The Book Tour Stops Here: A Partial Review of The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm, Served with Penne with Roasted Eggplant Puree

Last year I was on the TLC Book Tour for The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor by Patricia Crisafulli, the first book in the Ohnita Harbor Mystery Series and today, I am happy to be a stop on the tour for book two, The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm. This will be a partial review as I was having challenges with my e-book ARC and it's taking me longer than I expected to read it. So, I'll just post my initial thoughts along with a recipe inspired by my reading. 

Publisher's Blurb:

On a beautiful September afternoon, a hike through the pristine wild of Still Waters Chasm become a path of mystery and deadly danger for Gabriela Domenici and her boyfriend, Daniel Red Deer. First, they take a side trail to an inexplicable construction site in the middle of the woods, where every tree has been cut down and a huge truck bearing strange-looking equipment is parked in the middle. As they continue their hike to the lake, they find a man convulsing with his last breaths, not far from the lifeless body of a woman. After going for help, Gabriela and Daniel return to the scene—only to find the two people and their canoe and gear are gone. It seems impossible that two bodies could revive and leave on their own, but there is no other explanation. 

When she conducts a library outreach program in the rural Town of Livery, near Still Waters Chasm, Gabriela discovers a community that is both curious and suspicious. There, she meets Lucinda Nanz, an herbalist whose encyclopedic knowledge of plants for help and harm is both fascinating and troubling, and Wendy Haughton, a young woman who desperately wants to sell an old drawing of unknown origin so she can escape her abusive husband. Despite the state police's warnings to stay out of the investigation, and Daniel's urging to not get involved, Gabriela cannot stay away from Livery and Still Waters Chasm—which puts her on a collision course with yet another murder and people who will stop at nothing to prevent her from getting too close to the truth that could destroy chasm. 

Publisher: Woodhall Press (September 5, 2023)

Paperback: 220 pages

My Thoughts So Far:

I am at about 35% of the book and find myself caught up in the story. Gabriela is suffering from PTSD from the first book when she was nearly killed. (I won't say more due to spoilers and I do always recommend starting at the beginning of a series even if there is enough info given to catch you up on what happened in the second book.) Being a book lover, I like that Gabriela is a Director of Circulation and Head of Programing of the Ohnita Harbor Library (which is in a castle-like building in town). In this book she is trying too create can outreach program in a local community in nearby Still Waters Chasm but some mysterious goings on and a couple of murders are getting in the way. I will come back and give my full review soon as I think, even though it's a challenge with the ARC format, I really want to know what happens. 

Food Inspiration: 

Even at 35% in, there is plenty of food in this book. Gabriela and her Italian mother cook frequently so there is mention of eggplant parmigiana, pasta, salad, steak, meatballs, cookies, lemonade, fruit punch, tea, berries, maple syrup, salmon, eggs, bread, pies, preserves, potatoes, apples, honey, zucchini, chard, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, bananas, yogurt, milk, popcorn, fried perch, Cobb salad, fish sandwich and fries, beer and red wine so far. 

For my bookish dish, I decided on pasta with eggplant as Gabriela's mother, Agnese, says Gabriela's son eats too much pasta when she finds out she is serving leftover eggplant farm to her boyfriend for dinner and planning to feed Ben Can there be such a thing?

Giada's Penne with Roasted Eggplant Puree is an old favorite. I posted this recipe in 2011.

Penne with Roasted Eggplant Puree
Adapted from "Giada's Kitchen" by Giada De Laurentiis
(4 to 6 Servings)

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, whole (I used 5 cloves)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (I used feta cheese)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red

pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.

Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

My Notes/Results: This makes a nice chunky sauce with good flavor. I like the combination of the roasted veggies with the coolness of the mint and the slight kick from the red pepper. I used 5 large cloves of garlic in mine and liked the extra flavor--since it roasts along with the eggplant and tomato it doesn't overpower. I think the Parmesan called for in the recipe would have been good too, but I couldn't resist adding the feta--which I needed to use up anyway, and it went nicely with the mint and pine nuts. I used a multi-grain penne pasta to get a little more fiber in and the thick sauce held up well to it. This is a great hearty vegetarian dish, although adding a little sausage certainly would be delicious too. 

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Note: A review copy of "The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.  

You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and learn what other reviewers thought about the book below.

Thursday, September 28th: @donasbooks

Thursday, September 28th: @subakka.bookstuff and Subakka.bookstuff

Friday, September 29th: @strandedinchaos9438

Monday, October 2nd: @aimeedarsreads

Wednesday, October 4th: @paws.read.repeat 

Friday, October 6th: @fashionablyfifty

Monday, October 9th: Bookchickdi

Wednesday, October 11th:  Kahakai Kitchen

Thursday, October 12th: @kristens.reading.nook

Sunday, October 15th: @literally_lit_in_miami 

Monday, October 16th: What is That Book About

Wednesday, October 18th: Girl Who Reads

Thursday, October 19th: @always_reading1

Friday, October 20th: @chicagobooklover 

Monday, October 23rd: Books Cooks Looks

Friday, November 3rd: @welovebigbooksandwecannotlie

TBD: Friday, September 29th: Laura’s Reviews

 

Five Bowls of Chilis I Still Think About for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's still in the mid 80s (Fahrenheit) here mostly, but today is a bit cooler and rainy, and it puts me in mind of a big bowl of chili. So here's a roundup of some great chilis I have enjoyed from out I Heart Cooking Clubs featured chefs. 

First up is the Espresso Black Bean Chili that I adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. Rich and well-balanced, the coffee flavor comes through but doesn't overpower. 

Another on the non-traditional but delicious side is Pierce Street Vegetarian Chili by Heidi Swanson. Lentils. chickpeas, bulguer, and barley make it hearty and satisfying. 

Not a bean fan? Giada's Vegetarian Chili Verde is full of veggies and flavor and perfect for Fall. 

An easy and more traditional chili is Mark Bittman's Simple Chili from Scratch. I jazzed it up a bit and used plant-based crumbles to make it meat-free.

Another more traditional chili that I made meat-free was Rick Bayless' "The World's Greatest Chili" adapted from Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures. While "World's Best" is maybe a bit strong, it was very good. 

For other great chili recipes just look at the tag on my sidebar. 

I'm linking up this post up at I Heart Cooking Clubs where this week's theme is Warming Soups and Stews. 

Now let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen: 

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor tried a soup from Tieghan Gerard, saying, "The theme this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs is warming soups and stews. There were a few on my menu planning such as gumbo and a chicken gnocchi soup but I decided on the Broccoli Cheddar with Seasoned Pretzels. ... After making this I know I will, more than likely, return to a different broccoli cheddar soup recipe as this one didn’t turn out as I hoped."

Kim of Stirring the Pot said, "I've been wanting to make Tieghan's Healthier Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup for ages. A creamy soup with cheesy tortellini that is loaded with veggies and still somewhat healthy? Yes, please! It just ticks all the boxes for me! ... This is my FAVORITE Half-Baked Harvest recipe yet and will most likely be one of my favorite recipes of the year! If you're in need of comfort or warming up, you seriously need to make this! "

Melynda of Scratch Made Food shared two recipes this week. First up, a tasty soup, She says, "Terrific Turkey Soup with Lima Beans and Barley is our favorite after Thanksgiving soup! It is chock full of all the good things one needs on a cold winter's day. Rich bone broth, lots of veggies, and of course chunks of that delicious turkey from the day before..."

Next is a salad. Melynda says, "Kale Apple and Carrot Slaw, is the perfect salad to introduce a raw kale to the family! Plus this salad is so good, you don't need to be worried about anyone NOT liking it! Kale Apple and Carrot Slaw, is not too sweet, and everyone I know loves it...my guess is, so will you."

Thank you Tina Kim and Melynda for joining me this week! 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!

A Few Favorite Giada De Laurentiis Summery Soups for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

I really intended on making a new soup this week but life sometimes gets in the way. I am waiting to see if Max, my 17-year-old diabetic cat needs to go to the emergency vet to get "unclogged" today--a fate both of us would prefer to avoid, and so starting something on the stove seemed like not a great idea.

So I am back to a recap of summer-worthy soups I have enjoyed. This week, I am grabbing five soups from Giada De Laurentiis that are great for summer. 

Giada's Corn & Tomato Soup with Basil is summer in a bowl!

Arugula and mascarpone elevate her Italian Vichyssoise.

Her Artichoke Soup with Fresh Mint is good hot or cold. 

Although I made it in the winter months, Giada's Vegetarian Chili Verde works equally well in the summer.

If you can still get good asparagus where you live, her Asparagus Soup with Herbed Goat Cheese is delicious. 

I am linking these 5 soups up at I Heart Cooking Clubs where it is Put It In a Bowl week. 

Let see who is in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week!

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor is a woman after my own heart, making a Chicken Stew for a One-Pot Meal {Because of course you eat a hot meal with a 102 degree heat index!} She says, "This is a stew of chunks of chicken, black and red beans, sauteed onion and yellow peppers, half a can of tomatoes and chicken broth.  It's very thick and I imagine it would be great over rice but we just ate a bowl as it is for dinner. We had leftovers too :-)"

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared her Easy Pasta Salad - Healthy, Vegan and Gluten Free, saying, "Mixed with any kind of vegetable, the new high protein pastas, which are on all the supermarket shelves, are a great base for a quick and easy healthy meal, and you can be as creative as you like with the variety of vegetables that you add to the salad."

Kim of Stirring the Pot brought this tasty-looking (but multi-step and dish) Broccoli & Kale Salad from Ina Garten (part of her Summer Slim Down series of posts). Kim says, "One plus about this salad is that it would make a lovely lunch or dinner for entertaining. You could prep all the ingredients beforehand and toss it altogether when the guests arrived. You could also prep all these ingredients and then meal prep this salad for lunches throughout the week. In fact, that's what I will likely do. This salad is hearty, healthy, beautiful, and delicious, but it will yield an entire sink of dirty dishes and a rather messy kitchen so be forewarned!"

Finally, earlier in the week at Kahakai Kitchen, I made a Deconstructed Shrimp Po' Boy with Remoulade Dressing that was just the thing for a hot summer evening's meal. I added some leftover red beans and rice to make it a heartier salad, and wanted to smother everything with the dressing! So good!

Thanks everyone for hanging out with me this week! 

 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!

 

Giada's (Alphabet) Pastina Soup: Quick and Easy Comfort for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I first made Giada's Pastina Soup back in 2016 although I have made variations many time since. It's just a simple broth pasta that tastes great when you want something comforting that takes you back to childhood. Last time I used acini di pepe but this time, the grocery store had alphabet pasta, which is always fun. 

This is a soup you can add and take away from based on what you like and what you have. 

Pastina Soup
Slightly Adapted from Happy Cooking by Giada De Laurentiis 
(Serves 4) 

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 shallots, minced (I used frozen sautéed glazed onions)
3 sprigs thyme (I used dried 21 Seasoning Salute Trader Joe's)
sea salt
1 (2-inch) piece parmesan cheese rind
1 quart chicken or veggie stock (homemade or low-sodium)
1 1/4 cups star-shaped pastina or other small pasta (I used alphabet pasta)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional)

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, celery, carrot and shallots and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the parmesan rind, stock and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta and stir with a wooden spoon to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Return to a simmer and cook 8 to 10 minutes more, or until the pasta is cooked and the liquid is slightly thickened.

Remove the thyme sprigs and parmesan rind. Stir in the peas. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with grated parmesan and lemon zest, if desired.

Notes/Results: Just a simple, comforting soupy pasta hug in a bowl and what I was craving. The alphabets were fun although I think I prefer a chewier pasta in it rather than softer. I do suggest a good broth since this is such a simple soup and the grated parmesan and lemon zest on top are a nice touch. If you wanted to make a vegan version, I'd recommend using a good veggie broth and stirring in a bit of miso and nutritional yeast to give it that touch of umami the cheese provides. As Giada states, this is a very stewy, risotto-like soup so if you want more broth, reduce the pasta to 3/4 cup and/or add more stock. I would happily make it again.

Linking up to IHCC where it's April Potluck Week.

Let's see who is here in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week: 

Radha of Magical Ingredients for a Wholesome Life From the Heart of My Home brought a Quick Veggie Salad to share this week. She says, "Simple is best. This is a simple, healthy, and quick salad which can be made in minutes with the veggies that you will always have in hand. This is my go to salad always. I don't make very specific dressings for salad every time. I like this kind which doesn't have any oil but at the same time gives a wonderful flavor with crunchy veggies. The lime juice brings out the flavors of the individual components." 

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen says, "I harvested some perpetual spinach for dinner; and made this All in One dish of Perpetual Spinach, Chickpea Minestrone with Macaroni for lunch, that served us over two days. Once in the evening, hot out of the oven and the other day: room temperature for lunch. Its such an easy dish to make, you just add all the ingredients: minced onions, crushed garlic, shredded spinach, chopped tinned tomatoes, macaroni pasta and chickpeas, in a deep dish and then add flavourings: herbs, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetable stock and then put in the oven to cook and swell. Stir a couple of times, then serve."

Thank you to Radha and Shaheen for joining me this week!

 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!