Neko Case - 11/15

Kinda far away, but anyone wanna go?

Neko Case

+Joey and John of Calexico

Venue: The Wellmont Theatre (Montclair)

Date: Sun 11/15

Notes: Doors 7:00 PM / Show 8:00 PM

$32.00

The Magicians

Second post in as many days, but you probably shouldn't get used to it. My track record isn't very good.

I'm writing to see if anyone has read, knows someone who's read, or heard good things about The Magicians by Lev Grossman. General synopsis: college bound senior has grown up in a Harry Potter / Narnia / Tolkien world and suddenly finds out that magic is real. In addition to going to university at a school for magic, he also grows up and other real world type stuff happens.

This book sounds like my fantasy (that Hogwarts is real) come true, so I'm dying to read it (plus it's gotten legit reviews - not that a lack of respectable reviews has ever stopped me from indulging in a good book, but it doesn't hurt either).

I've tried twice to get book club to choose this book, and gotten a negative both times. Eventually I'll read it myself, but the last couple of months have been busy with novel writing class (sadly, now over), grad school applications, and "other real world type stuff". Usually books are a significant part of my "real world type stuff," but I haven't even come close to my desired three books per week.

Other books for which I've been counting the days, but are getting pushed off another month:
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - I read the first book in this YA trilogy - Hunger Games - months ago, and I'm still thinking about it
Going Bovine by Libba Bray - a serious contender for next month's book club (at least in my mind)
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart - my favorite series for children

Really going to work now.

Survey: yay or nay

Soulless by Gail Carriger: guilty pleasure, utter genius, or pulp? I'm thinking it looks just weird enough to be a yay (and possibly a big yay).

Check out this Omnivoracious interview to help form your opinion (but beware, I was shocked to see a major spoiler in question no. 4).

Do you have a literary guilty pleasure?

I think there are different books for different needs, so I try not to feel guilty about anything I read. Though there was a dark time in my life otherwise known as the Harlequin years (middle school) that has resulted in some major head hanging.

Next month's book club selection: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

They didn't go for the version with zombies when I suggested it as a light summer read, so I didn't even bring it up tonight. But I'm perfectly content with our choice as 2009 is about to expire regardless of the fact that I haven't fit in my annual rereading of my favorite novel.

book club

Darn, I thought that an entire year had gone by since my last post, but I'm just shy by about three measly weeks. If anyone happens upon this blog out here in internet-Siberia, I have a request. I need suggestions for my next book club (it's this Wednesday). I want something really good, and I can't seem to come up with a book.

I've thinking about something by Richard Brautigan, because I've never read Trout Fishing in America (though I can say that In Watermelon Sugar and The Abortion were excellent). I am also considering bringing in a YA book since I'm fairly certain that most of my members don't venture into that 'genre'. Here are my top YA choices:

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Here is a list of our previous books - an asterisk indicates a book that the club read and a # indicates books that I suggested as additional reading - the rest of the books were options that I brought to a meeting as possible reading choices.

* Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (our current selection)
# The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
# Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
# Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
* Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
* The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
# The Three Incestuous Sisters: An Illustrated Novel by Audrey Niffenegger
# French Milk by Lucy Knisley (graphic novel)
* Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Five Quarters of an Orange by Joanne Harris
The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
The World to Come by Dara Horn
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
# The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly

Super Tuesday

It's Super Tuesday - don't forget to vote if you live in:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia,
Idaho (Democratic Only), Illinois Kansas (Democratic Only), Massachusetts, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana (Republican Only), New Jersey, New Mexico (Democratic Only), New York,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah,
West Virginia (Republican Only),
American Samoa, Democrats Abroad

Write On!

So we had our first bona fide meeting of the writing group that I’ve been pushing for the past few weeks. I had a great time, and, unless the other members under the hot interrogation light were lying, so did everyone in attendance.

After the meeting, Lakshmi set up this awesome new blog (scribblescribbles.blogspot.com) and I encourage anyone interested to visit. If you’d like to be added as a contributor, just let me know. That goes for anyone – not just people who can make it to the meetings – because the whole point is so people can participate remotely.

As usual, if you’d like to be added to the writing group’s email listserv, send me your contact info. We’re looking to have another meeting in NYC in the next couple of weeks.

Children's Literature

I like to have reading plans. My last reading plan rotated contemporary and classic novels. If I found myself struggling though a piece of particularly arduous Victorian fiction, I persevered because my next book would be something more modern. Since August, I have been reading mostly children’s literature, which I never read much of when I was a child. When I was in the fifth grade, I thought reading murder mysteries and Stephen King novels bought from garage sales that had upwards of 500 pages meant that I had an “advanced” reading level. Since getting into some truly great children’s literature, I realize that I was totally wrong. A good children’s novel does not condescend to a child’s reading level (whatever that may be), but elevates its reader (even if that means, gasp, looking up words in the dictionary!). So, if you are one of those Harry Potter fans who believe those children’s novels anomalies in a sea of juvenile tripe, I dare you to check out some of these books!

His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman: More advanced reading than JK Rowling, Pullman has said that he does not consider these novels to be written for children (though there were definitely a few kids in the audience when Christina and I went to see him speak). The Subtle Knife is, by far, my favorite of the three. I will not even try to explain what these books are about, but if you are looking for a novel with a female protagonist or just a good fantasy series, give this series a try.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart: one of my favorite books that I have read in a while. About a group of children who infiltrate a school to stop its headmaster from taking over the world. Every character is original and maintains their personality throughout. I could not put this book down!

The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat, translated by Y. Maudet: this retelling of Tom Thumb (though I am not too familiar with that fairy tale) was recommended to be by Christina. This story about seven neglected brothers who run away from home is told from multiple perspectives, each with distinct voices. Actually heartbreaking at times, I highly recommend this novel.

The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett: both novels feature characters of Dickensian perfection and characters with preternatural relationships with animals (including vermin!), but they are humorous, engaging books. While some characters appear faultless, others are refreshingly flawed yet likable.

The Spiderwick Chronicles, Books 1-5 by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black: there is no escaping the fact that these simple, well illustrated novels about a troubled boy who discovers fairies living in the backyard are written for children, but they are fun, fast reads. The five books are really one novel split into five sections, so you can zoom through these in a day. If you’re not convinced, check out the trailer for the movie opening in February. If you do check these out and enjoy them, you can move onto The Nixie’s Song, the first of three books in a Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles trilogy.

From he Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konisburg: this hilarious book about a sister and brother who run away from home to live in the Metropolitam Museum of Art was one of my favorites as a kid. I have to admit, as an adult, I found myself feeling awfully bad for the parents, but the book was still a blast.

Other children’s novels that I enjoyed but did not quite make my list of favorites:
What the Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy by Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked: an ambiguous ending worthy of discussion.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick: I enjoyed and would recommend this book if only for the entirely new reading experience it provides - it is half words and half pictures – I would have preferred eighty percent words, but it’s perfect for someone interested in taking illustration to another level.

I may deviate from my reading plan as I have been meaning to read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde for ages and just purchased it for fifty cents from a thrift shop. On the other hand there are a couple of children’s novels that I’m itching to check out of the library.

What are you reading right now?

Why didn't you tell me, Baby?

Give the blond kid an Oscar!

2nd NYC Writing Group

Not that anyone checks my blog anymore due to my lack of postage, but...

Are you interested in writing and live near/in NYC? Then join our writing group next Sunday, January 20th. The exact time and place is still undecided (but we’re aiming for late afternoon/early evening at a coffee shop a walkable distance from the port authority – any suggestions?).

It doesn’t matter if your interest is poetry, children’s lit, creative non-fic, or screenwriting – everyone is welcome (even if you’re “only” a reader). Feel free to tell/bring friends or post the info as a bulletin on your myspace.

If you have something to be workshopped at the meeting, email it to me by Thursday and I will forward it to all who plan on attending. If your piece is on the shorter side and you don’t mind on-the-spot-comments, you can bring 5-10 copies to the meeting.

We will discuss any ideas for writing events in NYC that the group could attend at the meeting.

Let me know if you are interested in joining the group and make sure that I have your phone number and email so I can add you to our “listserv”.

Hope to see you soon!

Kat

Writing Group in NYC

Lakshmi and I are starting a writing group in NYC. The inaugural meeting is this Sunday, December 2nd, 11AM – 2ish, coffee shop location coming soon. It doesn’t matter if your interest is poetry, children’s lit, creative non-fic, or screenwriting – everyone is welcome (even if you’re “only” a reader). Feel free to tell/bring friends or post the info as a bulletin on your myspace.

At meetings we plan to workshop members’ writing, do writing exercises, etc. Let me know if you want to come so I can give you all the details about the location (include your email if I don’t already have it). If you have something short (like a poem or an excerpt from a story) that’s ready for workshop, email it to me by Friday (short notice, I know) and I can send it around before Sunday.

I hope to see you there!

Luv,
Kat

PS – If you’re an out-of-stater, you can participate remotely by emailing your responses to writing prompts to the group or posting on a blog.

On Savoring a Good Book

I was recently talking to Christina about the idea of rushing through books. This discussion was brought about because we had just gone to see the Times Talks interview with Philip Pullman on The Golden Compass and she had been rushing to finish the last of the His Dark Materials trilogy so as not to have the ending ruined at the discussion. It happens that she did not have the time to finish the book and the ending was revealed during the question and answer portion of the evening. I later asked Christina whether she was bummed about having the ending spoiled, and she said that she actually was not because she could now savor the rest of the book without the mad dash to finish it. We agreed that the fear of spoilage was a little too familiar after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this summer.

No obsessive Harry Potter fan that I know went to any of the Deathly Hallows release parties (or left their house on July the twenty-first) out of fear that the long awaited conclusion to the series would be spoiled. There was outrage at the New York Times for printing their review of the book two days before its release date. And fans the world over finished all 759 pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows before the sun rose on the twenty-second of July. Personally, on Saturday, July twenty-first, I went swimming at the public pool and baked cookies to pass the time before my copy of the book arrived at 3:30 in the afternoon. My original plan was to read through the night, but I ended up pacing myself. I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Monday the twenty-third. I would have liked to give myself a week to really savor the experience, but my fear of spoilage was too great.

But, by rushing, had I spoiled the experience anyway? I had discussed in depth the idea of the literary carnage left in a speed reader’s margins with my friends who were also Harry Potter fans. Next to plot spoilage, not being able to really digest the book was my biggest fear. There is the argument that you will never absorb everything in a good book on the first reading and your relationship with the book grows by rereading. I read an article (forwarded by Andrea) from Time’s website entitled “Harry Potter and the Sinister Spoilers” by Lev Grossman and Andrea Sachs that defends spoilers using this rational. The writers claim that if knowing the ending of a Harry Potter book ruined the reading experience, fans would not read the books multiple times. Grossman and Sachs actually go so far as to say that “spoilers are a myth.” I agree that prior knowledge of a novel’s outcome has no affect on the literary merit of a book, but spoilers can affect your reading experience.

Plot is the victim of spoilers. Plot is the stuff that gets your heart rate up, causes a flush in your cheeks, and renders you totally unable to put the book down. Plot belongs to the first breathless reading of a book when you have no idea what is going to happen. It is not plot – what happens in a story as opposed to how it happens – that causes the discussion, obsession, and even derision that is necessary for longevity. A story endures because of well-developed characters that grow as they are rediscovered over and over again, but the suspense created by a well-plotted novel is spellbinding and can only be experienced once. The Harry Potter books are both character and plot driven. An entire book was written debating the duality of Snape (The Great Snape Debate). Another book, Mugglenet.Com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Falls in Love and How Will the Adventure Finally End, theorizes about both character and plot. But to discuss spoilers is to discuss plot, and J.K. Rowling is a genius when it comes to plot. Rowling’s ability to surprise no matter how much fans hypothesize beforehand is magical. And to spoil a book is to take away the magic of first discovery.

* * *

So what do you think? Is it more important to savor a good book or to find out what happens? Do you agree with Grossman and Sachs that spoilers are a myth? Even if spoilers do not affect the literary merit of novel, I still prefer to experience a book for the first time as the author intended it. I will sacrifice time with the characters to experience the magic of plot. As to whether that is an even trade, I can only say that I can reread Deathly Hallows as many times as I want, but I can never read the novel for the first time again.

Pumpkin Hummus

I found this recipe by googling 'Pumpkin Hummus'. You can follow this link to the original on Cooking Light's website (I omitted the fresh parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds). I first heard of pumpkin hummus in a magazine interview with Ewan McGregor in which he eats the aforementioned health snack. Pumpkin hummus sounded delicious, and, though, I might not look as sexy eating it as Ewan McGregor, I wanted a piece of the pie (pun intended).

When Joe invited me to a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book discussion, I thought it the perfect opportunity to make pumpkin hummus (pumpkins are for Halloween as Halloween is for Harry Potter). I made it the day before to make sure it wasn't disgusting and it wasn't! It was so delicious that I might never make traditional hummus again. I brought it to the party with Whole Wheat Pita chips (pitas cut into wedges and toasted at 350 degrees), cucumber (very refreshing), and red pepper (brings out the sweetness). If you make one recipe from this blog, please make this one!

Pumpkin Hummus

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 garlic clove, chopped

Place all ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth.

* Technically, as long as the garlic was finely minced, you could avoid using the food processor.

One Year Ago Today

So it was exactly one year ago today that I had my Spinal Fusion. I had to be in the hospital at 6 AM and I went into surgery at around 8:30 or 9:00 AM. The surgery lasted for about 7 hours. It took so long because I had an anterior and a posterior fusion - or two surgeries done at the same time - also called a back-front-back which went something like this:

1. Back - went through the back first, removed all of my hardware and replaced it with new metal, then stapled me shut
2. Front - flipped me over, went through the front and put a cage (the Cadillac of hardware according to the doc) between my L5 and S1 vertebrae to ensure stability, stitched me shut
3. Back - flipped me over again, removed the staples, tightened the hardware and stitched me closed

I'm writing this around six o-clock pm, and a year ago at this time I was in the recovery room (also called the ICU) vomiting up the anaesthesia. I couldn't feel any part of my body below my chest (thank you, epidural), but, somehow, it still hurt. It was also extremely upsetting because every possible precaution had been taken to prevent my throwing up, including an all liquid diet the day before and nothing for over 12 hours before the surgery, numerous anti-nausea shots, an anti-nausea IV drip, and a seasickness patch behind my ear. The vomiting, which was as close to an Exorcist experience as I ever hope to have (green projectile barf, enough said), persisted for hours and it was a full 24 before I was discharged from the ICU and sent to my room.

So, that said, it's a year later. A year seems like a long enough time to fully recover when you're lying in a hospital bed, but it's really just the first phase (especially when you're recovering from your second surgery in one year). But in the hospital, I needed two nurses to turn me over in bed and a call button to go to the bathroom, so, no matter how tough my current situation is, it's not as hard as it could be. I wish that certain things about the future were a little less scary (like a job and the fact that all of my friends are moving away just as I'm getting better - which is a completely selfish feeling on my part, I know), but that's just the way things are at the moment. I also wish that this post were slightly more cheery and celebratory, but there you go - I felt that I had to post something because it's exactly a year and this is what came out.

I’m better and we should have a party.

This post is about a month old (been living in my journal with an eviction notice), but seeing as it is about my ten month doctor’s appointment which was supposed to be my nine month appointment before it got cancelled and rescheduled three times, I think I am right on schedule. Better late than never, right? That seems to be the theme of my entire spinal fusion experience. First surgery didn’t work? Try again! Better late than never! But, seriously, this post is serious. Because my ten month appointment brought some seriously good news that only paled in comparison to the news I received at my six month appointment when I found out that my fusion had FINALLY healed completely. At my ten month appointment the doctor said that I was doing so well and everything had healed so perfectly that I did not have to come back to the office for an entire year! I went to my six month appointment with so much trepidation (it was at the same time after my first surgery that I found out that my fusion had failed) that my only possible reaction at receiving good news was relief. When I left my ten month appointment with the knowledge that I was doing so well that I didn’t need constant monitoring anymore, I could not get the smile off my face. I believe this was the first time that I left my surgeon’s office with a smile that was not worn out of mere politeness. And would you believe it, the smile was still there after I left the elevator, went through the front door, walked down the street and waited at a red light. I just could not forgive myself if I did not post something about how happy I felt upon getting that news.

I would be lying if I said that the experience of having two spinal fusions in as many years was not a really scary and really painful one or to suggest that this good news means that I am now not scared and pain free. I would also be lying if I said that knowing that I am fully healed has made me stop acting and feeling as if I were not. I do not know if not rushing out to grab the life that I have been missing means that I am lazy or unmotivated or, perhaps, emotionally paralyzed. Maybe I never had a lot of ambition to begin with. I always felt that ambition was not a virtue, but that it brought out the worst in people. I don’t know. Here is what I do know: I cannot stay in bed forever and that I am really frigging happy that I don’t have to go back to the doctor for a year. Oh, and I’m jobless. This weekend, I went to an open call for Central Casting in New York. They cast a lot of the extras for movies and television shows in NYC. I tried to be an extra once before and it did not work out. Back then I was the actor who thought that being an extra was going to get me places (possibly into the union). Now, I’m the girl who just needs to make some money and sees all these actory types as caricatures of a former self (but not caricatures that I'm laughing at!). Also, I’ve been working pretty hard on a children’s novel that I’m writing for my cousins in Florida (Christina’s editing it!). I feel really excited about that.

I have no idea what kind of job I would be good at. There are probably a lot of jobs that I could do. I just don’t know what they are (again, maybe I'm too lazy or too scared to figure it out). I do know how I feel when I write and how I feel is good. I feel like windows are opening up in my head. That’s a strange explanation. I’ll try again. I enjoy writing and it is work at the same time. Sometimes it takes me twenty different rewrites before I get a sentence that works, but when it works I feel like a really difficult puzzle piece has just been slid into place. The window opens, it fits, it feels good. That’s how writing makes me feel and that’s just about the only thing that I have going for me right now that makes any sense. That and reading books. If I could get a job reading books! Maybe I’ll have to research becoming a literary agent (or more like getting a non-paying internship with a literary agent). For now, the extra people haven’t called. I’m giving the whole working-as-an-extra-thing two weeks before I apply to Starbucks. And this blog another sentence before I force it back on track. This post was supposed to be a nice, formal (possibly even witty) piece of writing about getting good news from the doctor, but I guess I slipped up and just said what I felt. Oops. What I meant to say was: I’m glad that I’m better and that we should have a party.

To Lakshmi with Brie

I haven’t been posting much on this blog for the past couple of months. It was one part laziness, one part computer time rationing due to the pain involved with sitting for long periods of time, and one part does anybody even care? Half of my posts were recipes and I didn’t think that anybody was reading them – let alone using them. Then Lakshmi said that she enjoyed reading my stories about cooking the recipes even if she did not subsequently cook them herself. Well, that made me feel better. So when she recently asked for sandwich ideas using brie (only my most favorite cheese in the world!), I realized that I had both stories and recipes for her. My initial suggestion was a sandwich featuring sliced green apples, turkey and brie. Read on for some more inventive options.

Before I get into the recipes, I’ll back up my declaration that brie is my most favorite cheese in the world. When I was a kid (don’t remember how old), we had a picnic with some family in our backyard. Before the picnic, my mom came home with two wheels of brie and I was psyched! Only then did I find out that we would be sharing the brie with the family. Now I was not a terribly stingy child when it came to food. Sure, I liked getting the biggest slice of pizza as much as the next kid, but my brother was the one with food sharing issues. It was David who stuffed an entire bag of fruit snacks into his mouth so he would not have to give one to me. But brie was an entirely different story. Determined not to sit idly by as my extended family consumed my brie (not realizing that my mom only intended to put out the first wheel anyway), I hid the brie between the pots and pans underneath the sink. And then preceded to forget all about it. It was not until two weeks later when my mom was rummaging through the refrigerator while I was within earshot that I remembered what I had done. I could have sworn I bought two bries was all it took for me to remember my hidden plunder. Still hopeful (what can I say, I was a kid), I pulled out the brie only to find that it was green.

Here is a sandwich that I found on foodnetwork.com. It was made by Tyler Florence and features brie, turkey and apple butter. I had to try it, because I recently brought back an Asheville, NC souvenir of award winning apple butter from The Moose Café. I did not follow the recipe exactly. The other day my mom bought a huge turkey breast and we baked it in the oven. Yesterday, I made a sandwich by toasting a roll with a little olive oil and topping it with brie for the last minute toasting to start melting it. I added about two slices of turkey breast and some apple butter. Mmmm! Definitely worth my trip to Asheville!

This second suggestion is not a recipe, but something from the menu at NYC restaurant Serendipity 3. This was Pam’s favorite restaurant when she was in high school and I went there with her during the summer after our freshman year of college. We had just finished a five hour wait for tickets to the Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night, and decided that we’d like to wait some more. It took us about forty-five minutes to get a table right next to the kitchens in this über trendy spot, but the food was delicious. We split the following sandwich (how cheap!) and each had a fishbowl sized frozen hot chocolate. It was Pam’s first time tasting brie and it was my first (and only) time at Serendipity 3.

Pretty sure this was the sandwich:
A Summer Bries smoked turkey, sliced apples, melted brie and alfalfa sprouts, served on raisin pumpernickel with Russian dressing 14.00

Movie Recommendations

I've got a few movie recommendations. Some are for specific people, but anyone is free to watch!

For Teresa - Lea - interesting, sad foreign film - about a seriously scarred woman's escape from her world through poetry.

For Pam - 1408 - All John Cusack, all the time! He hasn't appeared so vulnerable (or hot) since Say Anything. Also, keep your eye out for Grace Is Gone in which John Cusack plays a father and husband whose wife has just been killed in Iraq- it's out in November or December and 'they' are already talking Oscar.

For anyone else - Down By Law - I don't care if you didn't like Coffee and Cigarettes! Or if you think black and white films are pretentious! This Jim Jarmusch film is basically a three man show (Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni, John Lurie). I rarely laugh during films as much as laughed during every scene featuring Benigni.

Delicatessen - This film is dark, hilarious, visually stunning. And they eat people. Check it out. Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director of Amélie, is one half of the directing team. The other half is Marc Caro. The movie is worth watching just for Dominique Pinon's (the stalker ex-boyfriend in Amélie) portrayal of the clown. He's actually kind of, dare I say it, sexy.

Ginger & Garlic

These recipes feature fresh garlic and/or ginger. I am posting them for Bryan who 'lifted' a massive amount of garlic and ginger from kraft services and is in need of some culinary inspiration.

The following is my favorite Hummus recipe. It's very simple. If you like a smoother consistency you could put everything in a blender or food processor. Personally, I like a chunkier texture. It feels more like food. The recipe is a tad vague, because it is really to-taste. You like more garlic; you add more garlic. It feels a little dry; add more lemon juice or Tahini.

Hummus

1 15oz. can of Chickpeas
3 Tbs. of Tahini
The juice of 1 or 2 lemons
2 Tbs. of Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic (minced)

Mash chickpeas with a fork. Mix in other ingredients until desired consistency.

Can add more olive oil, lemon juice or tahini for a smoother consistency.
Can add more garlic to taste.


Turkey Meatballs (Ginger)

• I served these gingery meatballs at Lakshmi’s birthday dinner with soba noodles and Coconut Sauce (Sounds really delicious, right? Ha, I say.). I really liked the meatballs – the ginger gives them a spicy flavor but they’re mild and pretty flavorful. I would make them again, but I am not sure how I would serve them. The soba noodles were fine, but the sauce was bland. A more experienced cook would have added some soy sauce or tamari sauce to add some much-needed flavor. If you care to attempt the original recipe, it called for 8 ounces of cooked soba noodles. The sauce consisted of 2 tablespoons lite coconut milk and 1 cup of non-fat reduced-sodium chicken broth (using a regular broth would add more flavor if you did not want to try soy sauce). Combine in a small saucepan and simmer for 6 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half. The meatball recipe is as follows.

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (I used dried)

* I cooked these in a small amount of olive oil and vegetable oil in a pan on the stove for about ten minutes because it was hot and I did not want to turn on the oven. I am posting the directions as they were written in Shape Magazine (which I was looking at in my dad's apartment - of course, I glanced right over the exercises and went straight to the food).

Preheat broiler. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well and form into 16 small meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter (I got about 21 meatballs, but I used a 1.4 pound package of turkey and slightly increased the other ingredients to compensate). Place meatballs on a broiling tray or aluminum-foil-lined cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place under broiler for 13 minutes, turning once when halfway cooked (after 6-7 minutes).

I haven't tried these recipes from the August 2007 issue of Cooking Light Magazine but everything I've made from them tastes excellent no matter the fat content and I intend to make them as soon as I get a chance.

Greek Lamb Burgers

Saté Burgers

Apricot Turkey Burgers

Ginger Carrot Muffins

A beginning and an end.

I apologize for my lack of updates (if there are any of my very few readers who are actually offended!). I’m doing well – I finished my physical therapy just over two weeks ago and I’ve been doing my exercises (though I did skip last night) and swimming as often as I am able. The next step in my recovery feels less definite: keep doing my exercises forever. My next phase is literally the future – an exciting and terribly scary prospect. I’m feeling better because of my exercises, but I still have enough pain that it’s burdensome and causes a fear about the idea of getting through a day at a job (for which I’ll probably start applying in September or October). As of now, I have no well-defined plans for the future. I do think that it is a good thing to set goals and work towards them, but past experiences have taught me that sometimes it’s better not to have expectations – or at least not to feel surprised when a major event or change occurs in life that is entirely unforeseen. As of today, my only plan is to await the arrival of my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I’ve never preordered a book, nor have I ever actually counted the days until a Harry Potter release. During college, I enjoyed the first four books, but when the fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, came out I was busy with school and it was not until right before my first spinal fusion (winter of 2006) that I finally read it. Since my surgeries, however, I have reread all of the books and listened to the audio versions countless times. I’ve always had a close relationship with books, but never has an author meant so much to me as J.K. Rowling. Having my two spinal fusions has been depressing at times, but never overwhelming because I’ve had these books. Whenever I was too exhausted to read or even watch television, I listened to Harry Potter on my iPod and felt instantly better about my situation because Harry’s life was so horrible. Obviously, I’m aware that Harry Potter is a fictional character, but he’s also been a faithful friend. So, as I near the end of my recovery and the beginning of the future, it seems appropriate that I am awaiting the conclusion of this beloved series.

Blend On!

We may not be having tropical weather on this 4th of July, but that can’t stop you from enjoying a tropical drink!

Lately, I’ve been really into blending. Using the blender, I should say. We bought it last summer to enjoy tropical drinks (i.e. margaritas), but I hadn’t used it until last week. My cousins Eric and Grace (who live in different areas in Brooklyn) came over to my dad’s apartment after my PT appointment. I was making this spicy-chicken-Indian-dish (one packet of chicken tikka masala spices, one can coconut milk plus a 1/4 cup water, three tablespoons of tomato paste, frozen peas, sautéed onions mixed together in a pot and served over basmati rice – so good) and an Avocado Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing from Everyday with Rachael Ray (naturally, I had to toss the avocados because my dad bought them so far in advance that they went bad, but the dressing was still good over romaine lettuce). I didn’t know what to make for dessert, and, as it was wicked hot that week, I didn’t want to turn on the oven. I decided on a mango lassi and my foray into blending thus began. One tip – if you’re following a recipe for a smoothie or a blended drink, don’t worry about diverging from the directions. Taste it and if you want more yogurt or fruit or think you’d like a little sparkling water (personally, I hate sparkling water), go ahead! Since, in all probability, you’re making a tropical drink, blending should be relaxing and stress free!

Mango Lassi
recipe from A Little Taste of India by Priya Wickramasinghe and Carol Selva Rajah

1 lb. 2 oz. ripe mango, chopped (you could also use mango pulp from the frozen food isle if mangoes aren’t in season)
1 cup chilled milk
1 cup plain yogurt

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth and serve cold – add ice to make it a little colder if you like. So, actually, the book says you should blend or chop the mango into a pulp and then push it through a sieve to remove the fiber. I made it once with mango pulp from the store and there was no fiber (already removed, I guess) and when I made it for my cousins, I didn’t have the book so I didn’t even think about straining it until we were drinking down a glass of fibers, I mean, mango lassi. Still delicious.

Blueberry Banana Drink
my own recipe (like it hasn’t been done before!)

1 or 2 tablespoons of honey
1 ripe banana (could be frozen)
about 1 cup of frozen blueberries
Yogurt and milk to taste (you can use the equal parts formula from the recipe above)
ice cubes

Blend together and enjoy!

Cantaloupe-Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
adapted from a little book about smoothies

three slices of ripe cantaloupe
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 ripe banana (could be frozen)
1/2 cup orange juice
three tablespoons of yogurt
1/3 cup milk (I didn’t have much yogurt so I supplemented with milk)

Blend and enjoy! This drink was so tropical and delicious! Make it. Now. I mean now!

Tia Celia's Flan

My Aunt Celia is one of the best cooks around. This Cuban flan – a type of baked custard – has been one of my favorite desserts since I was a kid. It's super creamy, delicious and requires very few ingredients. This is the version of her recipe that my mom has always made. I believe that my aunt uses four egg yokes and two eggs - which produces a thicker texture - and then uses the remaining whites to make meringue. This version is slightly lighter but the flavor is the same and you don't have to separate the eggs.

1 1/2 cups sugar separated
6 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Step One – Make the caramel
•Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in pan (I used a round metal bowl, but my aunt uses a rectangular loaf pan) over low flame until melted and golden brown.
• Once sugar is melted, use as much of it as possible to coat the sides of the pan.

Step Two
• Preheat the oven to 325º
• Beat six eggs and rest of the sugar (I decreased sugar to about 2/3 cup) until sugar dissolves. Beat in the remaining ingredients.

Step Three
• Strain mixture into the caramel pan. (You don’t really have to strain it – I didn’t and my mom never does). As you pour the egg mixture over the warm caramel, you’ll hear an extremely pleasant crackling sound, like pop rocks.
• Place dish in a pan of about 2 inches of hot water and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. It took almost 2 hours in my oven, but that's my oven.
• Remove from oven and cool before chilling for a few hours.