Sunday Salon and World Update

 

Well, back on the circuit of Sunday Salon and those who know.  That gathering spot is hosted by the lovely Deb Nance of Readerbuzz.  

I'm highlighting this post with a flower arrangement that evolves from day to day, depending on what lovely things show up in the garden.  To God be the glory.  He is truly amazing!  

To make a long story short, the tea plants (Camellia sinensis assamica - my cultivar) were blooming due to more light coming in after a radical pruning of the lychee tree. One of their amazing blossoms is on the right and has a scent that is truly from heaven!  

There will be books, I promise.

More from the garden, again due to that lychee pruning, and mulch from chipping the branches.  At first these mushrooms were a mystery, as they did not (to me) seem to fit anything in my book, Mushrooms of Hawaii.  Note - we have a book!  More coming.  However, after finally consulting with the author, Don Hemmes, I was happy to discover that they are not only edible but choice!  Thank you Dr. Hemmes! Too late to eat any, but better safe than sorry!  As more appear, we will know what to do. The book notes that you want to eat them in the "primordium stage" - the small, darker ones.

And in case you were wondering about the lychee tree and mushrooms in situ, check the size of that trunk!  It's been with us for quite some time, and we were hoping that a radical prune would encourage it to produce some fruit.  More than a half dozen!

Mysterious mushrooms and now a mystery pot.  It had been on the top shelf of my kitchen cupboard for Lord knows how many years and I finally decided to get it down and find out what exactly it was and how to use it.  That took awhile, but the mystery was solved at last by the brother of my dear friend and CPA from China.  Once I knew the name it was viewable online.  A Yunan steam pot.  A whole culinary world opened up, recipes and all.  You set it over a pot of boiling water, where it has to fit snugly, then do a nice long steam cook.  Coming up soon. Watch for it, when I actually use the thing.

This is a category all its own.  A lacto-fermentation of bitter melon.  What you do in case anyone gives you a bag of bitter melons and you haven't got a clue.  Look up something online of course.  That photo was day one.  We have now finished said fermentation and are having some whenever in the mood.  Though still not too sure how to fit them in with a meal. 

However, it would fit perfectly with a Japanese meal that incorporates little side dishes.  Which suggests our next Cook The Books Club selection - The Kamogawa Food Detectives.  

Books

Currently Reading

Alignment, by Asher Intrater.  So we don't get bogged down in the material world, a look at how our lives can and should be aligned with God.

Also currently reading this one, and so far it is quite intriguing and full of delicious meals, as well as little mysteries solved. A Japanese best seller.

 

I'm sorry, but sometimes you just can't beat sitting down with good old Agatha.  Usually a winner, and this Towards Zero, was no exception!

The Road to Murder, a rather complicated who done it, though the setting alone makes me want to take off for this precise location in Italy. 

Lost Lake, by Sarah Addison Allen, who frequently comes through.  This is a charming, romantic change of life novel.  I enjoyed it.

And, a very old, but excellent book by Elizabeth Goudge, A City of Bells.  I just love her writing.  Oldies but goodies category!

Well, that's all folks, hoping you have a delightful week-end, wherever you are.

A Week or Two in Review - Sunday Salon

The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  is where we are given the opportunity of sharing what we've been up to and engaging with others to that end.  

What this amounts to, for me anyway, is food, books and garden!  Not necessarily in that order.  And, occasionally my blog, for which this post is a partial remedy.  I have been derelict in that life department of late.  Throw in some favorite photos!  And, they might all get mixed up in no particular order.

Down the slide and into the pool, with exuberance, goes Naomi!  Favorite photos department.

This version of Pancotto, Parmesan-Garlic Crisped Bread with Spicy Greens, could be categorized under both Food and Cookbook review.  From Milk Street Shorts by Christopher Kimball.  Many of his interpretations are fairly easy to prepare, some I would't call Short, still good and inspiring,   With this recipe I did substitute our own garden greens for the heads of escarole, and it turned out quite delicious.  After renewing the book several times from the library, it's usually a sign I should actually buy it!

Another from his Cookbook is due to be made tonight!  A Zucchini Carbonara, for which Kimball says "Would Italians really substitute zucchini for guanciale in carbonara?  Yes! And it's delicious!"  However, I will be adding Prosciutto!  And substituting my preserved salted lemon for the grated lemon zest in Kimball's recipe  Too many recipes call for lemon zest and I like to give my salted lemons more opportunities to shine. They just assume you don't have any.  Luckily I look upon recipes more as inspiration!  But for that you need a recipe.

Would you believe I have an 850 page Great Italian Cooking cookbook (circa 1968) and Gourmet Today's 1007 pages, neither of which has a recipe for Carbonara?! That's why we have the internet folks!!  Where this is going is a revision here.  Because inquiring minds want to know!  I discovered that the true history of Carbonara turns out to be  much more recent than is generally thought.  

Herb of the day: Za'atar!  I was lucky enough to find some at the Farmer's Market and grabbed it quick.  Here is a quote from Yotam Ottolenghi (Culinary inspiration of the century) on the subject, from his book Jerusalem: "If there is one smell to match the emblematic image of the Old City of Jerusalem, one odor that encapsulates the soul of this ancient city nestling in the Judean Mountains, it is za'atar....sharp, warm and slightly pungent.  For us it conjures the most visceral memories of a warm day on the hills."  

I am so looking forward to using it in my cooking, for which he has a number of suggestions.  Also to have the blessing of successfully propagating the herb.  Presently trying to root it in water and in some small pots.

Fruit of the day:  Tamarillo, or Tree Tomato 

I love this one!  When you see a fruit similar in size to a small tomato but with orange flesh and lots of seeds, you've happened upon a tamarillo. Because the fruits closely resemble a tomato, it's also referred to as a tree tomato plant (Solanum betaceum).  The seeds are like passionfruit, edible and unnoticeable when eaten.

BOOKS

On the Blog:  A Review of Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame: https://honeyfromrock.blogspot.com/2026/09/mrs-quinn-and-memories-of-pie.html.  A thoroughly enjoyable and absorbing novel.

The Other Bennet Sister, by Janice Hadlow.  Totally depressing through too much of the book, though it does end well.

The Case of the Missing Madonna, by Lin Anderson.  A great detective mystery with fascinating history and lush descriptions of the French Riviera.

Whistler, by Ann Patchett.  Touching and emotional, a beautiful and profound family drama.  I loved it.

The Lost Man of Bombay, by a favorite author, Vaseem Khan, third in his series featuring Persis Wadia, India''s first woman detective Police Inspector in Post Independence 1950 Bombay.  Intriguing and well written.

Well, that's all for now folks.  I hope and pray that everyone is having a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Mrs. Quinn and Memories of Pie

For the past month or so, our Cook the Books Club has been reading and getting inspired to cook by Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame.  I originally read and recommended it for our group, based on liking the tale of a Seasoned Citizen going out and being adventurous!  However on this second reading, I realized how much I had forgotten of Jenny's back story!  That part she had been keeping from her husband, Bernard.  If you haven't read the book, be prepared for a spoiler!  

When she realizes he has found out about it accidentally, she hurries home, devastated and worried that she has lost him for good!  So, it was a whole different take on the book, with more of the plot brought to mind than I had remembered.  The novel does keep you involved and interested, as it is quite well written.  All this is aside from Mrs. Quinn's rise to fame with the Baking Competition.

My cooking inspiration was due to that back story.  When in her teens, Jenny was stuck in a home for unwed mothers, (yes, they had such things in those days) where the young women were treated with disgust and contempt, made to work very hard, and then parted from their newborn babies. 

 Jenny has kept that part of her life secret from Bernard, from shame and fear he would reject her at the start of their relationship and then later out of fear that her deceit could still destroy their lives.  

Back in the day, when she arrived at that home and is unpacking her suitcase, she discovered, tucked inside, well wrapped in greaseproof paper, a Cheese and Onion Pie!  Her father had forgiven her at least a little!   But enough to make and send that pie with her to the home.  To her it was a sign of his continued love for her.  There is a chapter in the book: Cheese and Onion Pie, which details this part of her life.

As it turns out, a Cheese and Onion Pie in shortcrust pastry, is an old English staple, a sort of popular comfort food in that neck of the woods!  It sounded like something that would have comforted me.

Cheese and Onion Pie

PREP 20 min
COOK 30 min
TOTAL 50 min
YIELD 8 slices

Ingredients

600g onions, finely chopped
50g butter
200g mature cheddar cheese, grated
100ml whole milk
2 slices white bread, toasted (for breadcrumbs)
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
500g ready-made shortcrust pastry
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Cook the onions:Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 10–15 minutes until soft and golden. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Prepare breadcrumbs: Toast the bread slices until golden, then pulse in a food processor to create fine breadcrumbs.
Make the filling: In a bowl, combine the grated cheddar cheese, milk, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Stir in the sautéed onions until fully mixed.
Assemble the base: Preheat your oven to 180°C fan / 200°C / gas mark 6. Roll out half of the pastry and line a 20cm pie dish. Press the pastry into the edges and trim any overhang.
Fill the pie: Spoon the cheese and onion mixture into the pie crust and level it out.
Add the lid: Roll out the remaining pastry and lay it over the filling. Seal the edges by pinching or crimping with a fork. Cut a small slit in the centre for steam to escape.
Bake the pie: Place in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve: Let the pie cool for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with peas, salad, or your favorite sides.
Recipe, thanks to The Flavor Nest - https://flavornest.net/classic-cheese-and-onion-pie-recipe-a-comforting-british-favourite-with-buttery-pastry/

My choice of side was a quick salad with radicchio, a good contrast, the bitter with the sweet. As is this story.  I'm coming in here almost at the deadline! You have until September 30th and if you'd like to join in, click here.  Watch for the Round-up of all the contributions on this selection, coming soon.  Our next book selection also promises to be intriguing - The Kamogawa Food Detectives!

The Latest News Around Here

 Only the news that's fit to print!  An update here for Sunday Salon, and the world at large.  Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb Nance over at Readerbuzz, is where we get a chance to link up and share what we've been up to, visit other blogs and maybe join in with their conversations.

Actually this was posted August 29th, deleted today in error and, thanks to Simona from our Cook the Books team, recovered.  What a whiz! The only thing still lost are the comments!

 

In my world, it's often something in the garden that gets me excited.  This week was memorable!  Here are the turmeric plants blooming.  Prettier close up.

And, really it's not too unexpected, after all most plants probably bloom at one time or another.  The comfrey decided to join in.  I couldn't resist and picked the stalk for my flower arrangement. 

Then, noticing berries on a Curry tree, decided to see if they were edible.  Glory to God, they are and have a nice herby, slightly citrusy taste. Which, I read are sometimes incorporated into curries. But that would be troublesome as they have an inedible seed.  Apparently not all varieties have a seed, but the ones I tasted all did.

 

We will get to the books, I promise! 

 

Do you remember that variegated Hawaiian banana I discussed last time? With variegated fruit? Here's the new baby! So there's more of those bananas to come.

The Books Read

 

Yes, we do have some books to mention.  Two from Jacqueline Winspear.  I do seem to go through favorite authors for a time.

 

An excellent stand-alone from the author of our much-loved Maisie Dobbs series.  Set in Post War England.  

 

Here Maisie Dobbs investigates the death of an Indian woman in 1933 London.  Another moving and nuanced novel by this author.

 

And another by Peter Lovesey!  I enjoy his quirky hero, Peter Diamond.  As the Publishers summarize: "When an autistic Japanese child is mysteriously abducted in London, ex-police detective Peter Diamond begins a desperate search that takes him from the sumo-wrestling world of Japan to New York's high finance district."  A very unusual plot, wandering, but absorbing.

 

Currently Reading: 

 By the author of The Henna Artist.  So far, enjoying the story quite a bit.  Goes from Bombay to Europe in 1937.

 

Then, just a bit for the Food and Wine Section

 

Ongoing fermentation of my Pineapple Wine.  Three gallons coming up, just a matter of waiting!  And waiting, racking and waiting for the finished product a year or so down the road.

 

Food and the Cookbooks Referenced:

 

Skillet Spanakopita with Phyllo.  This was a terrifically good and novel use for the Phyllo languishing in my freezer.  It's so finicky to work with, but this just put crumpled pieces on top of the delicious filling.  Thanks to Christopher Kimball, author of Milk Street Shorts.  I will probably make again!

 

Then there was Southwestern Quinoa Salad from Gourmet Today, courtesy of Ruth Reichl. A very scrumptious combination of ingredients. However, disclaimer here: If you had never prepared quinoa before, you might be put off by the lengthy and unnecessary directions for preparing that portion of the recipe. I stupidly decided to follow them just to see if I had been omitting something vital to my health. No, and I melted down the plastic portions of my sieve in the process. Live and learn. I hope.

We should be lots better here, now that hurricane Lala has come and gone.  Sadly some folks are still without power.  So many trees down!  And Gardens messed up!

 

That's it for now folks!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and upcoming week. 

 

 

Sunday Salon - Catching Up and a Cornucopia of Blessings

A Cornucopia of Blessings

Well, it's certainly been awhile.  I believe the last time I posted the volcano was in eruption mode and I scared some folks with my close up views!  That still goes on, and off.  Sunday Salon is where Deb Nance of Readerbuzz, our charming hostess, has set aside as "a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. (For me, it's been a bit longer than that!)  It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there."  

Leading off with my favorite plant (of the week anyway)! The native Hawaiian Varigated Banana, aka Musa x paradisiaca 'Ae Ae', in its just planted stage, two years ago.  Then there's now, with a bunch of variegated bananas!

Harvested yesterday, oh joy!  They're similar to plantains and nice fried up in a bit of coconut oil or butter.

Another planting of interest in my garden is Dragon Fruit.  Here are some blooming in my friend's greenhouse.  And, what the fruit looks like, though comes in several colors.

 And, voila!  The installation of a Dragon Fruit stronghold in my garden.  They like to be in cinders, and on rock.  Plants,  like people are very particular and peculiar!  Thanks Brian for a wonderful addition to my space!

Gatherings

      Friends, family and neighbors are important and I enjoy hosting.

Before any Books of Interest I'm going to finish with this gratitude list, and some of the many blessings God has showered on us!

 Today's harvest of Winged Beans, dill & Pineapples from yesterday - it's the season for pineapples!

The recently heavily pruned lychee tree, with lots of good mulch for the garden!  Maybe now it will get back to bearing fruit, other than just 2 or 3!  There's a wake up call for you! :) 

 

A new Kale plant                                                      Flowering Galangal ginger

    Tropical Oregano                Lemongrass

with cranberry hibiscus in back

                                      Curry tree with berries    Water Lillies & Water hyacinths in the pond

And we do have some books to mention!

I almost don't know where to start.   I'd better limit myself to the more recently read, or of special merit or interest.

This book comes under the heading of special merit!  Who Ate Lunch with Abraham, by Asher Intrater is nonfiction, spiritually challenging, and a book which has most influenced me this year to date. 

There is a figure who appears throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. He is sometimes referred to as the Angel of the Lord, sometimes as God Himself, and sometimes as the Son of Man. The appearance of this figure demands a re-evaluation of classic Judeo-Christian world views, and that is exactly what Asher Intrater does very well.  Highly recommended!

The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey.  From the Publishers: "The irascible, corpulent, cynical Chief Superintendent Peter Diamond of the Avon and Somerset murder squad attributes Britain's decline as a world power to the abolition of capital punishment in 1964. Spurning computer gadgetry, he sticks to common sense, index cards and gumshoeing: `Knocking on doors. That's how we get results.' The belated identification of the victim as actress Geraldine Snoo, written out of a BBC soap opera two years before, leads to one surprise after another."

A good Detective novel in the time honored tradition, though new to me.  I will be reading more of his books.

The Comfort of Ghosts, by a favorite author of mine, and her last in the series featuring Maisie Dobbs, Investigator/Psychologist,  and an intriguing conclusion for a beloved heroine.  

Bleeding Heart Yard, by Elly Griffiths.  This is turning out to be something of a round-up of favorite authors!  A stand-alone by Griffiths, and on the chilling side, but good.

The Dying Day by Vaseem Khan is a wonderful novel featuring a newly installed female policewoman, Inspector Persis Wadia, in 1950 Bombay.  She has a lot to put up with, as you can imagine!  I look forward to reading many more of her adventures by this excellent author.

This is one, loved by many, but myself, not so much!  It was our Cook the Books pick for June/July, for which The Roundup of reviews and food inspired by the novel is now up on their site.  My review is a few posts back here at:https://honeyfromrock.blogspot.com/

Currently Reading:

About half way through, and enjoying the quirky character of Isadora, who's trying to be happy! She's pretty funny.  My first from Courtney Walsh.

Well folks, that's it for now.  I'll try to be a more frequent participant here, but enjoy a wonderful weekend full of good food, books and get togethers.