Friday, March 4, 2011

Friday mush

My head is full of mush this morning - a combination of too much tax dithering and a computer screen, which wasn't aided by my joining Twitter yesterday (@erinstocks). If I knew it was that much fun, I would have joined long ago.

But on to more important things, like reaching 80 on my shadow priest. Now Cataclysm quests! And better gear. And soon I will be as good as everyone else.

Gingery noodles with tofu last night - a lovely vegan dish:


One of the best meals I may have ever had. And yes, from Appetite for Reduction. I did cheat with the tofu, since I bought it pre-marinated in a light peanut sesame sauce. The noodles were supposed to be soba, but I only had udon and lo mein, so I opted for the former, mixed with sauteed bok choy, red onion, garlic, fresh ginger, some sesame oil for fun (sesame seeds would be fun, too, although neither the oil nor the seeds are in the actual recipe) and...that's all I remember, but there could have been one to two more ingredients. And a ton of sriracha. Broiled the tofu 4 minutes or so on each side, so it has a lovely coating while soft in the middle. Astoundingly good, environmentally friendly, and no painful deaths involved. Wins all around.

I seriously need to do some writing today. And then think about meals for this weekend, because Molly sent me cookbooks!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

And a Lightspeed Quickie

My brain is full of mush, but I had 2 important things to say, both Lightspeed related:

1. Maggie Clark's "Saying the Names" our first piece of March fiction. A gorgeous piece with some father-daughter drama thrown in, alongside a very well-thought-out alien world and a culture full of sounds. I love it more and more every time I read it.

2. Donato Giancola's featured gallery in the March artist spotlight. If you peruse his website, you'll see a lot of really stunning art, but I found myself particularly taken with several of the pieces in the gallery, including "Shaman's Loss," which makes me just stop and stare and think and almost hurt, in a way. You can see the loss straight through the screen - it's a story waiting to be written. The next one, "Vast Oceans of Truth," I also found appealing. I wanted to know the story behind it. Or write my own, about an ocean filled with truth. The possibilities are endless.

And as a bonus, another Genevieve Valentine non-fiction article, which, like her others, is consistently witty and entertaining alongside providing a point of view you've likely never considered.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Quickie but a Goodie

A short yet hearty review of "The Light Stones," which was exciting for me. I never found the story creepy much (whereas others of mine have had that effect on me), but I can see how worms invoke that sensation in others.

And, mushroom cannelinis and caulipots.


While I thoroughly enjoyed my leftovers today for lunch, I wasn't as thrilled with the initial meal on Saturday. I believe the caulipots (cauliflower, tiny golden potatoes, veggie broth) just needed more salt, and the mushroom cannelinis perhaps fresh dill on top, and lots of it, rather than the dried dill that I used. Just more flavor, and that leafy green-ness that gives things a fresh, crisp taste.

Reading lately: Over the weekend, I made it about twenty-five pages through Amanda Downum's The Bone Palace before I put it down, although I'm willing to say it's me, not the book. As much as I love the idea of a third gender and necromancy and royal suspicions, I wasn't interested enough, nor driven crazy by hooks like I hope for every time I pick up a new book. Maybe it's too traditional for my current tastes? But today I did buy Kameron Hurley's God's War, which I've been looking forward to for awhile now. And I was still hooked five pages later. The writing lacks a certain lyrical eloquence, but more than makes up for it in color and grit and blood, and I'm perfectly willing to make that trade. Also, Holly Black's White Cat, which is finally in paperback. I managed to resist Jo Walton's Among Others, because it's hardcover - we'll see how long I can hold off on that one.

There's more I want to dither on about, including the AMAZING Caitlyn R. Kiernan reprint I read yesterday, which John Joseph Adams may publish in Lightspeed. I really hope he does - the writing is simply stunning. Someday I will write like that, no matter how much blood and sweat it takes. Anyway, we've been seeing a lot of really good slush submissions lately, too, several of which he's accepted, and I'm very eager to see published. Most of them have phenomenal worldbuilding, an exciting plot, and well-rounded characters that usually have some serious flaws, e.g., very human, and with the occasional AI thrown in. Keep 'em coming!