The Passage= great summer reading

Justin Cronin's vampire epic fit the bill-- a long, juicy, page-turner to give me that sit-around-and-read-all-day feeling that is what I love most about summer.

I didn't find any printing error in my copy, but I did find plenty to ponder about, gasp at, and predict for the sequel.

Vampire goodness: "The Passage"

I'm reading Justin Cronin's "The Passage." At work last week, we did a line by line, word for word comparison on page 270, the page we thought the publisher had told us contained a printing error that affected the plot. I couldn't find any difference between the first printing that they made us pull and the new copies we are selling now, but I did get completely caught up in the story, just from one page. Now I've committed to a 766-page vampire epic that (I've heard) ends as a cliff-hanger for the sequel... but somehow I just couldn't say no. I enjoy the different styles as the outbreak progresses/time passes, and some of the characters I've already left behind were fantastic. It's not quite as gory or creepy as "The Strain," and I like that over 280 pages in, there isn't any romance to speak of, and there certainly isn't any paranormal romance! I'm definitely in a summer reading mindset.

Pasta with kale, garbanzos, and chanterelles

I'm inspired by my friend Lillian's orechiette with hearty greens and sausage post at her site, obsessedwithdinner. We are eating our way through our first CSA box of veggies, so tonight I'm using kale! And rye berries! And spring onions! (The spinach, radishes, and baby carrot will go in a salad on the side.)

I'm simmering chick peas, dried chanterelles, bay leaves, and rye berries. When those are all soft and tasty, I'll sautee the rest of the spring onions and a little garlic. I have some whole wheat penne I'll boil, using Lil's tip of adding the kale at the end of the pasta cooking, then combine all together with olive oil, maybe with a little fresh basil and a splash of white wine. It's not a very summer dinner for the solstice, but today's not feeling very summery, so that's OK.

Summer re-reading

I just started working with a rising sixth grader on his summer reading. He has one required book (Uglies by Scott Westerfeld), and he got to choose one book from a list. His pick is Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. He and I have both read it before, so I'm looking forward to practicing reading comprehension skills.

The book stands out in my reading memory as one of the first tragic books I remember. Mrs. Penny assigned it, and I remember reading it on a family trip to Maine to visit my uncle, his wife, and their new baby. I was bawling in the car as we pulled up to the restaurant, and I remember being embarrassed about my red eyes the way only a sixth grade girl can be.

I'm so excited to reread with Jack! Already we've discussed pets, hunting, and foreshadowing.

If Jack grants permission, I will link to his blog, where he will be writing a journal of his summer reading experience.

Marinated portabello sandwiches

I recently made a dinner that was proclaimed "perhaps the best vegan meal thus far" by J--

marinated portabello sandwiches. I marinated the mushrooms together with slices of onion and red pepper in a splash of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and chile pepper (with a little salt and pepper), then cooked them over high heat in my wok with peanut oil (Chinese fajita-style?). I toasted ciabatta rolls, spread homemade guacamole on them, then loaded up with the 'shroomy goodness. Served with warm tomato cumin lentils on the side. Tonight we test drive the mushrooms at a BBQ. If all goes well, this will be our go-to summer cookout party food- the thing we bring to throw on the grill when others are cooking burgers. Fingers crossed!

To read: "The Blood of Lorraine"

While I'm baking chocolate chip cookies, I am also reading a heart-wrenching mystery set in France-- "The Blood of Lorraine" by Barbara Corrado Pope. The main character is Bernard Martin, a republican magistrate just lately relocated to Nancy. Anti-semitism, a mutilated baby's corpse, and very realistically portrayed grief make it much darker than my usual mystery fare, but the exquisite writing and character development render me unable to put it down. (Except to watch World Cup and make cookies.)

Another reason to love being vegan...

Eat all the raw cookie dough you want, no worries!

Here's the recipe I'm baking now, but I just ate a spoonful from it before I put the cookies in the oven:

Combine 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, mash a ripe banana. Add 1/3 cup canola oil (maybe a little less), just under 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp flax seed, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup oats.

Stir the dry mixture into the wet one. If it looks too dry, add a splash of coconut milk or almond milk.

Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Spoon onto a baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

On a summery Seattle late-spring day or equivalent, put a scoop of coconut milk frozen "ice cream" in between two of these cookies for vegan ice cream sandwiches. mmmmm