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Here are the tastingspoons players. I’m in the middle (Carolyn). Daughter Sara on the right, and daughter-in-law Karen on the left. I started the blog in 2007, as a way to share recipes with my family. Now in 2024, I’m still doing 99% of the blogging and holding out hope that these two lovely and excellent cooks will participate. They both lead very busy lives, so we’ll see.

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BOOK READING (from Carolyn):

Jackie, by Dawn Tripp. Oh goodness. What a book. I loved it from the first page. It’s a novel, however. Tripp has done plenty of research, trying to ferret out the truth about Jackie Kennedy’s real life. If the novel is a true portrayal of her life, I admire Jackie even more. She was an extremely shy person. Jack cared about her, but not enough. She adored her children. She loved Jack (sadly). The Kennedy family insisted Jack marry a suitable bride, and he did. But he was so busy being a politician, he forgot about his family. And philandered, as we know. Tragic story, really. I never did comprehend why she married Onassis, but you’ll understand (better) if you read the book.

The Day the World Came to Town, by Jim DeFede. Please do read this book. It’s a charmer. True story about the little town of Gander, Newfoundland, when 38 jets landed there on 9/11, and stayed there for days and days until the U.S. reopened its airports. It’s about the loving, generous people of Gander who gathered in the 7,000 people who came off those planes and needed to stay somewhere – and be fed, and bathed, and soothed. You’ll fall in love with the people of Gander. I sure did.

The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon. I do like mysteries. Love Louise Penny, for instance. This is one that keeps your nose in it to find out what happens next. A man’s body is found under the ice in the Kennebec River (Maine) in 1789. Very unusual factors. Really interesting facts and interwoven, tangled stories evolve.

The Sweetness of Forgetting, by Kristen Harmel. Cute story. Hope, a 30 something woman, lost her mother to cancer, she’s estranged from her husband, and her funds are running low, despite owning a successful bakery on Cape Cod. Then her grandmother in France, suffering from Alzheimer’s but sometimes lucid, beckons Hope to come to France to learn the family history about WWII Paris, to uncover a secretive past. Really good read.

The Honeymoon: A Novel of George Eliot, by Dinitia Smith. I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn’t this. It’s a novel, but based most likely on lots of truths. After Mary Ann Evans (who became known later as George Eliot, because women authors had no clout) was married to her beloved George Henry Lewes, and then he died, she was devastated. She was a novelist, but feeling her age, her appearance (not particularly pretty) and her loneliness. John Walter Cross was an admirer and he asked her to marry him. She did. It was as someone wrote, an imperfect union. For sure. They honeymooned in Venice (this was 1880). He was 20 years younger. Very unusual story. But interesting.

The Night Portrait, by Laura Morelli. In Milan in 1492, a 16 year old girl becomes the mistress of the Duke of Milan, a very powerful man of the age. She finds herself being painted by  Leonardo da Vinci, who is trying to ingratiate himself into the court. The painting has a long life. Move forward 500 years and the painting is found and protected by the Monuments Men following WWII. Riveting story. Loved it.

These Tangled Vines, by Julianne MacLean. Quite a story about an Italian family, both in Tuscany and in Napa Valley. Lots of twists and turns, and romances. Enjoyed it. There’s intrigue too.

When We Meet Again, by Kristin Harmel. There are so many books out these days about finding some little something that sends the protagonist on a journey to find his/her roots. This is another one. Good story, though. The young woman in question receives a painting and a note saying: “He never stopped loving her.” Off she goes to find the truth, from the Florida Everglades to Munich and back.

Outside of Grace, by Anna Daugherty. Ava leaves home to study in Scotland. Life there isn’t to her liking (partying, etc.) and then she’s assaulted. Loyalties are tested. This is a Christian novel. Very interesting and heartwarming in the end.

Attachments, by Rainbow Rowell. This is so “today.” A guy is hired at a company as a security officer, but his job is to read the employee’s emails. All of them. He’s especially intrigued about two women, friends, who email a lot about their personal lives. He get pulled into their lives, their friendship, their families. And he begins to fall in love with one of them. Very cute story.

Summer Island, by Kristin Hannah. This is one of Hannah’s earliest books (2002). When Nora’s children were young, she walked away from them and her husband to pursue her career. Years pass and when one of the daughters is injured in an accident, she returns to the family home in the San Juan Islands to allow her mother to care for her. And, secretly, to also write a tell-all, about the scandal of her mother’s life. Things don’t necessarily turn out the way it’s expected. Good story.

The French Ingredient, by Jane Bertch. A memoir. Jane visited Paris at age 17 and wasn’t thrilled. Decades later she’s offered a transfer there for her job. Now she’s fluent in French and has a different dream for herself. She opens a cooking school (still there today, called La Cuisine Paris, opened in 2009). It’s for English speakers, to learn some of the intricacies of French cooking. It’s the story of the school, her life, the food, and a few recipes (I think there were). She had to continually remake the school to suit the audience, but she succeeded. Cute story, for sure.

What I Ate in One Year, by Stanley Tucci. If you love pasta, you’ll be devouring every recipe. This is his newest book, kind of in diary form of the meals he and his wife and family ate over the course of one year. And then some of his insights about life, Italy, cooking, traveling, family, etc. There really isn’t a “story” to this book. I think I was glad when I got to the end. I didn’t save any of the recipes. Glad I got it as a library book!

The Ride of Her Life, Elizabeth Letts. Such a story . . . a 63-year old woman with a bad medical prognosis decides (this is 1954) that she must leave Maine and go to see the Pacific Ocean. She has no car and her farm is being foreclosed. First she’s on a just-purchased old horse and off she goes. It’s a charming story about the people she meets (she has no money), the people who house her and her horse, the help she gets, eventually becoming something of a celebrity. There’s a dog in the story too. Absolutely adorable story. I cried.

The Two-Family House, by Lynda Loigman. Oh gosh, what wicked webs we weave sometimes. Brooklyn, NY, 1947. Two babies are born in a 2-family brownstone. The mothers are sisters. One sisters has boys and the other girls. Aah, huh. Something happens. The sisters eventually become undone with each other, and the families. Very interesting, creative story. Good read.

Working Stiff, by Judy Melinek, MD and T.J. Mitchell. Dr. Melinek is a forensic pathologist in New York. September 11th. Oh my goodness, the difficulties, the horror. It’s about the daily life of medical examiners, but this one with such interesting stories to tell about the victims of 9/11. Really interesting read.

Wandering Through Life, by Donna Leon. This is a memoir of Leon’s life. Or at least it’s some chapters that do reveal a bit about her life. Not a lot. Stories aren’t long. She taught school in Iran in 1976. Wow. Then she went to China and Saudi Arabia. Then she got to Venice which because her home love story. She also loves opera, cappucinos. No huge revelations here. Okay read. Leon is 80 now and reminisces a lot about Venice.

Swan Song, by Elin Hilderbrand. She’s such a creative writer. Takes place on Nantucket, when a $22 mil home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons. And soon afterwards goes up in flames. The arson mystery. Really riveting.

The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff. A murder mystery, but set within the secretive confines of the Mormon church. Part of the story is about Ann Eliza Young who separated from Brigham Young way back in 1875, and began a crusade to end polygamy. That in itself makes a good story. But this book is set mostly in present day with a different set of Mormon characters, polygamers. Very interesting.

The Big House by George Howe Colt. This one is a memoir. About an old, old summer house on Cape Cod, and the people who inhabit it. It’s falling apart – 11 bedrooms. It’s seen every possible scenario, marriages, deaths, love affairs and divorces over 5 generations. The subtitle of the book: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home. You’ll be cheering for the house by the end. Loved it.

Maria, by Michelle Moran. You know the movie, The Sound of Music. About Maria, first a novice/nun, then she marries Von Trapp and takes on his numerous children. Throw a big rock at all of that beautiful (bubble) life you thought was there in the movie. Not much of it is true. The movie script changed lots of things about the Von Trapp’s lives to make a good story. The children didn’t like Maria – why? Because she wasn’t a very nice woman. Certainly not a loving mother. She was a tyrant, and as soon as they could when they became adults, they left the family. It was hard to do so, however. Lots of guilt heaped on them to help support the family and their legacy in Stowe, Vermont. Only one of her children stayed in touch with Maria at the end of her life.

Last to Eat, Last to Learn by Pashtana Durrani. If you’re an educator, or admire those who do, you’ll love this story. It’s a memoir about the author and her family. Specifically her father who believed in educating the women in his family. The subtitle: My Life in Afghanistan Fighting to Educate Women. She’s done so much in her life to help (and fight) for education. Including founding a nonprofit called LEARN to get education materials to remote areas. She’s a target of the Taliban. All the profit from the book go to that nonprofit, learnafghan.org.

Acceptance, by Emi Nietfeld. Wow. A memoir of her life, which was harrowing in the younger years. Her single mom was a hoarder and doesn’t provide the nurturing needed. Or the love either. Emi ended up in foster care, but a couple of teachers give her encouragement. Despite it all, including homelessness, she earns her way to an acceptance at Harvard. And she’s sleeping in her car. Imagine? She relishes her education and soars through it. She overcame a lot, oh my goodness. So admirable. You’ll cheer her on throughout the book. She’s a journalist now, also a software engineer, and a mental health advocate.

Elon Musk, by Walter Isaacson. I read this book awhile ago now (August, 24). This is the brand new book about Elon. I was riveted from page one all the way through. It’s a long book, but now that he’s on Trump’s team (he was a great pick for this new venture) you’ll be intrigued with his life. I thought this was an extremely well written book about a very complex and brilliant man. Difficult man? Oh yes. Enigmatic? That too.

The Lost King of France, by Deborah Cadbury. The subtitle says it all: How DNA Solved the Mystery of the Murdered Son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. This book was SO interesting. I enjoy crime dramas, and this one is of the highest order.

The Prague Sonata by Bradford Morrow. This is a novel, but it reads almost like a true story. About a musical manuscript suddenly unearthed, in of all places, in Queens, New York. The music is un-authored and the heroine in the story, a music expert, believes it to be from one of the great composers of all time. Intriguing story altogether. Loved it from the first page.

A World Full of Strangers, by Cynthia Freeman. A young 17-year old girl is all alone in London when her mother dies. She makes it to New York in 1932. Strangers help her, including her mother’s closest friend from her childhood.  She grows up, marries (not the best choice) has a son. Shattered dreams all along the way. All are resilient despite the drama. Good read.

Secrets of a Charmed Life, by Susan Meissner. Dual time line story about a current day scholar at Oxford, who interviews a very elderly woman who is finally willing to share her WWII stories. The other timeline is 1940s Britain and about the children who were evacuated. The two timelines meet eventually. Very interesting story.

James, by Percival Everett. Just won the National Book Award. If you were a fan of Huckleberry Finn, this is a new retelling of the story. Can’t say that I was riveted to the narrative (I suppose even as a child, I couldn’t identify much with Mississippi rafting). But it’s about friendship, obviously.

Why We Read, by Shannon Reed. Funny. Introspective. Informative. All those things, wrapped up in the writer’s journey reading through her life. It’s the whys and what she gets from the various books that makes it interesting.

Mrs. Van Gogh by Caroline Cauchi. There’s another novel out about the same subject (see next book below) – Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent’s brother’s wife. Johanna dedicates her life (after her husband’s early death, and Vincent’s death even earlier) protecting but also marketing Vincent’s art, saving it for posterity. And also eking out a living for herself. Loved the read.

The Secret Life of Sunflowers, by Marta Molnar. I liked this book (version) better than the one above. It drew me in even more to the story about Johanna Van Gogh and her hard life trying to support herself and also protect Vincent’s work. The early part of the book describes the troubled life of Vincent and his brother’s guilt about taking care and/or supporting him. This book uses a diary (purportedly written by Johanna) as its kernel. Loved it.

Long Island by Colm Toibin. The turbulent story of two (or really four) related families who live close together on Long Island. And a baby that’s dropped into the arms of one of the wives and the intricate web that creates. Very interesting story.

Three Inch Teeth, by C.J.Box. Another one of Box’s white-knuckling mystery stories set in Wyoming, with Joe Pickett, the game warden who stars in many of Box’s novels. Riveting as always.

The Gown, by Jennifer Robson. I’m not a seamstress. Never really took to it, though my mother made lots of clothes in her day. This story is about the wedding gown designed for Queen Elizabeth, and about the various women who created it. Two women are honored by the Norman Hartnell fashion house, to create the gown. With pounds and pounds of embroidery and beads. I think it said how much it weighed. Eee gads! Heavy. It’s based on true history, although the author weaves it into a really interesting novel. Loved it.

The Secret of Villa Alba, by Louise Douglas. This is a very intriguing mystery about a woman who disappeared in 1968 in Sicily. And the Italian tv sleuth who decides to figure out what happened to her. You have to get almost to the last page to learn the truth. I couldn’t figure it out.

The Concubine, by Norah Lofts. Over the years I’ve read several books about the wives of Henry VIII. All quite fascinating. This one is all about Anne Boleyn. It’s historical fiction, in that the author gives a voice to all the characters, including Henry himself. Henry waited years upon years to have his way with Anne (she holding him off because he still was very married to Catherine of Spain). There’s one tidbit of insight (true? who knows?) that once Henry finally bedded Anne, he was quite disappointed with the act, and barely bothered to visit her bed except to his need for a son, each time equally disappointed (with the act). Such an interesting sideline to the fated life of Henry (and Anne), wanting nothing more than a son to succeed him. Henry did marry Anne Boleyn, but then beheaded her 2 years later, claiming she’d been an adulterer. Many people of the time called Anne The Concubine, hence the title. No one knows for sure whether she was or she wasn’t an adulterer. Made for a good read.

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark. Oh my goodness. One of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time. I love nothing better than being engrossed in a book, so much that I can’t wait to get back to it. This book takes place in Maine, in some previous decades, and revolves around the friendship between two women and their families. This fictitious area, called Fellowship Point, was purchased by a small group of like-minded couples, as a place to spend the summers raising their children. There was a special land grant for this property, and as these two matriarchs reach old age, their purposes are at odds. The book covers so many subjects (let alone the beauty of the Maine landscape, which plays large) including reflections on aging, writing, land stewardship, family legacies, independence, and responsibility. Secrets are kept and then revealed. I guarantee you’ll be intrigued once you begin the first page.

On Mystic Lake, Kristin Hannah. One of Hannah’s earlier books. Another one I could hardly bear to stop reading. A woman sees her young adult daughter go off to school. In the next breath her husband tells her he’s in love with someone else and leaves. She’s nearly off her hinges. Grief? Yes. Disbelief? Yes. Eventually she retreats to her hometown in Washington State, hoping for some peace and understanding. She meets someone. Well, read the book.

A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira. A very different historical novel about the Pacific Northwest in its very early days. In the fleeting days of youth, in Scotland, a boy and a girl fall in love. The girl, with her family move to America, to some unknown place in Washington Territory. It takes years, but the boy makes his way to America too, to find her. Wishing doesn’t always make the best bedfellows. There is great plenty (coal) and great hardship (from the unforgiving land and equally unforgiving landlords of the coal industry). Very interesting history; liked the book a lot.

The Women, Kristin Hannah. Obviously I’m a fan of Hannah’s writing. She tackles some very difficult subjects, and this one is no different. During the Vietnam War, gullible Americans like me, believed what was delivered via media that there were no women in military service in Vietnam. Not true. Although this book is fiction, it delves deeply into the harsh environment of the nursing corps (and doctors too) who did their best to patch up the thousands of soldiers who could possibly be saved after the ugly battles. Another book I could hardly put down. It also covers PTSD, not only in the badly wounded soldiers, but the doctors and nurses who were bombed and lost lives too. The book is an eye-opener and one every American should read.

The Map Colorist by Rebecca D’Harlingue. Who knew there were such map-coloring artists back in the 1600s. And to find a woman doing it was unheard of. I was very intrigued by the actual art involved, and in this story she had to hide behind her mother’s skill because a young person simply couldn’t do the job, so the publishers thought. Her skill comes to the fore as she begins working with a wealthy man in her Dutch neighborhood. Very intriguing story. D’Harlingue is a very good story teller.

The Paris Novel, Ruth Reichl. Such a cute book – I devoured it. As much for the story as the occasional descriptions of food. Stella receives an unlikely inheritance from her mother – a one way ticket to Paris. The time is right and she goes. Wandering the streets she spots a vintage Dior gown hanging in a consignment store. The store owner insists she try it on, and then insists she buy it and wear it for a night of new adventures. Next stop: oysters at Les Deux Magots. There she meets an octogenarian and her real adventure begins. Hold onto your seat as Stella’s life takes on wings. So cute. A little bit of magical thinking, but plausible and fun from beginning to end. Loved it and could hardly put it down.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. Amazon tells it best: “Where do you see yourself in five years? Dannie Kohan lives her life by the numbers. She is nothing like her lifelong best friend—the wild, whimsical, believes-in-fate Bella. Her meticulous planning seems to have paid off after she nails the most important job interview of her career and accepts her boyfriend’s marriage proposal in one fell swoop, falling asleep completely content. But when she awakens, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. Dannie spends one hour exactly five years in the future before she wakes again in her own home on the brink of midnight—but it is one hour she cannot shake. In Five Years is an unforgettable love story, but it is not the one you’re expecting.”

The Paris Daughter, Kristen Harmel. Never ceases to amaze me how authors can come up with a different take on a war novel. Riveting. Two young women meet in a park is Paris in 1939. Elise and Juliette and Juliette’s very young daughter. Elise must run as she’s Jewish, but she entrusts her baby to her friend Juliette. At the end of the war Elise returns to Paris to try to find her daughter. Oh, what a wicked web we weave sometimes. You’ll hang onto every new revelation in her journey to find her daughter.

Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo. This book almost defies belief, but it’s a true story. In 1848, an enslaved Black couple, she fairer skinned, him dark skinned, manage to escape bondage by posing as a white woman with her slave (not husband). They journey from Georgia by various means, mere feet from the slave traders trying to find them, with ingenious methods of disguise. They’re handed from one “underground railroad” home to another, in between taking public transportation. Their goal: freedom in Philadelphia. Yet once they get there they don’t feel free, so they continue their journey northward. What a story. Another one every American should read. This book has been given many awards; so worth reading.

The Tiffany Girl by Deanne Gist. Such an interesting story. Flossie Jayne, a student at the Art Institute in NYC, is asked to help THE Mr. Louis Tiffany, finish the very elaborate glass chapel at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, when the glassworker’s union goes on strike. Many women were employed (when it was thought they couldn’t possibly have the strength to cut glass), working day and night, to finish the work. This is Flossie’s story, of the people she meets, and foists off, but always with her eye on the dream, succeeding in the art of cut glass design. Very interesting story. If you’ve ever admired Tiffany glass lamps and other decor items, you’ll enjoy learning more about what’s involved in making them.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki. Ah, to live within the life of the rich and famous. This is a book of historical fiction, but is very much the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Her life. Her goals. Her daughters. Amazon notes: “Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got.” Her life wasn’t all sweetness and light. She was a survivor, had a good solid head for business, and married several times. Her life was very Oprah-esque, with fresh flowers in abundance every day, dripping with jewels and custom clothing. But she also knew how to scrimp and remake herself. Fascinating read. Wish I could have met her and  had tea (one of her favorite things).

Fox Creek by William Kent Kreuger. A Cork O’Connor Mystery. Kreuger is known for his love of the land. I’ve been a fan of his work for a long time. This one is new. This one weaves Indian territory and mores with a murder mystery. Very riveting as any mystery should be.

Chenneville, Paulette Jiles. From Amazon: Union soldier John Chenneville suffered a traumatic head wound in battle. His recovery took the better part of a year as he struggled to regain his senses and mobility. By the time he returned home, the Civil War was over, but tragedy awaited. John’s beloved sister and her family had been brutally murdered.” This is the story of his dogged, relentless journey to find and kill the killer. Grip your seat as he weathers some very treacherous adventures. Really good read, rugged outdoors kind of story. I’ve loved Jiles’ writing ever since I read News of the World by her. She’s a really good story-teller.

The Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala. Oh my goodness. From Amazon: In 2004, at a beach resort on the coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala and her family—parents, husband, sons—were swept away by a tsunami. Only Sonali survived to tell their tale. This is her account of the nearly incomprehensible event and its aftermath.” I’ll tell you, this is a very hard book to read. The writer, the victim, tells you in intimate detail what happened at the time, immediately after, and then recounts months by month and a loooong time after her journey of grief. She barely functions. Wishes she’d been swept away too. Harrowing account of the facts and the journey of living again.

The Art of Resistance by Justus Rosenberg. From amazon: Unlike any World War II memoir before it. Rosenberg, has spent the past seventy years teaching the classics of literature to American college students. Hidden within him, however, was a remarkable true story of wartime courage and romance worthy of a great novel. Here is Professor Rosenberg’s elegant and gripping chronicle of his youth in Nazi-occupied Europe, when he risked everything to stand against evil.” His parents sent him off to Paris early on to go to school, from Danzig (which likely saved his life), but he becomes the hunted, and eventually part of the underground. Gripping book; well worth reading.

The Royal Librarian by Daisy Wood. A little bit of a reach, but believable nonetheless. A young woman, an accomplished librarian from Austria in 1940, is sent to Windsor to sort the centuries of valuable books, maps and treasures of the Royal Family. She believes she’s on a mission for British intelligence. She very distantly befriends Princess Elizabeth. Years later her sister unearths documentation about her sister, and she undertakes a journey of discovery too. You’ll learn a lot about Windsor Castle, even what they did during the Blitz. Lots of intrigue. Very sweet book and interesting since I love books about the Royal Family.

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea. If you watch any crime shows, you know how important DNA is these days. Here is a mystery that comes from familial DNA, in a framework of a current day research project. The protaganist is a fellow (woman) preparing to be a medical examiner. She’s assigned a project regarding DNA, requiring her to submit her own. She knows she was adopted, but nothing more. Oh my, stand by as this book unfolds with drama within nearly every page. Could hardly put it down. Her life is threatened and she doesn’t know who is friend or foe.

A Most Intriguing Lady, by Sarah Ferguson with Marguerite Kaye. Sarah Ferguson, yes, that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has now written her second novel. About a very astute young woman who deftly avoids the marriage mart, but comes from the ton. She wants to “do” something with her life other than be a companion to her aging mother. Plenty of characters, some intrigue, a love interest, cute story, you know how it will end, but good reading nevertheless. I liked Ferguson’s first book better, Her Heart for a Compass.

Under the Java Moon, by Heather Moore. Sometimes these WWII books are tough to read. This is a true story (written as fiction, though) about a few Dutch families who are taken prisoner on Java Island, by the Japanese. Certainly it’s a story about unbelievable deprivation and sadness, but also about resilience too. Not everyone survives, as you could guess, but you’ll be rooting for young Rita who takes on so many responsibilities far beyond her 6-year old’s abilities. I read this because a dear friend of mine’s husband (now deceased) was in the Army during WWII and spent a lot of his duty in Indonesia and had horrific stories to tell about the weather and environment (awful!). A period of his life he liked to forget. The book certainly brings that period and place to the forefront. I’m glad I read it.

Never in a million years would I have picked up Blind Your Ponies, by Stanley Gordon West. If I’d read the cover or flap that the bulk of the story is about basketball, I’d have put it back on the shelf. But oh, this book is – yes, about basketball, but it’s about a place in time in Montana, a few decades ago, when a tiny town supported their high school team. It’s about a dream. About the town who believed in them. About a tall young man who comes to lives in the town, and his deliverance, really, from a pretty awful background as he plays basketball, when he’d never played before. It’s about relationships, marriages, families and about how this little team makes it. Such a great story and SO glad I read it.

A Girl Called Samson, by Amy Harmon. I’m a fan of anything written by Harmon, and this one delivered as all her books do. 1760, Massachusetts. Deborah Samson is an indentured servant but yearns for independence. From being a rather tall, skinny kid (a girl) to faking it as a young soldier (a young man) in the Continental army. You’ll marvel at her ability to hide her true self. It’s quite a story. She’s thrown into the worst of situations in the war and comes through with flying colors. You’ll find yourself rooting for her and also fearing mightily that she’s going to either get killed, or be “found out,” by some of the men. Riveting story beginning to end. There’s a love interest here too which is very sweet.

On Mystic Lake, by Kristin Hannah. This is a book Hannah wrote some years ago, and tells the story of a woman, Annie, who finds out (on the day their daughter goes off to a foreign land for an exchange quarter) that her husband is in love with another woman and leaves her. Annie, who has been the quintessential perfect corporate wife, is devastated. She felt blind-sided. She cries and wallows, but eventually she returns home to her small town, where her widowed dad lives, in Washington. There she runs into many people she knew and at first feels very out of place. Slowly, she finds the town more welcoming and she helps a previous boyfriend, now widowed with his young daughter. A connection is there. Annie has to find herself, and she definitely does that. Her husband rears his head (of course he does!) after several months, and Annie has to figure out what to do. I don’t want to give away the story. Lots of twists and turns.

The Vineyard, by Barbara Delinsky. A novel with many current day issues. Husband and wife own a vineyard in Rhode Island. Husband dies. Widow soon (too soon) marries the manager, a hired employee, much to the consternation of her two grown children. Widow hires woman as personal assistant (much of the book comes from her voice) and she gets entangled into the many webs, clinging from the many decades the winery has tried to be successful. Really interesting. Lots of plot twists, but all revolving around work of the vineyard. Cute love story too. It wouldn’t be a Delinsky book without that aspect.

Consequences, Penelope Lively. I’ve always loved this author’s writing style. Have read many of her books. This one follows a rather dotted line family, the women, as they grow through worn-torn London and England. There’s poverty and both major events and minor ones that send the story’s trajectory in new directions. Riveting for me. Lively won the Booker Prize for Moon Tiger, her most famous book.

Below Zero, C.J. Box. Mystery of the first order. A Joe Pickett novel (he’s a game warden in Wyoming) with a family member thought dead is suddenly alive. Or is she? Joe’s on the hunt to find out. I don’t read these books at night – too scary. I love his books, though.

Consolations of the Forest: Alone in a Cabin on the Siberian Taiga, by Sylvain Tesson. I’m not sure what possessed me to read this book. About a late 30s guy who seems to crave solitude; he’s offered a 11×11 cabin in the cold/frozen Siberian outback, on a huge lake that freezes over in winter. Here’s a quote from the book: “A visit to my wooden crates. My supplies are dwindling. I have enough pasta left for a month and Tabasco to drench it in. I have flour, tea and oil. I’m low on coffee. As for vodka, I should make it to the end of April.” Vodka plays large in this book. Tesson (who is French, with Russian heritage) is a gifted writer, about the wilderness, the flora and fauna, about the alone-ness, the introspection. Mostly he ate pasta with Tabasco. No other sauce. Many shots of vodka every day. Drunkenness plays a serious role too – what else is there to do, you might ask? He lived there for about a year. I’d have lasted a week, no more.

The Auburn Conference by Tom Piazza. Another one, given my druthers I’m not sure I’d have picked up. For one of my book clubs. Excellent writing. 1883, upstate NY. A young professor decides to make a name for himself and puts on an event, inviting many literary luminaries of the day (Mark Twain, Frederick Douglass, Herman Melville, Forrest Taylor and a romance novelist [the outlier] Lucy Comstock). Part panel discussion, part private conversations, the author weaves a tale of discord, some moderate yelling, some rascism and much ridicule of the romance novelist. Also some words of wisdom, maybe not from the authors you’d have expected. Unusual book.

As Bright as Heaven, by Susan Meissner. 1918. Philadelphia. About a young family arriving with the highest of hopes. Then the Spanish Flu hits and dashes everything. You’ll learn a whole lot about that particular virulent flu and the tragic aftermath. Really good read.

Hour of the Witch, by Chris Bohjalian. Boston, 1662. A young woman becomes the 2nd wife of a powerful man, a cruel man. She determines to leave him, something just “not done” back then. Twists and turns, she’s accused of being a witch. Story of survival, and a redeeming love too.

My Oxford Year, by Julia Whelan. At 24, a young woman is honored with a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford. She’s older than most of her fellow classmates, and as an American, doesn’t fit in very well. She’s left a good job back home, but determines to try to work some for the political campaign job she’s left, and also do the work for her Oxford scholarship. She meets a professor. Oh my. Such an interesting book. I loved learning about the culture of Oxford, and there’s a fascinating romance too, somewhat a forbidden one with said professor.

Madame Pommery, by Rebecca Rosenberg. I love champagne. Have read a number of books over the years (novels) about the region (and I’ve visited there once). This is real history, though in a novelized form. Madame Pommery was widowed, and determined she would blaze a trail that was not well received (no women in the champagne business for starters). And she decides to make a different, less sweet version. She’s hated and reviled, but sticks to her guns, veering away from the then very sweet version all the winemakers were producing. Fascinating story.

The Wager, by David Grann. A true tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder back in the 1740s. Not exactly my usual genre of reading, but once I heard about the book, I decided I needed to read it. This is a novelized version of the story, based on the facts of an English shipwreck, first off Brazil, then later off Chile. Of the men, their struggle to survive (and many didn’t). Yes, there’s murder involved, and yes, there’s mutiny as well. Those who survived stood trial back in England many years later. Riveting read.

Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate. 1939. A shantyboat in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. A 12-year old girl is left to care for her younger siblings when her mother is taken ill. A mystery ensues, and soon officials chase these youngsters to take them into an orphanage, one that became infamous for “selling” the children, weaving wild tales of their provenance. Dual timeline, you read about a successful young attorney who returns home to help her father, and questions come up about the family history. Fascinating read. You’ll learn about this real abominable woman, Georgia Tann, who profited by her “sales.”

The Vaster Wilds, by Lauren Goff. This tells the story of a young servant girl, in the aftermath of the starvation in Jamestown, the beleaguered town that virtually disappeared because the people weren’t prepared for the harshness of survival in those days. She escapes before the demise of the town and heads west, with nothing but the clothes she’s wearing. She survives longer than you might think, and encounters a lot of interesting experiences and people. Very interesting historical read.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Woman, Lisa See. Historical fiction, from 1469, Ming Dynasty, China. Based on the true story, however, about a young woman mostly raised by her grandmother who is a well known physician. Her grandfather is a scholarly physician, her grandmother, more an herbalist, or like a pharmacist of the day. Tan eventually marries into a family and is immediately subjugated by the matriarch, who won’t allow her to practice any of her healing arts. Quite a story, and also about how she eventually does treat women (women “doctors” were only allowed to treat women) as a midwife and herbalist. You’ll learn a whole lot about the use of flowers and herbs for healing and about the four humors.

Winter Garden, by Kristen Hannah. Quite a story, taking place in Washington State with apple orchards forming a backdrop and family business. Two sisters, never much friends even when they were young, return home to help care for their ailing father. Their mother? What an enigma. She took no part in raising them, yet she lived in the home. She cooked for the family, but rarely interacted. Yet her father adored his wife, their mother. How do they bridge the gulf between each other and also with their mother. Another page turner from Kristen Hannah.

Trail of the Lost, by Andrea Lankford. Not my usual genre. This is nonfiction, about Lankford who has plenty of credentials for rescue services, and is an avid hiker herself, determines to try to find some missing people who have disappeared off the face of the earth on the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s about how rescues work, everything from the disconnect between active citizens who want to help, and seemingly the unwillingness of authorities to share information. Not exactly a positive for law enforcement in this book. Really fascinating. There are hundreds of people who have disappeared off various long hike trails in the U.S. This is about four who were hiking (separately and at different times) on the PCT.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. I’ve never been a “gamer.” Not by any standard definition, anyway. Not like people who really get into games, adventure, killers, etc. And this book isn’t a game .. . but it’s a novel (and a great story, I might add) about how these games come into being. How they’re invented, how they morph. First there were two college students, then a third person is added, and they end up creating a wildly popular game. A company is born. And it goes from there. Mostly it’s about the people, their relationships, but set amidst the work of creating and running a gaming company. Not all fun and games, pun intended.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt. Oh gosh, what a fabulous book. It’s a novel; however, much of the story is about the intelligence of octopus. In particular this one, Marcellus, who lives in an aquarium in a fictitious town in western Washington State. More than anything the book is about relationships, not only Marcellus with a woman (of a certain age) who cleans the aquarium at night, but the various people in this small town.

Trust, by Herman Diaz. This novel is an enigma in so many ways. It’s a book, within a book, within a book. About the stock market crash back in 1929, but it’s about a man. Oh my. It’s really interesting. This book won the Pulitzer. That’s why I bought it.

Cassidy Hutchinson is a young woman (a real one) who works in politics or “government.” She’s worked for some prestigious Washington politicians, and ended up working for Trump. The book is a memoir of her short spin working at the highest levels, and obviously at the White House. She worked under Mark Meadows and suffered a lot of ridicule when she quit. Truth and lies . . . when she couldn’t live with herself and subvert the truth. Enough, gives you plenty of detail leading up to and after the January 6th uprising. She testified to Congress about what she knew. Really interesting. I almost never read books about politics because I think many (most?) of our elected politicians succumb to the lure of power and forget who they work for, us, the public.

Becoming Dr. Q, by Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, MD, is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University. This is his memoir about how he went from being a penniless migrant from Mexico to one of the world’s most renowned experts in brain tumors.

The Invincible Miss Cust, by Penny Haw.  In 1868 Ireland, a woman wasn’t allowed to attend veterinary school, much less become a veterinarian. It took  years of trying (to the horror of her aristocratic family) and finally someone took her under their wing, she enrolled using a pseudonym (a name not revealing her gender). This is a true story of Aleen Isabel Cust, who did just that.

Her Heart for a Compass, by Sarah Ferguson (yes), the Duchess of York. I was pleasantly surprised as I read this book that it wasn’t the usual romantic romp – there’s more to this story than you might think. Ferguson utilizes some of her family ancestors as real characters in the book. Sweet story but with lots of twists and turns.

Someone Else’s Shoes, by Jojo Moyes.Nisha, our heroine, is a wealthy socialite. She thinks her life is perfect. At the gym someone else grabs her gym bag, so she grabs the similar one. Then she finds out her husband is leaving her and he’s locked her out of their high-rise apartment. She’s penniless. No attorney will take her on. She has nothing but this gym bag belonging to someone else (who?).

The Eleventh Man, Ivan Doig. What a story. Ben, part of a Montana college football team in the 1940s, joins the service during WWII. So do all of his eleven teammates. After suffering some injuries in pilot training he is recruited by a stealthy military propaganda machine. His job is to write articles about his teammates as they are picked off at various battle theaters around the Pacific and Europe. Ben goes there, in person, to fuel the stories. Ivan Doig is a crafty writer; I’ve read several of his books, my favorite being The Whistling Season.

Wavewalker, by Suzanne Heywood. Oh my goodness. A memoir about a very young English girl who goes off with her besotted and narcissistic parents and her brother on a years-long sailing journey supposedly following the route of James Cook. A very old, decrepit 70-foot schooner. Four people, 2 sort-of adults and 2 children. Sometimes a helper or two. A seasick mother. A dad who is driven to the extreme, whatever the damage he creates. She spent 10 years aboard.

Claire Keegan wrote Small Things Like These. It’s won a lot of awards, and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Takes place in Ireland. Some profound questions come up in this novella, about complicity, about restitution. There’s a convent nearby, and attached one of those places young girls were sent if they found themselves “in the family way,” and about how the church helped, supposedly, by taking the children and placing them in homes, without consent. It’s ugly, the truth of the matter. Really good read.

Nicholas Sparks isn’t an author I read very often because his books are pretty sappy, but daughter Sara recommended this one, The Longest Ride. It begins with Ira (age 93), stuck in his car as it plunges off the edge of a road, and it’s snowing. As the hours tick by, he reminisces about his life.

The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind, by Barbara Lipska. Interesting that I’ve read two books recently about the brain (see Doctor Q above). This is a true story about a woman, a neuroscientist, who developed a metastatic melanoma in the brain.

The Price of Inheritance, by Karin Tanabe. This is a mystery, of sorts. Our heroine is an up and coming employee at Christie’s (auction house). In bringing a large collection of expensive art to auction, she makes a misstep about the provenance of a desk. She’s fired. She goes back to her roots, takes a job at a small antique store where she used to work.

The Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese. Did you read Cutting for Stone, years ago, by this author? Such a good book, so I knew I’d enjoy this one, and oh, did I!. The book takes place in a little known area of southern India, and chronicles a variety of people over a few generations, who inhabit the place.

Finding Dorothy, by Elizabeth Letts. My friend Dianne recommended this book to me, and it was so special. Loved it beginning to end. It’s based on the story of 77-year old Maud Gage Baum (her husband Frank Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz).

The Bandit Queens, by Parini Shroff. It’s about a young Indian woman, Geeta, as she tries her best to make a living after her husband leaves her. Yet the community she lives in, thinks Geeta murdered him.

Attribution, by Linda Moore. We follow art historian Cate, as she struggles to succeed in her chosen field against sexist advisors. She finds what she thinks is a hidden painting.

The Measure, Nikki Erlick. Oh my goodness. This story grabbed me from about the third sentence. Everyone in the world finds a wooden box on their doorstep, or in front of their camper or tent, that contains a string. Nothing but a string. The author has a vivid imagination (I admire that) and you just will not believe the various reactions (frenzy?) from people who are short-stringers, or long-stringers.

The Book Spy by Alan Hlad. True stories, but in novel form, of a special Axis group of men and women librarians and microfilm specialists, sent to strategic locations in Europe to acquire and scour newspapers, books, technical manuals and periodicals, for information about German troop locations, weaponry and military plans of WWII. I was glued to the book beginning to end. Fascinating accounts.

A Dangerous Business, Jane Smiley. What a story. 1850s gold rush, story of two young prostitutes, finding their way in a lawless town in the Wild West. There’s a murder, or two, or three, or some of the town’s prostitutes, and the two women set out to solve the crime.

Storm Watch, by C. J. Box. I’m such a fan of his tales of Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett’s adventures catching criminals. Loved it, just like I’ve loved every one of his books.

Defiant Dreams, by Sola Mahfouz. True story about the author, born in Afghanistan in 1996. This is about her journey to acquire an education. It’s unbelievable what the Taliban does to deter and forbid women from bettering themselves.

Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. This is fairly light read, a novel – but interesting, about the meaning behind many flowers.

The Rome Apartment, by Kerry Fisher. Such a cute story. Maybe not an interesting read for a man. It’s about Beth, whose husband has just left her, and her daughter has just gone off to college. Beth needs a new lease on life, so she rents a room from a woman who lives in Rome.

All the Beauty in the World, a memoir by Patrick Bringley. Absolutely LOVED this book. Bringley was at loose ends and accepted a job as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. He’d been a journalist at The New Yorker magazine, but after his brother was ill and died, he needed refreshing. After his training at the museum, he moves from room to room, guarding the precious art, and learning all about the pieces and the painters or sculptors.

The Queen’s Lady, by Joanna Hickson. I love stories about Tudor England, and this one didn’t disappoint. Joan Guildford is a lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth. Oh my goodness are there twists and turns.

Once in awhile I’m ready to read another Louise Penny mystery. This time it was World of Curiosities. Usually I’d write something wonderful regarding “another tome about Three Pines.” Not going to say it this time. Three Pines becomes a sinister place. Murders (many).

Over the years I’ve read many of Jodi Picoult’s books. This, her newest, or very new, is called Mad Honey. Oh, my. This book is beyond Picoult’s usual borders, but then she always writes edgy books. That’s her genre. This one is written with a co-author, a woman who is gay (I think) and also a trans-gender.

Philippa Gregory is one of my fav authors. Just finished her 3rd (and last, I think) in the Fairmile series called Dawnlands. If you scroll down below you’ll find the 2nd book in the series, Tidelands. Very interesting about English history, but about the same families from the first book in the group. Loved it, as I loved all of them.

Am currently reading Rutherfurd’s long, long book, Paris. I love these involved historical novels about a place (he’s written many about specific places in the world). It’s a saga that goes back and forth in time, following the travails of various people and families, through thick and thin. Some of it during the era of the King Louis’ (plural, should I say Louies?). Very interesting about some of the city’s history and royalty.

Although this book says A Christmas Memory, by Richard Paul Evans, it’s not just about Christmas. A young boy is the hero here, but really an older widower man who lives next door plays a pivotal part of this book.

Wish You Were Here, by Jodi Picoult. Another page-turner. I loved this book. A thirty-something woman, about to take a trip with her boyfriend, when Covid breaks out. Covid plays a major role in this book, beginning to end. She decides to go anyway as her boyfriend is a doctor and cannot leave. She ends up on a remote Galapagos island, and you go along with her – with people she meets, the life she leads, the isolation she experiences, the loneliness she feels, but the joy of nature is a sustaining aspect.

Not everyone wants to read food memoirs. When I saw Sally Schmitt had written a memoir, titled Six California Kitchens, I knew I wanted to read it. I met Sally a few times over the years when I visited Napa Valley, and bought some of her famous pickled items, chutneys, jams, etc. She was the original chef at The French Laundry, before it became truly famous by Thomas Keller.

Being a fan of Vivian Howard (from her TV show), when I saw she’d written another book, I knew I should buy it. This Will Make It Taste Good is such an unusual name for a cookbook, but once you get into the groove of the book, you’ll understand. What’s here are recipes for some “kitchen heroes” she calls them. They’re condiments. They’re food additions, they’re flavor enhancers.

As soon as it came out, I ordered Spare, by Prince Harry. I’ve always been interested in the Royal Family.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. Usually I don’t seek out short stories. I might have purchased this book without realizing it was. There aren’t that many stories – each one gets you very ingrained in the characters. I love her writing, and would think each story in this book could be made into a full-fledged novel.

A Lantern in Her Hand, by Beth Streeter Aldrich. A very interesting and harrowing story of early pioneer days in the Midwest (Nebraska I think); covered wagon time up to about 80 years later as the heroine, Abbie Deal, and her husband start a family in a small town.

The Messy Lives of Book People, by Phaedra Patrick. From amazon’s page: Mother of two Liv Green barely scrapes by as a maid to make ends meet, often finding escape in a good book while daydreaming of becoming a writer herself. So she can’t believe her luck when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero, mega-bestselling author Essie Starling, a mysterious and intimidating recluse.

Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr. I’m a fan of this author and relished reading his book about a year in his personal life, with his wife and very new, newborn twins. Doerr was given an auspicious award – a year of study in Rome, with apartment and a stipend. There are four chapters, by season.

Kristin Hannah’s Distant Shores is quite a read. Some described it as like a soap opera. Not me. Interesting character development of a couple who married young. She put her own career/wants/desires aside to raise their children. He forged ahead with his life dreams. The children grow up and move on. Then he’s offered a huge promotion across the country. She’s torn – she doesn’t want to be in New York, but nothing would get in the way of his career.

Oh, William! by Elizabeth Strout. Lucy Barton is divorced. But she’s still sort of friendly with her ex. It’s complicated. Out of the blue he asks her to go on a trip with him to discover something about his roots.

Tidelands,  by Philippa Gregory. It tells the tale of a peasant woman, Alinor (an herbalist and midwife), who lives barely above the poverty level, trying to raise two children, during the time of great turmoil in England, the rancorous civil war about Charles 1.

Read Reminders of Him, by Colleen Hoover. A page turner of a story. A young woman is convicted of a crime (young and foolish type). Once released her sole purpose is to be a part of her daughter’s life.

The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. Oh my goodness. The wicked webs we weave. How in the world did the author even come UP with this wild story, but she did, and it kept me glued. Sophie walked away from her wedding day, and always wondered if she made the wrong decision.

Very funny and poignant story, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, by Elizabeth Taylor (no, not that one). Mrs. Palfrey, a woman of a certain age, moves into an old folks’ home in London. It’s a sort of hotel, but has full time elderly quirky residents.

For one of my book clubs we read Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus. This book is so hard to describe. Elizabeth is a wizard at chemistry and struggles to be recognized for her intelligence and research. She meets a man at her company who is brilliant too. They make quite a pair. They have a child, then he suddenly dies. Her work isn’t taken seriously, so she leaves her employment and becomes an overnight phenom on a cooking show where she uses the chemical names for things like sodium chloride, etc. You go alongside her struggles, and her raising of her daughter. LOTS of humor, lots to discuss for a book club.

Horse. Oh my, is it a page turner. Loved it from the first page to the last. Sad when it ended. It’s a fictional creation but based on a real racehorse owned by a black man, back in the 1850s. Technically, the story is about a painting of the horse but there are many twists and turns. If you’ve ever enjoyed Brooks’ books in the past, this one won’t disappoint.

The Book of Lost Names, by Kristin Harmel (no, not Hannah). Certainly a little-known chunk of history about a woman who becomes a master forger during WWII to help get Jewish children out of France. Not easy to read, meaning the difficulty of anyone finding the means and place to DO the forgery and right under the noses of the Nazis. Really good read.

Liane Moriarty’s first novel, Three Wishes, follows the travails of adult triplets, so different, yet similar in many ways. Two are identical, the third is not. So alike, and so not. It takes you through a series of heart-wrenching events, seemingly unrelated, but ones that could bring a family to its breaking point and test the bonds of love and strength.

Recently I’ve read both of Erin French’s books, her cookbook, The Lost Kitchen, and since then her memoir, Finding Freedom. About her life growing up (difficult) about her coming of age mostly working in the family diner, flipper burgers and fries (and learning how much she liked to cook). Now she’s a very successful restaurant entrepreneur (The Lost Kitchen is also the name of her restaurant) in the minuscule town of Freedom, Maine. She’s not a classically trained chef, but she’s terrifically creative. See her TV series on Discover+ if you subscribe.

Jo Jo Moyes has a bunch of books to her credit. And she writes well, with riveting stories. Everything I’ve read of hers has been good. This book, The Girl You Left Behind, is so different, so intriguing, so controversial and a fascinating historical story. There are two timelines here, one during WWI, in France, when a relatively unknown painter (in the style of Matisse) paints a picture of his wife. The war intervenes for both the husband and the wife.

Eli Shafak’s Island of Missing Trees. This book was just a page turner. If you’ve never read anything about the conflict in Cyprus (the island) between the Turks and the Greeks, you’re in for a big history lesson here. But, the entire story centers around a fig tree. You get into the head/brain/feelings of this big fig tree which plays a very central part of the story. You’ll learn a lot about animals, insects (ants, mosquitos, butterflies) and other flora and fauna of Cyprus.

Also read Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. Ohhh my, such a good book. I couldn’t put it down. Whatever you do, do not read the ending before you start the book. I’ve never understood people who do this. The book chronicles the day a mom just ups and disappears. The grown children come back home, in panic. The dad isn’t much help, and he becomes the prime suspect of foul play. There is no body, however.

If you’d like a mystery read, try Dete Meserve’s The Space Between. It’s just the kind of page-turner I enjoy – a wife returns to her home after being away on business for a few days, to find her husband missing and what he’s left for her is an unexplained bank deposit of a million dollars, a loaded Glock in the nightstand, and a video security system that’s been wiped clean.

Read Alyson Richman’s historical novel called The Velvet Hours. Most of the book takes place in Paris, with a young woman and her grandmother, a very wealthy (but aging) woman who led a life of a semi-courtesan. Or at least a kept woman. But this grandmother was very astute and found ways to invest her money, to grow her money, and to buy very expensive goods. Then WWII intervenes, and the granddaughter has to close up her grandmother’s apartment, leaving it much the way it had been throughout her grandmother’s life, to escape the Nazis. Years go by, and finally answers are sought and found. An intriguing book, based on the author’s experience with an apartment that had been locked up similarly for decades, also in Paris.

Susan Meissner is one of my favorite authors. This book, The Nature of Fragile Things tells a very unusual story. About a young Irish immigrant, desperate to find a way out of poverty, answers an ad for a mail order bride.

Also read Rachel Hauck’s The Writing Desk. You could call this a romance. A young professional, a writer of one successful book, has writer’s block. Then she’s asked to go to Florida to help her mother (from whom she’s mostly estranged) through chemo. She goes, hoping she can find new inspiration.

Also recently finished The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. The book goes backwards and forwards in time, from the 1600s in London with the day-to-day lives of a group of Jews (who had to be very careful about how they worshiped) to current day as an old house is discovered to hold a treasure-trove of historical papers.

Colleen Hoover has written quite a book, It Ends with Us: A Novel, with a love story being the central theme, but again, this book is not for everyone – it can be an awakening for any reader not acquainted with domestic violence and how such injury can emerge as innocent (sort of) but then becomes something else. There is graphic detail here.

Nicolas Barreau’s novel Love Letters from Montmartre: A Novel  is very poignant, very sweet book. Seems like I’ve read several books lately about grieving; this one has a charming ending, but as anyone who has gone through a grave loss of someone dear knows, you can’t predict day to day, week to week. “Snap out of it,” people say, thinking they’re helping.

Another very quirky book, that happens to contain a lot of historical truth is The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World: A Novel by Harry N. Abrams. Set in Japan just after the tsunami 10 years ago when 18,000 people died. At a private park miles away, some very special people installed a phone booth, with a phone (that didn’t work) at the edge of the park, and the survivors of the tsunami began wending their way there to “talk” to their deceased loved ones. Very poignant story.

No question, the most quirky book I’ve read of late, a recommendation from my friend Karen, West with Giraffes: A Novel by Lynda Rutledge. Back in the 1930s a small group of giraffes were brought across the Atlantic from Africa to New York, destined for the then-growing San Diego Zoo. The story is of their journey across the United States in the care of two oh-so-different people, both with a mission.

Could hardly put down Krueger’s book, This Tender Land: A Novel. Tells the harrowing story of a young boy, Odie, (and his brother Albert) who became orphans back in the 30s. At first there is a boarding school, part of an Indian (Native American) agreement, though they are not Indian. They escape, and they are “on the run.”

Just finished Kristin Hannah’s latest book, The Four Winds: A Novel. What a story. One I’ve never read about, although I certainly have heard about the “dust bowl” years when there was a steady migration of down-and-out farmers from the Midwest, to California, for what they hoped to be the American Dream. It tells the story of one particular family, the Martinellis, the grandparents, their son, his wife, and their two children.

Also finished reading Sue Monk Kidd’s recent book, The Book of Longings: A Novel. It is a book that might challenge some Christian readers, as it tells the tale of Jesus marrying a woman named Mary. I loved the book from the first word to the last one. The book is believable to me, even though the Bible never says one way or the other that Jesus ever married. It’s been presumed he never did. But maybe he did?

Jeanine Cummins has written an eye-opener, American Dirt. A must read. Oh my goodness. I will never, ever, ever look at Mexican (and further southern) migrants, particularly those who are victims of the vicious cartels, without sympathy. It tells the story of a woman and her young son, who were lucky enough to hide when the cartel murdered every member of her family – her husband, her mother, and many others. It’s about her journey and escape to America.

Also read JoJo Moyes’ book, The Giver of Stars. Oh gosh, what a GREAT book. Alice joins the Horseback Librarians in the rural south.

Frances Liardet has written a blockbuster tale, We Must Be Brave. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Although the scene is WWII England, this book is not really about the war. It’s about the people at home, waiting it out, struggling with enough food, clothing and enough heat.

William Kent Krueger wrote Ordinary Grace. From amazon: a brilliantly moving account of a boy standing at the door of his young manhood, trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God. It’s a coming of age story.

A Column of Fire: A Novel by Ken Follett. It takes place in the 1500s, in England, and has everything to do with the war between the Catholics and the Protestants, that raged throughout Europe during that time, culminating in the Spanish Inquisition.

My Name Is Resolute by Nancy Turner. She’s the author of another book of some renown, These is my Words:

The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape by James Rebanks. This is a memoir, so a true story, of a young man growing up in the Lake District of Northern England, who becomes a shepherd. Not just any-old shepherd – actually a well educated one. He knows how to weave a story.

 

Tasting Spoons

My blog's namesake - small, old and some very dented engraved silver plated tea spoons that belonged to my mother-in-law, and I use them to taste my food as I'm cooking.

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Posted in Soups, on May 12th, 2025.

Some days it’s still cool weather here in SoCal, and a bowl of hearty soup for lunch sounds good.

‘Tis the season when weather is variable. We had a 98°F day on Saturday. Mostly I stayed inside with the A/C on. But today it’s much cooler, and we’re expecting a day under 70° tomorrow. Likely it’s much the same where you live.

After making the Chicken Stew with Fennel Seed a few weeks ago, with the amazing fennel seed from Burlap and Barrel, I’ve been on the lookout for more recipes using fennel. I certainly didn’t realize how much I like fennel until I bought some of theirs. Cabbage and Italian sausage came to mind. I looked in my own recipe collection but didn’t find anything that was quite what I was wanting, so I began searching online. For me, flavor is king – any soup I make needs to be full of flavor. The other day I made a cauliflower soup with all kinds of veggies in it and some bacon, then whizzed it up in the blender. It’s loaded with flavor. So I wanted a flavorful soup for this batch too.

Let’s talk about the sausage – I had a pound of it in my freezer, so I defrosted it and instead of cutting open each link to remove the casing, I used a pair of very sharp scissors and cut little chunks (not coins) of the sausage and dropped them into the simmering vegetables.

I started gathering ingredients – Italian sausage obviously, then onion, celery, carrots, garlic, canned tomatoes, tomato paste and all the various herbs. Oh yes, and the vermouth. You could easily  use any white wine you had open, but I didn’t, so vermouth is always in one of my kitchen drawers for just this kind of use. The soup was easy enough to put together. AND I had a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind in my frig – that has likely been there for at least a  year, sealed up in a baggie. Don’t over-cook the soup, as the sausage will lose all of its flavor. This is a quick and easy way to make a hearty soup.

In several of the online recipes a can or two of cannellini beans were included, but since I eat low carb, I left it out. If I weren’t watching carbs I definitely would have included the beans! The soup is better made the day before – as with all soups. I didn’t wait – I made it and served myself a portion with some Italian parsley and some Pecorino-Romano cheese sprinkled on top. Oh, and a little sprinkling of fennel seed.

What’s GOOD: everything about this soup was good. I love veggie soups, but they’ve got to have lots of flavor – that came from the sausage, of course, also from the Parm rind that soaked in the pot, and the various herbs used, including the fennel seed. Altogether delicious and yes, I’ll definitely be making this soup again.

What’s NOT: can’t think of anything – not hard to make, although there is a bit of chopping and mincing to do.

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Italian Sausage and Cabbage Soup

Recipe: Adapted from several online recipes
Servings: 8

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups yellow onion — diced
3 large garlic cloves — minced
1 1/2 cups carrots — diced
1 1/4 cups celery — diced small
1 pound Italian sausage — sweet or hot, cut into small chunks with sharp scissors
1/2 cup vermouth
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
14 ounces diced tomatoes — fire roasted if available
6 ounces tomato paste — low sodium, if possible
3 inch parmesan rind
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil — or use fresh, several leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried fennel
3 whole bay leaves
1 small cabbage — sliced, then chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried fennel — sprinkled on top when served
Italian parsley and grated Parm for garnish

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over a medium heat and add olive oil. Once shimmering, add onion and allow to sweat until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat if needed so onion doesn’t burn. Add carrots and celery to the pan and continue to cook over lower heat for about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and stir frequently for about one minute. Then add sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
2. Add vermouth and allow it to simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, parmesan rind, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes and the bay leaves. Mix well until tomato paste is well incorporated, then bring mixture to a low simmer. Add cabbage and stir in. Press the cabbage down into the brothy mixture. If needed, add more broth to cover the cabbage.
4. Cover the pot, bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Remove Parmesan rind and discard.
5. Serve the soup with grated Parm and chopped parsley.
Per Serving: 281 Calories; 17g Fat (53.4% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 39mg Cholesterol; 419mg Sodium; 9g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 72mg Calcium; 3mg Iron; 844mg Potassium; 177mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Soups, Veggies/sides, on April 17th, 2025.

Having always had an affinity for Mulligatawny Soup, this one intrigued me because of the addition of garam masala and the other various vegetables.

I’ve posted a couple of Mulligatawny Soups during the 18 years I’ve been posting recipes on my blog. The first one, back in 2008, was my go-to for several decades of my home cooking routine. Then I had one made at a cooking class, different, have never made it since, so I guess it didn’t hit any marks. How I came across this recipe, I don’t recall, but it’s an Emeril Legasse recipe, and it’s on the Food Network site, so perhaps Emeril prepared it back in the day when he had a show there.

  • Mulligatawny is a type of Anglo-Indian soup. It is regarded as the national soup of India. A literal translation from Tamil “pepper water” (‘Millagu’ is pepper and ‘Thanni’ is water). Despite the name, pepper itself is not a vital ingredient. Rice and noodles are commonly served in the soup; the real dish the Anglo-Indians call “pepper water” is closer to Tamilian rasam than mulligatawny. Variations differ very much. Sometimes, the soup has a turmeric-like yellow color and is garnished with parsley and chicken meat, and is more soupy, which takes on its Anglo-Indian adaptation to be a thick, spicy meat soup.

I posted that blurb above, before, about the origin of Mulligatawny. Obviously, it’s an adaptable kind of soup – maybe rice or noodles, maybe turmeric, maybe curry (which is in my original recipe), usually chicken, almost always with some apple and rice, spicy somehow and with veggies. This one adds garam masala, that Indian mixed spice. Emeril tossed the chicken in it, then browned it in a big Dutch oven. Because I love garam masala, I added in more at the end, which is also very common in Indian cooking – it heightens the garam masala flavors to add more just before serving. I really liked how it tasted done that way.

This is a soup with many ingredients and a variety of flavors. The apple is very common, and it’s one of the things I love about Mulligatawny. I suppose it’s the “sweet note” it adds with almost every bite. Lentils are common also, but because I don’t eat many carbs, I reduced the amount in the version I made, although I included the half cup in the recipe below. I also didn’t include potatoes or the rice for the same reason. I did include the sweet potato (because it’s a resistant starch). Add more broth as needed, or less, just so the vegetables are covered with liquid. Adding spinach is a new ingredient, perhaps not at all common to this soup. But I liked it. Except for the peeling and chopping, the soup comes together in a jiffy. And it makes a goodly portion, so now I have a package of it in the freezer and lunch for some days to come. Love that!

What’s GOOD: this is a really delicious chicken and veggie soup/stew kind of thing. Love the Indian flavors with the garam masala, but the soup itself is very complex even with no other seasonings except salt and pepper. Hearty, filling. This may be my new go-to Mulligatawny.

What’s NOT: only that it takes a bit of time to peel and chop all the veggies that go into this. But that’s what makes it taste so good  – the variety of textures and flavors.

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Mulligatawny Soup ala Emeril

Recipe: Adapted from an Emeril Legasse recipe on Food Network
Servings: 8

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs — boneless, skinless, diced
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups onions — small diced
1/2 cup carrots — small diced
1/2 cup celery — small diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons minced ginger
1 cup apple — peeled, cored, diced (Granny Smith preferably)
1 cup Yukon gold potatoes — diced (optional)
1 cup sweet potatoes — peeled, diced
1/2 cup lentils
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup zucchini — diced
3/4 cup yellow squash — diced
2 cups baby spinach — tightly packed
14 ounces coconut milk — unsweetened
1 cup tomato — seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons garam masala — added at the end steamed
white basmati rice for serving (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, whole — chopped fresh for garnish

1. Set a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat and add butter and oil. Season the chicken with the garam masala and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Once the fat is hot, add the chicken and cook, turning often, until golden brown and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
2. Add onions, carrots and celery to the hot pan and sauté until lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and apples to the pan and sauté until the apples are caramelized, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and lentils to the pan, along with 4 cups of the chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the reserved chicken, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, remaining 2 cups of chicken stock if you want the soup to be a thinner consistency, zucchini, squash, spinach, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Continue to cook the soup at a simmer until the lentils and chicken are both tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the garam masala and cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If using rice, place 1/4 cup of the rice in a warmed bowl, and pour 8 ounces of the soup over the rice, and garnish with cilantro.
Per Serving: 537 Calories; 32g Fat (52.3% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 91mg Cholesterol; 595mg Sodium; 11g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 127mg Calcium; 5mg Iron; 1137mg Potassium; 351mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Soups, on April 2nd, 2025.

Such a tasty soup or stew, for a cool night. Easy to make, but it’s the fennel seed  – to me – that makes this special.

A few weeks ago I was driving somewhere, and listened to a Milk Street podcast. Chris Kimball was interviewing a gentleman from Burlap & Barrel, a small spice/herb company. In the interview he talked about how and where they harvest the very rarified herbs and spices they carry in their online store. I was so intrigued by the stories about the fennel (this blog post) that as soon as I was home I went online and ordered it, plus their cumin and cinnamon. Then to get free shipping I had to add a couple more items. So far I’ve tried the fennel (marvelous) and the cinnamon (the most fragrant and tasty I think I’ve ever-ever had).

So, this blog post is going to highlight their fennel, called Lucknow Fennel. Here’s what the store has to say about it:

Lucknow Fennel is a sweet, grassy variety known for having bright green, small, ridged seeds that can be applied to savory and sweet dishes alike. Ours is grown in the hot, arid northern state of Rajasthan in India on the family farm of our partner farmer, Negi. We love these seeds tempered in oil or ghee with cumin and chili flakes and poured over roasted root vegetables, added to a poaching liquid for fish or crushed and rolled into a shortbread dough.

When I opened the grinder-jar (pictured above) of this fennel, the fragrant scent just wafted over and over to my nose. Smelled so good, and more fragrant than any fennel I’d ever had – seems to me I recall the guy talking about the ridges on fennel seed – I’d never thought about it – ridges? Well, I guess they do have ridges.

Back to this recipe. I’d read about it at the New  York Times and since I make a lot of soups, I downloaded it and made it a few days later. The only unique thing about the soup/stew is that it had green beans in it – not a frequent veggie in chicken stew, I’d say. It did have some herbs, which I added, but then I decided to add fennel. Not only did I add it to the soup itself, but I grated some of this new fennel on top when served. In this picture it looks kind of red – that’s from the paprika. I added mushrooms to the soup also, just because I had them, and why not? Chicken stew should have mushrooms, right? I didn’t add potatoes (trying to make this dish lower carb). I didn’t miss them since the mixture is thick with other veggies.

The only other thing I changed was to use King Arthur Flour’s culinary thickener. KAF doesn’t have that product in their lineup anymore, so if you make this, use the flour listed in the ingredients.

What’s GOOD: to me, the fennel from Burlap & Barrel was the star of the show. The soup was delicious, but the fennel just put it over the top. I’m looking forward to trying the other things I bought from them – particularly the cumin, since I use a lot of it in my cooking.

What’s NOT: nothing, really. Mincing and chopping does take a bit of time, but it’s an easy soup/stew to make. Would it be good without the fennel? Yes, but the fennel just makes it better.

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Chicken Stew with Fennel Seed

Recipe: Adapted from Dan Pelosi
Servings: 6

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion — diced (about 6 ounces)
2 medium carrots — peeled and diced (about 5 ounces)
3 stalks celery — diced (about 3 ounces)
2 cups mushrooms — chopped (cremini or white button)
4 garlic cloves — minced
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour — [I used King Arthur Flour’s culinary thickener]
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts — or skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound baby potatoes — cut into quarters (optional)
2 cups green beans — [I used frozen, the kind cut into pieces]
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped, for serving
Lemon wedges
More fennel seed, ground a little, as garnish

1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium. Add butter, olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, paprika and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add flour (or culinary thickener) and stir for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and vinegar and stir until flour is incorporated.
3. Add chicken, potatoes (if using), mushrooms, green beans, heavy cream, sage, thyme, fennel, oregano, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Bring the stew to a gentle boil on medium-high and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer, with the lid partially covering the pot, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes and vegetables are cooked to your liking.
4. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and crushed fennel, with lemon wedges on the side if desired. Once it cools, store in refrigerator for 4-5 days, or freeze.
Per Serving: 437 Calories; 20g Fat (40.8% calories from fat); 36g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 115mg Cholesterol; 213mg Sodium; 7g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 93mg Calcium; 3mg Iron; 1456mg Potassium; 471mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Pork, Soups, on February 19th, 2025.

Such succulence – tender pork shoulder in a soup with lovely crunchy toppings.

A couple of months ago my cousin Gary and I were visiting daughter Sara and on Christmas Day we were about to head home to my house and needed a little sustenance. Sara had made some pozole which she served to us. Oh my, so delicious. She forwarded the recipe to me and I’ve now made it twice. Each time tweaking the recipe just a little bit.

Basically, you simmer chunks of pork shoulder in broth (with some aromatics) until tender. You also rehydrate dried chiles in water and make a chile sauce with them that is also added to the soup, along with ground cumin, oregano and tomato paste and sauce.

If you’ve never made a chile sauce from dried chiles, you just don’t know what you’re missing – it has so much depth of flavor. See that dark brown broth in the photo – it’s from the chiles, not from the pork. And that dark brown color = unctuous flavor.

The meat needs to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, and then with some more add-ins, another 20-30 minutes. Make it a day or two ahead and it’s an easy dinner with the garnishes – shredded cheese, shredded cabbage (a must for pozole), sliced radishes, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro and green onions. Altogether yummy.

What’s GOOD: everything single little droplet and bite of this soup is delicious. It should freeze well, can be made in advance, even good for company.

What’s NOT: nary a thing. A keeper.

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Pozole Soup with Pork Shoulder

Recipe: Adapted from Tastes Better From Scratch
Servings: 6

PORK:
1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder — 1 1/2″ cubes
3 cloves garlic — peeled, but left whole
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 yellow onion — quartered (be sure to leave stem core attached so the onion doesn’t break apart in the cooking)
1 bay leaf
3/4 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Organic Roasted Chicken Base — or chicken bouillon granules
6 ounces canned tomato sauce
CHILE SAUCE:
3 dried gaujillo chiles
3 dried ancho chiles
1 dried chile de arbol — (this one has some heat)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon white vinegar
12 ounces hominy — drained and rinsed (optional if you’re trying to reduce carbs)
salt and pepper to taste
TOPPINGS:
thinly shredded cabbage
Mexican cheese blend
diced onion or green onion
thinly sliced radishes
avocado
fresh cilantro
lime wedges
warm corn or flour tortillas (optional)

NOTE: If you make this without hominy, and don’t serve the tortillas, but do use all of the toppings, it is a low carb meal. If you want a more spicy version, add some chipotle chile in adobo to the soup. Using the dried chiles, this pozole is quite mild.
1. Cut pork roast into cubes, trimming and discarding any big pieces of fat. Add to a large stock pot with enough water to cover the meat by at least an inch. Bring pot to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
2. Add to the pot the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, salt, chicken base, and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Taste the pork to see if it’s soft and almost tender.
3. CHILE SAUCE: Remove seeds from the dried chilies and add to a small pot with enough water to cover them.
4. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. (If you have difficulty breaking open the chiles to remove the seeds, you can wait until after you’ve hydrated them, but it’s a bit more tedious – and you may get some chile burn on your hands.) Remove from heat. Use a slotted spoon to spoon the chilies into a blender. Try not to add any chile seeds to this mixture. Add 1 cup liquid from the saucepan that you rehydrated them. Blend mixture well until smooth. If you have more than a cup of leftover liquid, save it and add to the meat toward the end. It’s flavorful and you don’t want to throw it out. Strain it to remove any seeds.
5. From the stockpot with the meat, remove bay leaf, onion, and garlic cloves. Add the blended chile mixture, then add tomato paste, oregano, cumin, white vinegar, and hominy (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes, or until pork is very tender. Using two forks, break the pork into smaller bite-sized pieces.
6. Taste and adjust seasonings (add more salt, oregano, to taste).
7. The toppings really make the soup! Ladle about a cup of the meat/soup into bowls and top with a handful of shredded cabbage, green onions, fresh cilantro, avocado, thinly sliced radishes and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve with a warmed tortilla on the side if desired.
Per Serving (not including toppings): 290 Calories; 15g Fat (46.7% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 844mg Sodium; 3g Total Sugars; 1mcg Vitamin D; 45mg Calcium; 2mg Iron; 265mg Potassium; 274mg Phosphorus. 

Posted in Soups, on July 29th, 2024.

Yes, I know it’s summer; but I eat soup year ’round.

This is a post from Sara. This is one of my very favorite soup recipes (well… as of today). It has everything I love about soup; flavorful broth, bite-sized meat and lots of veggies.  It also freezes and reheats well.  I’ve made a few adjustments for my tastes.  I prefer the flavor of lean pork and hint of yam or sweet potatoes vs. the russet potatoes that are traditional.  This soup is a complete meal.  Another benefit for my lifestyle.  I love to cook but the cleanup… not so much.  This is a one pot dish.

I began my obsession with Albondigas when my mother-in-law made it years ago.  I was hooked after my first spoonful.  She’s Hispanic and I wanted to learn how to make some of her family favorites to pass on to my children. We will talk tamales another time….

It takes about an hour from start to finish.  I start with making the meatballs. To reduce dirty dishes, I mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl then make the meatballs and set them to one side of the bowl.  I also prefer smaller meatballs so mine are probably 1/2″ rather than the traditional 3/4″. I roll all the balls and set the bowl aside. Then I use one of my biggest cutting boards and chop all the veggies, onion, garlic.

I cook the broth with tomatoes and tomato sauce then add the carrots and sweet potatoes (or yams). Let it simmer for 10 mins.  Add all the meatballs at once. They tend to stick together in the bowl so gently stir them after adding to the broth. You want to separate the meatballs but not break them apart.  Cook another 10 mins. Lastly, add the zucchini for 5 mins.

What’s GOOD:  This is a hearty and flavorful soup that has all my favorite components; meat, veggies and sweet potatoes.

What’s NOT:  The meatballs are a bit time consuming with rolling the smaller size.  And the total time is about an hour.

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Albondigas Soup with Pork Meatballs

Servings: 6

1 pound ground pork — lean pork if possible
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large egg
1/4 cup cilantro — chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion — chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 carrots — (peeled, quartered and sliced)
1 1/2 cups sweet potato — or yam, peeled, chopped
6 cups low sodium chicken broth — or bone broth, or use beef if preferred
15 ounces canned diced tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large zucchini — (quartered and sliced)
1/4 cup cilantro — chopped, for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

1. Meatballs: Place the ground pork, cooked rice, garlic, egg, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Roll the meat mixture into 1/2 inch sized meatballs. Place the meatballs on a plate or tray. You can make the meatballs larger, but with the smaller size you’ll have more meatballs per portion, and the 1/2″ meatball is just a nice mouth full.
2. Soup: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, chicken or bone broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin and oregano to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Drop the meatballs into the soup and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
4. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes more. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.
Per Serving: 251 Calories; 7g Fat (25.3% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 76mg Cholesterol; 554mg Sodium; 8g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 94mg Calcium; 3mg Iron; 1048mg Potassium; 308mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Chicken, Soups, on March 8th, 2024.

Can I just say – this chili is SO good. So easy to make. Very satisfying.

I started off with a recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen – she used ground turkey instead of chicken (and you could use either one – my daughter Sara happens to prefer ground chicken so I used that), and the sweet potatoes (no beans in this recipe). Since sweet potatoes are a resistant starch, I like including them in any potential recipe I make. Most of the seasonings are similar to Kalyn’s, but I made a few changes. I wanted more vegetables (just because) and I used some small pieces of cauliflower too which just melded into the soup (couldn’t see it or taste it). I’m not a fan of green peppers – never have been. I know they add a distinct flavor in some cuisines, but I just don’t like them. So in my recipe I used red. You could use yellow or orange, as well. Or a mixture.

The chili has a deep, dark color, which comes from using ancho chili powder. If you haven’t added this seasoning to your spice pantry, you should, as it has a wonderful deep flavor. It’s only been in recent years that you could buy it ground. Yes, you can use the whole, dried anchos – cut off the stems, remove the seeds, chop coarsely then run them through a spice grinder. I just buy the powder already ground.

I also use a spice mix from Penzey’s, called Chili 3000 (I also use the Chili 1000 too) but the 3000 was the one I used here. You don’t have to buy that unless you’d like to try it.

When I made this chili, I doubled the recipe. I was out at the desert house and I made it in our huge 12-inch “MadeIn” pot I bought for that house to use on our induction range. Sara and John were there, and we had it for dinner one night. It got rave reviews from all of us. I froze some of the portions, gave some to Sara to take home and I brought a few servings home with me too. Loved the toppings – we had yogurt, green onions, grated Cheddar and cilantro.

What’s GOOD: Gosh, so delicious. Loved the complex flavors (am sure it’s a combination of the ancho chili powder and the Penzey’s Chili 3000 mix). The ground chicken – don’t we know – doesn’t have a lot of flavor, but the protein is healthy for us – so the flavor here has to come from other things. Altogether fabulous. For me, this recipe is a real keeper.

What’s NOT: nothing, really. Make sure you buy the ancho chili powder.

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Ground Chicken Sweet Potato Chili

Recipe: Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Servings: 8

2 tablespoons olive oil — divided
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
2 red bell peppers — seeds and stem removed and chopped
1 large onion — chopped
2 stalks celery — minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground ancho chiles — (or use more regular chili powder if you don’t have ancho)
1 tablespoon Penzey’s Chili 3000 seasoning — or other chili seasoning mix
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
8 ounces diced green chiles — not jalapenos
14 ounces diced tomatoes — canned, undrained
8 ounces tomato sauce
28 ounces low sodium beef broth
2 medium sweet potatoes — skinned and diced into cubes
1 cup cauliflower — cut into small dice
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
TOPPINGS: unflavored yogurt (or sour cream), grated cheese, diced green onions and chopped cilantro

1. In a large soup pot, heat half of the olive oil, add ground chicken, and cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is well-browned and all liquid has evaporated. Break it apart with a spatula.
2. Spoon out the chicken into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
3. Add the other amount of olive oil to the soup pot, add the chopped red pepper, chopped onion and celery, and sauté about 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
4. Add the minced garlic, chili powder, Ancho chile powder, and ground cumin and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken back into the soup pot. Then add the diced green chiles with juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth to the soup pot. Bring the chili to a simmer, then turn heat to low.
5. Dice the sweet potato into pieces about 3/4″ square and add to the chili along with the diced cauliflower and simmer about 45 minutes, adding a little water if it gets too thick.
6. Taste for seasoning and add hot sauce if desired, salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve hot, with toppings of your choice: yogurt or sour cream, grated cheese, green onions and cilantro. The chili will keep in the fridge for about a week and it freezes well.
Per Serving: 239 Calories; 11g Fat (40.0% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 73mg Cholesterol; 328mg Sodium; 8g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 63mg Calcium; 3mg Iron; 1086mg Potassium; 239mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Chicken, Soups, Veggies/sides, on October 27th, 2023.

Tummy-warming soup with a Mexican bent – made with poblano chiles, canned green chiles and a bunch of vegetables. Plus chicken, of course.

First, a little update about me. My jury duty is finally over with – it lasted four weeks. Thank goodness I’m done with it. I wasn’t ever called to be a deliberating juror (I was an alternate), but when the jurors did meet they convicted the defendant on all five counts, including an enhancement charge that she had intended to cause bodily harm. I wrote a letter to the prosecutor (thanking her), one to the police detective who was assigned to the case (thanking him for his 14 months of working on the case), another to the police chief (telling him how much I admired the detective for his work, but also for his compassion to the victim), and lastly I mailed a Halloween card to the victim herself telling her how brave she was to testify (age 11). The defendant will be put away for a long time.

Now let’s talk about soup. When the weather begins to turn cooler I’m all in for making soups. This one started out as a slow cooker soup, but since I no longer have a large slow cooker (only the instant pot one – and it would have been too small for this batch) I changed the recipe all around, added more vegetables into it and made it on the stovetop. If you have leftover chicken (or in my case it was some rotisserie chicken) this is a perfect soup to use it up.

This is a quick and easy soup if you have all the ingredients. The original recipe called for rice (you can add it if you’d like), but I added some sweet potato and a bit of butternut squash. Actually, for the record, I bought a box of fresh, chopped up veggies at Trader Joe’s, a kind of fall medley, so I’m estimating how much sweet potato and squash it added. Soups like this aren’t exact – add more of anything that suits you and your family.

There are bunches of recipes on the ‘net lately, all made in a crockpot, using a brick of cream cheese. That adds a lot of luscious creaminess to the soup as it melts slowly. I almost always have an 8-ounce brick of cream cheese in my refrigerator. You don’t have to decorate the servings with grated cheese or cilantro, but those two things add a nice touch to the soup. Finishes it off.

What’s GOOD: loved this soup. It makes a big batch, so I have ample to freeze in Ziploc quart bags. Loved the creaminess of it, and the various vegetables added, the sweet potato and butternut squash. The various chiles add a lovely umami flavor to the soup, I think. Altogether delicious.

What’s NOT: nothing really. I suppose you could adapt this to an instant pot (make half the recipe) and then add the cream cheese at the end and let it simmer (not pressure cook) to blend slowly into the soup itself. Made on the stovetop, with all the chopping, etc. it probably takes an hour to make the soup.

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Green Chile, Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Recipe: Adapted significantly from an online recipe
Servings: 8

1 tablespoon EVOO
1 large yellow onion — diced
1/2 cup celery — diced
2 whole poblano peppers — seeded, diced
2 garlic cloves — minced
1 tablespoon chili powder — or more if you like more heat
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
29 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
30 ounces green enchilada sauce
8 ounces diced green chiles — canned
2/3 cup frozen corn — or fresh if you have it
1 large sweet potato — peeled, diced
1 cup butternut squash — diced (or more if desired)
8 ounces cream cheese — cubed
4 cups cooked chicken — shredded or cubed
salt and pepper
GARNISHES:
Monterey jack cheese and freshly chopped cilantro

1. In a large pot heat EVOO, then add onion, celery and poblano peppers. Saute on low for about 10 minutes, then add fresh garlic, chili powder and ground cumin. Continue to cook over low for about 1-2 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth, canned green enchilada sauce, canned chopped green chiles, corn, sweet potato, and squash. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until veggies are just about tender.
3. Add cubed cream cheese and cooked chicken. Stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until cream cheese is well incorporated and smooth in the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve in bowls and top with Monterey jack cheese and chopped cilantro.
Per Serving: 428 Calories; 18g Fat (38.0% calories from fat); 44g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 129mg Cholesterol; 839mg Sodium; 7g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 100mg Calcium; 4mg Iron; 956mg Potassium; 401mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Chicken, Soups, on October 20th, 2023.

We used to think that coconut milk was bad for us – because of the saturated fat it contained. But now the experts think that type of saturated fat isn’t the same as from animal fat. Good thing, since this soup is so delicious and contains not one, but two cans of coconut milk.

So, first, just to catch you up. I’ve been on jury duty for about 3 weeks (as I write this). And the trial isn’t over yet. Maybe I’ll talk about it eventually. It’s absolutely gruesome. It’s not a murder trial but about child abuse. Erroneously, I thought that once you got to be my age, you didn’t have to serve on jury duty anymore. Not so in my county. There were 60 of us assigned to a courtroom and over the course of 1 1/2 days they finally got a jury selected, me included as Alternate #3. Lots of potential jurors didn’t want to be a juror for this trial. The judge warned us it was going to assault our senses when we’d see photos. Some people likely lied about their inability to view child abuse. Some jurors were released; others weren’t. When I was called to the jury box (I was potential juror #55) and questioned, I knew all the arguments the judge had heard. I’d resigned myself that this must be what God had in mind, that I needed to serve. So when the judge asked me if I could be fair and impartial, I said yes. Did I want to be there? Absolutely not. But I wouldn’t lie. That’s not in my nature anyway.

Consequently, my life has kind of been on hold. And let me tell you, coming home in the evenings I was just a “basket case” of sadness (for the children involved), anger (at the defendant and that the abuse had gone on for so long, undetected). I have cried in the courtroom several times; so did some of the other jurors. The judge had forewarned us that he expected some of us to shed tears. At home, I found myself unable to concentrate. Unable to do normal tasks. Most evenings I watch mindless TV just to reset my brain. Each weekend I went through the motions of doing tasks I knew I needed to do (grocery shopping and errands), but my heart wasn’t in it. By Sundays I’ve been mostly back to normal. And then it starts all over on Monday mornings.

Cooking has not played center stage for me in these past weeks, except for making a couple of soups that I could take to court (and reheat in the microwave in the large jury pool room on the lunch hour). One was fabulous (this one) the other one not so much (won’t be posting it).

The Soup: the original recipe came from the internet, but I altered it some, making it my own. It had rice; I eliminated the rice – but you can add it if you’d like to. Surely you know me by now, I like to eliminate carbs when possible. This has sweet potato in it, but that veg is a resistant starch that gets mostly eliminated through your gut and intestines and not absorbed as a carbohydrate. I added zucchini (just because I love zucchini) and I added bok choy too. It called for spinach, but I added a lot more.

The meatballs were very easy to make – with ground chicken, shallots, fresh ginger, a bit of soy sauce. They were lightly browned on a couple of sides in EVOO, then removed. Then you begin assembling the soup part – more shallot, some onion, garlic, curry paste, curry powder, chicken broth, bok choy, zucchini and the sweet potatoes. Once the veggies are tender add in the coconut milk and spinach. The meatballs are added back in and simmered for a few minutes. Done.

What’s GOOD: loved the umami flavors in this – probably the coconut milk, the ginger, garlic, even the sweet potato! SO flavorful. I’m so glad I have many more portions of this soup to enjoy in the next week or so. Whether it’s taking it to the jury room, or having here at home once this trial is over. Altogether wonderful soup. If you’re pressed for time, don’t make the meatballs, just add all the flavors into the soup and you’ll be happy with the results.

What’s NOT: maybe the sticky meatball-making, but that’s about it. It’s a very simple soup to make.

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Chicken Meatball Soup with Coconut Milk, Bok Choy and Zucchini

Recipe: based on an internet recipe, but altered a bit
Servings: 6

MEATBALLS:
1 pound ground chicken
1 small shallot — chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger — minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce — reduced sodium
black pepper + kosher salt, to taste
1 teaspoon EVOO — for your hands, to make the meatballs easier to roll
SOUP:
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 shallot — minced
4 cloves garlic — chopped
1 whole yellow onion — chopped
2 cups bok choy — chopped, or use half the amount of celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup sweet potato — peeled, cubed
28 ounces coconut milk — use full fat
4 cups zucchini — chopped
5 cups baby spinach — chopped
1/3 cup cilantro — chopped
toasted chili sesame oil and/or chopped cilantro garnish

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken, one of the shallots, the ginger, soy sauce, a pinch of pepper, Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into small balls, to make about 20-24. .2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the meatballs and sear until crisp, about 4-5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Transfer to a bowl or plate.
3. To the same pot, add the curry paste, shallot, ginger, onion and the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, bok choy, zucchini and sweet potatoes. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk and spinach. Simmer, uncovered another 5-10 minutes, until thickened slightly. Slide the meatballs back into the soup. Stir in the cilantro. Season with salt.
5. Divide the soup into bowls, with 3-4 meatballs per serving. If desired, drizzle with chili oil and sprinkle with additional cilantro on top. Serve with Naan on the side.
Per Serving: 592 Calories; 44g Fat (64.1% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 11g Dietary Fiber; 65mg Cholesterol; 391mg Sodium; 11g Total Sugars; 0mcg Vitamin D; 288mg Calcium; 11mg Iron; 1465mg Potassium; 400mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Beef, Soups, on July 27th, 2023.

Need a quick, easy soup – even if it’s summer – taco soup is always welcome.

It’s been a few weeks ago that I made this, but I recall that I was in a hurry to get it done – so I perused some online recipes for quick taco soup, and came up with this variation. It has all of the usual ingredients (although I added celery – not sure that’s an authentic addition to taco soup, but I like celery, what can I tell you?) and a shortcut of using a packet of dry taco mix. First I sauteed onion and celery, then added garlic, chopped red bell pepper, a chopped up poblano pepper, the package of taco seasoning mix, a punch of ground cumin (because I like it a lot). Then I added a package of ground beef (you could use ground turkey or one of the non-meat substitutes, or it could be vegetarian easily enough without any protein added). Once it was no longer pink, and separated into lots of little bite-sized pieces, I added tomato sauce, a can of tomatoes and pinto beans. And some water. It simmered for a grand total of 30 minutes. Done. You could make this in the Instant Pot – but the sauteing of the various veggies and the beef would take longer, but probably under pressure it would be done in 8 minutes.

Garnishes are optional – but they help – I used cilantro, sour cream, green onions for sure. The second time I had it I added a few crumbled tortilla chips and some bell pepper. Any of those work – whatever suits your family’s preferences.

It was better the next day – soups always are. And what I didn’t eat in the first three days I froze for another quick meal another day.

What’s GOOD: only that it was finished in about an hour – the prep work did take a bit of time, but some of it can be done while the initial sauteing is being done. Easy soup. It didn’t have time to develop a lot of complex flavors – a simple soup, cooked in a jiffy.

What’s NOT: nothing really – it isn’t going to win any blue ribbons at the fair, but I was happy I got it done in under an hour and provided a bunch of meals afterwards.

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Easy Ground Beef Taco Soup

Recipe: From a variety of online recipes
Servings: 8

1 tablespoon EVOO
1 large red onion — chopped (or yellow onion)
1 1/2 cups celery — chopped
3 cloves garlic — minced
1 1/2 cups red bell pepper — chopped
1 whole poblano pepper — stemmed, seeded, chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 pound lean ground beef
16 ounces tomato sauce
12 ounces canned diced tomatoes — undrained
15 ounces canned pinto beans — undrained
1 cup water — used to rinse out the cans then add to the pot
GARNISHES: sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, minced red bell pepper, green onions and/or tortilla chips

1. In large Dutch oven warm the EVOO, then add onion and celery. Saute for 4-6 minutes until softened. Add garlic, bell pepper, poblano pepper, taco seasoning mixture, ground cumin and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add ground beef and use implement to break up the meat. When all the pink is gone, add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and pinto beans. Bring to a simmer and bubble away for about 5 minutes. Taste for seasonings. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
3. To serve, scoop about 1 cup into a soup bowl and serve with optional garnishes.
Per Serving: 193 Calories; 6g Fat (25.4% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 35mg Cholesterol; 310mg Sodium; 7g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 81mg Calcium; 4mg Iron; 827mg Potassium; 217mg Phosphorus.

Posted in Healthy, Soups, on February 3rd, 2023.

Just the simplest of soups – although there are a LOT of vegetables in it, but the more the merrier, and the merrier the taste. I wasn’t expecting it to be so delicious!

A post from Carolyn. I don’t know about you, but after the holidays, of not-so-healthy eating, desserts served more often and just plain eating more than I usually do, I was so ready for some pure foods, healthier. My refrigerator had a bunch of vegetables and some had to be tossed in the trash, but what was there surely was enough to make a delicious soup. As I’m writing this, we’ve had rain – rain – and more rain. It’s so good for our soil as we’ve been in years of drought, so I’m not complaining. A rainy day makes me want to cook, as long as I don’t have other things I have to do. My usual busy routine has started up but I had a free day, and it was raining.

Often, when I look at recipes for vegetable soup, I think eh, veggie soup doesn’t have enough flavor to make me happy. But I decided to try it anyway since I had so many veggies that needed to be used. I’m SO glad I did, as this soup was scrumptious, and well worth making again.

Into a big pot went a sweet onion and leeks, with some olive oil. As that sweated I chopped up all the vegetables (red bells, poblanos, zucchini, yellow squash, a sweet potato, celery, carrots, garlic) and added them all at once.

Last month at the cooking class in San Diego, Phillis Carey mentioned how much she loves the new Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base. Picture at right. She also mentioned the same brand for chicken, the Roasted Chicken Base. I’ve bought both. And I also bought their Chili Base too, since I make more than a fair share of chili-based soups. All of them are available on amazon (use the links to get right to the pages).

All of these concentrates contain a goodly amount of sodium, so I didn’t add a single grain of salt to this soup. I added water, the vegetable paste/base, some oregano and thyme (my go-to herbs). Once the vegetables were done I removed some of it and whizzed it up with my immersion blender and poured it back into the soup (just to give the soup some thickened texture).

Then I added a little tiny can of corn and a big mound of grated Cheddar. Than I added a can of coconut cream. Now, about that. I buy Trader Joe’s coconut cream when I want that creamy texture, but I don’t want to taste coconut. TJ’s brand doesn’t taste like coconut. Neither their coconut cream or coconut milk has much of any taste of coconut. In this case, that’s what I wanted. I wasn’t making a coconut soup with vegetables, I merely wanted the creamy texture. If you want coconut milk that tastes like coconut, do buy Thai Kitchen. I buy it from a Costco that’s not near me at all as not all Costco’s carry it. Or use the link for amazon.

I scooped about a cup of soup into the bowl, added some grated Cheddar on top and a sprig of Italian parsley. Done.

What’s GOOD: altogether delicious. Healthy for sure. Lots of flavor (maybe it’s the broth that did it – but surely all the various veggies contributed too). The soup has some heat from the poblano chiles. If you’re sensitive to heat, use just one, or substitute green bell peppers. I don’t like green bell peppers, so you’ll almost never see them in my cooking repertoire! This recipe is a keeper in my book, and that’s saying something since I’m a bit reluctant to even make vegetable soup since I assume it’ll be blah. Not so with this one.

What’s NOT: really nothing. It’s a very flavorful soup. Relatively low in calorie too. A keeper, and yes, I’ll be making it again. It should freeze well.

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Vegetable and Cheddar Soup

Recipe By: My own concoction, 2023
Servings: 12

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion — chopped
2 large leeks — cleaned, chopped
2 cloves garlic — minced
1 cup celery — chopped
2 small carrots — chopped
2 medium zucchini — chopped
1 medium yellow squash — chopped
2 medium poblano peppers — seeded, chopped
2 medium red bell peppers — seeded, chopped
1 large sweet potato
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
7 cups vegetable broth — I used Better Than Bouillon, seasoned vegetable base
15 ounces coconut cream
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese — grated
1 1/2 cups canned corn — optional
1 cup frozen peas — optional
Salt and pepper to taste — (won’t need much salt)
Grated cheddar for serving, plus Italian parsley

NOTES: If desired, add a can of beans, or pasta, or rice, wild rice (precook it), brown rice (also precook it). I try to eat fewer carbohydrates, and sweet potatoes (which are a resistant starch) flow through your body with less absorption as a carb.
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot.
2. Add onion and leeks and stir frequently as the vegetable sweat for about 7-10 minutes over medium-low heat. Add garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, squash, poblano peppers, red bell peppers and sweet potato. Add bouillon and water, or vegetable broth.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through.
4. Remove about 3 cups of soup and puree in blender (or use immersion blender), and return to the soup pot. Add coconut cream, grated cheese, corn (if using) and peas (if using). Taste for seasonings. When serving, grate more cheese on top and add some Italian parsley for color.
Per Serving: 336 Calories; 25g Fat (64.5% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 29mg Cholesterol; 648mg Sodium; 7g Total Sugars; trace Vitamin D; 260mg Calcium; 2mg Iron; 554mg Potassium; 247mg Phosphorus.

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