reading
Although I read a lot, it has been a while since I just couldn’t put a book down until I’d finished it! That book was Lisa See’s Lady Tan’s Circle of Women! It was lent to me by a neighbour who’d read it for her bookclub meeting this week and she thought I’d like it. Set in China in the 15th century, See’s story is based on a wealthy family and the strict rules and structures of the era. The main protagonist is based on the records of a female doctor. A really good read.
Off to the library and able to request four of See’s many books from local libraries. I get the first one this afternoon. In the meanwhile, I have read a fast paced novel by Linwood Barclay called Find You First. The main protagonist donated sperm as a student to fund his education. In his forties he is diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease and tries to find the children he has fathered. His technology business has done very well and he wants to eave each child a bequest. Things go horribly wrong! Good to read, but I think it would scare me if it was made into a film. Pretty violent.
cooking
Our son is here for four days. I was already committed for two afternoons of those days so wrote a meal plan, went shopping and cooked up a storm so meals will go smoothly. I began by cooking a piece of corned beef. The brine is my Mother’s recipe; white pepper, vinegar and brown sugar in water to just cover the meat in a large pot, cook until it is done. I know there are no amounts listed and that’s because I don’t know, I just do what looks right for the piece of meat and it always works well! I can’t remember my Mother ever measuring the ingredients, either.
While the meat was cooking I boiled potatoes and some mixed vegetables. While that cooled I made a mayonnaise to add to the vegetables to make a Potato Salad. I think there’s more flavour if you make the salad a day before you intend to eat it.
The muffins looked much better cooked than as raw batter!
That was followed by two trays of blueberry muffins. The muffins cooked while I boiled some apples. While the apples were cooking I mixed the oats, flour, cinnamon and brown sugar to make a crumble. Drained the apples, leaving some juice as I spooned the apples into a Corningware dish. Covered with the crumble and into the oven for 40 minutes. That is about eight serves of Apple Crumble. Smells wonderful.
I also have a large frozen lasagne plus spinach leaves and celery to make salads and lots of sweet potato to roast and serve with corned beef and later, lasagne. We’ve just taken delivery of an order from a local supplier who has the best glacé ginger, crystalized ginger and ginger Turkish Delight. Also in the box, macadamia nuts, rocky road, Japanese rice crackers and vegetable chips flavoured with chili and lime. My husband can taste ginger and spicy things now, not just curry, although I have made curried sweet potato, fennel and carrot soup, too. We will not starve this weekend!
