THE HOUSE OF SILK - ANTHONY HOROWITZ

After hearing the very funny (and British) Anthony Horowitz speak at an author's luncheon here in Phoenix, I bought two of his books, one for me and one for a friend.  I was first impressed that Horowitz is the creator and writer of Foyle's War and I love that series.  You may be familiar with his other television creations such as Midsomer Murders and Poirot.  He also writes the popular Alex Rider novels (a teenage adventure series) which didn't ring a bell with me but has sold over 12 million books worldwide.  As you can see the guy is talented.

Horowitz was asked by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate to write a new Sherlock Holmes novel. The House of Silk  is fast paced and the voices of Holmes and Watson ring true. Mycroft and Lestrade are involved as is Mrs. Hudson.  The plot is interesting which turns to disturbing when the real meaning of "The House of Silk" is revealed.

If you are a diehard Holmes fan, I think you will enjoy.

THEN AGAIN - Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is quirky and classic and I've always liked her acting--even when the movie was terrible. Her recently published  biography, Then Again, begins with excerpts from her mother's journals which Keaton uses throughout as a comparison of their two lives. She was very close to her mom and this book pays honor to her. I listened to this book on audio CD narrated by Diane Keaton which made it all the better. Keaton's voice at times was emotional but it always fit the subject matter (usually talking about her mom or dad).

This woman loves and enjoys her family--her parents, sisters, brother, and now her children.  I didn't realize Keaton grew up in Orange County, California.  She always struck me as the New York type.  It was fun to hear her mention various places around Orange County since I love the place and have been there a zillion times.

Keaton describes her relationships with Woody Allen, Al Pacino, and Warren Beatty with enough detail to make it interesting but always respectful. I would have loved more information about her success at restoring houses and more behind the scene stories from movie sets.  But all in all I enjoyed this book.

TRADER JOE'S ARGENTINIAN RED SHRIMP with LINGUINE

I'm so sorry if you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby.  Truly.  And I am hoping you can find this sweet lobster-like shrimp if you don't have a TJ's--it's worth the search.  My friend, Ashley, grabbed several bags when she spied these because apparently it is only available a few times a year. Lucky me--she gave me a bag.

I had lots of pasta so concocted a recipe using what I had in the pantry.  But grilled and served with vegetables would work well, too.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4

Bag of Trader Joe's Argentinian Red Shrimp (frozen)
8 oz Linguine
4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Olive oil (I used garlic infused olive oil)
Fresh parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS


Forgive me, I didn't measure much in this recipe, but I know you will turn all these ingredients into a lovely dish.

While pasta is boiling, drizzle olive oil in a skillet and add crushed garlic cloves and red pepper flakes.  Cook the garlic for a few minutes and then add the frozen shrimp sprinkling with salt and pepper.  Cook until shrimp is pink and curled (about the same amount of time it takes to cook the pasta).

Drain the pasta saving 1 cup of pasta water.  Add pasta water to the shrimp, stir, and then add the linguine.  Peel fresh parmesan strip over the shrimp and linguine. Serve with fresh parmesan.

Really, this is so yummy and easy.  Do make it!  From start to finish it took less than 30 minutes.

ARTISTS IN CRIME - Ngaio Marsh - Book Review

I had completely forgotten about Inspector Roderick (Rory) Alleyn until my friend Lisa reminded me.  Dame Ngaio Marsh wrote over 30 books with British detective Alleyn as the superstar.

I'm not one to necessarily read a series in order (which surprises me since I like order). Years ago I read Death in a White Tie written in the late 1930's and liked Marsh's style but then forgot about her.  Last year I enjoyed the book Last Ditch written in the late 70's which is about a drug smuggling case and includes Inspector Alleyn's son.

This year, I read Artists in Crime, the story that introduces Rory to his future wife, the painter Agatha Troy. What fun to see a very confident and sure of himself Alleyn get a little wobbly and doubtful when paired up with no nonsense Troy.  The story opens with Alleyn meeting Troy on a ship somewhere around Fiji.  It doesn't go well and they split once they return to England.  Their next meeting is rather grim.  A model posing for Troy's art class is murdered and every member of the class, including Agatha Troy, a suspect.  And, of course, Inspector Alleyn is assigned the case.

The detective work is interesting, the characters very well-developed (I could always tell who was doing the talking), and the usual folks that surround Alleyn are in force.  The relationship between Alleyn and his mother, Lady Alleyn, reminds me a bit of Lord Peter Wimsey and his mother, the Dowager Duchess of Denver.  A solid murder mystery, excellent returning characters, humor, and a bit of romance equals a good read.

FLOWER POWER ROUND TWO

It has been a feast of flowers around here for the last two months.  My sister's garden is the gift that keeps on giving.  Flowers were clipped on a daily basis filling vases or being delivered to neighbors. We are going to miss all these beauties that are the perfect accessory for every room.

                                                                         Bishop's Flower

                Mix of Sweet Peas, Sweet Sultan, Cornflower Dwarf, Larkspur Giant Imperial

                                                               Godetia Tall Double

                                                               Bishop's Flower

                                                                   Godetia Tall Double

                                              Mix of China Aster, Sweet Sultan, Cosmos,
                                                 Larkspur Giant Imperial, and Godetia Tall Double

ROSES GALORE

It's a leap of faith to severely prune all signs of life from 12 gorgeous Iceberg rose bushes.  But, wow, the payoff is spectacular.

January 28, 2012

                                                                          May is bliss!

CHERRY ALMOND CRISP - Pioneer Woman Cooks

HAPPY MAY 1ST!  This Cherry Almond Crisp would be the perfect dessert to celebrate May--although, really, isn't this year flying just a bit too fast?!

My family and friends loved this crisp.  But there is a lot of liquid at the bottom of the dish that could be avoided (I think) if the cherries were first thawed.  Although the syrupy sauce is yummy over ice cream.

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• Dash Or Two Of Nutmeg (I used freshly grated)
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Slivered Almonds (I used sliced, not slivered, and toasted them first)
• 1-1/2 stick Cold (salted) Butter, Cut Into Pieces
• 4 bags (12 Ounces) Frozen Tart Cherries (I bought a 64 ounce bag at Costco, not tart, but good enough)
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons Almond Extract

Preparation Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Cut the cold butter into pieces. Add the butter to the bowl and use a fork or pastry blender to cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse crumbs. Add the slivered (or sliced) almonds and stir them in.

Place the still-frozen cherries in a bowl, and add sugar, cornstarch and almond extract. Gently stir the cherries to combine.

Put the cherry mixture in a large baking dish. Top generously with the crumb mixture, evening out the surface.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and golden brown. If the topping appears underdone, continue baking in 10 minute increments until it’s done.

Serve the crisps warm or room temperature with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

EASTER DINNER: STEAK, CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD, SPICY CHEESE GRITS, ROSEMARY DINNER ROLLS

Easter Dinner, usually pork tenderloin on the grill.  But we've had a lot of pork this year so filet mignon took its place.  First a dousing of salt on both sides of meat until brought to room temperature.  Then a little more salt and lots of pepper.  Pan fry in olive oil and a little butter--8-10 minutes each side.  Then remove, add a tiny bit of butter to each steak, let rest for 5 minutes to reabsorb the juices.  Perfect.

I had forgotten about the bag of freshly ground grits sitting in my pantry.  My friend, Darcey, and I each bought a bag while traveling from Savannah, Georgia to Charleston, South Carolina in a little town called Round O.  Grits are great sweet or savory. Sweet for breakfast with a little butter, sugar, and cream (always cream). And at night, with butter, cream, and salt and pepper. This recipe fancied them up a bit.  I loved them, as did the adults in my family.  But the kids scrunched up their noses not quite loving the texture.

Spicy Grits - Pioneer Woman Cooks

• 1/2 Onion, Diced
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 whole Chilies (any Variety, Hot Or Mild)
• 2 cups Stone Ground Grits
• 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken (or Beef) Broth
• 1 1/2 cups Water
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• 1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

Picture taken before the cheese was added

Heat 1 tablespoon of both oil and butter. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and chilies and cook for five minutes or so. Pour in grits, then add broth and water. Stir, then bring to a boil . Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, add half-and-half. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until grits are tender. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese.

Classic Caesar Salad

I won't bother with the recipe.  I made the dressing with anchovies and everything was going along swimmingly when my niece noticed the tin of anchovies was missing from my pantry.  Really?  I have a million items in my pantry.  She noticed they were sitting on the shelf one minute and then they were gone.  A brouhaha erupted and my classic Caesar salad became your run of the mill Caesar salad.  Oh, well.  The good news is they all can say they've had anchovies....cue the sinister laugh soundtrack.

This is super simple.  One bag of frozen pre-cooked dinner rolls, butter, fresh rosemary, and sea salt.  That's it.  Follow instructions for whatever frozen rolls you bought. Everyone thought they were homemade.  Wish I had one right now.

KNIVES AT DAWN - Andrew Friedman - Book Review

My friend Liz gave this to me for my birthday so I jumped into the whole new crazy world of intense cooking competitions.  Wow.  I had no idea.

Knives at Dawn written by Andrew Friedman tells the story of well known chefs, Daniel Boulud and the French Laundry's Thomas Keller,  working to improve the United States chances of winning the Bocuse d'Or, considered to be the most prestigious cooking competition in the world, and one that heavily favors European chefs. It's about creative technique, taste, presentation, and timing. When you see that description in print it doesn't seem like such a big deal.  But it is and it takes months if not years to prepare.


What I found most interesting was the background of the chefs themselves.  Especially the ones I was more familiar with such as Boulud and Keller.  They in turn bow to the great French chef, Paul Bocuse, now 85 years old.

For as long as I can remember chefs have been treated like rock stars so I was surprised to read it was not always the case.   Friedman writes the following about Bocuse, "he is widely recognized as the first of his comrades to march proudly into the dining room to commingle with the clientele, an act of emancipation that helped his professional brethren migrate from the heat of the kitchen to the glare of the spotlights."

Quoting Alain Sailhac, another living French culinary legend, "We chefs and celebrity chefs owe so much to Bocuse; we were domestiques, now we are nobility," said Alain Sailhac.  "Sailhac remembers that when he was a young cook in France, before the Bocuse reformation, he would conceal his profession from young women he was courting; if forced to confess that he worked in a restaurant, he would claim that he was a chef de rang, or dining room captain, which had more cachet."

While this book is about the competition itself, it also covers the culture of some of the top kitchens and training of its staff.  There is also little tidbits such as this one, "in competition a combination of textures is essential: the three primary ones being 'crisp/cruchy, meaty, and soft.' By way of illustration, ....apple pie a la mode,..the most popular dessert in the world, has all three: the crust is crunchy, the apple is meaty, and the ice cream is soft."   Doesn't apple pie sound good right now?

If you are interested in the culinary world this book is worth reading.

CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

That is lovely chocolate you see darkening the rim of the bread.

My friend, Judith, sent me this recipe as one of her favs and she has excellent taste.  This is one of the best dessert breads I have ever tasted. But admittedly,  I'm not sure I have ever had "bad" dessert bread. And I had just ground some whole wheat flour so I added a bit reducing the amount of the all-purpose flour.  Didn't even notice. 

Judith found this on: http://www.joyofbaking.com a site I will be visiting more often.

Chocolate Banana Bread:

1/2 cup (55 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed), sifted

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (85 grams) white, dark, or milk chocolate chips

A sprinkling of turbinado or demerara sugar

Perfect with hot, milky, peppermint tea

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position.  Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a  9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan
Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Let cool and then chop coarsely.  


In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.  With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse brown sugar (optional, but I say "do it"). Bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be covered and stored for a few days, or frozen for longer storage.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

FLOWER POWER

Flowers can change our mood, scent our rooms, punch up our landscape, the list goes on and on. Here are a few that we've scattered around the house from the last few weeks--all freshly clipped from our gardens.

                                                                    HAPPY EASTER!

WICKED AUTUMN - Malliet - Book Review

First, never read two murder mysteries in a row set in an English village with the vicar playing amateur detective.  I had to frequently stop to straighten out the characters and their backgrounds.  What was I thinking?

G.M. Malliet's Wicked Autumn was a fun read with a few of the characters a little too stereo-typed for my liking.  The over-bearing woman who terrorizes everyone into submission (has victim written all over her), the classic village gossip line, the flirty divorcee, etc.  But, I liked the vicar's background--former MI5 agent turned priest which added a new twist. And the plot was clever and clipped along pretty fast with a good wrap-up ending.

I read this on my Kindle and one of the downsides is that I couldn't easily skim through finding the quote I wanted to use in this review, so hence: no quotes. Bottom line: worth a quick read.