This 'n That Thursdays: Online Reading Challenge Update

I thought I would give a quick update on my progress with the 2022 online classics reading challenge I decided to join, as described in a previous post.  This month's challenge was to read an unfinished novel by a famous author, and I chose to read The Narrative of John Smith, a lesser known unfinished work by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  For some reason I thought this would be a quick read and I had plans to read other unfinished works by other authors, but it actually took me the entire month just to finish this one.  This early work is very different from Conan Doyle's other writings, which tend to be more action-oriented.  In this novel, an older man, confined to his room with gout, philosophizes about many aspects of life and interacts with those few people who come to visit while he is confined - below is a better description from The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia website, where the novel is available to read free online (see title link above):

"Arthur Conan Doyle lost the manuscript of his first novel, and later professed horror at the thought that it should be found and published. As we now know, he rewrote much of it from memory, and "The Narrative of John Smith" has indeed been published. As it stands, it's not a long book, and next to nothing happens. I doubt it would have seen print in the 1880s, but now we're familiar with the author's life and work, and we're interested to follow his development as a writer, a thinker and a person. John Smith, perhaps Conan Doyle's vision of himself as an older man, is confined to his room by gout; the narrative consists of his reflections on life and his conversations with his doctor, his neighbours, his landlady, and the local curate — characters who are depicted with a lively authenticity. Nowhere else in his fiction does Conan Doyle discourse on such a range of topics — politics, religion, philosophy and much more — with the boldness of youth and often with the wisdom of maturity..."

While this may not be considered on of Conan Doyle's better works, I found it fascinating because the narrator spends quite a bit of time predicting how the future will be different from his present day in 1888.  Some of his predictions are quite prescient while some are spectacularly off the mark, as would be expected, but what is most interesting are his reasonings for those predictions.  Also of interest is the views held by the narrator (and presumably Conan Doyle as well) as to race, religion, gender stereotypes, and other topics, most of which were presumably typical for the time but would be considered quite passé if not downright offensive now.  I am not much of a history buff so it is good for me to read about these topics in a historical perspective, as it gives insights into how we view many of these subjects today.

I am really enjoying this reading challenge, but I think I am more than ready for April's topic, which is a classic adventure novel.  My choice for April is The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne.  I have always loved the 1961 movie adaptation (watch it free online here) but have never read the novel upon which it is based, so it is high time I did so!

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Wish List Wednesdays: MIUZMORE Pot Lid Holder and Spoon Rest

For me, one of the minor but annoying things about stovetop cooking is where to put your pot lid once the liquid in a pot has come to a boil.  The lid is hot and usually dripping with moisture, and I prefer not to place it on the countertop where it will make a mess.  I would rather place the lid with the inside facing up so that it does not stick to the counter, but trying to manipulate the hot lid with a potholder so that the top faces down can be hard.  However, I have finally found a solution to this lid problem, and it is the MIUZMORE Pot Lid Holder and Spoon Rest (a mere $7.99 for this ingenious gadget!).  When folded flat it can easily be stored away in a drawer until needed.  To use this device, simply fold the lid holder up and place on your countertop, as shown below:

The convenient slots for multiple spoons, spatulas, etc., means that I no longer have to have a spoon rest on the counter anymore either.  When you are done cooking, simply wash the pot lid holder, fold it up, and put it away until needed again.  I am so pleased with this clever little gadget - I wish I had discovered it sooner.  Sometimes it really is the little things that make life more pleasant!

Foodie Fridays: Creamy Coconut Chicken Corn Chowder

February has been a really cold month here in New Mexico, so I have been making a lot of soups lately.  I was looking for a soup recipe that used corn, chicken, and coconut milk since I had those ingredients available, and found one for Coconut Chicken Corn Chowder.  I changed a few of the ingredients and some of the directions as well to make preparation easier, and ended up with a delicious creamy soup that is perfect for serving with a sandwich for lunch or dinner.  Once again I added the spicy pecan vinegar which is my current obsession, but you could leave it out or substitute your own favorite flavored vinegar.

Next week we are supposed to have much warmer temperatures so I am not sure how much longer I will be craving soup, but right now this recipe really hits the spot when it comes to warming comfort foods!

Creamy Coconut Chicken Corn Chowder

2 T. olive oil
1 C. finely diced celery (about 4 stalks)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. frozen corn kernels
1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
1 can (15 oz.) cut baby corn, including liquid (optional)
4 C. chicken stock (I used unsalted)
1 can (12.5 oz) chicken breast (or use one cooked, diced chicken breast)
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (I used low fat)
1 tsp. dried basil
3 T. spicy pecan vinegar

In a large saucepan, heat the oil on medium.  Cook the celery, onion, and sweet potato in the oil, stirring often, until celery and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, corn, and ¼ tsp salt and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the baby corn liquid if using plus the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes.

Stir in the cut baby corn if using and the canned chicken, breaking up the larger chicken chunks.  Add the coconut milk and basil and cook until heated through.  Stir in the vinegar.  Remove from the heat and, using an immersion blender, blend until creamy but still slightly chunky.  Serves 6.

Foodie Fridays: Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

We are currently experiencing the coldest temperatures as well as the most snow so far for this winter.  Whenever it gets this cold my thoughts immediately turn to warm and hearty soups for meals.  I have been looking for recipes that use red lentils since I have an almost full bag of them, and I found a great one for Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice on the Half Baked Harvest website (always a wonderful source for excellent recipes).  I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, except for reducing the amount of cilantro which my husband does not like, eliminating the rice which I did not feel we needed, and adding 2 T. of a flavored vinegar I had on hand (Cuisine Perel Spicy Pecan Vinegar, but a sherry vinegar or even apple cider vinegar should be good as well).

This soup is so delicious!  I rarely cook with coconut milk, but I think I should use it more often, and make curries more often as well.  I bought pre-chopped sweet potatoes, which made this soup even easier to put together.  It cooks quickly - I started making it at 11 o'clock in the morning and it was ready to eat by noon.  I really recommend this recipe, especially if you too are now enduring frigid wintry weather!

Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

2 T. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 T. minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 T. yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 C. vegetable stock (I use unsalted) or water
3/4 C. dried red lentils
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
2 T. vinegar, or to taste
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
2 C. baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 T. chopped cilantro, or to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft.  Add the ginger, garlic, and sweet potatoes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the curry powder and cayenne and cook another minute.

Add the stock, lentils, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the sweet potatoes are tender.

Stir in the vinegar, coconut milk, and spinach, and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and taste for seasonings, adding more salt and/or vinegar as needed.  Stir in the cilantro and serve.  Serves 6.

This 'n That Thursdays: Tea and Ink Society 2022 Classics Reading Challenge

Last year I found a new blog to enjoy called Tea and Ink Society, self-described as "a (mostly) classic literature blog".  Like the blogger, I too love to read but went through a period when I stopped reading as voraciously as I did when I was younger.  My mother was quite fond of reading classic literature, and I have vivid memories of her seated on the sofa with the cumbersome Russian novel War and Peace in her lap and her Japanese/English dictionary close by (she was born in Korea when it was occupied by the Japanese, and therefore spoke Japanese fluently), the latter a necessity because she would often have to look up and translate an unfamiliar English word to understand the text.  She could only get through a few pages a day, and it took quite a long time, but she did eventually finish the book, only to move on to yet another lengthy classic and start again.  Her desire to read the classics was that strong, and while I do not have her will power I did gain my love of reading, especially the classics, from observing her.

However, somewhere in my mid-thirties I drifted away from reading anything but the most undemanding novels, mostly cozy mysteries.  I still love reading mysteries, but recently felt the need to revisit the classics, and the Tea and Ink Society 2022 reading challenge seemed like the perfect way to get back into the habit.  Each month a different category is recommended - January featured classic books being made into a movie, and for February it is a novel by one of the three Brontë sisters.

In January I kept it simple by rereading an old Agatha Christie mystery called Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, which I had read decades ago but thoroughly enjoyed reading again (reading this book reminded me why I love mystery novels so much!).  Apparently this story is being made into a three-part TV series for BritBox by actor and now director Hugh Laurie, and I will be interested to see how this series turns out.  I found the novel free online here, and while there are a few editing issues it was quite easy to read.

For February I just finished reading the novel Agnes Grey by the least known of the Brontë sisters, Anne Brontë (read it free online here - it is well edited though in a rather small font).  This novel I also read decades ago, and it was a pleasure to read it again.  While not as well known or as well written as her sisters' more famous novels, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, it was quite absorbing to read about the observations of a young governess concerning the lifestyles and attitudes of the wealthy upper class families who hired her.  (Mild spoiler alert - this novel does have a happy ending, which I prefer and which is why I am not as fond of the admittedly better written Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.)

The challenge for March is to read an unfinished novel by a classic author.  Recommended titles include The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens, Sanditon by Jane Austen, and Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.  I managed to find an unfinished novel by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Narrative of John Smith, written when he was in his early twenties and actually sent to a publisher, but unfortunately lost in the mail and never recovered.  Conan Doyle rewrote it from memory but never completed it, but it was finally published relatively recently in its unfinished form.  I did read the Dickens novel long ago, but not the others, so I may read all three if I have the time (all four are readily available to read free online, and I have provided the links with each title).  I find it can be very frustrating to read an unfinished work, however, because I really do look forward to some definite conclusion, so this will be a test of my patience and tolerance, to say the least!

So far all of the classic novels I have mentioned are by English authors, but this will change later in the year when categories will include African-American, pre-Medieval, and French novelists.  I fully intend to finish this challenge, and to help hold myself to this goal I will give periodic updates on my progress here.  If you too are an avid reader, you may wish to join the challenge as well.  If so, happy reading to you!

Wish List Wednesdays: Koala Scarf by Un Poco

This lovely Koala Scarf ($195) by Un Poco was featured recently on one of my favorite blogs, The Vivienne Files, and I have to say I am quite smitten.  The 90 centimeter (about 35 inches) square scarf is 100% silk twill with hand-rolled edges.  In addition to the koala several other Australian animals are featured, including an echidna, emu, kangaroo, and cockatoo.  Best of all, this scarf features many hues in my color palette, including olive, rust, denim blue, and cream.  I have already hinted to my husband that it would be the perfect Valentine's Day gift - I hope he takes the hint, but if not I will just need to order it for myself!

Foodie Fridays: Roasted Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup

Now that the holiday feasting is over, it is time to think about eating healthier foods.  I found a recipe for Soothing Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup that sounded like a good candidate, but decided to roast the butternut squash rather than boiling it as the recipe suggests.  I used fresh rosemary as the herb, but I think I would try a different herb next time as I did not really care for the taste of rosemary in this soup.  Otherwise this is a great cold weather soup, and I will make it again soon.

Roasted Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup

1 medium butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans
4 C. vegetable stock
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or thyme
1 T. sherry vinegar

Place the squash halves, cut side up, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 T. oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip the squash halves over.

Roast at 425 degrees, cut side down, until fork tender, 40-45 minutes.  Cool slightly and scoop the flesh out of the shells.

Heat the remaining oil in a large pot.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.  Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in the beans, herbs, and cooked squash.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add a little extra water if needed, then blend the mixture with an immersion blender.  Serves 4.

I highly recommend serving this soup with a fruit and cheese plate such as the one I made shown below:

One of my brothers sent us a food gift from La Tienda, one of our favorite online specialty food sites, which included numerous cheeses plus several loaves of their Galician bread and a variety of green olives.  For this plate, I melted some of the absolutely delicious San Simon Smoked Cow's Milk Cheese on slices of the bread, cut up a Bartlett pear to serve with wedges of blue cheese (I can't remember now which of their blue cheeses we had, but I think it was the Cabrales Blue Cheese from Asturias), and added a few olives to the plate as well.  This is my idea of the perfect meal!