The librarycook hadn’t realised, previously, that Delicious was catering to an army of giants.
How else, she thought, to explain the enormous pastries that resulted from the recipe for Greens and Ricotta Turnovers? The size of a small dog, they dwarfed the librarycook’s dinner plates, and defeated the usually robust appetites of the librarycook’s family. Encased in puff pastry, and filled with fennel, ricotta, tarragon, sage, anchovies, parmesan and “the green leaves of your choice”, they were otherwise ideal – savoury, filling, and at least vaguely nutritious.
And their C:R ratio was likewise ideal – some chopping, then a little sautéing – albeit whilst “stirring constantly” – the librarycook interpreted that to meet her reading goals – and then some time in the fridge for the filling to chill, before being encased in the puff pastry, and baked for 30 minutes. All up, almost an hour and a half of valuable reading time, employed by the librarycook to complete The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which she highly recommends – charming, quirky, AND set in a bookshop. What’s not to like?
Greens and Ricotta Turnovers, Tuna Steak, Green Beans, Anchovy and Butter Lettuce, and accompanying books
Next up, from the November issue, was Tuna Steak, Green Beans, Anchovy* and Butter Lettuce. Again, this recipe offered almost 50 minutes of uninterrupted reading time (The Silk House – a slightly gothic novel set in a boarding school), as the accompanying tomatoes were slow-roasted in the oven. All that was needed then was a flurry of activity at the end, searing the tuna, and finally plating up the salad. And the whole thing was delicious, just like it says on the cover.
*It is beginning to dawn on the librarycook that she may have an anchovy problem. She’s not concerned.
