10 February 2011
01 February 2011
A quick wrap-up of the books I read in 2010. I am working on writing my reviews. Click on the book on the sidebar to link to Good Reads, my book tracking website, to read the review or to look at all of the books I’ve tracked.
Homecoming written by Bernard Schlink
Completed February 1, 2010
Half Broke Horses written by Jeannette Walls
Completed February 19, 2010
Songs of the Humpback Whale written by Jodi Picoult
Completed March 1, 2010
The Elephant Keeper written by Christopher Nicholson
Completed March 19, 2010
The Prince of Tides written by Pat Conroy
Completed April 21, 2010
The Clan of the Cave Bear written by Jean M. Auel
Completed May 5, 2010
Her Fearful Symmetry written by Audrey Niffenegger
Completed May 9, 2010
The House at Riverton written by Kate Morton
Completed May 28, 2010
I Am the Messenger written by Markus Zusak
Completed June 8, 2010
Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China’s Past and Present written by Peter Hessler
Completed August 10, 2010
The Thirteenth Tale written by Diane Setterfield
Completed August 31, 2010
Beach Music written by Pat Conroy
Completed September 16, 2010
The Late Lamented Molly Marx written by Sally Koslow
Completed September 30, 2010
City of Thieves written by David Benioff
Completed October 30, 2010
North River written by Pete Hamill
Completed November 9, 2010
Let the Great World Spin written by Colum McCann
Completed January 3, 2011
Books I Could Not Finish
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear written by Walter Moers
Stopped reading August 1, 2010
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife written by Mary Roach
Stopped reading August, 20 2010
Homecoming written by Bernard Schlink
Completed February 1, 2010
Half Broke Horses written by Jeannette Walls
Completed February 19, 2010
Songs of the Humpback Whale written by Jodi Picoult
Completed March 1, 2010
The Elephant Keeper written by Christopher Nicholson
Completed March 19, 2010
The Prince of Tides written by Pat Conroy
Completed April 21, 2010
The Clan of the Cave Bear written by Jean M. Auel
Completed May 5, 2010
Her Fearful Symmetry written by Audrey Niffenegger
Completed May 9, 2010
The House at Riverton written by Kate Morton
Completed May 28, 2010
I Am the Messenger written by Markus Zusak
Completed June 8, 2010
Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China’s Past and Present written by Peter Hessler
Completed August 10, 2010
The Thirteenth Tale written by Diane Setterfield
Completed August 31, 2010
Beach Music written by Pat Conroy
Completed September 16, 2010
The Late Lamented Molly Marx written by Sally Koslow
Completed September 30, 2010
City of Thieves written by David Benioff
Completed October 30, 2010
North River written by Pete Hamill
Completed November 9, 2010
Let the Great World Spin written by Colum McCann
Completed January 3, 2011
Books I Could Not Finish
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear written by Walter Moers
Stopped reading August 1, 2010
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife written by Mary Roach
Stopped reading August, 20 2010
29 January 2011
27 January 2011
Things are Changing Again
Despite my original excitement to add a new page to my blog, the Weekly Fare page is unruly and a pain to update.
So... I will post my weekly menu right here on the blog each week. Look for the newest menu on Monday.
So... I will post my weekly menu right here on the blog each week. Look for the newest menu on Monday.
19 January 2011
Check out my newest side bar feature: Weekly Fare
Ryan and I both love to cook and we do our best to keep life interesting by constantly experimenting or trying new recipes. Each week we plan a new menu and with luck, we prepare several new dishes. Sometimes, the menu is thrown out the window with late nights at work or just a craving for take-out.
Each week I will update my "Weekly Fare" with a rundown of our latest meals.
For now, it is simple, but I hope to revamp the design in the near future.
Each week I will update my "Weekly Fare" with a rundown of our latest meals.
For now, it is simple, but I hope to revamp the design in the near future.
17 January 2011
When traveling abroad, my favorite places to visit are the food markets, bakeries, and grocery stories. In Asia, my eyes are usually wide with disbelief as I take in the very foreignness of everyday foods. In Italy, especially during my first trip, I am typically searching for the treats my grandparents brought back to us after their visits. I'm not sure if I first picked up a bag of taralli because it look familiar or just because they looked good... but ever since, I've been hooked.
Taralli is a difficult food to describe. Rolled out, boiled, then baked, it is a snack food reminiscent of a pretzel. However, they are made with white wine and olive oil, so they look quite different and do not taste much like a pretzel. In looking for a recipe for this snack, I learned that many Italians eat taralli as a sweet snack - dipping it in icing and adding sugar to the dough. I stuck with the savory version: one batch plain with olive oil and salt, another with crushed fennel seeds.
Rolling out the dough was quite difficult, as it handled like a pastry dough and tended to separate. I ended up rolling the dough flat and cutting it into strips. Once cut, I shaped the dough into ribbons and prepared them for their quick swim in a pot of boiling water.
After boiling, the taralli are baked for about 20 minutes or until golden.
TARALLI WITH FENNEL
Adapted from Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm white wine
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semolina
1 cup Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lightly crushed fennel seeds
Instructions:
In a large bowl, scatter yeast over a mixture of white wine and water; leave for several minutes to bubble up, then stir to mix well.
Add flour, semolina, olive oil, and salt. Mix together, then turn onto an unfloured board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of water if dough is too dry.
Lightly oil a clean, dry bowl, and return dough. Lightly oil the top, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for 45 minutes or until puffy.
Divide the dough into two portions. Add fennel seeds to one portion. Knead to incorporate.
Divid dough into small portions. Roll each into a long, slim pencil, cut into 3-inch lengths, and pinch the two ends firmly together to form a ring or ribbon.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the taralli in, a few at a time. When the taralli rise, remove and drain on a kitchen towel.
Arrange boiled taralli on a greased cookie sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Makes 4 to 5 dozen.
Taralli is a difficult food to describe. Rolled out, boiled, then baked, it is a snack food reminiscent of a pretzel. However, they are made with white wine and olive oil, so they look quite different and do not taste much like a pretzel. In looking for a recipe for this snack, I learned that many Italians eat taralli as a sweet snack - dipping it in icing and adding sugar to the dough. I stuck with the savory version: one batch plain with olive oil and salt, another with crushed fennel seeds.
Rolling out the dough was quite difficult, as it handled like a pastry dough and tended to separate. I ended up rolling the dough flat and cutting it into strips. Once cut, I shaped the dough into ribbons and prepared them for their quick swim in a pot of boiling water.
After boiling, the taralli are baked for about 20 minutes or until golden.
TARALLI WITH FENNEL
Adapted from Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm white wine
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semolina
1 cup Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lightly crushed fennel seeds
Instructions:
In a large bowl, scatter yeast over a mixture of white wine and water; leave for several minutes to bubble up, then stir to mix well.
Add flour, semolina, olive oil, and salt. Mix together, then turn onto an unfloured board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of water if dough is too dry.
Lightly oil a clean, dry bowl, and return dough. Lightly oil the top, cover with a damp towel, and let rise for 45 minutes or until puffy.
Divide the dough into two portions. Add fennel seeds to one portion. Knead to incorporate.
Divid dough into small portions. Roll each into a long, slim pencil, cut into 3-inch lengths, and pinch the two ends firmly together to form a ring or ribbon.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the taralli in, a few at a time. When the taralli rise, remove and drain on a kitchen towel.
Arrange boiled taralli on a greased cookie sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Makes 4 to 5 dozen.
12 January 2011
I am very surprised that many folks up north are not familiar with the King Cake. After living in New Orleans, the cake is an annual staple not to be missed... but had I not wandered south, it's likely that I, too, wouldn't know much about the tradition.
A brief primer:
Borrowing a Spanish custom (which some say 16th century France adopted as well), the Creoles served King Cake at balls held on the sixth of January (the Epiphany). Baked inside each cake, was a small object, usually a ring or a bean. The person who got the lucky slice containing the ring or the bean became king or queen of the ball. With their chosen partner, the two would reign as monarchs of the party, and would be responsible for hosting the next ball.
In New Orleans today, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season. Small plastic babies have replaced the more traditional ring or bean. The search for the baby adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will be discovered.
While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.
Everything old is new again in the world of King Cakes. While the traditional Creole King Cakes are made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, topped with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green, and gold colored sugar, in recent years, French bakeries in the New Orleans area have begun selling cakes like the ones made in France: made from a brioche dough and containing an almond paste filling. It looks different but tastes wonderful.
--History of King Cake adapted from WWLTV and www.holidays.net/mardigras/cake
A brief primer:
Borrowing a Spanish custom (which some say 16th century France adopted as well), the Creoles served King Cake at balls held on the sixth of January (the Epiphany). Baked inside each cake, was a small object, usually a ring or a bean. The person who got the lucky slice containing the ring or the bean became king or queen of the ball. With their chosen partner, the two would reign as monarchs of the party, and would be responsible for hosting the next ball.
In New Orleans today, King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season. Small plastic babies have replaced the more traditional ring or bean. The search for the baby adds excitement, as each person waits to see in whose slice of cake the baby will be discovered.
While custom holds that the person who finds the baby in their slice will be rewarded with good luck, that person is also traditionally responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering.
Everything old is new again in the world of King Cakes. While the traditional Creole King Cakes are made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, topped with icing, and sprinkled with purple, green, and gold colored sugar, in recent years, French bakeries in the New Orleans area have begun selling cakes like the ones made in France: made from a brioche dough and containing an almond paste filling. It looks different but tastes wonderful.
--History of King Cake adapted from WWLTV and www.holidays.net/mardigras/cake
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