The secret to having your Thanksgiving turkey keep a moist breast?  Roast it on it's stomach.  Everybody wants the photo-worthy turkey with it's bronze dome of a breast pointing towards the sky...but then they cut into it and it's dry, dry, dry!  So turn that bird on it's belly!  It may not be as impressive to look at (but who cares, you only look at it for the 20 minutes it's resting, then you slice the damn thing apart), and you may not have the same quantity of crispy skin on the back, but the big slaps of white meat on the breast of the turkey will stay moist as all the fat and liquified collagen trickles down during the roasting process.
      Alas, I was not in charge of cooking the turkey this year for my family.  I was in charge of the cranberry sauce, the pumpkin pie, and the Drunken Sweet Potatoes (secret recipe, sorry).  That meant we roasted the bird in the traditional fashion and wound up with lots of perfectly scrumptious dark meat, and lots of...well, dry white meat.  Guess which made the most left overs?
      BUT...I had a plan!
      Shortly before Thanksgiving, I had a friend visiting who shares my love of Asian food.  She asked me if I had made omurice* yet (pronounced O-MU-RYE-Su).  I said, "Huh?"

I know...this photo doesn't explain anything.  Keep reading.

      She went on to explain that this is a Japanese comfort food often made for kids, which is their version of an omelette.  To be more specific, it is the Japanese version of the American version of the French omelette.  The French make beautiful, tissue-paper thin egg wrapped around balanced, gourmet filling.  In the U.S. we pour a thick egg pancake and fill it with leftovers.  Japan kept the thin French approach to the egg, but then put in their leftovers - mainly rice - and "Americanized" them by stir-frying it with a ton of ketchup.
      I am not making this up.  Here is a great video lesson on how to make authentic omurice.
      Once this was explained to me, I went, "Oooh!  So that's that weird thing they make in all those anime I've seen!"  As a cute comfort food, omurice does indeed make many appearances in anime (second only to ramen and bento boxes), most notably in one of last year's solo-episodes of "Attack On Titan," one of four desperate attempts to placate ravenous fans who can't understand why more anime hasn't come out yet.  And if you know anything about the show, then you understand me when I summarize this episode as: Random. Ass.

It LOOKS like they're having a dramatic speech about killing the enemy, but they're not.  They're about to watch General Pixus chow down.  Because, you know, Titans.

      Anyway, back to the omurice.  I liked the idea, but had one major problem in that I don't like ketchup.**  Easy enough, I swapped it out with a mixture I made puréeing Hoisin sauce and sun dried tomatoes.  It was delicious, and I immediately sensed the possibilities...particularly around Thanksgiving leftovers!  So yes, I figured out a way to use that dry white turkey meat, the cranberry sauce, and even some of the leftover peas to make a scrumptious, bizarre Japanese omelette!!!  Enjoy!

Z.D.'s Thanksgiving Leftovers Omurice
Makes 2 omelette-thingies

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
8 large fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/2 Cup leftover whole cranberry sauce
1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons soysauce, divided
1/2 Cup minced yellow onion
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons water
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 Cup leftover turkey meat, minced
1 Cup leftover plain white rice (or fresh, just make sure it's cooled to room temp)
1/2 Cup leftover peas (optional)

Directions:
 - In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tablespoon of the oil.  Brush the mushroom caps clean, and remove from the stems.  Coarsely chop the caps and add to the oil.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on all sides.

Shiitakes pack a strong, distinct flavor, full of umame!

 - Meanwhile, coarsely chop the shiitake stems and put in a small saucepan with about 2/3 Cup water.  Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to a simmer.  Cook until liquid reduces to 1/4 Cup.  Strain out the mushrooms, pressing to release the liquid, then discard the solids.

Alternatively, you can use dried shiitake mushrooms and re-hydrade them in a bowl of water for 30 minutes.  Press the mushrooms dry, chop, and cook according to the recipe, and use the soaking liquid in lieu of the simmered liquid.

 - Place the mushroom liquid, sautéed mushrooms, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce and the cranberry sauce in a blender, and purée to a thick, ketchup-like paste.  Taste, and add another 1 tsp soy sauce if desired.  Set aside.

You do NOT need to use the cranberry sauce I made for Thanksgiving (in fact it's better with traditional flavor), but you really do need whole cranberry sauce.  If you're not already making your own, next year is the time to start!  Easy, you can do it several days ahead, and YUM!

 - Add another 1 Tablespoon of oil to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown.

If you want, you can toss a little onion into the cranberry sauce.  Up to you.

 - Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a measuring cup.  Add the 2 tsp water and 1 tsp soy sauce.  Beat until thoroughly emulsified.  Set side.

The salt in the soy sauce will help the eggs break down faster.

 - When the onion is ready, press in the garlic (if using), then add the leftover turkey, rice, and peas (if using).  Stir fry until warmed through.

Stir a lot!  The rice will stick if you let it!

 - Add all but about 1 Tablespoon of your cranberry shiitake sauce to the stir-fry, and increase the heat to medium-high.  Stir constantly until all ingredients are fully mixed, heated through, and the cranberry mixture is starting to caramelize.  Scrape stir-fry onto a plate, and use a hot wet cloth to wipe your skillet clean!

Think this is weird?  Imagine it with ketcup!

 - Return to the skillet to medium-high heat and pour in the remaining oil.  When oil is just about to smoke, pour in 1/2 of the egg mixture and tilt the pan rapidly to distribute into a thin pancake.  This will start to cook immediately!

The oil may seem to slide out along the edges, but don't worry, it's doing it's job.

 - When only a tiny bit of egg is still liquid, add half of your stir-fry into a mound in the middle of the omelette.  Slide out of the pan onto a plate, rolling the egg over the filling.  Use a handful of paper towels to tuck the ends of the omelette underneath, creating a football-like shape.  Repeat with remaining egg and filling.

This step also removes some of the excess oil, which is nice.

      This is traditionally topped with a squiggle or other cute face made of ketchup.  Obviously we're using our cranberry shiitake sauce.  This dish looks like nothing else, and tastes like nothing else, but we loved it.  It's going to be a go-to makeover for our Thanksgiving leftovers for years to come!

The plate is messy because I re-used the plate that I used to hold the stir-fry in reserve.  Just ignore that part, and look at how *cute* it is!

*This word combines "omelette" and "rice," you see.

**Between that, the fact that I hate mustard, and refuse to eat hot dogs, it's amazing they haven't deported me as a failed American.

      The hours counting down to the Big Turkey Consumption are well within the double digits.  Some people celebrate at home by themselves, but most people get together in groups with friends, family, or both.  For many, this will the first time they've seen some of these folks in months, or even years--or maybe ever!  And there's often alcohol!  This creates an unique social crucible that brings out sides of people that you may never see under any other circumstances.*  And if you're a fiction writer, chances are you want to do that exact thing to your characters.
      Consider Elizabeth Bennett.  Would she have ever learned so much about herself (and Mr. Darcy) if not for the family drama inflicted by Lydia's thoughtlessness?

And you can obviously see my Pride & Prejudice preference!

      Or Captain Ahab?  Were it not for the bizarre and mutilating encounter with the White Whale, he certainly never would have gained his famous obsession.

Today, we call this "Extreme Sports."

      And what about the iconic Ebenezer Scrooge?**  Talk about unique circumstances that inspire amazing behavior!

"There is more of the gravy than the grave about you!"

      Your Thanksgiving dinner probably won't include murderous sea life or altruistic ghosts (if it does, PLEASE invite me next year), but it will involve interesting interactions that may help you develop your characters.  "Huh...how would my main character handle a question like that?"  "What would the hero think of being asked to make the gravy?"  "If that conversation were happening between my protagonist and a relative, how would it go?"  Even if you never use that information directly, these situations add to your understandting, and you never know when you might pull out a memory to inspire future scenes.  This may include the good, the bad, and the ugly; you may want to hide your notes.  I recommend a small notepad that fits in your pocket, to be updated during bathroom breaks.
      Also, if your family is like mine, holidays mean hearing snippets of family history and lore.  Some of them (Ok, most of them) you've heard before.  But some might be new--if not to you, then others in the room.  How did the storyteller do?  How did the audience react?  If you see something you like, what about it can you emulate in YOUR storytelling?  And don't forget to write down the stories themselves so they won't be lost to future generations.
      At the end of the day, stories are about people and the things they do, whether individually or en masse.  In many ways, people don't truly know themselves until they face adversity.  Or Thanksgiving dinner with the in-laws.  It's kind of a toss-up.



*Sometimes this results in the police being called.  If that's the kind of holiday you have to look forward to, I am sorry.  I hope the food is worth it.

**By the way, Shadows on the Sound is reviewing Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" for our December book club pick!  You've seen the move (and the other movie...and the other movie...and the other movie); don't you think it's time you read the book?

      With the Thanksgiving Holiday less than a week away, everbody's focused on The Dinner.  Granted, everybody's focused on it for different reasons, although they typically fall into one of four categories: a) looking forward to Aunt Mildred's traditional stuffing, b) figuring out how to make Aunt Mildred's traditional stuffing, c) trying to avoid Aunt Mildred's traditional stuffing, and d) flying your freak flag by coming up with a dinner centered around all non-traditional foods, like coconut-breaded clam loaf or tomato tofu tarts.*

Whatever this is, don't serve it as your grand main course.  Unless you really, really hate your guests.

      No matter which category claims you, however, you probably find yourself neglecting the other meals.**  This is why many people drive through all manner of weather to get to their host's house for a specacular evening feast, only to find they're eating half-stale cereal or Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast.  But of course, we're not going to let that happen to you!
      There are a number of ways to get around the "what do we eat for breakfast" dilemma.  If you're doing a sit-down breakfast with everyone, there are coffee cakes, breakfast rolls, and even french toast that you can assemble the night before and pop in the oven in the morning.  Or, if your guests rise at different times, you can do all the prep the day before and just put out food for people to help themselves.  A quiche works very well in this scenario.  But perhaps you're too busy the day before to make a quiche--after all, you have to run to the grocery store for the third time because you forgot something, and the guest beds need to be made, and the bathrooms need to be cleaned, and you haven't watered the plants all month!
      This is where tea breads come in.  Banana bread, marmelade bread, nut loaves; all of these can be made days - even weeks - in advance, wrapped in plastic and a layer of foil, and frozen.  Take them out the night before, and by morning they're tender and room temperature, ready for people to slice off however much they want.  And if you don't end up using them for your guests, you can use them for yourself in the aftermath of the holiday, when you're too wiped to cook anything and too frazzled to go out.***
      Which brings us to this week's recipe post, specifically selected for Thanksgiving: Orange Scented Pecan Tea Bread.

So tender, moist, and flavorful, it's everyone anyone wants in a breakfast!

      This has a tender crumb similar to a cake, the mild sweetness of a good tea bread, and a pretty appearance and makes it look fancier than it is.  The recipe is styled after French Yogurt Cake, which is basically just a lemon tea bread made with yogurt.  Why yogurt?  Moisture, dahling, moisture!  No tea bread turns out dry when it's made with yogurt!  Go ahead and bake it now, then stash it in your freezer until the right moment.  Your future self will thank you.

Z.D.'s Orange Scented Pecan Tea Bread
makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup whole, raw pecans
1 Cup white sugar (vanilla sugar, if you have it), + 2 tsp more, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 & 1/2 Cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 fresh naval orange, washed (trust me)
3/4 Cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
 - Pre-heat your oven to 350º F.  Grease and flour a 4 x 8 inch pan (I like to use ghee for greasing, but unsalted butter works fine).

I used a glass loaf pan because I wanted to throw it in the dishwasher when I was done, rather than hand-wash like I do with my teflon pans.   This means I increased the oven heat by 5º and the oven time by 5 minutes.

 - Finely chop the pecans, and set aside.  In a small bowl, stir together 2 tsp sugar with the 1 tsp cinnamon, and set aside also.

If you chop the nuts too chunky, the middle of the cake won't be as pretty.

 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg.
 - Put the remaining sugar into a large bowl.  Using a microplane grater, zest the orange directly into the sugar.  When you've taken off all the zest, use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, until thoroughly combined into a mixture resembling loose brown sugar.

Zest directly into the sugar, so you caputre all the citrus oils.  And if you don't have a microplane, get one--they're prefect for getting the zest off, and leaving the bitter, white pith.  Then you can wrap the orange in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge.  It'll be good for eating for 2-3 days!

 - Stir together the yogurt and eggs, then add in the oil and extract.  Pour into the sugar, and beat until combined.

Your finished wet blend will have the thickness and color of good eggnog.

 - Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture, and stir until thoroughly combined.

Since this is a quick bread, you don't have to worry about over-beating the batter.  Make sure you don't have lumps of flour in there!

 - Pour half of your batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle in about 2/3rds of your pecans, evenly distributing to create a smooth layer.  Then sprinkle in half of your cinnamon sugar mixture.

When the loaf bakes, the dough will rise unevenly at first, adding a nice wave to your ribbon of nuts and spice!

 - Pour the remaining batter over the pecans, and gently smooth the top if necessary.  Evenly sprinkle on the remaining nuts and cinnamon sugar.

Don't worry, this will rise as it bakes to fill the pan.

 - Bake 54 - 58 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the load comes out clean.  Cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a rack and cool completely.

See?  I told you it would rise to fill the pan.  And I know I say this all the time, but...the AROMA as this thing bakes is SO GREAT!

      Gently sweet and very pretty, this is a breakfast addition everybody will like.  For people who just want a cup of coffee and a snack for breakfast, this works.  For people who want a full breakfast with protein and fruit and pastry, this works.  And for people who are exhausted after all the guests leave and just want something to nibble as they finish off the wine, this works.  Happy Thanksgiving!


*No, I do not have recipes for either one of those dishes.  Nor should you.

**Yes, there will be other meals, both before and after The Dinner.

***They also make a nice alternative to traditional breads for leftover turkey sandwiches.  Or you can bring a loaf as a hostess gift.  They're so versatile--the list goes on and on and on!!!

      Those of you who read this blog regularly (all four of you) know that I typically post a recipe on Sunday.  This last weekend, I let you down.  And I'm sorry.
      That wasn't because I wasn't cooking.  It was because I was eating.  A lot.  I'm pretty sure I had five slices of bacon, and 7 waffles over the course of the afternoon.  A friend and I were celebrating our birthdays by binging on waffles and cartoons.

A show this sweet will warm your heart and spike your insulin levels.

      The cartoon: A Little Snow Fairy Sugar.  Yes, it's anime, and yes, it is for all ages.  It is goofy and cute and innocent (except for one slightly pervy fairy dude, but if you weren't on the lookout for perviness you'd never notice) and because it takes place in a small town in Belgium, everybody is eating waffles all the time.  Hence the waffle binge.
      We made two kinds of waffles: my family's recipe (four generations and going strong), and Alton Brown's Basic Waffles.  It was a good waffle experiment.  His were crispier, and a little nutty tasting from the whole wheat flour, but still gently sweet.  My family's recipe were more tender, and rich, but not all that sweet, so they were open to a greater variety of topings.
     Oh yeah, the toppings!  We tested classic maple syrup (always delicious), Nutella (hard to go wrong), and my own Salty Caramel Sauce with Stout (hands down everybody's favorite).  I specifically did not go the whipped cream and berry route because a. it's not berry season anymore, and b. while whipped cream is always delicious, it takes up valuable stomach real estate, and I wanted to leave no waffle un-tasted.
      So I considered posting my family's waffle recipe, but here's the thing: it's a family recipe.  I'm not 100% sure my Grandmother didn't get it from some cookbook originally, but I remember her greasy, stained recipe card, the instructions composed on an ancient typewriter, the ink fading a little more with every use.  Then my Mom copied it down with a pen into her spiral notepad of recipies, until it got so greasy and sticky with syrup she needed to re-write it on a proper recipe card.  And I got it from her.  There's a beauty to that--a sacredness.  Grandma passed away the better part of a decade ago, but I feel like I need to get an Ok from some of the other family foodies because I cast it out into the world.  I'll let you know.
      Thanksgiving it coming up!  This week's "Shadows on the Sound" podcast is about foods in legend and myth, and hopefully it will make you as hungry as it did me.  And I promise to have at least one tasty, unusual use for Thanksgiving leftovers posted in week after Turkey Day!

And if you care to answer S.O.S.'s Weekly Geeky Query, you can do so by commenting at this blog post!  The Query: If you could have a meal with any fictional character, who would it be, and what would you eat?

      Just to be clear: I was into sleep before it was cool.
      Lately I seem to be hearing of all these recent studies on the health benefits of sleep--or, more importantly, the serious health risks of NOT getting enough sleep.  Sleep deprivation has been linked to everything from catching colds to Alzheimer's.  Not to mention the decreased reaction time, memory problems, poor work performance, and mood disfunction.  And my reaction to all of this?  "Well, duh!"

The sign of a happy Z.D.

      I discovered my personal relationship with sleep in high school, on a fateful Wednesday night when I snuck out of the house to go hang out with my boyfriend.*  It was the most uneventful act of teenage rebellion ever, since he slept through my tapping on his still-locked window and I just turned around and went home.  But the whole thing took about 2 precious hours out of my night's repose.  When my alarm went off at 6:45am, I was a miserable, groggy, ill-tempered Z.D.  I cried "sick!" and got to stay home, but I wasn't able to get properly back to sleep and I could tell that my memory and thought processes were off for the next couple days.
      I pledged never to set myself up that way again, and I never have.  In fact, I have never begrudged my body's need for sleep, even that one time I slept through my alarm in college and missed a lecture with my favorite professor.  My philosophy: if I slept through that alarm, my brain needed the rest, and it's a good thing that I got it!  Throughout my adult life I have prioritized allowing a solid 8 hours for uninterrupted sleep.
      Too bad my body doesn't always want to cooperate.

If you Google "cat attacking the bed," a LOT of hits show up.

      The end of Daylight Savings Time used to be an awesome thing: an extra hour to do whatever I wanted, woot!**  But this year, my cat couldn't handle it.  Her internal clock said, "No, the time to feed me breakfast is now, I know it's now, my tummy says now, now, now, MEOW!"  And to a cat, that's the only one that matters.  When her guardians mysteriously insisted on ignoring her and staying in bed for an extra hour after she wanted us to get up, she came to the logical conclusion that she needed to compensate by waking us up another hour earlier than that.  So she started walking across our faces and meowing at 4am.
      It took about a week to train the cat to adapt to the new feeding schedule.  It's taking my brain longer to unlearn that 4am is the new wake-up time.
      I go through different layers of sleep deprivation.  The first layer is a scarcely noticible exasperation, easy to tune out.  The second layer is amusement--my brain attempts to defend itself with humor, and my inner-monologue becomes increasingly goofy.  I do a lot of spontaneously giggling to myself at this phase, and I'm pretty sure it scares some people.  But they should be more afraid of the third layer, where I become bitterly impatient with everything, including myself.  The fourth layer includes a lot of verbal lashing out at people, interspersed with crying.  At the fifth, I am sufficiently incapacitated that it would be literal safety hazard to let me do anything other than lay in bed.
      So: how does this effect my writing?
      As you might expect, the first layer doesn't do much.  The second can be beneficial, even, if I'm willing to let myself word spew and edit the hell out of it later.  But at the third layer, I am either in the zone, or irritated at every little thing that distracts me from my potential state of genius.
      The fourth and fifth layers I will leave up to your imagination.
      So where am I now? Hovering between that third and fourth layer.  I have a long weekend coming up, and then a holiday vacation after that, so as long I'm smart about it I should be back on track for healthy sleep in no time.  Which means the cat will be back in my good graces 24/7.  After all, she can sleep whenever and wherever she wants, the lucky little fuzzball.



*I'm pretty sure enough time has elapsed now that I won't get grounded if my parents read this.

**Which is often - you guessed it - sleep.

      Every now and again I get obsessed with coconut.  As a child, I hated the flavor--probably because I only encountered it as the dry unpleasant surprise in the middle of my grandmother's cheap box of assorted chocolates.  Somewhere in adulthood, however, I had a culinary epiphany and started to love the stuff.  I rather wish I remember what happened, because I'm betting it would make a great story.  Hm...maybe I'll just make one up.  It'll involve a secret service agent hiding out on a tropical island where my family is vacationing!
      Anyways, now I get this itch a few times a year to make something really, REALLY coconutty!  I've had pancakes (yum), some fabulous Thai dishes (yum!), and - of course - some great pastries (yum).  But the best coconut thing I've ever made has to be Alton Brown's Coconut Cake.

Your patience will be rewarded.  Oh yes, yes it will.

     Without a doubt, that cake IS the epidome of coconut.  It's what coconuts dream of becoming, the way Buddhist monks dream of acheiving enlightenment.  Make this cake, and you will feel true coconut ecstasy in every bite.  And you better, because did you look at that recipe?  That cake takes a serious amount of time and effort.  Oh, it's worth it!  But you have to have the time to begin with.  If you, like me, are not blessed with limitless funds and freetime, you will need to satisfy your coconut craving another way.  Such as with my Crazy Coconut Shortcakes.

I know, they look like muffins.  Trust me, the texture is not muffin-y in the least.  Read the recipe and all will be revealed.

      Why 'crazy?'  Because I started with this recipe and adapted it to contain even more coconut action, in the form of coconut flour and coconut sugar.  The final trick would be to add coconut extract instead of vanilla, but Ithought these finally had enough flavor.

Z.D.'s Crazy Coconut Shortcake

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup virgin coconut oil
3/4 Cup AP flour
1/2 Cup coconut flour
1& 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1/4 Cup cocao nibs or chopped unsalted cashews (optional)
3/4 Cup sweetened shredded coconut, divided
1 large egg
1 Cup Greek yogurt (NOT low-fat)
1/3 Cup coconut sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
 - Pre-heat your oven to 375º F, and line twelve standard-sized muffin cups with papers.*  Place the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until just melted.  Set aside to cool a bit, but do not allow to harden.

 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, and cardamom and cocao nibs or cashews (if using**).  Add 1/2 Cup of the shredded coconut, and mix thoroughly.

 - Crack your egg into a medium bowl.  Whisk a few times, then slowly drizzle in the coconut oil, still whisking nonstop.  This will create a fully emulsified egg cream, with the color and texture of sweetened condensed milk.

This process is not unlike beating melted butter into egg yolks to create Hollandaise sauce--and there's something oddly satisfying about it.

 - Whisk the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract into the egg mixture until thoroughly combined.

Looks like Dijon mustard.  It tastes NOTHING LIKE Dijon mustard.

 - Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until just combined.  You should have a mildly stiff dough, like biscuit dough.

If you don't want to mess with muffin pans, you could actually take handfuls of the dough, pat them into circles, roll them in shredded coconut, and lay on a baking sheet, like big cookies.

 - Scoop by 1/3 Cupfuls into the muffin liners, and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded coconut (about 1 generous teaspoon each).  Gently press on the tops to flatten and held the coconut adhere.

Mmm...coconut....

 - Bake 19 - 21 minutes, until coconut is browned and a toothpick comes out clean.  DO NOT OVER-BAKE, or the coconut on top will burn!

      These biscuits have a very tender shortcake texture and a true coconut flavor.  They make a nice breakfast treat with coffee.  They also make a nice scone stand-in for tea (serve with lemon curd or - if you can find it - coconut curd).  And if you REALLY want to go all out, you can use them to make Tropical Shortcake!  Simply split, layer with sliced banana, and then top with Whipped Coconut Cream and/or Coconut Dulce Du Leche!  Or, you know, if you're all coconutted-out, you can just use regular ice cream.  I like Jeni's Double Toasted Coconut.



*This is a baking technique we call: cheating.  Because you can pat out the dough, take a cookie cutter, and cut rounds.  And mess up your countertop, and goop up your hands.  OR, you can let the round, ridged muffin liners do the work for you.  I am all about innovation, baby.

** They really don't add much flavor, but the crunch is a fabulous addition to the texture.

      Now that I'm working on new stories, I'm creating new characters.  In some ways, this is my favorite part of writing.
      It's probably because of my background in psychology, but I find writing people to be absolutely fascinating!  Some writers describe the act of creating characters as feeling a lot like meeting someone.  Others liken it to raising a child, or sculpting a statue, or unearthing a long-buried fossil.  Frankly, all of these analogies speak to my experience.  But if I had to describe my own personal method?  I would say it feels like exploring a building in a thick fog.*

Just like a magician's trick, the delight is in the reveal!

      There's a vague outline that solidifies the more I investigate.  When I'm looking directly at a feature, it's perfectly clear: I can see it, touch it, even smell it.  How much exploring I want to do is entirely up to me.  Do I want to know the character's preferred hobby?  Sleeping habits?  Favorite food?**  I always seek out where they were born and the nature of their family.  If I want, I can wander to the building behind, and uncover the details of their parents.  Then grandparents.  I've actually sketched out family trees going back eight generations for certain characters--it wasn't outlined at any point in the story, but I needed to know for the tale to unfold properly.
      The main indication that a story is a serious project versus a passtime only is the presence of a "cheat sheet."  This includes a description of each main character, including looks, education, family background, and other notes relevent to the story.  And to be honest, this is what gets written first, fastest, and - in some cases - with the most enthusiasm.  Because the characters will tell the story better than I ever will.  It's their actions and reactions, their thoughts and feelings that make the tale unfold.



*Only less creepy and damp.

**I always know my characters favorite and least favorite foods--if this surprises you, then you must be new to this blog.

      I had a dream last night that a literary agent was willing to work with me.  This morning as I made my breakfast, all I could think was: "Please let that be a prophetic dream!  Please let that be a prophetic dream!  Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease let that be a prophetic dream!!!"

      It's not breakfast, but I couldn't resist.  For one last pumpkin recipe this October (yes, yes, I know I'm posting it in November) I made pumpkin curry.  It's just so good when it's done right!

There are two kinds of people: curry fans, and people whose taste buds haven't fully evolved.  If you're not sure which category includes you, look at this photo and monitor your saliva output.  Now you know.

      If you've never made curry before, don't be intimidated: "curry" just means "stew," so you're just making a spicy vegetable stew to put over rice.  There are a couple cheats you can do with this recipe if you like.  Instead of raw pumpkin, you can use butternut squash instead--it's way easier to chop up.  You can also use a Tablespoon of red curry paste instead of the curry powder, and then leave out the lime zest and chile.  Also, feel free to use green beans or broccoli florets instead of the bok choy, green veggies are really interchangable in a stew like this.  But don't forget to serve it with plenty of steamed rice to soak up the yummy sauce, or what's the point?

Z.D.'s Pumpkin Curry (vegetarian version)
Makes 2 Generous servings, but is easily doubled!

Ingredients:
1/2 block tofu
2 C diced pumpkin (or squash)
2 T coconut oil melted, divided
1/2 sweet onion
1/2 C fresh mushroom caps (shiitake are best)
1/2 red bell pepper
1 head baby bok choy
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
1 red thai chile, minced (optional)
4 tsp curry powder
3/4 C pumpkin purée
3/4 C canned coconut milk
3/4 C vegetable broth
zest of one lime
1/4 Cup finely chopped cilantro
2 - 3 tsp soy sauce
1 - 2 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 - 2 tsp coconut sugar (or golden brown sugar)
1 - 2 tsp lime juice

Directions:
 - Pre-heat oven to 350º F.  Lay your tofu on a cutting board and raise one end about a half inch (I use a jar lid).  Put a plate on the tofu, and top with a small weight (I use an apple).  Let the tofu rest as the water is pressed out (you may want to put paper towels under the lower end of the cutting board).
 - Meanwhile, toss pumkin with half of coconut oil, and spread on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast in the oven until barely tender, about 18 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Try to keep the pieces as close in size as possible.

 - While pumpkin is roasting, chop your onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper into pieces about 3/4 inch in size.  Separate the bok choy leaves, rinse thoroughly, and chop the white stems into 3/4 inch pieces.  Roughly chop the greens and keep separate.

The greens cook faster than the stems, so we'll add them later to avoid sogginess.

 - When the pumpkin is done roasting, set aside with the pepper and bok choy stems. In a wide pot with a heavy bottom, heat the remaining coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and the mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown on the edges. Add the garlic and stir one minute.

There's your underlying flavor!

 - Add the pepper, squash, bok choy stems, and thai chile.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle in the curry powder and stir for about one minute, until the spice is very fragrant.

And there's your day's worth of vitamins, straight from Mother Nature!

 - Add in the pumpkin purée and stir for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the coconut milk and broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to incorporate the flavors, stirring every few minutes.

The liquid will reduce and thicken considerably, so depending on how soupy you like your curry you may want to add a little more broth.

 - Meanwhile, cut the drained tofu into cubes.  Add the tofu, bok choy greens, cilantro, and lime zest to the curry.  Stir and simmer another 5 minutes.
 - Add 1 tsp each of the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice.  Taste, and add remaining seasonings per your personal preference!

By this point in the cooking process, your nose will be panting.  I mean...you know what I mean...right?

      This is a very pretty, very warming curry.  I like to eat it on days that are sunny but cold.  Or on days that are dreary and grey, because it's so colorful.  Or on days when I'm hungry.  I really like curry.