Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Back to Real Life

Happy Monday! Today is my first full day at home in more than week. I think it's going to take a me a while to readjust to real life.

Lace convention was terrific as always, especially spending time with my friends. My classes in knitted lace were only so-so, but I met new people and kept a positive attitude. I don't have photos to share right now, but I'll try to remember to post a picture next week.

As you might imagine, reading took a backseat last week. I never opened a print or eBook at all. Not surprising, considering there were meetings, lectures, and classes to attend, not to mention sharing a glass or two of wine with friends in the evening.

Current Audiobook: I've been listening to The Bookshop at Water's End by Patti Callahan Henry (Penguin Audio; 10 hr, 28 min), read by Andi Arndt, Lauren Fortgang, Shannon McManus, and Dorothy Dillingham Blue. This is a light summer read about friendship, marriage, and mother-daughter relationships, and I'm anticipating a little romance as well. The book is told from multiple points of view and is a great choice when you have only sporadic listening time because the story lines are easy to follow. I'm not very familiar with any of the narrators, but I'm happy with the performances so far. I do, however, have a couple of issues with the novel itself, but I'll wait until I finish the book before I get into what's not working for me.

New Books: I came home to a pile of new books I can't wait to explore. Here is a photo of some of my incoming titles. The spiral-bound galley on the bottom of the pile is a new Kelley Armstrong book! The books on the sides are a biography of Black Elk and a Viking saga--both are on my I Can.Not.Wait. to read list. Also in that photo is a new novel from Flatiron Books, a fantasy collection, historical fiction, and a thriller. I plan to share more details on Twitter or Litsy in the coming week.

What's Up This Week: First and foremost is catching up with the first two episodes of the new season of Game of Thrones. I've successfully avoided spoilers so far, but I'm sure that won't last forever. Must watch tonight! Other than that, I haven't given a thought to my blogging, reading, or viewing plans for the week. I think I'll just see where my mood takes me.

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Weekend Cooking: 6 Books for Food Lovers

If you read my Monday post, then you know that I am away with my girlfriends, while my husband holds down the fort. Because I didn't cook all week, I thought I'd share a few summer books that would appeal to anyone interested in food and cooking. I haven't yet read any of these, but they're all are on my reading list. Note the publishing date in the parentheses.

• The Marley Coffee Cookbook: One Love, Many Coffees, and 100 Recipes by Rohan Marley, Maxcel Hardy, and Rosemary Black (Quarry Books, August 15): This cookbook is co-written by one of musician Bob Marley's sons, who started what is now a successful coffee plantation in Jamaica. As you would expect, each recipe in this book features coffee flavors in some way: whether in a sweet baked good or in a savory sauce.
• The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek by Howard Markel (Pantheon, August 8): This is the true story of two brothers who competed with each other in their joint desire to change the health and well-being of all Americans. They were indeed the men who started the company that we most often associate with corn flakes and breakfast cereal.
• The Cooking Gene: A Journey through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty (Armistad, July 12): A culinary historian searches for the origins of what is commonly considered Southern cooking, teasing out the tangled roots of European and African traditions. The narrative combines memoir, genealogy, cookbook, history, genetics, and sociology as the author "takes us through his ancestral culinary history."

• What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food That Tells Their Stories by Laura Shapiro (Viking, July 25): This is the book I'm most excited about. Shapiro examines the relationship that six famous women had with food and cooking and how that relationship was a reflection of her culture and times. The women are Dorothy Wordsworth, Rosa Lewis, Eleanor Roosevelt, Eva Braun, Barbara Pym, and Helen Gurley Brown. I'm familiar with Pym's recipes and Roosevelt's White House menus but know little about the other women's connection to food. I'm looking forward to learning more.
• Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like by Chris Bianco (July 5): Whether he really does make the best pizza in America, Bianco was certainly a driving force in the artisan pizza movement. In this book, he shares the secrets for great pizza making, geared to the home cook and home kitchen. We make pizza often, so I'm looking forward to perfecting my techniques. Besides, who doesn't love pizza?
• Toast & Jam: Modern Recipes for Rustic Baked Goods and Sweet and Savory Spreads by Sarah Owens (Roost Books, August 15): The recipes in this cookbook cover quick breads and scones, chips and bagels, and yeasted goods plus everything you could possible think of--or never thought of--to spread on top, such as watermelon jelly and sweet potato butter. Get ready to amp up your Sunday brunches!

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Wordless Wednesday 455

At the Creek, 2017

Click image to enlarge. For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: The Pre-Vacation Edition

Last week was busy, busy with work because this week I've escaped with some girlfriends to attend the lace guild's annual convention. I signed up late for classes, so instead of studying bobbin lace, this year  I'll be taking two classes in knitted lace. I love to knit, so this is hardly a hardship.

I suspect I won't get much reading done this week, but I know I'll have a ton of fun. Meanwhile, Mr. BFR will pick up all the slack on the reading front. He'll have the house to himself, and I bet a book will be his week-long dinner companion.

On the Blog This Week: Because I'll be away from computer, and I've decided not to pack my laptop, this will be a light week both in posting and visiting other blogs. I have today's post, a photo on Wednesday, and, of course, a Weekend Cooking post. I hope to share photos of my knitting on Twitter, Instagram, or Litsy ... see you next week.

What I Read Last Week

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong (Henry Holt, July 11): After 30-year-old Ruth Young's fiance dumps her, she makes the trip from San Francisco to LA to spend Christmas with her family. Although she knew her father had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, this was the first time she witnessed the symptoms. Still grieving her own lost relationship, she moves home to help her mother. Written in a kind of journal or diary style, the novel looks at how a young adult changes from being from her parents' child to her parents' caregiver. It also explores the transition of finally seeing one's parents as complete human beings, with all their flaws. I enjoyed the novel because of the themes of family and facing difficult changes, but I didn't love the novel as much as I had hoped. I didn't connect strongly to Ruth, maybe because we are very different people. I did, however, appreciate the compassion and humor of Khong's approach to a heartbreaking disease. (Thanks to Henry Holt for providing the review copy.)

The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase (Putnam, July 25): Set on a small estate in the Cotswolds, this dual time-period novel with Gothic undertones is bound to be one of my favorites of the year. The novel involves two sets of sisters, secrets, troubles, grief, and family, and I really liked the way the events of summer of 1959 had repercussions in contemporary times. I loved both story lines, that of the Wilde sisters in the past and that of the Tucker family in the present, and how the reputation of the house, once made, was very difficult to shake. The unabridged audiobook (Penguin Audio, 10 hr, 46 min) was read by Clare Corbett and Emilia Fox, each of whom performed one of the time periods. Sometimes it's jarring to switch back and forth between narrators, but Corbett's and Fox's performances blended nicely. Each built the tension and left room for me to form my own opinions about the characters and plot lines. Highly recommended audiobook. (Thanks to Penguin Audio for providing the review copy.)

What I'm Reading Now

• The Goddesses by Swan Huntley: A family relocates to Hawaii to get a fresh start. Nancy signs up for yoga lessons, meeting Ana, who soon becomes her all-consuming best friend. I'm only halfway through, but I sense that some bad things are going to happen. There're some odd disruptions to the story, but I'm going to reserve judgment until I finish the book, hoping that it will all make sense later. The audiobook is read by Hillary Huber.
• One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus: I haven't yet started this twisty thriller, but I have high hopes. I've packed it for the knitting trip, though I'm not sure I'll have any time to read.
• A Paris All Your Own edited by Elanor Brown: I've downloaded this audiobook in case I finish The Goddesses during the week. I hope I enjoy this collection of essay written by women authors who have had connections to the City of Lights. This is a multi-narrator audibook.

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Weekend Cooking: Will It Skillet? by Daniel Schumski

I love my cast iron skillets and use them almost daily. Yes, I said skillets, I have six or seven and have thought about buying at least two more. Despite being an experienced iron cooker, I knew I had to have a copy of Will It Skillet? by Daniel Shumski.

If you're new cast iron, you'll be happy to know that Shumski starts by introducing cast iron skillets and providing sage advice on seasoning, cleaning, and restoring pans. Note too that the recipes in Will It Skillet? are for 10-inch skillets, measured from outside rim to outside rim.

As you'll learn after looking through the book, some of the dishes can, of course, be made in any skillet (paella, charred tomato salsa), but most of the recipes take advantage of cast iron's ability to withstand high temperatures and move from stovetop to oven to table (carnitas, savory stratas).

A couple of things I always make in my cast iron pans are roasted veggies (check out the "Snacks, Dips, & Sides" chapter) and roasted chicken (not in the cookbook). Will It Skillet? also includes several recipes for bread and bread dishes, another great use of your cast iron cookware. Don't forget to look through the breakfast chapter for egg dishes, pancakes, and even a giant muffin.

Although I often forget cast iron works well for desserts (see all the photos and scans!), Shumski did not. The dessert chapter contains recipes for puddings, cakes, and more.

More than just providing recipes, Will It Skillet? offers tips for success and fun cast iron facts as well as variations for many of the dishes. More important, the recipes are easy, use common ingredients, and are absolutely family friendly. Finally, because this is a Workman book, you know the photos are beautiful, the design is attractive, and the recipes are well edited.

In the introduction, Shumski notes that this cookbook is "more a beginning than an end" and is meant to get you started with using cast iron in your kitchen. I'm a seasoned (ha!) cast iron cooker but still found plenty of new information and recipe inspiration. I recommend Danial Shumski's Will It Skillet? for everyone who loves, or wants to love, cooking and baking in cast iron skillets. For more experienced cooks, like me, the cookbook provides not only solid recipes but also fresh ideas. For newbies, the book serves as a complete guide to getting the most out of your cast iron cookware.

Peaches are just coming into season in central Pennsylvania, and the cast iron peach cobbler in Will It Skillet? was calling to me. I'm a little biscuit challenged, so my topping doesn't look very biscuit-like, but it sure was yummy. Note that I didn't peel my peaches.

Peach Cobbler
Serves 8

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 cups peeled and sliced peaches (about 6 medium peaches, cut into eigths)
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpouse flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut inot small chunks
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375F with one rack in the middle.

2. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, and the cinnamon. In a medium-size bowl, pour the sugar mixure over the peaches and toss the peaches to distribute the sugar mixture evenly. Spread the peaches on the bottom of the skillet.

3. In a medium-size bowl or a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Stir with a fork or puse several times to combine.

4. Add the butter and rub it into the flour, working the lumps of butter between your fingers until only very small bits of butter remain. If using a food processor, add the butter and pulse 10 times.

5. Using a fork, stir in the egg and vanilla unti the mixture is dampened and about the consistency of thick cake batter.

6. Drop the mixture onto the fruit about 1 tablespoon at a time, being sure to cover the fruit. The mounds should touch one another but might still leave bits of fruit exposed.

7. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until just starting to brown, about 40 minutes.

8. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool until warm but not hot, about 30 minutes. Leftovers can be stored for 1 day at room temperature in the skillet, covered loosely with plastic wrap. Portions can be frozen in covered containers for up to 3 months.

NOTE: The photo of the peach cobbler is my own. The other photo was scanned from the cookbook. The recipe and photo were used here in the context of a review; all rights remain with the original copyright holders. I bought this book.

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