If I were able to write a novel, the kind of novel I’d hope to be able to write is the one I just finished reading, The Starboard Sea, by Amber Dermont.

Usually, I read for entertainment–not quite trash, but definitely escapist stuff. The Starboard Sea is none of that. All of us, in our lives, have done things of which we’re deeply ashamed, things that tragically affect another person’s life, things that we can’t take back. (Well, maybe not that dramatically, but at least we’ve hurt other people, even if only unintentionally.) This book deals with this, on many levels and among a number of people. It offers no easy, glib answers, but it provides a perspective that may be a portal to healing our shame. I think it was Camus who said something about philosophy being best written through fiction. This is a book I’ll remember.

I wouldn’t have ever noticed this book had I not been turned on to it by a blog I regularly read, GuysLitWire. I know, I know…that’s a very butch sounding title, but it’s an excellent blog and every book that I’ve read that they’d recommended I’ve enjoyed. This one, the most. Their post on this book is at http://guyslitwire.blogspot.com/2012/04/starboard-sea-by-amber-dermont.html.

I hope you take a chance on The Starboard Sea: A Novel. It’s excellent. Amber Dermont, the author, is a Vassar grad, currently an associate professor at Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia.

Clean leaves from head of cauliflower and break cauliflower into big chunks. Microwave on high for about 10 minutes. Add one small carton of plain yogurt (regular or fat-free) and mash to almost mashed potato consistency. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of Patak’s Biryani paste and stir well into mashed cauliflower. You’ll discover how much is too much, yourself. I suggest starting with1 tablespoon and keep adding until it’s as you like it.

This paste has a very fragrant aromatic quality that’s entrancing. Even though it contains no sugar, it’s kind of sweet tasting–I think it’s the coriander in the mix that does it. The paste is an oil based paste, but it’s not oily. Used to be you could only find Patak’s pastes in Indian/Paki grocery stores. No longer. Most Publix stores have a wide assortment of their various seasonings in their “ethnic” aisle.

This is probably best if served warm, but I like it cold, too. One entire head of cauliflower disappears quickly. A good way to get one’s roughage!

I made my first steak, ever! It turned out pretty good. I learned a few things (use less butter to sear the steak; use less wine to deglaze the skillet; my topping of melted butter, minced garlic, and horseradish was perfect; don’t bother with the oven–just sear a little longer on each side; I’m not sure the marinade did all that much–will experiment with others; salt & pepper on light coat of oil on steak worked good; cooking with a cast iron skillet is GREAT!).

I bought a boneless ribeye. I asked the young man at the counter all about how to tell the best steaks (both filets and ribeyes) and got his tips on cooking. It was $8 for a .73 pound ribeye, which seems pretty affordable.

Can hardly wait to make it again with adjustments. It turned out medium rare. I think by increasing the searing time by about 30 seconds a side I can get it to medium which is where I prefer it. But…this was damned good!

Here’s pictures:

Long, long ago, there used to be a small, downtown cafe in St. Pete that was decorated with year ’round Christmas tree lights strung around the ceiling. I could almost swear it was where the Central Coffee Shoppe is now, but not certain. That was more than 30 years ago.

This particular decoration, pictured above, is my favorite, even after all these years. Thank you, Nathan.

I think I may drag out my Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Easter Bunny decorations, too, while I’m at it.

Isn’t it great to know where your food comes from? The word, “community,” in that phrase really strikes a resonant chord with me. There’s something “right” about it being grown by real people, not a monolithic corporation in some distant state or country. This salad has got to be fresher than anything on earth.

I’m happy with this picture. Click on it and see the detail. Depending on your monitor, you may be able to click on the resulting picture to get in even closer. If you do, you’ll see capers, artichoke hearts, blue cheese dressing, green olives, cheddar cheese cubes, and sardines! Did I leave anything out?

A fellow blogger (he publishes Zack Shack) and friend has posted several recipes that have made my mouth water. Recently, Zack had a recipe for Brined Turkey Butternut Squash Soup that I simply had to try since I only recently learned how to cook winter squash.

To me, it seemed that the heart of Zack’s recipe was the use of lite creamed cheese instead of cream, which is what typical recipes call for. In checking around online, I noticed some additions that I had laying around that I wanted to use up: carrots and apples. I took that idea from this AllRecipes recipe: Butternut and Apple Harvest Soup. I combined those elements with elements of Zack’s.

I basically made a double recipe, based on Zack’s ingredients. So, I used the butter and olive oil he calls for, but double the amount. On the other hand, I only used 3 cups of veggie broth and 3 cups of water, plus two Knorr’s vegetable broth cubes, only half the fluids he calls for based on a double recipe. I used veggie broth instead of the turkey Zack calls for because I wanted to make it vegetarian this time.

I sauted the onions in the butter & oil, then added the diced apple and diced carrots. I cooked the butternut in the microwave, softening a well punctured squash for 6 minutes, halving it, and then fully cooking for 12+ minutes (it was a large one). I scooped out the meat and added it to the browning onions, apples, and carrots and finished browning them all.

At that point, as per the AllRecipes instructions, I added the fluids and boiled until all was soft. Then, I CAREFULLY ladled the mix into my (quaint 70s vintage) blender and pureed it all, a couple blenders-full at a time, returning it to the pan. I added the whole brick of creamed cheese, stirring and simmering until all the cream cheese was melted and well incorporated, blending it all again at the end.

For spices, I used “apple pie spice” (cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice) plus sea salt and white pepper to taste. This makes a soup that is an interesting mix of sweet and unami. As I eat it over the next couple weeks (I’ll freeze at least half), I’m going to experiment with adding other spices to increase the unami quality–maybe sage?

I’ve updated my blogroll page on Inkwatu because a number of my friends and acquaintances have established very nice blogs. Wanted to call your attention to them:

from inkwatu.com/blogroll

FAMILY

• Lavalili

SPECIAL FOLKS

• Allen Loyd’s Travels
• As I Draw Them
• Beeman Jewelry Design
• Central Coffee Shoppe
• Coping w/Chronic Illness
• Elizabeth Crown Collection
• Eye of Newt
• Going Global
• Lakewood UCC
• Marty Ink
• Re/Creating Tampa Bay
• The Quilting Violinist
• Zack Shack

CITIES

• Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen (Chinese, diverse,
  food writer/photographer for Tampa Tribune)
• Sami’s Bakery (Tampa Middle Eastern bakery)
• Saraplicious! Kitchen (Filipino cooking-Tampa blogger

Plus many others…

It’s winter in Florida (60s…!) so it’s time for winter food and the winter squashes are in. I’m simply too lazy and impatient to cook them properly in the oven and I’m very afraid of cutting off my fingers–my main source of income–because cutting them is so difficult when they’re uncooked. (The squash I mean, not my fingers.) Nevertheless, I was looking online for speedy, microwave recipes for winter squash and I learned a trick: poke holes in the whole, hard squash and nuke for 2 minutes (with my microwave it took 4). At that point, it’s soft enough that it cuts like butter and can then have its seeds scooped out and nuked the rest of the way (in my case about another 4 minutes). Even though one must still be careful, poking holes in the hard, whole squash is pretty easy. Poking the holes is important; this keeps your squash from exploding! I topped them off with real Vermont Maple Syrup that some friends had brought me from their vacation in Vermont. Now, I know I can make winter squash whenever I want and not have to wait 90 minutes as I used to with the oven.