Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #20)

Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Harry Bosch is back as a volunteer working cold cases for the San Fernando Police Department and is called out to a local drug store where a young pharmacist has been murdered. Bosch and the town's 3-person detective squad sift through the clues, which lead into the dangerous, big business world of pill mills and prescription drug abuse.

Meanwhile, an old case from Bosch's LAPD days comes back to haunt him when a long-imprisoned killer claims Harry framed him, and seems to have new evidence to prove it. Bosch left the LAPD on bad terms, so his former colleagues aren't keen to protect his reputation. He must fend for himself in clearing his name and keeping a clever killer in prison.

The two unrelated cases wind around each other like strands of barbed wire. Along the way Bosch discovers that there are two kinds of truth: the kind that sets you free and the kind that leaves you buried in darkness.

Read as an audio book.

Whoo. Book started out on the wrong note for me when Harry was a complete asshat during the start of the investigation by the San Fernando police department into the murder of two pharmacists. Can a character get anymore condescending and righteous toward his "co-workers" than Harry? I haven't found one yet.

So I gritted my teeth through the first several disks as Harry treated his fellow detectives like imbeciles who don't know how to do their job. Because, as I've noted before, "only" Harry knows how to be a detective.

I continued to roll my eyes when Harry went undercover. Harry's behavior was so implausible to me it was like watching a car collision in slow motion - it could only end one way. Yeah...no surprises there.

I had further issues with Bosch not telling his daughter Maddie he was going undercover because he "didn't want her to worry" (foreshadowing, anyone?) He kinda told Haller, who should have told Maddie when Maddie was frantically calling everyone to find out where Bosch was, but no, no one told Maddie and when they did finally connect, he tells her more than he told the DEA and San Fernando Police detectives. W.T.F?

Argh!

I also found Bosch to be a sanctimonious git when it came to the resolution of allegations that he - Bosch - planted evidence in a nearly 20 year old case. Haller did what Haller does best, and when Bosch found out how Haller manipulated the system (it was brilliant, actually...), Bosch got his knickers in a bind. Seriously - Haller just blew the whole prosecution out of the water and Bosch was indignant. W.T.F?

Gah!

So. Not my favorite in this series. I wasn't thrilled with the prescription drug plot and and the second plot of planting evidence was a bit too pat. A "gimmie" mystery if anything because readers of this series know it will end only one way.

Recommended if you're reading the whole series. Start at the beginning if you haven't read the Bosch books yet.



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Recipe Review from 12/18/2017

Okay, I think I'm caught up again!  Last Monday's recipe review is posted (late) so scroll down and check it out as well.

And I admit, I've been a bit frazzled and I don't remember what I did for a couple of meals over the weekend.  We ate something....I just don't remember what!  And I know we went out for supper one night because the Husband had a hankering for steak. 

The Meal Plan from week of 12/18/2017
Sat - leftover hominy stew  (S)  Outback
Sun - more leftovers    (S) Gumbo
Mon (yoga/bkgrp/Legion mtgs) 
Tues (yoga) leftovers / make Texas Sheet Cake
Wed - Bolognese sauce/pasta
Thurs (yoga) leftovers
Fri (yoga) leftovers

Lunches - sandwiches  (it was that kind of week...)

Slow Cooked Chicken Gumbo  (modified, Slow Cooker Revolution by America's Test Kitchen) 

I made this recipe back in Oct 2014 and my thoughts are still the same.  With a solid hour of prep to make the roux alone, this is NOT a speedy dish to pull together.  

My thoughts on this haven't changed this go around: This involved making a roux for the slow cooker by lightly browning 1/2 cup of flour, then adding 1/2 cup of canola oil in a dutch oven and stirring till combined.  This mixture is then placed in a 350* oven and baked until the "color of a copper penny" or about 45 minutes.   Yup...you have to plan an HOUR ahead for this dish.

At which time this mixture is removed (it looks oily) and 1 diced green pepper, 1 diced red pepper, 2 stalks of diced celery, 5 cloves of diced garlic, 1 tbsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper are added and cooked till soft.  Pour in 3 1/2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a simmer which lets the roux thicken  (did I mention this is already an hour into prep....for a slow cooker dish?).  This is poured over 2 bay leaves, 1lb of andouille, 2 lbs of cut-up chicken (recipe called for thighs, I used one of our home-raised birds), and 12 oz of sliced okra (fresh or frozen, thawed).

Cook for 6-8 hours on low.  I now have to pull out the chicken and de-bone. Stir meat back into pot. let warm and serve.  I did serve this over rice. 

I'm still a bit put out with the whole roux-in-the-oven bit, but it does work.  Was it worth the extra hour plus of prep for a slow cooker dish?   If you're doing this on a weekend, yes.  Still, A a slow cooker is about convenience, and is about as inconvenient as it comes.  That being said, the dish was flavorful, thick, and definitely a gumbo. 

Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey (Expanse #6)

Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  The Free Navy – a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships – has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them.

James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone. Outnumbered and outgunned, the embattled remnants of the old political powers call on the Rocinante for a desperate mission to reach Medina Station at the heart of the gate network.

But the new alliances are as flawed as the old, and the struggle for power has only just begun. As the chaos grows, an alien mystery deepens. Pirate fleets, mutiny, and betrayal may be the least of the Rocinante’s problems. And in the uncanny spaces past the ring gates, the choices of a few damaged and desperate people may determine the fate of more than just humanity.

Read for December's book group meeting.

The deal with the Expanse series is, this is classic Space Opera spanning six (now seven) books - not counting those little side stories. And I continue to adore this series because it's classic space opera. As with any series, there are some books that are a bit better than others - this one fell solidly in the middle.

War has come to the galaxy: Marco's Inaros in the name of the Free Navy, has dropped rocks on Earth effectively killing most of the planet. Filip is reeling and bitter from finding out Naiomi didn't space herself while still under Marco's thumb. Michia Pa has parted ways with Marco's realizing a need to get supplies to those in need and now Marco's is gunning for her. Avasarala, leader of Earth and parts of space is trying to keep people alive from Luna. Bobbie is now crew with Holden. James Holden and the crew of the  find themselves in a very fine mess and it's a matter of who has the most ammunition when the shooting does start.

And I'm greatly summarizing here.

I felt that there were a lot more characters viewpoints in this book, and more than once it took a bit of mental prodding to figure out just who was "talking". Yes, the authors used the characters names at the top of each chapter, but sometimes I had to think back a bit to remember where they fit into the grand scheme of things.

This installment putters along getting everyone into place, then the shift into overdrive happens so fast that I felt a little discombobulated and had to go back and re-read a chapter or two to see if I missed something.

I didn't. The plot really did shift gears that fast.

Then just as suddenly, everything is over and it felt a bit anti-climatic.

That's not to say there aren't some little "ohhhh...isn't that interesting!" bits at the end. Which there are and had me grinning like a kid in a candy store.

But I felt like there should have been a tich more BANG and there wasn't.

As I noted above: this is great Space Opera, we'll be reading book seven in the new year. Recommended if you've read the first five in the series. If not - go and start from the beginning!



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Recipe Review from 12/11/2017

I'm posting this a week late - work and stuff got insane and it was Thursday when I realized I completely missed Monday's recipe posting.  So I'm back posting a bit.  I think we did Chinese take-out one night too somewhere in there...  Sesame chicken! Yum!

The Meal Plan
Sat (L)  out    (S)  Pork and Hominy Stew
Sun (L) leftover chili  (S) Pork and Hominy Stew
Mon (yoga)  leftover stew
Tues (yoga)  leftover stew
Wed - slow cooked Bolgonese with spaghetti.
Thurs (yoga) leftover stew
Fri (yoga) leftovers stew

Lunches - leftover Quinoa and Roasted Red Pepper Chili
                 chicken salad wraps


Pork and Hominy Stew (ATK Slow Cooker Revolution)
If you've been following my blog, you'll know that I'm a HUGE fan of this cook book.  If you're new to my blog and a fan of slow cookers - go get this cook book!
 . 
This was one of the simpler slow cooker stews to pull together, where I only needed to do a quick saute on the onions and seasonings.

My note:  America's Test Kitchen uses a microwave to soften the onions/carrots/celery and to bloom the spices;  I don't have a microwave and so I saute the "old fashioned way" on the stovetop. 

Simple ingredients for a great tasting stew:  pork, onion, hominy, chicken stock, spices are all slow cooked for a great Tex Mex dish.

This makes a lot, and I did end up freezing about four servings for a later date.  Recommended.


Slow Cooked Bolognese (ATK Slow Cooker Revolution)
A bit of a departure for me in making a meat based spaghetti sauce, but I was looking for something different for pasta, something that could be made ahead of time, and was fairly easy.  This America's Test Kitchen recipe hit all those requirements, surprisingly. 

A combination of 3 lbs of meat (a blend of beef, lamb and pork - but I just did pork and beef), crushed tomatoes, bread soaked in cream, sauteed onions/celery/carrot all combined in a slow cooker then left to do it's thing for 9-11 hours on low. 

I did cook this overnight so I wouldn't have to putz with morning assembly.  Not having had a lot of bolognese, I think this was tasty enough if a bit on the bland side.  I served this over whole wheat spaghetti, regular spaghetti, cavatappi, and polenta.  I think the polenta was actually my favorite.   As I noted, *I* found it a bit bland, and added a sprinkling of Alleppo pepper.  Yum!

So if you need a pot of pasta sauce for a crowd, for some upcoming Italian dishes, or need something to freeze, go find America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution and give this a try  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Deep Freeze by John Sandford (Virgil Flowers #10)

Deep Freeze by John Sandford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:   Class reunions: a time for memories—good, bad, and, as Virgil Flowers is about to find out, deadly—in this New York Times bestselling thriller from John Sandford.

Virgil knows the town of Trippton, Minnesota, a little too well. A few years back, he investigated the corrupt—and as it turned out, homicidal—local school board, and now the town’s back in view with more alarming news: A woman’s been found dead, frozen in a block of ice.

There’s a possibility that it might be connected to a high school class of twenty-five years ago that has a mid-winter reunion coming up, and so, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into twenty years’ worth of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him.

It’s true what they say: High school is murder.

Read as an audio book.

LOVED this latest installment! I'm from Minnesota, I've been ice fishing, I've experienced the -3*F, I know what it's like to bomb around on a snowmobile, I know what it's like to pull all those layers of clothes on. Not many authors write about winter - and Sandford nailed it! ...of course he did, he's from here.

Virgil is back in Trippton, where the President of the bank was found dead in the river by the sewage plant and someone is making pornographic Barbies. You, the reader, will know who the murderer is, and it is an absolute HOOT watching Virgil go around and interview people in truly classic Virgil style. There is one point in the book a character totally nails the small town rumor mill, that some how ends with the Sheriff leading a Satanic cult. Oh my gosh, I was laughing my ass off!

I don't know how Sandford does it, but he manages to capture people to a "T", the wild speculation, the internal panic, and the lies they come up with - to see it all spelled out on the page by such an accomplished author is delightful.

The only thing I didn't like was the last paragraph. Didn't care for the direction that points future Virgil books in and was a bit too parallel to the Davenport books. Yup, now you have to read it to find out what the hell I'm talking about.

If you've been reading the Virgil Flowers series, you'll probably enjoy this one. Recommended.



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Recipe Review from 12/3/2017

Pretty uneventful week all around so I'll jump right to recipes!

The Meal Plan for week of 12/3/2017
Sat (L) leftovers           (S)  Creamy chicken quesadillas
Sun (L) Chicken Wild Rice Soup leftovers  (S) Poblano Stew
Mon (yoga)l leftover stew
Tues (yoga) Hamburger Steak and Tots
Wed - leftovers
Thurs (yoga) - Chinese
Fri - Quinoa Chili

Lol - I realized I moved around the meal plan mid-week and didn't note what I actually made when.  So the above is what I think I did.   Maybe...

Creamy Chicken Quesadillas  (Ckng Lght, Oct 2017)

This is perfect for leftover chicken or turkey.  This comes together quick;y, so it's perfect for a weeknight.  For a flavor boost, sub shredded pepperjack or a Mexican blend cheese for the mozzarella.  I used Franks Hot Sauce - the hot sauce adds a nice background zing more so than straight up "heat".   And as I was typing this, I was thinking some banana peppers would have been awesome in this, but that's me and my taste buds. 

Recommended.

photo from cookinglight.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 cup coarsely chopped spinach (about 1 1/2 oz.)
1 tablespoon hot sauce (such as Cholula)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)
4 ounces preshredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
4 (8-in.) whole-wheat flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 ripe avocado, quartered

1) Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium. Sprinkle flour over pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Slowly add stock; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat; stir in spinach, hot sauce, salt, pepper, chicken, and cheese.

2) Heat a large skillet over medium. Divide chicken mixture evenly over half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half over filling. Carefully coat both sides of quesadillas with cooking spray. Add 2 quesadillas to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each into 4 wedges. Serve with avocado.

Chicken and Poblano Stew with Polenta (Ckng Lght, May 2017)  gluten free
I did make this as a weeknight dish.  It's borderline between taking too long to get it on the table and acceptable amount of time for a weeknight. 

First off, half and seed the poblano peppers first, then oil and place on a foil lined sheet under the broiler.   Round peppers don't "char" very well.  Because of this,  darn peppers took the longest and were the last thing to go into the final pot.

Because I use regular polenta, I did start this first, then moved into the peppers and the rest from there.   Oh, I had one oops!  What I thought was a chipolte pepper in my freezer, was slightly freezer burned tomato paste, not realizing this until too late.  I ended up adding a tsp of ground Adobe pepper in lieu of the chipolte. 

When all was said and eaten, this was a nice change for using shredded chicken (or turkey).  Recommended.

photo from cookinglight.com

3 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
8 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped tomato
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo

(I used 1 tbsp)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, shredded (about 1 cup)
3 cups whole milk    (I used half chicken stock and half water)
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking polenta  

(I used regular polenta and cooked according to directions on package)

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Place peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet; rub with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened on all sides, turning occasionally. Wrap peppers in foil; let stand 10 minutes. Unwrap; remove skins and seeds. Coarsely chop peppers.

3. Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high. Add onion, oregano, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add tomato, adobo sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in peppers, juice, and chicken; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

4. Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and polenta, whisking constantly. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Place 3/4 cup polenta in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 3/4 cup chicken mixture.

Hamburger Steak with Onion gravy  (Ckng Lght, Nov 2017)
This is a major departure for me from my my usual recipes in that I made something with beef (not a fan).   I also departed from the recipe a bit by using tater tots instead of mashed potatoes - I had a bag in the freezer from a different dish that didn't get made and wanted to use them up.  Mmm...tater tots! 

I did use pasture raised beef, but venison or buffalo would also be quite tasty in this.  I added some garlic salt and onion power to the meat before cooking.   I'll say, this was actually quite tasty (I'm sure it was because of the tater tots).   I did have to thicken the gravy a bit more - I like mine thick - but the overall flavors really complemented everything nicely.  I would consider making this again.    

photo from cookinglight.com

1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted beef stock
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (optional)

Serve with mashed potatoes and haricote verts.

Step 1  Divide beef into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Sprinkle patties evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned; remove from pan.

Step 2  Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add vertically sliced onion; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Sprinkle onion with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add stock and remaining salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Return patties to pan; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and cook 5 minutes or until gravy is slightly thickened. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired.

Quinoa and Roasted Pepper Chili  (Ckng Lght, Nov 2017)  vegetarian, gluten free, SPICY
 Interesting!  As I was cut and pasting from the Cooking Light website, I was wondering where the chili in adobo sauce went.  I pulled out my magazine and noted where was in the paper version, but it's missing from online.  Not sure which is correct.  I would say, if you DON'T like heat, skip it!

I also dropped the amount of chili powder because mine is Penzey's "Medium-Hot" and we definitely taste it.  I also used the whole can of vegetable juice (V-8) because we don't drink it and the chili seemed too thick without it.

This was a weeknight meal for us and it came together in about 45 minutes.  I liked the flavors of this, use your favorite chili beans or add and extra can.   Adjust the heat to your tastebuds or the little tastebuds in your house.   Recommended

photo from cookinglight.com

2 poblano chiles
4 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder  (I used 1/2 tbsp because mine is "medium hot")
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
Magazine recipe had 1 tbsp chopped chipolte chili in adobo sauce here.
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with chipotles, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup low-sodium vegetable juice  (I used the whole can)

1) Cut bell peppers and chiles in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet, and flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop.

2) Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add zucchini, onion, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and paprika; sauté for 30 seconds. Add roasted peppers and chiles, 1/2 cup water, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.

Recipe Review from 11/27/2017

I started out strong in the meal department this week, but with something going on nearly every night, my energy levels petered out by the time I hit Friday.   Pasty's are a standby for busy nights, just the frozen meat filled pastry into the oven, set oven to 350* and walk away for an hour.   Then I make some gravy and dinner is served. 

Next weeks meal plan is a bit more robust. 

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover SW Chicken Skillet (S) leftover turkey dinner
Sun (L) leftover turkey dinner (S) leftover Smokey Lentil Stew
Mon (yoga/bkgrp/Legion)  leftovers
Tues (CISMA mgt) - Roasted veggies and sausage   Brats and beans

Wed (I was out) leftover brats
Thurs (yoga)  pasty with gravy
Fri - take n bake pizza

Lunches - Chicken Wild Rice Soup


Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup  (Ckng Lght, Oct 2017)  **gluten free option
After simmering down the turkey carcass for stock, I used the leftover meat in this dish below.  Silly Cooking Light, suggesting rotisserie chicken during Turkey month - at only 6oz (which approximately the amount that will fit in my rubbermaid sandwich container) it's not worth purchasing a 4lb chicken.

This comes together very quickly, it's a tich on the bland side (which is entirely okay!), and can be made gluten free by subbing you're preferred thickener.  Or skip the flour and flour options entirely.  Also of note, I did NOT use pre-packaged, pre-cooked wild rice, but cooked my own from scratch while assembling the rest of the dish.

I would make this again!  Recommended. 
  
5 bacon slices, chopped   (I skipped)
1 cup chopped onion1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 (8-oz.) package presliced cremini mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 cup water
4 cups lightly packed chopped curly kale
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 (8-oz.) package precooked wild rice (such as Simply Balanced)  (I made my own)
1 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)

1.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add bacon to pan; cook 4 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Add onion, carrot, and celery to drippings in pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add thyme, mushrooms, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add stock and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add kale, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and rice.

2.  Combine half-and-half and flour in bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir into soup; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Top with bacon.