– 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); 
; and 
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Have any of you begun watching the TV show with Steve Raichlen, the grill expert and author of any number of grill cookbooks? He has a program on PBS called “Primal Grill.” His show is filmed somewhere in Arizona, apparently his ranch, cows grazing close by, an ancient pickup truck in the background, and several different kinds of grills behind him. I can’t say that he’s all that natural behind a camera, but I like his recipes. I own a couple of his cookbooks and haven’t ever been disappointed in anything I’ve made. The recipes for all his shows are available on his website, Primal Grill . This particular segment was about cooking lamb, and as I watched him sink a knife and fork into this burger and saw the goat cheese oozing out of it, I knew I had to make this.
Ground lamb isn’t available in my markets, so had to go to a butcher to get it – and all they had was frozen in one pound chunks. So, the burgers I made with two pounds made slightly larger burgers than indicated. And I used less goat cheese – the recipe indicated 8 ounces of goat cheese, but there was no way I could have enclosed 2 ounces of goat cheese into my burgers. I’ve altered the recipe to that effect. I ended up making 8 thin patties, putting the goat cheese between two of them and sealing up the edges. Our burgers were done in 8 minutes per side (instead of 7, but remember we used a bit more meat), and were absolutely delicious! My DH adores Greek salad, so the yogurt cucumber sauce dolloped on top of the burger, that oozed down onto the “salad” and each morsel combining a piece of meat (with goat cheese) and some lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber was sublime. We didn’t have the pita bread, just the “salad” underneath, so you can do that as well. If you like lamb, this one’s a winner.
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Goat Cheese-Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce
Recipe: From Steve Raichlen, the primalgrill.org
Servings: 4
NOTES: I don’t use the pita breads for this – I prefer to chop up the “salad” – the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion and put that on the plate, then place the burger on top, sizzling from the grill. But if you don’t mind the carbs, you can either make this as a sandwich or as a tower with the pita on the bottom, the layers of salad, then the burgers on top.
BURGERS:
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 small onion — finely chopped
1 clove garlic — minced
3 tablespoons fresh mint — or 2 teaspoons dried mint
3 tablespoons Italian parsley — finely minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano — preferably Greek
1 teaspoon coarse salt — (kosher or sea) or more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces goat cheese — Chevre, soft log
SERVING:
4 whole pita bread rounds
4 romaine lettuce leaves — rinsed
1/2 whole red onion — paper-thin slices
1 medium cucumber — peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium tomato — thinly sliced
YOGURT SAUCE: (makes 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium cucumber — minced
1 clove garlic — minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt — or
Kosher salt or sea salt
1 cup yogurt — Greek, thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh mint — chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the ground lamb, chopped onion, garlic, mint, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Wet your hands with cold water and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Working quickly and with a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty with a quarter of the goat cheese in the center. (Make sure cheese is completely covered with meat.) Place the patties on a plate lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.
2. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
3. Grill the lamb burgers until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side (about 170 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer). Remove the burgers and cover to keep warm.
4. Place the pita breads on the grill, and lowering the temperature and working in batches, if necessary, grill until toasted, about 1 minute per side.
5. Cut a slit in each pita. Place a lettuce leaf inside, followed by a burger, an onion slice, if using, some cucumber and tomato slices, and a generous dollop of yogurt sauce. Serve at once.
6. Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce: Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a melon baller or spoon. Coarsely grate the cucumber. Place the garlic and salt in a mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Stir in the grated cucumber, yogurt, olive oil, and mint. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.
Per Serving: 956 Calories; 62g Fat (59.0% calories from fat); 49g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 169mg Cholesterol; 1290mg Sodium.
Nancy Loseke
said on November 18th, 2008:
Hi, Carolyn! Just a quick note of thanks for writing about Primal Grill and the Lamb Burgers. I am Steven’s assistant, Nancy. Steven would have written to you himself but was having computer troubles this morning. Your photo looks bomb!
We just finished shooting Season 2 of Primal Grill, which will start airing in the Spring.
Hi Nancy – thanks for stopping by. I’ve enjoyed the program. Glad the program was renewed. Look forward to more good grilled things from Steven! . . . Carolyn T