Archive for August, 2006

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it. “
– Lou Holtz

I’ve tried this recipe and found it to be great for a snack or even a late even dinner. I used egg in the breading process and it came out crispier.

FRIED RAVIOLI
(courtesy of Food Network – Giada De Laurentiis – Everyday Italian)

Ingredients:
Olive oil, for frying
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
1 box store-bought cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Directions:
Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli.

When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

“Not to know is bad; not to wish to know is worse.”

-African proverb

I usually change recipes to suit my own tastes so I made a few substitutions like with the seasonings, oysters and type of fish but it still came out good. My mother, who is a picky eater, loved it. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Seafood Jambalya

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. chorizo sausage, cut into thin slices
1 large bell pepper, any color, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 small head garlic, cloves peeled and minced
Creole seasoning to taste
Salt and pepper
2 large tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled
1/2 lb. fish fillets, diced (trout, catfish, redfish, bass, or bluefish)
2 bay leaves
3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
6 cups water
1 pint shucked oysters, with their liquor
2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp red Tabasco sauce, or to taste

Directions
Combine oil and sausage in a heavy-gauge pot or large wok over high heat, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper, onion, celery, and garlic, and season with Creole seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Sauté, still over high heat, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have browned and caramelized.

Add the tomatoes, shrimp, fish, and bay leaf, and stir. Add the rice, stir gently, and add the water. Gently move a spoon across the bottom of the pot, making sure that the rice is not sticking. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Turn off the heat; fold in the oysters and scallions, cover, and let sit for about 10 minutes. The jambalaya will continue cooking from residual heat.

Writing Action/Fight Scenes and Writing the Kick Sass Heroine Q & A With some of the Hottest Paranormal Authors in the Genre!!

August, the 5th, 6th and 7th in the Diva Classroom!

Authors Attending:

Kelley Armstrong
CJ Barry
Sonia Singh
Cathy Clamp & C.T. Adams
Carrie Vaughn
Gena Showalter
LA Banks

Want to know how to write realistic fight and action scenes? Want to know what makes Mia, Eden, Kitty, Maya, Damali, Katie and Tru such KICK SASS heroines?

All you have to do is ask.

*Note: LA Banks will only be able to attend on Monday, August 7th!

1. I can fix a written page; I can’t fix a blank one. – Nora Roberts.

2. You cannot use up creativity. The more you use the more you have. – Maya Angelou

3. Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money. -Moliere

4. I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again. – Oscar Wilde

5. If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. – Stephen King

6. You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you’re working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success – but only if you persist. – Issac Asimov