Eating My Way Through Literature

Literally...

Books are a gift.  Books allow travel to places I'll never go.   Books transport me back to a time long before I existed, only to whisk me into a future I will probably never see, then gently release me content and coddled where I feel the safest.  Books comfort me when I am worried,  solve problems when there are questions, keep me company when I am alone, and give me council when I have taken in more than I can handle.  Books stir and blend my fantasies and my reality.

There is nothing I have asked from a book that it has not delivered.   Books are stimulants for the brain and imagination.   Recently,  I have noticed they are stimulating something else, my appetite.   Yes, I am happily reading along, minding my own business, not thinking about food, then...

"We're in his kitchen, and he's making grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, 
which I'm thinking are going to be about as close to my two-American-cheese-
singles-on-white-bread as his macaroni and cheese was to my Kraft special.

He slides his creation onto my plate:  multiple cheeses with cherry tomatoes 
and fresh basil oozing out of slabs of homemade multigrain bread.  It looks
and smells brilliant."
                                                                               The Art  Forger
                                                                         B.A. Shapiro

via

...and all I can think of is a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich.

As much as I resisted I was helpless in the clutch of such descriptive writing.   I had a couple of different cheeses hanging out in the refrigerator, fresh farmer's market tomatoes, basil ready for picking in the garden and a loaf of rye bread.  This would be easy, I make grilled cheese sandwiches all the time.  Slice a little of this, spread a little of that, sizzle, sizzle... shades of gold... and I am back to my book deeply involved in an art heist.

It looked good, and it did smelled amazing.  Eating it was not so easy, it sort of fell apart.  To be frank, my sandwich just wasn't as sexy.  After fully analyzing the situation I decided it had to be all about the tomatoes.  Make a note, next time use cherry tomatoes.

It was only a few days latter I had the chance to spend a few days in Chicago.  We arrived just after noon and were a bit hungry.  With dinner reservations at a nearby french restaurant we decided to avoid the crowds and slip into one of the hotel's restaurants for a small snack.  We were seated and handed menus.   Looking down the selections, looking for something lite, there it was dancing, singing, flashing red arrows screaming at me,

a grilled cheese with cherry tomatoes and...
oh my, bacon jam.



I tried to resist.  I looked away.  I ask R. if he would like to split something.  Nothing worked, it was my destiny, my obligation.  Yes, I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich.  I didn't take a picture; it was beautiful, rich and tasted amazing...trust me, I was there.   I don't even remember what R. ordered, but I shared half of my delicious sandwich.

Now, I have two things to share with you,
my latest read and the culinary cravings it creates.

Has a book ever sent you running to the kitchen craving something you just read about?

Do you have an amazing grilled cheese recipe you are willing to share?

Yes, if I don't slow down the reading I'll be spending a lot more time here.


Happy Reading and
Bon Appétit!

A Spicy Answer to a Hot Summer's Night

“I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food” 
                                                                                   Erma Bombeck



I love my food magazines.  In fact, I can honestly say I've never met one I didn't like and need.  If I don't have a subscription, and the cover looks appealing it usually lands in my shopping cart at the grocery store or under a stack of books at the bookstore.
I also love my cookbooks, but I read them like novels.  Magazines are more for drooling
over the pictures, creating cravings and planning my next food safari.

The July issue of bon appétit  has been following me around for weeks.   I have been wanting to make the cover recipe, Sriracha Glazed Chicken Skewers since it was delivered through my mail slot.  Doesn't it look scrumptious?

Weekends are my favorite time to try something new.  R. is usually in town, everything is less hurried, fewer errands to run and more time to plan.  This has been a busy month though with traveling here and there, weddings, meetings and dinner out with friends, giving me less time for experimenting in the kitchen.  Until this past weekend.  I kept my eye on the ball dish;  I was determined, and I wasn't disappointed. 

I've read eating spicy food when the temperatures are rising is wonderful way

to cool the body down.  The warmth from the spices cause the body to 

perspire, turning on our built in air conditioning system.  If this is 

truly fact then this flavorful and spicy dish was the perfect answer to

 a hot summer's evening.

A cool tomato and watermelon salad was it's perfect sidekick.

For the beverage, I chose my favorite prosecco.

Sambal Chicken Skewers

bon appétit 

1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar

1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1/3 cup hot chili paste

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup Sriracha

2 tablespoons finely grated peeled ginger

1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs,

cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces

Soak bamboo skewers for at least an hour.  

The recipe says eight, I used ten.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat.  Whisk brown sugar, vinegar, chili paste, 

fish sauce, Sriracha, and ginger in a large bowl.  Add chicken and toss to coat. 

Thread 4 or 5 chicken pieces onto each skewer.

Transfer marinade to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 

until reduced to about one cup, 7 to 10 minutes.

Grill chicken, turning and basting often with marinade, until cooked through, 

8 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I pretty much followed this recipe to the "t".  There are a few things I might change up

 next time.  I found the thighs difficult to cut into nice consistent size pieces.  The thigh 

is a fatty piece of the chicken which is why they are so moist and flavorful, but hard to

manipulate for this dish.  I may try this with chicken tenders next time.   

The marinade is so delicious, I would suggest splitting the marinade into two batches

after reduction.  You really only need about a half of the cup for during grilling.

Refrigerate the other half for another recipe.  Once the marinade was

 contaminated by the basting brush I was fearful of saving it and ended up

 pouring in out.

I think this would be equally delicious on pork.

Oh look what just arrived!

Now I am all about some ice cream...
or maybe

pie!

Grab your whisk and let the exploration begin.
Did you take a food adventure this weekend?

Have fun and
Bon Appetit!

Wednesday Book Talk - Interrupted

I am interrupting my  Wednesday book report to share my morning surprise.  Now, I hear the collective sigh of disappointment, but this is so much better, promise.
 Did I mention in my last post it was my sense of humor which attracted my husband?  

This morning a mystery box was delivered and left by my front door.  Roger, returning from an early morning meeting brought it in and left it in the entry.   I first thought it was something I had ordered last week, but after a quick inspection I began thinking this was something special.

The hint was the address label which read Bonnie, no last name.

Reading the return label I smiled, suspecting this was a 

"special delivery" from Elizabeth at Pinecones and Acorns.

Upon opening I found it loaded with books and a lovely note. 

Hidden among the books were a few of my favorite chocolate bars. 

 If you follow Elizabeth you know she has a passion for chocolate, 

and shares her love and creations on her blog, Once Upon a Chocolate Life,
devoted to the goodness of chocolate.  Chocolate
makes everything good.

And, there was more,
a box of notecards with charming illustrations
 of Parisian street scenes.
 A handwritten note is one of my favorite things.

And then there were the books,

and books,

oh so many books that she has enjoyed and is
so generously is passing along.

Elizabeth, thank you for my wonderful morning treat, and

for sharing a few of your passions.  This was the best!

The book I had planned on sharing today was in fact one I found in a post at 

Pinecones and Acorns.  It can wait.....

I don't think much is going to get accomplished here today,

I have a box of books to go through.

I do hope you will visit Elizabeth at Pinecones and Acorns.
She always has something wonderful to share.

Happy Reading!

(you know where to find me)

Hmmmmm....

I know a little about the brain.  When I say I know a little, that is exactly what I mean.  I haven't spent hours studying, nor is it something I am passionate about.  The knowledge I have comes from listening to the man I live with, my husband.  The brain or retraining the brain is his field of expertise; and, although I am probably a bit prejudice, he is very good at what he does.

Now with this knowledge you might be given the impression he
 might marry someone with a high functioning brain.
Someone who is an intellectual, always has something profound to say,
with the memory of an elephant.

Hmmmm....

So, many of you have ask about the book sale I was so excited about this past weekend.  You know I love spending vasts amounts of time browsing through dusty books others have read and cast aside, looking for that treasure someone mistakenly tossed in the donation pile. 

R. was exceptionally accommodating.  We are usually out of the house by 7:30, stopping for coffee before arriving with the early birds at the farmer's market.   This Saturday we postponed our departure so to time all our stops with the opening of the library book sale.  I made coffee at home, watered plants and checked emails.  Yes, I even checked my notice stating the time 

 of the library's opening.

The farmer's market was crowded; though late we found what we wanted, the first really pretty summer tomatoes, and peaches smelling of the sun.   We left the market with plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast.  We sat outside enjoying an unseasonably pleasant summer morning chatting with a few passing friends and acquaintances also out enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning.

Time moved slowly though.

The traffic was awful getting to the library.  We drove around a few minutes before deciding to give up finding a spot on the street and entered a parking garage.  We only needed to walk a few blocks before entering the front door of the Main Library.   The person at the information desk ask if she could help.  I knew where I was going, but out of courtesy ask if the book sale was again in the basement.

She let out a deep breath and handed me a postcard.  "The book sale is actually next week-end."

I am sure I said something, though I can't remember what, probably something original like "you're kidding me".  She was very nice, and assured me I was not the only one to show up early.  She said she was, in fact,  a little concerned that possibly some incorrect information had been posted.  

Well, upon reflection, I am sure the mistake was mine.  

I haven't ask yet, but I'm suspecting if I go to the sale this weekend 

I will be going solo.  So much for the memory of an elephant.

I'll blame it on summer's sorcery. 

I do hope you are having a good week thus far.