Scribbles & Munch

      So, Z.D...what's with the slacking on the blog?
      Well, first it was Halloween, then it was cleaning up after Halloween. And then it was me getting frustrated with myself: how was it was I finding time to write emails, copy recipes, and write in my blog but somehow not finding time to work on my story!?! So I pledged not to work on any of the first three until I had a full, workable, pleasing outline for the first book in my zombie trilogy, rather than a slip-shod series of ideas full of gaping holes. And at last, yesterday, I completed said outline. No more sitting down to the laptop and hearing the grinding of teeth rather than the tapping of keys! So here I am, finally returning to my blog, satisfied that my novelist aspirations are not completely delusional.
      And speaking of delusions, for those of you wondering how the novel queries I undertook over the summer came out, the results are in: I have heard back from every agent who said they would get back to me, and all of them have turned me down. Disappointing, yes, but not strongly so--I went into this fully aware that my odds of success were not super high. However, I am feeling very positive about the query process itself. I've been writing stories for years, but I've only been writing queries for about eight months, and frankly I found them appallingly difficult. I did ask around with agents and editors, and was told that for a writer who does her research on agents and writes a compelling query, she should expect about 7% positive initial response--i.e. requests for more materials. I sent out 44 queries, and received three requests for additional pages/chapters/outlines. In other words, it seems I did the process correctly. This is good, and I find it substantially heartening! Due to this success, the next time I have a finished manuscript to submit I will have much higher confidence and somewhat less stress as I begin the querying/submission process.
      Finally - belatedly - I promised my friend the Potato Princess (you know who you are!) a recipe nearly two weeks ago, and I have been shamefully tardy in keeping that promise. Here you are, my dear--enjoy!

Z.D.'s Thai-style Pumpkin Curry

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium sugar pumpkin, seeded, peeled, and chopped into 3/4 inch cubes (about 4.5 Cups)
2 medium red onions, sliced into thin wedges
1 Cup raw, unsalted cashews
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 inch peeled ginger, grated
2-3 Tablespoons red curry paste, depending on your preference*
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
One 14oz can unsweetened coconut milk
One 14 oz can unsweetened coconut cream
juice of 1/2 lime (optional)
1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce (optional)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:
 - In a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over med-high heat. Add the pumpkin and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pumpkin to a bowl and set side.
 - Add the onions to the pot and sauté until translucent and barely starting to brown. Add in the cashews and sauté until just golden (keep an eye on these, as they go from golden to burnt very fast).
 - Add the garlic and ginger to the pot and stir just until garlic begins to take on a golden tinge, about 1-2 minutes. Push the onions and cashews to the side of the pot so there is a clear pool of oil in the middle, and drop the curry paste into the hot oil. Stir, standing back to avoid fumes and splattering, until paste is broken up, about 30 seconds.
 - Return the pumpkin to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and stir to combine. Pour in the coconut milk and coconut cream, and stir until the sauce is uniform in color and comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors are blended and pumpkin is tender, 12 - 18 minutes.
 - Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. The lime will brighten the flavor and bring out the heat just a bit more. The fish sauce will give more of a traditional Thai flavor, although cooks preferring a vegan dish should omit. Sprinkle cilantro over to serve, if desired. Serve with fresh steamed rice!

*If the label is more than 50% English, I do not recommend this curry paste--whatever the brand, I guarantee it will be weak. Go to an Asian grocery store, find the isle with cans of curry paste (these are often the size and shape of tuna cans), and get one you can't read the label on to save your life. THIS is the good stuff! Any paste you don't use right away can be frozen for later use (I like to freeze mine in 1 Tablespoon blobs in an old ice cube tray, then transfer them to a zip-top bag).

You can also make this dish with green curry paste, if you prefer, but I think the red goes better with the pumpkin. Also, as with just about every pumpkin dish, you can substitute Butternut or other squash for the gourd!