I have been tormenting over this post for the whole month of November. For whatever reason I kept thinking I needed to be eloquent and introspective to write about other peoples work, but I really am neither introspective or eloquent unfortunately. When I like a book, I simply like it. I don’t tend to read in between the lines, I don’t compare stories to my own life, I sit back and take it in as entertainment. Maybe that is bad, maybe that explains my horrible grades in school. I have no idea, but I am going to stop trying to be something I am not for this post. These are simply the books that have made an impact or impression on me.
Augusten Burroughs
Running with Scissors is his flagship book, it was made into a movie as well which I haven’t seen. I am always weary of seeing a movie based on a book I love, it always replaces my own visions of the characters and settings whether it’s a great movie or not, and I hate it. Anyhoo, My favorite Burroughs book, it’s a toss up between Dry and Sellevision.
Dry was probably his most raw novel, Sellevision his funniest. He is easily compared to David Sedaris, not because they are both gay, but more because of these weird lives they were born into and their uncanny ability to tell the stories. If you find David Sedaris grating and annoying, then try Mr. Burroughs. I happen to love them both. Naked is one of the funniest books I have read, I laughed out loud many times.
Davis Sedaris speaks on This American Life and he is even more hilarious reading his own writing. There doesn’t seem to be grey area with him however, people tend to love him or hate him.
Craig Clevenger’s The Contortionist’s Handbook
I loved this book, I really need to read it again. This is a character study so don’t expect some elaborate painted story, expect an intense look into a sick and autistic mind. This is worth a read, it is different and refreshing. Talking about this book reminded me of Mark Haddons book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time…
This book was fabulous. It is written from an autistic point of view. You don’t feel sorry for the character, you are simply along for the ride that is his mind. Very quick and interesting read. I think I read that the author has been working with autistic people for a number of years, so he has a background in this and is likely why he pulled it off so well.
Is that enough for one evening? I have so many books (and comics) I want to share that I need to split it up into parts. Also I really need a break from blogging, just a couple of days, I’ll be back OK?
Think I found a fitting MP3 to end this month of blogging with..
Over Now (live)~Alice in Chains
November 30, 2007 at 1:29 pm · Filed under NoBloPoMo-07
Don’t worry, I wouldn’t end this month long posting without one more entry with at least some substance and one more MP3. Expect a post on my favorite books later this evening. And thank you all for taking the ride with me, hope you stay even with sporadic posting.
November 29, 2007 at 10:15 pm · Filed under MP3, NoBloPoMo-07
I wasn’t sure what to expect out of today’s recipe, honestly I thought it might taste weird. It was not, at all, not one bit, no sir. This is Delicious, and yes that is a capital D. My fear was it would be sweet, it isn’t, I think it would be best described as savory. I immediately thought it would be a nice holiday meal, in fact I might make it again for Christmas. It is a bit cumbersome to make, but really there isn’t much chopping or anything, it was finished faster than I thought it would be. Please give this recipe a chance, it deserves a place on your table, it’s that good. For you carnivores, Pete thought Bratwurst would go nicely with it.
Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized
Onions and Sage Crumb Topping
(I forgot to take a ingredient shot, this is what you get)
3/4 pound uncooked ziti or penne pasta
2 onions, sliced very thinly
3 tbls olive oil
1 recipe cashew ricotta (recipe follows)
1 tbls brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, white pepper and cayenne
2 cups pureed pumpkin, or 1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
1/4 cup veg broth
Sage Bread Crumbs
2 1/2 cups bread crumbs (preferably fresh)
1/3 cup walnut pieces, chopped in a food processor until looks like coarse crumbs
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated margarine (I LOVE Earthbalance, best flavor hands down)
2 tsp dried, rubbed sage
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Lightly grease a 9×11inch lasagne-type baking pan with olive oil, or use 2 smaller pans.
Prepare Ziti according to the package directions, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set aside.
While the pasta is cooking make the caramelized onion:
(So many onions, but you can just subtly taste them in the end)
Preheat a large heavy-bottomed pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Saute the onions in oil until some onion bits are very brown and caramelized, 12-15 minutes. Set aside.
Place the Cashew Ricotta in a large bowl and fold in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, and broth, and mix.
Add the cooked ziti and caramelized onion, stirring to coat the pasta. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press lightly with a spatula to level it.
Make the sage bread crumbs:
melt the margarine in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs, walnuts, dried herbs, and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the mixture is lightly coated, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle evenly over the ziti. Bake for 30 minutes until the top of the ziti is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Hard dish to photograph, but definitely not hard to eat.
…………..
The following recipe would be good on so many things, I can’t wait to add it to my repitroire.
Cashew Ricotta (oh this is good)
(so much flavor in this it should be a crime)
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces (about 4 oz)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbls olive oil 2 cloves fresh or roasted garlic
I pound firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 1/2 tsps dried basil
1 1/2 tsps salt
In a food processor, blend together the cashews, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic until a thick creamy paste forms. Add the crumbled tofu to the food processor in batches until until the mixture is thick and well blended. Blend in the basil and salt.
…………..
I wanted to reiterate yesterdays dish, because seriously, it.is.that.good. I’m not fucking around here people.
Three things that were meant to go together. This is apple season so you best make this soon. I guarantee your house will smell like you went to baked goods heaven.
Apple-Peanut Butter-Caramel Bars
CRUST
3 Cups Graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup canola oil
3 Tbls plain soy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
CRUMB TOPPING
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbls sugar
2-3 tbls canola oil
pinch each of ground cinnamon, ginger, and allspice
APPLE FILLING
3 lbs Granny Smitth apples, cored and sliced thinly (peeling optional)
1 tbls canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbls all purpose flour
1 tbls water
pinch each of ground cinnamon, ginger, and allspice
PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter (no-stir kind)
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbls brown rice syrup
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9 X 13inch baking pan.
Prepare the crust
Place the graham cracker crumbs in mixing bowl. Drizzle with oil and mix until moistened. Add the soy milk and vanilla, mix with your fingers; the crumbs should hold together if pinched. Press the crumbs firmly into the baking pan to form a crust.
Prepare the topping
Place the flour, sugar, and spices in a bowl . Drizzle 2 tbls of oil into the flour and mix with your fingertips until crumbs start to form. Keep tossing the mixture with your fingers; you want the crumbs to be fairly large. Add more oil if necessary.
Prepare the apple filling
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, coating all the apples. Layer the apples onto the crust and sprinkle with the crumb topping. The topping won’t solidly cover the entire pan; just sprinkle it randomly over the top so that the apples are peeking through in places. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the apples are tender. When the bars are almost done baking (at the 35 minute point), start preparing the peanut butter caramel: Mix all the ingredients very well with a fork in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat for about 3 minutes. The mixture should soften and slide off the fork in ribbons.
When he bars are done baking, drizzle the caramel in ribbons all over the top. Let cool completely before serving; you can place the pan in the fridge to hasten the cooling process. Slice into bars and serve.
November 27, 2007 at 2:13 pm · Filed under MP3, NoBloPoMo-07
Remember the pie crust gone wrong?
I rolled that bitch out and showed it who’s boss!
Mashed potato and peas
Little pillows of love
mmhmm…
They were flaky and rich and yum, and a toddler pleaser!
We dipped them in Karam’s Garlic Sauce, if you love garlic you will love this sauce.
In hindsight I think this dough would have worked just fine for the pie even without the baking powder added, but I just wasn’t willing to risk a pumpkin pie. I have plans for this dough recipe in the future too, I think some apple-cinnamon concoction, or apple-cheese, or chocolate….mmmm.
In the spirit of Indian food I thought I would put some Persian music up, this is from the incredible album Without You
Everyone loved Sloppy Joe day at the school cafeteria, right? I know I did, god only knows what it was I was actually eating. I think there was a high rate of missing dogs in the area around my school if that is any indication. This here is a much healthier version, and it’s dog free!
Snobby Joes
serves 4 to 6
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water
1 tbls olive oil
1 medium size yellow onion, cut into small dice
1 green bell pepper, cut into small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbls chili powder
2 tsps dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
2-3 tbls maple syrup
1 tbls mustard
buns
Pour the lentils and water into a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.
About 10 minutes before the lentils are done, preheat a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and bell pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute another minute more.
Stir in the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregano, and salt.
Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup to taste and the mustard, heat through.
Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld.
Not the best photo but you will have to just trust me that these are yum.
Let’s step back a bit and talk about chili powder. What a delicate spice this is, it can be so good, so bad or completely bland. I would like to take a stab at making my own some day, but for now this is the only chili spice I will use. It is made in Kansas City by Williams Brand, you can order it on Amazon go figure, is there anything at all they don’t sell? I really recommend you try this stuff if you come by it. It has no preservatives, salt, or chemicals. And it has such a punch, love it.
