– 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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Several years ago I was confused about a lot of the (east) Indian cooking spices and methods, so when Suneeta Vaswani taught a class at Sur la Table, I signed up. She was a delightful teacher. Very informative and easy to understand. Among the things she made at that class, this was the standout in my book. It happens to be a favorite in her family. My recollection is that she mentioned whenever she’s off teaching classes her husband always wants this – if he can have this available for his dinner, he’s a happy man. So, it’s a staple in her freezer. I also bought her Easy Indian Cookbook, which I’ve used several times. I don’t cook Indian food very often, although my DH and I both like it very much. She’s recently published a new book, which is already going for a 2nd printing apparently.
Truly, this dish is simple. Really simple. First you get out the sauté pan you’ll use (make sure you have a lid to fit this one) and the ingredients are mixed right in the pan itself and allowed to sit for half an hour before cooking. It’s merely a mixture of nonfat yogurt, a bit of cornstarch, minced ginger, garlic, a Serrano chile pepper and salt. You roll the chicken thighs around in this thick mixture and let it sit. Just like that. Then you put the pan over the heat on the range, and begin slowly cooking the chicken. It does not get browned, just heated and slowly cooked. Then, at the end, you actually sauté some cracked peppercorns for about a minute, then those get poured into the sauce. Garnish with some cilantro and you’re done, except for spooning some of the scrumptious sauce over basmati rice. Oh, is that ever good, I’ll tell you.
The yogurt separates during the cooking process – it is a little off-putting when you see it, but the sauce comes together in the end. You can cook this without a lid, but how much sauce you get depends on how much the fluid evaporates. You’ll need to be your own judge about that. I like the sauce, but the nonfat yogurt is the thinnest, and doesn’t firm up much. That’s why I’ve been using Greek (strained, thicker) yogurt for this the last several times. I prefer it because it sticks better to the chicken (see photo), but it’s likely not traditional.
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Indian Pepper Chicken
Recipe By: Suneeta Vaswani
Serving Size: 8
Cook’s Notes: I’ve used both bone in and boneless thighs. Also have used non-fat and full fat yogurt too. I prefer the Greek yogurt (it’s thicker) although it doesn’t make as much sauce. Don’t be disturbed by how the yogurt separates during the cooking process – the water separates from the milk solids, but will be reabsorbed as it cooks. And, if you happen to freeze this, make sure there’s enough sauce to completely cover the meat – keeps better that way. If you don’t like the heat, eliminate the chile pepper and the cracked pepper, although I think you’d lose a lot of the personality of this dish by doing that.
12 whole chicken thighs without skin — bone-in preferred
2 cups nonfat yogurt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 whole serrano pepper — sliced in half
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups fresh cilantro — chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon black peppercorns — freshly cracked
1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a large saucepan stir together the yogurt, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, chilies and salt. Add chicken and mix well, then allow to sit in the pan for about 30 minutes, at room temperature.
2. Cover the pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, shaking the pan occasionally and turning pieces once to ensure even cooking, about 30-35 minutes. The yogurt will curdle – don’t worry, that’s how it should be, and it will be fine when it’s finished. If there is too much liquid, increase the heat and leave pot uncovered to reduce it down.
3. Reduce heat, shaking pan occasionally, until there is about 1 cup of liquid and the chicken is fork tender and no longer pink inside. Stir gently if needed. Scatter the chopped cilantro on top.
4. In a very small saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add the cracked peppercorns and cook (sizzling) for about 1 minute. Pour this into the chicken pot (it will sizzle more when it hits the liquid) and stir gently. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Per Serving: 196 Calories; 8g Fat (35.6% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 87mg Cholesterol; 669mg Sodium.
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