Robin L. Cole's Blog, page 3

Iron’s Launch Party

I’m normally a shy little introvert, so parties of any type aren’t really my thing. Especially a party where I’m the center of attention. Holy self consciousness, Batman!

Don’t get me wrong; I adore this little book of mine. I may have even toted around the first physical proof for a day or two, hardly able to put it down or stop grinning. But, talking about it is still hard for me (stupid anxiety) and I kind of balk at the idea of putting myself out there right beside it. Its not that I don’t want to celebrate the fruits of my hard labor or share it with others–quite the opposite! I just have a hard time engaging with people outside of the written word and feel I much better express myself in a medium like this blog. In person? I turn beet red and get tongue tied like whoa.

However,  I have wonderful friends who love and support me, and some of them insisted on throwing me a book launch party–and how could I say no to that honor?

I’ll just jump right on in here: it was an amazing day and a beautiful party!

We had a wonderful little book display table set up right by the door, showing off the paperback of Iron in all its glory, along with some promotional bookmarks and whatnot. (All the credit for that table’s snazzy set-up goes to my husband, the former Barnes and Noble merchandiser. Thank you honey!)

Everyone got a good look at the book right off the bat, which was important since–ya know–that was the point of the shindig.

We had a fun door prize raffle running for everyone who attended.

The theme of the prize was “Writer Fuel” and was chock-full of some of my favorite goodies, as well as some exclusive Iron merchandise:  a paperback copy of Iron, an exclusive Iron notebook, a Kate Spade Short List notebook, an Iron pen, an exclusive Iron coffee mug, three of my favorite coffee k-cups (Cafe Bustello Espresso Style, Tim Horton’s Original blend, and Green Mountain Southern Pecan), and a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate.

Competition to win that bad boy was fierce! There might have been some ballot stuffing going on when I wasn’t looking…

There were also little treat bags for everyone who attended, which I forgot to take a picture of. (sorry!) In a damask printed bag were some promo materials and extra goodies that went with the theme “curl up and get cozy with a good book”: an Iron bookmark, an Iron magnet, a bookmark promoting my friend Alice Kasey’s YA fantasy novel Faerie Born, a yummy Nonni’s biscotti, and a packet of Starbuck’s hot cocoa mix in one of four flavors (Double Chocolate, Peppermint, Vanilla Brulee, and Toasted Marshmallow).

(And, yes, I’m big on themes.)

If any of you followed my previous blogging years, you probably are familiar with my Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking posts and know that  I’m something of a foodie. (Unashamedly so, really. I just love good food!) So, I was thrilled by the smorgasbord of delicious food we had for our guests, which included things like antipasto platters, brie and raspberry in puff pastry, stuffed mushroom puffs, Caprase salad, and bourbon-brown sugar  candied bacon…

Amazing. Every bite was amazing. Hell–every single thing that touched that buffet table was amazing! I think I gained five pounds and have no regrets about it. Now I’m drooling just remembering it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahem. Sorry; got a bit side tracked there. Moving right along…

We had some fun planned for the attendees. Now, I’m a terrible public speaker. Like–utterly abysmal. Try as I might, I get tongue tied when trying to answer  hard questions like, “What is the book about?” (My husband–always my hero and coming to my rescue–actually stepped in and coined a handy little log-line I might be stealing from now on: “A pre-midlife crisis fairytale.”)

So, while I am a bit ashamed to admit it (and promise to try to overcome my shyness in the future), the thought of reading a section of Iron myself was pretty much out of the question (lest I turn into a deer in the headlights). Lucky for me, a long time writing buddy and all around amazing friend was in attendance. Despite being very close to due with baby number two, she stepped up and offered to do a short reading from Iron in my stead (which saved the crowd from having to listen to a lot of painful stammering).

We chose the last few pages of Chapter Two, which gave our listeners a tiny taste of Caitlin’s world and the trouble she lands herself in…

…and then Caitlin Moore herself joined us for some pictures!

It felt pretty great to see my heroine come to life right before our eyes. And; come on–how awesomely bad-ass are those boots, people? And those pants! (A huge thank you to our own Cat, whose awesome cosplay brought my Cat to life!)

 

After the festivities, we got down to the part that was the most fun for me, as a writer: book signings!

This is one of those things I dreamed of doing, ever since I was a geeky little girl reading her big Dragonlance novels at the fifth grade lunch table. Taking the indie publishing path might have done away with one of my long-held writer dreams (of seeing my book stocked on the shelves of B&N), but this? This I still have been looking forward to.

Being able to sign my book and place it in the hands of someone eager to delve into it… There are no words for that. It was pure awesome. (Well, okay; there are four words for it.) I loved being able to chat with each and every person as they came up for a book (because that kind of public speaking is okay. I say again: stupid anxiety). I loved getting to write a little something special in each one, making it different from all others…

Okay; I’m getting sappy now. You get the idea–it was awesome. I had a blast and can’t wait to do it again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, it was an amazing day. I was touched by how many people turned out to celebrate my achievement and to check out this new little brain child of mine. I continued to be floored each and every day by how well Iron is doing, and how many lives it is touching already.

I hope everyone out there enjoys reading about the beginning of Caitlin’s adventure as much as I did writing it. I’m hard at work on the next installment of her journey (Faster). Keep an eye out for it in late 2016!

You guys rock.

Iron has been out for two weeks today and… Wow. Just wow.

I had very modest hopes, going into this indie publishing thang. I’m just a nearly broke girl from Jersey with a story in her head and the determination to see it into print, come hell or high water. I didn’t (and, well, still don’t) have a lot to spend on marketing. So, I went with a soft launch (giggity) and figured I’d see what happened while I continued to work on book two, Faster. With only a single title to sell, whose sequel is roughly a year away from publication, I wasn’t expecting much. I just hoped one or two people out there would take a chance on it and pick up copies–and, even better, that at least one of those two would like it!

So far, I’ve sold copies every single day. Some days more than others, but all of them are more than I had ever hoped. Some have even been sold internationally, which just boggles my mind (and makes me jump up and down with excitement). When I wrote myself up a “three year plan” and tried to figure out my dream job goals for the years to come, I had only hoped to “break even” in Iron‘s first year. (Again, a modest goal as I had kept my production costs low as a newbie author with no fan base.)

Well, two weeks in I’m just about a third of the way to that goal. And that freaking astounds me. (In the best possible where-are-the-tissues way, of course!) I know there will come a day when I won’t always be riding this high. Sales may dip, or I’ll get some bad reviews and spend a few hours hiding under my exploding TARDIS blanket with a box of tissues for a whole ‘nother reason… But that is not this day. Right now, I’m feeling a bit like a rockstar and I have all of you to thank for it.

Thank you for reading Cat’s story. Thank you for not minding her potty mouth and penchant for bemoaning her luck. Thank you for giving me such wonderful reviews. Thank you for spreading the word and sharing the existence of this wacky little urban fantasy with others.

But, most of all, thank you for giving Iron a chance.

 

Release day is here!

Iron is live!

::tosses confetti… then pouts when she realizes she will now need to vacuum::

Oh! And its National Coffee Day, so–ya know–its just going to be a great day all around. (And since I’m sipping my Tim Horton’s from my Iron coffee mug, it’s pretty much perfection to a little ol’ caffeine fiend like me.)

To purchase Iron, please check out the Books section on my website, or follow one of the handy dandy links I will be inserting right here. Iron is available in eBook form on Kindle, Nook, and iBooks. It is also available in paperback exclusively through Amazon.com.

If you’re a visual person (much like I am), you can also checkout my Pinterest board dedicated to this series and the images I find inspiring for it here! I’m sure I’ll also be posting a ton of Iron related pics today (and in the days to come) on Instagram, so make sure to follow me at mrsrobinlcole.

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it and hope you enjoy reading about Caitlin’s adventures as much as I did writing about them!

Tomorrow is when everything changes.

Tomorrow, Iron will be released across multiple platforms.

This is it. My first book will be live; published and ready for reader consumption. Reading those words–typing those words–is an incredible mix of emotions. Its surreal and it terrifying, but more than anything it is absolutely fucking amazing. I cannot even begin to put in to words how I feel right now, and how this whole whirlwind crash course in the world of indie publishing all together has made me feel… But I’ve got some thoughts swirling around in my brainpan right now, so I’m going to try.

This is probably going to be long and rambling, because… Well, I feel a bit rambley today.

Let me start by saying that this whole endeavor has really been a split-down-the-middle venture. Half the time I’ve been bouncing off the walls with excitement, but just as often I was tearing my hair out or beating my head against the desk in frustration. It has also been an incredibly harrowing time for me, over all. I suffer from some pretty intense anxiety, some of it generalized but a good deal of it socially based. So doing this–pouring bits of my soul into writing this book, publishing it, selling it (and thus myself) to strangers? All of that is freaking terrifying for me. Stomach churning, sweat-inducing, terrifying. Just the thought of answering the most basic of questions (“So, what’s your book about?”) threatens to send me into a babbling panic attack.

But I did it anyway, and I continue to do it, pushing forward, every day. Because this is my dream. This is what I want, and that desire is so much stronger than any fear. Iron is important to me; its the culmination of three years of hard work, being written and re-written again and again–and there was no way in hell I was letting a little thing like anxiety keep it from ever seeing the light of day.

Don’t get me wrong. Many, many times, that dark, judge-y little voice in my head has told me to give up; that its too hard, that I’m going to make a fool of myself, blah blah blah. And just as many times, I’ve politely told that voice where it can shove its negativity and soldiered on. Sure, there were times where I laid down and wondered if I’d have the strength to get back up again–but I did, and I continue to.

So, just remember that. If you’re afraid; remember that it doesn’t have to rule you. It doesn’t have to put the brakes on your dreams. Don’t let fear win.

Okay?

Okay. Moving along.

I chose the indie publishing route for Iron for two reasons. One, I’m a bit of a control freak. (An anxiety-ridden, neurotic one, at that. Imagine how much fun it must be to be my husband, right?) I wanted to control the creation of this book from top to bottom. I wanted to choose and work with my cover artist (and was blessed to discover the skills of the wonderfully talented Fiona Jayde). I wanted to keep my title. I wanted to set my prices.

Oh! Let me take a little narrative break here for a small price rant! Very few things in this world piss me off more than a $9.99 eBook, especially when that is often equal to or sometimes more expensive that the paperback version. (And don’t even get me started on the ones that cost even more than that!) I’m a voracious reader. I can take down a book a day, in the off season, and often read roughly two to three books a week even when busy. I’m also hardcore Kindle girl, which means–at those aforementioned prices–the series I’m currently reading is costing me $30.00 per week, pre tax. For files. Digital, non-tangible items.

I mean–really? That’s just disgusting. That’s corporate greed, plain and simple. I can’t imagine the Big Five are paying their authors *that* much higher of a royalty on eBooks vs. print. By their very nature, eBooks should always cost less than a printed version. Having done one myself now, I can say with all certainty that they don’t take much work to create (from the original file that a print version uses) and there is no good reason to charge such a high fee for a digital file. Nu-uh; no way. If I wasn’t so damn addicted to the series I’m currently paying out the nose for… Grrr. Anyhow.

::hops off soapbox::

So, I wanted to make sure Iron came out the way I wanted it to. Thus, indie publishing was the most logical fit. It was a lot more work that I had originally anticipated, true–but a lot of that was my own damn fault. I thought too highly of my skills and really didn’t give myself enough time to learn the ropes. Next time, I know to give myself a much broader lead time so I’m not locking myself in a room for weeks, struggling to get everything finished on time. Now that I’ve created a book–in multiple formats–from top to bottom, I enjoy the process and am prepared to do it again.

The second reason I chose the indie route was, plain and simple, Iron is likely not best-seller material. And if a genre fiction book (and a fantasy book, at that) is not best-seller material? Ain’t no traditional publisher out there gonna touch it. I tried. For a year, I shopped Iron around to different agents and found the whole process incredibly disheartening and frustrating.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my book. I love Caitlin and I love her story. That’s why I continued on, on my own path. I think there are others out there who will love it too… I just don’t have any unrealistic expectations. As an unknown, first time author, I will have to struggle to get my voice heard–to get Caitlin’s voice heard. Her tale is a faerie-full urban fantasy story, being told first person in her smart ass fashion. At its core, its the story of a woman who is trying to find herself at a time when she should have had life all figured out already… And I think that there are people out there who will connect that. With her. If you don’t like Caitlin (or her penchant for creative cursing), you probably won’t like this book–but that’s okay too. We can’t all be everyone’s cup of tea.

I hope Iron finds its way into the hands of the people who need it. People who are feeling a bit downtrodden by life. People who need a little escape from reality. People who need a much-needed laugh from some brash and ballsy humor.

I’m committed to completing The Warding trilogy. Book 2–Faster–is currently being written, with an anticipated release of late fall 2016. Book 3 (yet unnamed) is outlined and ready to be written as well. While, of course, I hope Iron will do well and the next two installments will be eagerly anticipated, I’m going to write and publish them whether they are being read by 1 person or 1,000. If so much as a single soul out there resonates with Caitlin and her story, and wants to know how it ends, that’s good enough for me. And if its better received? Even better. I do have ideas beyond these three books. We’ll just have to see where it goes and where this wild world of indie publishing takes us!

For better or for worse, I’d love to hear all your thoughts on Iron if you pick up a copy! Comments are always welcome here on the blog, and reviews at the place of purchase are also greatly appreciated.

Cover Reveal!

I can’t wait any longer! I wanted to wait until I had a hard release date set, but I’ve been dying to share the cover of Iron, the first book in The Warding, my debut urban fantasy series.

So, without further ado–here it is!

Isn’t she a beauty?

I am absolutely over the moon with the work that the lovely Fiona Jayde has done. It is simply stunning. She captured the essence of Caitlin perfectly. Thank you so much Fiona!

Iron is slated to debut in mid-September 2015. It will be available as an eBook on Kindle, Nook, and Kobo, as well as in paperback from Amazon.com. As soon as I have the hard release date I will let you know, so check back here at the blog or visit me on Facebook at Robin L. Cole, Writer.

Also keep an eye out for a sample excerpt of Iron in the “Books” section, which is coming very, very soon.

Cooking the Book IV: Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

I promised my Cooking the Book posts would continue, so here we are with installment #4: The One Year Mark.

My very first recipe on this cook through of Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking was her Bolognese sauce recipe, back on July 4th of 2014. So, this weekend marks my official “One Year” mark.

Originally, back in the summer of 2014, a few friends and I decided that we wanted to try and at least 90% of the recipes of Essentials book over the next year. Obviously, I did not reach that goal. No one did. ::cue the sad trombone music:: We failed across the board. While it was a lot of fun sharing our experiences with the food and posting delicious pictures as we went along, a few people lost steam early on. Not everyone became as enamored with this cookbook as I did. A few of us kept chugging along throughout the year though; turning out Marcella recipes weekly. But–even then–none of us reached that coveted 90% mark.

And to that I say… Oh well!

I have no intention of stopping until I reach my goal. I love this cookbook. I’ve even enjoyed this cook through so much I started a Project Life-style scrapbook dedicated to it, lovingly dubbed “Essentials Experiences,” which housing my pictures and thoughts of the recipes! (And yes; I even keep said book right next to the cookbook on the shelf for quick reference. Also yes; I will totally do a post on that Project Life project if you care to see it. I’m ridiculously proud of it.)

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: damn near every single recipe I have tried in this book has been simple yet outstandingly good. There has only been one flop in the lot for me. (Sorry Anchovy Sauce!) Essentials has earned the nickname of “The Book” around our house (and in our family). I can say I’m making something, and my mother or husband will instantly ask, “Is that from The Book?” Marcella is the patron saint of Cole Kitchen and I look forward to another year of cooking through this fantastic cookbook.

Onto Part IV!

Standard Cook Through warnings apply:

1) This is a long, pic-heavy post!

2) I will not be including any recipes in this post (or any other cook-through post). I have been making a supreme effort to follow each recipe to the letter (which is really hard for an improvisational cook like me) and, as such, I will not infringe on any copyrights here. However, each recipe’s title is listed in full and the page number it is found on is included, if you are so inclined to track it down and make it yourself.

Okay. Now that that is out of the way, I’d like to interject a teeny apology. I was horribly lax in cooking this quarter (which is why I never came close to my 90% goal). Not just from this book, but in home cooking in general. There were some rough months recently for me, health and career-change wise, and we ate far too much take-out. (Ugh; it kills a little piece of my soul every time we order out for Italian, let me tell you!)

On the upside, everything I did make from The Book was a total culinary win. So, let’s get on to the recipes!

First up is an appetizer-turned-entree: “Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna” (pg. 62)

This recipe is under appetizers but I halved the given recipe down and it made a great light lunch for my mom, grandma, and myself. We kept it simple and served with some toast points for catching the bits that remained after we cut the tomatoes apart.

Really simple tuna salad (tuna, mayo, mustard, caper) but incredibly tasty! Loving the capers. They added a bright, tart flavor with enough saltiness that I didn’t add any additional salt. This was a flavor revelation in our household; both my mother and I have been putting capers in all our tuna salads from that point out! So tasty.

Next up was a low n’ slow kind of recipe: “Pot Roast of Beef Braised in Amarone Wine” (pg. 395)

Does anyone out there have a clue where I can find Amarone wine? Because I have yet to see it in any of my local liquor stores (some of which are very extensive). Instead, I just did this with a Merlot because… Well, we always seem to have a bottle of Merlot hiding in the pantry. I think they breed down there, in the dark.

I’m glad I forged ahead and tried this recipe anyhow. It was worth every minute of the long cook time. At the end, we were greeted by fall apart tender meat and the gravy this creates is absolutely delicious (both over the meat itself and over the Parmesan mashed potatoes I served it with). My husband, who is the resident pot roast maker, was floored by how delicious it was.

Nom. Just … Nom.

“Bolognese Sauce, Variation of Ragu with Pork” (pg. 205)

My husband is a meat lover through and through. So, if I say casually that there is another variation on Marcella’s beloved Bolognese, it should be no surprise to me that it is requested for dinner that very night.

This is another low n’ slow labor of love; perfect for a Sunday gravy. It was well worth the six hours on the stove. (Granted most of that is hands off simmering time, so it’s not exactly labor intensive. But smelling it cooking all day is kind of torturous…) This version tastes a little lighter and sweeter than the all beef version. While we love the all beef, I thiiiiiink we like this version just a bit more. I’ll probably do the 2:1 beef-pork mix from now on!

I also made a double batch of it that day because…why not? It fed the whole household that night over rigatoni, and there was enough to be baked with cheese ravioli and some mozzarella to make a lazy lasagna during the week. Win.

A few nights later, I made a Marcella side dish to go along with some ranch-style pork chops: “Gratineed Cauliflower with Butter and Parmesan Cheese” (pg. 483)

Hold the presses here, people. I GOT MY HUSBAND TO EAT CAULIFLOWER!!!

::throws confetti::

As you can probably guess, my husband is not a fan of cauliflower. However–I love it. And in this dish? I could have ate the entire bowl myself, as a meal. It was a really yummy way to make cauliflower and I will certainly make it again. Her boil/bake method made this sweet, tender, and buttery delicious.

I ate a shameful amount and my husband ate slightly more than a courtesy portion, so I consider this one a win.

“Chicken Cacciatora, New Version” (pg. 331)

I was having a rough weekend (I think I was getting over a cold or something) and really just wanted something I could toss on the stove to do its thang while I did other things. This fit the bill.

Simple, tasty sauce–fresh, tomatoey, but slightly sweet from the oniony goodness. Personally, I liked that sauce over the pasta I served it with better than I liked it on the chicken itself but that’s just one of my weird quirks. I’ve never been a fan of chicken + red sauce, so that fail was more of my personal palette than of the recipe. (Yeah, yeah; I’m strange. I know.)

My husband, however, is a fan of the chicken/red sauce combo, so he was quite happy with it. Good enough for me!

We still had more chicken in our freezer begging to be used up, so the next recipe I made was the “Chicken Fricassee with Porcini Mushrooms, White Wine, and Tomatoes” (pg. 332)

Holy crap–this is the best “mushroom gravy” ever! Seriously delicious; rich mushroom flavor with a subtle acidity from the wine and tomatoes, and a creamy mouth feel from the butter… Guh! ::drools just thinking about it::

I made this with boneless, skinless thighs (because it is what was readily available in my freezer) and, honestly, we didn’t miss the skin one bit (which usually gets too soft during braising for my taste anyway). I think the sauce this makes would be equally good over pork. Or beef. Or a tire.

I served this with mozzarella-garlic bread and we sopped up every bit of that amazing sauce.

Next up is the “Pan-broiled Thin Beef Steaks with Tomatoes and Olives” (pg. 387)

This was pretty quick and easy. I loved the sauce but my husband didn’t. Granted, I knew he didn’t like olives before making this one–but he keeps swearing he wants to try to get out of his comfort zone and try new things. I figured he could just pick them out if they bothered him… but even after picking them out wasn’t enough; he pushed the sauce off the meat entirely. Apparently their flavor contaminated the rest of the sauce for him.

::sigh:: Oh well–can’t please everybody.

I, on the other hand, love olives, onions, and tomato so the combo was a win for me. I even mixed the extra sauce (since I only made two steaks but all the sauce) onto my Parmesan couscous and ate that too. Delicious. 

I think my most used section of this book has been the Soup section. (Although I’m sure Pasta and Chicken come close.) I love Marcella’s soups! As the months get warmer, soup weather goes away… But I sneaked in one last bowl of brothy goodness before the summer descended! “Broccoli and Egg Barley Soup” (pg. 115)

Again: simple and delicious, in so far as the ingredients go. However, I thought that this delicious little number used far too many pots/pans to create a single pot of soup. (Since I didn’t plan ahead, I had one pot going for the barley, another going to par-cook the broccoli, a third pan heated to sauté the garlic… All in a hot, humid kitchen—ugh!)

I used regular barley (go Goya!) since I didn’t have (and couldn’t make) egg barely.

I wished I had made a double batch; it was very tasty.

“Risotto with Sausages” (pg. 257)

Once upon a time, I was scared to make risotto. I am so infinitely grateful that a dear friend broke me of that fear. I love risotto and I love being able to whip some up any time I want. And, honestly? I haven’t had a bad Marcella risotto yet!

Although I hated myself 10 minutes in, in the 85-degree kitchen with two burners going and a pot to keep stirring, it was well worth the effort. This was super tasty–rich and creamy, but not exactly heavy. A great stand-alone risotto that pretty much made itself a meal. All we needed to go with it was a salad.

Although Marcella recommends a mild sausage only, we were out of our favorite Whole Foods mild Italian sausage and I had to make due with the local Stop n’ Shop’s selection. We’re not fennel seed fans and most of the mild sausage selection had lots of fennel in them, soooooo I made the executive decision to do a blend of hot and mild sausage instead.

It was a winning decision, if I don’t say so myself.

In early June, things warmed up considerably and that means only one thing in the Cole house: grilling season. (Well, and air conditioner season but that’s not nearly as fun.) One of the grilled recipes I’d had my eye on all winter was the “Arrosticini Abruzzesi–Skewered Marinated Lamb Tidbits” (pg. 83)

Again, this is in the appetizer section but we ate these as an entree–and I am very glad we did. Two skewers each made a perfect protein portion and… Wow. They were total and complete nom!

The marinade was stupid simple and incredibly delicious ; it came together in under 2 minutes. It made for some tender tasty lamb, let me tell you. (Costco lamb, how I love you so!)

…and I think anything with “tidbits” in the title is a win by me. It just sounds fun!

If you like lamb, definitely make this one.

Alongside the lamb I served “Gratin of Artichokes, Potatoes, and Onions” (pg. 458)

How did this escape my notice for so long?! This is another side dish I could totally eat alone, as an entree.

Its not much to look at (sorry!) but I promise you, this stuff was incredibly tasty. Buttery soft potatoes, nutty Parmesan cheese, mild yet earthy artichoke flavor, and a sweet note from the semi-caramelized onions? Culinary win right there.

My husband loved it too (and he’s not thrilled with artichokes, generally, so I was surprised to see him go back for seconds). Aaaaand then mom and grandma ate the rest that I was hoping to save for tomorrow. ::sigh::

Double batch next time…

“Zucchini with Tomatoes and Basil” (pg. 534)

Summer veggie perfection!

This mix was delicious over roasted spaghetti squash, or a over bed of baby arugula for a lighter meal.

I forgot the parsley (doh!) and kind of, sort of made up for it by doubling up on the basil. Although, honestly, if I had had the parsley I probably still would have doubled up on the basil. Because I’m just a basil whore.

For lunch one weekend, I delved back into the under-utilized appetizer section for “Hard Boiled Eggs with Green Sauce” (pg. 53)

Essentially, these are Italian-style deviled eggs. I love deviled eggs. However, I don’t normally consider them lunch fodder with all that mayo and whatnot… These? Not a speck of mayo. Healthy deviled eggs are back on the menu, boys!

So. Capers in tuna salad was already a known win for us. Capers in egg? Also freakin’ delicious. I will be putting capers in my egg salad from now on too, thanks to Marcella.

I strayed from the recipe just a tiny bit. She called for diced red bell pepper atop the eggs, but I had no fresh peppers. I did, however, have a jar of Trader Joes Hot & Sweet Cherry Peppers. They were a delicious substitution!

“Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Basil” (pg. 156)

Our basil plant went through an early growth spurt and tried to take over the backyard. Since I lacked pine nuts to make pesto, it seemed the perfect time to make this sauce instead. (The quick 25 minute cook time helped make up my mind. It was a lazy book-editing-heavy weekend.)

Lots of garlic in this sauce (five cloves) but Marcella was right; since you do not cook it first, it poaches in the hot tomatoes and really adds a great mellow garlic flavor to the whole thing. That mellowness played very well with the heavy basil note.

Remember: I’m a self professed basil whore. I may have gone a little overboard buuuuuuut more basil = more delicious to me. I loved it. My husband loved it. We both wiped up every bit of sauce with some crusty Italian bread.

Another sauce win.

I finally got some pine nuts (and holy shit–those little bastards are expensive!) so it was time for “Pesto by the Food Processor Method” (pg. 176)

Not bad but not great. I’ll use it all up, but I wasn’t wowed by it.

Honestly, I’ve had better bottled pesto and this first attempt at making homemade didn’t come anywhere close to being as yummy as the fresh tub I usually pick up from the our local farmer’s market. Not sure what went wrong. It just tasted… Off. And, while I only added a tiny pinch of salt, to the basil-oil-nut-garlic mix, as she says to it was also a touch too salty.

Y’all know I’m a cheese lover too, but–in this instance–I felt the cheese flavor overpowered the basil. Aaaaand I really wanted more of a basil punch. Humph.

Maybe this would be better over a heartier starch, like gnocchi or even just potatoes. Or paired with fresh mozzarella and a nice ripe tomato on a panini. Mmmm; yeah. I might try that with the leftovers…

Next up was my first foray into frittate: “Frittata with Cheese” (pg. 279)

Fluffy, tender, and delicious.

Normally I’m not fond of “set” eggs. I prefer my yolks runny or my scrambled eggs loose. My husband is more of a well done scramble or omelette guy (though I recently introduced him to the deliciousness that is egg yolk + bacon). So, rarely do we agree upon eggs. This, however, was really tasty and we both liked it.

I used Parmesan but cut it down to 1/2 cup rather than a full cup. It was perfectly cheesy to us and I don’t think it needed the other 1/2 cup.

Seeing how easy this was, I will certainly make it again. Although I have my eye on the frittata with onions for next time…

My Year One was coming to a close on July 4th and I knew we wouldn’t be home to cook that day, so I frantically searched for two recipes I could squeeze in at the zero hour on the 3rd. The first of those two was the “Mixed Baked Vegetable Platter” (pg. 539)

In hindsight, I should have cut my potatoes smaller. This dish took almost an hour for them to cook all the way through, which was a bummer, but–oh well. The tomatoes were mushy and sweet, the peppers were tender and… well, do I even need to sing the praises of roasted onions? In the end, everything was very tasty.

Loved the roasted tomatoes and onions most of all, and the olive oil/juices left in the pan were delicious too.

The other quick recipe I tossed together that night was “Piquant Green Sauce–Salsa Verde” (pg. 42)

Oh man, where has this one been all year?!

I’m not a huge fan of chicken, unless it’s breaded or in some sort of sauce. So, when I decided we were just doing a simple grilled chicken for dinner with the mixed veggies, I looked to see what sauces Marcella had for me to dip in. I had everything for this one in the pantry so it won by default.

Very glad I tried it! It was lovely; herbal and tart–just my kind of flavor! It was also very good over the mixed baked veggies we are along with the chicken.

So, that is the show, folks. Those are all of the recipes I’ve made in this “fourth quarter” of my cook-through.

If you’d like to see the first three installments, you can find them here:

Cooking The Book I
Cooking the Book II
Cooking the Book III

Year One Verdict

I have loved every minute of cooking through this cookbook. Hands down; plain and simple. I love Marcella’s recipes. Her no-nonsense style of writing is straightforward and while you might think she’s being a finicky $&^@! asking you to do something incredibly frustrating (like peeling a fresh, raw tomato)–she has her reasons. Every step is worth the effort in the end. I have learned so much by cooking her recipes this past year. She has made me a better cook and I wish I could thank her for it.

As of right now, I have made 75 of recipes in the past year, out of 484 (counting all the variations and so forth). I really would love to push myself to complete the challenge on Year 2 but that means I would need to do another 361 recipes this coming year, to hit the 436 recipes that would equal that 90%. That would be a ridiculously big increase over this past year… But I will try to do it. I want to do it. And if I can’t? Well, fine; this might be a three or four year project! One way or another, I’m getting there dammit! (And then, in true Cole fashion, I want to move on to tackle an even bigger book to cook through but shhhhh–we’ll burn that bridge after we’ve crossed it!)

So I will push myself to make many more of Marcella’s recipes in the coming year and continue to regal you with my kitchen experiences every few months. Sections that were sorely neglected in Year 1 (most notably “Gnocchi,” “Frittata,” “Veal,” “Desserts,” and “Focaccia, Pizza, Bread, and Other Special Doughs”) will get special attention in Year 2, I promise.

See you soon in Cook Through Year 2!

Goodbye and Hello

I’m a firm believer that when something stops being fun–when you stop enjoying it–its time to walk away. If its not longer something you feel passionate about or something that feeds your soul, its not doing you any good. I’m not one of those fake it and grin until you make it kind of people. And that is why I will no longer be posting makeup and skincare item reviews on this blog.

As you’ve probably noticed, my posting schedule took a bit slide downhill over the past few months. I was having a really hard time finding things I cared enough to try for you guys. I was beauty burnt out. I just wasn’t excited about anything anymore. Sure, I’ve found a product here and there that I loved… But I just wasn’t running to the computer to share it with you guys anymore. Sitting down to write a review felt more like a chore; I just didn’t have anything new to say. I found myself getting so much more joy out of writing the cookbook cook-through posts than I did yet another lip gloss review… Which made me realize it was time to hang up my beauty blogger hat, step back, and take a long, hard (giggity) look at what would make me happy again.

It was then I realized that the answer had been staring me in the face all along…

I’m a writer and damn near always have been. I was that imaginative kid who had lots of imaginary friends (the favorite I remember being a triceratops), and wrote my first “full-length” three hundred-odd handwritten fantasy novel in the sixth grade. (Of course it was mostly a terribly plagiarized version of a Forgotten Realms book I had just read but–hey; at that age, I think the “didn’t know no better” clause applied.) I still have a large chunk of that terrible, hard to read (both in plot and handwriting) first novel tucked away in a binder, a reminder that even then I knew there was one thing I wanted to do with my life: write.

Over the years since, I’ve written quite a few novels and fantasy had always been my genre. Its what I have read from a young age and what will always be nearest and dearest to my heart. Even though the kids in my class always taunted me for “reading the dictionary” when I hauled out Dragonlance novels at recess (or even the mammoth tome “The Deed of Paksenarrion,” which, to be fair, was damn near the size of a dictionary), I always had a book in my hand. Dragons and magic and strange, fantastical races were just where it was at for me.

So, its no surprise that I tried my hand at my own fantasy novels when I first started writing. A dear friend and I created our own fantasy world and wrote many tales in it… But none ever saw the light of day. Of course the first few–written in middle and high school–just weren’t up to snuff, given our young ages and the hard work we had to do to improve our writing styles. Even the “final” novel I set in that world and spent many painstaking years crafting wasn’t something I would ever have considered for print. It was a big, bloated 150k+ monster, riddled with flowery prose and too many characters doing too many things… And I sort of stopped writing for a while at that point, having just “wasted” nine or so years on something that I thought (and still do sort-of kind-of believe) was beyond fixing.

I hit a point where I thought I would never see my dream realized. I would never be a writer.

Until, one night as I was lying in bed telling myself stories to help me fall asleep (What? Doesn’t everyone do that?), a new voice popped into my head. She was brash, she was bold, she was sarcastic and wittily irreverent in a way that resonated deep within me. Only problem? She lived in modern times, in a modern world… Only she happened to have some faery blood that gave her a great–and incredibly inconvenient–power. This Caitlin Moore–the focus character of my first urban fantasy novel “Iron”–was born.

The next day, I had a full outline down–something I had never completed so quickly or completely previously. I knew where I was going with this story almost instinctively and I banged out a first draft like the wind in the year following. Where I had always hemmed and hawed; struggled and backtracked in my previous fantasy novels, this one flew from my fingertips onto the page. I laughed, I cried; I felt a deep kinship with my new MC in ways I never had previously. I finally felt like I had found my story; like I had found the song the writer inside me needed to sing.

When I completed “Iron,” I spent a good month or so editing it into shape. When I felt I had a readable draft–with my heart in my throat–I sent out copies to a circle of readers, to get their thoughts. I was amazed at the good feedback I got–everyone enjoyed the story and wanted to read the next one ASAP. I was elated…

Until I remember what a stone cold bitch the world of traditional publishing is. For a new writer, in a niche genre like urban fantasy (which, I believe gets a bad wrap from so many heroines boinking their way through the paranormal kingdom already on the shelves), it was going to be hard for me to break in. I tried anyway, submitting to agents on and off over yet another year (during which I outlined and started on the follow up novel). No one bit. I grew discouraged. I didn’t think I would ever get to share Caitlin and her story with the world..

…Until an epiphany hit me just last week.

While I am a diehard lover of traditional, printed books (and a self-admitted book sniffer), I have embraced the digital world of ebooks wholeheartedly. I am an avid reader, sometimes reading two books in a week. My husband–also a big reader–and I share a tiny one-bedroom. Even though we read most of the same books (most predominately fantasy and dystopian fiction, with a dabbling of sci-fi now and then), this does not leave a lot of room for books. We have one bookshelf and it is packed with graphic novels and cookbooks–two things that just need to be read in print, in our opinion. We just don’t have the real estate in our home for fiction novels too.

So, we both jumped on the Kindle bandwagon ages ago and have never looked back. We love the Kindle and we upgrade to the newer editions of it frequently. (Well, I do. my poor Husband just gets my hand-me-down electronics.) Its convenient (we can read the same book at the same time without buying two copies) and allows our massive collection (approaching 750 books over the past 4 years) to be at our fingertips at any time. Hands down, we love our ereaders for reading fiction.

So, as I was lying in bed having the existential crisis regarding my not feeling passionate about beauty blogging any longer, but now knowing where to get my creative outlet if not for blogging, I realized… I would never buy my own book off a shelf at Barnes n’ Noble. And I don’t mean that in the whiny “oh woe is me!” way; I mean honestly and truly. I wouldn’t buy it–or any other book. I don’t buy printed fiction anymore; plain and simple. If a book isn’t available for Kindle download, I’m not reading it until it is.

In that moment, I realized I was being an incredibly stogy ass. I had had that image in my head for so many years–well over two decades–of holding my pretty little mass market printed baby in my hands, that I had never truly considering other options for it. Even though some people had mentioned ebook publishing, I had pretty much dismissed it out of hand, still stuck on that utopian picture in my mind… And that was just plain stupid.

I do not live a traditional lifestyle by any means. I am a loud-and-foul mouthed big girl who has strong opinions and isn’t afraid to voice them; who is unashamed of being a die-hard geek (Comic Con tickets secured again this year, bitches!) and who has a lightly checkered past that would cause most truly traditional people to look at me askance. So why was I so set on going the “traditional” route when it came to my future in writing?

Thus, the plan to release “Iron” as an ebook was born.

Now, don’t get me wrong; this isn’t something that will happen overnight. Its been months since I’ve looked at the draft as it currently stands, and I’m pretty sure–now that I’ve put some distance between myself and it–I will be horrified with what I find when I crack open that document later on this evening. A final re-write and another round of editing are most certainly in my future. After that comes the fun of finding a cover artist (which is in the works), formatting the manuscript it to be uploaded on Kindle and Nook, marketing than damn thing so that it stands a hope in hell of standing out among the tons of books out there… And so on and so forth. There are probably a dozen little nuances about self-publishing digitally that I am blithely unaware of but will soon become intimately acquainted with.

Long and hard (giggity) the path ahead of me may be, but its a journey I am deeply excited about and am currently undaunted by.

Over the next few weeks (maybe even months; I really have no idea how long it will take me to shape “Iron” up and finally get it uploaded for sale), I’d like to take you all along with me on the journey to self-publication. I don’t know if I will have as regular a posting schedule as I did when beauty blogging–as I don’t know when and how things will happen just yet–but I hope to have something to share with you at least once or twice a week, even if its just griping over the process and the snaffus I’m sure will arise. Maybe I’ll even share excerpts and snippets with you as I go. Who knows! (It could even be a boat! … Points to whoever gets that reference.)

If you wish to follow me in my new incarnation as a writer, please check out my new Facebook page here and hit the little “like” button to make my day. Right now it is a work in progress and very rough, but I hope to spruce it up in the days to come. I also am going to do my darndest to use Twitter more fully as well. Its a social network that I have never really gotten the hang of (I’m too long-winded for so few characters!) but I’m gonna try; I promise. You can also continue to follow me via email and WordPress updates, by using the features in the sidebar to the right.

As of now, I have removed most my old beauty related posts. The reviews for products I truly enjoyed and that I still feel strongly about, I will leave up for a bit  for people to continue to enjoy, but from here on in, I will likely only be talking about the road that I take to get “Iron” into digital print and the sequels to come beyond that. Oh! And the Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking cookbook cook-through posts. Those will continue quarterly because… Well, I just love them!

So, as I set forth on this new path–this new adventure–into the world of self-publishing and ebooks and urban fantasy book luv, I hope some of you will stay with me.  If not, I understand and thank you for your readership over the past two years. It was a fun ride, but I think the one ahead is an even bigger one, and it’s calling my name…

NYX Cosmetics Simply Red Lip Creams Review

“Red never goes out of style – ever. Whether you wear a true, deep or berry tone from NYX Cosmetics Simply Red Lip Cream collection, you can’t go wrong with a classic, satin red lip.”

The way I happen upon new products is sometimes a bit weird. I love a red lip, but have a really hard time pulling one off. My hair is, currently, an intense red-auburn and my skin–while ultra fair–also tends toward ruddiness. So, reds sometimes look really weird on me. Yet, I still crave the perfect red lip.

One night while I was binge-watching the previous season of Supernatural on Netflix, I fell in absolute love with the stunning orange-red lip the ass-kicking demon Abaddon was rocking. So, of course I Googled “Supernatural Abaddon red lipstick” to see if I could find out the shade she was wearing. Because, ya know, that I perfectly natural thing to search for in my mind. (My Google-fu is pretty strong; that method has actually worked from time to time with other actresses/movies/cosmetics.)

Sadly, I wasn’t able to locate the exact color or brand she was wearing. (Boo!) But my hunt was not for naught! I don’t remember the exact path of links I had to traverse to get there, but somehow my search lead me to someone cosplaying Abaddon at a con of some sort and they mentioned that they had used one of the NYX Cosmetics Simply Red Lip Creams to achieve their look.

That meant I had to try them.

I am a huge fan of NYX Cosmetics, but I haven’t really been paying much attention to their new products in the past few months. (Bad beauty blogger.) I was pretty upset that these lip creams stayed off my radar so long!

NYX put out four different “Simply Lip Cream” collections–Nude, Pink, Red, and Vamp. I couldn’t really care less about pinks and nudes generally look terrible on me, so I stuck mostly to the Red collection, with one little foray in the Vamp line. (So maybe I should have called this “Simply Red Lip Creams and One Vamp Review”…)

These chubby lipstick pencils retail for under $7.00 each and I found mine at my local Ulta. There are six colors in total in the Red collection. I wanted them all, but I erred on the side of caution and only chose the three that looked like they would suit me best–Russian Roulette (Red with Blue Undertone), Seduction (Red Orange), and Knock Out (Deep Red).

The formula on these is pretty damn outstanding. They are really creamy and buttery smooth on the lips. They feel lovely on; not the last bit drying. They are all super pigmented and I had a very easy time applying them; one or two swipes and bam! Red lips.

I love that they glide on with such ease–but they don’t run all over the place. Even though they are ultra-creamy, I had a very easy time using the tip to lightly line my lips, then swiping the broader edge across my lips to fill them in–no separate lip liner required, no huge mess to clean up outside the lip line. Love it. They’re really kind of idiot proof–just what I need!

Out of the three colors, Seduction was my hands-down favorite. (Which, ironically, was the color the cosplayer had used and what lead me to making my purchase in the first place.) This color is a bright in-your-face orange red. It might not for the faint of heart, but I fell in love with it immediately. I’m not scared of a bold lip, and this shade is a stunning color on us redheads. Absolutely gorgeous and super fun; a perfect spring/summer red to me. This is a red lip I’d be comfortable rocking just about anywhere.

My second favorite was Knock Out, the deepest red in the bunch. Yowza; is this sexy! Its dark without being vampy (which makes sense, as it is a part of the Red collection rather than the Vamp), which is kind of hard to find in a dark red lipstick. It leans a bit more red than brown, giving it that perfect brick red color. And it looks quite delicious on fair skin like mine!

The third color, Russian Roulette, is a good, solid blue toned red. The color itself isn’t that much to write home about; its really not all that innovative or exciting. However, the formula on this lip creams makes it a must have if you like blue toned reds.

Bonus! Simply Vamp Lip Cream.

While I was perusing the reds, I had to give the Vamp collection a look. I’m not known to wear super-dark lips very often, as they tend to wash me. And, honestly, I just don’t have much call to wear a deep purple lip often enough to warrant buying one of these Lip Creams. But I was really drawn to one color in this collection–Covet (Light Rust with Red Pearl).

Mmmm, this might just change my feeling about dark lips. I love this color. Its the perfect deep shade for my fair skin: plummy-red with a hint of brown to deepen it up and a tiny bit of pearlescent shimmer to keep it from looking too flat. Beautiful. Its dark, its dramatic–but it doesn’t make me look dead. Hallelujah!

I don’t know if I will reach for this one any time soon–its a bit dark for the season–but I do think I see myself wearing this quite often come next fall. I’m really glad I picked it up on a whim!

Swatches

From left to right (excuse the swatching messiness!): Seduction, Russian Roulette, Knock Out, and Covet.

Verdict

Buy them. Do it!

I love this formula. The pacaking is stellar–I love the ease of a good chubby pencil that I can toss in my purse all on its own, without the need for an additional liner or some other product. The lip cream itself is so smooth, so easy to apply, so comfortable to wear–guh! In a word: perfect.

I really, really hope they decide to keep making these Lip Cream collections. I’d love to see them add additional colors to the insisting lines, but my fondest wish? A coral collection. I’d die. Hell, if they made that coral collection, I would buy every damn color; sight unseen. (Hear that NYX???)

Cooking the Book III: Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

I wish I had more time to spend in the kitchen.

As much as I love makeup, I think if I was offered the opportunity to switch up my career path and do anything else, I would likely be someone’s personal chef. I really could spend most of my hours tinkering away in the kitchen every day, trying out new recipes and feeding people. Half the time I want to cook things even when I’m not hungry, just to… I don’t know; create, maybe? To feed others. To make people happy. Must be my Italian genes. I just have a deep need to make people happy by feeding them.

Anyhow; I digress. Lately, when I do have the time to cook, the noms I’ve been whipping up have been from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. Back in June, a few lady friends and I decided to challenge ourselves to a cook book cook though. (Original post and second installment, respectively). We are trying to cook at least 90% of the recipes in the book over the next year. However, given that I only average 3 recipes a week, it will likely take me far longer and I’ve become okay with that. I don’t have any intention of stopping until I hit that 90%! We’ve all been sharing our experiences with the food and delicious pictures with one another as we go, and it has been a great time.

I’ve never been quite this enamored with a cookbook before (and I read cookbooks like novels). Damn near every single recipe I have tried in this book has been pretty simple, yet outstandingly good. It has gotten to the point where I can tell my husband–a terribly picky eater–that the meal’s recipe is “from The Book” and he instantly gets excited for it, no matter what it is. Marcella is quickly rising to saintly status in the Cole Kitchen, and I always look forward to seeing what new dishes become family favorites.

I love sharing my cooking experiences almost (or maaaaaybe even a smidgen more) than my beauty reviews, so here I am; back with another collection of yummy images and musings on the recipes I’ve tried since!

Standard warnings apply:

1) This is a long, pic-heavy post!

2) I will not be including any recipes in this post (or any other cook-through post). I have been making a supreme effort to follow each recipe to the letter (which is really hard for an improvisational cook like me) and, as such, I will not infringe on any copyrights here. However, each recipe’s title is listed in full and the page number it is found on is included, if you are so inclined to track it down and make it yourself.

And I do suggest you get the book, if you’re wondering. I’m sure you could Google a lot of these recipes and find them posted pretty much in full online, but–seriously, I want to encourage anyone who is interested in making these recipes to buy a copy of the book (Amazon has a ton used, if you’re searching for a discount). It is phenomenal. Simply the best cookbook on Italian cooking that I have ever read. (And I read cookbooks like novels.) Marcella’s advice is stellar. I love reading her thoughts and, even if she can be a touch persnickety now and then, I think part of what is making these recipes turn out so beautifully is following her directions to the letter.

Anyhow.

Let’s get to what y’all came here for: the food!

First up is “Baked Red Beets” (pg. 558)

I know, I know–those beets are not red. I went to my local farmer’s market that morning with the intention of making this recipe, but the orange beets just looked so much nicer than the red variety that day, so I felt compelled to give them a shot. This was my first time using them and I was not disappointed; they were a little mellower and a bit sweeter than the red I have usually gotten.

I personally love beets, even though there is no denying that they do kind of taste like dirt. That rich earthiness appeals to me now and again, especially when they’re roasted until they get that lovely sweetness to them. Some people (my husband included) just can’t handle that. Oh well; more for me.

Marcella treats these roots very simply after they are finished baking: you just peel, chop, and toss with a mixture of salt, vinegar, and oil. Hard to beat; they were simple and delicious both warm and cold!

Next we have “Smothered Onions Sauce” (pg. 168)

Mmmmm–we are onion lovers in my house, so this was a total hit.

Again, this is something super simple where the end result is so, so much greater than the sum of its parts. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t go wrong with a recipe whose main ingredients are onions, white wine, and butter!

I was just going to serve it over pasta (as it is, technically, a pasta sauce listed in the pasta section of the book), but as it was cooking, the yummy onion-wine smell reminded me of a smothered pork chop dish I had made once from Cooking Illustrated. And, it just so happened that I had some of those lovely mild Italian sausages from Whole Foods defrosting (which had originally been intended for a risotto, but–oh well)… Sooooo, that had to happen.

When the sauce had simmered down to a rich, oniony goodness with only twenty minutes or so left to reduce, I browned up the sausages tossed them in as the sauce to braise and–yum. Delicious!

Honestly, I’m not much of a poultry fan. I really only like chicken when it is at its unhealthiest–fried, smothered in buffalo sauce, or stuffed inside a cheesy quesadilla.

However, this dish–“Sauteed Fillets of Chicken with Lemon and Parsley, Siena Style” (pg. 341)–might be the dish to change my mind about chicken.

This dish was so simple, so quick, and so, so tasty. It was done in under twenty minutes and we ate every little bit of it. This will certainly become a weeknight staple in our house. The chicken was super moist and has some lovely, crispy bits around the edges.

The pan sauce that this recipe creates is culinary magic. I not only sopped up every bit I could get on my chicken, but also poured the remainder on the plate over my broccoli/ravioli side dish (below). It was “sop up every trace with some crusty bread” good–and it was so stinking easy! Lemon juice, butter, parsley; that’s really all it was! (Has my overuse of exclamation points proved how excited I was for this dish?)

Alongside the above chicken dish, I served “Sautéed Broccoli with Olive Oil and Garlic“ (pg. 477)

Again, stupid simple but so darn tasty. Chop, blanch, saute–done.

I tossed some fresh ravioli in among the broccoli as it cooked (kind of giving them a pirogi like texture) and it was an awesome 1 pan side dish to go along with the chicken! (And the chicken pan sauce was pretty amazing on the broccoli/ravioli too.)

In November, I kicked things off with trying a second risotto: “Risotto with Saffron, Milanese Style” (pg. 246)

This was prefect for the icky, cold weather we were having; especially when I was already in a funk about having to work inventory over the weekend! My crankiness called for something warm and creamy, and I found stirring of this batch to be sort of zen-like.

We ate big servings of this as a meal in and of itself. I maaaay have doubled (or maybe even tripled) the amount of pancetta she called for… but I regret nothing. It was really, really good.

Next was another red sauce; “Amatriciana–Tomato Sauce with Pancetta and Chili Pepper“ (pg. 157)

Oh man! This one just tied with the beloved Tomato, Onion, Butter sauce! (I know; I know–I am a little surprised to see I typed those words as well. I did not think any sauce, ever, would come close to dethroning the lovely mix of tomatoes and butter.) But… Wow. This was sooooo good and stupid easy.

Everything was on hand and it came together in under half an hour. I went a bit light on the chili to make it husband-friendly (as he does not like spicy things) but it still had great flavor from the onion, pancetta, and cheeses. My can of tomatoes was a touch weak (lots of juice but some sad looking tomatoes) so I added a spoonful of tomato paste to beef it up a bit. It was universally loved. We both kept dipping bread into the pot over and over for just “one more” taste..

I love lamb, but my husband… Not so much. So, lamb is something I save for nights when he won’t be home for dinner and I’m on my own. I didn’t think I could prepare it in a way more delicious than my standard white wine-garlic-oil marinade… Until I tried “Thin Lamb Chops Fried in Parmesan Batter” (pg. 412)

Mother of god.

I would eat a shoe if it was encased in this batter! These really hit the spot; no two ways about it. They fried up beautifully–truly the best pan-fry job I’ve ever done. They were each incredibly crispy, with a lightly Parmesan-y crust that stayed on through each bite–and the inside of each chop was still a perfect medium rare. Nom.

I will be using this breading on pork and chicken too for sure!

Alongside the lamb chops I served “Baked Potatoes, Onion, and Tomatoes, Apulian Style” (pg. 521)

Although I want to gouge my eye out every time Marcella insists we peel a fresh tomato, it was worth the frustration. This side dish was rustic simplicity; simple and delicious. The tomato taste really came through and the onions mellowed to a lovely sweetness as everything baked. It all came together to form a very cohesive final dish.

Mom and grandma both loved it and were already eating it as I came into the kitchen to make the rest of dinner. And grandma said it tastes just like a dish her mother used to make, which always makes me happy.

The next thing I tried was with an ingredient I had never tried before: “Tomato and Anchovy Sauce” (pg 174)

I was looking for something quick that would use pantry ingredients, yet wasn’t the usual buttery-oniony tomato goodness I default to. I had a jar of anchovies waiting to be used in the pantry… Granted, my husband despises all fish… But he wasn’t home as it was being made so he wouldn’t know and I figured…what the hell!

Unfortunately, I was not all that impressed. I know I like things like Caesar dressing with anchovy in it, but this was my first time cooking with them. They weren’t stinky and didn’t make it taste fishy, per say, but–apparently–their flavor in a red sauce is not my favorite.

I didn’t like it was it stood, so I doctored this batch up with some tomato paste for some extra sweetness and some extra Parmesan simmered into it. That tempered the “off” flavor a bit. This is not a sauce to taste from the pot; the flavor was much too assertive for me that way. Lightly sauced on the pasta was much better but… Still; I wasn’t crazy for it.

Ironically, my husband liked it. Go figure.

Can’t win ’em all, I guess!

After (what I consider to be) a failure with the anchovies, I went back to something simple and bound to please: “Risi e Bisi–Rice and Peas“ (pg. 92)

Mmmm, so simple and comforting!

Totally doable with all pantry ingredients. Marcella calls for fresh spring peas, which I would certainly have tried to track down… if it weren’t the dead of winter in NJ! Since I needed a dose of yummy-sweet comfort I decided to disobey my Patron Saint of the Kitchen and go with frozen. And, I have to say, if it was this good with the frozen, I’ll certainly make the effort to get some fresh ones next spring!

Anyhow; it was a cold, rainy day when I made this. That kind of weather called for something comforting but simple, and this recipe came together so quick. Its pretty much risotto soup! I ate mine with a slice of toasted garlic-infused bread (cause; carbs!). Grandma also had a bowl and loved it. As we ate she reminisced about how great of a cook her mother was and how this tasted like something she would have made. Anything that results in quality time with grandma gets 5 stars in my book.

The cold, rainy start to the winter kept me on a soup kick for a little longer, as I next made “Pasta e Fagioli — Pasta and Bean Soup“ (pg. 102)

This is another great recipe that pretty much comes together from pantry staples. Where the Rice and Peas was light and brothy, this soup was rich, hearty, and very filling.

I made two changes to the recipe. I did not have any if the porky bits she recommends on hand, but instead had some diced pancetta waiting to be used. A good change, if I do say so myself! The taste goes well with the tomatoes and beans.

The second change was the beans themselves. I can not for the life of me find the cranberry beans she recommends (dry or canned!) and I don’t care much for kidney beans (they’re just too mealy). Grandma always makes hers version with small white beans, so I did the same–but I only used half the amount Marcella called for, giving myself some room for a few extra helping of the vegetables. Very yummy!

Next up was a visit to the Pork chapter to make “Spareribs Pan-Roasted with Sage and White Wine, Treviso Style”

Sigh.

As you can see, those are not spareribs of any shape or form. The grocery store was an absolute mad house that morning (I think the first snowstorm of the year had just been predicted for that evening) and I mistakenly grabbed “country ribs” instead of spareribs, which–you can see–have no actual ribs. ::facepalm:: This cut is more like pork chops than ribs.

Oh well; there was no way I was going back out to brave the loonies buying up all the bread and milk again! So, I went with it. Despite being the wrong cut, it was still tender, pork-y goodness and the flavor was very good. Like most of Marcella’s sauces, I’d eat a shoe if it was coated in that pan sauce.

Will definitely try this again with real ribs, as I bet they’d be awesome.

Alonside the Spareribs That Were Not Spareribs, I served “Pan-Roasted Diced Potatoes”

No complaints or snafus here. I mean, it hard to go wrong with crispy potatoes, right?!

(Is my Irish half showing there?)

Delicious, crispy outside, tender inside potato goodness.

The following weekend, I again cooked with something I had never cooked before: “Veal Rolls with Pancetta and Parmesan” (pg. 369)

I’m not a huge fan of veal, which is why I had never cooked with it. I don’t know why I dislike it, as I love beef, but veal… I don’t know. Something about it just tastes off to me, for whatever reason. My husband, on the other hand, loves it and he’s been dying for me to get into the veal section.

The rolls themselves were just okay to me but were amazing to Phil. He commented that this would be awesome with braciole steak and I agree (and would probably like that much more, in that case).

We both agreed that the pan sauce was–surprise, surprise–absolutely delicious. I’m glad I made a batch of (frozen) garlic breadsticks to go along with the veal rolls, so we were able to sop up all that yummy sauce!

Next up was another sauce: “Tomato Sauce with Heavy Cream” (pg. 155)

Oh myyyyyyyyy!

So rich, so flavorful but still stupid simple. This was kind of like a vodka sauce minus the vodka; lots of sweetness from the veggies with a lovely and, well, creamy-smooth taste. A little goes a long way with this, as it is incredibly rich. For once I thought her estimate of this recipe being six servings was pretty close to true. (Usually I find her off by at least two servings when it comes to her sauces. Or, maybe, we are just saucier than Italians normally are…)

Yum; just… Yum.

I really liked this. So much so that I may have used some crusty bread to wipe out the pot after storing the leftovers…

(I forgot to take a pic of it in the pot or as we ate it that night. Do you like the cameo my little Crockpot lunch warmer insert made instead?)

The cold, snowy weather descended upon us (fuck off, Winter) and I once again wanted soupy comfort food. Thus, our next meal from The Book was “Beef Stew with Red Wine and Vegetables” (pg. 398)

… Perhaps I should really call this “inspired by” because I doctored this one up quite a bit.

My husband is quite the stew aficionado. Usually, he makes the stew in our house, being one of the three meals he likes to cook and cooks very well. But he wasn’t home and this is my cook-through, so I went for it.

We like some starch in our stew (potatoes, barley, etc.); Marcella, apparently, does not. As she was not eating with us, I made the executive decision to add some quartered baby red skin potatoes (and thus an extra cup of stock to give them enough liquid to cook in). I also realized at the last minute that my celery had frozen solid (fuck you too, pain-in-the-ass refrigerator), so I added an extra carrot instead.

Everything was deliciously tender after about an hour (thank you, Whole Foods meat–that was the easiest, tenderest piece of chuck I have ever cooked!) but… Well, I thought it was rather bland, even with extra pepper. Grandma (who tasted it even before I did) agreed. Maybe that was my fault, do to the potatoes and extra liquid. Not sure, but–whatever. I was not deterred. I added 2 tsp. of the Garlic & Wine seasoning blend I had on hand (from Melting Pot, our favorite date night spot), and a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Much better!

Grandma wasn’t thrilled with the consistency of the broth and, far be it from me to let Grandma remain displeased. I thickened the remaining broth in the pot with a quick cornstarch slurry after it was done cooking, to give it more of a gravy-like consistency.

I loved it. Grandma loved it. My husband loved (and raved about) it. We will certainly make (my version) again.

A few nights later, I wasn’t feeling well. A post-migraine stomach upset made me crave comforting, simple carbs, so I made “Butter and Parmesan Cheese Sauce“ (pg. 191)

I have to admit, it weirds me out that this is even a recipe.

This is what we grew up eating, from as far back as I can remember, whenever we weren’t feeling well. Mom made it for us when we were little, and then we took over the making of it when we grew up. To this day, I think both my sister and I turn to it when we’re feeling blah or just plain don’t know what else to eat!

I mean–its really just pasta, butter, and Parmesan cheese. Beyond simple, but also incredibly tasty and comforting. Not much too look either but; hey–not everything is pretty.

Can’t go wrong with it. Quick, simple comfort food.

Another cold, snowy day resulted in another soup: “Chickpea Soup” (pg. 112)

Simple and delicious–I love how many recipes in this book are incredibly easy but so darn tasty! I love how creamy the chickpeas are and how simple the broth is.

Since Grandma and I are the only ones in the house who will eat this, I went heavy on the pepper and also added some crushed red pepper flakes and some fresh parsley (because somehow I wound up with a plethora of it… it might be breeding in the fridge..)

Yum.

To keep with my soup-making trend, I made one more soup to share in this installment: “Minestrina Tricolore–Potato Soup with Carrots and Celery” (pg. 95)

I can see why Marcella said she made this recipe again and again–I’ve never had such a light, delicate tasting potato soup!

I’m a big fan of pretty much any potato soup, but I’m used to them being thick and heavy (rather like loose mashed potatoes). I don’t have a food mill, as she suggests, so I used the potato ricer to get the potatoes finely milled and–wow. What a difference! This one is very light and soup-like instead.

I love the little crunchier bits of the carrot and celery floating in there; I’m glad I heeded Marcella’s advice and let them retain their shape. I think I’ll be making this one again and again too.

While the potato soup was doing its thing on the stove, I also threw together the “Cannellini Bean Salad” (pg. 555)

I’m getting sick of the same boring ol’ salads or sammich for lunch every day at work. Lately I’ve been making a Greek-style chickpea salad but was out of feta (and I think I was out of chickpeas too) sooooo I wanted something new but equally simple that I could toss over some greens.

This fit the bill: stupid simple but hella tasty. The only thing cooked in it are the two hard boiled egg yolks in the vinaigrette; it’s really a dump in the bowl, process, mix, and done process.

Very nice flavor! I like the mix of the herbs and the tang from the vinegar. Went heavy on the black pepper and exchanged the anchovies (which I have been leery of ever since the sauce experiment) for some very piquant green olives, and they added that nice salty-brunet background note.

Very tasty, very easy, very portable; all the things I need for a weekday lunch.

The last recipe I made from the book prior to this post was “Shrimp with Tomatoes and Chili Pepper” (pg. 303)

Holy noms Batman!!

I used crushed tomatoes in this recipe instead of the whole, peeled variety because–well, ’cause I was feeling lazy. Honestly, I think liked it so much this way that I wouldn’t bother trying it with chopped, whole ones next time.

The sauce was straight up amazing. Smooth, bright tasting, and incredibly flavorful, with just a hint of heat. I sopped up every bit of the sauce in my bowl, even though it required going back for seconds of the bread (untoasted, because we had already eaten all the toasted and I just didn’t want to wait for more).

Guh. It was delicious. I’d make this sauce even without the shrimp to eat just like that–sopped up with tons and tons of bread!

But this version did have shrimp, and they too were mighty tasty. They cooked up quick and were perfectly cooked in just a few minutes, once added to that bubbly, hot sauce. All in all, dinner was on the table in under 1/2 hr and that, my friends, is a win.

I doubled the sauce and am glad I did! I saved the rest and told my friends on Facebook that I was looking forward to poaching some eggs in it for breakfast. They expressed some confusion, as they had never heard of such a thing. We’ve always done it in my house (with extra sauce, with extra squash-and-potatoes, etc.), so I’m assuming its a guinea thing. But its an incredibly easy and tasty breakfast that I think everyone should try!

So, as a bonus, let me introduce you all to: Eggs in Purgatory!

This isn’t from the book, but its a damn delicious way to use up extra red sauce of any kind (though I, personally, love it when the sauce has a spicy kick to it, to mix in with the egg yolk).

1/4 cup extra, cooked red sauce
1 egg
Toast, for dipping
Small pot or skillet, with a tight-fitting cover

Pour the sauce into the small cooking vessel of your choice (just be sure the lid fits it nice and tight). Turn the heat to medium, and bring the sauce up to a simmer.

Crack the egg very gently, being sure not to break the yolk, and slide the egg–raw–into the sauce. Cover and let cook for 3-5 minutes.

3 minutes will give you a runny yolk, where 5 will give you a more well-formed one. Its all personal preference, though I always prefer my yolks warm and runny, and they are killer once you pierce them and mix them into the sauce!

Once cooked to your liking, slide the mix gently into a bowl (or eat it straight from the pot, as I have been known to do to save myself another dish to be washed). Serve with toast and go to town; break that yolk, mix it all up in the sauce, and dip away.

Enjoy!

Verdict…Sort of?

Damn, we eat good in the Cole household.

I really have been loving this whole cook through experience. I can’t get enough of The Book! Whenever I’m at a loss for what to cook and try to look through another cookbook, I find myself getting drawn back to it. I’m learning so much from Marcella and becoming so much better of a cook through these recipes. I just can’t wait to see what I’ll make next!

Obsessed with OCC: How to Apply a Lip Tar

Lip Tars are awesome, but they are also tricky little beasts.

There’s an ease to traditional bullet style lipsticks or even to lip glosses, where a wand applicator is included. Though there is some skill involved to getting darker shades perfectly even; true. Generally speaking, however, traditional lip products are easily accessible to all: open it up, swipe it across the lips until you build it up to your desired opacity, and wah-la; you’re done!

Not so with Lip Tars, my friends. Nuh-uh; no way. First of all, Lip Tars require that you use a seperate applicator (in this case, a brush) to apply them. You cannot just squeeze the product out of its little tube on to your lips; you’ll wind up with far, far too much product, that will smear all over, creep into every little lip line, and–in general–make an unholy mess. To make matters more complicated, they aren’t really a one-and-done kind of product either. To really get a pigmented lip that lasts and lasts all day, without transfering or smudging, there is a step-by-step process to getting them set juuuuuuuust right.

So, let’s take a look at the steps of Applying a Lip Tar.

What You Need For Good Lip Tar Application

A lip liner
A lip brush
A palette
Your Lip Tar(s) of choice

Got all that?

Good.

But, wait! Before you reach start squirting product all over that palette and your hot little hands reach for your lip brush, let’s talk amount of product necessary. The teeniest, tiniest bit of Lip Tar is really all you need for a single application. I’m talking a truly miniscule amount here. (I rarely get it right myself; even the gentlest squeeze of the tube gives me double the product I really need!)

See that right there?

Too much. Waaaaaaaaaay too much. I’m serious; that’s enough product for a dozen sets of lips!

This, here?

That’s closer to what you want. Honestly, even that is probably too much and you might still find that you have product left over, even after applying a second layer. Make peace with the fact that you may well be wiping away excess product after every application. Its really hard to get a little enough product at a time that there is no waste but, considering how much Tar you get in each tube and how little you really need, that “waste” isn’t the worst thing in the world.

Oh! One more slight deviation before we get down to the nitty gritty. Let’s address on of the biggest questions, when it comes to lip products: To Prime or Not To Prime.

While I am most definately a supporter of priming the lips before a lipstick application, I’m actually not a fan of using primers before a Lip Tar. I’ve tried it both way, folks, and I have to tell you… I have yet to find a primer out there worth adding to this already lengthy process.From my MAC Prep n’ Prime to my Too Faced Lip Insurance, I don’t think they add anything to the party.

OCC does sell a clear Tar they call a primer as well, but I honestly think its pretty useless in that regard. I didn’t like how it sheered out the color of the tar I applied over it (even after a 30 minute “dry down”), and it didn’t seem to make a lick of difference when it comes to smoothness/lasting power of any of my Lip Tars. I love that clear Tar as a shiny top coat or a mid-day moisture refresher–but as a pre-application primer? Nope; no thanks.

So, I don’t prime. (Beyond the previously discussed exfoliation/hydration of my lips.) But, you may find that you–personally–prefer to prime. Its really up to you. But since I don’t, I won’t be including that step in here. While is why we’re going to jump on in, sans primer, and start with…

The Lip Tar Application Process

1. Line Those Lips. Take those freshly exfoliation and prepped lips and line them with the liner of your choice.

I highly suggest you do not skip this step. I was never much of a liner-gal myself, until I started wearing Lip Tars. Their thin, liquid-y formula tends to make them feathery–especially if you have any vertical lips lines (like myself), and the only way I’ve found to truly prevent that is to line your lips prior to application.

Which liner, you may ask? Honestly, any ol’ one will do. I’d say, feel free to use just about any liner you prefer. I’ve found no problem combining Lip Tars with any other brand’s liners so far, often preferring MAC or Too Faced ones myself. OCC also makes some wickedly awesome Cosmetic Colour Pencils that make amazing liners (with fabulously pigmented colors matching some of their iconic shades, like Grandma, NSFW, and Black Dahlia). I reviewed them last week, if you’d like to check them out.

If you don’t feel like using a colored liner to “match” whatever lip color you are going for (or just can’t find a colored liner that , I recommend a clear, anti-feathering liner. This is what I use. Many high end brands make great ones (such as Urban Decay’s Ozone liner or No Cosmetics No Bleeding liner), but I think that the cheap, easy-to-find Milani Anti-Feathering Liner is just as good–and its something like a quarter of the price at my local CVS!

Since I am using a clear liner in this demo, my lips look pretty naked, but I assure you–anti-feathering liner was applied!

2. Dispense Product. Now that your lips are fully prepped, lined, and ready to go, give your (closed!) tube of Lip Tar a good, hard shake. The product tends to separate over time, with the pigment falling out of suspension in the Tar’s oils. Luckily, they are easily mixed and after a minute or so of shaking or gently manipulating the tube, everything should be all mixed up again.

Unscrew the cap and gently squirt out the tiniest bit of Tar. If you are mixing multiple shades to create a custom color (something we will discuss at length in a later post), now is the time to do so. I find that it is much easier to mix the products on your palette, with either a toothpick of the tip of your brush, than it is to try and combine them evenly on the lips!

For today’s demo, we are using Trollop, and aiming to get a similar amount of product to that shown in picture two above on our palette.

3. Pick Up Product. Dab the tip of your lip brush into the color, being careful to pick up as little product as possible. Its always better to build up with a Lip Tar; starting out with too much product will make a mess. When you have too much Lip Tar on the lips, it slips and slides all over as you try to apply it, making it really, really difficult to get an even application.

4. Apply the First Layer of Lip Tar. Apply the first dab to the center of the lower lip and gently work it outward with the flat surface of your lip brush.

Starting in the center gives you the opportunity to evenly spread the product out across the lips, and it keeps it from “bunching up” at the corners. I like to turn the brush on its side to use the thinner edge as I approach the edge of the lips, getting it right up against the outline of my lips/lip liner.

Once my bottom lip is evenly coated, I press my lips together so that the excess product transfers to my upper lip.

Once some of the product has transferred on to my upper lip, I take my brush and smooth that transferred product out as evenly as I can before dipping my brush back in to the Lip Tar on my palette.

With that second dip, I fill out the rest of my upper lip.

5. Blot. Take a clean tissue and gently blot down the product. I first do a “between the lips blot,” to get off any excess from the inner area, and then a secondary “kiss blot,” blotting the entire surface of my lips. (Excuse the nails; I was overdo for a fill-in.)

6. Apply the Second Layer of Lip Tar. I find that my Lip Tars perform and last much better when applied in sheer, multiple layers; blotted down in between each application. When I try to apply them more thickly, they become messy or uneven; when I try to get away with a single layer, the color is more sheer than I’d like.

So, I layer, and I suggest you give it a try too. (Unless, of course, you want sheer color or happen to like the way the single layer looks. I’ve done that a time or two myself, with some particular colors. If you prefer it that way, skip the rest of this step and proceed to Step 7!)

You can really repeat steps 5 and 6 as many times as you like, until you build up the opacity that you prefer, but I find two layers usually does it for me; sometimes three, if I’m going for a really intense color!

7. Let It Set. Lip Tars do not set immediately. They take their sweet ol’ time settling down once applied. Sad, but true. This is probably my least favorite part of Tar application, but I’ve grown used to it. To give your Tar ample time to dry down and set so that it is long-lasting, transfer proof, and matte (if you are using one of the matte formulas), give it a good 30 minutes without eating or drinking.

And that’s it!

After that time, it should be good and dry; settled in for the long haul. And I mean–come on–look at that color. Isn’t it worth the effort?

I certainly think so!

Hope this helped you navigate the tricky world of Lip Tar application. Come on back next week, when we start review OCC products and discussing the fun custom color options their products give you!