Saturday Morning Walkers - September 28, 2008

Hi everyone!

Wow - just got back from a wonderful weekend at the Literary Sojourn in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Janet, Chris, Rita, Judy, Cynthia and I spent the weekend at our fabulous condo - needless to say, we ate very well - check out some of the recipes and restaurant review below. Just three of us actually attended the Sojourn on Saturday - Janet, Judy and me. We completed a table of ten with 7 members of Barbara Lamm's book group. Thanks so much to Kathy F., Angela, Jeannie, Susan, Tony, Kathy H. and Barb for including us with your group. Once again, the event did not disappoint - overall the writers' presentations were excellent!

Here's just a bit on each of them:

Andrew Sean Greer (The Good Marriage) - focused on how he transformed what had been a short story into a novel.

Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge) - In talking about her journey to becoming a published author at 40 years old, "for a writer, nothing, no experience is ever wasted".

Nathaniel Philbrick (Mayflower) - was the only non-fiction writer - he is a former journalist with a passion for sailing and history. He described his style as "narrative non-fiction"

Manil Suri (The Age of Shiva) - a mathematics professor at the University of Maryland also came late to fiction writing and began it as a hobby. This book is the second in a trilogy. The first is The Death of Vishnu)

Karen Joy Fowler (The Jane Austen Book Club) - she won the prize for the most entertaining presenter - she also talked about her journey to becoming a published writer.


Website/Blog of the Week - www.bookmooch.com - I've included this site before but it is worth reminding you about this really excellent book swapping site - I have posted books on this site and received many used books in excellent condition.

Podcast of the Week - NPR's Book Tour - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10448909

Vocabulary Word of the Week - contributed by Barb Lamm - eremitic

er·e·mite (âr-mt)
n.
A recluse or hermit, especially a religious recluse.

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[Middle English, from Late Latin ermta; see hermit.]

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ere·mitic (-mtk), ere·miti·cal adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj. 1. eremitic - of or relating to or befitting eremites or their practices of hermitic living; "eremitic austerities"
eremitical
cenobitic, cenobitical, coenobitic, coenobitical - of or relating to or befitting cenobites or their practices of communal living
2. eremitic - characterized by ascetic solitude; "the eremitic element in the life of a religious colony"; "his hermitic existence"
anchoritic, hermitic, hermitical, eremitical
unworldly - not concerned with the temporal world or swayed by mundane considerations; "was unworldly and did not greatly miss worldly rewards"- Sheldon Cheney


Cooking and Dining Report:

The Creekside Cafe and Grille in Steamboat Springs, Colorado - we had lunch here on Friday afternoon and breakfast on Sunday morning - both were wonderful meals that we enjoyed sitting outside next to the creek in downtown Steamboat - http://creekside-cafe.com/ - don't miss it on your next visit to Steamboat.

Friday night, before settling down for the DEBATE, we shared some wonderful appetizers and Judy's "best ever" chocolate whopper cookies. Here are a few of the recipes:

Janet's Chicken Satay from Tyler Florence on The Food Network - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-satay-with-peanut-sauce-recipe/index.html

Chris' Mussels in Marinara Sauce - just put the mussels in a saucepan with jarred Marinara Sauce, heat until mussels open - be sure to discard any that do not open - easy, wonderful treat!

Cynthia's original recipe - we named it Boatman Holiday Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp
10 slices proscuitto, cut into think strips
10 slices provolone
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 shallots, chopped
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white wine

Sauté shallots and garlic in butter until soft, add wine.
Wrap shrimp in proscuitto slices and place in a row in a casserole dish. Top with provolone slices, add another row of wrapped shrimp and top with provolone.
Add sautéed garlic, shallot and wine mixture over the shrimp.
Bake at 350 F. for 1/2 hour or until shrimp is done and cheese is melted

Susan's Egg Pappardelle with Bagna Cauda, Wilted Radicchio and an Olive Oil Fried Egg from Los Angeles Chef, Nancy Silverton
Serves 4

For the pappardelle and bagna cauda:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
15 anchovy fillets
8 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
12 radicchio leaves, torn into small pieces
Grated zest and juice of half a lemon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces egg pappardelle

For finishing the dish:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
Parmesan cheese
1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. To make the bagna cauda, place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, anchovies and garlic and cook, breaking up the anchovies with a fork and stirring constantly, until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic is soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley, radicchio and lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Prepare the pasta by bringing a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add enough kosher salt until the water tastes salty and return to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.

3. To finish the dish, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until the oil is almost smoking, about 2 minutes. Break 1 egg into a small bowl and pour into the skillet. When it just begins to set around the edges, break the second egg into the bowl and pour into the skillet. (By waiting a moment before adding the next egg, the eggs won’t stick together.) Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs. Cook until the edges are golden, the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

4. Use tongs to lift the pasta out of the water and transfer it quickly, while it’s dripping with water, to the skillet with the bagna cauda. Place the skillet over high heat. Toss the pasta to combine the ingredients and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.

5. Using tongs, divide the pasta among 4 plates, twisting it into mounds. Grate a generous layer of cheese over each. Place an egg over the cheese. Sprinkle the parsley over the pasta and serve with more grated cheese and pepper.

Judy's Chocolate Whopper Cookies from Foster's Market in North Carolina - http://www.fostersmarket.com/recipes.php?recipe_id=35

Saturday night after Margaritas and snacks at the Rio, we headed home and enjoyed Rita's Artichoke Dip(need that recipe), Judy's quiche (thanks to Whole Foods) and leftovers from Friday.

Quote of the Week - When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes. - Desiderius Erasmus

I'm just home for a few days and heading out to LA on Thursday to help take care of Jacob while Jexy goes off to a work-related conference in Montreal. Have a great week!

Love,

Susan