– 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); 
; and 
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It’s fall. Time for some fall-type salads. Soups. Stews. Pumpkin. If it would just get below 80 degrees here in southern California I’d feel more like it. Soon. But, because it is October, I’m ready. Therefore, I went through my salad recipe collection looking for something different.
I make just regular green salads all the time. Probably all of you do, too. My mother was a great one for incorporating lots of veggies in salads, so I have continued the tradition. Green salads must have some other stuff like radishes, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, carrots, sugar snaps. That kind of thing. Just a way for us to get more of those healthful in our diet. And when you wrap those in silky salad dressing, they sure do go down easier. And I like . Today’s salad, though, isn’t one of those. It’s a pure greens salad but with an opportunity to give the apple a star billing. And escarole, of course.
So, this salad came from one of the cooking classes I took with Joanne Weir. I think I’ve mentioned before she’s probably my very favorite cooking instructor ever. She’s just so witty and funny. And bursting with lots of helpful hints. This class was no exception. Remember my adage: if you come home with one recipe you make regularly, the class is worthwhile and money was well spent. This class provided one good recipe AND a very good helpful hint that I’ve used over and over.
The hint: when making a salad dressing on the spot, once it’s mixed up (using a whisk always) take a piece of the lettuce from your already prepared greens and dip it into the dressing. Use it in proportion – you don’t want it saturated with dressing, just a bit. Taste it for balance (oil vs. vinegar) and seasonings (salt and pepper). And know that you need it to be saltier than it should be from that one little bite, because once the dressing is tossed all over the salad, the salt will be dispersed.
So now, onto the actual salad. Escarole isn’t a green I normally purchase. It’s not as bitter as curly endive (which was what I found at the market yesterday and is shown in the photo), and it’s easier to eat than curly endive too. Escarole is actually chicory (the green, and also the root that’s added to coffee in the south). It is part of the bitter greens family. Belgian Endive is another one of those I purchase occasionally and is in the same family as escarole/chicory. I’ve learned though, that the longer I hold Belgian Endive, the more bitter it gets. Ever noticed that? So I try to use it up right away.
Some years ago when my DH and I visited France and stayed with a friend in Paris, she made a Belgian Endive salad, just tossed with a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice. It was sweet and oh-so tasty. I’d had B.E. before, but it never tasted as good as I had it there. Once home I determined I’d use it more. I was so disappointed when I bought half a dozen of them to make a similar salad. It was so bitter we couldn’t eat it, even though it was fresh from the grocery store.
In looking up the nutritional information about B.E. I learned that it turns bitter as it oxidizes (exposed to light). So, I guess from the moment it’s plucked from the ground it begins to turn bitter. No wonder I have such a problem. A little bit of that bitterness goes a long ways. Probably U.S. growers have developed varieties that can have a long shelf life, but the taste is obviously compromised. I wish some of the growers here could taste B.E. in France to see the significant difference.
So, this salad combines bitter greens with a bit of sweet from the apple. The original dressing didn’t have any sugar in it, but I find that the dressing is also quite tart, so the addition of just a little bit of sugar helps it a lot. But I’ve also learned from making this salad several times that the acidity of sherry wine vinegar can vary from brand to brand. So I also have to add, sometimes, a bit more oil to the dressing than it calls for. That’s another reason for using the dunk-the-leaf-in-the-dressing technique. I do that once before I add salt and pepper and again after to make sure it’s the right chemistry.
This salad may not appeal to everyone. You need to like that spark of bitter. If you want more sweetness, though, try using a sweeter apple, and add a bit more sugar to the dressing. Granny Smith’s are certainly on the tart side themselves! But, this is a great way to showcase some wonderful fall apples that are just coming into the markets here. And maybe you’ll be lucky to find some escarole too.
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Escarole, Apple, Almonds and Shaved Parmigiano Salad
Recipe: adapted from a Joanne Weir recipe
Servings: 6
NOTES: Do not use the outer dark green parts of the escarole.
Serving Ideas : Instead of a traditional salad bowl, serve this on a large platter.
1 head escarole — in 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 whole Belgian Endive — leaves separated
2 stalks celery — sliced thin on the diagonal
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar — or white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 whole Granny Smith apple — halves, cored, thinly sliced
1/2 cup almonds — toasted
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese — shaved
1. In a bowl toss together the escarole, endive and celery. Place in the refrigerator until close to serving time.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, sugar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Will probably need extra salt as once you add it to the greens, you’ll lose the saltiness altogether.
3. Dip one leaf of escarole into the whisked dressing to taste for salt and pepper. Toss the greens, vinaigrette, almonds and Parmigiano Reggiano. Add apple slices and toss again. Place one or two apple slices on the top decoratively. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: 170 Calories; 15g Fat (78.6% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 17mg Sodium.
ThursdayNext
said on October 6th, 2007:
It was so nice to find this blog this morning! Oh I am jealous that you took classes with Joanne Weir! I love watching her shows on PBS Create. Recently I have grown fond of endive and am looking forward to making this salad.