Recipe Review from 3/22/2021

Lot's of good recipes this past week. Enjoy!

Waterfall at Sam A Baker State Park, MO

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover soup (S) leftover Texas Roadhouse
Sun (L) BLT and A sandwiches (S) Beef and Potato Soup
Mon (yoga) leftover soup
Tues - Gnocchi
Wed (yoga) Gnocchi
Thurs - Chicken and artichoke hearts
Fri - leftover chicken

Lunches - Me: (Farro), Chickpea and Feta salad
Husband: co-op burritos

(Farro), Chickpea and Feta Salad (Eating Well, March 2021) vegetarian, vegan option
I neglected to make sure I had enough wheat berries for this dish, so a last minute swap for farro. I figured out the equivalent amount needed, cooked in the instant pot, and followed the assembly directions below after that.

This. Is my new favorite dish. O.M.G. I LOVED the farro with the vinaigrette, celery and feta - it was the perfect balance of sweet, nutty, tangy, and creamy. I did add the walnuts on top for a delightful little crunch. I made this for lunches for the week (5), had enough for lunch for two on the weekend (2), with one bowl left (1) so *I* got 8 servings out of this. This would be great for a potluck, a picnic, or as side with protein of choice. Very versatile.

Recommended!

Photo from eatingwell.com

8 main servings (with farro)

3 cups wheat berries (I used an equivalent amount farro)
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 15-ounce can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
½ cup sliced celery
½ cup crumbled feta cheese** (Skip if vegan)
⅓ cup golden raisins
⅓ cup sliced scallions
⅓ cup toasted chopped walnuts


Fill a large pot with water and add wheat berries. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer; cover and cook until tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Drain. Spread the wheat berries on a rimmed baking sheet to cool, about 30 minutes.

Whisk oil, vinegar, shallot, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add 3 cups cooled wheat berries (reserve remaining 4 cups for another use), chickpeas, celery, feta, raisins, scallions and walnuts. Toss to combine.

To make ahead: Refrigerate cooked wheat berries (Step 1) for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Refrigerate salad for up to 3 days.


Beef and Mushroom Stew with Mashed Potatoes (Eating Well, March 2021)
A couple of modifications for this one: I subbed mutton for the beef as I had some in the freezer and well, it seemed like a good substitute, I made the potatoes in the instant pot because it's a heck of a lot faster and uses less water, and I subbed 2 cups chicken broth for the stout because we didn't have the right kind of beer on hand.

The Husband really liked this, me, less so, but that's because *I'm* not a big fan of ground beef/meat. This is easy comfort food. I did simplify by cooking the potatoes in the instant pot, but you could also easily do instant potatoes in a pinch.

Recommended.

Photo from eatingwell.com

Serves 4

1 ½ pounds yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
½ cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons butter
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
16 ounces stout (see Tip)
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Place potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Add milk, butter, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mash to desired consistency. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, breaking into large chunks and flipping occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a clean plate.

Add mushrooms, onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Return the beef to the pan and stir in beer, broth and Worcestershire, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the beef and vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Add peas and carrots, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stew is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve with the mashed potatoes, sprinkled with parsley, if desired.


Pea Pesto Gnocchi with Burrata (Eating Well, March 2021) vegetarian
When I went to make this, I found that I had a bum container of basil and instead of a cup, I had a small handful of leaves. After making and eating this, I was glad for the misfortune because a full cup would have been WAAAYYYY to much basil for me. It was almost too pungent with what I was able to salvage. Husband quite liked it, however.

You do need a food processor for this, no way to get around it. It does come together very quickly and it made a refreshing mid-week meal. Two observations/complaints - if going to serve 4, it needs to be as a side (chicken would be perfect) or double the gnocchi. This made two servings with about 1/2 cup leftover as a main. Second observation - warm up the burratta before plopping on top of the warm gnocchi. It was very disconcerting to have this lovely, bright, warm potato dumplings, and get a mouthful of cold cheese.

So, recommended, with some reservations.

Photo from eatingwell.com

Serves 2-4
½ cup cooked peas
¼ cup cashews, toasted
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
1 cup baby spinach
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon, divided
3 tablespoons water
1 16-ounce package whole-wheat gnocchi
8 ounces burrata cheese
Pea shoots (optional)

Combine peas, cashews, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add basil and spinach; pulse until finely chopped, pausing to scrape down the sides. With the motor running, drizzle in ¼ cup oil and water; process until smooth.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook until starting to crisp and lightly brown, about 3 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until the gnocchi are golden on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add the pesto and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Serve the gnocchi with burrata and pea shoots, if desired.


Spinach and Artichoke Chicken (Eating Well, March 2021)
This was reminiscent of the spinach and artichoke dip served over crusty french bread, only simplified and used as a topping for chicken. This was easy, very tasty, and I confess to totally deviating from the recipe assembly directions.

I've left the recipe as originally written below. My changes: 10oz fresh spinach, wilted and strained of extra liquid and set aside. 14.5 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed, lightly dried and briefly sauted after after the spinach comes out of the pan. Combine with spinach and let cool while chicken cooks. Combine spinach mixture with cheese mixture. Put over chicken in pan and broil as directed below.

Simply - yum. I served over cauliflower "rice".

Photo from eatingwell.com

Serves 4 (recommend adding a side)

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
½ cup chopped canned artichoke hearts, rinsed
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pound chicken cutlets
½ teaspoon ground pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat broiler to high.

Squeeze as much water from spinach as possible. Place in a medium bowl and add artichoke hearts, Monterey Jack, cream cheese and mayonnaise. Stir to combine.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Heat oil in a large cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more.

Top the chicken with the spinach mixture. Place the pan under the broiler and broil until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a cutlet registers 165°F and the topping is bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Agent Running in the Field by John le Carre

Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Nat, a 47 year-old veteran of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, believes his years as an agent runner are over. He is back in London with his wife, the long-suffering Prue. But with the growing threat from Moscow Centre, the office has one more job for him. Nat is to take over The Haven, a defunct substation of London General with a rag-tag band of spies. The only bright light on the team is young Florence, who has her eye on Russia Department and a Ukrainian oligarch with a finger in the Russia pie.

Nat is not only a spy, he is a passionate badminton player. His regular Monday evening opponent is half his age: the introspective and solitary Ed. Ed hates Brexit, hates Trump and hates his job at some soulless media agency. And it is Ed, of all unlikely people, who will take Prue, Florence and Nat himself down the path of political anger that will ensnare them all.


Read as an audio book.

This is the first book I've read/listened to by le Carre. I've watched the 2010's version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy numerous times and enjoy it immensely. I love the complexity, the subtleties, the cerebral-ness of the plot. The whole British spy bit is fascinating to me. I don't know why it took me so long to go pick up one of his books.

Agent Running in the Field had the same complexity, subtlety, and thinking aspect that I enjoyed from the TTSP movie. What this story lacked for myself was any surprising turn of events within the overall plot. And having only read this singular book by le Carre, maybe that's how his books are structured? I found this to be a story where I could observe the set up, watch the plot unfold, and then sit back and enjoy how everything is resolved. This is a thinking book, not an action book.

The author doesn't hold back on his viewpoint on the current political climate in the US, UK and Europe. Current meaning Brexit and the Trump presidency.

I could ramble on about the main character approaching retirement after working abroad for years and how that affected his family relationship, but you can read it instead. I could discuss the internal workings of British Intelligence, but again, you can read about it instead. And badminton - I think this the first time I have ever read a book or watched a movie where badminton was the sport of choice. Badminton! Go read about it!

When all was said and read, I enjoyed this and will look into reading - or listening to on audio book - more of le Carre's works. Recommended if you like British spy novels.


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Recipe Review from 3/15/2021

A pretty quiet and uneventful week all in all. We are in the "Season of Mud"; outside activities are a bit limited right now as everything is melting and muddy or covered in road salt/sand/rocks (thinking road cycling) which can be a bit treacherous to bike on. I did take part of Friday off and popped down to what we call "Lakeside" in Duluth to visit Yarn Harbor, Hannah Johnson fabrics, and the fly fishing shop. Yup, you read that correctly. Thinking about taking up fly fishing. Stay tuned...

Elephant Rock State Park, MO. The old quarry.

The Meal Plan
Sat (L) leftovers (S) new restaurant: McQuades in Two Harbors
Sun (L) leftover chickpea burgers (S) Smoked Salmon
Mon (yoga) leftover smoked salmon
Tues - Chicken, Kale and Pinto bean soup
Wed (yoga/Legion mtg) leftovers
Thurs - leftovers
Fri - leftovers

Lunches - sandwiches

Smoked Candy Salmon (Steve Raichlin BBQ Bible)
We ventured into the realm of smoking once again. The first foray being smoked brats (which turned out fantastic). We followed the recipe as directed, except the piece of salmon I bought was 2.25 lbs because (I was guessing at how much we needed) and a farm raised center cut (that was what was available as center cut). We increased the brine amount accordingly to compensate.

The Husband had to smoke this in two batches. First batch - perfection. Second batch, less so. He admitted he should have added more charcoal. It's a learning experience - this was the second time he's used the smoker.

This was very good (especially that first batch). We did forget to add the maple glaze, and it was still very good. I don't think I can find a piece of wild-caught center cut salmon in the size we need around here, but it might be worth driving around for. I served this with a side of wild rice. Recommneded (if you have a smoker).

Photo from BBQ Bible

Served 6
1 piece (1½ pounds) fresh skinless salmon fillet (preferably a center cut)
1 cup dark brown sugar or maple sugar
¼ cup coarse salt (sea or kosher)
¾ cup pure maple syrup (preferably dark amber or Grade B)
1 quart water
Vegetable oil, for oiling the rack

Step 1: Rinse the salmon under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Run your fingers over the flesh side of the fillet, feeling for the sharp ends of pin bones. Pull out any you find with kitchen tweezers.

Step 2: Using a sharp knife, slice the salmon widthwise into strips 1 inch wide and 4 to 5 inches long. Transfer the fish to a large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and place the bag in an aluminum foil pan or baking dish to contain any leaks.

Step 3: Combine the brown sugar, salt, and ½ cup of the maple syrup in a bowl. Add the water and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour this over the salmon and seal the bag. Cure in the refrigerator for 8 hours, turning the bag over several times to redistribute the brine.

Step 4: Drain the salmon in a colander, discarding the brine, and rinse the salmon well under cold running water. Blot dry with paper towels. Arrange the salmon flesh side up on an oiled wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and let air-dry in the refrigerator until tacky, 2 hours.

Step 5: Set up your smoker following the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat to 225° to 250°F. Add the wood as directed by the manufacturer.

Step 6: Place the salmon on its rack in the smoker and smoke until the outside is bronzed with smoke and the salmon feels firm, 30 to 60 minutes. Start brushing the salmon with the remaining ¼ cup of maple syrup after 15 minutes, and brush several times until it’s cooked (about 140°F on an instant-read thermometer). Transfer the salmon candy on its rack to a rimmed baking sheet to cool and brush one final time with maple syrup before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Step 7: In the unlikely event you have leftovers, store the salmon candy in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator; it will keep for at least 3 days.


Chicken Stew with Pinto Beans and Kale (Eating Well, March 2021)
Instant Pot An instant pot dish! I think it's great that Eating Well is starting to incorporate this fantastic kitchen tool. I use mine weekly. Really! If you don't have and IP, you can make this on the stovetop and increase the cooking time.

I modified this dish slightly - I still have a couple of our homegrown chickens in the freezer which do well in the instant pot - they aren't like your standard supermarket broilers/fryers. They are on the lean side. I used bone-in, skin-on legs, thighs and breast, which give *me* about 1lb+ of meat after boning. PLUS! I've learned you can up the flavor in a soup like this by using bone-in. Bonus!

I also don't have ground chipolte, so I used adobo. I got some of the "smokey" without out the heat.

With the two substitutions noted above, I really liked this soup. Don't skip the lime - that adds the perfect balance of acidity. I did skip the sour cream - didn't seem right with all that great broth. I would absolutely make this again. Recommended!

Photo from Eating Well

Serves 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder (Ground adobo chili)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
(~ 2 lbs Bone-in, skin-on breast, thighs and legs)
2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed
1 large bunch kale, stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces (7 cups)
⅔ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons lime juice
Lime wedges, sour cream & hot sauce for serving

Heat oil in an electric pressure cooker set to Sauté mode. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, chile powder and salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, chicken and beans. Use a wooden spoon to press all the ingredients down into the broth. Close and lock the lid. Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes.

Release the pressure manually. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board.

Shred the chicken with two forks. Stir the chicken back into the soup along with kale, cilantro and lime juice. Garnish with more cilantro and serve with lime wedges, sour cream and hot sauce, if desired.

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The last book from beloved Hollywood icon Carrie Fisher, The Princess Diarist is an intimate, hilarious, and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.
When Carrie Fisher discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved--plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Before her passing, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon was indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford.

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher's intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time--and what developed behind the scenes. Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into one of Hollywood's most beloved stars.

Read for March 2021 book group. Read as an audio book. Book is narrated by Carrie Fisher.

I'll admit, I had some doubts about this one, nothing that I could put my finger on now, but...there it is. I went in with some trepidation. And much to my delight, I enjoyed this a lot.

This was a fascinating look back at a series that *I* grew up with - Star Wars has been with me my entire life. So this little snippet from Carrie Fisher, this look at being part of the beginning when it was no more than a fantasy-scifi film with a bunch of unknown actors and directors to the Disney franchise it is today, is rather fascinating.

Ms. Fisher thankfully starts before Star Wars, touching on her mother, growing up "in the business", and then, as many teens do, trying their best to get as far away from "home" as possible. She goes into auditioning for the film, being offered the role, and aspects of filming. Ms. Fisher goes rather in-depth (I thought) with her affair with Harrison Ford before wrapping up the fervor that came after the film and the cross-country promotions that followed.

For the bit regarding the affair, I have mixed thoughts: on one hand I thought this part when on much too long. It seemed like half the book was focused on her (non)relationship during filming. On the other hand, the excerpts from the Diary were probably some of the best stream of consciousness writing I have ever read. For a young nineteen year old, thrust into the world of film on a male dominated set, "poetic" doesn't quite capture her words, thoughts eloquently enough.

Mostly, I would have preferred a bit less of Mr. Ford, and a bit more of what it was like to work with everyone else.

But it is what it is, and alas, Ms. Fisher has moved on. The bit she did leave though? Witty, laugh out loud, reflective, moving, fascinating, historical, and well worth reading.

Recommended if you grew up with or enjoyed the original Star Wars (now dubbed 4, 5 and 6).


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Recipe Review from 3/8/2021

A wierd week weatherwise: Monday we hit 55* by 500pm (a bit unusual for us for March). Wednesday was freezing rain that turned to 7" of snow when all was said and done. By Saturday we were back at 55*.

A couple basic meals this week, and a couple of simple new recipes. "Chickpeas" seemed to be the theme this week. And in case you're wondering why the meal plan starts on Saturday, I tend to do my grocery shopping Friday on my way home from work or first thing Saturday morning.

Hannibal, MO

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) take-out pho (S) spaghetti
Sun (L) leftover pho (S) spaghetti
Mon (yoga) spaghetti
Tues - Curried chickpeas
Wed (Yoga) curried chickpeas
Thurs - Ckickpea burgers
Fri (home late) take n bake pizza

Lunches - Barley, bean and corn burritos

Chickepea Coconut Curry (Eating Well, Mar 2021) vegetarian
Easy. Quick. Vegetarian. Served with basmati rice and (store-bought) naan. Tasted like Indian take-out. Made it for dinner, would be great for lunches. I would absolutely make this again.

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon salt plus a pinch, divided
¼ cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can reduced-fat or light coconut milk
1 15-ounce can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, coriander and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Puree the sauce with an immersion blender or in a regular blender until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Return the sauce to the pot, if necessary, and add chickpeas, lemon juice and the remaining pinch of salt. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.


Chickpea and Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta (Eating Well, Mar 2021)
A tich bit puzty what with pureeing such a small amount of chickpeas, then mooshing the remainder. But after that everything just came together and bam! dinner on the table. I did sub a pork/beef blend for the burgers (freezer reduction). My only issue with these was (and I suspect it was the chickpeas) is they were on the crumbly side. An egg might be helpful here as a binder.

These were quite tasty, the whipped feta a lovely change from an aioli-type sauce and the mint a perfect complement. Hm...these would also be tasty with some roasted red-peppers. I served on English muffins as I find them less bready (ie, smaller) than regular hamburger buns.

Recommended.

Serves 4

1 cup no-salt-added canned chickpeas, rinsed, divided
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
12 ounces lean ground beef
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
¾ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
4 leaves romaine lettuce, torn in half
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch ring
1 large large tomato, sliced


Combine ½ cup chickpeas, water and 1 teaspoon oil in a mini food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the remaining ½ cup chickpeas, coarsely mashing with a fork. Add beef, mint, oregano, pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt; mix gently to combine. Form into four burgers, 3½ inches wide.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook, flipping once halfway, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160°F, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine feta and yogurt with lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high until fluffy, about 1 minute. Serve the burgers on buns with the sauce, lettuce, onion and tomato.

Matters of Doubt by Warren C Easely (Cal Claxon #1)

Matters of Doubt by Warren C. Easley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Book Blurb: Cal Claxton is determined to reinvent himself as a small town lawyer in the aftermath of his wife’s suicide. Once a hard charging L.A. prosecutor, he now lives in solitude in an old farmhouse overlooking the Oregon wine country. When a scruffy, tattooed kid shows up asking for help in solving his mother’s cold case murder, Cal wants to say no: times are tough, and he’s no private eye, anyway. But the kid, who calls himself Picasso, has ridden a bike all the way from Portland in the rain, and something about his determination touches Cal.

It turns out Picasso is homeless, joining the legions of kids who are drawn to Portland’s Old Town. He is also a gifted artist painting a mural on the side of a health clinic operated by an idealistic doctor named Anna. Things take an ugly turn when Picasso is charged with the murder of a prominent Portland businessman. The evidence against him is overwhelming, but, at Anna’s urging, Cal steps in to defend Picasso. Suddenly Cal finds himself pitted against the police, the media and some of Portland’s most powerful citizens.

Is Picasso being framed? And if so, is there a connection between the two murders? As he peels back the layers of truth, he realizes too late that he has put both himself and Anna in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer.

The book blurb (and multitude of reviews) summarize the plot more than adequetly so I won't rehash.

"Read" as an audio book.

I'll start with the narration as performed by Michael Kramer. If you've listened to some of Brandon Sanderson's books or the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan, you've heard Mr. Kramer. I quite enjoyed the sound of his voice, he adroitly managed different intonations for both the male and female characters, and had a good cadence which all made for an engaging reading experience.

I had stumbled across this book on Audible and was intrigued as I've bounced around the Portland and Dundee area and have relations living in Corvalis. I'm also well aware of Portland's (western Oregon, really) homeless concern so thought this could be an interesting book.

And it was, with some caveats. I'll start with - this is a first book and the book itself could have used a couple more rounds with an editor or proofreader. Two examples come to mind, calling a Glock 19 a revolver (it's not) and Anna putting a finger to her lips when her hands were tied behind her back. Glaring mistakes that could have been easily avoided.

I also found the lamentations about the homeless issue as relates to kids and Oregonian liberalism to be a bit heavy handed. I have talked to Oregonian's and while yes, homelessness is a concern (problem), it's not "just" kids, and many 20 year olds are doing it intentionally. It's a complex, complicated, and polarizing issue.

For a cozy mystery, I thought the murder mystery was overly complex and - I'm going to say it - unrealistic. Yes, yes, that's almost the definition of "cozy mystery". I think if the author had stuck to two main murders and hadn't expanded beyond that, this would have been a stronger book.

My quibbles aside (and the grumbles from the Husband), it was still an entertaining listen. I enjoyed Cal, Anna, Picasso and Nando. I worried about Cal's dog. I loved the food descriptions (the book should have come with a menu at the end). And the setting didn't disappoint and loved tracking the characters around Portland and Dundee. My only regret is this is the only installment available on audio/Audible.

Recommended with some small reservations.

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Missouri, 2021

This past weekend we took a small jaunt to southeastern Missouri. We wanted get away from the snow and cold and the Husband wanted to hunt feral hogs. He signed us up for a one-night guided hunt; it required two hunters minimum and I was the "minimum".

Friday - travel day. Destination was Mt. Pleasant, IA, an 8- or 9-hour drive. There was still some snow on the ground here.

Saturday - travel day to Farmington, MO. About a 5-hour drive from Mt. Pleasant. Snow disappeared about the IA/MO border. We stopped in Hannibal, MO, and did the Mark Twain touristy stuff and enjoyed our first outside meal of the year - BBQ! Wayne's BBQ for specifics. YUM.

Tom Sawyer's House

Sunday - travel day to Des Arc/Brunot (ie, middle of no-where MO). We stopped at Elephant Rocks State Park, Battle of Pilot Knob Historic Site (Civil War), Taum Sauk Mtn State Park (highest point in MO). It started to pour about the time we made it to Taum Sauk St. Park, so it was a brief visit (thunder, lightning, and a torrential downpour were a factor). From here we made our way to our lodging provided by the hunting outfit.

Elephant Rocks State Park

Pilot Knob Historic Site 

Taum Sauk State Park

Monday - hunt day! Or hunt night! to be more precise. Wanting to make sure the pup (he came with on this adventure - not the hunting part, just the traveling part) got some exercise, we headed over to Sam A. Baker State Park and did a 2 mile hike/walk. We wanted to see the "shut-ins" (what we call cauldrons up North, where the action of water and rocks made holes in other rocks), but due to the deluge from Sunday, the trail was flooded and despite best efforts, impassable. We hike a different hill.

Sam A Baker State Park

The guide met up with us about 330p to sight in the rifles and night optics, then went and put us in stands over separate bait stations. I was happily entertained by a flock of cardinals, two mice, a doe and her two yearling fawns, eventually another five deer came and joined her, a bunny arrived, four mourning doves... lots of critters, but no hogs. At 700p the guide came and picked us up and then we proceeded to drive all over the back roads ('road' may be an exaggeration here) scoping for pigs. We saw a total of 12...which we were unsuccessful in taking any. We need to work on our shooting skills (though I think being an unfamiliar rifle with night optics was a factor). Called it a night at 1130p (hunting ends at midnight).

Tuesday - on the road back to Mt. Pleasant. Stopped at Mastodon State Historic Site and did a two-mile walk. Visitor center was closed (drat!) so I didn't get to see the Mastodon. Stopped at Battle of Athens Historic Site which was the northernmost battle in the Civil War WEST of the Mississippi.

Battle of Athens Historic Site

Wednesday - head home! Ate at a Piggy Blues BBQ in Austin, MN for lunch. We didn't have time to do the SPAM Museaum. Did swing by the Twin Cities to drop off the nephew's birthday gift and say a brief hello to the sister and kiddos. Home by 730p (uff). Unpacked and called it a trip.

Overall, a very good trip. Was disappointing no bacon came home with us, but that's how it goes. We saw a new corner of the country, hiked over new terrain, read about some history, and enjoyed snow-free conditions. I would do this trip again - lots we didn't get to, so many places only partially open due to it being off-season or COVID related. Actually, I'd absolutely travel during the off season again - not a heck of a lot of people.

Recipe Review from 2/22/2021

Busy week and weekend! Next Monday you'll see why. In the meantime, a couple of decent recipes

New sewing project - a basket!

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover pizza (S) Chicken soup leftover queso chili
Sun (L) fancy grilled cheese (S) Chicken soup
Mon (yoga) chicken soup
Tues - Chicken soup
Wed (yoga) Chicken soup
Thurs - Chicken soup
Fri - leftover chili

Lunches - chili

Quick Beef and Bean Chili (Cooks Country)
I had some dried bean in the cupboard that were getting a bit...aged, so I took the time to use those instead of bying canned. One bean was a white teparry from Tucson, and the other was a kind of black pinto been also from Tucson. I didn't have a lot of the white beans left, so I prepped those separate and blended with the tomatos. The black pintos I subbed for the kidney beans.

Photo from Cooks Country

2 (16-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 cans) diced tomatoes
1 ½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons
2 teaspoons
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper

Process half of the beans and half of tomatoes in food processor to coarse paste; set aside. Cook beef and onion in Dutch oven over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in pureed bean-tomato mixture and remaining beans and tomatoes.

Bring chili to boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve.


Chicken Soup (modified from Milk Street and Food Network)
I combined two techniques to make this, using one suggestion/idea from Milk Street and one from Food Network. I didn't use egg noodles as listed below, but opted for gnocchi instead and prepared as same. I think I quite like the gnocchi better.

Putsy? Yes. But I think I had a very flavorful and clean broth base to work with that was only enhanced by the veggies. It also had the advantage that I didn't over cook the chicken breasts. Would I do it this way again? If I have the time, absolutely.


1 tablespoon olive oil
5 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick diagonal slices
3 large stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, cut into a large dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 3-pound whole chicken
One 3-inch piece ginger, halved lengthwise, optional
6 ounces extra-wide egg noodles (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons dill fronds, roughly chopped

My modification inspired by the a Milk Street TV show suggestion:
For the stock only - quarter the chicken and set aside the breasts. Put remaining chicken pieces into the instant pot liner, add one thinly sliced onion, and fill with water to the "max" line. Do NOT overfill. Seal and select HIGH PRESSURE and cook for 1 hour. Release under NATURAL option.

Unplug and remove chicken. Set aside to cool. Strain broth (cheese cloth or paper towels method optional) and set aside. Remove meat from bones and set aside. Proceed with recipe below using ONLY the breasts.


Turn a 6-quart Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Add the oil and once hot add the carrots, celery, garlic, onions, 1 tablespoon salt and a large pinch of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the chicken, ginger, if using, and 8 cups water. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.

After the pressure cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release and wait until the quick release cycle is complete. Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid. Remove the ginger and discard. Use a pair of tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and put into a large bowl and allow to cool for several minutes.

Switch the Instant Pot® to the high saute setting and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes.

While the noodles are cooking, use 2 forks to remove the skin and bones from the chicken and shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, then add the meat back to the pot along with the dill. Season the soup with additional salt and pepper if needed.