Scribbles & Munch

     There have been many events in my life that have been fabulously cool.*  Getting published.  Winning over the heart of a severely abused cat.  Seeing a wild reindeer stop for a drink by an Iceland glacier.  Attending a reading by Maya Angelou.  Falling in love with a mind-bendingly wonderful person who was likewise in love with me, & wedding in the middle of a pandemic.  And now, not only attending, but also being a panelist at World Con 2025!

    My nerdy joy has been a summer sky experiencing a non-stop fireworks display ever since I found out back in April.  And yet...

    ...somehow I completely spaced on the fact that I listed this blog as my website on my profile.  And I haven't updated it. At all. In months. 

That looks like a nice rock.  I think I'll live under that one next.

    I realized this because I have been reading through the profiles of all the panelists & presenters for the last couple days, checking out their websites, some of their books, podcasts, etc.**  And then I was like, wait.  What did I list as my social media thing?  Surely, I thought, surely it was my Bluesky account, which I have been taking pains to try & use on a somewhat regular basis.  Then I checked.  And here we are.

    Well, I didn't get accepted onto five panels because of my spectacular online presence.  I got accepted because I asked.  And because I have experience at cons, & a wide variety of interests, & I tell a damn fine story. So I hope you'll come by & say hello, or ask a thought-provoking question at one my panels.  My schedule is as follows:

Wednesday: Table Talk from 4:30-5:30pm

Thursday: "How Haunting: Local Ghost Stories & Places" 6-7pm

Friday: "The History of Hanford" 6-7pm

Saturday: "Do Your Damn Job" 4:30-5:30pm

                "The Tea on Afternoon Tea" 6-7pm

Sunday: "What is a Mind, & How do you Control It?" 1:30-2:30pm

See you at the Con, my fellow bibliophiles!

*To me, at least. And given that I'm the one living my life, my opinion is really the only one that matters!

**Yes, all of them.  And I haven't read a single one where I didn't immediately think: "Oo! I hope I get to talk to that person!"

    The first in a shared world book series, "Blue Plate Special" is a dark retro fantasy written by multi-genre authors Marie Bilodeau, Mercedes M Yardley, Christine Taylor-Butler, Donna J.W.Munro, Sandra Rosner, & yours truly.  Does the cover look familiar? That's because the Dark Reflections series was inspired by the art of Jeff Lee Johnson.*

Take a meander from places labeled normal to a world that clatters, slinks, and drips. Looks aren't everything and nothing is as it seems. Along the Elizabeth River in Norfolk stands an unassuming diner where love and misery are on the menu. Come for breakfast, stay for the pie. You might never want to leave. 

    Working with these writers was truly a joy: their creativity & energy lit up the room when we got together. Inspiration flowed, inside jokes were hatched, & a great book was written. "Blue Plate Special" will be available on November 1, 2025 from Rook Creek Press. Now available for pre-order.

 How. The heck. Had I *NOT* heard of this book before!?

    This book is excellent. Excellent. So good that it gets a full post, rather than a blurb on my "What Am I Reading" page. Usually when someone hands me a fantasy or sci-fi novel & tells me it's a classic, I take that to mean it's a well-written piece of fiction that was either a first in popularizing, or considered a gold standard in terms of portraying, a beloved concept (e.g. "Ender's Game" in terms of war as a game). But this book is nothing short of literature. And that's where I've categorized it in my home library, on the shelf next to other pieces of literature.

And in case you're wondering, yes, I do re-arrange my books every time a new keeper is added to the shelves.  Because "Canticle For Leibowitz" BELONGS between "Handmaid's Tale" & "Paradise Lost."  Trust me.

    I wish I could have read this as part of a college course so I could discuss it in depth. Marvelously written. Rich symbolism. Deep reflection of the human experience, with no holds barred. And this writer obviously knew Catholicism, so it goes far, far beyond the usual tropes. In the nature of true literature, it is not tied to the era in which it was written (1960's), & does not come across as dated...

    ...except for one small detail: the lack of female characters. As a cis-gender woman I crave that perspective & when it's not there, I feel the lack of it.  It's like seeing a rainbow in the sky that's missing a color. Or a recipe that doesn't include salt. The two or three females who show up in this novel are accents only, not real characters. However, "Canticle" primarily takes place in a Catholic monastery: by definition a male space. For that reason the lack of women didn't detract from the brilliance of the novel. (Although in my perfect world, N.K. Jemisin would do some fan-fiction & grace this metaphorical crown with some diamonds.) 

    To summarize, if you are a sci-fi person & haven't read this book before, you should.  If you are a sci-fi writer & you haven't read this book before, you should!*  And I will be recommending this book to people who appreciate good literature, even if they're not sci-fi fans.

*Also if you're writing sci-fi and NOT reading the genre, knock it off, you hack!

     If you've been kind to enough to try following me on social media, you may have noticed that I'm...not.  Very social.  On social media.  I kind of suck at it, to be honest.  There's just so many things I'd rather be doing with my time (like writing, reading, cooking, & eating--which just happen to be the main topics of this blog!).  But I'm also aware that I'm missing out on opportunities to stay abreast of topics that fascinate me, people who inspire me, & cool networking.  So it's been my intention to up my game.  Or at least get more consistent on something as basic as Facebook.

    Then, Zuckerberg did his stupid.

    I've always had hesitancies around social media for personal values reasons, but I've been persuaded to overlook them in the past.  Now, however, with fact checking (what there was of it) being officially removed from Facebook, I'm done.  I'm off.  I will be keeping my page because I don't want anybody else to take my name & impersonate me, but I will neither be looking at it nor contributing to it.

    I am going onto Bluesky.  Which means now I have to stumble my ignoramus self through learning THAT platform, so don't expect a whole lot for awhile.  Really, look at this blog, & if you want to know what I'm reading check me out on Good Reads.  Some day, I will even get my website up.

    And now, because I feel like it, here is a picture of the dessert I made for Christmas:

    This was sort-of-a-personal-sized trifle. I used chocolate cake chunks leftover from when we made 150 Hour Chocolate Cake for my Mom's birthday back in the fall (we froze them for this very reason), & layered it with mascarpone cream, homemade raspberry jam, & frozen raspberries.  It was goooood.  I feel my mouth getting drooly just remembering.

     I recently returned from a trip to Iceland, & it turned out to be a fabulous, fabulous place to write.  Here are my tips for soaking up all the literary inspiration Iceland has to offer: 

1) Stay someplace comfortable, preferably in the middle of nowhere. There's a lot of that in Iceland. And plenty of scenery to go around.

This is the Hotel Jökulsarlón, about 15 minutes from a glacier lagoon.  Tell me that's not going to get your writing-wheels turning.

2) Do the thing. Break up your writing with experiences, especially things that bring your closer to what your characters encounter. 

Does your character run from lava? Feel what it's like to be in a room with just a rivulet of fresh lava!

Everyone who writes a character in the saddle needs to be in one themself.  Icelandic horses are a very good first-time riding experience.  And they are NOT ponies.

3) Educate yourself. History is full of inspiration, whether it's on a geologic or a human scale. Seeing a picture is not the same as smelling the air, or hearing how your footsteps echo in a space.

The Skógar Museum has recreated cottages & other historic structures you can enter.

The Perlan Museum has an ice cave you can traverse safely year round--so bring a good coat & a warm hat!

4) Nourish yourself. I did not expect to find so much good food in Iceland, but there was LOTS.  Everywhere had good coffee. Some of the fusion restaurants were mind-blowing!  And most astonishing, everywhere--& I mean EVERYWHERE--had perfect french fries.  

    Perfect. 

    French fries.  

Of which I have no pictures, because I was too busy eating them.

    All that to say, Iceland is an ideal writing retreat.  It's a place where elves live in the rocks, reindeer refuse to be tamed, & you can spend the whole day in your slippers drinking Swiss mochas over your laptop & nobody bats an eye.  Give yourself remarkable things to do, & your Muse will be hard-pressed to stay silent.  

     I always said that I would come back to this blog--& to the wide world of social media in general--when I reached a certain point in my writing endeavors.  Time is a precious commodity & I felt mine should be directed at improving my craft.  The Muse can be a fickle friend, so when stories gestated in mind I wanted to give them my full attention, bringing them into the world & then doing my characters justice.  That resulted in significant gaps in this blog, & my virtual absence in other social media platforms.  

    I believe I made the correct choices.  

    That was my highlight from last year. Highlights from this year are even more exciting...but I'm holding back until I have permission to say more.  Stay tuned.

    Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to a start-of-autumn jaunt eastward to LaCrosse, Wisconsin.  The plan is to hit the tail end of Oktoberfest, & then linger for some exciting activities at this writer's retreat through Creative Pathways.  And go on the ghost tour.  Definitely go on the ghost tour.

     Independent Bookstore Day marches on here in the Seattle area!  I've been spreading out the joy across my week.  On Monday evening, I went with a friend & fellow bibliophile to visit a couple eastside gems.  First, we hit up the BookTree in Kirkland--a lovely, cozy, jumbled shop run by a retired couple & their charming canine companion.  I asked for some ghost stories as comps for my own project, & Christopher (one of the owners) enthusiastically let me to the horror section to perused with me, offering a great scope of knowledge.  He also read us one of his own poems, a fabulous treat!  In the end, I took home two of his suggestions.

Usually I save my spooky stories for October, but this year I'll be starting early!

    Next we moseyed over to Brick & Mortar bookstore in Redmond.  This has been one of my staples throughout the pandemic, as they've been more than happy to order anything they didn't carry in the store.  The staff are knowledgable, nerdy, & the shop has the feel of a sprightly library (if you can imagine such a thing).  At that point, I needed to get a little somethin'-somethin' for my spouse, so I picked up a book from his list & brought it home as a surprise.

If he likes it, I'll add it to my own list...which is about 70 titles long at this point.

    That brought me halfway to my goal.  On Wednesday, I persuaded my fabulous critique group to meet up in person (we're all vaccinated!!!) at Island Books in Mercer Island.  For people who live on Mercer Island, this bookstore is a beloved institution.  It's light on the sci-fi & fantasy, but extensive in the children's section & in their graphic novels.  Hence why I picked up this great piece:

Yes, THAT George Takei!

    For some reason, I really like getting my biographies & social equity literature in graphic novel format.  I think the art pulls my brain in deeper when usually, the painful topics would make me want to retreat, so I focus & empathize on a deeper level.  Anyway, once read this will sit next to "Good Talk" by Mira Jacob, "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, & the "March" trilogy by the late Senator John Lewis, author Andrew Aydin & the artist Nate Powell.  I love that this section of my personal library is growing.

     The purpose of Independent Bookstore Day isn't just to remind people that Jeff Bezos is evil to support their local businesses, it also shows just how many stores are still out there!  I confess I was surprised when I looked at the list of shops participating just in the greater Seattle area.  So often we hear about a bookstore closing; if you'd asked me to guess how many remained, I would have estimated around five.  Happily, I would have been waaaaay off--a discovery that inspires me to explore in the name of retail & literary expansion!

     Yesterday I ventured out to Edmonds to visit two bookstores with which I was previously unacquainted.  The town is located a couple cities north of Seattle, easily accessible by freeway.  Most Seattlites discover it when they need to take a ferry across Puget Sound into Kingston.  Then when they realize downtown is full of cute shops & one of the awesomest seasonal farmer's markets, they come back.

If its sounds charming, that's because it is.

    So my first stop was the Edmonds Bookshop, nestled right downtown.  Small, tidy, & consistently reminding people to please use the complimentary hand sanitizer before browsing, it had that "we know how to crowd our shelves without being disorganized" feel.  I found one book on my list, & one book that I used to own, purged in a move, & then regretted no longer owning.  Double success.

"Persuasion" has long been on my want-to-read list, as one of Jane Austen's lesser-known works.  And "The Checklist Manifest" is a great book for anyone wanting to cut down on mistakes in their professional life &/or business.

    Next, I left downtown for the tiny neighborhood of Perrinville.  In a quirky little nest of shops I found the Neverending Bookshop--but first I found a bakery called Mel & Mia's, where I fueled up on tea & chocolate pecan pastry.*  THEN into the bookstore!  As anticipated from the name, it focuses on fiction with an emphasis on the speculative genres.  The layout was airy, but felt dense with treasures.  My friend & I were the only visitors when we first arrived, so I chatted with the owner for quite a spell.  Her name is Annie & I do believe we are kindred spirits.  So rather than dig out my list of potential purchases, I described by current writing project & asked her to recommend a comp book.  

"Cemetery Boys" is a YA novel, & mine is definitely a book for adults, but from what Annie told me they definitely share core themes so I'm excited to read this!  I also bought a bunch of home-made stickers--here's one of them.

    I could have stayed longer, but the shop was soon to close & newcomers waited outside (Annie is wisely limiting the number of shoppers as COVID persists), so I left to allow other people the pleasure of visiting.  That was my Sunday, & it was a day well-spent.  I've already got my next outing planned for the 10-10-10 Bookstore Challenge, & I'm already looking forward to going back to Neverending Bookshop!  So I'd say Independent Bookstore Day is definitely serving its purpose.

*They have a full breakfast & lunch menu, & also serve afternoon tea.  Guess where I'm taking my Mum for Mother's Day?

     Had to visit a bookstore ON Independent Bookstore Day, so I went to one of my favorites: Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park.  I was there for the midnight release of Harry Potter books 4 & 5.  That was also where I met my friend Michael Munz, doing a book signing for his hilarious Zeus Is Dead.  I've got a lot of fond memories of that place.  So even though I had to wait in line & had to limit my visit to under 30 minutes, I went with my Significant Other &...well...let's just say I bought more than the minimum single purchase.

Today's haul.

    Nine days and nine more stores to go!

     I like to celebrate nontraditional holidays.  Natural events like the first day of spring are favorites, & it brings me joy to observe events promoting equity, like the International Day of Transgender Visibility & Juneteenth.  Random food holidays are a great excuse to cook.  National Enchilada Day falls on Cinco de Mayo.  National Surf & Turf Day only happens once every four years, on February 29th.  This year I even bought a National Holidays Calendar to broaden my options.

Here's May 1st, just to give you an example.

    But there's a biggie coming up this weekend that I've been really looking forward to: Independent Bookstore Day!  It always falls on the last Saturday of April.  Participating bookstores mark the occasion by throwing parties, or sales, or other kinds of events to raise awareness & draw in new customers.  In the past there have been challenges for book lovers, such as visiting every participating bookstore within so many miles.  Given the challenges of COVID-19, however, this year they're doing things a little differently in my neck of the woods.

    The challenge: ten bookstores in ten days, & a purchase at each store.*  Go alone.  Take your friends. Go on Tuesday, which is usually the slowest day for any business.  Or go virtually.  And blog & tag & read & chat & read & tweet & read & read & READ!

    If you live in the U.S., here's a hand-dandy map to help you find participating bookstores near you.  I already know where I'll be starting, I have a couple favorites I've been missing for awhile.**  But I'm also looking forward to discovering new stores--places I've wanted to visit, but somehow never found the time.  Kind of like making chicken cordon bleu...so delicious, yet I never make the time...unless it's National Chicken Cordon Bleu Day, which happened on April 4th.  Guess I'll have something else to look forward to next year.

*Yeah, that last part is going to be dangerously easy!  Don't tell my wallet!

**Ahh, Third Place Books...surely you didn't think I'd forgotten you?  And Brick & Mortar, we've only hung out online since the pandemic started, but you know I've just been waiting for an opportunity to get together!  And BookTree, it was so nice to run into you that one time!  I'm quite looking forward to getting to know you better.  

     I know, I know, you're all wondering.  "Z.D., did you do it?  Did you meet your self-imposed deadline of completing your first draft by the first of April???"

    And the answer is: No.  Alas, I did not.  But I came damn close.

    How close?  On the last day of March, I had precisely three chapters left to write--the climax of the story & the immediate aftermath.  On the 31st, I knew there was no way I'd have the time to write all of that, so I used that day to write a detailed outline.  One good, long afternoon in a coffee shop* & the draft will be complete.  So I'm feeling Ok about the whole thing.  Had this been a hard deadline for an editor or agent, I would have taken the last week off of work to focus on writing & had time to spare.  Self-imposed deadlines can have a bit of flexibility, so long as the spirit of the venture is met.  Right?

    So on April 1st, the draft stood at 103k words, 40 chapters--but that's a rough draft.  There's nothing like spilling out a raw story to help one understand just how badly it needs refinement.  I've got tightening to do, some scenes to scrap entirely (don't be afraid to kill your darlings, my friends), & some theme clarification to polish throughout.  Ultimately I don't want this to be more than 90k words in length, preferably closer to 80k.  As a debut author, I can't risk an over-long manuscript.

Here are the goals for the second quarter of 2021:

    Today I still have the last two chapters to write, but that's been a deliberate choice.  Writing a climactic finale is something I do best when I have an uninterrupted chunk of time to focus; lucky me, I have a four day weekend, starting tomorrow.  The idea is to finish my rough draft by Friday night, then use Saturday to review, complete my chapter summary, & sketch out my current outline to help with revision later.  I already have a couple comp books waiting on my bedside table.  So keep cheering for me across the universe, folks!  New quarter means new set of goals, & a building wave of excitement!

*Not an option at this point in my pandemic life, but when you've done it often enough, "long afternoon in a coffee shop" becomes a measurement of time in the writing world.  Michael Munz would back me up on this. 

     I really should be writing (with only five days left to my deadline, I REALLY should be writing), but I had to take pause & compose a brief tribute to the late, great Beverly Cleary, one of my favorite childhood authors.  She passed away today, at the age of 104.  A living legend gone to rest.

I should have known she was a cat person.

    Beverly Cleary books were staples on my bookshelf until I went to college & had to clean out my old room.  Cleary captured such perfect, universally relatable childhood experiences in her stories.  Of course Ramona was my favorite character.  I still remember relating to how Ramona cherished her new school supplies, her creative approach to book reports, & the balance of love & annoyance she felt towards her older sister. 

    Spinning such ordinary events into such memorable tales is nothing short of art, and Beverly Cleary made it look easy!

    I watched TV as a child, & I played video games.  But there's a feeling that I got (& still get) from connecting to a character in a book that can't be replicated in any other media.  So far as I can tell, Beverly Cleary spent a lifetime steeped in books, both as a writer & a librarian.  In my mind, that is a quiet, simple, & truly beautiful way to make the world a better place.

    Thanks, Beverly!  Rest in peace.

     You may recall from a couple posts back that I set myself a series of goals for this year around my writing.  The first goal?  Complete the first draft of my novel before the first of April.  I've been working on it literally every day, & I'm definitely in the final stretch.  

Here's my official update:

                Word Count: 90,562

                Chapters: 36

                Estimated Percent Complete: 84%

    To put that in context, the word count of my final draft will probably be quite close, or possibly even less, because when I revise there's a lot I will tighten or trim.  Final number of chapters is kind of irrelevant, but at the moment?  Based on what remains of my story outline, I'd say I have about 7 more chapters to write.  Hence the estimation of being 84% complete.

    Seven chapters in nine days.  That's...do-able.  I just hope I don't have any other plans this weekend.

Good thing I'm only aiming for a first, rough draft!

    I just finished reading an advanced copy of "Moonlight Becomes You," a supernatural thriller that takes place in the deep south a few years after the conclusion of the Civil War.  I was lucky enough to get an advance copy because I used to be in a critique group with the author, Robert Herald.  As life got complicated, I had the leave the group a few years ago, before he'd finished the manuscript, & I always wondered what happened to the characters.  So it was a real treat for me to read the finished novel and sate my curiosity.  You are welcome to read my reviews on BookBub or Goodreads, but in short I do recommend the book as an easy, entertaining read.  If gothic horror is your go-to, "Moonlight Becomes You" is very suitable for a lazy weekend or vacation--especially if it's a vacation to the deep south!  

The cover tells you everything you need to know.

    As is my wont, when I review a book I like to pair it with food: the only thing better than a good book is a good book and a tasty snack.  In this case, reading about humid August nights in old Virginia made me crave those classic comfort foods of the region.  I recommend "Moonlight Becomes You" with a plate of cornbread an molasses, washed down with a tall glass of iced sweet tea.*  And if you don't already have a good cornbread recipe on hand, allow me to suggest this simple alternative: Cornmeal Spoon Biscuits.  This is my own recipe, adapted from Dori Greenspan's Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits (which are sooooo good), but tweaked to emphasize the cornbread flavor & better compliment a drizzling of molasses.  Enjoy!

These are small & light, so I'd never serve less than three per person.  Plus, more opportunities to play around with toppings & spreads!

Cornmeal Spoon Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 Cup AP Flour

2/3 Cup Yellow Corn Flour (super-find cornmeal)

1/3 Cup White Cornmeal (masa works fine)

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 Tablespoons golden brown sugar

3/4 stick (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces about the size of a nickel

2/3 Cup cold whole milk

molasses (for serving)

Directions:

    - Preheat oven to 400 degrees & line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

    - In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Drop in the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the consistency of damp sand.  (Unlike with buttermilk biscuits or pie dough, you do not want to leave larger bits of butter in your dough--the cornmeal means these biscuits will be tender rather than flakey.)

     - Pour the cold milk over.  Using a fork, toss & stir until the dough comes together.  Use a tablespoon to scoop rounded balls of dough & space them about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet.  Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on top.  Serve with molasses.

Drizzled with molasses, these are part of a very satisfying breakfast.  Also good for an afternoon snack.  Or a bowl of chili for dinner.  Ok I'm going to go eat another one.

*Yes, I realize it's still February, but between the book & the food it'll start to feel like summer in no time.  

     That's a very deep & philosophical question, hypothetical querent.  Did I ever really exist?  Do you?  As a cheerfully gullible person I'll just say "yes" to both of those.  But I understand what you mean: a year ago I said I was all-in for this blog once more, only to follow my usual pattern & fall silent.  Sorry about that.

    The explanation is also the same: time is precious, & what extra time I have has been going into my latest writing project.*  I even wrote out very concrete goals for 2021 (with some help from some awesome writing buddies).  Want to help hold me to task?  Here's the goal for the first quarter:

3-Month Goal(s)

Goals I aim to accomplish by March 31, 2021.

Desired Goal: To have a complete first draft of The Specter Street Book Emporium

How to Achieve: Writing for at least an hour a day, at least 5 days a week

What Success Looks Like: A complete manuscript with cohesive plot, beginning, middle, & end

 

Desired Goal: To have at least found resources/contacts to interview for each area where I need research

How to Achieve: Clarifying my research questions, taking initiative to ask

What Success Looks Like: Scheduled interviews on my calendar (or completed)

    Good stuff, right?  Concrete, reasonable, time specific--all the key features of good goal setting.  And I've been keeping to it!  I'd say I'm about 75% of the way done with my first draft.  All the same, I'm unsure whether or not I'll have a completed manuscript within the next 5.5 weeks.  If I do, it will be very, very rough, but I'm Ok with that.  Revision is both something I enjoy & something I do with relative speed.  It's a good thing I have the best writing coach ever snoring right next to me as I type....

Right now she's saying: "Why are you taking pictures of me?  You should be writing!  Or petting my fuzzy head!  Or both!"

*Well...that & watching "WandaVision," but that only gets updated on Fridays!  

      Life goes on.  Between episodes of grief, between tirades & protests, we still eat.  We still sleep, & do all the mundane acts of everyday life.  So yes, I have still been cooking.  And yes, I have still been writing.
      More importantly, I have been listening.
      The murders of George Floyd and Manuel Ellis have been vivid splashes of horror in an already rough point in time--but only for those who live in privilege.  For people of color, these were not sudden, shocking events: they are the other shoe that people of color perpetually wait to drop.  They expect it every day.  This time, our communities have reacted with greater volume & energy than at any other point in my life.  Those reactions have been myriad & intense.  More than ever, I see the social equivalent of Newton's Third Law: every action has an equal & opposite reaction.  So there are a lot things I could say, a lot of events on which I could comment.
      But as a white woman, born into upper-middle class privilege, I have only one thing to say:

      Find your way to contribute to the cause.  There cannot be just one approach to finding justice, it takes many voices, many tools to dismantle the sickness of so many generations.  Take action, & stay strong.


      This is not a political blog, although I believe that any act of life can be political if approached correctly.  Next week I will return to my usual topics of writing & food.  But I will strive to give my art & the mundane actions of living meaning in these times of change.  I invite you to do the same.

      These days, delight has become a precious commodity.  The struggle between monotony & health risks can be exhausting.  When my instincts debate my logic, I prefer the debate to be internal, & I prefer the stakes to be no higher than whether or not to eat second brownie or maybe staying up past my bedtime.*  The constant slog of self-denial in the name of public health has to be the most boring way to take a stand every...but it is taking a stand!  A stand...

      For me, one of the best coping strategies has been actively seeking & embracing delight.  I got the idea from an episode of This American Life at the beginning of the year & I swear it has been a sanity saver.  More than that, it has opened me to little experiences I would normally say I don't have time for, including the best, most wonderful story time I have had since elementary school: Taika Waititi doing a celebrity reading of James & the Giant Peach.
      Full confession: I've never actually read the book.  I saw a children's play based on the book when I was a little kid & I remember thinking it was great.  But I only had a passing acquaintance with Roald Dahl's children's books through movies, I rather preferred his Unexpected Tales.  But Taika Waititi is, in himself, charming.  I don't care if he's playing a vampire, a pile of rocks, or a Hilter as an imaginary friend, the man is just lovely.  So when I saw that he had rounded up some celebrities to read James & the Giant Peach as a fundraiser, I was in! 

So far my favorite is the second episode, which does have Meryl Streep & Benedict Cumberbatch reading as Aunt Sponge & Aunt Spiker!

      The story is being read in six parts, the two final videos being released today.  It's a long weekend here in the U.S.  Some people will be flouting the social distancing restraints of the last couple months & going out to enjoy the spring.  Others (such as myself) will be staying in & trying to get as much fun & relaxation out of a restricted holiday as possible.**  And some people will be working, possibly for the first time in weeks.  Whatever your Memorial Day holiday is looking like, treat yourself to something whimsical.  Listen as Taika & friends bring this piece of children's fiction to life.  Your heart will glow, & you, too, may feel compelled to donate to Partners in Health.
      Stay safe, everyone!





*Do I live dangerously or what!

**We're setting up a tent in the living room, right in front of the fireplace.  We intend to roast marshmallows & "camp" all weekend long!

      In an earlier post, I noted that I have a list of foods to make as research for my current writing project.  One of the new foods on my list to learn was Conchas: sweet Mexican rolls with a sugar crusted top, scored in a distinctive curving pattern meant to resemble a conch shell.  Classic conchas are flavored with vanilla, maybe chocolate in the sugar disk topping, & that's it.  I put a tiny twist on mine to be more spring-ish, & created Lavender Cardamom Chonchas.  And YUM!
      You will need lavender sugar to make these.  Sounds gourmet, right?  But it's just plain white granulated sugar that has been pulsed in a food processor with food-grade dried lavender.  This results in a superfine sugar powder with a gentle lavender aroma, & delicious lavender flavor.  How superfine?  The texture will be almost identical to powdered sugar.  I recommend a proportion of 1 teaspoon lavender to every 1/4 Cup of sugar.  (This is also a good way to use up those sugar cubes you've had sitting in your pantry forever.)

Combine in a food processor or clean spice grinder & pulse until soft & powdery.

    So these were delicious, & the recipe is long & complicated so no more preamble, let's get baking!
YOU WILL NEED: a stand mixer, other baking bowls, a whisk, a wooden spoon, parchment paper, & a digital kitchen scale.  Trust me.


Lavender Cardamom Conchas

Ingredients:
1 generous teaspoon active dry yeast (half of an envelope)
1/4 Cup warm whole milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, generous, divided
1 & 1/2 Tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 & 1/2 Cups bread flour, plus more for surface
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (about 20)
1/2 Cup all-purpose flour, generous
1/3 Cup lavender sugar (see above)
1/4 teaspoon corn starch
1/4 Cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

- In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together the warm milk & yeast, & let sit for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, select a small bowl & place it on your scale.  Tare the scale.  Crack your eggs into the bowl & whisk thoroughly until they are a uniform liquid, then use the scale the check the weight.  Take a second small bowl & pour out 1/4 of your eggs (it's easiest to measure this by weight, hence the scale!).
The small amount of egg will be what you use for your egg wash when you put the sugar topping on the conchas.  Cover & set in the fridge until you need it later.

- To the bowl with the remaining egg, measure in a generous 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (set aside the rest for the topping) & all of the plain granulated sugar.  Whisk together, then pour into the stand mixture with the yeast.  Sprinkle in the milk powder, cardamom, & the bread flour, then stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

For some reason I just like the words "shaggy dough."

 - Place your bowl into the stand mixture fitted with a dough hook.  Turn on the mixer to medium speed and & beat until the dough comes together, about 2-3 minutes.  Turn the mixer speed up slightly & set a digital timer for 15 minutes.  Watching the timer, add in a small piece of your butter every 30 seconds.  The dough will slowly absorb the butter as you go, be patient.  You will finish adding all the butter before the 15 minutes is up, that's fine, let the dough continue to knead for the duration.


 - Cover the bowl tightly and allow to rise until doubled in volume.  In the refrigerator this will take at least 12 hours, at room temperature only 30-50 minutes.  (I compromised & used my garage, which is usually at some temperature in between during the spring, & my dough doubled in about 5 hours.  The time isn't really what matters, you want the dough to have doubled in size & smell like the yeasty, buttery concoction that it is!)  At this point, remove the cover and use your fingers to gently press & fold the dough to deflate entirely.

- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the all-purpose flour, lavender sugar, cornstarch, ghee, vanilla, & remaining salt, until you have a homogenous paste.  Using your scale, divide this topping into 6 equal pieces.  Transfer to a plate, cover loosely, & set aside.

Here's your crumbly paste.  Press it together...

...& you get these!  And lick your fingers afterwards, because yum!  (But then wash them before you continue, because obviously.)

 - Turn out your dough onto a clean work surface.  Using your digital scale one more time (aren't you glad you have this thing?) divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball & transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spaced evenly apart.


- Take out your remaining beaten egg, add a generous teaspoon of water, & then beat to combine.  Set egg wash aside.  Now you have all your pieces, it's time for the final assembly!

- Take a rectangular piece of parchment paper & fold it in half.  Unfold, & use a pencil to draw a circle in the center of one half, about 4" in diameter (I traced a saucer).  One at a time, take a piece of your sugar topping & place it in the middle of this circle, then fold the parchment paper over & push it out into an even 4" circle. 

I used a spice jar as a rolling pin to create these sugar disks.

 - Peel off the parchment paper carefully.  Brush egg wash over one dough roll, then fold the sugar circle over & tuck the edges underneath.  Repeat with all remaining topping & rolls.

The sugar disks will fully cover the top & sides of your rolls--it's like tucking them under a blanket!

 - Place in a draft-free, warm space, & let conchas rise until doubled in size, another 1-2 hours.

- Position your rack in the middle of the oven & preheat to 325º F. While the oven is pre-heating, use a small, sharp knife to gently score the top of each roll with the conchas pattern--this is done by making crescent lines from left to right, then top to bottom.  You just want to cut into the dough, just score the topping.

- Bake until the visible dough is golden brown & the sugar topping is just every so slightly darkened, 20-28 minutes.  Allow to cool on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.  Once fully cooled, conchas can be placed in an airtight container & saved for three days--but they are DEFINITELY best the first day.


      Because of the long baking time, I made these the day before I wanted to eat them.  I started in the morning, ate dinner while they were going through their final rise, & then popped them onto the cooling rack just before bed.  The next morning, they were perfection.  I partner & I enjoyed them with bacon, herb omelettes & fresh coffee.  And when COVID-19 finally takes a hiatus, I plan to make them again for a belated Mother's Day brunch.  I highly recommend you do the same!

     Working on a story can feel a lot like living in two worlds.  Whether I'm taking a (responsibly socially-distanced) walk, or doing chores around the house, my mind inevitably wanders to my characters.  I think about their conversations & their backstories, their quirks & their next steps.  Sometimes that comes back to bite me, because I get a brilliant idea when I'm driving on the freeway with no reasonable means of stopping to write it down.  But lately that hasn't been a problem because I'm always near my laptop--can't imagine why.
      In my current project, the story takes place in a small town in southwest Oregon (totally fictional location, & no, it's not Gravity Falls).  The town is very haunted, with ghost hunting being one of the biggest tourism draws.  So I've interjected the first five chapters of the manuscript with exerts from the town's official ghost tour!  I love a good ghost tour, & since I can't go on one right now this has been a lot of fun to write--not just coming up with the spooky stories, but then putting them in the voice of a tour guide.  It makes a nice break from my usual style & it's a good exercise for my craft.  Anyway, as an intermission from my recipe adventures, here is the first draft of one such ghost story. 
Enjoy!

This is the Walker-Ames House, one of the most haunted buildings in the most haunted town in Washington State, Port Gamble. I went on their ghost tour a few years back with my best friend & we got to go in--at night!  And...nothing happened.  But the house itself was definitely the visual inspiration for the story below.