Saturday, September 19, 2009

Dead to the World - Charlaine Harris

Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse, #4) Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another fun Sookie Stackhouse book. Although Sookie is the main character in each book, they all have a new and interesting twist on the supernatural world.

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Travels in the Scriptorium - Paul Auster

Travels in the Scriptorium: A Novel Travels in the Scriptorium: A Novel by Paul Auster


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Very strange book. It takes place in a single room during a single day. A confused elderly man is the main character. He isn't sure why he's there or who he is, but you find out that he's been involved in some sort of intrigue and violence, which he senses but can't remember.

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Friday, September 18, 2009

Saturday, September 05, 2009

It does wonderful things for your tastebuds - Blueberry Scones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQx2kO4dILU

Fantastic Blueberry Scones.

Breakfast With Buddha - Roland Merullo (Book Group)

Breakfast with Buddha Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I selected this book for our monthly book group read. During our road trip in July, I found it in a small bookstore in Bandon and thought it would be fun to read. It sounded funny and light. It wasn't, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the uptight book editor driving across the country with his sister's Yogi.

Definitely has a spiritual element with which traditional Christians will disagree, however there are nuggets for everyone. Recommended..with an open mind.

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Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Rising from the Ashes – Chile Rellenos

At Beaverton Farmer’s Market we found some beautiful peppers for a great price. They were light yellowish-green, long and slightly narrow and we had no idea what to do with them. So I asked a man who had a giant bag full, “What are planning to do with all those peppers?” He didn’t know, but his wife curtly responded “Chile Rellenos”. We just had to buy some, so $1 later we walked out with six. We also bought some other lovely sweet red heart shaped peppers and cilantro.

A week later it was time to use them so the chile relleno planning began with a visit to the internet for instruction. From charring the outside of the peppers, to separating and whipping egg whites, to frying them in plenty of oil, the instructions were very thorough so I left Pat to it while I did some other stuff upstairs.

The smoke alarm and hazy air didn’t worry me (I’ve seen that before). But Joel yelling for my help brought me down the stairs with hopes that my kitchen was not engulfed in flames. It wasn’t, but the peppers were slightly more than charred. Unfortunately, the broiler did a number on them and there was no pepper left, just a few seeds and fibers, when the charred skin was removed.

What to do? The batter was ready, the salsa was ready, the oil was getting hot. Sweet red peppers and zucchini to the rescue. While I was charring the red peppers, Pat battered and fried the zucchini. The zucchini came off the heat just as the red peppers were peeled and stuffed with Jack Cheese ready for frying.

The sides of fried zucchini and refried beans were the perfect compliments. Although I’ve never had red chile rellenos, these were by far the best chile rellenos I’ve ever had. Flavorful, colorful, and delicious.