People watching is one of my favorite activities. Trying to guess the backgrounds of strangers, wondering what they are up to, maybe concocting a back story for them in my mind. For Baltimore private investigator Tess Monaghan, ordered to bed rest in her third trimester of pregnancy, people watching becomes a way to relieve her boredom, trapped on her winterized sun porch watching the dog walkers in the park outside. A miniature greyhound in a celery green jacket and its blond female owner in her matching green raincoat catch Tess's eye and she begins to look for them each afternoon until one evening the dog appears on it's own, leash still attached but the girl in the green raincoat is nowhere to be found. Tess is bound and determined to stick her nose into it and solve the mystery, even if it's from her bed.
"The Girl in the Green Raincoat" by Laura Lippman started as a serial in the New York Times and has now been published as a mystery novella for the first time. It's a quick read, about 160 pages, similar in theme to Hitchcock's "Rear Window" and with good pacing, twists and engaging characters. Tess Monaghan is the main character in 10 previous books by Lippman, but it is not necessary to have read them to enjoy this book. (However do be forewarned that after reading this book, you will likely end up with a new series to read--after finishing the story I wanted more and promptly downloaded the first two books of the series on my Kindle.) Lippman's background as a journalist for the Baltimore Sun helps give her writing a realistic feel and my only complaint about the book is that it ended too soon, I wanted more time with Tess and her family and friends.
In addition to people watching, another favorite pastime of mine is connecting the books I read to food and interpreting dishes from them. And of course at the end of the day this is a food blog so I feel I *must* relate things to food. ;-) For me "The Girl in the Green Raincoat" translated to lettuce wraps, after all what better green raincoat could there be? Since Tess appears to enjoy her food and a variety of ethnic foods, I decided to make Curried Fish in Green Lettuce Wraps.
No real recipe needed here--this is a simple dish of chopped veggies and stir fried curried fish (in this case a local Monchong--flaky, tender and mild), topped with cilantro and peanuts and served with a zippy dressing of non-fat Greek yogurt and sweet chili sauce, so we'll do it in the style of a Mark Bittman recipe "sketch."
Curried Fish in Green Lettuce Wraps
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
Mix 1/2 non-fat plain Greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp of sweet chili sauce or shriacha.
Julienne a variety of vegetables like carrot, cucumber, red pepper and daikon and set aside. Cut mild, white fish into small chunks and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and your favorite curry powder to taste. Saute fish in a little olive oil in a medium pan at medium heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes, stirring often.
On small lettuce leaves, layer the julienned vegetables. Top with the warm fish and sprinkle with cilantro and chopped, roasted peanuts. Serve with spicy yogurt sauce.
Notes/Results:
For the lettuce wraps: A whole lot of flavor and a healthy dish that takes less than 20 minutes to make--mostly chopping. The combination of crunchy cool veggies and warm fish is always delicious. You can of course switch out your veggies and what type of greens you are wrapping them with, and for a veggie option you can substitute chopped tofu for the fish. An easy appetizer or light meal.
For the book: I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Lippman. If you like a good mystery with a great female lead character and witty writing, you will like this book.
Obligatory Disclaimer: I was sent a review copy of this book by TLC Book Tours but was not compensated for this review or influenced by anyone--as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.
For more blogger feedback on this book you can check out the other Blog Tour Stops for "The Girl in the Green Raincoat" here.
So, what are you reading? And eating? ;-)
sounds like a great book and I love all this color in your dish!
ReplyDeleteYour interpretation, with the green lettuce wraps acting as a raincoat, is just adorable. And the curried fish sounds so tasty. Beautiful job with this recipe!
ReplyDeleteOH, I love it! Must find this book, too. Delicious Deb :D
ReplyDeleteVery clever interpretation of both the book and the fish taco! Love this!
ReplyDeleteI love the connection you made between the book and the wraps!
ReplyDeleteThese lettuce wraps with curried fish sound very unique and delicious, great recipe!
ReplyDeleteYes, what better food match for a green raincoat than a leaf of lettuce?! Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed the book and that you found a new series to delve into. Thanks for being a part of the tour.
What a great interpretation! Lovely dish and the book sounds great as well. I am so behind on my reading ... I adore reading and read all the time ... before the kids (yeah I'll blame them!). I've really got to get down to reading again.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like one of those books that you happily read in one sitting. I will have to check it out, along with the series.
ReplyDeleteI had to giggle when you wrote a recipe sketch a la Bittman. Love that. The lettuce wraps were a perfect representation of the book. Love all the possibilities for fillings.
I've been thinking about what dishes I might be able to bring to a late Chinese New Year's potluck next week, and this looks like it fits the bill, one that this is portable, and satisfying.
ReplyDeleteHi Deb, Sounds like a great book and the Lettuce Wraps with dip is just the type of Asian dish that I can't get enough of. Now reading "Woman on Top" for the Food n Flix blog group. I love this idea!
ReplyDeleteYour lettuce wraps sound wonderful Deb! Full of flavor and fun to eat. Love how you 'sketched' it! The book sounds like a good read too with unique plot. You made me want to read more.
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