Ghost Music by Robert Graves

We live in a spooky house that has its own sort of ghost music.  I hope you find a way to enjoy the season, despite the pandemic.  Be Safe.

Gloomy and bare the organ-loft,
Bent-backed and blind the organist.
From rafters looming shadowy,
From the pipes’ tuneful company,
Drifted together drowsily,
Innumerable, formless, dim,
The ghosts of long-dead melodies,
Of anthems, stately, thunderous,
Of Kyries shrill and tremulous:
In melancholy drowsy-sweet
They huddled there in harmony.
Like bats at noontide rafter-hung.

 

Chile Peanut Rice

This is another great recipe if you want to use up rice.  These days we seem to have rice that is already dolled up, and only occasionally are searching from something to do with the leftovers, but this is really nice.

• 3 cups cooked basmati rice (from about 1 cup dry rice)
• 2 Tbsp. (or more) fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
• 1 tsp. (or more) kosher salt
• ½ cup ghee or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp. black mustard seeds
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 1 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
• 1 medium onion, sliced into thin strips
• 2 small Indian green chiles or serrano chiles, halved lengthwise (no need to stem them)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves with tender stems
  • Combine rice, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

  • Heat ¼ cup ghee in a shallow medium pan over medium. Once ghee melts (or oil begins to shimmer), add mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop and dance around in the ghee, which should be within seconds, remove pan from heat. Add curry leaves, making sure they get fully coated in ghee (there may be more popping and splattering, and that’s okay!). The leaves should immediately crisp up in the residual heat.

  • Return pan to medium-low heat and add peanuts. Cook, stirring, until peanuts turn a medium shade of brown and become fragrant, 5–8 minutes. Pour peanut mixture over reserved rice mixture and toss gently to incorporate.

  • Heat remaining ¼ cup ghee in same pan over medium. Once ghee melts (or oil begins to shimmer), add onion and chiles, spreading in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is lightly browned and starting to caramelize, 5–7 minutes. Stir onion mixture into rice. Taste and add more salt and lime juice, if needed. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

   

 

Sticky Buns (Possibly The Best)

We have been in pursuit of the perfect sticky bun recipe this whole pandemic (truthfully, my spouse has been doing the baking, and has a greater love of sticky buns than I do, but I have been an avid eater of the buns and I do like them alot).  This Food Lab recipe might be the best.  I ate two of them the morning they were made, which in and of itself is unusual and therefore indicative of a good recipe.  They are also easier than some.

For the Dough

• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 cups (20 ounces) unbleached, all-purpose flour

For the Pecan-Caramel Sauce

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk, well-shaken
• 4 ounces (1 cup) toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• Pinch of kosher salt

For the Filling

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

The Recipe

1.  To make the dough:  Whisk the eggs in a large bowl well. Add the sugar, buttermilk, salt, yeast and melted butter and whisk until well mixed--it may be clumpy but this is OK. Now use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour until there is a well-formed ball of dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board or countertop and knead for about 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth and silky. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for about 2 hours, until roughly doubled in volume.

2.  Meanwhile make the pecan-caramel sauce:  Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring every now and then, until sugar is totally dissolved and the mixture is bubbling. This should take about 2 minutes. Add in the buttermilk, pecans and salt and mix well and pour into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

3.  To make the filling:  Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside.

4.  Once the dough has risen, turn out onto a floured surface and lightly sprinkle flour on top of it as well. Push the dough into a rough rectangle with your hands and then use a rolling pin to roll it into a 16 x12-inch rectangle with the short end facing you. Use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter all over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the dough and use your hands to push it into the butter a bit and make sure it's spread evenly. Roll the dough up jelly-roll-style into a tight cylinder, using a bench scraper to help release the dough from the surface and allow you to make the roll tight. Pinch the seam shut and turn the dough so that it's seam side down. If you need to even out the shape a bit.

5.  Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 12 even slices. The easiest way to do this is to cut the log in half and then cut each half in half, and then cut those into thirds. Place each roll on top of the sauce in the dish with the swirl side facing up, nestling the rolls together. Make sure the end slices go cut side down. Cover with plastic wrap and either leave at room temperature for about 2 hours until doubled in volume, the rolls should be well puffed and pressed tightly against each other or place in the fridge overnight to proof for up to 12 hours.

5.  In either case, before baking, preheat oven to 350ºF. If rolls have chilled overnight, take them out of the fridge when you start the oven so that they can warm up a bit. Bake for about 30 minutes until buns are golden brown and well puffed, turning the dish halfway through the baking process so that they cook evenly. Let the buns rest for about 5 minutes, then invert the buns onto plates and scrape out excess sauce and nuts and spoon over the buns. Serve immediately.

6.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and popped into the microwave for a quick reheat.

 

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

I have not seen this movie in many years, but had the opportunity to see it up on the big screen recently.  It still holds up after all these years.  The story is that a couple of New York kids are driving to Southern California to start graduate school and they choose to drive through the American South.  The casual assumptions about the rural South are remarkable, and given how we are reexamining our treatment of blacks in the post-slavery South right now, it is sobering how causally it is assumed that everyone will be treated differently and unfairly  if they are not a Southerner.  The premise is that the scales of justice have fingers on them tilted in favor of the status quo, and in the movie that is a comedic element of tension, but in real life almost 30 years after the movie was made it doesn't seem so funny.  The scenario is that the two boys get pulled over for what they believe to be inadvertent shop lifting (one of them slipped a can of tuna in his pocket without thinking--or paying--for it, but what they are actually in trouble for is murder.  The ramshackle rush to judgment is both believable (they do fit the description) and without critical examination. There are many good lessons in here and it is well worth watching with 2020 eyes.
 

Indian-ish Chhole

My Food 52 Cookbook group is cooking out of Priya Krishna's cookbook Indian-ish, where she embraces short cuts and Americanizations of Indian food.  this has way more turmeric than my usual chhole, as well aw whole spices, cinnamon, and yogurt, all of which make it an entirely different chickpea dish and quite delicious.  I re hydrated my own chickpeas rather than using a can, because I think they come out creamier this way, and some tomatoes that I had canned rather than fresh, but those were my only alterations.

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 whole cloves

1 small cinnamon stick

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3 medium Roma tomatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces  

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups chickpeas

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)

1/4 cup full-fat plain yogurt

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (stems and leaves), for garnish

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the cumin seeds and fenugreek and cook, stirring, until they turn a medium shade of brown, no more than 30 seconds. Add the turmeric, cloves, and cinnamon stick and cook for another minute, until the turmeric has mostly dissolved into the oil and the spices become very fragrant. Toss in the onion and ginger and saute until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the tomatoes, and cook until they have fully wilted, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chickpeas, lime juice, yogurt, and salt. Use a potato masher or the back of a fork to mash the chickpeas slightly so they become incorporated with the sauce (but don't go too crazy -- you want to leave the chickpeas relatively intact). Cook, uncovered, until the chickpeas have taken on a soft, baked potato-like texture, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Garnish with the cilantro before serving.

 

Crab and Coconut Fried Rice

 

Andrea Nguyen strikes again.  This rice, with a mere 1/4 of a pound of crab, has a delicate and delicious flavor.  Between her and Toni Tipton Martin you could get four recipes worth of food out of a single pound of crab, really enjoying in many different ways.

3 c. of cooked rice

2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil

1 garlic clove minced

½ c. cooked crab

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 ½ Tbsp.  fish sauce

1 green onion thinly sliced

chopped cilantro

 

In a non-stick skillet or wok, melt 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil.  When it is hot, add garlic, stir and let sauté a minute, then add the crab, black pepper, and fish sauce.  Add the green onion soon thereafter, and then transfer contents to a bowl.

Add the other tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan.  Once melted, add the rice, and stir until the rice is hot.  Add in the crab mixture, stir another minute, toss in the cilantro and serve.

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

This book has so much interesting premise which is that the most effective way to look at, think about, and talk about racism in America is to view it through the lens of a caste system.  Interestingly, even a book about caste has two different lenses, one for an American audience and one for a British one.  The American subtitle of the book is "The Origins of Our Discontent" whereas the UK version, pictured here, is "The Lies That Divide Us".
The book makes a strong case for adopting a term associated with traditional society and heritable hierarchy to describe American racism. Caste is typically viewed as both intensely local, and essentially Indian. Wilkerson suggests the opposite and she makes a very strong case. She boldly argues that what we call race in the United States is actually a caste system. “Caste is the infrastructure of our divisions,” Wilkerson writes, “the architecture of human hierarchy” that “embeds into our bones an unconscious ranking of human characteristics and sets forth the rules, expectations and stereotypes that have been used to justify brutalities against entire groups within our species.”  It has the added advantage of not using the trigger word racist, but rather a person who supports a separation of people based on race, that race is something rather than nothing.  This is a must read, a book so well written and thought out that it is sure to become a classic on the topic. 

Indian-ish Carrot Salad

I have not been completely wowed by the cookbook, although I do like the patter that accompanies the recipes, the videos she has done, and the food I have made so far.  This is a nice side salad, easy peasy and flavorful.

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. black mustard seeds
• 8 fresh curry leaves
• 4 large carrots (12 oz.), peeled and grated (3 cups)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, plus more as needed
• ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed

In a small pan over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the black mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop and dance around in the oil, which should be within seconds, remove the pan from the heat. Add the curry leaves, making sure they get fully coated in the oil (there may be more popping and splattering, and that’s okay!). The leaves should immediately crisp up in the residual heat. Transfer the oil mixture to a heat resistant bowl, then add the carrots, lime juice, and salt. Toss well to coat the carrots in the dressing, then taste and adjust with additional lime juice and salt, if needed. Serve at room temperature.

 
 

Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms

Melissa Clark did a terrific job of focusing on pantry recipes early on in the pandemic when there was a brief interruption in the food supply so that it was really hard to get many things, including flour, sugar, and yeast.  The down side is that my Food 52 cookbook group did her new cookbook, Dining in French, in April, and well, we just could not get in to it.  First of all it was crazy at work (we are both in health care) and we were not all that motivated to eat luscious French style food.  So now, in the fall with the weather changing, now we are ready.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus 4 large sprigs

• 1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more as needed

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• 1 whole (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, patted dry with paper towels

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 8 ounces mixed mushrooms (any kinds you like), sliced 1/4 inch thick

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

  Dinner in French by Melissa Clark

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the chopped tarragon, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Use this salt mixture to season the chicken inside and out. Refrigerate the chicken, uncovered, for 1 hour.

2. Heat the oven to 450°F.

3. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the tarragon and thyme sprigs. Roast for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the mushrooms, oil, and a large pinch of salt.

5. After 30 minutes, baste the chicken with the pan juices, or drizzle it with a little olive oil if the pan is dry, and scatter the mushrooms around the chicken in the pan. Continue roasting until the chicken’s juices run clear when the skin is pierced with a knife, 20 to 30 minutes more, tossing the mushrooms after 10 minutes.

6. When the chicken is done, transfer it to a cutting board and tent it with foil to keep it warm, leaving the mushrooms in the pan. Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes before carving. 

7. Add the butter and parsley to the mushrooms in the roasting pan and toss to melt the butter. Serve the chicken with the buttery mushrooms on top.

Thinking Ahead

Chicken: You can marinate the chicken, uncovered, in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Mushrooms: You can slice the mushrooms up to 24 hours ahead and store them in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge.

 

Salvation Boulevard (2011)

There are an awful ot of good actors in this movie, and yet it does not add up to a good movie.  I will say this, as pandemic watching goes, it does not pull any brain muscles to watch, but I would not recommend it.  Greg Kinnear stars as a newly born-again Christian and former Deadhead whose faith is tested when he witnesses his pastor, Pierce Brosnan, “accidentally” shooting famous atheist professor Ed Harris. Brosnan wants Kinnear to take the fall. But Kinnear has no interest in that plan and has some unlikely allies: a pot-smoking campus security guard played by Marisa Tomei, and his gruff ex-Navy father-in-law Ciarán Hinds, who suspects that there’s more to the crime than the smug Brosnan is letting on. It’s hard to say what’s worst: the narrow conception of what a Christian is (or a Deadhead, or a college professor, for that matter), or the flat and largely predictable dialog and plot trajectory.  Only the step daughter comes up with surprises.  The result is like a Coen brothers movie without any wit, style, or clever twists.  However, for lazy Sunday afternoon watching it fit the bill.
 

Delicata Squash and Brussel Sprout Salad

This comes from Smitten Kitchen Everyday, and I made it without the pita chips (which I am sure would have been delicious) because I was serving to two people who cannot have gluten, and we are doing delivery meals instead of the traditional family dinner, and it was just too complicated to do it any other way.  Without the pita, it is a very good way to have both squash and Brussels sprouts, and would be a good Thanksgiving table dish.

Salad
3 tablespoons olive oil, possibly plus another spoonful
1 1/4 pound delicata squash (one medium)
1/2 pound brussels sprouts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or Aleppo pepper flakes to taste
1 large pita bread
Kosher salt
2 scallions, thinly sliced
About 1 tablespoon mint leaves, finely chopped
About 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Additional ground sumac or paprika, to finish

Dressing
2 teaspoons ground sumac or paprika (see Note above)
2 teaspoons warm water
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or Aleppo pepper flakes to taste

Prepare vegetables: Heat oven to 400F. Coat two baking sheets with a tablespoon or so of olive oil each.

Cut ends off delicata squash and scrape out seeds with a spoon. [Did you know you can toast these like pumpkin seeds for a crispy garnish? You can!] Slice squash into 1/2-inch rings, then cut each ring into 1 to 2-inch chunks (I cut each ring into 1/6ths). Spread on first baking sheet in one layer; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until bronzed underneath, then flip and roast for another 10 to 13 minutes, until browned at the edges and tender in the center. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, trim ends and any discolored leaves from brussels sprouts and halve them lengthwise. Spread cut-side-down on second baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip sprouts and roast them for another 5 to 10 minutes, until toasty and crisp. Set aside to cool slightly.

Prepare pita chips: Split pita into two layers and cut or tear into large bite-sized chunks. Toss in a bowl with a little less than 1 remaining tablespoon olive oil and a couple pinches of salt. Spread on a baking sheet (I reused my brussels sheet, because they were done first) and toast in oven with vegetables for 5 to 8 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Make dressing: Soak sumac in water for 5 minutes, then whisk in remaining dressing ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste; you may find you need more lemon juice or vinegar.

Assemble salad: In a medium-large bowl, combine warm roasted vegetables and scallions. Toss with 1/2 to 2/3 dressing, or to taste. Stir in chopped herbs, then pita chips; add more dressing and adjust salt and pepper levels if needed. Sprinkle with sumac to finish, and serve.

 

Malaysian Ramen

This comes from Indian-ish and starts with something we all have--instant ramen.  I think after having made it that you could start with any noodle base, and we did buy ramen noodles without seasoning because this calls for you to discard one of the packets, and waste not want not is the going philosophy at our house.  This was a bit salty, so back that down if you are sensitive.  I also parboiled the noodles, because while the author likes to eat ramen noodles raw, I do not.  I think you can really pack in the veggies here.  We used bok choy instead of spinach, and we put in piles of veggies but it still tasted like a noodle dish.  

2 3 oz. packets of ramen

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. minced ginger

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 carrot, diced

2 Tbs. soy sauce (less probably--add one and taste)

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. Sriracha

3 c. chopped spinach

1 Tbs. chopped peanuts

Fresh lime juice

1. Break each block of noodles in half. Reserve one packet of seasoning (discard the other or save for something else) and set the noodles and seasoning aside.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic, ginger, onion, and carrot. Cook until the veggies start to soften and the garlic and ginger start to brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, and about ½ teaspoon of the ramen seasoning. Add the spinach, noodles, and ½ cup water, then toss the noodle cakes and veggies in the sauce. When the noodles start to soften (about 4 or 5 minutes), use a large spoon to break them apart and continue tossing them vigorously in the sauce.
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the water has been absorbed and the noodles are leathery and dry, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Add a generous squeeze of lime juice. Taste and add more lime juice if desired, then sprinkle the peanuts on top.

 

Indian-ish by Priya Krishna

This is an interesting cookbook, created out of the author and he mother's home experience.  Priya is American but her mother immigrated from India in 1980.  She raised her children with an Indian kitchen but adapting some things along the way to an American palate.  This cookbook is filled with relatively easy to prepare dishes, lightly spiced (if you like the hotter end of Indian cuisine, you are going to have to take it up a notch), but with the flavor profile you would get in an Indian restaurant.  Another reason to delve into the book is that it is very chatty.  If you like to read cookbooks you will not be disappointed in this cookbook.  There is a lot of background to work with here.  Finally, the author has done at least a dozen videos of how to make the food that is contained in the cookbook.  I watched one before making aloo paratha and it came out perfectly well.  I did not use a potato ricer and the problem which is noted in the book happened to me.  They really help.

So, here is what I have to say.  The cookbook has a few recipes that I will definitely make again.  The Malaysian ramen is a keeper.  Easy, fast, and packed with vegetables, it will transform ramen for you.  I boiled the noodles for a few minutes myself, because I do not like the crunch, but this is great.  The Basic Kachumber is a nice variation on a tomato cucumber salad.  The deconstructed dal paradigm is perfect.  I learned about chhonk.  There are good things in here despite its non-traditional appearance and tone.
 

Dahi Toast

We have been cooking some food out of Indian-ish, and this is the best known recipe from the book.  I must say that it really is a recipe that is greater than the sum of it's parts.  The yogurt spread that you make for the sandwich is just delicious, and if you are a party of one, it can be stored in the fridge for a ready made sandwich the following day.

• ¼ cup plus 6 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1½ tsp. black mustard seeds
• 24–30 fresh curry leaves
• ½ medium red onion, finely chopped
• 2 small Indian green chiles or serrano chiles, finely chopped
• 1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of red chili powder
• Kosher salt
• 12 large slices sourdough bread
• chutney and/or ketchup

• Heat ¼ cup oil in a small saucepan over low heat until just warm. Add mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop and sputter, which should be a matter of seconds. Quickly remove pan from heat, add curry leaves, and toss to coat—they should crisp immediately from the residual heat. Set spiced oil aside.

• Mix together onion, green chiles, yogurt, cilantro, black pepper, and chili powder in a small bowl; season with salt. Spread yogurt mixture over 6 slices of bread and top with remaining slices to make 6 sandwiches.

• Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 sandwiches until undersides are crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn, add another 1 tsp. olive oil to skillet, and cook until the second side is crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to a platter or plates; repeat with remaining sandwiches and 4 tsp. oil.

• Drizzle reserved spiced oil evenly over sandwiches. Cut in half and serve with chutney and/or ketchup alongside if desired.

 

Aloo Paratha Indian-ish Style

This month our Food 52 cookbook this month is Indain-ish, which is gull of recipes that have at least a toe, if not a whole food in Indian cuisine.  Priya Krishna has reproduced recipes that her mother and other relatives have developed over the many years they have lived in the United States, and made them accessible for an American audience.  Youtube has quite a few videos demonstrating how to make this and other recipes in the book.  My only word of advice is that I should have made them as I assembled them, cooking one while making another.  They were quite delicious!

for the dough:
1 cup|150 grams whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
½ cup|125 ml room-temperature water
¼ teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

for the filling:
2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds|700 grams), boiled, cooled, and peeled
¼ teaspoon red chile powder
¾ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed into a powder (this is easiest in a mortar and pestle)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup|60 ml vegetable oil, for basting the paratha (set aside in a small bowl for easy access)

1. Make the dough: In a medium bowl, mix all the dough ingredients together and knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth and well incorporated. The dough should be soft, slightly sticky, and not too wet. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. While the dough is resting, make the filling: In another medium bowl using your hands or a potato masher, mash the potatoes, then use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the red chile powder, fennel, cilantro, and salt. Aim for the consistency of smooth mashed potatoes. (If the potatoes aren’t smooth enough, the dough will be hard to roll.) Use a fork to get rid of any lumps.

3. Divide the dough and mashed potatoes into 4 equal portions (as in, 4 portions of dough and 4 portions of potatoes) and roll each portion into a ball.

4. Generously sprinkle a clean work surface with flour. Lightly coat each dough ball with flour, then use a rolling pin to roll out each ball into a 6-inch circle, rotating the dough as you roll to maintain the circular shape, and adding more flour to your work surface as needed to prevent sticking.

5. Working one at a time, place a potato ball in the center of a dough circle, then pull the edges of the dough over the top of the ball, like you would enclose a parcel, and pinch together to seal. Make sure the potato filling is nicely sealed in or it will spill out during the next step.

6. Flip the dough-potato ball over so the seal is on the bottom and use a rolling pin to roll it out into an 8-inch circle. Repeat filling and rolling until you have four 8-inch rounds.

7. Cook the paratha: Warm a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is thoroughly heated, carefully place a paratha in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, until the underside starts to brown and blister, then flip. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of the oil to the surface of the paratha and spread it around with a spoon. Cook for 2 minutes, until the other side is starting to brown and blister, then flip the paratha again. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of the oil to the top of the paratha, spread it around, and cook until the underside is golden brown with dark brown spots, about 1 minute, then flip again. Cook the other side until golden brown with dark brown spots, no more than 1 minute. Transfer the paratha to a plate. Repeat to cook the remaining parathas. If there is residual flour in the pan, make sure to wipe it out before adding the next paratha.

 

Ted Lasso (2020)

This is exactly what we need in a pandemic.  It is so comforting and believable.  It is at the same time funny and whimsical but also real and sad.  People are not good people, but they are at the same time not maniacally bad.  They are ordinary, believable people who have both good and bad things happen to them.  The show apparently is based on three commercials that NBC made when they started airing the premier league games, and, just as unlikely that a Disney ride would be the basis for a movie, so began the show.

The center of the show is Ted himself, played by Jason Sudeikis.  He was hired to coach a professional soccer team, even though he had no idea about what the game was about.  He coached a football team to great things based on his humane approach to the game, and while a lot of that doesn't translate across sports, some of it definitely does. and Ted is not so much a strategy mastermind as he is a manager of people.  He is doing that all while managing his own personal challenges, and it is one show that I would urge you to watch immediately.  Do not wait for season 2, this is a right now sort of watch that will leave you wanting more.
 

Beef Barbacoa

We have strayed somewhat from our intense Tex-Mex month in May, but beef in the instapot makes for a weeknight meal.

1. • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
   • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
   • 3 cloves garlic, minced
   • 1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
   • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
   • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
   • 1 teaspoon salt
   • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
   • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
   • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
   • 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of most fat and cut into large chunks
   • 1/2 cup reduced-salt chicken broth or All-Purpose Chicken Stock
   • 2 bay leaves
   • Small (6-inch) corn tortillas, for serving
   • Salsa or pico de gallo, for serving
   • Cotija cheese, for serving

1. 1. Whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, garlic, chipotle, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside.
   2. Press Sauté and use the Sauté or Adjust button to select the highest temperature (“More”). Place the vegetable oil in the inner pot. Wait until the display reads “Hot,” about 5 minutes, then add the beef. Cook with the lid off, turning the beef every 2 minutes, until the beef is browned on most sides, about 8 minutes.
   3. Add the vinegar sauce and the chicken broth (be careful—steam may whoosh up!), and then the bay leaves. Stir to combine.
   4. Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Manual or Pressure Cook and use the Pressure or Pressure Level button to select High Pressure. Use the – or + button to set the time to 30 minutes.
   5. When the cooking cycle ends, press Cancel. Allow the appliance to cool and release pressure naturally, about 20 minutes. (The pressure is released when the small metal float valve next to the pressure-release valve sinks back into the lid and the lid is no longer locked.)
   6. Remove the lid. Discard the bay leaves. Use tongs or a large spoon to remove the beef from the inner pot and place it on a cutting board. Shred the beef using two forks: Use one fork to pull off a chunk and then use two forks to shred that piece, holding down the meat with one fork and pulling at it with the other. Repeat with the remaining beef.
   7. Serve the beef hot, piled into corn tortillas and topped with salsa and a sprinkling of Cotija cheese, if desired.

 

 

Gentlemen's Agreement (1947)

Friends rented out a whole movie theater and invited 16 people to view it from socially distanced seats around the theater.  The thing that was most striking, besides the fact that my son and I downed a huge tub of popcorn and a giant soda for the first time since the Oscars, we that it was the biggest crowd I had seen in there ever.  I do not get how theaters stay in business.

This movie, which centers on a non-Jew claiming to be Jewish so that he could write an expose on antisemitism in New York City post -WWII, is so modern.  Especially if you substitute black for Jew.  Even so, there is a rise in antisemitism as well.  When the commander in chief counts himself amongst the proud boys it is bound to unleash some out in the open prejudice.  The move artfully unpeels the onion of the caste system in the US, ranging from the out and out hate speech, to withering glances, and then the subtle "I am not an antisemite but I do think I am better than the Jews".  This 70+ year old movie speaks loud and clear about America today.
 

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Oh my goodness, this book is really great.  If you are having some fatigue getting through the myriad of well written and thought out books about the origins and manifestations of systemic racism in the United States, this is a parallel way to see what's going on.  The title itself gives you a sense of what you are in for.  I works on quite a few levels.  The meaning is echoed all over the place within the novel, where both plot and dialogue are layered with history, prejudice, expectations, and assumptions. Fun age might refer to the main characters, Emira Tucker, a 25-year-old black woman who keenly feels that working part-time as a babysitter and part-time as a typist is not cutting it.  She will soon be 26 and she needs a job that comes with health insurance, and she is no where near having that. It might also refer to her charge, Briar, a white three-year-old whose imagination and speech patterns are so charmingly true to a particular kind of kid that she's instantly recognizable. More broadly, the "fun age" might be our own, prior to the 2016 election — an age that was naively considered by some to be magically post-racist and post-sexist because it was impolite to be these things in public; an age of performative white feminism; an age of social media and the potential for small things to go viral and armchair activism and online virtue-signaling that ironically requires certain people — often, those already more vulnerable — to exist in specific politically correct ways while letting others — usually, those with power and privilege — off the hook.  I will end with the title of another great book.  This is where I leave you.

Who Defines Illegal Immigration?

Today we mark the beginning of widespread unwelcome immigration into the New World.  The Vikings discovered the North American continent five hundred years before Columbus made it's whereabouts widely known, but they were completely unimpressed, turned around, and went home without so much a peep to the rest of Europe.  The Spanish certainly made widespread inroads into the Americas, but their goal was more to rape and pillage rather than to come and live.  It was the English who really began the movement towards immigrating and making a new home for themselves.  They were not any more welcome than immigrants are today, and yet, as is human nature it appears, we have learned nothing from the experience.  

Today we have an administration that captures, jails, and tortures people who cross our Southern border illegally.  Ironically, these immigrants have far more native American blood coursing in their veins than the average US citizen.  That matters not to those in power, and the very worst treatment is inflicted on them, criminal, inhumane, and unspeakable treatment.  I can only hope that November will bring an end to this.  Please vote.
 

Sweet Potato Mango Cake

I got some incredibly good mangoes at our local Mexican grocery and my spouse made this delicious and moist cake from Toni Tipton Martin's incredible book, Jubilee.

Butter or shortening, for the pan
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes, at room temperature
1 cup finely diced mango
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice or whiskey, or half of each  

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously coat a 10-inch tube pan with butter or shortening. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate large bowl, use a wooden spoon to beat together the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well mixed. Stir in the sweet potatoes, mango, and orange zest, stirring for 1 minute, until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour-spice mixture and the vanilla, mixing just until blended.

Pour the batter into the tube pan. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out on the rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice (or whiskey). Drizzle over the cooled cake. 

 

Wine Country (2020)

Yes, I am still watching a lot of fluff in the aftermath of my eye surgery.  Not being able to see is far worse than anything that I have had to do or not do personally in the pandemic and has kind of put that into a sort of perspective. 
 This is a movie based on a real event with the cast who actually did the trip.  That in and of itself is noteworthy.  The “Saturday Night Live” women who populate this movie are all longtime friends, connected by comedy, who’ve shared trips like the one depicted here. Rachel Dratch’s actual 50^th birthday prompted a group jaunt to Napa, just as her on film character’s 50^th birthday inspires the on-screen antics. But they’re all playing versions of themselves: Poehler, directing her first feature film and co-starring as the trip’s bossy organizer, has acknowledged that she’s the one who always keeps the others on schedule. Tina Fey plays the Airbnb manager and is wise and droll.  Maya Rudolph, who has four kids in real life plays a character who’s happy to have a break from her four kids. Emily Spivey and Liz Cackowski, (who has a brief, amusing role as an uptight sommelier), both former “SNL” writers and members of this crew, wrote the script. So I am glad this examination of women on the cusp of the second half of their lives exist, but somehow I wish they had "Big Chill"'ed it up a bit.  Well worth watching, and streaming on Netflix.

Vietnamese Rice Crepe

Andrea Nguyen is serious about spreading the gospel of easy to prepare Vietnamese food.  There is a video on the Splendid Table's web site that should be watched in order to increase the likelihood that you will make these perfectly, but as with all things that I have made from this cookbook, there is no need to go out for this food when you can make it this well at home.

BATTER

• 4 1/4 ounces white rice flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill)

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 3/4 cup tepid water mixed with 3/4 cup freshly boiled water (rest boiled water 1 minute and then measure), plus more water as needed

• 1/3 cup full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk (shake or stir before using)

FILLING

• 10 ounces pork, beef, or chicken, roughly chopped to loosen

• 8 ounces small shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 4 medium white mushrooms or fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, stems included

• 1/2 small red or yellow onion, thinly sliced

• Fine sea salt

• 3 cups bean sprouts

• Canola or other neutral oil for cooking

• Leaves from 1 large head soft-leaf lettuce (such as butter, Boston, or red or green leaf)

• 1 small handful mint, basil, or other soft-leaf fresh herbs (except cilantro)

• 1 small handful cilantro

• 1 cup Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

To make the batter In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and turmeric. Whisk in the water and then the coconut milk. Let the yellow batter sit, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, to thicken to the consistency of half-and-half (it will be slightly gritty from the flour). Whisk in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin out the batter, if needed (when I have to add water, it’s usually no more than 1 tablespoon). The batter may be made up to 2 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before using.

To prep the filling In order to cook efficiently with less mess, pre-portion the filling components. Divide the pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and onion onto six small pieces of parchment paper, creating a pile of goodies for each crepe. Sprinkle each portion with a pinch of salt. Set on a tray or baking sheet and keep near the stove with the batter and bean sprouts.

Place a large cooling rack on a baking sheet for the cooked crepes. Preheat the oven to Warm or to its lowest setting.

To fry the crepes In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 to 3 teaspoons of the canola oil. When the oil is very hot and shimmering, add a portion of filling and stir-fry for 45 seconds, breaking up the meat with a spatula until it no longer looks raw; the mushrooms will probably look moist. Make a line down the middle to divide the ingredients into two half-circles; this will ensure the crepe later folds over easily. Lower the heat slightly if you feel things are out of control; you can always turn it up later!

Stir the batter vigorously with a ladle until there is no more drag, sludge, or separation. Scoop up about ⅓ cup batter and pour into the skillet, distributing it around the filling. Pick up the skillet and swirl the batter to coat the bottom (and maybe run up the sides); the batter should set around the filling and form a handsome round. If needed, add more batter to quickly fill in empty spots. (If the batter didn’t sizzle and bubble upon contact, the skillet wasn’t hot enough. If it did bubble but was hard to swirl around, lower the heat or thin out the batter with water, or do both. Making these crepes is akin to making pancakes: adjust as you go.)

Pile about 3/4 cup bean sprouts on one side of the skillet, lower the heat slightly, and cover the pan with a lid to steam; if it’s a tight fit, slide the lid so it’s ajar to allow a bit of venting. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bean sprouts soften slightly, then uncover the pan and drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons oil around the rim. Lower the heat again (I’m typically at medium at this point) to gently fry and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. When the crepe is golden brown at the edge, use a spatula to peek underneath. Is it mostly crisp from the rim to the center? If not, fry a little longer; and if needed, add oil and raise the heat. Be patient. When you’re satisfied, slide a spatula under one side and lift to fold the crepe over. No big deal if it breaks in the center.

Slide the finished crepe onto the prepared rack and hold in the oven, or if serving immediately, transfer to a dinner plate. Rewarm the skillet over medium-high heat and repeat the whole process to make another five crepes. If at any time the batter feels too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin it out. If you have two medium skillets, use both like a pro to speed things up.

Serve the crepes with the lettuce, herbs, cilantro, and dipping sauce. Pass around one or two pairs of kitchen scissors to cut the crepes into manageable pieces. To eat, tear a piece of lettuce roughly the size of your palm, place a piece of the crepe on it, and add a few herb leaves. Fold into a bundle and dunk into the dipping sauce.

 

The Perfect Sandwich Bread?

Our youngest and my spouse are both big fans of the perfect sandwich, and by association, the perfect bread upon which to build such a sandwich.  Our Food 52 cookbook group is doing Priya Krishna's Indian-ish this month and she describes a grilled yogurt sandwich that requires an excellent sandwich bread, so this is the current candidate.

• 3 ¹/₄ cups bread flour (433 grams) (see note above regarding alternative flours)
  
• 3 ¹/₄ cups all-purpose flour (433 grams)
  
• 2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast (8 grams)
  
• 1 ¹/₂ tablespoons kosher salt (14 grams)
  
• 3 cups water (709 grams)

1. Combine flours, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add water and stir together with a wooden spoon to form a shaggy dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let proof at room temperature for around 5 hours. At this point the dough can be used immediately, or covered with plastic wrap and kept in the fridge for up to two weeks.
2. On baking day, remove half of the dough from the bowl and return the remainder to the fridge. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and lightly knead 3–4 times. Shape dough into a rectangle approximately 8 in. x 12 in. Fold one third of the dough into the center, followed by the other third.
3. Place seam side-down in a buttered loaf pan. Cover and let rise for approximately 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Preheat your oven to 450°. Dust the top of the dough with a little flour and score with a serrated knife. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top of the loaf has just begun to brown. Let cool for at least an hour before slicing.

 

 

Miracle (2004)

I am still pretty uncomfortable a full week after having my eye operated on for a detached retina.  That surprises me not at all, but it has definitely had a negative effect on my reading productivity and I am looking for things to watch that do not engage my brain too much.  This movie, about the 1980 US Olympic hockey team's surprise victory over the Soviet Union team, is just that.

I am surprised that I missed this when it came out.  My kids were old enough that we were not watching absolutely every Disney film to come out (and it was before Disney Plus, when you could watch every Disney movie).  I do remember this, having been in college at the time, but still very much a fan of both the summer and winter Olympics.  The movie is largely about the college coach Herb Brooks (played in a very taciturn manner by Kurt Russell) who was hired to try to make a real stab at beating the Russians, which he did by beating them at their own game.  Very entertaining, especially if you like underdog stories.
 

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

Andrea Nguyen strikes again.  Even her desserts are delicious!  This is like a glass of the best Vietnamese coffee, frozen edition.

• 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Brimming 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• Fine sea salt

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• Brimming 1/3 cup full-fat sweetened condensed milk
• Scant 1 tablespoon molasses

1. In a medium bowl, combine 1½ teaspoons of the vanilla, the espresso, a pinch of salt and stir to mix well; it will seem slightly sludgy. Add the cream, condensed milk, and molasses. Taste and, if you want to boost the flavor a touch, add more vanilla, ¼ teaspoon at a time; the amount required depends on the vanilla and your palate. An extra pinch of salt sometimes helps too.
2. With an electric handheld mixer fitted with two beaters or a whisk attachment, whip the mixture at high speed for about 3 minutes, until you get a firm, spreadable texture like fluffy whipped cream or frosting. Transfer to a 3-to 4-cup storage container, cover, and freeze until firm, 5 to 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks.
3. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften to a scoopable texture before serving.

 

Sweet Potato Biscuits

 This is yet another great recipe from Toni Tipton Martin's recent cookbook, Jubilee (which won the James Beard award for Best American Cookbook, deservedly so).  The recipe states that these are to be eaten with ham, and that is what we were having, so my eldest son endeavored to make this.  I really enjoyed them, and they were perfect with the meat.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 2 tbsp. baking powder

• 2 tsp. kosher salt

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 6 tbsp. leaf lard, cut into small pieces

  

• ½ cup mashed cooked sweet potato, chilled

• 2½ cups buttermilk

• Heavy cream and raw unrefined sugar, for topping

Preheat the oven to 425°F (if your oven runs hot, go for 375° to 400°F). Put a pizza stone (or a couple of cast-iron skillets) in the oven and let it preheat for 1 hour or so—you want it superhot.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and leaf lard and cut it in with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly and resemble




s coarse sand. Some big chunks of butter are fine. Put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the freezer and cut in the mashed sweet potatoes with a fork until just incorporated. The mixture will be lumpy.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk. Mix together with your fingers just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix—you are not looking for a highly cohesive, smooth dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and use your hands to shape it roughly into an 8 by 8-inch square about 2 inches thick (do not knead or fold the dough). Use a 2½-inch biscuit cutter to cut out rounds of dough. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet and freeze for 5 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the freezer. Transfer the biscuits to the preheated pizza stone (or cast-iron pans). Brush the tops with heavy cream and raw sugar. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the tops are browned. Remove from the oven and let the biscuits rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

Happy birthday to my first middle child!

I am still on my post eye surgery pandemic movie fare of incredibly light romantic comedies, and this fits the bill.  This is a tale of childhood crushes becoming a life partnership.  The young Sasha Tran and Marcus Kim (with their adult selves played by Wong and Park respectively) are next-door neighbors in San Francisco. Often neglected by her parents who work long hours, Sasha seems accustomed to preparing her own dinners—she can make even a can of spam look fancy—and learning the intricate details of Korean cuisine from Marcus’ sweet, sacrificing mom. This portrayal of Asian families opening their home to waifs of all sorts was definitely part of my growing up experience.  My friend whose parents emigrated from China took me in and fed me, teaching me both how to cook and how to eat.  Their Indonesian friends, equally welcoming with feasts, did even more to help my palate expand. With Sasha spending most of her time with Marcus’ family, the two kids grow up as friends, and then by happenstance lose their virginity to each other as teens but then when Marcus’ mother dies , have an awkward falling out in their formative years. 

Cut to 15 years later, and Sasha is now among America’s hottest celebrity chefs in Los Angeles.  The two get back together in awkward and hesitant ways, he calling her inauthentic and she calling him a coward.  The whole thing is less cringeworthy than it sounds and I very much enjoyed this.
 

Vietnamese Fried Rice

Andrea Nguyen is my new Asian cooking hero.  I owned three of her cookbooks before I bought Vietnamese Food Any Day, and I really hadn't much gotten in to any of them.  We have now had about 25 or more recipes from her new cookbook, and I have quite a few marked to try.  For example, the soup chapter is largely untouched and winter is coming.  This method for making a quick fried rice with what you have on hand is quick and easy--I had it on the table in less than 10 minutes with leftover rice.

• 3 cups cooked rice
  
• 2 tablespoooil or butter (I used butter)
  
• 2cloves chopped garlic
  
• 1 - 1 ¹⁄₂ cup cooked protein
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 scallion, white and green parts, chopped
• salt to taste
  

• Stir the rice to prevent lumps. Set with the remaining ingredients near the stove—this recipe comes together quickly.
• In a large nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the fat. When the fat is nearly shimmering, add the garlic and stir-fry for 10 to 15 seconds, until aromatic. Add the leftovers and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes to reheat and refresh. Add the rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until warm and slightly revived.
• Push the rice to the skillet’s perimeter to create a 4-inch-well in the middle. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon fat to the well, pour in the egg, then pour the fish sauce around the rim of the well (onto the rice). Quickly stir-fry to break up, scramble,.
• and work the golden egg bits into the rice. Add the green onion and cook for 10 to 15 seconds longer, until just wilted. Turn off the heat, taste, and season with salt, if needed.
• Transfer the rice to a plate or shallow bowl. Serve with additional fish sauce, soy sauce, or Maggi Seasoning in case diners want an extra-savory punch.
• NOTES:
• Instead of cooked leftovers, use chopped raw meat, seafood, or veggies (try mushroom, green beans, or frozen peas or carrots, thawed). Heat 1½ tablespoons oil, add the raw ingredients, and lightly season with salt, fish sauce (or soy sauce, Bragg, or Maggi). When cooked through and hot, add the rice and continue as directed.

 

The Man Who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy

Let me start off by saying that this is an unusual book with a non-linear trajectory that I am not sure that I fully understand, but I did enjoy reading.  The author has been long listed for the Booker Prize three times, this book included, and it shows.

Saul Adler, a historian, is our window onto European history in the late twentieth century,  viewed through, and embodied by, the fragmented memories of a single wounded mind.

When we first meet Saul, it is 1988. He is 23 and researching the history of cultural opposition to fascism. On his way to meet his lover, Jennifer Moreau, he is knocked down by a car on the famous Abbey Road in north-west London. Superficially injured, he keeps his appointment with Jennifer, a photographer who has made Saul her subject. After they sleep together, Jennifer breaks up with him, and Saul travels to East Berlin to continue his research. There, he falls in love with his translator, Walter Müller, and also sleeps with Walter’s sister, Luna, at which point the narrative breaks. When we next see Saul it is 2016 and, again, he is run over on Abbey Road. This time, though, the accident is more serious. He is hospitalized, and drifts in and out of consciousness. As he tries to recover his memories, the events of the intervening years swim slowly into focus.  There is a lot to take in here, even though the book is quite short, and the bottom line is that everything is consequential.