– 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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Oh yum. Yes. Ever so good. I didn’t have the ingredients on hand to make the full Calabacitasrecipe that we luv so much (I lacked the poblano/pasilla chiles, fresh corn and zucchini). But I DID have yellow crookneck squash, frozen corn and cilantro, so I created a quick and easy southwestern style calabacitas.
A bit of onion was sauteed, then the squash was added, along with some salt, pepper, some Chilean seasoning called Merken Mapuche Spice, a bit of ground cumin, then corn was added, and a tad of fat-free half and half. At the very end I sprinkled in the chopped cilantro.
The MerkenChile/Mapuche Spice was something I picked up recently at an upscale market. Had never seen it, so therefore I had to try it. According to the label, it’s unique to the Mapuche indigenous people of Central and Southern Chile. The bottle is actually a spice combo: powder derived from the cacho de cabra chile peppers (also called goat’s horn), coriander seeds, cumin and salt. The story of how they make this unique spice is delightful – the Mapuche are rural people in Chile, and every cook has her/his own combination for merken (sounds like curry powder in India). A small business has sprung up in cooperation with the Catholic Church in Chile to help these indigenous people distribute their organic products. If you’re interested, it’s imported through the Chilean Gourmet. They don’t yet have any recipes at their website, but I’ll keep checking back for them in the future. (They also sell honey and olive oil in case you’re interested!) The photograph of the bottle is from their website.
The merken, though, is fairly spicy, so this Chilean chile pepper must be some hot stuff! But I like it, so I leave it out near my stovetop so I can sprinkle it on other things if I’m so inclined.
What I don’t know is how they use this spice in their cuisine, other than as a sprinkle on just about everything (kind of like we use pepper, I think). Perhaps my use of it in a squash and corn concoction would meet with their approval!
Our son-in-law, Todd, is visiting for a week, and I thought he might just lick this vegetable dish right out of the frying pan it was made in, he liked it that much. It was easy. Really easy, especially if you have frozen corn on hand. I suppose you could even use canned corn, but I wouldn’t recommend it. But make it you should, if you enjoy these kinds of flavors . . .
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Quick Southwestern Squash & Corn
Servings: 5
1/2 small onion — diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 whole yellow squash — cubed
1 pound sweet corn — (frozen works fine)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Merken Mapuche spice (or substitute chile powder)
3 tablespoons fat free half-and-half — or heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion. Saute for about 4 minutes, then add the yellow squash and continue cooking for about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the corn, cumin, chile powder and salt and pepper and stir frequently for about 5 minutes until corn is fully cooked.
3. Add the cream or half and half, and taste for seasonings. Serve hot.
Per Serving: 83 Calories; 3g Fat (34.4% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 17mg Sodium.
A year ago: Mustard & Herb Chicken
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