Picture Day Friday

Prince Regent George the IV recruited Antonin Carême to preside over this lavishly scaled Great Kitchen and its vast batterie de cuisine at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England.

Pomegranate Chicken

Today for something a little different on this blog that I haven't done before. Khoresht-e fesenjān is chicken in a thick stew of pomegranate sauce and ground walnuts.

The ancient custom of combining meat with fruit occurs most notably in the cooking of Armenia, Georgia, Morocco, and Iran. This traditional Iranian khoresht originated in the province of Gilan, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, its swamps the nesting place of delicious wild ducks. It is often served at Ramadan with the buttered rice dish chelou.

The recipe below is modified from Persian recipe by using the Pomegranate Sauce Recipe by Anne Gracie and my additions.

Ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup POM 100% Pomegranate Juice
1 tsp salt
water, as needed
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/4 tsp saffron
1 1/2 Tbsp molasses
2 cups walnuts, finely chopped or pulverized
1 yukon gold potato, finely chopped
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR skinless chicken thighs

Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Fry onions & garlic until soft. Add all ingredients, except chicken, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken. Turn heat to med-low. Cover and cook for 40-60 minutes, until chicken is falling to pieces.

For Persian recipes with a more authentic flavor, visit Iran Mania.

"Buy the pomegranate when it laughs—
its laughter reveals the secret of its seeds.
The garden answers the laughing pomegranate with bloom;
In companionship with the friends of God
you will bloom as they do."
—Rumi

In Praise of the Pickle

Last Monday, I posted about Napoleon's Pickle. Today, I'm talking about an entirely different kind: the dill pickle.

Aristotle praisd their healing effects in 350 B.C.

Julius Caesar fed them to his tropps, supposedly believing they lent physical and spiritual strength.

Cleopatra insisted that eating them enhanced her beauty.

Christopher Columbus brought them to the new world on the 15th century voyage.

Are you fan of dill pickles with your hamburgers? Or relish with your hot dog? Count me in, as a huge fan of sliced pickle.

Picture Day Friday

Cerdic was a chieftain of the clan known as Gewisse. He founded the West Saxon kingdom of Wessex in southwestern England in the sixth century. The picture is from cartographer John Speed's Saxon Heptarchy printed in 1611.



And for a stark contrast.....here's a Regency lady from 1819 wearing a half-mourning evening gown.

Continuing Characters in a Series

Here's a problem I've been wrestling with. When you have characters (protagonists) from previous books continuing in a series, how much air time, i.e., ink, do you give them in the current story?

Let's consider the case of historicals, since I read mostly historicals and I write exclusively in that sub-genre. Marriage is the ultimate HEA, the satisfying end required of historicals. But when the current starring couple shows up in future books, their relationship is very happy, very sweet, very thoughtful towards each other...and rather unreal.

If they have realistic problems then resolving them will take focus away from the main protagonists in the current novel whose Journey to HEA we want to read about. But at the same time, if the problems are not solved, then the reader will feel cheated. The trust in their HEA was established in the last book, and the author dare not break it asunder.

So, is the solution to write standalone titles? But readers like to meet couples from previous stories again. They want more time with them, because they like them and want to know that even with the passage of time, their HEA is a sure thing.

Tbat gets me to the story writer's dilemma... How to portray these people? What role should they play in future books without having the gall to be overly treacly?

Illuminated Manuscript Prize!

We have a WINNER!!

Thank you to Vanessa Kelly for a fun visit and for leading a lively discussion on tortured heroes and heroines.

Thank you also to everyone who visited. I love Vanessa's MASTERING THE MARQUESS so it's good to see others equally enthused about the book.

Without further ado, Vanessa's Ms. Random Selector has chosen a prize winner. It is...

KELLY KRYSTEN

Please send your snail mail details to keira (at) keirasoleore (dot) com, and I will make sure you get your fabulous prize!


{Illuminated Book Of Kells, Folio 292r, Gospel Of John, Circa 800}