– 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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If I hadn’t put a title in there you’d likely not even know what that lump of green stuff IS! Right? Not very attractive in the photo. I think it would be best using this as a bed for something, rather than a side veggie sitting there, green and all. Or else I should have garnished it with some Italian parsley. Or something. Anything. But the taste is what it’s all about, and this DID have good flavor.
I must admit, I’ve never given much thought to turnips. I haven’t particularly liked them, cut up and served like potatoes. I think my mother would occasionally serve them with a Sunday roast. Kind of dried and shriveled. And, they have . . . uhm . . . a kind of bitter taste. And from what I read about them, once turnips get to be mature, they do develop some bitter flavors. But then, I read that turnips have a low glycemic index. They’re only like a half a carb – I think I read that a turnip has less than 10 grams of carbs. So I wondered if I could eat turnips as a sort of carb, like as a mashed potato kind of carb. But I only had two small ones. Hence I prowled in the vegetable drawer and had leeks.
Next step was glancing at some turnip recipes. I turned to Deborah Madison’s tome, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and there was a puree recipe. I decided not to follow it closely, but at least used it for preparation advice.
First I cut up the leeks and washed them. Then combined them with water and the turnip chunks and simmered them until the turnips were tender. I pulsed the batch with a bit of chicken broth (very little since the puree was thin enough as it was) and a tiny splash of milk, then some butter, and that was it. Very easy, really. Healthy as long as you don’t count the butter. Ha. Anyway, it was delicious. Really, really good. The leeks did become the predominant flavor, and I hardly knew there were turnips in this. I don’t know if that was the idea or not. In any case, I liked it and would make it again. Next time I’d drain the hot veggies for a minute or two to remove more of the fluid before whizzing up in the food processor.
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Leek & Turnip Puree
Recipe: Loosely based on a recipe in Deborah Madison’s
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Servings: 3
2 medium turnips — peeled, diced
2 whole leeks — white part only, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons milk — optional
1. Wash the leeks in several changes of water to remove all dirt.
2. Combine leeks and turnips in a large saucepan. Add water to almost cover the vegetables. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until turnips are soft but not falling apart.
3. Drain vegetables in a colander and pour into bowl of a food processor. Puree, adding the chicken bouillon granules. Add milk only if the mixture is thick. Add salt and butter, and serve immediately. You might want to serve the vegetable in its own small bowl, as the puree is somewhat thin.
Per Serving: 116 Calories; 6g Fat (47.2% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 17mg Cholesterol; 516mg Sodium.
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