Scampi Pasta for Cook the Books Dec/Jan Selection: Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman

Even when I host the selection for Cook the Books, our bi-monthly virtual foodie book club, I still manage to be the last entry in! 

I selected the novel, Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman, for our because it had been hanging out on my Kindle TBR pile for ages and I thought the story of a friendship between two women, several decades apart in age, would be light and charming.

 Here's the blurb from the publisher:

An unlikely friendship between two stubborn, lonely souls anchors this big-hearted book and dares us all to ask for more. 

When her life falls apart on the eve of her 40th birthday, Kate Parker finds herself volunteering at the Lauderdale House for Exceptional Ladies. There she meets 97-year-old Cecily Finn. Cecily's tongue is as sharp as her mind, but she's fed up with pretty much everything. 

Having no patience for Kate's choices in life or love, Cecily prescribes her a self-help book...of sorts. Thought for Food: an unintentionally funny 1950s cookbook high on enthusiasm, featuring menus for anything life can throw at the "easily dismayed," such as: 

• Breakfast with a Hangover 

• Tea for a Crotchety Aunt 

• Dinner for a Charming Stranger

As she and Cecily break out of their ruts, Kate will learn far more than recipes. 

I will say that it took  me a while to get into the book. I found both Kate and Cecily to be annoying in different ways, but eventually both characters grew on me and I found myself rooting for Kate and understanding and liking Cecily. Although she was brusque and domineering, she had Kate's best interests at heart and pushed her toward better and happier life choices.

The cookbook snippets and menu titles were probably my favorite thing about the book. I would love to have a copy of Thought for Food: A Cookbook for Entertaining Occasions by Esther Shavin on my shelves. I just wish there had be some recipes included. 

Overall, once I got into the book, I enjoyed this story and friendship. It made me smile and it made me tear up. I am happy that it finally made it out of the bottomless pit of my TBR. 

There was plenty of food inspiration in the book, between the dishes Kate cooked and ideas in the cookbook. Ultimately, I wanted pasta and was at first going to make a carbonara. Then, although I should take points off because Kate cooked it as part of a meal for her useless boyfriend Nick, I got intrigued by the fried scampi that was part of "Dinner for the Man You Hope to Marry." I decided to just combine the scampi (non-fried) with buttery, garlicky noodles for one. I call it "A Quick But Indulgent Dinner When You are Tired as Hell."  Yes, I did throw it in a blow (bright yellow/gold to sorta match the cover of the book) and eat it on my couch with chopsticks because sometimes noodles eaten with chopsticks are just more fun. 

Quick and Easy Scampi Pasta for One (or Two If You Must)
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

About 1/2 lb pasta--I like linguine, dried or fresh
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon coarsely-minced garlic
1/2 lb jumbo or colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen easy peel extra jumbo 16-20)
sea salt  and black pepper to taste

1/3 cup white wine or chicken stock
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in water (salted like the sea) and according to package directions.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a saucepan over medium high heat with the olive oil and add in the garlic and shrimp. Season with salt and  black pepper to taste. Stir continuously, turning shrimp until it just turns pink, about 2-3 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp

Pour in the white wine or chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Stir in lemon juice and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat with the butter. 

Top with parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately. 

Notes/Results: Butter, garlic, noodles, shrimp... need I say more? You could add capers or crushed red pepper flakes if you are inclined and up the amount of cheese (I didn't realize I was almost out). Excuse the bad photos, I came home from work tired as hell, tossed it together and ate it on the couch with chopsticks while I binge-watched the first four episodes of Poker Face on the Peacock channel which I think is going to be a new favorite. Like Columbo only with Natasha Lyonne.   

As this round is over, I will be rounding up the entries at the Cook the Books site in the next few days. If you missed this round and like food and books and foodie books, please join us for our February/March selection, The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan, hosted by my fellow Hawaii blogger, Claudia of Honey From Rock.

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "This Place of Wonder" by Barbara O'Neal, Served with Three Garlic Soup Recipes

Aloha! I am excited to be today's stop on the TLC book tour for This Place of Wonder, a new novel by Barbara O'Neal. Accompanying my review are a few recipes for Garlic Soup, inspired by my reading.

 Publisher's Blurb:

In the wake of a personal tragedy, four women face the past, their futures, and each other in a novel of broken ties and healing by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

When famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies, he leaves behind a celebrated reputation?and four women grappling with loss, anger, pain, and the question of how the world will turn without him…

Meadow, the ex-wife with whom Augustus built an empire–and a family–still holds a place for him in her heart, even as she continues to struggle with his infidelities, which ended their twenty-year marriage. More unforgiving is Maya, his estranged daughter, who’s recently out of rehab but finally ready to reclaim her life. Norah, his latest girlfriend, sidelined her own career for unexpected love and a life of luxury, both of which are now gone with Augustus. And then there’s Rory, Meadow’s daughter, the voice of calm and reason in a chorus of discontent.

As Meadow, Maya, Norah, and Rory are flung together by tragedy, grief, and secrets yet to be revealed, they must accept–or turn away from–the legacy of great intentions and bad decisions Augustus left them. And when the circumstances around his death are called into question, their conflicted feelings become even more complicated. But moving forward is the only choice they have, and to do so, they’ll need to rely on family, friendship, and inner strength.

Set on the stunning, rugged California coastline, This Place of Wonder is an emotional, lush, and empowering story of four women finding their way in a changed world–and what a wondrous journey it will be.

Hardcover: 316 Pages 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (July 19, 2022) 

 My Review:

I love Barbara O'Neal's books. I think I have read almost all of them and reviewed three here (The Art of Inheriting Secrets, When We Believed in Mermaids, and Write My Name Across the Sky). She writes about families and family dramas, relationships and romance, and often about second chances and characters forging new paths and finding themselves. They are wonderful summer reads and usually contain some delicious food mentions woven into the story. 

This Place of Wonder contains all of the above, about four women according to the blurb (but told from the viewpoints of three of them), all impacted by the life and death of one larger-than-life famous chef. Augustus Beauvais was married to Meadow and together they created a California food empire with a restaurant and a farm. They also created a blended family, his daughter, Maya and her daughter, Rory. Augustus left Maya's addict mother for Meadow and then ultimately cheated on and left Meadow for a string of younger women, lastly Norah, a writer who journeyed to California to meet and write about Meadow and ended up living with and loving Augustus. Maya is in rehab for a drinking problem that reached the tipping point when her husband cheated on her and she burnt their vineyard to the ground. Estranged and bearing resentment for Augustus's betrayal of her and the family, her world is rocked when he suddenly dies. Meadow still loves him and grieves him despite their breakup, and Norah has her settled life with Augustus torn away when Meadow kicks her out of the house to make room for Maya, who leaves her recovery program early with his death. The story is told from their points of view and Rory, happily married with her third child on the way doesn't get to tell her story, but grieves her adopted father heavily. 

There are lots of secrets and family drama which only escalates when the police investigate Augustus's death, believing it was more than a heart attack. I was immediately caught up in the story of the women who loved a very complicated man. Barbara O'Neil's writing is beautiful and evocative whether sh is describing the California coast, a bowl of soup, a growing garden, or a family home. There is romance for one character in the book but the relationship between the women is what stands out and watching them grow. This Place of Wonder is the kind of book that sneaks into your heart as you read it, and it made me wish it was longer so I could spend more time with these strong and endearing women. 

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Author Notes: Barbara O’Neal is the author of more than a dozen novels of women’s fiction, including: Write My Name Across the Sky, The Lost Girls of Devon, When We Believed in Mermaids, The Art of Inheriting Secrets, and How to Bake a Perfect Life. Her award-winning books have been published in nearly two dozen countries, including France, England, Poland, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Germany, and Brazil. Barbara lives in the stunningly beautiful city of Colorado Springs with her husband, a British endurance athlete who vows he’ll never lose his accent.

Connect with Barbara on her website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Food Inspiration: There is plenty of food in This Place of Wonder as it centers around a restaurant/farm family. It was a passage about Maya cooking her father's famous garlic soup that made me crave a bowl. 

"...I taste the soup, garlic sprinkled with Parmesan, layered with parsley, and I have to pause and close my eyes." 

Garlic soup is comfort food--simple fare that is restorative and perfect for when you don't want to make a huge effort. Here are three Garlic Soup recipes I love: 

Richard Olney's Garlic Soup, Heidi Swanson's Variation: A lovely bowl of creamy garlic heaven!

Garlic Soup Adapted from Jacques Pépin: Simple and flavorful!

Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup) From Love Soup by Anna Thomas: A few more ingredients but still simple and delicious!

While none of these soups are exactly like the one in the book, they are all like a tasty hug in a bowl.   

Note: A review copy of "This Place of Wonder" 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.

Review Tour Stops: 

Monday, July 11th: @books_wine_and_sunshine

Wednesday, July 13th: @purrfectpages

Friday, July 15th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife

Monday, July 18th: @books_n_yogapants

Tuesday, July 19th: @booksandcoffeemx

Tuesday, July 19th: Kritter’s Ramblings

Wednesday, July 20th: Reading Reality

Thursday, July 21st: The Baking Bookworm

Friday, July 22nd: @aimeedarsreads

Monday, July 25th: @jenniaahava

Thursday, July 28th: @bookshelfmomma

Friday, July 29th: The Bookish Dilettante

Monday, August 1st: @cmtloveswineandbooks

Wednesday, August 3rd: @kristens.reading.nook

Sunday, August 7th: @welovebigbooksandwecannotlie

Monday, August 8th: 5 Minutes for Books

Friday, August 12th: Girl Who Reads

 

Tofu Tom Kha Soup for Cook the Books June/July Selection: A Cook's Tour & Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Hello Friends! It's been a while again I am afraid. Still not doing much in the kitchen but, every now and then, I pop in and make something I am craving like this Tofu Tom Kha Soup inspired by Thailand and my book-inspired dish for Cook the Books and our June/July pick of A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines (or my e-book's subtitle: In Search of the Perfect Meal) by Anthony Bourdain, hosted by Claudia of Honey From Rock. (See her post here)

According to Goodreads (as I wasn't sure) I first read A Cook's Tour back in 2002. I was a bit shocked that it was 20 years ago, which made my reread of it almost like reading it for the first time. This time, having lost the great Anthony Bourdain in 2018, it was a very bittersweet journey through the pages. Also, although lapsed at times, my mostly vegetarian lifestyle probably led me to squirm a little more while reading it (poor little piggy, especially...) than when I was a full-blown carnivore. I was happy to revisit Bourdain's stellar food writing. Although he is rough around the edges, his love and respect for food and food traditions and his ability to make even the dubious to downright nasty sound anywhere from possibly edible to downright delicious are unmatched. I especially enjoyed his times in Asia--Vietnam and Cambodia where I have not journeyed yet to Tokyo where I spent a lot of time but not as adventurously as Bourdain. I really think you can't go wrong with any of Bourdain's books or shows, as sad as they are to read and watch with him gone. The world truly lost a talent and I appreciated getting him back for a bit with this book. 

For my dish inspiration, I was going to make a Vegetarian Pho Soup based on Bourdain's Vietnam travels. but at the last minute I was really craving Thai flavors and creamy coconut milk so I tossed together a Tofu Tom Kha Soup. It's not traditional and I took some shortcuts but it totally hit the spot. 

Quick and Easy Tofu Tom Kha Soup

By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes About 4 Servings)

2 Tbsp peanut oil or other cooking oil
2 lemongrass stalks, peeled and bruised (or 1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Lemon Grass Paste)

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (or 2 cubes Dorot frozen crushed ginger)

1- 2 Tbsp Thai Yellow or Red Curry Paste
4 cup non-chicken/vegetable stock
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, torn

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1 can baby corn

1 can straw mushrooms 

8-oz tofu pressed and cubed (or 1 package Nasoya Baked Sesame Ginger Tofu, 7 oz) 
1 pinch brown sugar
2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 can (400 ml) of coconut milk
400 ml canned coconut milk
fresh lime juice to taste
Thai basil to garnish

Add the peanut oil to a large pot over medium heat and add lemongrass stalks and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add curry paste and cook another minute or two. 
Pour the stock into the pot and add the kaffir lime leaves, carrots, baby corn, and mushrooms and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the tofu, sugar, and soy sauce and cook another 5 minutes. 
Reduce heat add the coconut milk and stir for 2 minutes, not letting it boil. Add lime lime juice to taste. Serve with chopped Thai basil and enjoy!

Notes/Results: I love Thai soups--the blend of creamy and tangy with the lime leaves and juice so this was a great way to avoid takeout. The shortcuts came from the pantry--the curry paste, canned baby corn and straw mushrooms, and the freezer and fridge--lemon grass paste, cubes of frozen ginger and pre-marinated and baked tofu. All added lots of flavor. I am a mild spice person, especially lately since COVID and a newish asthma inhaler did a number on my taste buds, but you could certainly add more curry paste or a Thai chili or two if you want to up the spice level. I will make this again. 

Today (7/31/22) is the deadline for this round of Cook the Books and Claudia will be compiling all the entries on the Cook the Book site. If you missed this round and like food and books and foodie books, join us for August/September when we will be reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats. 

We have a few friends who have been waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen for quite a while now! Let's take a look!

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared Coleslaw Macaroni Salad and said, "This salad combines two old fashioned picnic favorites: coleslaw and macaroni salad! Does it get better than that? ... Think of this salad for guests with special eating needs. It meets gluten-free, vegan, dairy -free and kosher-parve standards. It can be made quickly and stored in the refrigerator for at least 2 days."

Melynda of Scratch Made Food brought French Lentil Salad and says, "French Lentil Salad is a taste of springtime! Yes you read that right, this lentil salad with fresh vegetables and a light vinaigrette is light, delicious and the perfect salad to make right now!"

Debra of Eliot's Eats made Nicoise Style Chopped Salad, saying, "The farm bag delivery is the highlight of my Tuesdays. Most of the recipes that they feature are great. This one is pretty darn tasty (even though all the ingredients were not included in the bag). In hindsight, I should have thrown in the sliced mushrooms that came that week. (Please note the original recipe calls for Kalamata olives. Not having any, I left them out. I did add a few more capers to adjust.)"

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor shared Potato Salad Two Ways, saying, "This is a decent potato salad which is easy to prepare. Doug liked it (and he doesn't like potato salad) so I am going to call this a win. Here is a snap of the dish before the sour cream was added.  It could be served warm like this.Here it is chilled with the sour cream added.  Winner either way, just depends if you like a warm or chilled salad."

Thank you, Judee, Melynda, Debra and Tina for joining me and being patient while I got around to posting. 

If you'd like to join in Souper Sundays, I am opening up the below link for two weeks.

Anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches any time during the two weeks and I will post a recap of the entries on Sunday in two weeks.) 

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

To join in this week'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.

On your entry post (on your blog):

• please mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post.
• you are welcome to add the wonderful Souper Sundays logo (created by Ivy at Kopiaste) to your post and/or blog (optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

8/14/22 Update! Extending one more week! Use this link and I'll combine both in a recap post. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!