– 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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Cabbage isn’t the most photogenic blossom on the block, I’ll admit. And the leeks hiding inside didn’t much poke their heads above range, so what we have is a kind of beige looking glob. But the taste – well, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?
When I read about this recipe over at Marie’s blog, I knew my DH would love it – he adores cabbage in almost any way, shape or form. So with the addition of leeks, a cheesy cream sauce and a breadcrumb topping, I knew he’d be in seventh heaven. And he was. It’s a simple recipe, really. Just needs to be made in steps: (1) cooking the sliced cabbage and leeks in boiling water; (2) making the traditional cream sauce with butter, flour and low-fat milk, with some grated cheese and a smidgen of grated nutmeg added; and (3) preparing the buttered crumbs to sprinkle on top. I made everything the day before – just didn’t do the crumb topping until the last minute.
And I must tell you a story. I took this dish to our son and daughter-in-law’s home on Sunday for a festive family Valentine’s dinner. In the photo at top – - I brought the Berkshire ham you can see on the plate at right, the potatoes you can see in the foreground, and Karen made fresh asparagus. So I popped this casserole in the oven 35 minutes before serving time. Right on time I opened the oven and the casserole was still very pale looking, so I turned on Karen’s broiler. And within about a minute the infrared broiler element had set the bread crumbs on fire. I mean flames. Our son saved the day by pulling out the casserole from the oven and extinguishing the fire, fortunately. And at that point I was looking at this blackened – a la flambé – mess. Not the kind of flambé that you want, though. But once I took a flat edge to the casserole I was able to scrape all the blackened crumbs to one end and we ate it without mishap. In the picture above you can definitely see the result of my broiler mishap. But you know what? Those blackened crumbs tasted just fine! And the casserole itself was delicious. Definitely a make-again dish. Everybody loved it, me included. A keeper. Marie had suggested cheese as an addition, which I did. I used some imported England sharp cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. I also put some additional grated cheese on top of the cream sauce too, then the crumbs were sprinkled on top of that.
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Cabbage and Leek Gratin
Recipe By: Marie, A Year from Oak Cottage blog, 2/10
Serving Size: 8
1 head cabbage
3 medium leeks
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg to taste
a dash of hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 cups milk — 2% is fine
9 ounces cheese — cheddar or Gruyere and Parmesan, grated
1 cup fresh bread crumbs — (I used panko)
2 tablespoons butter — melted
1. Remove any old leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Cut it into quarters and remove the core. Shred or slice coarsely.
2. Trim the leeks, cut in half and wash them thoroughly. Shred them coarsely as well. Mix them into the cabbage.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the vegetables. Bring back to the boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook them for about 5 to 6 minutes, just until barely tender. Drain in a colander and allow to sit for a brief time to drain – to get as much water out as you can. You don’t want any of the water to dilute the cream sauce.
4. Preheat the oven to 180*C/375*F.
5. Make cream sauce by melting the 3 T butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring over medium heat, for about one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and nicely thickened. Season to taste with some salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce to taste. Add the shredded cheese (reserving a bit of it to sprinkle on the top).
6. Put the cabbage mixture into a buttered shallow dish. Pour the cream sauce over the top and allow it to soak in for a few minutes, while you make the crumbs for on top. Sprinkle the cream sauce with the reserved grated cheese.
7. Melt the 2 T of butter and then stir in the bread crumbs, mixing all together well. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until nicely bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned on top. If the top isn’t browned, put under the broiler for a few minutes until golden brown. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
Per Serving: 141 Calories; 9g Fat (56.8% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 268mg Sodium.
A year ago: Mushroom Bread Pudding (a real stunner of a side dish)
Two years ago: Fish Chowder with a Thai Twist
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