The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "Tahira in Bloom" by Farah Heron

Happy Aloha Friday. I am happy to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for "Tahira in Bloom" by Farah Heron, a new YA novel.  Accompanying my review are two beverage recipes perfect for enjoying with this book.

 

Publisher's Blurb:

Life is full of surprises in a winning novel about a girl dreaming big during one unexpected small-town summer.

When seventeen-year-old aspiring designer Tahira Janmohammad’s coveted fashion internship falls through, her parents have a Plan B. Tahira will work in her aunt’s boutique in the small town of Bakewell, the flower capital of Ontario. It’s only for the summer, and she’ll get the experience she needs for her college application. Plus her best friend is coming along. It won’t be that bad.

But she just can’t deal with Rowan Johnston, the rude, totally obsessive garden-nerd next door with frayed cutoffs and terrible shoes. Not to mention his sharp jawline, smoldering eyes, and soft lips. So irritating. Rowan is also just the plant-boy Tahira needs to help win the Bakewell flower-arranging contest–an event that carries clout in New York City, of all places. And with designers, of all people. Connections that she needs!

No one is more surprised than Tahira to learn that floral design is almost as great as fashion design. And Rowan? Turns out he’s more than ironic shirts and soil under the fingernails. Tahira’s about to find out what she’s really made of–and made for. Because here in the middle of nowhere, Tahira is just beginning to bloom.

Skyscape: November 1, 2021

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

 

 My Review:

Tahira in Bloom was a quick read and a cute and sweet YA novel even if it skewed a little to the younger side of young adult. Tahira is seventeen and going to be a senior in high school in Toronto. She is extremely focused on her career dream of becoming a fashion designer and is already trying to make a name for herself as a social media influencer. It's not enough for Tahira to be a designer, she wants to be the best designer and got to the Fashion Institute of Technology and it's a plan guided and supported by her parents. The family motto is "Janmohammads always succeed." Tahira's best friend, Gia and boyfriend Matteo help her showcase her designs and build her Instagram following and are focused on their own paths to fame. Tahira's excellent opportunity to intern with an up and coming designer over the summer is derailed and instead, her parents talk her into heading to the country with Gia in tow to help her aunt rebrand the clothing store she bought in the small town of Bakewell. Bakewell is all about flowers, and soon Tahira's focus is on an effort to win a local floral design contest as a way to meet a top designer in New York City. She also finds herself caught up with her aunt's neighbor, Rowan, a self-confessed plant nerd about to leave Bakewell to study landscape architecture, and caught between her former priorities and new interests.

Tahira is an overall likable character--a bit shallow and annoying at times, but with a good heart and big dreams. I found myself rooting for her and also for Rowan and his sister Juniper. The floral design and fashion design intersection is interesting, and more so to me than the social media and influencer bits which I didn't relate to much. (I have a quiet little Instagram account I haven't touched in over a month.) There are a lot of positive messages here for young women about finding your passion and what's truly important, and sticking up for yourself and others. I liked the diversity of the characters and while the end was wrapped up a bit too sweetly and neatly, it is in a feel-good, rom-com kind of way. While  I am not the target demographic for the book, I would buy Tahira in Bloom for a teen, and I am sure they would enjoy it. 

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Author Notes: After a childhood filled with Bollywood, Monty Python, and Jane Austen, Farah Heron constantly wove uplifting happily ever afters in her head while pursuing careers in human resources and psychology. She started writing her stories down a few years ago and is thrilled to see her daydreams become books. The author of Accidentally Engaged and The Chai Factor, Farah writes romantic comedies for adults and teens full of huge South Asian families, delectable food, and most importantly, brown people falling stupidly in love. Farah lives in Toronto with her husband and two teens, a rabbit named Strawberry, and two cats who rule the house. She has way too many hobbies, but her thumb is more brown than green. 

For more information visit www.farahheron.com.

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Food Inspiration:

There was a good amount of food in Tahira in Bloom, mentions included chai, beef salami, lasagna, jars of homemade red sauce, chai frappes and flat whites, iced coffee, chicken curry with chapati, chai tea fudge, burgers, kudu paka (East African chicken in coconut gravy) and basmati rice, capers sandwich with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, sparkling lemonade, gelato, pistachio falafel, tortilla chips and green salsa, chocolate chaud (Parisian hot chocolate) and churros, funnel cakes, mini Bakewell tarts, s'mores donuts (fresh mini donuts covered with marshmallow cream, chocolate sauce, and graham cracker crumbs, a donut milkshake, Thanksgiving dinner, and tandoori turkey. 

Work has been exhausting lately and I didn't get a chance to make a dish inspired by the book but here are two beverage recipes I think would fit perfectly depending on your mood and what the weather is like where you are reading the book.  

Cold Awakening: Iced Coffe Cardamon from Drink to Your Health, Anne McIntyre

Easy (3-Ingredient) French Hot Chocolate by the always amazing Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini. All the better if you make some churros to dunk into it. 

Note: A review copy of Tahira in Bloom 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 what other reviewers thought about the book here. 

   

Revisiting Ghoulish Green Curry Veggie Chowder for a Halloween Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's Halloween when made me think of this Ghoulish Green Curry Veggie Chowder that I made back in 2016 for a Food 'N Flix event I hosted for the movie Beetlejuice. It doesn't need to be Halloween to enjoy this veggie chowder and/or the optional Scary Shrimp--they are great any time of the year.

What I said:

I decided to go with a green curry chowder--both because it sounded delicious and also because I wanted to capture the eerie green light of the afterlife and the ends of Beetlejuice's lovely hair, and a chowder full of veggie pieces conjured up the strange, almost junkyard feeling of the Maitland's model cemetery where Beetlejuice hangs out.I probably should have done a more Jamaican-style curry soup based on the Calypso music of the Deetz's dinner party, but I was craving those classic Thai green curry flavors and so that's what I made.  

I'm calling these shrimp "scary" because I bought some fresh-frozen Kauai shrimp and decided to leave them with their heads on--often scary for people, but that's where the true flavor in shrimp is and Kauai Shrimp says, "Don't be afraid of the head!" Because not everyone is a shrimp eater, I grilled them separately after marinating for extra flavor. The chowder stands on its own with great flavor, so if you don't do shrimp, you could eat it without, or add some fun hard-boiled egg eyeballs (with green olive and capers) for extra protein and a still creepy look. But, personally I think the shrimp add so much--both in their flavor, and their looks--giving off a spooky Beetlejuice and Tim Burton vibe.  

You can see the original post here:

Ghoulish Green Curry Veggie Chowder 
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 6-8)

2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts, cut in half, cleaned and sliced into half-moons
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 stalk lemongrass, outer core peeled and inner core bruised
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, left whole but tears made on the edges to release oils (optional)
2 to 3 Tbsp of your favorite green curry paste, or to taste
1  jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, diced 
large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin coins
6 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed, skin on
4 cups of broth or stock (veggie, chicken, shrimp) or water
2 (14.5 oz) cans coconut milk (I used 1 lite, 1 regular) 
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
4 heaping cups baby spinach leaves, washed and sliced
2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce 
juice and zest of 1 lime + extra if needed

Optional Garnishes: Grilled "Scary" Shrimp (recipe below), hard-boiled eggs (green olives & capers to make eyes), lime wedges, fresh cilantro 

Grilled "Scary Shrimp"
Marinade inspired by Chef Andy's Flame-Grilled Kauai Shrimp via KauiShrimp.com
(Makes 13-15 shrimp) 

1 lb jumbo (13-15 per lb) fresh head-on, un-shelled shrimp, thawed 
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp cilantro leaves 
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of coconut sugar
pinch of black pepper

Leave heads and shells on shrimp. Starting where the head meets the body, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the shell down the back of the shrimp. Grasp vein with a toothpick and gently pull from shrimp and dispose of vein. Rinse and pat dry shrimp and place in a shallow bowl or plastic bag. (Optional: Flip shrimp over and using the tip of pairing knife, gently cut along the center where you see a vein, and gently pull and scrape out the smaller vein and dispose it before rinsing shrimp.)

Place the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the shrimp and gently toss until coated. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 25-30 minutes.

Preheat a large grill pan over high heat. When hot, working in batches, add shrimp and grill about 2 minutes per side--until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Set aside to serve with soup or enjoy!

My Notes/Results: First off, this chowder is so good! Great green curry flavor, just the right amount of heat--that warmth at the back of the throat--and so rich and creamy, you just want to keep scooping it up. The shrimp are delectable--so fresh and so much flavor--the slightly tangy and salty/savory marinade contrasting with the sweet shrimp. Even if you aren't brave enough to suck on the shrimp head, they are delicious. Just have extra napkins for peeling and enjoying them. I would happily make both recipes again! 

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

Melynda of Scratch Made Food shares a classic soup, saying "This is the Broccoli and Cheddar Soup recipe to keep handy for the colder weather that is slowly coming to every home in your neighborhood! No matter where your neighborhood might be...this soup is easy to make, delicious, and made with pantry ingredients." 

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor made a hearty stew saying, "For the Spooktacular Supper theme at I Heart Cooking Club I made a Donna Hay recipe - Chicken Pancetta and Mushroom Stew. ... For the mushroom haters who visit me I would recommend skipping this recipe as, in my opinion, it's the mushrooms that make this such a great combo and so hearty."

 

 

Thank you Tina 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!

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of National Geographic's Photo Ark Wonders

It's hard for me to resist National Geographic's gorgeous coffee table books, so I am excited to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for Photo Ark Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom, featuring the gorgeous photography of Joel Sartore. 

Publisher: National Geographic (October 19, 2021)
Hardcover: 400 pages

 Plublisher's Blurb:

A glorious new volume of Sartore’s signature animal portraits, this time highlighting the fascinating shapes, patterns, and expressions of animals both familiar and little known.

Joel Sartore, on a mission to photograph all the animal species in human care, now delights us with more photographs, this time selected to represent the amazing diversity of the world’s animals.

The book’s four chapters — Pattern, Shape, Extra, and Personality — invite us to revel in these photographs, many cleverly paired into amusing and often surprising comparisons, like the catfish and the mouse with the same stripes down their backs, the tarantula and the poison dart frog both cobalt blue, or the tiny lizard and the weighty ox both sporting pointed horns.

• Each photograph gets its own page or two-page spread.
• Scientifically accurate captions highlight distinctive features.
• Throughout, Sartore recalls telling moments from his photographic adventures.

With all new image selections, this book expands the best-selling Photo Ark series, sure to be a hit with those who already treasure National Geographic Photo Ark, Birds of the Photo Ark, and Photo Ark Vanishing.

Animal lovers young and old will get lost in the pages of this book, delighted by the spectacular diversity among these creatures and the wit of the photographer chronicling them.

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Author/Photographer Notes: Joel Sartore is an award-winning photographer, speaker, author, conservationist, and the 2018 National Geographic Explorer of the Year. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine, and an Eagle Scout. His hallmarks are a sense of humor and a Midwestern work ethic.

  -----

 

My Review:

So I mentioned I am sucker for coffee table books and nature or animal photography is my favorite. Joel Satore takes some wonderful shots, portraits that perfectly capturing the personality of every animal. I love that a lot of his subjects are rare and endangered which makes paging through the 400 pages a pleasure. The personality of each animal pulled me in, sometimes in awe and sometimes with humor as some seem to be posing for the camera. 

The book is divided into four sections: Pattern, Shape, Extra, and Personality, and covers the gamut from insects to sea life, to birds, to mammals of all shapes and sizes. I find myself drawn to the creatures with almost human expressions and positions. 

Photo Ark Wonders would make a great gift for a nature-lover of any age. I keep picking it up and paging through it--either simply looking at the photos and captions to learn the names, or taking the time to delve into Joel Sartore's fascinating stories of his experiences photographing these beautiful and diverse animals. It's a delight of a book, and a great way to ease from the day into bedtime. 

Here are a just a few of my favorites:

Kinkajou 

Eastern Barn Owl

Brazilian Porcupine

Cownose Ray

Gelada 

Note: A review copy of Photo Ark of Wonders 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 what other reviewers thought about the book here. 

 

Six Tasty & Satisfying Pasta e Fagiolis for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Since I am still waiting for my soup mojo to come back, this week I am rounding up 6 favorite Pasta e Fagioli recipes from the blog. 

Giada offers up a tasty and flavorful classic Pasta e Fagioli

I added a topping of kale pesto and capers to Mark Bittman's satisfying classic Pasta e Fagioli

Traditional Pasta e Fagioli is always great but if you want a variation and love smoky paprika, try Mark Bittman's Spanish-Style Pasta e Fagioli. 

Ina's "16 Bean" Pasta E Fagioli was another favorite, lots of flavor and great texture. 

One yummy variation from my own recipe, Herby Bean & Pasta Soup (Pasta e Fagioli) with Spinach.

Finally, this Pasta E Cici (Pasta with Chickpeas) from Vegetarian Times is a close cousin to Pasta e Fagioli and equally delicious.

Just follow the links to the posts and recipes, you can't go wrong with any of these soups!

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

Judee of Gluten Free A- Z Blog is here with this healthy soup saying "Baby Brussels Sprouts Soup is delicious and can be prepped and cooked rather quickly- in just 12 minutes. ... This soup is perfect for the busy cook who likes healthy recipes. It took only 5-7 minutes to prep and 10-12 minutes to cook, yet it tasted warm, delicious, and comforting. It's a nice nutritious fall soup to add to your repertoire."

Thank you Judee 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!

 

Six Seafood Chowders for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

It's one of my favorite soups, there are not Clam Chowder recipes on my blog. I'm not sure why as there are fish, seafood and shrimp chowders on here. I had a takeout Hawaiian Clam Chowder this weekend from a local restaurant that was made with ulu (breadfruit) clams, and smoked meat and was served with grilled sourdough. it was delicious and had me thinking about seafood chowders. 

Here are a half-dozen recipes for some fish and seafood chowders from my kitchen. 

I made this Cod and Potato Chowder to pair with a book review and it is smooth. rich, slightly smoky and full of good flavor. 

Another bookish pairing was this Creamy Shrimp and Corn Chowder made smoky with Old Bay Seasoning and smoked paprika.

You can't beat chowder in a bread bowl and this Farmers' Market Smoked Fish, Corn and Vegetable Chowder:  is full of veggies and satisfying without being heavy.

Jacques Pépin's Seafood Chowder from More Fast Food My Way is quick, easy and tasty.

My Smoked Salmon, Vegetable, and Barley Chowder is a great combination of flavor and texture with the chewy barley. 

This Cajun Shrimp Chowder had great flavor. 

I will rectify my lack of clam chowder recipes on this blog sometime soon. Now let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen: 

Radha of The Magical Ingredients for a Wholesome Life From the Heart of my Home shares a Vietnamese Pho saying, "This is a delicious, vegan version of the most popular noodle soup bowl in the world. Vietnamese Pho bowl is a comforting bowl and uses beef. This version of mine uses tofu as beef substitute. This simple and comforting bowl with toppings can satisfy any craving for flavorful food - the secret is the broth."

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor shares both a salad and sandwich from here kitchen, saying, "Now that we are home and have been able to cook some healthy meals we have been enjoying vegetables and homemade fare. Restaurant food for several days got to us. Here is a simple salad of  lettuce, beefsteak tomato, fresh Parmesan cheese, cucumbers, scallions and red onion."

Tina also shared a sandwich saying, "The weather is holding onto summer instead of moving into Autum so we have been able to eat outside on the porch quite a bit.  This BLT on toasted potato bread made a semi-healthy lunch a few days ago."

Thank you Radha and Tina 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!