Book Review: The Gluten Lie and Other Myths About What You Eat

 We live in a hip, fast-paced world where Smartphones are as common as apple pie.  Thanks to medical breakthroughs, hearts can be transplanted, body fat can be zapped by high-frequency sound waves, and wrinkles can be erased by the botulism toxin. We're so swift and smart, our urban legends don't take decades to form--they happen immediately on Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

But did you know that our contemporary ideas about nutrition are steeped in ancient myths and superstition?

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A Novel Bakers' Edible Book Review: Etta Mae's Worst Bad-Luck Day

 "I'll tell you right off that I'm not in the habit  of talking about people,

listening to gossip, or spreading rumors regardless of how tempting it is

to pick up the telephone. Do unto others, I always say. I will admit, however,

that occasionally I hear a tasty tidbit that just seems meant to be passed along."

--From the Desk of Julia Springer Murdoch

It's my pleasure to pass along a marvelous new book by Ann B. Ross: 

Etta Mae's Worst Bad-Luck Day.  

"Heart-of-gold, hardscrabble Etta Mae Wiggins has starred as Miss Julia's sidekick in several of Ann B. Ross's New York Times bestselling novels. And though she has saved Miss Julia's hide time and again, Etta Mae has--so unfairly!--been the subject of some of Abbotsville's hottest gossip for years. Now Etta Mae gets to speak for herself--and she has a doozy of a story to tell."

From her polka dotted dress to a last-minute spritz of perfume on the courthouse steps,
Etta Mae is full of charm, sass, and an indomitable Southern spirit.

But the question is . . .

Can Etta Mae manage to marry 

Mr. Right on the worst bad-luck day?

 If Etta Mae can just marry Howard Conard, Senior, her life will be perfect.

But a few things stand in her way. First, she must deal with Howard's money-hungry son and snooty, pious daughter-in-law. Not to mention Etta Mae's ex-husband (one of them), who is flashing a winning lottery ticket and is on the run from local thugs. If that's not enough,

her old flame, Officer Bobby Lee, keeps showing up, wreaking havoc with her head and her heart.

When that happens, a girl needs to eat cake. 

Lots and lots of cake.

Petit fours are always a nice compliment at a Southern wedding ...

if there's a wedding. With Etta Mae, you just never know what's going to happen.

Even so, get ready to laugh and have the time of your life.

"Fans of Ann B. Ross will love this book! Etta Mae Wiggins is the funniest character to come down the pike since Miss Julia showed up to speak her mind. I laughed all the way through it. Hooray for Etta Mae!"

--Fannie Flagg, author of The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion

Happy Pub day, Ann!

For more fun with Etta Mae, visit the Novel Bakers: 

a quiet life  and Home Is Where the Boat Is.
Come see Etta Mae's board on Pinterest!

Resources:
Stop by Ann B. Ross's Official Facebook page and say hello.
Read about the New York Times bestselling Miss Julia series.
Etta Mae's page at Viking Books
Etta Mae's Pinterest board.
Look for the new Miss Julia book in April 2015, Miss Julia Lays Down the Law.

Thanks to Viking Books for providing copies of Etta Mae.

Shared at Wow Us Wednesdays  and Tablescape Thursday. 

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Foodie Friday: Home Smoking

Welcome to the July 4th Foodie Friday, where great food is always on the menu.

Bandwidth and I are enthusiastic, year-round "smokers." We've smoked our way through pork, beef, fish, vegetables, and even fruit (peaches--sublime, exotic, hearty). 

So when Schiffer Publishing Ltd asked us to review one of their hot new releases, Home Smoking Basics by Maria Sartor, we couldn't wait to get started.

In Chapter 1, you'll learn the basics--equipment, types of wood, and different ways to smoke (how about a wok?).

A peek inside our much-used Weber smoker.

We use a remote temperature probe (see below). It allows you to read the temperature from the comfort of your house, and it has an alarm that alerts you when the temp has deviated from the cooking range. 

We've prepared two entrees today--one beef, one pork. 

First up...

Smoked Short Ribs

If the angels have a smoker in heaven, they surely eat short ribs every chance they get.

There's nothing "short" about these ribs--they are meaty, moist, and fork-tender. When you add smoke, you end up with steak-on-a-stick (er, a bone). You can be proper and use a knife and fork to eat smoked short ribs, but you'll have to resist the impulse to dig in with your fingers.

Smoked Short Ribs

Printable Recipe

Cooking Time: 5 to 5 1/2 hours

Serving: 1 rib per person (super filling)

What You Need:

2 slabs of whole ribs

Smoker

Lump charcoal

oak wood chunks

Dry Rub:

1 part kosher salt

1/2 part ground black pepper

1/4 part chili powder

1/4 part onion powder

1/4 part dark brown sugar

Prepare smoker. Use a charcoal chimney starter and ignite the lump charcoal. 15 minutes later, add to smoker, along with your choice of hardwood. Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients and rub onto the ribs. Place ribs in the smoker on the top rack.

Maintain a temperature of 225 to 250 degrees F. in your smoker.

During the last hour of smoking, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil.

Remove from the smoker and let the meat rest.

Our second dish is...

Smoked Pork Chops with a Fresh Pineapple Compote

What You Need:

Smoker and oak wood chunks

charcoal chimney (starter)

 1 can pineapple slices (Note: we used fresh--and they take a good bit longer to cook, so I'm not sure we gained much, flavor or time-wise.)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup water

3 tablespoons grainy mustard

4  (1 1/2" thick) pork chops

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 jar of fruit mustard.

Cut the pineapple into small pieces and bring to a boil in their juice, along with sugar and half of the water. Skim the foam. Simmer for an hour. Pour the pineapple compote into a bowl and cool. Add mustard. Cover and refrigerate (for up to 3 days).

Prepare the smoker. Smoke the pork chops for 3 hours. Remove from the heat. Brush compote juices on each chop. Serve with the pineapple compote.

Super easy and delicious!

 How to describe another food that the angels surely eat?

Tender and succulent, with a just-right balance of sweet and sour. 

A Note from Bandwidth (the biochemist) about the

Chemistry ("Chem Is Try") Of the Cook:

"When grilling or smoking, the actual chemical reaction of burning is oxidation. The most abundant compound in wood is cellulose (C6 H12 06). 

"Sugar + Oxygen + Heat ---> Carbon Dioxide and Water

"But smoke contains well over 100 different compounds, one of which is nitrogen. N combines with air to firm NO2. Nitorgen dioxide is readily absorbed into the surface area of meats. This NO2 absorbs and creates HN)3 (nitric acid) or NO3, which in turn creates sodium nitrite. This final product creates the ever so desirable smoke ring."

Inside the book, you'll find a comprehensive guide to smoking, including some of the best tips we've seen.

Tips for adding flavor.

Thanks to Schiffer Books for providing a copy of the book. (All opinions are my own.)

The Cook's Resources:

Home Smoking Basics by Maria Sartor

Schiffer Books

Remote Smoker Thermometer

Chimney Charcoal Starter

Weber Smoker

 

*Note: Rattlebridge is not affiliated with any links.

 

***

I hope everyone has a fabulous July 4th! 

Before let you go, I wanted to share a gorgeous Independence Day tree that my friend Judy Cox made for her office. 

 So creative and festive. I've got to have a July 4th tree next year!

Are you contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday?

 If so, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

You can read a complete guide to this linky party HERE.

If you'd like to share your food photos--or photos of other FF participants on Pinterest, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions. Leave a message on the most recent "pin" if you'd like your name added to the list.

Every Friday, we are joined at this big, virtual table--thank you for stopping by today. I'm grateful to all of you who spend your days cooking. I'm grateful to old and new friends who contribute recipes every week. I'm grateful to friends who leave a comment. I'm grateful for the silent folks, because you are brought here by your love of all things culinary.

Foodie Friday Link-Up

Have a Safe, Food-Filled July 4th Weekend!

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