7 Faves, the Jumpstart Edition

I've been neglecting this here blog.  I won't bother you with excuses.  It's been months since I've picked up one of my Nicholas Sparks books.  I've done one project from The Last Song, and that's it.   I've stalled, big time.  I'm determined not to abandon you all, though; I know there are many blogs out there that are pretty much dead in the water because their authors just up and quit and got on with their busy lives.  I'm sorry to say that I spent a good half hour just the other day going through and clicking the "Stop Following This Blog" option on my reading list, and many of those were blogs that hadn't been updated in months.  (Some of them I just quit reading.  Shame on me.)  I don't have many followers here to begin with, and I wouldn't want anyone to do that to me.

Anyway, since it's the end of the year and all, I'm determined to see this through.  Call it a New Year's resolution if you will.  I've had a lot of fun cooking all those Nicholas Sparks-inspired meals and sharing them with you, and do you know what?  It also has made me pay more attention to the food in other books as well (hence my deviation to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; and have you ever read Dean Koontz' Odd Thomas series?  I've been practically drooling at the thought of trying some of the dishes in those books...)

So in a what I hope isn't a futile attempt to jump start Cooking Nick's Books, I'm choosing seven of my favorite posts from the last year and a half or so.  Here they are in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent (click on the titles to link to the posts):

--1--

The Choice:  Brazilian Chicken, A Delicious Do-over

I suppose I should have called this one "Brazilian Chicken with Raw Tropical Sauce," because that's what it is.  Anyway, it's inspired by Rachael Ray (I got to meet her recently; I'll tell you about that soon!  Let's just say I was giddy) and one of our favorite race car drivers.

--2--

The Lucky One:  Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp.  Grits.  The Lucky One.  Paula Deen.  And some family photos from like eight years ago.

--3--

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo:  Lamb Chops in Red Wine Sauce and Creamy Baby Potatoes

Delicious.  That is all.

--4--

Post-Christmas Update:  Adventures with Beef, Roasted Tomatoes, and My Oyster Stew

...or, "What I Cooked For Christmas Dinner 2011 and Narrowly Escaped Disaster."  The best Christmas dinner I ever made.  2012's was lame in comparison, I'm sorry to say.

--5--

The Choice:  Grilled Shrimp Kebabs with Watermelon-Pineapple Salad

We love shrimp and we love grilling, and the watermelon-pineapple salad is one of our favorite summer sides.  I posted this in November 2011, but I remember the day we made this:  October 16, the day Dan Wheldon died.  Thankfully during dinner we were blissfully unaware that he had been killed that day. We wouldn't find out until later.

--6--

Dear John:  Spaghetti with Meatballs and Sausage, and Grandma B's Amazing Sauce

My mother-in-law taught me to make this.  You won't get a better gravy (that's Italian for "pasta sauce") anywhere.

--7--

Bonus:  An Amazing Corn Chowder

I have no idea why I've only made this once.  It's fantastic.

So that's it.  I resisted the temptation to post more than seven, so I guess if you want more where these came from, you'll just have to poke around here some more.  In fact, I would LOVE for you to do that.  And I WILL keep posting here, I promise; I hope you'll put me on your reading list!

(And while you're at it, you can check out my other blog, Musings of a Catholic Mom, where just the other day I shared my ten favorite posts from 2012.)

And for more Quick Takes, be sure to visit Jenn at Conversion Diary!

Happy New Year!

The Choice: Grilled Shrimp Kebabs with Watermelon-Pineapple Salad

Our heroes, Gabby and Travis, have spent a fun-filled day with Travis' friends and family. They've gone swimming, parasailing, and had a feast on the beach. (Click here for more, and to see what we cooked.)

When they return in the late afternoon, everyone is tired. Gabby plans to return to her house next door to relax, and maybe give her boyfriend a call. Travis invites her to have dinner with him instead--shrimp kebobs grilled on his deck. How could she resist?

I had some tomato-less peach barbecue sauce that I picked up at the farmers' market a while back, and decided to try it on the shrimp.

I was able to find local peppers in a variety of colors.

Ready to go on the grill. Joe bought those skewers in Turkey not long before we met. I've always wanted to go to Turkey...

She peeked at the skewered shrimp and brightly colored peppers and onions. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled. "Wow," she murmured, hoping he didn't hear it. "They look great." (The Choice, p. 127)

Travis serves slices of pineapple on the side. I decided I wanted to have something even better, and I remembered a cookbook my children bought for me years ago for my birthday:

Joe had taken the kids to Border's (oh, how I will miss that store) to help him choose a book I would like. In the cookbook section, I'm told, little Curly spotted The African Kitchen and decided right then and there THAT was the book they were getting and would settle for nothing less. It was written by a chef who has worked in various safari camps and lodges in the African wilderness. (One recipe is called "How To Build a Pizza Oven Out of a Termite Mound in Less Than Two Hours." I kid you not.)

I have to admit I haven't cooked much from this particular book, but there is one recipe which we all love, and it's super-easy and amazingly delicious:

WATERMELON AND PINEAPPLE SALAD

1 lb 2 oz watermelon, cut into bite-sized chunks (Seriously, who actually weighs their watermelon to see if it's exactly 1 lb 2 oz? I chose a small seedless one from the produce section.)

1 lb 2 oz pineapple (Whatever, they're all about the same size, anyway)

1 onion, thinly sliced

1-2 tbsp cilantro

6 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Freshly ground pepper

Place the fruit, onion, cilantro, lime juice and red wine vinegar in a bowl. Toss, add pepper to taste, then chill before serving. (From The African Kitchen by Josie Stow and Jan Baldwin, p. 72)

Delicious with a gluten-free Redbridge beer!

As we're getting ready for Thanksgiving (Oh, that gives me an idea! I have a dairy-free egg-free pumpkin pie that I make every year for Moe. I'll try to share that with you if I have time), I'm already thinking about what my next project will be: a chicken and pasta meal like the one Gabby will cook for Travis, only better.

Oh, and I finished Nick's latest book, The Best of Me. Everything you hope for in a Nicholas Sparks novel, and more! Well done as always, Nick. What am I reading now? Late, Late, at Night: A Memoir by the ever-dashing (even at age 62) Rick Springfield. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with that one, to tell you the truth; it's fascinating, but with lots of TMI, if you know what I mean. I hope I can finish it.

I don't know if I'll be back here before Turkey Day (unless I post that pumpkin pie recipe; and I might put that one over on Musings of a Catholic Mom), so let me take this opportunity to wish you all a very blessed Thanksgiving!