchen Keepsakes & more Kitchen Keepsakes
Courtesy of MIL, I now have access to Kitchen Keepsakes & more Kitchen Keepsakes, in a single spiral-bound edition, originally printed in 1983. I know, aren't you jealous?
How about Quick Stuffed Mushrooms? Jimmy Dean sausage stuffed into mushroom caps and baked.
Or Hot Nacho Dip?
Or, in the Kids Food section, The Cookbook Kids' Snack:
How about Quick Stuffed Mushrooms? Jimmy Dean sausage stuffed into mushroom caps and baked.
Or Hot Nacho Dip?
1 lb ground beefYou know, that actually sounds really good.
1 lb chorizo sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 or 2 8-oz cans refried beans
12 oz pkg Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated
1 8-oz jar taco sauce
1 medium avocado, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 2.5-oz can ripe olives, chopped
1/2 c sour cream
tortilla chips
Brown meat, add onion and cook until onion is transparent. Drain off fat. Spread the refried beans in a 3 quart casserole. Top with meat mixture. Cover with cheese. Pour taco sauce over cheese. (At this point it can be covered and chilled.) Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. Garnish with chopped avocado, tomato, olives and sour cream. Serve hot with tortilla chips.
Or, in the Kids Food section, The Cookbook Kids' Snack:
breadUmm...that sounds absolutely horendous. But I'm sure a 5-year-old would love it.
Cool Whip
slices of processed American cheese
Spread a slice of bread generously with Cool Whip. Top with 1 1/2 slices of cheese.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Flaming Spinach Salad
from Celebrity All-Occasion Cooking...
Flaming Spinach SaladI'm all for a warm bacon dressing on spinach...but lighting it on fire? WTF?
4 c spinach torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 c sliced celery
4 T sliced green onions
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 T vinegar
2 T packed brown sugar
1/4 t salt
1/8 t tarragon leaves
pinch of pepper
2 T brandy
Place spinach, celery and onions in serving dish. Fry bacon until crisp, drain on paper towel and reserve. Remove all but 1 T bacon fat from skillet. Stir brown sugar, vinegar, salt, tarragon and pepper into fat in skillet. Heat just to boiling, stir in bacon. Heat until bacon is hot, pour on spinach, celery and onions.
Heat brandy just until warm, ignite and pour on salad. Toss and serve immediately.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Celebrity All-Occasion Cooking
I wouldn't believe these recipes existed if I hadn't read them with my own eyes.
Nancy Reagan's Onion Wine Soup
Bill Shatner's Carrot Vichyssoise
Burt Reynolds' Beef Stew
Robert and Vera Goulet's Fresh Cauliflower Soup
Roger Moore's Creamed Cheese Potatoes
Ed McMahon's Loin of Pork
Elizabeth Taylor's Chicken with Avocado and Mushrooms
Henry Winkler's Hawaiian Chicken
Johnny Mathis' Lobster with Mustard Sauce
And some from celebrities I've never heard of (I looked 'em up, give me a break, I'm not Canadian, and I was 10 when this book was published):
Barbara Ann Scott's Strawberry Mould
Bobby Hull's Swiss Steak
Brenda Vaccaro's Veal Roll
Liona Boyd's Quick Coquilles St. Jacques
Beverly Sills' Dutch Babies
Nancy Reagan's Onion Wine Soup
Bill Shatner's Carrot Vichyssoise
Burt Reynolds' Beef Stew
Robert and Vera Goulet's Fresh Cauliflower Soup
Roger Moore's Creamed Cheese Potatoes
Ed McMahon's Loin of Pork
Elizabeth Taylor's Chicken with Avocado and Mushrooms
Henry Winkler's Hawaiian Chicken
Johnny Mathis' Lobster with Mustard Sauce
And some from celebrities I've never heard of (I looked 'em up, give me a break, I'm not Canadian, and I was 10 when this book was published):
Barbara Ann Scott's Strawberry Mould
Bobby Hull's Swiss Steak
Brenda Vaccaro's Veal Roll
Liona Boyd's Quick Coquilles St. Jacques
Beverly Sills' Dutch Babies
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Quite Possibly the Worst Food Quote Ever
"It is the string which holds together the ingredients to form a beautiful epicurean necklace."
WTF?
WTF?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
My 4th Chunky of 2008
I committed myself to reading 4 chunky books this year (chunky being defined as at least 450 pages) by signing up for the Chunkster Challenge, hosted by Dana.
My 4th chunky of the year is A Fortress of Grey Ice by J.V. Jones. Yay, I finished a challenge!
I've read some of Jones's other books - the Book of Words trilogy, and A Cavern of Black Ice - it's good fantasy fiction - a little magic, a few monsters, a medieval feel, plotlines that don't get all tangled up in themselves.
This one's as good as the others I've read, good enough for me to bookmark the 3rd book in this series for when it comes out in paperback.
My 4th chunky of the year is A Fortress of Grey Ice by J.V. Jones. Yay, I finished a challenge!
I've read some of Jones's other books - the Book of Words trilogy, and A Cavern of Black Ice - it's good fantasy fiction - a little magic, a few monsters, a medieval feel, plotlines that don't get all tangled up in themselves.
This one's as good as the others I've read, good enough for me to bookmark the 3rd book in this series for when it comes out in paperback.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cooking & Reading
I have this theory that people read the way they cook.
I love to do both, every day. Some of what I cook is great. There are also disasters. Sometimes it's just mindless filler, and other times it's complicated and arduous, and leaves me with a feeling of accomplishment. All of those sentences could also describe the various books on my shelves and websites that I frequent.
Hubby cooks only occasionally, and reads a book only occasionally. When he cooks, it's momentous, like his chicken enchiladas, or Southern barbecue for 30 guests. And when he reads, it's likewise momentous, e.g. One Hundred Years of Solitude, or The Master and Margarita.
I know a guy who calls himself "Mr. Barbecue", and reads nothing but Popular Mechanics.
A lady I work with cooks American (pork chops, burgers, the occasional foray into stuffed bell peppers), and reads American (Clancy, Ludlum, Grisham).
And I know a few people who consider pouring milk on cereal to be "cooking", who haven't picked up a book in 10 years.
So, after all that (if you're still here)....do you think there's a correlation between the way people cook and what they read?
I love to do both, every day. Some of what I cook is great. There are also disasters. Sometimes it's just mindless filler, and other times it's complicated and arduous, and leaves me with a feeling of accomplishment. All of those sentences could also describe the various books on my shelves and websites that I frequent.
Hubby cooks only occasionally, and reads a book only occasionally. When he cooks, it's momentous, like his chicken enchiladas, or Southern barbecue for 30 guests. And when he reads, it's likewise momentous, e.g. One Hundred Years of Solitude, or The Master and Margarita.
I know a guy who calls himself "Mr. Barbecue", and reads nothing but Popular Mechanics.
A lady I work with cooks American (pork chops, burgers, the occasional foray into stuffed bell peppers), and reads American (Clancy, Ludlum, Grisham).
And I know a few people who consider pouring milk on cereal to be "cooking", who haven't picked up a book in 10 years.
So, after all that (if you're still here)....do you think there's a correlation between the way people cook and what they read?
Friday, May 16, 2008
Donate your Southern cookbooks...
I just read over at Shuna Fish Lydon's blog that the Southern Food and Beverage Museum is looking for donations of Southern cookbooks to replace everything that was lost (half of their collection) in Hurricane Katrina.
I've got a copy of Paul Prudhomme's Fiery Foods That I Love that will be in the mail to them tomorrow. It's not much, but every bit counts. Plus, it gets one more book off the shelf, which will help maintain peace and harmony in my household.
Anyone else interested in donating? Send your un-needed Southern cookbooks to:
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
attn. Liz Williams
1 Poydras Street, #169
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
I've got a copy of Paul Prudhomme's Fiery Foods That I Love that will be in the mail to them tomorrow. It's not much, but every bit counts. Plus, it gets one more book off the shelf, which will help maintain peace and harmony in my household.
Anyone else interested in donating? Send your un-needed Southern cookbooks to:
Southern Food & Beverage Museum
attn. Liz Williams
1 Poydras Street, #169
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Dolce di Polenta
My next challenge dish, dolce di polenta, or cornmeal cake, comes from The Fine Art of Italian Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli.
Also in the list of contenders from this book were Uova alla Fiorentina (Eggs Florentine), Pollo alla Cacciatora (Hunter-Style Chicken), and Peposo (Peppery Beef Stew). No real reason, but the cake won.
I've made cornmeal cakes before, but this one was different, as it included saffron and white wine, and melted butter instead of the olive oil I'm used to.
The instructions said to bake it at 375 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. That seemed like a lot of baking. So I didn't set a timer or look at the clock. I have no idea how long I baked it. I pulled it out when top was lightly browned, and the edges were darkly browned. After removing it from the baking pan, I discovered that I overbaked - there were little blackened areas on the bottom of the cake.
I deviated from the recipe (which I didn't want to do for any of my challenge dishes, but, whatever), by omitting the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar dusted over the top of the cake. I didn't want to taste pure sugar, I wanted to taste the cake.
The moment of tasting arrived - Hubby said "Decent. It reminds me of...........I don't know what it reminds me of." But he ate the whole piece he cut. "Not bad at all. I like it." And went back for a 2nd piece.
And you know what? He's right. I can't expand on his comments. It reminds me of something. It's not bad.
And it is better the 2nd day.
Also in the list of contenders from this book were Uova alla Fiorentina (Eggs Florentine), Pollo alla Cacciatora (Hunter-Style Chicken), and Peposo (Peppery Beef Stew). No real reason, but the cake won.
I've made cornmeal cakes before, but this one was different, as it included saffron and white wine, and melted butter instead of the olive oil I'm used to.
The instructions said to bake it at 375 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. That seemed like a lot of baking. So I didn't set a timer or look at the clock. I have no idea how long I baked it. I pulled it out when top was lightly browned, and the edges were darkly browned. After removing it from the baking pan, I discovered that I overbaked - there were little blackened areas on the bottom of the cake.
I deviated from the recipe (which I didn't want to do for any of my challenge dishes, but, whatever), by omitting the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar dusted over the top of the cake. I didn't want to taste pure sugar, I wanted to taste the cake.
The moment of tasting arrived - Hubby said "Decent. It reminds me of...........I don't know what it reminds me of." But he ate the whole piece he cut. "Not bad at all. I like it." And went back for a 2nd piece.
And you know what? He's right. I can't expand on his comments. It reminds me of something. It's not bad.
And it is better the 2nd day.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Shrimp and Scallops in Aromatic Broth
My next challenge cookbook is The Chez Francois Cookbook by Jacque E. Haeringer. I have no idea where I got this or why.
There were many tasty-looking recipes, some not-so-tasty (Calves Brains with Black Butter, anyone?). All of the vegetable dishes looked like they were supposed to be garnishes for the main protein. Didn't want to do one of those. And I'm not about to tackle a French dessert.
So I narrowed it down to Shrimp and Scallops in Aromatic Broth, or the Châteubriand. The beef dish looked really good, but I didn't feel like making all the garnishes - carottes et petis oignons glacés, haricots verts sautés, les champignons à blanc, pommes sautées Lyonnaise, tomates provençale, and Béarnaise sauce. So I went with the seafood.
You julienne celery, carrot and leek, shred onion, and simmer them all in water, wine, red wine vinegar, s&p, and a bouquet garni for 30 minutes. You drop in the shrimp and scallops, remove the pot from the heat as soon as it returns to a boil, and serve.
I had roasted some garlic and mixed it with butter, to slather on a fresh baguette. I figured you can't have broth without crusty bread to dip into it.
But that's assuming that the broth was good. It wasn't. This dish was so bad that I removed the shrimp and scallops, sink-pigged the nasty broth, and tried sautéeing the seafood quickly in my garlic butter and a dusting of paprika. Still sucked. Hubby said it tasted like dishwater. He was right.
So we had garlic bread for dinner. The dogs had shrimp and scallops.
There were many tasty-looking recipes, some not-so-tasty (Calves Brains with Black Butter, anyone?). All of the vegetable dishes looked like they were supposed to be garnishes for the main protein. Didn't want to do one of those. And I'm not about to tackle a French dessert.
So I narrowed it down to Shrimp and Scallops in Aromatic Broth, or the Châteubriand. The beef dish looked really good, but I didn't feel like making all the garnishes - carottes et petis oignons glacés, haricots verts sautés, les champignons à blanc, pommes sautées Lyonnaise, tomates provençale, and Béarnaise sauce. So I went with the seafood.
You julienne celery, carrot and leek, shred onion, and simmer them all in water, wine, red wine vinegar, s&p, and a bouquet garni for 30 minutes. You drop in the shrimp and scallops, remove the pot from the heat as soon as it returns to a boil, and serve.
I had roasted some garlic and mixed it with butter, to slather on a fresh baguette. I figured you can't have broth without crusty bread to dip into it.
But that's assuming that the broth was good. It wasn't. This dish was so bad that I removed the shrimp and scallops, sink-pigged the nasty broth, and tried sautéeing the seafood quickly in my garlic butter and a dusting of paprika. Still sucked. Hubby said it tasted like dishwater. He was right.
So we had garlic bread for dinner. The dogs had shrimp and scallops.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Spiced Chili Potatoes
My next challenge dish comes from Everyday Asian by Patricia Yeo and Tom Steele. I had a really hard time figuring out what to make from this book, not because there was too much to choose from, but because there was too little. Since the book is called Everyday Asian, I was expecting Asian recipes. You would too, right?
Braised Lamb Shanks - it's got porcini mushrooms, carrot, celery, tomatoes, red wine, thyme and white beans. That doesn't seen "Asian" to me. Neither does the Poached Prawn and Tomato Confit Stack, with tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, shrimp and salsa verde. Umm...yeah...not Asian. And I can't even imagine how the Smoky Tomato Polenta snuck into this book.
Other recipes looked good, but I have yet been able to procure fermented black beans or kecap manis, and Hubby won't eat anything that's come into contact with garam masala.
I finally settled on Spiced Chili Potatoes, thick-sliced Yukon and russet, dumped on top of popped mustard seeds, caramelized onions, chilis, and a little curry powder, then baked until tender.
And you know what? They were good! Hubby ate most of them, and was unable to stop complimenting my genius (I tried to explain that it was a recipe from a cookbook, but I'm not sure it registered in his brain). I had no idea that mustard seeds got soft when you cooked them. But after toasting for 3 minutes, sautéeing with the onions for 10-15 minutes, and baking for 20 minutes...well...you'd be soft too.
And so, I encourage you to make these:
1 Yukon gold potato, cut in 1/2" slices
1 russet potato, cut in 1/2" slices
1/2 onion, cut in 1/4" slices
1 t yellow mustard seeds
1 t brown mustard seeds
1/4 t curry powder
2 small dried chilies, like de arbol or Thai bird
2 T vegetable / canola oil
1/4 c water or broth
1 T butter, cut in small pieces
Preheat the oven to 375.
Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron, but mine is currently being treated for severe rusting) over high heat. Toast the mustard seeds, chilies and curry powder, stirring, about 2-3 minutes, until the mustard seeds start to pop.
Add the onion and oil, and cook, stirring, until the onions are dark brown. Salt and pepper the potato slices, and add them to the skillet along with the water/broth. Distribute the butter bits over the potatoes. Bake for 20-ish minutes (until tender), flipping half way through cooking.
Serve topped with yogurt and cilantro, if desired. (I didn't, but I'm sure it would be a welcome addition.)
Braised Lamb Shanks - it's got porcini mushrooms, carrot, celery, tomatoes, red wine, thyme and white beans. That doesn't seen "Asian" to me. Neither does the Poached Prawn and Tomato Confit Stack, with tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, shrimp and salsa verde. Umm...yeah...not Asian. And I can't even imagine how the Smoky Tomato Polenta snuck into this book.
Other recipes looked good, but I have yet been able to procure fermented black beans or kecap manis, and Hubby won't eat anything that's come into contact with garam masala.
I finally settled on Spiced Chili Potatoes, thick-sliced Yukon and russet, dumped on top of popped mustard seeds, caramelized onions, chilis, and a little curry powder, then baked until tender.
And you know what? They were good! Hubby ate most of them, and was unable to stop complimenting my genius (I tried to explain that it was a recipe from a cookbook, but I'm not sure it registered in his brain). I had no idea that mustard seeds got soft when you cooked them. But after toasting for 3 minutes, sautéeing with the onions for 10-15 minutes, and baking for 20 minutes...well...you'd be soft too.
And so, I encourage you to make these:
1 Yukon gold potato, cut in 1/2" slices
1 russet potato, cut in 1/2" slices
1/2 onion, cut in 1/4" slices
1 t yellow mustard seeds
1 t brown mustard seeds
1/4 t curry powder
2 small dried chilies, like de arbol or Thai bird
2 T vegetable / canola oil
1/4 c water or broth
1 T butter, cut in small pieces
Preheat the oven to 375.
Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron, but mine is currently being treated for severe rusting) over high heat. Toast the mustard seeds, chilies and curry powder, stirring, about 2-3 minutes, until the mustard seeds start to pop.
Add the onion and oil, and cook, stirring, until the onions are dark brown. Salt and pepper the potato slices, and add them to the skillet along with the water/broth. Distribute the butter bits over the potatoes. Bake for 20-ish minutes (until tender), flipping half way through cooking.
Serve topped with yogurt and cilantro, if desired. (I didn't, but I'm sure it would be a welcome addition.)
Friday, April 25, 2008
Arroz con Pollo
My next challenge dish was Rice Simmered with Chicken and Chorizo (Arroz con Pollo), from Bistro Latino. Not like the arroz con pollo I usually make, this one has roasted red pepper strips, corn, peas, but most importantly, chorizo. This recipe calls for fresh chorizo instead of dry, which is good, because I've never found the dry type around here (although I'd love to know where to get some).
Sauté 8 ounces of sliced chicken, 4 ounces of chorizo, garlic and onion in olive oil. Add 1 cup of long-grain rice, stir to coat, then add 2.5 cups of broth, seasoning and sliced carrot. Bring to a boil, reduce to very low, simmer 15 minutes. Sprinkle with peas and corn, simmer 5-10 minutes more. Stir, season, and lay red pepper strips on top.
How was it? Different. The chorizo added a little spiciness that usually isn't present in arroz con pollo (at least not in my house). The amount of broth called for was higher than what I'd normally use, because when it finally all absorbed, the rice was a bit overcooked and starting to fall apart. So it was kind of half rice / half porridge, something almost risotto-like. It's got a comfort-food feeling to it, like what you'd eat if you were homesick or under the weather.
But, and here's the best part, we made burritos out of it the next day, adding a little soy sauce, a little sriracha, and shredded cheddar cheese in toasted flour tortillas. Absolutely amazing.
Highly recommended recipe, not for as it's originally intended, but for the burrito modification.
Sauté 8 ounces of sliced chicken, 4 ounces of chorizo, garlic and onion in olive oil. Add 1 cup of long-grain rice, stir to coat, then add 2.5 cups of broth, seasoning and sliced carrot. Bring to a boil, reduce to very low, simmer 15 minutes. Sprinkle with peas and corn, simmer 5-10 minutes more. Stir, season, and lay red pepper strips on top.
How was it? Different. The chorizo added a little spiciness that usually isn't present in arroz con pollo (at least not in my house). The amount of broth called for was higher than what I'd normally use, because when it finally all absorbed, the rice was a bit overcooked and starting to fall apart. So it was kind of half rice / half porridge, something almost risotto-like. It's got a comfort-food feeling to it, like what you'd eat if you were homesick or under the weather.
But, and here's the best part, we made burritos out of it the next day, adding a little soy sauce, a little sriracha, and shredded cheddar cheese in toasted flour tortillas. Absolutely amazing.
Highly recommended recipe, not for as it's originally intended, but for the burrito modification.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Angel Hair Croquettes with Cheese
Challenge recipe #3 was another difficult one. The book, The Renaissance of Italian Cooking by Lorenza De'Medici is gorgeous. Pictures of the different regions of Italy, beautiful houses, stunning food photos. But when it came to choosing a recipe to cook....
Spinach Sautéed in Garlic (Spinaci all'Aglio)? Boring. Not very challenge-ish.
Fresh Sardines Baked in Breadcrumbs (Sarde al Pangrattato)? Sounds good, but I have never seen fresh sardines here (or anywhere, for that matter).
Stuffed Rabbit (Coniglio Ripieno), which isn't really stuffed like you'd stuff a chicken, but instead laid out flat, topped with pancetta, egg frittata and mortadella, then rolled up and baked. Sweet Jesus, I want this right now. But have you seen the price of rabbit these days?
So I settled on Angel Hair Pasta Croquettes with Cheese (Crocchette di Capelli d'Angelo). You cook angel hair pasta, mix in eggs & parmesan, shape into balls, and stick a cheese cube in the middle. Coat in egg, then in breadcrumbs, and deep fry. Sounds good, a little like arancini, stuffed leftover-risotto balls (delicious), but with pasta instead of rice.
STOP! Don't try to make these. There was no way these were ever going to be shaped into "walnut-sized balls". I tried cutting the pasta into shorter pieces. I tried chilling it. I tried adding more egg. Then more cheese. No dice. I ended up frying the pasta in a skillet, with the cubes of cheese nestled into the pasta. Even that didn't work too well, because the 2nd side burned a little because I didn't add more oil when I flipped it. And it tasted like, well, fried pasta.
I should've made the rabbit.
Spinach Sautéed in Garlic (Spinaci all'Aglio)? Boring. Not very challenge-ish.
Fresh Sardines Baked in Breadcrumbs (Sarde al Pangrattato)? Sounds good, but I have never seen fresh sardines here (or anywhere, for that matter).
Stuffed Rabbit (Coniglio Ripieno), which isn't really stuffed like you'd stuff a chicken, but instead laid out flat, topped with pancetta, egg frittata and mortadella, then rolled up and baked. Sweet Jesus, I want this right now. But have you seen the price of rabbit these days?
So I settled on Angel Hair Pasta Croquettes with Cheese (Crocchette di Capelli d'Angelo). You cook angel hair pasta, mix in eggs & parmesan, shape into balls, and stick a cheese cube in the middle. Coat in egg, then in breadcrumbs, and deep fry. Sounds good, a little like arancini, stuffed leftover-risotto balls (delicious), but with pasta instead of rice.
STOP! Don't try to make these. There was no way these were ever going to be shaped into "walnut-sized balls". I tried cutting the pasta into shorter pieces. I tried chilling it. I tried adding more egg. Then more cheese. No dice. I ended up frying the pasta in a skillet, with the cubes of cheese nestled into the pasta. Even that didn't work too well, because the 2nd side burned a little because I didn't add more oil when I flipped it. And it tasted like, well, fried pasta.
I should've made the rabbit.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
I Challenge Myself...
I've decided to put my cookbook collection to use. My goal is to cook one recipe from each book, in their order on the shelf, until I reach the end. And then start over with new recipes. I will, however, be excluding some of the books, since I'm not fluent in Thai or Hungarian.
The first book I'll be cooking from is The Silver Spoon. Yes, there are other things before it on the shelf, but they're magazines, which don't count, and something called Savoring China published by Williams Sonoma that I didn't put there, so it doesn't count. My challenge, my rules.
Stay tuned...
The first book I'll be cooking from is The Silver Spoon. Yes, there are other things before it on the shelf, but they're magazines, which don't count, and something called Savoring China published by Williams Sonoma that I didn't put there, so it doesn't count. My challenge, my rules.
Stay tuned...
Friday, March 21, 2008
My 3rd Chunky of 2008
My 3rd chunky of 2008 for the Chunkster Challenge (hosted by Dana) was The Art of Eating by MFK Fisher. (See here and here for my first two.)
I had been hearing references to Ms. Fisher for years, and finally decided to get The Art of Eating, which includes 5 books, Serve It Forth, Consider the Oyster, How to Cook a Wolf, The Gastronomical Me, and An Alphabet for Gourmets.
I'm so glad I finally picked this up! On the surface, the books are about food, but they're more of an autobiographical culinary journey of a woman who lead a very interesting life.
I had been hearing references to Ms. Fisher for years, and finally decided to get The Art of Eating, which includes 5 books, Serve It Forth, Consider the Oyster, How to Cook a Wolf, The Gastronomical Me, and An Alphabet for Gourmets.
I'm so glad I finally picked this up! On the surface, the books are about food, but they're more of an autobiographical culinary journey of a woman who lead a very interesting life.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
My 2nd Chunky of 2008
I committed myself to reading 4 chunky books this year (chunky being defined as at least 450 pages) by signing up for the Chunkster Challenge, hosted by Dana.
My second chunky of the year (see here for the first) is Duma Key by Stephen King.
Duma Key is similar to King's other works since his accident in regards to writing style - I'm not sure how to describe it, but post-accident is definitely different from pre-accident. One thing that Duma Key has in common with earlier works, however, is that it takes a looooong time to get going. Remember Insomnia? The first half of the book was a cure for it.
Like all King books, I read it fast, and retained little of it. I think that's more my fault than King's. (Ask me where Edgar says "If they didn't take any of my pictures with them ,they'll be fine", and I can tell you it's about 3/4 of the way through, left-hand side, bottom 3rd of the page. But ask me how the book ends, I can't tell you.) But I enjoyed every second spent reading it. King once again achieved that perfect balance of reality and supernatural, where you start believing that it could actually happen. Until you wake up in the morning with a book-corner-depression on your cheek because you fell asleep reading.
My second chunky of the year (see here for the first) is Duma Key by Stephen King.
Duma Key is similar to King's other works since his accident in regards to writing style - I'm not sure how to describe it, but post-accident is definitely different from pre-accident. One thing that Duma Key has in common with earlier works, however, is that it takes a looooong time to get going. Remember Insomnia? The first half of the book was a cure for it.
Like all King books, I read it fast, and retained little of it. I think that's more my fault than King's. (Ask me where Edgar says "If they didn't take any of my pictures with them ,they'll be fine", and I can tell you it's about 3/4 of the way through, left-hand side, bottom 3rd of the page. But ask me how the book ends, I can't tell you.) But I enjoyed every second spent reading it. King once again achieved that perfect balance of reality and supernatural, where you start believing that it could actually happen. Until you wake up in the morning with a book-corner-depression on your cheek because you fell asleep reading.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Post #77 - My First Chunky of 2008
I committed myself to reading 4 chunky books this year (chunky being defined as at least 450 pages) by signing up for the Chunkster Challenge, hosted by Dana.
My first chunky is The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten. You know Jeffrey, the witty cynical judge on Iron Chef America? The guy you want to hate, but can't, because he's so articulate, and usually right?
The book, published in 1997, is as well-written as I had expected. His stories of eating his way through Kyoto, personally taste-testing 35 different ketchups, judging a barbecue contest in Memphis, and surviving various fad diets were entertaining and hunger-inducing. This man is passionate about food, and lets you know it on every page.
There are only 2 things I found amiss -
1. Since the book is over 10 years old, it's slightly outdated. Not Steingarten's fault, but mine for not reading it sooner.
2. In his discourse on achieving the perfect mashed potatoes, he advises "If the cookbook specifies neither potato type nor total weight, discard it immediately." However, later on in the book, in his recipe for choucroute garnie à l'Alsacienne, he writes "peel 4 medium potatoes". Now, I'm sure that his previous admonition applied only to mashed potatoes. But it was funny.
If you love food (which you most likely do, if you're visiting my blog), read this book.
My first chunky is The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten. You know Jeffrey, the witty cynical judge on Iron Chef America? The guy you want to hate, but can't, because he's so articulate, and usually right?
The book, published in 1997, is as well-written as I had expected. His stories of eating his way through Kyoto, personally taste-testing 35 different ketchups, judging a barbecue contest in Memphis, and surviving various fad diets were entertaining and hunger-inducing. This man is passionate about food, and lets you know it on every page.
There are only 2 things I found amiss -
1. Since the book is over 10 years old, it's slightly outdated. Not Steingarten's fault, but mine for not reading it sooner.
2. In his discourse on achieving the perfect mashed potatoes, he advises "If the cookbook specifies neither potato type nor total weight, discard it immediately." However, later on in the book, in his recipe for choucroute garnie à l'Alsacienne, he writes "peel 4 medium potatoes". Now, I'm sure that his previous admonition applied only to mashed potatoes. But it was funny.
If you love food (which you most likely do, if you're visiting my blog), read this book.
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