– 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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A few weeks ago I was watching Martha when she had several famous New York chefs on the show. Seems like they all made fish of some kind, and this particular recipe just sounded interesting. Since Fall is in the air, a more hearty meal piqued my curiosity. The recipe is from Chef Daniel Boulud, certainly one of the pre-eminent chefs out there today. His method is more French than anything else. This recipe isn’t for a night when you’re trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry. It would be more appropriate for guests or a special evening at home. I have changed the recipe just a little. Originally it served 6. I cut it down to serve 2 (shown below). I couldn’t find salsify at the market, so I substituted parsnips. I hadn’t fixed celery root in years, but most markets here in California carry it regularly. I love the subtle taste of celery in this root vegetable.
So, here’s the gist of the recipe. First you make the wine and port sauce. It boils down to next to nothing (I actually left the shallot in the sauce, and I forgot to add the peppercorns altogether). Meanwhile, you peel and cube the celery root. Be sure to use a sturdy peeler if you have one. A light-weight one probably couldn’t pull the heavy peel off. Dig out any eyes and remove most of the very dark swirly parts (the part that’s actually the peel) by just peeling an additional layer or two. Cut into cubes and then you poach the root in milk to which you’ve added some seasonings. That takes about 20 minutes. I pureed it in the food processor (the actual recipe has more steps) and didn’t use all the milk, but just about.
The fish is fairly straight forward – you place some fresh sage leaves (from my garden) on the salmon fillets, then top them with one or two slices of bacon. I wanted to use one slice rather than two, but use your own judgment. It will be harder to turn the salmon if you lay the bacon on top (as I did) rather than wrapping two slices around the middle (so the bacon will stick to itself where the ends meet). I actually baked my salmon in the oven, but the done-ness was much harder to judge (it was overcooked, even though I used a thermometer), so I recommend you stick to the recipe below pan sautéing it.
The results: Absolutely delicious. The celery root puree with its moderately subtle celery flavor was a great pairing with the hearty salmon. The SAUCE is what makes it, though. I wish I’d made more. You want to take each bite that includes a bit of the celery root, salmon, bacon and sauce.
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Salmon with Parsnips and Celery Root Puree
Recipe: Chef Daniel Boulud, Bar Boulud, NYC
Servings: 2
WINE SAUCE:
3 whole black peppercorns — crushed
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh savory — or substitute sage
1 small garlic clove — smashed
1/2 cup Syrah wine — or other full-bodied red wine
2 tablespoons port wine
1 small shallots — finely minced
2 cups low-sodium beef stock
PARSNIPS:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound parsnips — trimmed, peeled, rinsed, dried, and cut into equal stick-sized pieces
SALMON:
4 sage leaves
3/4 pound salmon fillets — skinless
2 slices bacon salt and freshly ground black pepper
CELERY ROOT PUREE:
1 whole garlic clove — smashed
1 sprig fresh sage
1 sprig fresh thyme
3/4 pound celery root — peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about one large)
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh chives — or minced Italian parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1. SAUCE: Place peppercorns, thyme, savory, and garlic in a piece of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen twine to enclose. Transfer to a medium saucepan, along with, Syrah, port, and shallots. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until liquid has reduced by three-quarters. Add beef stock and continue cooking until liquid has reduced by two-thirds and lightly coats the back of a spoon. Remove cheesecloth bundle from saucepan and discard; set sauce aside and keep warm.
2. PARSNIPS: Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add parsnips, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
3. SALMON: Place 2 sage leaves across the length of each piece of salmon; wrap each with 1 slices bacon to secure. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Season salmon with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook, turning once, until bacon is crisp, fish is golden, and its internal temperature reaches 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 minutes per side.
4. Divide celery root puree evenly between 6 serving plates. Serve with a few pieces of parsnips and a piece of salmon. Garnish with bacon and crispy sage leaves. Drizzle sauce around plate and serve immediately.
5. CELERY ROOT PUREE: Place garlic, sage, and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen twine to enclose. Place in a medium saucepan along with celery root and enough milk to cover (you may not need to use all the milk). Bring to a simmer over medium heat; continue simmering until celery root is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl, reserving 1/2 cup of milk and discarding cheesecloth bundle.
6. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind.
7. Transfer one-third of the celery root, reserved milk, and browned butter to the jar of a blender; blend until smooth. Slightly mash remaining celery root with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Stir in pureed celery root mixture and chives; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Per Serving (assuming you eat every speck of the celery root and parsnips, which we didn’t): 812 Calories; 43g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 48g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 174mg Cholesterol.
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