– by Neil White (on my Kindle) – a really, really interesting book. It’s a memoir about the year the author spent in prison in Louisiana. About his sanctimonious attitude when he arrived there (he was convicted of kiting checks trying to keep his publishing business afloat) and what he learns during his year. But as much as it’s about his life as a prisoner, it’s more about the other residents of the prison – the last remaining lepers (Hansen’s Disease) who are provided for in the facility. Neil White is quite a character and I wondered more than once if he was ever going to “get it,” that he was greedy and egotistical. The book wasn’t published for about 10 years after his release, so at least he didn’t profit immediately by telling tales. The epilogue was so sad – listing the deaths of many of the leprosy patients and some of the inmates he came to call friends. One person at amazon commented that it was not worth reading because the author profited from his incarceration, and that he didn’t appear to have redeemed himself. I disagree – I think he did. If he didn’t, then he knows how to spin a good yarn. I choose to believe he learned a whole lot about himself and where his life took a (wrong) left turn, and that he’s trying to atone for his failings by publishing the book. You decide.
- by P.D. James (on my Kindle) – if I hadn’t read about this book in the Los Angeles Times a week or so ago I’d never have pursued this book. It’s nothing even close to her wealth of books of the mystery genre. But yes, it IS a mystery (not something I normally read) but it takes place about 5 years after Pride and Prejudice leaves off. That was the hook for me. An entertaining read and a way to keep in touch with all the lovable (and not-so) characters from Jane Austen’s classic. It’s not a page-turner in the true mystery-murder style, but it’s fun to read.
– by Judith Ryan Hendricks – I picked up this book at a lending library I use now and then. I have to laugh, though – the collection of books (probably numbering about 350 or so) is divided by paperback and hardback. And then by color. COLOR? I find that so ludicrous. But anyway, the title caught my eye. It’s definitely a novel, about a youngish woman who’s been a baker and a chef, but who is suddenly single. It’s about her struggle to find herself, to find a new rhythm of life. In the telling of the journey some recipes are included (baked goods, including bread-bread), which are available on the 
– by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) – most everyone who reads blogs knows about Ree – the Pioneer Woman, from Pawhuska, Oklahoma. She’s always entertaining, whimsical and enjoyable to read. A couple of years ago she wrote a memoir of her romance with Ladd, her now husband. I can’t count how many times, as I was reading this, that I was LOLing (Laughing Out Loud). She is such a witty writer and knows how to tell a story. Even though I know she married Ladd and has since had 4 children, I was caught up in her story from the first page. I wrote it up in more detail on
– (on my Kindle) Michael Tucker (from L.A. Law some years ago) and his wife, on a whim almost, buy a home in Umbria. An old, old, old house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, I think, and a nice terrace (where a lot of living goes on in Italian homes and families). It’s the story of the purchase itself, the friends they meet, the neighbors, how Michael finds the best butcher(s), bakers and candlestick makers. It made me long for another trip to Italy, actually. They enlarge the home, although they’re not there for most of the construction. It’s a similar tale to Frances Mayes’ books and Peter Mayle’s books too, but it’s different. Tucker is a TV star; his wife’s a stage actress. They live on some higher plane than I do, for sure, with lots of friends with connections. But it’s a cute story and I enjoyed it clear to the end.
(Stacy Schiff); 
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For a dinner party last weekend I wanted a fairly neutral carb. Not some highly seasoned or distracting kind of carb that wouldn’t complement the pork roast with spicy apricot glaze I was serving for a main dish. Rice seemed like the right fit. I turned to a cookbook that I don’t refer to very often – the San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook. Now, brown rice isn’t exactly my favorite thing. It is nutty. Chewy. Healthier for us. But it doesn’t have any flavor to me. White rice is bland too, but with some salt and pepper, and maybe a tetch of butter, I could enjoy some white rice. I mostly don’t fix rice anymore (carbs that I don’t need). But cooking brown rice that same way kind of leaves me cold. But it’s what I had on the shelf. So I mixed the basmati brown rice with wild rice, onion and fennel, and topped it with pine nuts and Italian parsley.
Nobody at the dinner party said much about the rice – but then the vegetables were festive and tasty, the salad was a big hit, and the pork was amazing, so the fact that nobody said much about the rice is okay. That’s sort of how it should be, I think. I don’t know that I’d add the fennel if I made it again – I couldn’t even taste it. Seems like a waste of a big bulb of fennel to cook the whole thing and not know you ate it, right? The leftovers were tasty enough too. But next time I’d make it with white rice.
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Wild & Basmati Rice Pilaf with Fennel & Pine Nuts
Recipe: From the San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook
Servings: 8
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup wild rice
4 cups cold water
Salt to taste (it may need more than you think)
1/2 whole onion — diced
1 small fennel bulb — diced (optional)
2 tablespoons butter — plus more at the end
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 whole garlic cloves — minced
1/2 cup vermouth
1 1/2 cups basmati rice — or brown basmati
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup Italian parsley — chopped
1. In a dry nonstick skillet, toast the pine nuts until they’re golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Rinse the wild rice for a minute under cold water. Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, add some salt to the water and then add the wild rice. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 35-45 minutes, or until tender. Do NOT overcook it. There is a very short time between just done and overdone when the rice kernels pop open.
3. Meanwhile, saute the onion and fennel in the butter and olive oil over medium heat; season with some salt. When the vegetables begin to soften add the garlic for one minute, then add the wine. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the wine reduces. Add the basmati rice and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more salt if needed, the pepper and the boiling water. Bring back to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until the liquid has evaporated.
4. Drain the wild rice.
5. Toss the pilaf with the cooked wild rice, the pine nuts and parsley. Season with more salt and pepper and serve immediately. You may also put this into a casserole dish (covered) and bake for about 40 minutes at about 300 degrees.
Per Serving: 253 Calories; 8g Fat (29.0% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 79mg Sodium.
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