paste-eaters anonymous

Caramelized Onions

I'm on this kick to cook new things. I figured this was a good start.

Step 1: Put two pounds of thinly sliced onions in a large, covered skillet (this one's non-stick), on medium (I've got an electric stove) for about twenty minutes, stirring once or twice.

Step Two: After twenty minutes, add 2T olive oil and a pinch of salt. Turn heat down to medium-low and cover again, stirring once or twice for another twenty minutes.

Ta-da! While it doesn't look much different than the picture in step two, this is the final result after a full hour of cooking. I'm sure if I had a gas stove I might have had darker, more caramelly-looking onions. 

But these were damn sweet! Thanks to Mark Bittman, How To Cook Everything Vegetarian pg. 329

What I'm Reading After December 17

Damn. I'm real tired of reading my own writing. I can't wait to start something else.

 

I never read fiction, but this one piques my interest. I've heard Serena described as "Ma Walton meets Hannibal Lecter." I've started the first chapter and while I think that description may be fitting, I think Serena is closer to Al Swearengen of Deadwood fame--at least the HBO version. Like that critically-acclaimed but dismally-viewed series, Someone dies right away. I get the feeling this won't be the last, and I'm looking forward to it.

 

Keeping up with the holiday cheer, there's Factory Girls. I've always wondered about the people who make the things that surround our lives. Timely in so many ways. I think I am going to get a new perspective of globalization with this book.

 

Hurry Down Sunshine is Michael Greenberg's memoir of the summer his daughter went insane.

I love memoir because it allows me to see how others see (as remembering or forgetting) events, not just a statement of the facts of what happenned, but how they were shaped in someone's mind. I can't imagine the torment that a parent must go through when their child is sick, but I think there is something even more devastating about madness. You see your loved one as someone else, constantly questioning if his/her actions are the disease or of true intent. It must create some powerfully desperate feelings. 

So that's my happy-go-lucky reading list for the holidays. Probably shaped by years in retail. So be nice to those shop clerks out there, okay?

More Than a Cookbook

This book is more than recipes. It's like having a friend who knows a lot about food and cooking, but she doesn't overwhelm you with fancy techniques and ingredients. Waters writes with authority, but in easy to remember details so you hear her voice when you are in the middle of an enormous market (Russo's comes to mind) or in your own kitchen.

As someone who has worked at a farm stand, I have seen the look of panic in the eyes of customers who aren't sure what they are looking at and are afraid they will make a bad, expensive choice that either winds up going bad or prepared in some uninspired manner. It's filled with easy, common sense cooking skills that will stay with you.

This is a great basic cookbook for anyone, especially for new cooks who are interested in cooking with whole, fresh ingredients or those intimidated by the abundance of a well-stocked produce department.

Waiting at the Red Carpet

The National Book Award Finalists have been chosen for 2008. I haven't read any of them--that's the big problem with school--but there are a number of titles that I'm very eager to get my hands on.

One is Home by Marilynne Robinson. I never read fiction, but her outlook on domestic life has piqued my interest. I loves me a tortured family life. Makes me feel at, well, Home. 

The other biggie for me is The Dark Side by Jane Meyer. I have been told that this book is a good chronicle of the abuse of power that took over the White House for the past decade. Despite what some current debaters say, it is important to look back at the last eight years and see what happened. You can't just march off into "the future." I believe this book will document that denial gets us nowhere.

And then there is Final Salute by Jim Sheeler. This book deserves some attention since recent events have put the war on the back burner. Regardless of politics, this is a compelling story, heartbreak on the front lines. I hope more politcians read this book.

So on November 19th, I'll be in front of the set with a big bowl of popcorn and a cold beer. Wait, what? No? I'll have to wait for the movies?

10 Reasons Why Books Are A Good Thing

1.  Virtually unbreakable. You have to get it really wet. Or set it on fire.
2.  Doesn’t go bad. Just gets collectible.
3.  No batteries necessary.
4.  Perfect for tub reading.
5.  Lendable.
6.  Keeps the librarian out of trouble.
7.  Quiet.
8.  Can also kill bugs, stop doors, and level tables.
9.  Conversation fodder.
10. Instant desktop.

One Mean Monkey

The Husband works at a bookstore. I  used to work there too. It's how we met; we're one of the eight marriages that store has generated. There's magic in the stacks, I guess.

His job is to receive the boxes of books that come in and compare ISBN numbers to purchase orders. It could be tedious for the common mind. But The Husband knows how to keep his brain busy.

One thing he likes to do is check out the children's books that pass by. They're easy and quick to read, so work still gets done.

I get reports on the state of children's literature, even though we don't have kids. He's impressed with the Good Dog Carl series; here is the most irresponsible mother on the planet--going shopping and leaving baby Madeline in the care of a Rottweiler. Or Carl's Christmas, where Madeline is left with Carl while the parents go off to Grandma's. Because what grandparent wants to see grandchildren on Christmas. We're waiting for the new installment in the adventures of Carl: Carl meets Child Protective Services.

So it was natural for him, as he flipped over the back of Curious George Visits a Toy Store to read the ISBN (bottom left hand corner), to try out the maze. Try it yourself. Is this some kind of cruel joke?

Mild about Harry

I know I'm courting scorn and outright shunning, but I just never got into the Harry Potter series. I tried, I really did!--reading Sorcerer's Stone twice, but it just didn't draw me in. Does this mean I lack imagination? Have a brain disorder? Don't get me wrong, as a former bookseller, married to one, I'm all in favor of folks lining up and throwing parties due to the release of a book. It's truly wonderful. I guess I'm just not a fiction kinda girl. Are all Muggles bad?