Rainy Day Recipes

A nice soaking rain today, good for the newly planted garden. When I ventured forth in jammies to pick parsley, cilantro and thyme, I noticed the bad bunny had not munched on anymore of the heirloom beets. Oh bad bunny, you have caused such grief this spring.

When it's raining and you are trying absolutely ANYTHING to postpone writing, cooking is a good substitute. I whipped up a batch of Mixed-Nut shortbread, which is so easy, so delicious, and so altogether delightful, it makes not writing and the rain so right.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/MIXED-NUT-SHORTBREAD-235491

I also made an Italian wedding soup, substituting ground chicken for ground veal in my old recipe. Looked on the web, but none of the recipes were similar. I make tiny meatballs out of ground chicken and seasonings, and a soup from onion, garlic,escarole and chicken broth (and seasoning) and is it ever good, in fact we were supposed to eat it two nights and now there's only enough for 1 lunch after tonight. Pass the breadsticks and the parmesan and celebrate the rain.

The organic broth was at Ocean State Job Lot for $1.50, and the store charged for red leaf lettuce instead of escarole (duh!), and I substituted bread crumbs moistened for bread, and added a good grind of nutmeg, and total deliciousness ensued. Economical,too.

Queried a couple agents I found on Litmatch.net, and entered a Linkedin profile. The day passed rather quickly and except for another edit of my short story, Bad Trip, I didn't write a word.

A new pork chop recipe from the grilling cookbook is next, with red bell pepper, fresh pineapple and jalapeno.

I'm so excited about grilling season and summer and my garden. As said before, obviously "a heart too soon made glad." What a lovely phrase. Thank you Browning, I think.

Grapeshot, whose heart is forever too soon made glad

Soup i

Eine Kleine Dessert

This is something I made yesterday for my writing group: Mixed-nut shortbread from Gourmet's "every day quick kitchen."

It was fast and economical and ever so tasty:

Mixed Nut Shortbread

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 1 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 cup salted and roasted mixed cocktail nuts, coarsely chopped

Put rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
Stir together butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until combined well. (note: good arm exercise).
Stir in vanilla, then add flour and mix with your hands until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking sheet and spread evenly with your fingers to form an 8-inch square.

Sprinkle with nuts evenly over dough, pressing down to help them adhere. Press in a business-like way or they will fall off.

Sprinkle remaining 1 T. sugar over nuts and bake until shortbread is ddep golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool baking sheet on a rack for 10 minutes.

Cut into 18 bars, about 3-by-1 1/2 inch bars.

Note: If you have unsalted nuts, sprinkle them with a little salt in addition to the sugar. I did this and it worked fine.

The shortbread took a while to firm up, but in a few hours, it was wonderfully crisp and the flavor is excellent. Mixed nuts are frequently on sale in your drug store as well as the supermarket.

Enjoy!!!