Mark Bittman's Beans, Shrimp & Fennel

As a special monthly feature at I Heart Cooking Clubs we are cooking through the recipes of our past twelve IHCC chefs. Our second chef is a big favorite of mine, Mark Bittman. I cook with Bittman often--before, during and after the time we featured him at IHCC; loving his often healthy, quick, and very adaptable recipe style. I have most all of his cookbooks except for the newest Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix--which I am sure I will eventually get even though I have drastically cut down on my cookbook buying. Probably the Bittman book I cook the most from is his Kitchen Express with it's seasonally-arranged recipe sketches that make it easy to cook from the pantry and adapt to what you have on hand. 

There is a recipe in Bittman's The VB6 Cookbook that I have been meaning to make and had not gotten around to yet--Beans, Shrimp and Fennel. Three of my favorite ingredients in one simple dish.  The VB6 cookbook came out in May of 2014 as a companion to his health book: VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health... for Good. 

Bittman says, "If you've never tried this combination, do. Like now. Beans with seafood is not only just as classic but also just as tasty as beans with pork. (And it's faster.) You control the texture here: the main recipe results in creamy beans in a thick broth; but see the variations for a drier stir-fry and a tomato, shrimp, and bean stew."  

I made a couple of very slight changes to the recipe--reducing the oil and the salt as I used a low-sodium mock chicken stock that still has plenty of salt. Changes are noted in red below.

Beans, Shrimp & Fennel
The VB6 Cookbook by Mark Bittman
(Serves 4)

4 cups cooked or canned white beans
3 Tbsp olive oil (I used about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 tsp salt (or to taste) (You may need less if you use stock or bean water is salted)
1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
1 lb fennel, bulb trimmed and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 bay leaves
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (low-sodium) or water, plus more as needed
1 lb peeled shrimp
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or marjoram 

Drain beans. If you made them yourself, reserve the cooking liquid to use with stock; if canned, discard liquid and rinse beans well.  

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and turns golden--about 5 minutes. Add the fennel, garlic, and bay leaves, continue cooking and stirring until fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes more.

Add the beans, along with 2 cups of liquid, either the bean-cooking liquid, stock, water or a combination. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat so it bubbles steadily and cook, stirring occasionally until the beans and vegetables become quite tender, 10 to 15 minutes. If you'd like, mash some of the beans with a spoon to help thicken the sauce; add more liquid if the mixture ever looks too dry.

When the beans and veggies are the texture you like, add the shrimp and cover the pot. Cook, stirring once or twice, just until the shrimp turn opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and fresh herbs (use some of the fennel fronds chopped too if desired). Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, and serve.     

Notes/Results: There is so much to love about this besides how very good it is--it's a one pan meal, can be on the table in about 30 minutes, and it balances a homey stew or cassoulet feel while still being elegant enough for company. As with most Bittman recipes, he provides a couple of variations to the base dish--a drier, stir-fry-ish version as well as a bouillabaisse version with tomato and leek. But to me, this one with its brothy goodness is pretty wonderful. The shrimp are pink and plump, the broth flavorful from the fennel, lemon and oregano (perfect to serve with bread for sopping), and the beans make it satisfying. I will happily make this again.    

Three other favorite Mark Bittman recipes that I highly recommend:

Spanish-Style Pasta e Fagioli from How to Cook Everything Fast. 

 Tomato-Freekeh Soup from The Food Matters Cookbook.

  
Apple Cider & White Wine Slushies from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express. (Note: I've made these with Riesling as the recipe suggests and Calvados (apple brandy) and both were delicious.)
   

 
You can see what Mark Bittman dishes everyone made by checking out the picture links on the IHCC post. 

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "Water on the Moon" by Jean P. Moore, Served with Clementine Mulled (Spiked) Cider & Apple Slices with Smoked Cheddar

On today's TLC Book Tour stop I am reviewing the novel Water on the Moon by Jean P. Moore. Along with my book review I am serving up a fall-friendly, apple-lover's combo of Clementine Mulled Cider (spiked with apple brandy) and apple slices with smoked cheddar. Book the book and the recipe pairing are perfect to snuggle up to on an autumn afternoon or evening.

Publisher's Blurb:
 
When her husband comes out as gay and an airplane crash inexplicably destroys her home, the mother of teenage twin daughters must rethink everything she knows.

In her debut novel Water on the Moon, Jean P. Moore introduces readers to Lidia Raven, whose life begins taking seemingly endless wrong turns. Lidia and her girls miraculously survive the plane crash that destroys their home and are taken in by Lidia’s friend Polly, a neighbor with a robust collection of first-edition books who lives alone on a sprawling estate.

Struggling to cope with each of these life-changing events, Lidia discovers a connection between herself and Tina Calderara, the pilot who crashed into her home. In the months that follow, Lidia plunges into a mystery that upends every aspect of her life.

Rife with age-old dilemmas, this contemporary novel explores the relationships between mothers and daughters and the trials and triumphs of women’s friendships. As Lidia learns to reconcile her pain with her need to be true to herself and to accept that need in others, she discovers that while life has the power to unhinge her, it also has the power to open her to new ways of being in the world.
Set off by the poetry of Lord Byron, Water on the Moon received the 2015 Independent Publishers (IPPY) Book Award for contemporary fiction. Book Awards Coordinator Amy Shamroe comments, “Water on the Moon starts with chaos, but the story that unfolds is a carefully layered mystery that allows for meaningful character development. With simple, clean prose, Jean Moore crosses generations to bring a feeling of connection to the seemingly random, tragic event at the heart of the book.”

Paperback: 244 pages
Publisher: She Writes Press (June 3, 2014)

My Review:  

It is amazing the amount of story that is packed into just 244 pages-with well developed characters and an interesting and engaging premise that melds several different ideas into one pretty seamless plot. I was worried at first that everything that was going on, both historical and fictional events (the plane crash and Tina the pilot's possible connection to Lidia, Lidia's friendship with Polly and relationships with her twin daughters, ex-husband, and new romantic interest, and finally water being found on the moon) could not be resolved or pulled together satisfactorily in a relatively short book--but indeed it was--a credit to Moore's skill as a writer. Lidia is a likable character who starts out meek and unsure but grows as the story does. Polly is the wise, honest, and loving friend that everyone needs in their life. There is mystery and romance, but the heart of the book is their strong friendship and how it impacts them. Although this novel isn't action-packed, it made me eagerly turn the pages to find out how things would resolve. Water on the Moon is a smart and engaging story about relationships, growth, and finding yourself when things seem lost. A truly enjoyable read, it was a pleasure to curl up and lose myself within its pages.

-----

Author Notes: Jean P. Moore began her professional life as an English teacher, later becoming a telecommunications executive.  She and her husband, Steve, and Sly, their black Lab, divide their time between Greenwich, Connecticut and the Berkshires in Massachusetts, where Jean teaches yoga in the summers.

Her work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals such as upstreet, SN Review, Adanna, Distillery, Skirt, Long Island Woman, the Hartford Courant, Greenwich Time, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Water on the Moon was published in June of 2014 and won the 2015 Independent Publishers Book Award for Contemporary Fiction.

 You can connect with Jean at her website, blog, or Twitter.

------

Food Inspiration

There could be no greater food inspiration for Water on the Moon than apples. The site of the plane crash, Lidia's Connecticut family home (on Apple Way) is set on apple orchards that were eventually sold off, except for a few acres surrounding the house. Before emigrating to America, Lidia's Italian grandfather cultivated apples, including their own tart reddish golden "Renette" apple that he distilled into rich apple wine. At one point Lidia serves her friends apple wine and cheddar cheese with apple slices and I wanted to do something similar, a boozy apple drink paired with apples and cheese, for my book-inspired dish. 

Hot apple cider is my very favorite fall beverage and I have been pinning recipes for various versions (especially the spiked ones) while dreaming of cold crisp weather. We don't have that cold crisp weather here but at least it's been a little windy and rainy this week and a girl can dream. ;-) I liked the simplicity of a Clementine Mulled Cider recipe I found on Epicurious that has an optional hit of rum. I decided to keep with the apple theme and use Calvados (apple-flavored brandy from Normandy) instead of rum, and use the honey tangerines I had on hand in place of the clementines. With Gala apple slices paired with a smoked cheddar cheese, it made a lovely late-afternoon snack.

Clementine Mulled Spiked Cider
Adapted from Zoe Singer, Self Magazine via Epicurious
(Serves 4)

1/2 quart apple cider
Peel of a clementine, cut into strips (I used honey tangerines)
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
4 oz rum or spiced rum (I used apple brandy)

Bring cider, peels, cinnamon stick and cloves to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. (I simmered the mixture about 10 minutes) Keep warm until serving time. Strain into mugs; add alcohol if desired. (You can garnish with a slice of apple or section of tangerine and a cinnamon stick.)

Notes/Results: Warming, sweet and very sippable. The tangerine flavor is there, along with the cinnamon, enhancing the sweetness of the apple cider and apple brandy. It smells wonderful and warms both the belly and soul. The spiked mulled cider went well with the tart-sweet Gala apples and smoked cheddar. Speaking of the cheese, a cheddar with more color would contrast and look prettier with the apples but I love smoked cheeses--it's a nice flavor contrast to the apples too. I made a half batch of the cider and drank one glass. Then for my second glass, I kept the apple brandy, but added some local honey and decided that it was "medicinal" for the cough I can't seem to get ride of. ;-)

Note: A review copy of "Water on the Moon" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. 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 Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.

 

Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats (With Dark Chocolate Drizzle & Sea Salt)

Our theme this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs is Any Way You Slice It--Ellie Krieger recipes that can be sliced. I went back to an Ellie recipe I have made and posted before (in 2008 no less), her Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats. I have been craving some peanut butter goodness and I also had a box of brown rice cereal that needed to be used up, along with all the other ingredients stocked in my pantry.
 

Ellie's recipe has dried cherries which I kept in but I also thought it would be nice to have a little bit of chocolate. Rather than stir in the chocolate chips, I thought it would add more visual appeal to drizzle melted chocolate on top and, since the peanut butter I am using is just ground up roasted peanuts with no salt, I thought a sprinkle of sea salt on top would be a nice touch. My changes are in red below.  

Ellie says, "Sticky sweet squares of crispy rice make you feel like a kid again--when you are making them and when you are eating them. Here the family favorite is updated, with whole grain cereal and peanut butter and honey instead of marshmallow. I added chewy, tangy dried cherries to the mix here, but it works well with any dried fruit--or even chocolate chips." 

Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats 
Adapted Slightly from So Easy by Ellie Krieger
(Makes 12-15 Bars--depending on how you cut them) ;-)
 

3/4 cup chunky, natural-style peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
6 cups crispy brown rice cereal
2/3 cup chopped dried cherries
cooking spray

(I added 1/3 cup vegan dark chocolate chips, melted)

(I added a  sprinkle of flaky sea salt)

Combine peanut butter and honey in a large pot; cook over medium-low heat until peanut butter and honey are melted (about 2-3 minutes). Add crispy brown rice cereal and chopped dried cherries to the mixture; stir until sticky. 

Press into a 9- x 13-inch pan coated with cooking spray. (I drizzled the top of my crispy rice mixture with the melted dark chocolate and sprinkled lightly with flaky sea salt.)

Chill in refrigerator 40 minutes. Cut into 15 (2 1/2 - x 3-inch) squares; serve.

Notes/Results: These are yummy little treats--light and crispy-crunchy with good peanut flavor that contrasts well with the tart dried cherries. I find the dark chocolate and sea salt to be a great addition as it gives just enough chocolaty goodness without making them too sweet and nothing beats a little sweet & salty combo. I wasn't paying attention to Ellie's cutting directions and used a slightly smaller pan and cut them into twelve squares. These are very flexible--use almond butter or sunflower butter if there are allergy issues, use any kind of dried fruit you like--it's all good. Fast, easy, healthy for a sweet treat, and really good--I am sure I will be making them again.

You can see what slice-able dishes everyone at IHCC made by checking out the picture links on the post. 

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "All the Stars in the Heavens" by Adriana Trigiani, Served with Torta Di Spaghetti

Today's TLC Book Tour stop takes us to 1930's Hollywood, with a brief stop in Italy. I am reviewing a sweeping novel inspired by some real events--"All the Stars in the Heavens" by Adriana Trigiani. Along with the review comes a recipe for a simple Torta di Spaghetti that is inspired by my reading--perfect for using up leftover pasta and a great meat-free Monday dinner. 

Publisher's Blurb:

Adriana Trigiani, the New York Times bestselling author of the blockbuster epic The Shoemaker’s Wife, returns with her biggest and boldest novel yet, a hypnotic tale based on a true story and filled with her signature elements: family ties, artistry, romance, and adventure. Born in the golden age of Hollywood, All the Stars in the Heavens captures the luster, drama, power, and secrets that could only thrive in the studio system—viewed through the lives of an unforgettable cast of players creating magic on the screen and behind the scenes.

In this spectacular saga as radiant, thrilling, and beguiling as Hollywood itself, Adriana Trigiani takes us back to Tinsel Town’s golden age—an era as brutal as it was resplendent—and into the complex and glamorous world of a young actress hungry for fame and success. With meticulous, beautiful detail, Trigiani paints a rich, historical landscape of 1930s Los Angeles, where European and American artisans flocked to pursue the ultimate dream: to tell stories on the silver screen.
The movie business is booming in 1935 when twenty-one-year-old Loretta Young meets thirty-four-year-old Clark Gable on the set of The Call of the Wild. Though he’s already married, Gable falls for the stunning and vivacious young actress instantly.

Far from the glittering lights of Hollywood, Sister Alda Ducci has been forced to leave her convent and begin a new journey that leads her to Loretta. Becoming Miss Young’s secretary, the innocent and pious young Alda must navigate the wild terrain of Hollywood with fierce determination and a moral code that derives from her Italian roots. Over the course of decades, she and Loretta encounter scandal and adventure, choose love and passion, and forge an enduring bond of love and loyalty that will be put to the test when they eventually face the greatest obstacle of their lives.

Anchored by Trigiani’s masterful storytelling that takes you on a worldwide ride of adventure from Hollywood to the shores of southern Italy, this mesmerizing epic is, at its heart, a luminous tale of the most cherished ties that bind. Brimming with larger-than-life characters both real and fictional—including stars Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, David Niven, Hattie McDaniel and more—it is it is the unforgettable story of one of cinema’s greatest love affairs during the golden age of American movie making.

Hardcover: 464 pages  
Publisher: Harper (October 13, 2015)

My Review: I have seen and occasionally picked up books by Adriana Trigiani but had never read one until All the Stars in the Heavens. I was pulled to this book by the description of the "golden age of Hollywood" and that it was based in part on a true story--or at least on some true facts--chiefly that Clark Gable and Loretta Young had a child together. I am a lifelong movie lover and a big fan of the classics, thanks in a good part to my parents, especially my dad. Growing up we had a set of movie books put out in the mid-1960s and my favorite was "All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing!: A Pictorial History of the Movie Musical." I would pour over that book and it's many black and white photos of movie stars. There were other volumes on "bad guys," westerns, and foreign films and some volumes on particular stars like Judy Garland, Laurel & Hardy, Katherine Hepburn and Clark Gable. My dad always had a thing for Loretta Young too, so this book seemed right up my alley. 

All the Stars in the Heavens is an ambitious and epic story and Trigiani tells it well, making Hollywood and its stars come to life on the pages. As glittering as Hollywood was in its heyday, there was a lot that wasn't pretty going on behind the scenes. The studios ruled and the stars were securely tied to them with heavy contracts including strong morality clauses in place, ironic--since much bad behavior went on behind the scenes and everyone was sleeping with everyone--regardless of relationships or marriages. Most of it stayed under wraps or was only speculated about as a violation of a morals clause could be the end of an actress. Luckily for the stars, the 1930s and 1940s were in the days before not only the paparazzi, but everyone on the street, had the ability to snap and send out a picture of a celebrity at any time, so much of the gossip and innuendo stayed as rumors only and indiscretions were more easily covered up.

The book mostly follows the story of Loretta Young and Alda Ducci, two women from very different backgrounds who come together when Alda is asked to leave her convent and is then placed as Loretta's secretary and companion, reviewing her fan mail and assisting her on set. The two develop a strong friendship and Alda is witness to Loretta's habit of falling for her (married) co-stars, most notably Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable. Meanwhile Alda, who ran to her California convent from a failed relationship in Italy, finds love with Luca Chetta, a scene painter working in the movie industry. Although the ups and downs of the Gable-Young love story and subsequent love-child, and Alda and Luca's romance bring love and passion to the forefront of the novel, to me the more important love story was the deep and long-lasting friendship between Loretta and Alda. That friendship and watching Alda navigate Hollywood, along with the constant parade of celebrities in and out of the story (David Niven, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow , and Carole Lombard to name a few), kept me turning the pages and engaged in the story.  

The story does meander quite a bit in its 450 or so pages, so it requires a patient reader. In fact, I  think you need to be the right reader to truly enjoy this book--someone who loves the movies, old Hollywood, and historical fiction. If you are like me and turn on the Turner Classic Movies and American Movie Classics channels when you want to escape back in time, you will enjoy getting caught up in All the Stars in Heaven and escaping to the sparkling Hollywood of yesteryear.


Author Notes: Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. Her books include the New York Timesbestseller The Shoemaker’s Wife; the Big Stone Gap series; Very Valentine; Brava, Valentine; Lucia, Lucia; and the bestselling memoir Don’t Sing at the Table, as well as the young adult novels Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight. She wrote the screenplay for Big Stone Gap, which she also directed. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
 
Visit Adriana at her website: www.adrianatrigiani.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

Food Inspiration:

There was some food inspiration in All the Stars in Heaven. Although set in Hollywood, the food Loretta Young's family enjoyed was the homey fare made by their longtime cook Ruby like pork roast, biscuits, and pie. Stew was the on-set meal that was served most often when Gable and Young were shooting Call of the Wild in the mountains of Washington and Gable and the crew were getting tired of it. There were also some restaurant mentions and care-packages of different ingredients and See's Chocolates sent to Loretta on set by her family.

I took my inspiration from Italian food--although it had not yet "caught on" in America (and Clark Gable had never had spaghetti) in 1935--when Alda, Luca, and Loretta cook dinner on location with ingredients from Loretta's Birthday care-package. Italian food was plentiful in the book between the dinner, Loretta's time with Ada's family in Italy hiding her pregnancy, and Alda and Luca's visit to his family in Brooklyn.

"My mother used to say, if you have a lemon, a clove of garlic, some salt, olive oil, and spaghetti, that's all you need to live." Luca stirred the sauce.

"What about cheese?" Loretta placed the wedge of Parmesan on the counter. 

"Love it. But cheese is a luxury. Somebody has to make it. It takes time. Pasta, you can make from scratch if you have flour and eggs. Lemons--if you live in California, they're everywhere. Garlic, that keeps well, and olive oil--well a home without olive oil is not a home. It's just a place where people sleep."

-All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani

I was going to recreate the spaghetti in olive oil (and butter, lemon & Parmesan) that Luca made for dinner but I recently made and posted a similar dish for another book review. Instead, I kept many of the same ingredients and rustic feel and turned to one of my favorite cookbook authors Tessa Kiros for a slight variation (my changes are noted in red below) of her Torta Di Spaghetti recipe. Nothing says comfort like a fried spaghetti "pancake." I could see Luca or Alda's family making this from their leftovers.

Torta Di Spaghetti 
Adapted From Recipes and Dreams From An Italian Life by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 4)

4 1/4 cups leftover cooked pasta (9 oz uncooked)
2 1//2 Tbsp olive oil
(I added 2 cloves garlic, minced)
4 eggs
5 Tbsp shredded Parmesan, plus a little extra, to serve (optional)
a few herbs, chopped
salt
(I added black pepper)
(I added the juice and zest of 1/2 lemon)

Have the cooked pasta at room temperature. Heat the oil in a 10 1/2-inch nonstick pan and swizzle it around. (I added minced garlic and cooked it until translucent before adding the spaghetti.)

Add the pasta, flattening it like a neat nest. Whip the eggs in a bowl with a little salt (I added lemon juice and black pepper to the eggs). Pour out evenly over the pasta and stir to make sure all the pasta is coated. Flatten again. Pan-fry for a couple of minutes, then scatter the Parmesan and herbs evenly over the top. Cook for a couple of minutes more, until the egg is set and a bit crusty in places. Pot on the lid and leave the pan off the heat for 5 minutes or longer, so the cheese melts a bit.

Loosen the edges with a wooden spatula, slipping it all the way underneath to make sure nothing is stuck. Have a large plate ready. Put the lid on the pan and flip the pan over so the torta is upside down on the lid. Now put the serving plate upside down over the torta and flip it back over with as much finesse as you can manage. Cut slices with a sharp knife and serve with a spatula. Serve hot with an extra scattering of Parmesan (and black pepper) if you like. 

Notes/Results: Another one of those recipes that I don't know why I have never made it before. It's so good! I frequently have leftover pasta (although I just cooked pasta fresh for this one) and this is a great way to use it up. I made a half recipe in my small pan and added in some garlic and lemon to keep with the spaghetti mentioned in the book. I love the crunchy underside of the spaghetti cake and the cheesy goodness of the topping. Satisfying and delicious--I will make this again.
 

Note: A review copy of "All the Stars in the Heavens" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. 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 Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.

 

Ellie Krieger's Honey Harvest Quinoa (A Healthy and Warm Breakfast!)

I am not a good breakfast eater--especially on weekdays. Typically I grab a banana and a Luna bar and call it good, or if I am feeling ambitious, I go through periodic overnight oats and smoothie phases where I have things ready to go the night before so I don't have to deal with much in the morning. Even when I am working from home I tend to get up, work for a bit, then grab something quick rather than take the time to cook something. Still, there is something about a warm and nourishing breakfast that makes the day start better, especially on a semi-lazy weekend day. Ellie Krieger's recipe for Honey Harvest Quinoa can be on the breakfast table in 20 minutes, easily setting you up for a great day. 

I eat my share of quinoa but had not tried cooking it for breakfast before. I think I was a bit biased from doing a yoga seminar and cleanse weekend a few years ago where we were served quinoa flakes (pressed quinoa that has an instant oatmeal texture) for three days. I am not a mushy and warm breakfast cereal person so I was not a fan of the flakes but figured that since I like the firmer texture of actual quinoa, I might like it better in my breakfast bowl. I made a couple of small changes to Ellie's recipe, noted in red below and I used the quinoa I had on hand which was a blend of white, red and black quinoa. Plain quinoa might have been a better contrast in the bowl with the toppings but I think this blend looks pretty for fall. ;-)

Ellie says, "I always thought of quinoa as a savory side dish until my Peruvian friend told me that there they eat it for breakfast cooked with apples and honey. So I tried it, tossing in some chewy dried cranberries and crunchy pecans for good measure, and discovered my new favorite hot breakfast cereal." 

Honey Harvest Quinoa
Adapted Slightly from So Easy by Ellie Krieger
(Makes 4 Servings)

1 1/3 cups quinoa
2 2/3 cups water
1 small golden delicious apple, cored and cut into chunks
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup low-fat milk, plus more for serving (I used unsweetened vanilla coconut milk)
2 Tbsp honey, plus more for serving
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I used 1 tsp)
4 tsp unsalted butter (optional)
Add the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under the tap; put the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to a simmer; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the apple chunks and cranberries and continue to cook, covered over low heat, until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. (I saved out some of my apple pieces to use as topping.)
 
In the meantime, toast the pecans in a dry skillet over med-high heat, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
 
When the quinoa is cooked, stir in 1/2 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons honey, and the cinnamon; cook until the milk is heated through, about 1 more minute.
 
Spoon the cereal into serving bowls and top with the toasted pecans and butter, if using.
Serve with additional honey and milk to taste. (I added my reserved chopped apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon to the topping)

Nutritional Info: (Per 1 1/4 cup Serving): Calories: 380, Total Fat 14g, Sat. Fat 5g, Mono Fat 6.5g, Poly Fat 5g, Protein 10g, Carb 57g, Fiber 6g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 25mg.
Excellent Source of copper, fiber, folate, magnesium, manganese, protein, thiamin.
Good Source of iron, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B6, zinc.  

Notes/Results:  A nice belly and soul-warming morning bowl. The sweet cinnamon and honey flavor says breakfast and since I don't like mushy cereal, the slightly chewy texture of the quinoa is a nice change. I liked the contrast in textures of the soft apples--and the crunchy ones I left out to scatter on top, the toasted pecans and the chewy tart bites of cranberry. A very adaptable recipe--milk, toppings and flavorings (I feel a tropical version with mac nuts, coconut chips and pineapple coming soon), it's an easy warm breakfast that satisfies with plenty of protein, fiber and healthy fats. I will make this again.

  
It's Potluck week at I Heart Cooking Clubs--our chance to cook any recipe from current IHCC chef Ellie Krieger, or any recipes from one of our previous twelve featured chefs. You can see what recipes everyone made and what chefs they cooked from by checking out the picture links on the post. 

 Happy Halloween!
 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "Food Whore" by Jessica Tom, Served Up With Blistered Berbere Chickpeas with Kale & Fried Egg

Pretty sure that this is the first time I have had the word whore on my blog and it's in the post title no less, so it may make for some interesting search results. ;-) A food whore, according to the Urban Dictionary, is "a person who will do anything for food" or "someone that is always around where food is." And, Food Whore: A Novel of Dining and Deceit, is a debut book by Jessica Tom that I am reviewing on today's TLC Book Tour stop. Served with my review is a fabulous recipe inspired by the book--Blistered Berbere Chickpeas with Kale and Fried Egg.

Publisher's Blurb:

food whore (n.): a person who will do anything for food.

Fresh out of college, Tia Monroe has every intention of taking the New York City restaurant scene by storm. But after a coveted internship goes up in smoke, Tia’s suddenly just another food lover in the big city.

Everything changes when Michael Saltz, a legendary New York Times restaurant critic, lets Tia in on a career-ending secret: he’s lost his sense of taste. Now he wants Tia to serve as his palate, ghostwriting his reviews. In return he promises her lavish meals, a boundless supply of designer clothing, and the opportunity of a lifetime. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Tia agrees.

Within weeks, Tia’s world transforms into one of glamour and luxury: four-star dinners, sexy celebrity chefs, and an unlimited expense account at Bergdorf Goodman. Tia loves every minute of it . . . until she sees her words in print and Michael Saltz taking all the credit. As the veneer of extravagance wears thin and her secret identity begins to crumble, Tia is faced with what it means to truly succeed. In a city where “making it” is the ultimate goal, she will have to decide: how far is she willing to go for the life she craves?

Paperback: 352 pages  
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (October 27, 2015)

My Review: 

A new grad student in NYU's food studies program, Tia is aiming for a coveted internship with a famed and beloved cookbook author. However, she doesn't get a chance to impress Helen Lansky (who I kept picturing as Ruth Reichl in my head) with a container of her labor-intensive Dacqouise Drops, "a creation born of love" for her grandfather, because her path crosses with current New York Times food critic Michael Saltz. Saltz is notorious and altogether slimy, but he offers Tia a tempting proposition of ghostwriting his reviews. Of course when something sounds too good to be true, it almost always is, which is something Tia is not unaware of when she makes her deal with the devil, but the offer would tempt the strongest of characters. It's the chance to eat at the best and trendiest restaurants in NYC for free, an expense account at Bergdorfs with unending designer clothes and accessories, and seeing her thoughts and words in print. But, since Tia is keeping the secret of a famed food critic who can no longer taste what he is eating, no one can learn she is behind the reviews and soon keeping secrets and balancing her life becomes impossible. From the start it is pretty clear that things will not end well and Tia's life becomes like a train wreck that you just can't look away from. I did find it hard to drum up a ton of sympathy for Tia as she isn't the most likable person through most of the book. Yes, she is young at 22, and that is the time we are *supposed to* (and often do) make our worst decisions, but it bugged me that Tia made virtually everything about herself and her wants and needs. This meant her family, relationships, friends, and co-workers become a bit like road kill on her fast track to success, fame and everything she wants. Tia does have some growth during the book, but I did want to smack her much of the time. 

Although I didn't love Tia, I adored the food. The food descriptions are what pulled me into Food Whore and kept me going when my frustrations with Tia ran high. If you have a love for fine dining, fashion, New York City, and learning behind-the-scenes secrets of restaurants and food critics, you can't help but be caught up in this book. Author Jessica Tom is a passionate foodie and has a strong culinary background (including reviewing restaurants for Yale University) and that comes through in her writing. The food leaps off the page--so vividly that I could picture each dish she described--and almost smell and taste them too. Food Whore is a fun insider's peek at a fascinating world and reads like you are dishing with your most in-the-know foodie friend over a cocktail at the newest hot spot. There is romance, drama, intrigue, and plenty of glamour and glamorous food--just don't read it on an empty stomach! 

-----

Author Notes: Jessica Tom is a writer and food blogger living in Brooklyn. She has worked on initiatives with restaurants, hospitality startups, food trucks, and citywide culinary programs. She graduated from Yale University with a concentration in fiction writing and wrote the restaurant review for the Yale Daily News Magazine. Food Whore is her first novel.
 
Find out more about Jessica at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. See what she’s pinning on Pinterest, and follow her photos on Instagram.

-----

Food Inspiration:

Often times in my TLC Book Tour reviews it is a challenge to come up with a dish inspired by the book. With Food Whore, the pages of my copy are peppered with turned-down corners and tape flags marking all of the delectable food descriptions, so it was a challenge to pick just one dish. Jessica Tom's blog even has recipes inspired by the book, including a creamy Cauliflower Soup with Balsamic-Olive Oil "Caviar" (little molecular gastronomy pearls made with agar-agar) that I know I will try someday, or a version of the delectable-sounding Dacquoise Drops that helped give Tia her first 15-minutes of fame. But, it was a brief mention of a breakfast of "poached eggs in a bed of kale and blistered berbere chickpeas" a few pages from the end of the book that caught my eye. 

If you read my blog on a regular basis you will see a lot of dishes that have a yolky egg perched on top--it's my favorite way to add protein since I don't eat meat or poultry and fish gets spendy. I also adore both kale and chickpeas and have a berbere seasoning blend from Whole Foods in my pantry. I liked the idea of the fried/blistered chickpeas and so I put together my interpretation of this dish based on that one line of description. (You may notice that the book mentioned poached eggs and I love them, but prefer to just break out a frying pan and do a sunny-side up egg instead--quicker, easier, and usually it looks better in pictures than my poached eggs.)

Berbere is a popular Ethiopian seasoning mix that includes fenugreek, cardamom, cinnamon, chiles and other spices. You can find it at spice stores, well-stocked spice sections of some grocery and specialty stores, or it is easy enough to make your own. Chef Marcus Samuelsson has a good recipe here. It is pretty spicy, so add the amount you like to this dish to get it to your desired heat level.

Blistered Berbere Chickpeas with Kale and Fried Egg
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen, Inspired by Food Whore by Jessica Tom
(Serves 2)

2 Tbsp coconut oil or high heat cooking oil of choice
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1 large bunch kale, center stems removed, chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups canned or cooked chickpeas, well drained and patted dry
1 1/2 tsp berbere spice mix, or to taste 
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste
2 to 4 eggs (depending on your hunger level), poached or fried sunny-side-up

Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they are golden-brown (about 8-10 minutes). Add garlic and kale and cook, stirring, until kale wilts--about 4 minutes. Transfer mixture to plate or bowl and set aside.

Turn heat to high and add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil to pan. Once pan and oil are hot, add chickpeas, spreading them out into a single layer. Cook until blistered, stir, and spread them out again. Repeat until the chickpeas are browned and blistered all over. (Note: Chickpeas may pop as they heat and the skins split and blister. I found it worked well to cover the pan and shake it every couple of minutes so no hot chickpeas popped out.) ;-)

Reduce heat to medium, add the berbere spice and the lemon juice to the blistered chickpeas and cook for a minute or so. Add the kale mixture and gently stir to mix together with the chickpeas. Add salt and black pepper to taste. 

Divide mixture into bowls and top with poached or fried eggs and a dusting of smoked paprika or more berbere mix. Serve immediately. 
 

Notes/Results: OK, I just might have a new favorite easy dinner, or breakfast, or lunch. This was SO GOOD! The slightly bitter kale, the crisp-on-the outside-but-tender-within chickpeas, the hint of acidity from the lemon, and the wonderful spicy, slightly sweet kick of the berbere--then, all of that yolky goodness stirred into the mix. Perfectly easy, perfectly delicious, perfectly satisfying. This was my first blistering (or probably more frying) of chickpeas and I didn't realize that they would pop so much from the heat and oil--like little burning spheres in my saute pan. Adding a lid and shaking the pan helped and although I won't claim that these are truly "blistered" and blackened, the skins were splitting and crisping, and they were wonderfully toothsome to eat. I kept picking them out of the pan and popping them into my mouth before I could plate the dish. If I don't happen to have kale or greens around, I would be happy just opening a can of chickpeas, frying them up and enjoying them with the berbere spice mix. This dish would also work well with harissa, or if you don't like as much heat, sumac or ras el hanout would also be lovely. I will definitely be making this again. 

Note: A review copy of "Food Whore" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. 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 Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.