A Toast to Call of the Camino

Our latest - April/May -  Cook the Books Club selection has been Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn, and hosted this round by Debra of Eliot's Eats.  This is Redfearn's latest novel, and as such was not in our library.  I got my copy through Amazon.

Here's the story via the Publishers: From the bestselling author of In an Instant comes a deeply moving novel following the transformative journeys of two women walking entwined paths on a legendary route across Europe a generation apart.

Reina Watkins lost her father when she was eight. Seventeen years later, she still carries that grief. When her budding journalism career takes an unexpected turn, it leads her to the ancient five-hundred-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain. Now she finds herself embarking on the same pilgrimage that her father made at her age, unaware of how profoundly it will change her.

Back in 1997, Isabelle Vidal is a teenager on the run. Fleeing from her boarding school, she heads straight for the Way of Saint James. She’s heard the Camino will provide. And so it does, in the form of a handsome young American and the promise of a new life. But it could all fall apart if her troubles catch up with her.

As for my thoughts, and research, I'm starting with the back story of Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James.  There were three disciples by that name, none of whom ever made it to Spain, dead or alive.  The Apostle Paul planned to go to Spain, and had also said he was resolved not to go where the gospel had already been preached.  See Romans 15:20-24. One St. James was the brother of the Apostle John and early on was slain by Herod.  The other James was the author of the book of James in the New Testament, written about A.D. 45-50, and had a leading role as head of the early church, mainly in Jerusalem to the Jewish believers.  Paul's main outreach was to the Gentiles, hence his many journeys. 

Enough of the background history on this legendary walk.  Legend being the operative word.  I focused on that mainly because the book itself was not appealing to me.  The two story lines, and time lines were distracting and difficult to follow.  The characters were not sympathetic and didn't engage my interest.  From this novel, I do understand that many people going on the walk have a wonderful time, meet people they become friends with, and even experience spiritual dimensions.  I wasn't tempted to take the journey myself.

I took cooking inspiration from the Sangria Isabella mentioned that her mother was famous for.  "Her secret is that she adds a dash of brandy, green apples and blueberries  -- a combination that tempers the sweetness and makes the drink deep, dark mulberry.  She allowed me a taste each time she made a batch, and it's one of my favorite treats." They were sharing glasses of Sangria in one of their favorite villages on the walk, Najera.

Friends came over for a Cinco de Mayo dinner, for which I made a Mexican Lasagna, as well as a pitcher of Sangria.  It was indeed very delicious and thoroughly enjoyed by all.  Mine also had the dash of brandy, pieces of green apples and blueberries, as well as some tangerine segments.

Stay tuned for the Round-up, which should be posted shortly after the first of June.  Linked to Cook the Books and Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg, the Intrepid Reader and Baker.

Something Good to Eat from Miss Eliza's English Kitchen

                                                                 

We at Cook the Books Club, have been reading and posting some inspired cooking for this, our February/March selection, Miss Eliza's English Kitchen, by Annabel Abbs.  The current round is hosted by Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures. I enjoyed the novel immensely, so true to life, it's close to being a memoir. The characters, flaws and all, are well developed and inspiring. It also helped that the story is close to my own heart for gardening, cooking and finding new uses for the plants and herbs God has so magnificently provided us.

From the Library Journal Review..."the brilliant real-life story of Eliza Acton and her assistant as they revolutionized British cooking and cookbooks around the world. Before Mrs. Beeton and well before Julia Child, there was Eliza Acton, who changed the course of cookery writing forever. England, 1835 London is awash with thrilling new ingredients, from rare spices to exotic fruits. But no one knows how to use them. When Eliza Acton is told by her publisher to write a cookery book instead of the poetry she loves, she refuses - until her bankrupt father is forced to flee the country. As a woman, Eliza has few options. Although shes never set foot in a kitchen, she begins collecting recipes and teaching herself to cook. Much to her surprise she discovers a talent - and a passion - for the culinary arts. Eliza hires young, destitute Ann Kirby to assist her. As they cook together, Ann learns about poetry, love and ambition. The two develop a radical friendship, breaking the boundaries of class while creating new ways of writing recipes. .... Based on the true story of the first modern cookery writer, Miss Eliza's English Kitchen is a spellbinding novel about female friendship, the struggle for independence, and the transcendent pleasures and solace of food."

There was a good amount of food to be inspired by, as you might imagine, and mine came at the very end of the book.  Eliza is visiting her sister, for the first time in her new home, as a married woman.  She is shocked at the awful state of the basement kitchen, never visited by the lady of the house.  Waking very early one morning she goes into what has become her own favorite place at home, the kitchen, and begins putting together some potato rolls that Ann had told her about.  "A bread her mother made using potatoes rubbed, quite hot, through a coarse sieve."

And, of course, there had to be soup to accompany those rolls.  I thought a big pot of Minestrone would be perfect.  And friends over to share it all!  The rolls were delicious and so was the soup and company!  Here is the recipe I used, though you could use regular yeast if you don't have a sourdough starter.

Soft Sourdough Potato Rolls

yield: ABOUT 17 ROLLS
prep time: 25 MINUTES
cook time: 15 MINUTES
additional time: 10 HOURS
total time: 10 HOURS 40 MINUTES

Ingredients
100g (1/2 cup) active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
120g (1/2 cup) whole milk, scalded and cooled*
75g (1/3 cup) salted butter, softened
50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
105g (1/2 cup) mashed potatoes (or 22g
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
440g (about 3-1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour (may need more or less)
1½ tablespoons melted butter for brushing the rolls after baking

Instructions:

Add sourdough starter, cooled milk, softened butter, sugar, mashed potatoes, beaten egg, salt, and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or cookie paddles (reserve the 1-1/2 T melted butter for later).
Mix until a smooth dough forms. Add additional flour a little at a time if your dough is too sticky. The dough should pull away from the sides and bottom of the bowl when you have enough flour. No additional kneading is necessary.

Transfer your dough to a large oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the bowl to sit on the counter at room temperature for 4 hours.
At this point, you may leave the dough out for 4 more hours if you're baking the same day, or transfer it to the refrigerator to bake after 24 hours-3 days. 

Pull your bowl out of the fridge one hour before forming your rolls to allow the dough to come back to room temperature.
Form the dough into about 17 rolls. For uniform rolls, weigh each ball of dough on a kitchen scale and make them 58 grams a piece.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap, and allow to proof in a warm area for about 2 hours or until the rolls look "poofy."
Bake on the center rack in a 375°F oven for 12-15 minutes or until rolls are lightly golden.
Brush the warm rolls with the 1½ T. melted butter.
Serve warm. Allow any leftovers to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze.
Notes. *heat milk to 180°F, then allow to cool

Be sure to stay tuned to Cook the Books for the coming Round Up at the end of March featuring all our posts. 

From Rambutans to Risotto for Bite by Bite

 

Well, I haven't posted for a bit, lots going on here, between cleaning off the fine dusting of volcanic glass, called locally Pele's hair and trying to keep up with my gardening, singlehanded almost.  The first time I remember Volcanic ash coming all this far down the mountain.  Also, hosted a a lovely gathering of ladies today demonstrating how to make wine with local fruits.

Anyway, our current book selection for Cook the Books Club has been, Bite By Bite, Nourishments & Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and hosted this round by Simona of Briciole.  The Anthology is a delightful, poetic compilation of short essays about food and the author's memories associated with various fruits and meals she has enjoyed over the years.  Everything from Rambutans to Risotto!

From The Booklist Review: Nezhukumatathil's prowess as a poet infuses this unique memoir-meditation on the foods that mean the most to her. In addition to familiar U.S. fare, she walks readers through fruits exotic to North America, like mangosteen and rambutan, and foods like bangus (fish) and lumpia, common in the Philippines, where her mother hails from. Each chapter weaves facts, trivia, mythology, and personal stories together, linking Nezhukumatathil's food subjects through space and time in a meandering fashion. Her meditation on strawberries, for instance, mixes personal anecdotes about the fruit--reminding readers of the artificial strawberry scent applied to Strawberry Shortcake dolls in the 1980s--with trivia about historical uses and lore (the ancient Romans used strawberries as a cure for depression). She ties it all up with vivid prose that recalls the excitement of a mother anticipating her child eating their first handpicked berry. This whimsical and soothing work will appeal to fans of food writing, memoirs, intercultural stories, and poetry.    

For cooking inspiration, I was especially taken with her tantalizing description of a Mushroom Risotto she and her husband enjoyed in the Swiss Alps.  And, of course I had to make it!  Hard to say if it was as good as the one in Aimee's memory, but damn good all the same! A fresh salad of slivered kale and cherry tomatoes was a perfect contrast.  The recipe from Ina Garten on Food.com is the one I used.  Adding all the various mushrooms I could lay my hands on.

I just posted this in the very nick of time, as today is the deadline!  Be sure to check in for Simona's Roundup of everyone's posts and cooking inspirations, which should be online at Cook The Books a few days from now.  As well as a preview of our upcoming new book selection.

Erupting Volcano and Salon Update

Happy Holiday Blessings to all you Sunday Salon people and other Readers.  It's been awhile, but sometimes life interrupts  the important things :) The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz, to whom we commit our recent reading and happenings.  Our family Thanksgiving was wonderful, though unfortunately no one took any pictures.  Too busy eating and talking!

A friend and I had an altogether fabulous time yesterday, first visiting a local Christmas Fair near Volcano Village, then on to the Volcano House, and watching the current eruption, whilst having a delicious lunch of the best edamame ever, and splitting mushroom pizza! Oh Yea!

The eruption really is fantastic, what amazing wonders of God's creation in action. The line into the National Park wasn't too bad, and we were able to get a good parking place, just outside the hotel.

The Holiday Fair had a beautiful array of art and crafts, even some cute puppies looking for a home!                                

From the Arts Fair, lovely earrings and a porcelain bowl, perfect for my cereal in the morning!  

                                                                    

Waving Happy Holidays to you all, a little Gingerbread man cookie from that Christmas Fair.  Thanks to Naomi, the sweet young lady who made them.

 Books read:

Books read, and as usual, some were better than others!  Maame, my review here.  And our latest Cook the Books Round-Up with the new Book Club selection here.

Who Lies Here? and Mourning Raga, both by Ellis Peters.  Sometimes, maybe a sign of my age?  The older classic authors are just better.  Both excellent mysteries featuring Inspector George Felse.

And in that vein, of oldies  The Crime at Black Dudley and The White Cottage Mystery, from Margery Allingham.   They've gone beyond the availability of book cover pictures!

Another, more recent, and  in the spirit of Margery Allingham from Mike Ripley, Mr. Campion's Abdication.  Great reading all!

Five Golden Wings, by Donna Andrews was pretty good.  Not her absolute best, but the humor is there, and some Christmas spirit too.

To Fetch a Thief, from Spencer Quinn, one of his books by the dog, which I usually really enjoy, with his dog's frequently hilarious perspective on life and humans!  But this one was a bit too hard on the heroes before they win in the end.  Nasty scrapes I could do without.

Currently reading:  

 I seem to be on a roll here!  

Fallen Into the Pit, by Ellis Peters again, the first of her Inspector Felse mysteries.

Secrets of the Packing Queen, by Jeri Lynch.  I want to follow her example for the upcoming journey, and restrict myself to carry-ons only!

Then we have food:

Only Memorable Meals posted here!

A Barley Risotto with marinated feta, from Yotam Ottolenghi's Cookbook, Jerusalem.  I pretty much stuck to the recipe, though subbing in preserved lemon for the strips of lemon peel.  Scrumptious Comfort food.

                                            

A fun Fall dish, Roast Pumpkin with Cheese "Fondue" from the Gourmet Today cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl.  I used a very small pumpkin, but still had delicious leftovers for several days.  I do love good leftovers when it's usually just me.

                                                    

And last, another Yotam inspiration!  From his Flavor cookbook, Fusion Caponata with Silken Tofu.  I realized in the middle of getting it all together that the caponata was supposed to be marinated for at least 2 hours or overnight, so I had yes, leftovers, and that was okay.  Put this dish off till last night.  One of his more yummy concoctions.                                   

And Wine

                                                               

The latest batch bottled, was made from Mountain Apples, brought over by a neighbor, Grapes from an old Hilo varietal contributed by my nephew, and jaboticabas, (the fruit I call grapes on steroids) from the freezer.

That's it for now, Christmas best wishes, and don't get stressed out by the festivities!  It's supposed to be a time of giving and friendship!  Aloha

Maame - It 'Ain't Over Yet

Well, it's the end of the line, and I'm just getting my post out for our latest Cook the Books Club selection. We've been reading Maame, by Jessica George, these past two months; hosted by Debra of (Eliot's Eats).

 Truthfully, I was getting so depressed by and outraged at the central character, Maddie, for her attitude of victimization and not standing up for herself, that I just put the book aside and went on to life and other reads.  Then, when time was growing short for some sort of review, decided to do one of those sneak peeks to the ending.  Okay, looking much better, and worked my way backwards.  Things do improve, in life and sometimes even in books.  She does eventually take control of herself and her life, basically after her dad dies and frees her up in a sense to move on; after being his care giver, and mainstay of the whole family for so many years.  I won't give the ending totally away for those who haven't yet read the book, but if you can press on, it's a good lesson in giving people a chance and understanding what may have caused their dysfunctions.

From the Publishers:

"Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.

It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.

So when her mum returns from her latest trip, Maddie seizes the chance to move out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils―and rewards―of putting her heart on the line."

Just to explain, what we do at Cook the Books is to prepare something inspired by our reading of the current selection.  For inspiration, I chose to find a dish from Maddie's home country of Ghana.  In Marcus Samuelsson's cookbook on Africa, The Soul of a New Cuisine, he says "Cooking food in banana leaves is a tradition in West Africa."  He includes a recipe for Snapper wrapped in Banana Leaves, which I used, with some adaptations, based on my location in Hawaii.  The fish became Ahi Poke, which is chunks of ahi tuna in some seasonings, to which I included some salted, preserved lemon; which all went into the banana leaf parcels.  Here is Marcus' recipe:

As you will notice, the mainstay of this dish is a rich risotto type preparation, made with rice, coconut milk, stock and various vegetables.  This is all served along with the fish wraps.  The recipe also calls for morning glory or spinach, however I used sweet potato greens from our garden, another popular African  green.

An absolutely delicious concoction altogether!  And certainly a taste of another cuisine.  This will be posted with Cook the Books and linked also to Foodies Read, hosted by Heather and Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marge, the Intrepid Reader and Baker, also sharing this post at Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz.   Stay tuned for the coming soon Round-Up of everyone's posts, which should be enticing and interesting!  

Back to Salon Life and Happenings

Here's my report for Sunday Salon, put together by Deb Nance of Reader Buzz.  after a very stressful few weeks, which I won't go into at this time, not letting it rent more space in my brain.  I'll get on to better things.  Praise God, there's always books, and His presence in my life!

First is my quick review of a new book, The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook by Heidi Herman.  I received an advance copy, for my honest take on it.  She presents some excellent methods of sneaking those veggies into foods for the vegetable averse crowd.  However, the recipes, though indeed good, aren't exactly easy.  

I made the Chicken Enchiladas, which were quite delicious, although very time consuming.  Looking through other of Herman's recipes, not all of them are, but to get numerous veggies in place, a lot of chopping, dicing, and pureeing needs to happen.  I'll be trying more of her creations when time permits.  For me, cooking is often a way of zoning out, so this will be good in that sense, though not for anyone in a hurry.

At Cook the Books Club, we had our Round-Up of posts contributed for the last pick, which was Alice Waters' Memoir, Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook.  What a divergence of opinions there!  

Also you will see in the Cook the Books sidebar, our latest selection,  Maame, by Jessica George, if you would like to read and join in.  It sounds like a fascinating book from the reviews.  And I'm looking forward to reading it.

Just read:

The Invitation, by Lucy Foley, which I thought was a great read, entertaining, romantic and atmospheric, set along the Italian Riviera.  

And, Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue, by Spencer Quinn.  I love books about Seniors :) tracking down the bad guys!

I've also been enjoying Mike Ripley's further adventures of Mr. Campion, this latest, Mr. Campion's Fault.  Which goes to show he's the perfect choice to continue Margery Allingham's well loved mystery series featuring gentleman sleuth Albert Campion.

Now Reading: 

Another book by Lucy Foley, The Book of Lost and Found, excellent so far with all the stray people finding each other.

All the news that's fit to print.  I hope you all have a wonderful week-end!

What We're up to!

This is for Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz, wherein we share books we're reading, and what all else is going on in our lives!  And this was my last weekend!  A fun getaway to the big city.  When you live a Big Island, countryside life, the big city would be on Oahu, in Honolulu!  So I got to try some new restaurants and make use of the Spa at the Ala Moana Hotel.  Highly recommended restaurants: MW and Sera. Only a wee bit of shopping.

Books I'm currently reading: 

And here's one I got a little way into, but it kept getting more depressing and dreary.  The premise was intriguing... but, oh well.  Some go back for return to the library earlier than others.

The travel book has some good tips, but overall too much for my weary brain.  Points, points, points, yada yada yada.  I'm going to be traveling in a different easier way, at my age anyway!  A cruise.  And not to a wild or dark shore.  That's for sure.  Here One Moment, great so far, just started.  And Bite by Bite, lovely reflections on life and the bounty of food on this earth. One of our upcoming Book Club selections.

Garden happenings:  I've mentioned about the Sacha Inchi plant before. It's now being processed and used in my cooking:

This Bulgur Quinoa Pilaf with various veggies and some Sacha Inchi nuts providing the complete protein, was inspired by a meal I had at MW in Honolulu.  Trying to get it as good as theirs.  I used a homemade broth and asparagus for one of the vegetables. I thought it came out well.

An ongoing conception or project is making Cheong. A Korean fruit syrup, using mostly just fruit and sugar, 1 lb. fruit with 1 lb. sugar, but you can add herbs or spices.  If I have excess fruit many times I make wine.  However, if there is not that much involved, a fruit and sugar fermentation is a good use of what you have.  I first did it with Brazilian Cherries.  My tree was prolific and the fruit so delicious.  When it was fruiting around the 4th of July, I had friends over, so everyone got to pick fruit.  I gave out baggies.  But, then I wanted to try this Korean technique.

   

As a result I have lovely jam and a jar of the syrup for flavoring soda water type drinks. Think San Pelligrino, ice and a bit of the syrup.  It's awesome!  After draining off the syrup, you are left with the pulp, which may be blended into a fantastic jam. 

Right now there is a pineapple with li hing mui spice and a guava cheong with galangal and ginger going on the counter.

Well, that's it for the update.  Have a wonderful weekend you all!