Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Oriental Asparagus Salad; A Lovely Award for a Stupid Woman

First: the fun stuff:

I have been given this gorgeous award by not one, but two of my favorite bloggers:  Núria of Spanish Recipes and Neen and Do of Post-Collegiate Cooking à Deux.

It's called the Arte y Pico Award, after the blogger-craft artist in Uruguay  who created it.

The award is meant to honor creativity, interesting material and a contributing  blogger.

I'm meant to pass it on to 5 more (or would that be 10?) deserving bloggers.

I got out my list and went to work....  I had selected 12 bloggers before I got through the "C's". 

I can't decide.  All the blogs I read are wonderful - obviously, or I wouldn't read them. And, I wish I could read more of them more often but, life has a tendency to interfere. 

If you haven't read Spanish Recipes and Post-Collegiate Cooking à Deux go check them out!

Second: the stupid stuff:

Those of you who live in Europe, or have driven here, know that many of our small towns are blessed with narrow streets.  In some instances the wall of a house or other building is right on said narrow street.

These streets have curbs.  It is customary, when parking, to drive up and over the curb so as to get out of the way of traffic.  The curbs are designed to handle this.

It's common, when driving, to hit or go over the curb when meeting oncoming traffic in a tight spot, like when a large 'camion' (truck) comes careering around the corner at you.  This assumes, of course, that no one is parked in your way.  If there is, one normally slams on the brakes and allows the truck to pass by.

I've done it, mon mari does it, everyone I have ever ridden with does it.

Normally one barely notices the bump.

When the truck came swaying around the corner at me yesterday, I hit the wrong curb at the wrong angle....

And blew out 2 tires.

I did this, just leaving our little village, around 11:30 in the morning.

The only gas station/car repair garage is on the other side of the village.

Hoping against hope that someone would still be there I started walking.  It wasn't far, 1.5 -  2 kilometres. 

I was in luck! There were all sorts if people there.

Because they were having a party; food and wine everywhere.

After finally getting them to understand that I didn't want to bring in a tire for repair but wanted them to come and fix my 'broken' car, they agreed to help.  (Yeah, I know, it IS their business, but this is France, lunch comes first.)

They would come and get the tires right after lunch, sometime after 2:00. 

Everything closes up tight between 12 and 2, so I had nothing to do.  Window shopping?  Only one shop.

The only restaurant is a truck stop.  Apparently it's a good one, because there is a truck parking lot outside of town that's always full at noon.  (It's only 5 minutes off the motorway).  Somehow, I didn't think it appropriate to treat myself to lunch there....the only female, and alone, in the whole place.

I went back to the car and pondered my stupidity/bad luck/fate.

At 2:02 a small truck pulls up, a guy jumps out and makes short work of removing the tires. 

An hour later I'm back on my way, the proud owner of 2 new tires.

That I had neither wanted nor intended to buy.

Sigh......

As the song says: It was my own damn fault.

The worse thing about the whole incident was that all the green asparagus was gone by the time I got to the store.

I made do with violet.

And it was delicious.

  I just can't seem to stop eating asparagus this year, but it has been a good season. This week's host for Weekend Herb Blogging is Gay, from A Scientist in the Kitchen.  Be sure to visit her blog on Monday for the complete recap. If you want even more ideas check out the archives, at Kalyn's Kitchen.

Oriental Asparagus Salad

2 eggs, hard boiled
2oz (60gr) cherry tomatoes
greens for 2 small salads
8oz (250gr) violet, green or white
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
Oriental Vinaigrette

The salad: Hard boil the eggs. Slice the tomatoes in half. Wash and spin dry the salad greens.
The asparagus: Snap off ends of asparagus. Roll cut asparagus in 1 inch (2.5 cm) lengths. Fill a large saucepan half full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. When boiling, drop in asparagus and parboil for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water. Spread them on paper towels and pat dry. In a bowl big enough to nicely hold the asparagus, mix soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Add asparagus and toss lightly to coat. Set aside to marinate for 15 - 30 minutes.
To assemble: Put the greens into a bowl, add the vinaigrette and toss well to coat. Divide the lettuce between two plates. Peel and slice or quarter the eggs. Arrange the eggs and tomatoes around the lettuce. Divide the asparagus and arrange in the middle.

Oriental Vinaigrette

1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs olive oil, the good stuff

Put soy sauce, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly.

Bon Weekend!

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Risotto; Excellent!?

I spent 3 hours wandering aimlessly around my house yesterday afternoon.

As many of you know (you readers....) I have been outrageously busy lately, barely enough time to eat and sleep. 

So what am doing, doing nothing?

Poor planning.

The first thing I do in the morning, when I wake up, is a quick run through of my day: what I need to get done, what I hope to get done, and the order that I'm going to tackle it all in.

Thus, I found myself hoovering the floor at 1:35, in the middle of a desperately need, albeit  cursory, house-cleaning, carefully scheduled for the afternoon, when the vacuum died.

I, immediately, went to yell at ask  mon mari what the problem was...

Before I found him, I remembered a letter I had received 2 weeks earlier from EDF (electric company).  It was still sitting on my desk, buried in the clutter.

It was to inform me that there would be no electricity between the hours of 1:30 and 4:30 on this Monday.

Had I remembered, I could have vacuumed first, then done the none-electrical-requiring cleaning bits. 

Had I remembered, I could have done the weekly shopping.

Had I remembered, I could have done any number of things differently.

Had it not been raining, I could have simply moved my cleaning urges into the garden.

As it was, I had nothing.  There was so much to be done, I couldn't just settle down with a good book and take advantage of the situation.  Besides, I hadn't planned on reading...  It wasn't scheduled....

I seriously need to take a look at my life.  There is something wrong when I can't take advantage of 3 hours free time to just do nothing, to play; have fun.  Life is short, I know this.

I need a break....

I'll try to pencil one in.

Enough pondering, back to work:

Margot, of Coffee and Vanilla, was so sweet last week:  She received the much-deserved 'Excellent' award and was kind enough to pass it along to me! 

Thank you, thank you Margot!
It just what I have been needing lately: a pat on the back.

Maybe, once we have several successive days of sunshine, my world will suddenly right itself. 

And we can get into some serious summer cooking.

In honor of yet another rainy day, I have the perfect comfort food and one last risotto for the season.

Be warned: this is seriously decadent!

Be cheered: this is seriously healthy decadent!

Let's see:
Small amount of fish = fish is good.
Small amount of goat cheese, lower in calories and fat then cow cheese = goat cheese is good.
Generous amount of spinach = spinach is good

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese (Chevre)  Risotto  Serves 2

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/2 cup dry, white wine
2 cups plus 2 tbs chicken or fish stock
1 onion
5oz (150gr) smoked salmon
3oz (90gr) chevre, goat cheese (the creamy kind in the little square carton, in Europe it's Chevraux, in the U.S. Chavrie)
2oz (60gr) spinach
1/4 cup fresh, snipped chives
1 tbs fresh snipped tarragon
1 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated This is important! Trust me on this. Don't be tempted.....

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat. Finely chop onion. Slice salmon into strips.  Slice spinach into thick strips. In medium sauce pan heat oil; add onion and sauté 5 minutes, until starting to get tender. Add rice and sauté, stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center. Add white wine and stir. When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock and stir. (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.) When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring. Before the last 1/4 cup is added taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. If more stock is needed add it 1/8 cup at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed. At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - it will not hold it's shape on a plate. If you cook it until it's stiff it will be dry. Stir in the goat cheese and spinach, and heat through.  Stir in the smoked salmon, herbs and  Parmesan, pour into a platter and serve immediately. It will continue to absorb liquid and by the time you pour the wine will be perfect!  The risottos that we have eaten in northern Italy have all been served in soup plates (flattish bowls) and eaten with a spoon - not a fork.

Sorry folks - you can keep your 'mac and cheese'.

There were no leftovers.

Asparagus and Ham Quiche; Too Much Information

The South Africans are after me!

Yes, not just one, but two, lovely ladies from South Africa have made the mistake of asking for more information about little, old me.....

African Vanielje from Vanielje Kitchen and Jeanne from CookSister have tagged me for a meme to divulge little known facts about moi!

They have no idea what they may have unleashed.....

What were you doing 10 years ago?

We were getting settled in Andorra.  We had moved from sea level in Ireland to the mountains of Andorra and were getting used to living at altitude. 

And we were getting used to the vast array of characters one finds in an expat community bound by only one commonality: speaking English.

    There was the sweet, petite, frail-looking, white-haired lady who lived up the mountain - that ran with the bulls in Pamplona every summer and got outrageously drunk for 10 straight days at Christmas.
    There was the dapper, silvered haired gent, in his 80's - that always wore an ascot, was the senior down-hill ski champion in Europe, had fought with the French Foreign Legion, and used to steal anything that wasn't tied down (including the Christmas turkey from the white-haired lady).
    There was our venerated Walk Leader that was convinced one should never drink water when walking in the mountains on hot summer days - salt sandwiches were much better, washed down with a glass of vinegar water.

I'm not certain which required the greater adjustment....

And I'm not sure which I miss more: the mountains or the people...

What were you doing one year ago?

Easy answer: SSDD    (Same Shit, Different Day)

    Weeding, cooking, weeding, blogging, garden clean-up, weeding, gardening, trimming, ....

It's spring; we live in the country; we have 9 acres... What the F*** do you think we do in the spring????
And if it ever quits raining maybe I can get....sorry, got carried away there for a minute...

Five snacks you enjoy?

Question:  Are you using the word 'enjoy' to mean snacks that I actually eat? 

Or are you asking what I would enjoy if health, money and credibility as a food blogger were of no issue?

I'm feeling generous - I'll answer both ways.

I actually 'enjoy' eating:

     Fresh, warm, brown bread with honey
     Cold leftover risotto whilst standing in the fridge
     Nuts: walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, freshly picked from their shells
     Tomato bread
     Homemade dill pickles

I would 'enjoy' eating:

     Fresh, warm brown bread with smoked salmon and full fat cream cheese
     Cold, leftover pepperoni pizza with extra cheese
     Nuts: roasted, salted, oily, cashews, peanuts, smoked almonds...by the handful
     Tomato bread con Jamon de Jabugo y Manchego
     Potato chips with Lipton Onion Soup and Cream Cheese dip (no sour cream for me!)...by the bowlful

Oh, I could go on a bit with this list.... I haven't even gotten to the beverages to sip whilst 'enjoying'.

Five things I'd do if I were a millionaire  (This must be old, a million doesn't buy much anymore... So I'm told.)

  Figure out how to make it last for the rest of my life - then:
     Finish restoring our house - quickly rather than, um, leisurely
     Travel: I would like to spend a month in all the major cities in Europe taking cooking and language courses in each.
     Fly back to the U.S. (first  business class: rich, yes, foolish, no) more often to see the family
     Travel: to the Orient, various countries - never been; always wanted to
     Travel: to Africa - various countries - never been; always wanted to

And if I were a multi: give lots to the groups and organizations that now I can only give a little to and set up educational trusts for the little nieces and nevvies..

Five bad habits
     Computer games:  It's just a quick break; it doesn't take any time; what's a quick game of Freecell, Spider, Backgammon, etc.  I'm addicted to all of them.  Don't even mention Sudoku!
     Bad time management:  I'm always convinced that  I can do more in 60 minutes than is possible to to in twice that.  So I am always trying to do too much in too little time and  running around frantically at the end.
     Being late: see above.  Same reasons, obvious results.
     Buying books:  If you buy them over the internet, on Amazon, it's not real money is it?
     Snacking while standing in the refrigerator door:  They're not real calories if one is standing, right?

Five things you like doing

     Traveling, anywhere.  I love road trips - I can catch up on reading all my magazines.
     Dinner out.  But it has to be good food at a nice restaurant or I don't bother.
     Computer games.  Yup, I love them!  I've always loved games of any and every sort.
     Reading.  I don't often get the chance to sit and read in the middle of the day - except when I'm riding my exercise bike....
     Outdoor exercise.  Riding my bicycle, playing golf, walking in the mountains or on the beach.
     Painting  That was six...

Five things you'd never wear again

    Hot pants.  My favorite pair was only about 5 inches long...total.
    Mini-skirts.  Though they were a bit longer, 7 inches, maybe.
    Power suits.  Been there, done that.  Along with the power suits comes the power hassles.
    5" spike heels.  Or 4".  Or 3".  I have learned to value foot comfort.  If men think legs look good on top of high, spindly heels, they can wear them!
   Ruffles.  Can't believe I ever wore them but - sadly, my mother has the photos....

Five favorite toys

Hmmmmm
     My 'Mensa Absolutely Nasty Sudoku' book of puzzles, level 4.  If  you do Sudoko, and have not heard of X-wings, squirmbags and grid coloring, this book is not for you! Migraine and black belt level are child's play.
     My computer.  It can be so many things....
     My camera.  It's so tiny and so powerful...and it's all mine!
     My bicycle.  It sets me free.
     My watercolors and colored pencils. They help me see.

Been wondering what the photos are?  The teasers?

Been wondering what the first thing I made with that lovely ham was?

There was the odd 'end chunk', perfect to cut up and toss in a quiche!

For those who don't know, I don't make pie crusts...I still make quiche.  I often cook extra rice to have on hand for the crusts - which makes this an incredibly easy dinner!

Ham and Asparagus Quiche with a Rice Crust

The crust:
2 cups cooked rice (I used a mix of red and brown)
1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr)  shredded cheese
1 egg

Lightly whisk egg.  Mix rice, cheese and egg.  Pat into a lightly oiled quiche pan, working it up the sides a bit for the edges.  Bake in 400F (200C) oven for 10 minutes.

The filling:
6oz ham or bacon, cut into small pieces and fried
15oz (400gr) can or jar of green asparagus spears
3 - 4 tbs snipped, fresh garlic or regular chives
3 eggs
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
3/4 cup milk (or all milk)
3/4 cup shredded cheese

Lay asparagus on crust, like spokes on a wheel.  Sprinkle ham evenly over the asparagus.  Sprinkle the cheese on the ham.  Whisk the eggs, yogurt and milk together.  Add the chives.  Pour over the top and bake, 30 minutes, 400F (200C).  Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before cutting.

Why use canned asparagus when fresh is in season? 

Laziness. 

And I have a lot of it from my last shopping trip to Andorra.  If I don't use it soon I won't get to go shopping again....

Besides, I like it!

Veal Marsala; Seven Scintillating Snippets of Savory and Sweet

Why?

Why not?

Do you all know the urban myth (I assume) of the Philosophy professor  who, for the final exam, asked the question: 'Why?'

One student answered simply: 'Why not?' 

And was the only one to receive an "A" on the exam.

When Gay, of A Scientist in the Kitchen tagged me for 7 Food Facts I decided: Why not? 

I hadn't done it before and food idiosyncrasies can be fun!

1.  I used to love escargot.  Then I started gardening.  There are a lot of snails in my gardens and, when I realized they are really only slimy slugs with shells, they lost some of their appeal.  (The garlic butter is still damn good, though!)

2. I had a traumatic event as a child.  I was offered what I thought was a chocolate chip cookie and it turned out to be oatmeal raisin. I still bear the scars.  To this day I can't stand raisins or any dried fruit in food of any kind.  I like dried fruit, but to eat out of hand, not covertly hidden in otherwise delicious food.

3.  Conversely, I love fruitcake!

4. I'm not a fan of sweet.  I love tart/sour, the more mouth-puckering the better.  Jolly Ranchers are about as sweet as I want in candy.  (Still, there is that fruitcake thing....)

5.  For the same reason I'm not a fan of fruit in savory dishes.  I like lemon (Chicken Piccata) but not orange or cherry or peach: too sweet.  But I love almost all fruit to eat as fruit - as long as there are some tart undertones.  I don't really like figs: too sweet.  (Still, there is that fruitcake thing....)

6.  I want dark chocolate (the darker the better) rather than milk; and white chocolate is just waste of calories.  But, if given a choice of desserts between an 'ooey-gooey dark chocolate something' and a fresh tart of peaches and berries, I always go for the fruit.  (Okay, this could be because in France I know they'll give me some chocolate with my coffee anyway...)

7.  I love pan-seared foie gras!  It is the ultimate D.O. (Digestive Orgasm).
And if I ever get my hands on that 'up and coming innovative chef' in the Midwest that thought serving it with blueberry sauce was a good idea.... Well, I can't be held accountable for my actions.

And one more just 'cause:  "Snickers" is food of the gods!

If I were asked what my favorite Mediterranean cuisine is, I would have a hard time answering.  I have many cookbooks, and many favorite dishes, of French, Spanish and Italian fare.  And I am branching out into Greek and Turkish...  I really love it all and all of it!

When I read about the Festa Italiana being jointly hosted by Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook I had to join the fun.

But what to bring to the party?  My mind ran through all of the pastas and risottos I make all year, briefly toyed with pizza and finally decided to do a 'secondi' rather than a 'primi'.

Piccata al Marsala (Veal Marsala)

12 oz (350gr) veal cutlets, thinly sliced - scallops
1/2 cup Marsala, (4oz. 125ml)
1/4 cup beef broth, (2oz, 60ml)
1 tbs dried parsley or 2 tbs fresh
1 tbs olive oil

In a large, nonstick skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add veal and quickly brown on both sides, about one minute each. Remove to an oven proof serving platter. Keep veal in a warm oven (125F, 75C) while finishing sauce. Add the Marsala, beef stock and parsley to the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Let sauce cook rapidly until reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over veal and serve.

For all of you proper Italian cooks: I freely admit to modifying this; I left out the flour and all of the luscious butter.  You may whip me with a noodle, but I try to make things a bit healthier when I can. 
Plus, when I have lovely veal scallops, I like to cook them quickly and leave them a bit pink, so, rather than the traditional 35 - 40 minutes to make this, my version comes together in about 10.

Stop by the party, right after March 22, Finding La Dolce Vita and Proud Italian Cook, to check out all the wonderful Italian food and fun!  We should all be ready for dinner on the terrace by then! 

Braised Sunchokes; a Multitude of Memes; Hi, my name is Moonbeam

Continuing on with catching up:

The memes:

1. The Expatriate Chef tagged me with this "Memoir Meme".  It is based on a bet Hemingway made that he could sum up his life in six words.

As it has always been a challenge for me to use fewer rather than more words, I accepted the challenge.

Ten words, was easy; eight possible; but SIX???

Well, I never claimed to be the next Hemingway but here goes: My life in 6 words.

Try everything; it is possible, somehow.

 And photo defining it:

It's a bit of a walk to this village from where I took the photo...  But there is a lovely church!

The awards:

Núria, of Spanish Recipes, gave me this lovely award.... Just for being nice (who would have thought - moi?  Nice?)

And this one for an Excellent blog:

Muchísimos gracias, guapa!  (Is that right?  I don't have Spanish spell check)

The Expatriate Chef of The Expatriate's Kitchen also gave me the award for an Excellent Blog. 
I am so proud and grateful to be so honored.

And finally (I think), Gattina, of Kitchen Unplugged,  gave me this lovely Friendship Forever Ball:  I shall treasure this as I treasure all of the friendships I've made through so many wonderful blogs.

I have not finished reading all of my favorite blogs yet, so if I've missed something or someone either be patient or yell at me!

Now, about Moonbeam:

I ate out often on my recent trip.  Ironically many of the restaurants were  'French' or at least 'Continental' in theme. 

The food ranged from good to excellent.

The service ranged from bad to slightly better than mediocre.

The  'wait staff' in most US restaurants are easily more friendly then their European counterparts.  Everyone is met with the invariably chipper  "Hi, my name is Breadcrumb, and I'll be your waitperson this evening".  (They're also, unfailingly, politically correct.)

The Europeans are easily more professional.

The difference is most obvious in the treatment of the space immediately in front of each diner.

In Europe, that space should either be empty, in front of all diners, or contain a plate, in front of all diners.  It's very bad form to remove the plate of one diner while anyone else at the table is still eating. Or contemplating eating.   All plates are brought at the same time and removed at the same time.

In the US it appears to be bad form to have a plate in front of any diner that is not actively and voraciously putting food into their mouths.

The plates are often removed one at a time, as soon as each diner shows the least inclination to stop eating, sometimes before.  It's almost a race. If you turn your head, your plate is gone; cleaned or not!

I hate it, when, while I am still 'enjoying' my food, the 'waitperson' chirps to my companion "Do you want me to box that up for you?"

I really hate it when, as the waitperson picks up my companions plate, the fork falls off onto my plate... while I'm eating.

The European restaurant staff act more professional because it IS a profession: with entry levels, steps up the ladder and training.

In the US anyone can get a job in a restaurant. (I should know, I worked in several.)  There is little or no training in most places.  What one learns one learns on the job and from others.  To make money one learns quickly.

Yet the 20 (or 25) percent tip is still almost mandatory.  Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Lest I offend too many people, I do know that the professionalism of the staff in the higher end restaurants in the US is excellent. I would be curious to know at what price level it suddenly changes....

Now, to the food:

The lovely Anna, of Morsels and Musings is hosting  Weekend Herb Blogging this week.  This event, well into it's third year now, was started by the esteemed Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

One of the things I always have to stock up on before I go to the US is Herbes de Provence.  Mon mari is used to having his food well flavored with herbs but really doesn't have a clue as to what to use when.  (Except rosemary for potatoes.)

The solution:  Herbes de Provence!  This combination of basil, bay, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme is sold in big, inexpensive bags all over France and is a staple in most kitchens. It's used to flavor grilled meats and fish, as well as stews and vegetables. 

Very handy when one is not quite certain what herb to use.....

BTW: the sunchoke, aka: Jerusalem artichoke has no relationship whatsoever to either Jerusalem (it's native to the Americas) or the artichoke (it's related to the sunflower).  They taste a bit like artichokes; a bit like water chestnuts.  I, just this very minute, learned that one does not have to peel them.... Now I like them even better.  Just scrub and cook...or eat raw. 

Braised Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes)

3 - 4 sunchokes
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp Herbes de Provence

Peel sunchokes using a vegetable peeler (or not). Cut into sticks about 1/2" (1cm) square.  Put into a small skillet or medium saucepan. Add stock and herbs, cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and partially uncover. Simmer until tender and most of the stock is gone, 15 - 20 minutes. Remove, drain if necessary and serve.

Well, I learned something new - my day is complete!

Don't forget to visit Morsels and Musings on Monday for the complete recap!

A question:  Does everyone in the U.S. automatically tip 20%, regardless of the type of restaurant and caliber of service?  Do you tip that much on the wine as well?
For those who travel to Europe: Are you aware that the tip is usually included?  Anything extra is totally voluntary.  Here is a good guide Tipping in Europe.

Ricotta Risotto, Risotto al Salto and more musings from the Book Whore

Books everywhere and nothing to read!

I hate starting a new book!

Well actually, I love starting 'NEW' new books, you know, ones I haven't read before.  That's a rare occurrence for me.  Even at the height of my money-making days I couldn't afford to keep me in new books. Now even my new books tend to be used (Amazon Marketplace ships internationally!)

Besides, If I only read new books I wouldn't be able to revisit my old favorites.

It's deciding which of my hundreds (thousand +) of 'old' books I should re-read next that I hate. 

It takes so long.  I wander from room to room, getting lost in first this one, then that one...

Lately I've been letting size matter (yeah, like all those spam emails say).  I've been searching out big books with small print; even better if it's a series.

I have been tagged by the Passionate Palate for the Book Meme.

I've already done this the proper way a few months ago, so this time I decided to put a different spin on it.  I can never resist talking about books.  This time I'll talk about pulp fiction.

1. Last book I read: "The Mists of Avalon", by Marion Zimmer Bradley.  I've owned it for years but never read it.  Stupid woman!  It was good...and at more than 1,000 pages perfect for my current reading mode!

2. My favorite book series: 
     "The Wheel of Time", by Robert Jordan.  12 books (and counting) of more than 1,000 pages each, small print, this is a sci-fi series one can really sink the teeth into.  Well written and a great story.   
     "The Roselynde Chronicles", by Roberta Gellis.  Old, historical romances set in the 12th century.  6 hefty books that focus more on the history than on the romance.  She also has a set of medieval murder mysteries.
     "The Outlander Series". by Diana Gabaldon.  6 tomes (and counting) of historical, time-travel, not-really-romance-but-sort-of.  A good read.
     "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", by Douglas Adams.  All 5 books in the trilogy (his words, not mine) are wonderful; slim volumes, but hilarious.
      The poetry of Judith Viorst - starting with "It's Hard to be Hip Over 30 and Other Tragedies of Married Life".  Her  prose is also good: "Necessary Losses" is one that comes to mind.
     I also like Michael Crichton, Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen and Bill Bryson.  Their books may not be series but I'll read them all IN a series so it's close.

3. One book that I own, would like to read and haven't yet:  The Bible.  I would also like to read the Koran, the Talmud and books on the other major religions in the world.

4. One book that I have always wanted to own but don't: The complete, unabridged Dictionary... And a pedestal stand to put it on. Did I mention that it's big?

If I am ever tagged for a third time I will talk about 'serious' books....or maybe food books....

Now I'll talk about serious food.  Seriously good food.

This is based on a recipe from the book 'Risotto'. This is a very white, very creamy, very rich risotto. The end result should be almost soup-like, not stiff. Add the spinach at the end so that it just wilts. There was enough leftover for me to try Risotto de Salto, one of the traditional uses for leftover risotto.

Ricotta Risotto

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
1/3 cup dry, white wine
2 1/8 cups chicken stock
2 shallots
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup spinach
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta (3oz, 90gr)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated (about 1.5oz, 45gr)

Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat. Slice the spinach into strips. Peel and chop shallots. In medium saucepan heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and sauté stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center. Add white wine and stir. When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/2 cup of stock, stir. When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/2 cup and continue adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring. Reserve 1/4 cup to add at the end. Taste the rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. You can add a bit of water at this point if needed but you shouldn't have to. Add the rest of the stock, the spinach and both cheese. Stir vigorously over heat to combine well and wilt the spinach. Spoon into a bowl and serve.

Risotto al Salto
    Use any risotto the does not have big pieces of other food (beans, meat, etc.) in it.  This risotto was probably not the best choice; with the ricotta it was a bit too creamy... Risotto alla Milanese would be perfect!

1 cup leftover risotto, room temperature
1 egg
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp butter

Lightly whisk egg in a medium bowl. Add risotto and mix. Heat 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp butter in 8" (20cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the risotto to the center of the pan and spread it out with the back of the spoon. Sauté 10 - 20 minutes, until it holds together and the top starts to look dry. You should be able to carefully lift up the edge with a spatula. Once you can, take a peak to see how brown it is. It should be a nice medium-dark brown before turning. I turned it using 2 plates: slide it onto one plate, put the other on top. Flip it over and slide it back into the skillet, to which you have add the remaining butter and oil, uncooked side down. Cook an additional 5 - 10 minutes, until browned. Remove, cut into quarters and serve.

BTW, I know 2 people, both males, who won't read fiction.  They happily watch trashy movies but won't read fiction.  How limiting!  Both to the available book choices and to the imagination!

I, on the other hand will read the trash that comes in the post if I have nothing else.  I also read while watching telly.....'cause I am the Book Whore!