D.B. Jackson's Blog, page 73

A Change of Pace: A Ribs Recipe!

Yeah, I know.  This has nothing to do with history or Boston or writing or any of the other things I normally post about on this blog.  But my house smells really, REALLY good right now, and I thought I'd tell you why.

Let me start by saying that my older daughter, who I love very, very much, is a vegetarian.  She has been for some time — since she was 13 (she's 16 now).  She's committed to that lifestyle choice, and my wife and I have done everything we can to support her.  But she's away right now, and while we miss her, we also know an opportunity when we see it.  Because my wife, younger daughter, and I are still carnivores.

So today, I'm making ribs.  Baby back ribs.  Fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs.  I start with a marinade of kosher salt, sugar, chili powders, dried peppers (chipotle, ancho), coriander, dried garlic, and a few other herbs and spices.  Most of the rub is mixed with olive oil and a bit of water to make a fairly thick paste.  The rest of the rub I set aside as a powder. I spread the paste over the ribs and then sprinkle on the leftover rub, thoroughly covering both sides of the racks.  (This time I cut the racks in half, to make them more manageable.)  I leave the ribs in the marinade for a couple of days (refrigerated, of course).  Then, I brown them on the grill for about 20 minutes.  Enough to cook the meat and get a nice barbecue finish on the outside.  Finally, I tightly double wrap each rack in foil, leaving one end slightly open, and pour one bottle of beer per rack into the foil cocoon along with the left over marinade.  I then finish sealing the cocoon, so that none of the liquid can spill out.  I'm making three full racks, so essentially I wind up with three double wrapped foil cocoons, each holding a rack of ribs, a beer, and some marinade.  I put the cocoons on a large baking sheet and stick them in the oven, pre-heated to 250 degrees.  And I leave them there for five hours.  Yep.  Five (5) hours.

That's where we are now.  The ribs are in the oven, the house smells divine, and when dinner time comes around we will feast on the most tender, delicious baby back ribs you can imagine.

Give it a try — it's a great recipe and a wonderful treat.

Another Week in Boston's History

Another week, another historical trend to share.  I'm going to assume that most of you are familiar with the stuff that was happening 235 years ago (the Continental Congress, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, etc.) but there was also some interesting stuff going on around this time of year 246 years ago, in the summer of 1765.

In March of that year, the English Parliament had passed what came to be known as the Stamp Act, a revenue bill that placed a tax on all printed matter in the colonies.  Colonial subjects of the Crown responded to the bill with outrage, and nowhere was that response more explosive than in Boston.  During the summer of 1765, all through the thirteen colonies, loose groups of political leaders, all of them opposed to the Stamp Act, began to coalesce into organizations that called themselves the Sons of Liberty.

In Boston, this group came to be led by a number of men whose activism in the face of what they viewed as colonial tyranny would eventually make them famous throughout the American colonies.  The original opposition, however, was made up of a group of nine men who called themselves the Loyal Nine.  They were lesser known — the Nine's most prominent members were Benjamin Edes and John Avery.  As the group continued to expand and took on the more familiar moniker, Sons of Liberty, these nine were joined by the likes of Paul Revere, James Otis, and Samuel Adams.

Thieftaker, the first volume in the Thieftaker Chronicles, is set against the backdrop of the Stamp Act riots of August 1765.  James Otis and Samuel Adams figure prominently in the story, as do men, like the controversial Ebenezer Mackintosh, a street leader who figured centrally in the riots.  But that is a topic for another post.

This Week in Boston's History

During this week, in 1768, Boston's royal customs officials, who on June 11 of that year fled the city for the safety of the British Garrison on Castle William, a fortified island in Boston Harbor, petitioned the Crown for military intervention.  The customs men had ordered the seizure of John Hancock's ship, Liberty, which they believed (with good cause) to be carrying contraband wine.  The seizure of the ship led to rioting which left the customs men feeling threatened, prompting their flight to Castle William.

The Liberty controversy was the catalyst for a series of confrontations between the royal Governor of Massachusetts, Francis Bernard, and the Massachusetts General Court, which was led by, among others, Samuel Adams.  These confrontations culminated in the arrival in Boston of British troops in late September 1768, and the commencement of the city's occupation under royal decree.

I bring this up because the beginning of the occupation provides the historical backdrop for the second book in the Thieftaker Chronicles.  The book is tentatively titled The Dead Ship, and it once again finds Ethan Kaille investigating a murder committed with magic.  He must find the sorcerer responsible while threading his way through the ongoing struggle for power between loyalists and patriots, and while also keeping one step ahead of his rival, the lovely Sephira Pryce.

This second volume in the Thieftaker series is finished, but is still being edited and revised.

Podcast Interview Available!

Last fall I visited Calgary, Alberta, where I was Guest of Honor at ConVersion (appearing as David B. Coe).  While there, I met Mike Plested, an aspiring writer who hosts a podcast called the Irreverent Muse.  Recently I sat down with Mike for an interview.  That interview is now up at Mike's blogsite and available for download.  Here is the link.  Check it out and enjoy!

JordanCon!

This weekend, April 15-17, I will be literary Guest of Honor at JordanCon in Atlanta, under my other writing name, David B. Coe.  If you happen to be in the area please stop in and say hello.  Other guests at the convention include Brandon Sanderson, Eugie Foster, and my good friend Jana Oliver.  Hope to see you there!

AFTER HOURS Reviews!

Reviews of After Hours:  Tales from the Ur-Bar are starting to appear online, and the response to the anthology has been overwhelmingly positive.  A few reviewers are even taking note of "The Tavern Fire," which is flattering given the quality of the stories in the collection.

April Steenburgh's review can be found here.

Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys' review is here.

And the Night Owl review is here.

Also, if you visit the After Hours LiveJournal page, you can enter a contest to win signed books from all the authors in the anthology, including yours truly (although written under my other pen name).  So check out the reviews and the site.  And then go out and get yourself a copy of the anthology!