Hello, everyone! It’s been ages since my last post. Lots of stuff going on. Battling with stress, printers, publishers, etc. BUT! Things are looking up.
First off, I have this wonderful project to do:
The red pen of death.
That’s right, Freewoman is getting the hardcore editing treatment starting today. I still have to write a chapter or two, but the core is there! Wahoo!
In further news, after battling long and hard with my publisher and printer, my chapbook has finally gone live. You can find it at Amazon, B&N, etc. It’s a collection of poetry about lost love and a queering of traditional ideas. I hope you guys pick up a copy — it’s very raw, and probably NSFW — but it’s my first burst at releasing some poems. I’m particularly in love with my pantoum.
I’ve also been obsessed with LEGO and, much to the chagrin of Chris, the house is quickly becoming a hoarder situation of LEGO towns and castles. Whoops. Just wait till Rivendell launches in March! My precious!
Feel free to check out the book, and if so inclined, purchase it. That’s a hard sale, but if your book store doesn’t carry it, tell them to! It’s fully-illustrated and if you want, you can always contact me to get a signed copy.
That seems like a staunch update. Now to take back that red pen and get scratching…
I love my curries. Thai curries, Japanese curries, Indian curries… but “My Curry” from April Bloomfield is the bestest. I never expected my mother to eat so boldly, but let’s rock and roll, Karen! You’re getting leftovers.
First, some pics:
Shallots and garlic.Cooking down the tomatoes!!Adding citrus peel, pineapple juice!Brown the pork.Cook for a bajillion hours.Chop up some cilantro……and garnish with a raita and basmati rice!
Look delicious? Here’s the recipe, courtesy of April Bloomfield, with some added touches of my own.
MY CURRY!!
1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted
2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, toasted
10 cloves
2 star anise
3 cardamom pods
3 kaffir lime leaves (or the zest of two limes, if you can’t find kaffir lime leaves)
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp turmeric
1/3 cup EVOO
2 cups shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 small cinnamon stick
1/2 cup finely chopped ginger
3 cups drained and chopped up whole tomatoes (San Marzano is best)
2 tbsp flaky sea salt
8 cilantro roots with 2 inches attached finely chopped
5-inch strip of orange
5-inch strip of lemon
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 and 1/2 cups pineapple juice
That’s for the curry base. For the meat:
2 tbsp EVOO
4 pounds boneless pork butt (April uses lamb shoulder, but I find it’s harder to get)
2 tbsp flaky sea salt
Method:
Combine everything up to (including) the turmeric in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until you have a fine powder. Trust me, this is the best curry powder you will have in the world.
Cook the shallots and garlic for ten minutes (stirring frequently) in a Dutch oven until nice and brown. Add the spices, cinnamon, ginger, and cook for 3 minutes. STIR STIR STIR. Add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring until it’s almost dry — April recommends 15 minutes.
Pour in the juices, peels, and cilantro. Set aside off heat.
Season the pork with salt and brown it in batches with the EVOO. As Anne Burrell says, BROWN FOOD TASTES GOOD. So take your time and don’t crowd the pan.
Transfer to the Dutch oven and cook at 350 F for 1 1/2 hours; then lower the temp to 250 degrees and let it go for another hour or until the pork is fork tender and falling apart. ABSOLUTE YUM.
MY RAITA!
Easy-peasy. One cup of Greek yogurt, one cucumber (diced), and salt to taste.
…and recipe done! Just add rice or some good naan. It looks intimidating, but it’s very easy once you collect the ingredients.
On a separate note, my mother turned seventy today! Happy birthday, Mom! You’re the strongest person I know and gave me a special “Karen Power” that lets me get things done that need to get done.
It’s hard, sometimes, though for me to interact with my siblings. They seem to take no interest in anything I do: be it writing, ballroom dancing, or cookery (though they’re very keen on talking about themselves). All and all it makes me quite sad, but I’m glad my mother had a good day surrounded by those she loves. It makes me happy to see her happy, despite it being somewhat bittersweet.
I once wrote a haiku:
Love stains my shirt / like apple mixed with honey / in the curry you made me.
Another blog post to come soon; this time… not so long! xoxo
So it’s been about two years since I’ve updated the site. I’ve been so incredibly busy with work and school and writing and housekeeping and general husbandry (etc., etc., etc.) that I’ve completely neglected my blog!
I’ve had a blast doing my MFA in Creative Writing at Fairleigh Dickinson, learned a ton of stuff by having work experience as an assistant editor at The Literary Review, and in general met some great mentors and people who will no doubt become lifelong friends.
On a side note, I grew a beard, too, so I’m even more rakishly handsome than I was before. Pics may be requested, but no guarantees. 😉
I am terribly sorry that I haven’t blogged lately; between dealing with buying a house, getting married (!), losing two cats and gaining two more… it’s been intense! Tack on a brother who physically assaults you at the workplace and you can imagine the fun. Oh well. That’s Big Brother Fence for you (he’ll appreciate the shout out and has been waiting for this validation, so I give it thus). You know, I always wanted to be mocked and poked and threatened to be thrown in the dumpster.
I am pleased to say we’re nice and settled and I’m starting to focus on writing again! The third and final (or is it?) chapter of Lenna’s arc should be completed within the next few months, along with an Audible audiobook edition of Apprentice, narrated by the wonderful Anisha Dadia! Huzzah!
If you haven’t noticed, my short story, “The Eighth Bible of New Egypt,” was picked up by Spark: A Creative Anthology. It’s one of many entries I intend to explore with that character, so def check it out. Besides my work, there are great authors and poets in the anthology so it’s a gem.
Also, we’re doing a limited sale on my remaining signed hardcovers of Librarian and Apprentice… only 100 each from the first press, so take a look at our Facebook page for details!
lots of fhet. forever. <3