Recipe Review from 5/12/2019

The week before, we got slammed with 8" of heavy wet snow.  By Saturday most of it had melted except for some stubborn little piles under bushes.   Sunday was Mother's Day, and we opted to fix Mom lunch (I refuse to pay that extra 30% restaurants tack on for "holidays", dealing with large crowds of testy people and harried waitstaff).  The remainder of the week was just kinda business as usual.

The Meal Plan
Sat (L) out (S) Potluck
Sun (Mother's Day Lunch) North Carolina Fish Stew (S) Grill Shrimp and Peppers
Mon (yoga)leftover shrimp
Tues - leftover stew
Wed - Penne with garlic and cherry tomatoes
Thurs (yoga) leftovers
Fri - grilled pork chops

Lunches - hummus sandwiches, fruit

Grilled Shrimp and Red Pepper Kebabs (Eating Well, May 2019) gluten free option
Easy to assemble and cooks fast. I did cook the peppers and shrimp on separate skewers, as my shrimp were probably smaller than called for - something to keep in mind. Make sure you use larger shrimp for this. The "dressing" really pulls this dish together; both on the kebabs and on the slaw.

Couple items of note - the slaw doesn't keep very well. If you are planning on leftovers, keep the dressing separate and mix before serving. And you can easily skip the pita chips.

A great summer grill dish.  Recommended!

Serves 4

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

photo from Eatingwell.com

⅓  cup chopped scallions
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
⅓ cup canola oil plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and de-veined
24 mini bell peppers (15 ounces)
1 small red onion, cut into quarters
1 (10 ounce) package coleslaw mix (with carrots and red cabbage)
1½ cups pita chips, crushed  (can easily be omitted)

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Place parsley, scallions, feta, vinegar and ⅓ cup oil in a mini food processor; blend until mostly smooth. Set aside.

Thread 3 shrimp and 3 mini peppers on each of 8 bamboo skewers. Brush the kebabs and onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Grill the kebabs until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque in the center and the peppers are lightly charred, about 3 minutes per side. Grill the onion wedges until slightly softened and charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill.

Reserve ¼ cup of the dressing. Combine slaw mix, pita chips and the remaining dressing in a large bowl. When the onion is cool enough to handle, thinly slice and toss with the slaw mixture.

Serve the slaw and kebabs with the reserved dressing.


Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic Pasta (Eating Well, May 2019) vegetarian, gluten free option**
Simple, fairly quick, and tasty.  While the pasta is cooking, start the veggies, and then everything comes together and it's off to the table! 

One item of note - I sliced the garlic cloves in half lengthwise so I had little planks.  I put the oil and garlic planks into a cold skillet and brought to temperature.  Garlic browned sooo nicely!  This is a tip/trick I picked up from watching Nick Stellenos on PBS.  He heats the oil and garlic together. 

I enjoyed the flavors in this - the sweet tomatoes, the creamy mozzarella, a bit of basil, all balanced by the "roasted" smooshed garlic.  Recommended!

Serves 4

Photo from Eatingwell.com

8 ounces whole-wheat penne pasta** (or your gf option)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 medium yellow squash, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup pearl-size or mini mozzarella balls (about 4 ounces)
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, drain the pasta and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften and turn light golden, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, squash and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash softens and the tomatoes begin to burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Lightly mash the garlic with the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.

Add the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pan along with basil and mozzarella; toss to combine. Serve topped with Parmesan.  

Impersonations by Walter Jon Williams

Impersonations by Walter Jon Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book Blurb:  Nebula Award-winning author Walter Jon Williams returns to the sweeping space opera adventure of his Praxis universe with Impersonations, an exciting new novel featuring the hero of Dread Empire's Fall!

Having offended her superiors by winning a battle without permission, Caroline Sula has been posted to the planet Earth, a dismal backwater where careers go to die. But Sula has always been fascinated by Earth history, and she plans to reward herself with a long, happy vacation amid the ancient monuments of humanity's home world.

Sula may be an Earth history buff, but there are aspects of her own history she doesn't want known. Exposure is threatened when an old acquaintance turns up unexpectedly. Someone seems to be forging evidence that would send her to prison. And all that is before someone tries to kill her.

If she's going to survive, Sula has no choice but to make some history of her own
.
This novella lands between Investments and the Accidental War. Where Investments follows Garrett, Impersonations is about Caroline Sula. I will say, if you haven't read the Dread Empire's Fall series, read those first. This contains some serious spoilers.

I enjoyed the premise of the book. Caro/Sula has been shuffled off to backwater Earth, where she can be out of sight and out of mind. Sula knows this and still takes pride in her work. Wanting to visit Earth proper, she arranges a trip down where events start to coalesce to form the premise of the book - who is trying to impersonate and discredit her? Why is the Manado company insisting on a military birth at the space station? And when is the volcano going to blow? Also a small shout out - the scene where the group needs to escape from the underground hotel - just neato!

I also enjoyed the reminder of the different aliens that now inhabit the universe and reside on Earth. There were just enough subtle touches to make them stand out from humans - needing a cooling system in a vest, no facial expressions, feather-like hair, and more. I love when an author can be subtle like that.

Recommended if you've read the Dread Empire's Fall books.



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Recipe reiew from 5/5/2019

What was supposed to be three new recipes this week, was changed to two when we got hit with a snowstorm on Wed with heavy blowing snow.  Not exactly grill friendly weather. Not friendly weather period.  I did find out later Duluth broke the record for largest snowfall in May, with 10" recorded at the airport.  I am quite ready for spring.

The Meal Plan
Sat (L) out             (S) brats
Sun (L)  Eggplnt Sandwiches   (S)  Chicken
Mon (Yoga)  leftover chicken
Tues - leftover sandwiches
Wed - Grilled Shrimp  Pasty
Thurs (Yoga) leftover Mexican from lunch
Fri - leftover pizza from lunch

Open-Face Roasted Eggplant and Herb Salad Pita "Sandwiches" (Eating Well, May 2019) vegetarian, with vegan option

I really enjoyed this dish, and would make it again in a moment.  I cut off about 30 minutes of cooking by grilling the eggplant rather than baking.   As I noted below, I grilled for 10 minutes, turning once.  Timing will depend upon the thickness of your slices of eggplant and how hot your grill is.  

The second modification was I poached my eggs rather than hard boil.  I love when the yolk is just a tich runny and mingled with the spices.  Mmm! 

I didn't have any preserved lemon, nor did I want to buy a jar so I omitted.  My co-op was out of lavash, so I used large pita.  I toasted the pita slightly before piling everything on top and serving.  Did I mention I really liked these?  I loved the cumin/tumeric dressing on top of the eggplant with the cumin and parsley salad combo.  Just a terrific burst of flavors.  Note, you can make this vegan by skipping the egg.  Recommended! 


Serves 4

photo from Eating Well

1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into ¾-inch-thick slices
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons, divided
¾ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
2 cups fresh parsley leaves with tender stems
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 whole-wheat lavash or large whole-wheat pita breads, halved and warmed
4 large hard-boiled eggs, sliced (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.  (Or preheat a grill to 350*)
 
Place eggplant on the prepared pan and brush with ⅓ cup oil, flipping and brushing on both sides until all the oil is absorbed. Season with ¼ teaspoon each pepper and salt. Bake the eggplant, turning once halfway, until soft and golden, 30 to 40 minutes total.   I grilled for 10 minutes, turning once.  Timing will depend upon the thickness of your slices of eggplant and how hot your grill is. 
 
Meanwhile, toss cilantro, parsley, onion, preserved lemon, lemon juice, turmeric and cumin with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
 
Top lavash (or pita) with the eggplant, herb mixture and eggs.


Crispy Chicken Thighs with Asparagus and Smashed Potatoes  (Food 52 Blog)
The Husband found this recipe and it seemed right up our alley.  There is some connection to Milk Street, but I don't remember what it was.  I would also add this is not a weeknight meal unless you got home early.  It's definitely an hour plus to assemble, though you do have time to tidy while waiting.

A couple of small changes - I cooked the bacon first, drained and set aside.  Then I used some of the rendered bacon fat to proceed with the asparagus and dressing.  The whole "smashing" bit with the potatoes didn't work and I noted in the picture that the potatoes weren't really "smashed" so much as lightly smooshed.  If that make sense.

Bottom line - this was very good.  Recommended for a Saturday or Sunday supper. 

Serves: 2 to 4
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 hrs

6 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

photo from Food52 blog

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken thighs
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 pound golf ball–sized red potatoes
1 pound asparagus, fibrous ends trimmed
4 thick slices bacon, roughly chopped into ¾-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Set a very large pot of water (about 6 quarts) over high heat to come to a boil. When it does, generously season it with salt (I estimate 1 tablespoon kosher salt per quart of water).

Add the olive oil to a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) and set over medium heat. Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. Add them to the skillet, skin side down. Cook like this, without moving, until the fat has rendered and the skin is deeply golden brown and crispy, 15 to 30 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed, reducing to medium-low if the skin begins to burn before it gets evenly brown.

When the salted water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook until knife-tender, about 10 minutes (start checking around 8 to avoid overcooking). Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove the potatoes to a plate where they can cool.

Let the water return to a boil, then add the asparagus. Boil for about 2 minutes, or until almost tender. Drain.

When the chicken thighs are crispy and deeply golden-brown on the bottom, flip. Continue cooking until the other side is deeply golden brown and the meat closest to the bone is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more.

When the potatoes are cool, use your palm, a glass, or a measuring cup to gently smush them. You want them as flat as possible, but not falling apart. When the asparagus is cool, chop the stalks into 1 ½-inch pieces.

When the chicken is done, transfer the thighs to a plate, but leave the all the fat in the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high. Immediately add the smashed potatoes to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until very crispy all over. Transfer the potatoes to a plate or platter, then discard the fat and wipe the pan.

Set the pan back over medium heat. Add the bacon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until just starting to crisp. Discard a couple spoonfuls of rendered fat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and stir. Toast until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus and stir. Cook for about 1 minute, just to warm, then add the Dijon, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Nestle the chicken thighs back in the pan.

Serve immediately with the smash-fried potatoes alongside

Redemption by David Baldacci (Amos Decker #5)

Redemption by David Baldacci

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Detective Amos Decker discovers that a mistake he made as a rookie detective may have led to deadly consequences in the latest Memory Man thriller in David Baldacci's #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Amos Decker and his FBI partner Alex Jamison are visiting his hometown of Burlington, Ohio, when he's approached by an unfamiliar man. But he instantly recognizes the man's name: Meryl Hawkins. He's the first person Decker ever arrested for murder back when he was a young detective. Though a dozen years in prison have left Hawkins unrecognizably aged and terminally ill, one thing hasn't changed: He maintains he never committed the murders. Could it be possible that Decker made a mistake all those years ago? As he starts digging into the old case, Decker finds a startling connection to a new crime that he may be able to prevent, if only he can put the pieces together quickly enough...

Read as an audio book.

Premise of the book is Amos and Jamison are back in Ohio, ostensibly on vacation so Decker can visit his family's graves. While there he is approached by a man - a man Decker put in prison - claiming his innocence. When Decker and Jamison agree to meet with him later, they find him murdered which sets of a whole series of events that draws Decker in like a moth to a porch light. Jamison is recalled to Washington, while Decker is determined to seek the truth about what actually happened on his first murder case as a homicide investigator, at the risk of losing everything he's regained.

This was an enjoyable enough "read". I didn't get overly irritated with Decker's repetitious statement's of "I only want the truth". Jamison was out of the picture for most of the book, but we got to see Melvin step into her place. Decker interacted more with his former homicide detective, Mary, than even Melvin or Jamison.

This isn't a perfect book by any means: the singular attempt on Decker's life didn't make any sense in the overall premise of the plot; the shear number of times he was knocked in the head made me roll my eyes rather than feel compassion for the plight of our protagonist (it was a lot); and some of the antagonists were rather transparent.

As for the mystery, I found it a tich over the top, but, hey, that's a Baldacci book. It's how Amos and the group figure "it" out that I find most interesting and engaging. I also can't decide if this was left on a bit of a cliffhanger, and we'll see aspects reappear in future books, or if this was a more singular scenario.

Recommended if you've read the first four. Start with Memory Man (#1) if this is a new to you series.



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Recipe Review from

And here I thought I had posted the weeks recipe...oops!   Uneventful week meal wise.  One recipe from Kevin Belton's New Orlean's Kitchen, and the one recipe below.



The Meal Plan
Sat (L)  out   (S)  Pork n grits
Sun (L) leftovers  (S) potato soup
Mon (yoga)  leftover soup
Tues - leftover soup
Wed - leftover soup
Thurs (yoga) more leftover soup
Fri (yoga) - brats

Lunches:  hummus sandwiches and fruit

Slow Cooked Loaded Potato Soup (Taste of Home Soups) 
This was super easy to assemble, and I simplified it a bit more.  I cooked the bacon first, then sauted the onion in some of the rendered bacon fat and proceeded with the recipe from there.  I don't like soggy bacon, so I left the bits out of the soup and added before serving with the grated cheese.  That's it!  

You can also skip the bacon and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish.  

Recommended. 

This made about 8 servings.

Photo from Taste of Home

2 large onions, chopped
3 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups water, divided
4 cups chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1-1/2 cups mashed potato flakes
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced


In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker.
 
Add the broth, potatoes, potato flakes, bacon, pepper, salt, basil, thyme and remaining water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream; heat through. Garnish with cheese and green onions.

The Dispatcher by John Scalzi

The Dispatcher by John Scalzi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb:  Listening Length: 2 hours and 18 minutes

One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life.

Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher - a licensed, bonded professional whose job is to humanely dispatch those whose circumstances put them in death's crosshairs, so they can have a second chance to avoid the reaper. But when a fellow Dispatcher and former friend is apparently kidnapped, Tony learns that there are some things that are worse than death and that some people are ready to do almost anything to avenge a supposed wrong.

It's a race against time for Valdez to find his friend before it's too late...before not even a Dispatcher can save him.

Read as an audio book.

This was awesome. An absolutely delightful melding of scifi and mystery in a nicely packaged novella that just worked.

The book blurb sums up the plot quite well, so I won't rehash. Zachary Quinto does a wonderful voice performance (Will Wheaton, you might have some competition here...). I enjoyed the fact that Scalzi didn't explain the "science" behind the whole 'if your murdered, you get to come back' aspect. Sometimes, some things just need to be left to the imagination.

I could gush more about Tony Valdez's character, I could wax poetic about Zachary's voice, but if you have enjoyed Scalzi's other books, AND you like murder mysteries, you'll probably like this one.

Go read it.



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Recipe Review from 4/21/2019

Spring is gradually coming to the Northland, and with it the typical temperature swings.  We'll get one day of 60*, then 40* the next day.  Rain, sun, and snow flurries.  Ya just never know when running out the door in the morning.

And with spring brings the Season of Mud and the joy of cleaning off 8 puppy paws.   Fun times.

The Meal Plan:
Sat/Sun - Minicon
Mon (yoga/bkgrp/Legion) - out
Tues - Sheet pan salmon with potatoes
Wed - Chicken Marsala
Thurs (yoga)  leftovers
Fri - leftovers

I reviewed the Sheet Pan Salmon from Cooks Country here.   Yeah, this was good and easy enough to make again. Tho I had forgotten it does take about an hour from pulling ingredients out of the fridge to putting plates on the table.  Advantage: I can clean up dishes while final cooking happens.  Still recommended!


Chicken and Mushroom Marsala (Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2019)
I'm starting to sense a theme with the Eating Well recipes...bland.  Now I don't consider myself a "hot head" with the need to put Tabasco on everything, but I do expect my dishes to have some flavor.  The last several EW recipes I've made, all of them were bland, bland, bland.   Given the ingredient list below, with shiitake, onion, thyme and Marsala, this should have had some good flavor profiles, but I found myself reaching for the salt shaker partway through eating.

Other than that observation, I made this as written.  Mostly...I did butterfly the chicken breasts because I'm finding they cook so much better and more evenly when I do so. 

I served this with green beans - but this would be good over mashed potatoes or polenta.  Recommended with some small reservations.

photo from eatingwell.com

4 chicken breast cutlets (4 ounces each, about ½ inch thick), trimmed
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus ⅛ teaspoon, divided
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
½ cup Marsala
½ cup unsalted chicken broth
½ tablespoon butter



Season chicken with ¼ teaspoon each pepper and salt. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge the cutlets in it, pressing gently to fully coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half the cutlets and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining cutlets. Cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and creminis to the pan; cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add shiitakes to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to the bowl and season with the remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt.



Add onion, thyme and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper to the pan; cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan. Stir in Marsala and broth, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce.

For We Are Many by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse #2)

For We Are Many by Dennis E. Taylor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Jacket blurb:  Bob Johansson didn't believe in an afterlife, so waking up after being killed in a car accident was a shock. To add to the surprise, he is now a sentient computer and the controlling intelligence for a Von Neumann probe.

Bob and his copies have been spreading out from Earth for 40 years now, looking for habitable planets. But that's the only part of the plan that's still in one piece. A system-wide war has killed off 99.9% of the human race; nuclear winter is slowly making the Earth uninhabitable; a radical group wants to finish the job on the remnants of humanity; the Brazilian space probes are still out there, still trying to blow up the competition; And the Bobs have discovered a spacefaring species that sees all other life as food.

Bob left Earth anticipating a life of exploration and blissful solitude. Instead he's become a sky god to a primitive native species, the only hope for getting humanity to a new home, and possibly the only thing that can prevent every living thing in the local sphere from ending up as dinner.

Read as an audio book.

The Bob's have multiplied and while some have gone forth to explore brave new worlds, many of early generations continue to carry out their self selected missions: Bob One is still reeling from being banished from the Deltan community and his friend Archimedes, he's also realizing what it means to be immortal as he watches over Archimedes and Archimedes growing family. Ricker, still suffering from the loss of Homer abd continues to pull humanity off of a destroyed earth. Ricker has reconnected with Bob's sisters family. Howard is struggling with the ramifications being in love. All the Bob's fear and loathe the coming of the Others and have vowed to do what the can to stop them.

This moved briskly along. There was more exploration of being a replicant AI and having emotions than in book one: love, loss, fear, anger, depression. There continues to be a subtle thread of sentience - of having the originators memories, but being one's own "soul".

The Bob's aren't perfect, they don't have all the answers, and for the most part, their hearts are in the right place. They feel guilt and remorse over actions taken that didn't turn out the way they anticipated. I did note some parallel and similar plot threads cropping up, but not similar enough to detract from the overall story arc.

I will note, this installment does end on a cliffhanger. Which frustrated me to no end as I was flying down the highway with a two hour drive in front of me, and couldn't download the next book in the series. Ah well, a break between books isn't a bad thing.

Recommended if you read book one.



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Recipe Review from 4/14/2019 and Minicon

An uneventful week, the latter half of which I was in the Cities for my yearly trip to Minicon, a science fiction convention in it's 54th year.  I have not been to all 54 years (not old enough), but I have been to 25.  I struggled to find panels of interest this year, and ended up at the Dave DeVries Digital Art Demonstration, Tai Chi, Qigong, Social implications of DNA testing, and the Finding Commonality panels.  The rest of the time I just hung out, hit a few yoga classes, and went out to eat.  All in all, a very relaxing weekend.

Restaurants of Note:
Salut Bar Americain,  Edina (50th and France)  French-American    A favorite of mine when I'm in the area.
Rojo Mexican Grill   St. Louis Park    Mexican-American   New to me restaurant - very good Spicy Shrimp tacos and best version of "fried rice" I've had yet.  I'd definitely go back.
Yard House  St. Louis Park    American sports pub.  100+ beers and ciders on tap if you like variety.  Shrimp taco's were very tasty.
Taste of India   St. Louis Park (Wayzata Blvd)   Indian.  Outstanding.  I end up here whenever I stay at this Doubletree.   

But I digress from the meal plan
Sun (L) Leftover soup   (S) Paella
Mon (yoga) leftover paella
Tues - more leftover paella
Wed - and leftover paella
Thurs - Sun  Minicon!

Caribbean Paella (Kevin Belton's New Orleans Kitchen)
And this is where I'm going point you in the direction of his cookbook, because this recipe didn't quite turn out for me.  Oh, it tasted good, but I ended up with Caribbean risotto and not paella.  I suspect it was because I became impatient and instead of adding the water 1 tablespoon at a time, I did it by the 1/2 cup.

So. Yeah.  Risotto.  Good risotto though, with andouille sausage, chicken and shrimp all topped off with a hit of Tabasco sauce for heat.    But not paella. 

We Are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse #1)

We Are Legion We Are Bob by Dennis E. Taylor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.

Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.

The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad - very mad.

Read as an audio book.

I picked this book up on Audible because nothing else was grabbing my fancy. I was in "a mood" and needed something...different, quirky, and a bit humorous. This was perfect.

Book blurb(s) summarize the book fairly accurately given the someone complex nature of the plot. Bob dies early, tragically, and just after signing papers that would have his head frozen and preserved. When he is revived nearly 100 years later, the society he knew is gone, AI's (and thus Bob) have no rights, and it's a race to the stars.

The first part of the book really kept my attention as Bob navigates being "brought back to life" so to speak as a computer. It was interesting how the author explored things such as sentience, sensory deprivation, cloning, and being self-aware. I really enjoyed that aspect.

The second half of the book, as the Bob's multiply and go forth into corners of space to tackle their respective challenges, I felt the plots became bogged down a bit and I found myself drifting off into other thoughts and had to "rewind" more than once.

I also felt the narrator did a very good performance, and while I didn't care for all of his voices, I appreciated the effort to make certain Bob's sound different to the extent possible, and our Deltan's even more different than the Bobs.

I will also add, while this doesn't quite end on a cliffhanger, not all plot lines are resolved. So...I may be reading more. Recommended.



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Recipe Review from 4/8/2018

Last week was kinda a busy and weird. Husband was out of town for the first part of the week for a work function.I was busy with work and my classes. Then Snow-mageddon hit on Thursday and Friday which shut down half the City, but not where I work. And it all ended in my first ever Meditation workshop which I still have mixed thoughts about.

But with all of that, a handful of new recipes were made.I can post two of the three, the Roast Duck with Bourbon Gravy and Boudin Stuffing was just too long to retype.

The Meal Plan from last week:
Sat (L) Leftovers(S)Pizza
Sun (L) Chicken Parmesan (S) Roast Duck
Mon (yoga/Husband out) leftover parmesan
Tues (Husband out) leftover parmesan
Wed - leftover duck
Thurs (Snowstorm!) leftover boudin stuffing with a brat
Fri- Country Fish Chowder


Roast Duck with Bourbon Gravy and Boudin Stuffing(Kevin Belton, New Orleans Kitchen)

Apologies, but this recipe was just a bit to much to type out and it's not available on the website.  And alas, I seem to have deleted my picture!  Phooey.

This was easier than I anticipated, but found the order of assembly and cooking needed to be flipped. The recipe starts with cooking the duck, then making the gravy (all which went very smoothly!) and then making the stuffing...which needed 45 minutes to bake! So now I have my duck and gravy sitting on the stove while I wait for the stuffing when I could have had the stuffing baking, and have been assembling the duck and gravy.

Oh well. It still turned out awesome. I would make this again (swapping the assembly order) and I would make this for company. Go check out the cook book, it's pretty awesome and a lot of fun recipes.


Country Fish Chowder (Taste of Home Soups)
Oh my! This was GOOD! And so easy to assemble. I did a handful of modifications - I skipped the bacon (didn't have any on hand); I used frozen corn and then added one cup of broth for the additional liquid; and I used cod, then cut into 1" pieces.The recipe has you cooking the cod separately, which is NOT necessary.

Serve with warm crusty bread, saltine crackers and cheese, or a side salad. I also put some Tabasco sauce on the table for a little hit of heat. I plan on making this again and again. Recommended!

Made about 9 servings (three suppers for two, and three lunches for one)

Photo from Taste of Home

1 cup chopped onion
4 bacon strips, chopped (I skipped)3 cans (12 ounces each) evaporated milk
1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, undrained
(I used 1 1/2 cups frozen corn and 1 cup stock)
1 can (6-1/2 ounces) chopped clams, undrained
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound fish fillets (haddock, cod or flounder), cut into 1" pieces
Crumbled cooked bacon, optional
Minced chives, optional

In a large saucepan, cook onion and bacon over medium heat until onion is tender; drain. Add milk, corn, clams, potatoes, butter, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in fish and [cook for 10 more minutes or until fish is flaky]. Ladle into bowls. If desired, top with bacon and chives.

Skillet Chicken Parmesan (Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2019)
This was easy to make and I actually made it as written with the exception of butterflying the chicken for faster and more even cooking.

This was also one of the blandest dishes I've made in a while.  Even the Husband commented on how bland it was - as in...no flavor bland.  In hindsight, you would be better off buying a jar of your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce and using two cups of that instead of flavorless tomato sauce.  Because seriously, a couple cloves of garlic just weren't enough to boost the seasonings.

Recommended with reservations.

This does make four servings. 

photo from Eating Well

¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
4 chicken breast cutlets (4 ounces each, about ½ inch thick)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
(My notes: use a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce)
1 cup torn fresh basil, divided
¾ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Position rack in middle of oven; preheat broiler to high.

Place panko in a shallow dish and dredge cutlets in it, pressing gently to fully coat.

Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; add half the cutlets and cook until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with 1½ tablespoons oil and the remaining cutlets. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and garlic to the pan; cook, stirring often, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the cutlets into the sauce in the pan. Top with ½ cup basil, mozzarella and Parmesan. Transfer the pan to the oven.