Books n' Cooks ⋆ Page 140 of 145 ⋆ Recipes and Books

A Mystery Addict

So I’m not going to lie – I love trashy mystery novels, that take only a day or two to read. By no means are they great literature, but I’m addicted. They’re mindless and help me unwind at night. I could lose myself in this sort of book for hours. I get very attached to the characters, so enjoy authors that continue to develop the same character set over several books. Some of my favorite authors are:

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James Patterson: A long time favorite, although I confess, I’ve been disappointed in much of his books recently. Ever since The Jester, he’s been co-authoring an increasing number of books which frankly, aren’t as good as his older ones. Also, I wasn’t thrilled when the Alex Cross series (a DC cop) suddenly took on a counterterrorism angle. I haven’t read most of his recent books, so I’m not up to date, but I would recommend the couple non-mysteries he’s written (I very much enjoyed Sundays at Tiffanies)

Patterson’s Website

Kay Hooper: Murder mysteries with a psychic twist. Hooper, writing in trilogies, follows the Special Crimes Unit, a unit of psychic FBI agents. The cast of characters is all the same, but each book focuses on the character development of one or two characters. I’m never disappointed by a Kay Hooper book!

Hooper’s Website

Suzanne Brockmann: Most of Brockmann’s books revolve around a CIA-type agency, Troubleshooters Inc., involved in counterterrorism and other operations around the world. Like Kava, Brockmann follows a cast of characters, with each book highlighting one or two characters, usually in a romantic storyline (which is why you’ll sometimes find Brockmann’s books in the romance section at bookstores). These are a fun glimpse into the world of spies.

Brockmann’s Website

Brenda Novak: Novak writes trilogies about The Last Stand, a victim’s advocacy group that picks up cases to help find missing persons and protect anyone subject to abuse.

(Also, just for the holiday season, Novak is offering signed copies of her books on her website. Link below.)

Novak’s Website

Book Review: The Alchemist

{Book Review}

The Alchemist

By Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist is one of the first book written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho – first published in 1987, and then reprinted and translated into 67 languages (the greatest number of languages a book has been translated into while the author was still alive).

The Alchemist is the story of a young shepherd boy from Andalucia, Spain who sets out to fulfill his “personal legend,” a quest to find a treasure that is supposed to be at the pyramids of Egypt. Guided by signs and unlikely strangers, the shepherd persevered and searched his treasure for (I believe) over a year.

I really enjoyed The Alchemist and the idea behind it – to follow your dreams and not to give up. The story almost had a fairytale-like quality to it – it was filled with adventure, courage, faith, and a bit of magic.

As I read, I could picture the scenes in my head, which says a lot about this new author. I look forward to checking out some of Coelho’s other books, which have hopefully been translated into English!

Book Club: Inspired by the little boy from Andalucia, we had a tapas party for the book club meeting. Here’s the menu!

Amazing Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Bright cranberry and white chocolate flavors and a dough sweetened with coconut flakes make this oatmeal cookie stand out above many others.

Let’s talk about Thanksgiving traditions, shall we? Are you Team Pumpkin or Team Pecan? Me? I grew up in a house on Team Cranberry. There was never a Pumpkin or Pecan Pie on the dessert table unless a guest brought it over. Instead, we gravitated toward wonderful fall cranberries, with a Cranberry Pear Tart always sitting in the center of our holiday table.

Alongside that tart were these cookies, which are so delicious that we enjoy them all year round. These Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies stand out from the typical oatmeal cookie, as the coconut flakes, white chocolate chips, and dried cranberries create a sweeter cookie than the standard oatmeal cookie. And the best part? They freeze incredibly well (I actually prefer them a bit frozen) and are still soft and chewy after freezing. The trick is to hide them in the back of the freezer, behind the frozen vegetables, so that they don’t disappear when you’re not looking. 😉

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Bright cranberry and white chocolate flavors and a dough sweetened with coconut flakes make this oatmeal cookie stand out above many others.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Liz

Ingredients

12 Tbs. 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg at room temperature
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar packed
1 Tbs. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 c. cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c. sweetened coconut flakes
3 1/2 oz. white chocolate coarsely chopped
1/2 c. pecan coarsely chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add egg, corn syrup, and vanilla. Beat until combined.
With the mixer running, mix in all-purpose flour, cake flour, salt, and baking soda, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Using a sturdy spoon or spatula (I like my silicon spatula), stir in the bowl of coconut, white chocolate, cranberries, oatmeal, and pecans.
Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop, portion out cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, until edges are golden and top of the cookie is dry but still soft.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Recipe Notes:

Fine Cooking recommends you lightly toast the coconut flakes and pecan pieces. I never do — too lazy!
These cookies store well in the freezer for 2-3 months.

This recipe was adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine No. 74, p.73 but is also found online here.

This post was updated in March 2018.

Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic & Parsley

Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic & Parsley

Source: Fine Cooking No. 81, p. 81 or online here

Serves 8

Ingredients:

5 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. white or cremini mushrooms; washed; trimmed; and quartered
kosher salt
5-6 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbs.)
1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add mushrooms and sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. kosher salt.

Let mushrooms cook undisturbed until liquid released from mushrooms evaporate, 5-7 minutes. Mushrooms will be golden brown. Stir; and continue sauteing and stirring until the mushrooms are browned, 3-5 more minutes.

Lower heat slightly and add garlic. Stir.

Add vinegar. Stir, scraping the pan to release the bits stuck to the bottom. Vinegar will evaporate.

Remove mushrooms from heat. Toss with parsley and season with more salt, to taste.

http://booksncooks.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/raspberry-cheesecake-cupcakes/

Nov. 2009 Book Club: The Alchemist & Tapas

A while back, a couple girls and I started a book club. We’re pretty informal. We alternate who chooses the book for the month, and that person hosts the book club meeting. November was my month. In honor of The Alchemist, whose main character is a boy from Spain, I chose to do a tapas party.

Book Review: The Alchemist

The menu: For those that don’t know, tapas are “small dishes” served in bars and cafes all over Spain. Tapas could be anything, from a little plate of olives to calamari and meatballs. Since there’s only a few of us, I couldn’t choose all my favorites, but below are a few that I enjoy.

Manchego Marinated in Olive Oil and Herbs

Patatas Bravas (Crispy Potatoes with a Tomato Sauce) – … not my favorite recipe, so make roasted potatoes and use the extra meatball sauce as a dipping sauce

Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic & Parsley

Spanish-Style Meatballs

(Marinated Manchego)