Simple Pleasures

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Books, books, books! I’m working my way down and around my reading list, and what I’ve been reading has inspired and informed what I’m cooking. The cooler weather hasn’t hurt either – I finally turned on the oven.

I’ve been reading memoirs – not what I usually read – but memoirs by food personalities take me to my “happy place.” They warm my heart with their passion for food. While there’s a whole lot I can’t eat, I’m savoring what I can, and experimenting more.

It all began with Ina Garten’s newest book, her memoir. I’ve been a fan since early 2000’s (I even wrote about her in my book) I’ve always wanted to meet her!
She and I had the same spirit-crushing fathers – they even had the same name: Melvin! But she had such deep trust in herself, that she took risks over and over again. With tons of hard work, and the loving support and trust of her husband, she has succeeded wildly on her own terms.

Stanley Tucci. What else can I say besides I have a total crush on the guy?
If you have not seen “The Big Night” or “Julie & Julia,” do so. Both passionate movies about delicious food and the people preparing it. Besides being a great cook, Tucci’s a consummate story-teller and a talented artist. His book is like taking a vacation in Italy.

Speaking of storytellers, I got to hear the fabulous Ruth Reichl read from her then new book “Comfort Me with Apples” at the Texas Book Festival in 2002. I was gifted a ticket to the Gala dinner and she was one of the three authors who read to us. She was the one I enjoyed most, because while I’ve always loved food and cooking, she displayed a passion in her writing, and reading, about food that I’d never experienced before. I just finished Apples, a memoir at that point in her life, and look forward to reading “Save Me the Plums,” her latest memoir about her ten years of running the glamorous Gourmet magazine.

All of this reading about food and recipes got me back in the kitchen after months when I just didn’t care. Adjusting to a new (more restricted) diet, and dealing with 110 degree heat, the last thing I wanted to do was cook anything intricate. However, a few cool nights and a few great books was all it took to get me jazzed again.

Reading Gourmet magazine online, they shared a new type of squash called Honeynut. It’s like a baby butternut squash; but richer, sweeter, and smaller with an edible skin. They are everything the magazine claimed they were, but after trying the skin, and not liking it, I just scraped the creamy flesh out and ate that.

I followed the microwave directions after cutting it in half (easily!) and in five minutes I was enjoying it with lunch. These squash are going to make a great soup, too. I stumbled upon mine at Costco.

And last, but not least, I made my wonderful gluten-free brownies last weekend since we had a little cool spell. I love a simple well-made brownie, maybe add a few toasted chopped walnuts or pecans. But it had been a while since I gussied up my brownies by adding teaspoons of room temperature all-natural unsweetened almond butter.


From top left, the plain batter. Then add scant teaspoons of almond butter evenly around batter, taking a butter knife, drag it through the batter making long swirly designs. Bake as always, until the tiniest bit gooey in the center, but a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack or else they won’t hold their shape. It’s hard to wait, I know, but it will be worth it.
You can do this with your favorite brownie mix or home recipe. Peanut butter (chunky or creamy) are both delicious also.

I hope I’ve offered you some great reads and great food ideas. My birthday is next Wednesday, and my sweetie and I are heading to San Antonio for a romantic getaway. We have a couple of favorite restaurants we want to revisit – it’s been since the pandemic that we’ve been back there. I’m looking forward to strolling along the Museum Reach-end of the Riverwalk. It is always wonderful because it’s so much less crowded than the middle of downtown. I’ll tell you all about it next time.

Thank you for being here,

XO Donna

WRITERS & READERS

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I didn’t know that it was William Butler Yeats who said, “Things fall apart, the center cannot hold.” I thought it was Joan Didion. In fact, it was the title of a 2017 documentary about her life and work entitled, “The Center Will Not Hold.” And I can relate to that feeling… things are getting better, but life now is still two steps forward and one back. I’ve found a lot of pleasure lately in reading because I can finally relax and enjoy it.

After having had the attention-span of a gnat for most of this year – and consequently being unable to read, now I’m reading lots of great blogs, watching good documentaries (Joan Didion, above) have read five books in quick succession. And I’m also studying both Spanish and French!

My sisters and I formed our own Book Club intending to read a bunch of Murder/Mysteries – a genre we all like. We each bought Susan Juby’s “Mindful of Murder,” and I think everyone enjoyed it, but I’m not sure.
What’s not to like about an engaging-ex-Buddhist-nun-turned-butler solving crimes? The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest at a stunning retreat center. I learned a lot about being a butler, which is a career I didn’t know existed here in the U.S. But, it’s a thing!

Our book club didn’t quite come together as planned, the phrase “like herding cats,” is what comes to mind. I went on to read the next book, “A Meditation on Murder,” by myself, but didn’t enjoy it as much because I really had no interest in a bunch of young people whose only goal in life is becoming influencers and being mean girls along the way. So, I wouldn’t recommend this one. Her first was more satisfying.

Next I read a memoir called, “Men Have Called Her Crazy,” by Anne Marie Tendler, a NYT bestseller. I downloaded it to my Kindle (I actually prefer books on paper, but wanted instant gratification) and read it in one day. It gets a lot of bad reviews, and I didn’t realize that she had been married to John Mulvaney, a stand-up comic, until the end of the book. The author has serious mental health issues (to wit, she was married to John Mulvaney) and so checked herself into a psychiatric hospital. Maybe it’s not a topic for everyone, but I enjoyed her style, if not necessarily all of her thought processes. But, she’s young, and has lots more growing-up to do.

As you can see, I keep wonderfully detailed, well-organized lists of books I want to read. Joking! But I have lots to choose from, and am always open to your suggestions. I just downloaded “A Visit from the Goon Squad,” by Jennifer Egan. It has earned 11,588 4-star reviews and is a National Book Critics Circle Winner. We’ll see. And, after that, “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store,” by James McBride.

I’d like to acknowledge the passing of Dame Maggie Smith – I’m not sure why, but her death had me crying all day. She was my favorite on Downton Abbey, and I admired her greatly. We rewatched the films “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” last week. If you’ve not seen them, I can recommend both whole-heartedly. There aren’t many fun-filled, thoughtful, movies made about older adults and the changes that come with living a long life. These two films will bring a big smile to both your face… and your heart. I promise!

XO Donna