Israeli Couscous Three Ways

Posted on December 8, 2012 by beckyajohnson

Recently I discovered the wonders of Israeli Couscous (aka pearl couscous). I’d received a free product coupon from Bob’s Red Mill as an early Christmas present, and after visiting my local grocery store I exchanged it for the product I thought would be the most unique to try — Tri-color Pearl Couscous. However, when I brought it home I wondered what I was supposed to do with it.

A web search uncovered dozens of recipes involving Israeli Couscous, which emphasized that once again I am a late-comer to a growing trend. This past week I turned my bag of couscous into 3 separate recipes, which turned out spectacularly because they are each: a) made in under 30 minutes of active prep time; b) complete meals in one dish; c) less than $10 to prepare; d) great as leftovers; e) healthy; f) delicious.

Israeli Couscous with Pesto & Vegetables

Exhibit A is Tricolor Pearl Couscous with Pesto & Vegetables. The simple basil pesto may be made in either a blender or food processor before it is tossed with the cooked couscous, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. We grated our zucchini with a cheese grater and used quartered grape tomatoes rather than cherry tomatoes. The recipe can also be easily made vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese from the pesto. On day one, we served this with a side of sautéed buttered shrimp. On day two, I had the leftovers with 1/5 of a whole wheat baguette and some rather addictive herb brie cheese dip I picked up at Trader Joe’s.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Exhibit B is Greek Lemon and Chicken Soup (aka Avgolemono). This soup traditionally contains long grain rice, but I substituted the couscous for the rice, which worked out quite well. Whisking in 2 eggs just prior to serving gives this soup a similar consistency to the Chinese Egg Drop Soup. This is the Greek version of Chicken Noodle Soup, and since I’ve been fighing off a cold/flu for the past week, I appreciated its healing properties.

Exhibit C is Couscous Tabbouleh Salad, which substitutes couscous for the traditional bulgar wheat. I added leftover grape tomatoes to make this recipe more colorful, and slightly deviated from the recipe by using equal parts parsley and mint (I love mint). This is another recipe that could easily be made vegan by omitting the feta cheese. I also think kalamata olives would make a nice addition.

So there you have it — a week’s worth of meals for around $30.

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Stabs at Happiness Book Release Event

Posted on December 1, 2012 by beckyajohnson

Last night my husband and I headed in to downtown Portland for a book release event at the Jack London Bar. The featured book was Portland-based author Todd Grimson’s newly-released collection of short stories Stabs at Happiness: 13 Stories.

Todd Grimson was the winner of the 1988 Oregon Book Award for fiction for his novel Within Normal Limits. He’s been described by the UK-based newspaper The Guardian as “the greatest horror writer you’ve never read.” He is the author of the supernatural zombie thriller Brand New Cherry Flavor: A Novel of the Occult and the vampire love story Stainless: A Modern Romance.

I finished Stabs at Happiness: 13 Stories yesterday morning, and I’d classify the book in the realm of literary fiction, as there are no stories about vampires and zombies in this one. The majority of the stories are character-driven, including sketches of a 1970s New York transvestite and a scientist at a secret underground lab in the southwestern United States. One of Grimson’s greatest strengths is creating well-developed and elaborate settings, and those featured in Stabs at Happiness are quite diverse — the Amazonian jungle, the casbahs of Morocco, and even pre-Castro Cuba.

Due to his battle with multiple sclerosis, Grimson was not able to attend the launch party of his book. Rather, four local actors and artists read individual stories from his latest work.

Local entertainer Efra Lopez joked that he was selected to read the book’s first story “Hurt’s Rescue” because of his Latin American accent. Set in the jungles of South America and somewhat reminiscent of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” the story follows the river boat journey of American-born Tranh and several local guides as they search for a British anthropologist who disappeared in the Peruvian jungle six years prior.

Drammy Award-winning actress Andrea White read “What the Matter Is,” a story loosely based upon an historical event in which the actress Jean Harlow went missing.

My favorite story in the collection was “Nothing in Tangier,” set in the coastal Moroccan town and involving mysterious events surrounding the lives of a young couple on vacation from Seattle. At nearly 40 pages, it is by far the longest story in the book. According to his publisher Schaffner Press, Grimson was inspired to write this story after participating in a writers’ worshop in Morocco. I enjoyed it because it was a bit more philosophical than the other stories, delving into the superstitions surrounding a belief in luck and immaterial connections with wealth.

Reading this book reminded me that I don’t read nearly enough collections of short stories and essays. Because I have a tendency to be reading an average of 3-5 books at any given time, I appreciate the short commitment required to enjoy a work of only a few thousand words.

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A Brilliant Novel in the Works

Posted on November 29, 2012 by beckyajohnson

Recently, my husband and I joined a book marketing meet-up in Portland, hosted by book marketing specialist The Neo Com Group. At the first meet-up we attended, the guest speaker was Portland writer Yuvi Zalkow. Zalkow’s debut work A Brilliant Novel in the Works came out earlier this year. In addition to marketing himself as a failed writer, schmo and shame-filled Jew, he achieved accidental marketing success through his I’m a Failed Writer Video Series.  He also has a rather funny book trailer, in which he may or may not appear standing on his desk in his underwear.

At the end of the meet-up session, Yuvi randomly gave away one of his books, and I was lucky enough to win. Retrospectively, I say “lucky” because this book was one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had in a few months (and I read at least a half-dozen books a month).

Central to A Brilliant Novel in the Works is a failed writer, also by the name of Yuvi, and with many other characteristics shared by the actual author (he lives in Portland, is originally from Atlanta, is Jewish, a writer, etc.) Yuvi’s editor has demanded a respectable novel from her client, one that Yuvi cannot deliver. He spends countless hours standing on top of his desk in his underwear, stalking a Palestinian who has recently lost his father, and commiserating with his brother-in-law (who is suffering from ulcerative colitis) — all while attempting to add something original to his story. The story is laid out in short chapters interspersed with italicized interludes that oftentimes vaguely relate to the story.

For writers and aspiring writers who have struggled to simply get words on paper, this is a fun read. I found myself laughing out loud more than a handful of times. This book would also likely be enjoyed by those who like darker fiction, and those who either find enjoyment in or a connection with others’ self-deprecation.

But this book isn’t for everyone. For example, I’d calculate that at least 1/5 of the story is directly or indirectly about poop. If you don’t find humor in that, you might want to pass on this. Also, the author deals with uncomfortable subjects, such as cutting yourself for pleasure.

For those who are curious about what a story about “one kinky erection, one impossible colonoscopy, one missing prostate, some leather restraints, a whole mess of pianos, one ridiculous story about Uranus, a deceptive napkin, no shortage of kahkee and schmeckel references, a Palestinian in mourning, and even sex with Julia” (page 233) might entail, you might want to check this one out.

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5 Holiday Movies for Book Lovers

Posted on November 28, 2012 by beckyajohnson

I hardly go to movie theaters these days, but this time of year, I always become somewhat overwhelmed by all of the great movies that are released in time for the holidays. I’ve heard great things about both Argo and Lincoln, yet I still haven’t see either. To add to my already overwhelmed state, there seems to be an abundance of classic books making their way into theaters this holiday season, several of which are on my 100 books challenge list. If you’re a book lover like me, here are some suggestions of what to see this season:

The Life of Pi (in theaters now), based on the 2001 fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel, tells the story of a young man who survives a shipwreck and becomes stranded in the Pacific Ocean with a menagerie of exotic animals. Among these, he forms an unexpected friendship with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The movie is directed by Ang Lee of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain fame.

Anna Karenina (now in theatres), based on Leo Tolstoy’s 1877 epic classic, centers around the love affair of the title character, a Russian socialite, with Count Vronsky. I originally read this novel my senior year of high school, and thought the parallel story of the landowner Levin, was the highlight of the book. Currently Anna Karenina holds the #1 position in my personal list of greatest novels of all time. I am kind of curious to see how 900 pages are translated onto a few hours on a movie screen in this screenplay written by the talented playwright Tom Stoppard.

The first installment of The Hobbit opens in theaters on December 14. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 young adult fantasy novel, The Hobbit centers around the quests of Bilbo Baggins, and is the prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Like the film adaptation of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit is directed by Peter Jackson.

Based on Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel, the latest film rendition of On the Road opens in theaters on December 21st. The cast includes Sam Riley as Sal Paradise, Garrett Hedlund as Dean Morriarty, and Kristen Stewart as Marylou. Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams also have minor roles.

The screen adaptation of the musical Les Misérables opens on Christmas Day. Based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 work of historical fiction, the story centers around ex-convict Jean Valjean and his quest for redemption. This reminds me I’ve been meaning to read this book for quite some time. The movie adaptation has an impressive cast including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway.

And to keep you looking forward to 2013, the latest rendition of Stephen King’s Carrie is due out in March, the Great Gatsby opens in May, and Ender’s Game is scheduled for release in November. I better get caught up with that reading list!

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Getting Back into Running and Writing

Posted on November 26, 2012 by beckyajohnson

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend! I’d had ambitious plans going into the weekend — to check out several open houses at local wineries and to head to a bar to watch the big Civil War football game — neither of which panned out. But I did participate in the West Linn Turkey Trot with my sister on Thursday morning and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with my brother-in-law’s family at their home near Oregon City. I’d meant to post picture of the race much earlier, but I got distracted with other writing projects and sitting around home in my pajamas (mostly the latter).

The Turkey Trot was held on paved and unpaved trails at Mary S. Young State Park in West Linn, Oregon. My sister and I had originally planned to jog/walk it, but when she arrived at the race with her 10-year-old Doberman, Sydney, the dog was just too excited not to participate. We were told the dog could participate if we stuck near the back of the pack. Fortunately, the park was great for hiking too.

Three things I was thankful for this Thanksgiving: (1) that my sister agreed to do the race with me; (2) that the rain temporarily halted, so we didn’t get incredibly muddy; and (3) that I live in such a beautiful state. Seriously, how beautiful is this setting for a Thanksgiving Day run?

Participating in the Turkey Trot reminded me how much I miss running. I’d given it up in Las Vegas after a combination of: my frustrations with the heat and wind, limited places to run near my home, and being constantly harrassed by passing drivers and exhaust smoke. I’ve managed to keep in fairly good shape thanks to karate, but now I live in a community with a vibrant running culture and loads of trails, so I think it’s time to pick it up again. I hope to register for my next race, an all-women half-marathon, by the end of this week.

Prior to our move to Oregon, I wrote about some of the challenges my husband and I have faced this year. While we so far feel like Oregon is a much better fit for us than Las Vegas, it has taken some time to get used to our new community. This is the first time in my life I’ve moved to get away from something, rather than to move because of school or a new job. We are finally starting to meet new people, and to feel assured that this move was the best decision for our careers.

So this weekend, instead of going wine tasting or to a bar to watch football, I start to write again. I’d started an autobiographical novel back in 2007, but haven’t written anything on it since 2010. This new book I am working on is a memoir, based on my experiences living in 4 continents in my 20s. While it is much too soon to know if I would ever try to publish this story, I feel it is a story that needs to be written down, at least for my own sake. Perhaps it is what has been separating me from moving on from my past, and getting on with the rest of my life.

Posted in Introspection, Oregon, Running, Writing | 1 Comment