Porch Time

Having fallen yesterday and seriously still hurting today, I spent much of this day stretched out across the den floor watching football.  By the time the Cowboys were coming on, Sandi had moved outside to the creek side porch. Truth be told, I think she needed her space today and it was a good day to be outside. Thursday and what it all means is weighing very heavy on both of us. Late this afternoon, Duncan, wandered outside to join her.

It may be hard to see, but, Duncan is in the back of the other chair. In front of Ducan is a thing of blue yarn and a completed hat that will be donated to the infusion room for a cancer patient to have for warmth. 

A better picture of Duncan hanging out in his frequent feline torpedo position....

Often he gets a bit straight than he is in this picture. 


Kevin

Review: "Arrowmoon-- A Bill Travis Mystery" by George Wier

The land is truly in the middle of nowhere in deep East Texas. Isolated, with nothing of any significance at all besides an ageing barn on it, nothing has disturbed the land and it secrets for decades. That is until now because a road is coming through to serve the increasingly population in Texas. The isolated and decaying barn and its secrets lay in the path of that road. Secrets that people will kill to keep hidden from all.

Bill Travis manages money from his office on the western edge of downtown Austin. He has done a few things and knows quite a few people in all walks of life as the preceding novels in this series that began with The Last Call make clear. But, when all the mysteries are cleared up and he has extricated himself from the latest mess he got into, his main job is managing folks money so they make money no matter the shape of the economy. To do that you have to keep your clients happy.

Lief Prescott is a client and right now he is not happy at all. Lief is building highway 119.  The same highway that is eventually going to go right through that isolated barn. Some hot shot lawyer out of Boston has slapped Lief and his company a restraining order banning construction for 14 days.  Lief is incensed as time is money and he can’t have the road building crew sitting around while he is on deadline. He needs help, he needs it now, and he expects Bill Travis to help.

That means Bill Travis is going to have to head over towards the College Station vicinity and make his way to the small town of Hearne, Texas to get with Lief and address the situation.  A situation that will ultimately get bigger and far stranger than Bill, Lief, or anyone else expected. What should be a civil business problem clearly isn’t based on the sniper’s bullet. They should have taken the warning as there are those who won’t stop to protect the secrets of the past.

Once again, Texas author George Weir spins a wild tale featuring many players along with plenty of mystery and adventure.  History, real or fake, plays a huge role in these books and such is the case here in the eighth book of the series. Also present are the usual observations about Texas and family from Bill Travis who may or may not have had a legendary relative at the Alamo. Like every book in the series, Arrowmoon: A Bill Travis Mystery is a fun, fast paced, complicated mystery read that keeps readers well entertained.

Arrowmoon: A Bill Travis Mystery

George Wier

http://www.georgewier.com

Flagstone Books

June 2012

E-Book

(Estimated print length 170 pages)

$3.99

Material provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012

Market Call--Hurricane Sandy Anthology

I have seen Thomas Pluck talk about this on Facebook a couple of times when I briefly checked in online this week. Deadline is the 31st to contribute something to this anthology designed to raise funds in the wake of the horrible devastation. All the details are at http://www.ohsandybook.com/


Kevin

Sandi's Surgery Scheduled

Late yesterday afternoon they called and set up  the timing of the surgery on Thursday. The surgery itself is planned at 1 pm on Thursday.  We are to be at the hospital at 10 am for check in  procedures and to pull her blood as they want to do that the day of surgery.  The doctor has a surgical procedure that morning in another hospital far from here and then will do hers in the afternoon.

If, and that is a huge if, everything goes absolutely perfectly, she will spend Thursday night in the hospital and come home sometime Friday. If not, she will be in longer. Unfortunately, both the surgeon and the cancer doctor will be out of town for the holidays.

This means that she won't see her cancer doctor until January 4 at 3 pm. That appointment was scheduled even later yesterday and was the earliest they could get her in. That also means that if the thing is the very much expected Lymphoma they would not start chemotherapy until the following week.


Kevin

FFB Review: "THE JUGGER (1965) by Richard Stark" Reviewed by Barry Ergang

THE JUGGER (1965) by Richard Stark

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

The late Donald E. Westlake was a versatile writer whose output ranged over a number of  fields. But it is crime fiction for which he is most famous, for which he was deservedly acknowledged by the Mystery Writers of America as a Grand Master, and in which  he wrote under his own name and under a variety of pseudonyms. Under his own name he will always be remembered as one of the greatest exponents of the comic crime novel with titles that include The Hot Rock, God Save the Mark, I Gave at the Office, What's the Worst That Could Happen?, and Two Much.

As Richard Stark, probably his best-known pseudonym, he produced a very successful series of ultra-hardboiled novels, several of which were filmed—see The Thrilling Detective website for more information. The books starred Parker, a professional thief: "Once or twice a year, Parker was in on an institutional robbery...It wasn't out of humanity that he limited himself to organizations, it was just that organizations had more money than individuals....

"Parker wasn't a single-o. He always worked with a pickup group gathered for that single specific job. Every man was a specialist, and Parker's specialties were two; planning and violence. Other men were specialists in opening safes or scaling walls or making up blueprints from nothing more than observation, but Parker was a specialist at planning an operation so it run smoothly, and at stopping any outsider who might be thinking of lousing things up."

The premise of The Jugger, the sixth book in a series which does not necessarily have to be read in order, is fairly simple. Joe Sheer is a jugger, a safecracker, living in the small town of Sagamore, Nebraska under the name Joseph Shardin. Now retired, he sometimes acts as an intermediary between Parker and others in his particular line of work. He writes to Parker who, when not pulling heists, lives in Miami under the name Charles Willis, an identity he has painstakingly constructed over a period of years. Sheer's first letter indicates that he's in some kind of trouble, that he'll handle it, but that Parker shouldn't try to contact him until the matter is settled. A month later a second letter arrives, this one asking for Parker's help. Parker packs a bag and, as Charles Willis, goes to Sagamore. He does so not out of loyalty or friendship toward Sheer—there is nothing noble about him; he does so for the sake of self-preservation. "Joe Sheer could crucify Parker, he could nail him to the wall with a hundred nails...He knew him by his old face...He knew Parker's cover name, he knew twenty or twenty-five jobs Parker had been connected with, he knew enough about Parker to skin him alive."

Simple premise, right? All Parker has to do is find out what kind of jam Sheer is in and either help him out of it or kill him to protect himself. But not long after he arrives in Sagamore, things quickly become complicated. Sheer is dead, but nobody will level with Parker about how he died. A man named Tiftus, who "claimed to be a lock man" whom "Parker had never worked with...because he was too unreliable" shows up at Parker's hotel room, wanting to partner to find something valuable he's certain Sheer had hidden somewhere.

Parker goes to Sheer's house to look around for himself and is knocked unconscious by someone wearing a burlap bag for a mask. Not long afterward, Tiftus is found dead—in Parker's hotel room. Now Parker must deal with the corrupt Captain Younger, local head of the police department, and the honest, earnest state police investigator Regan—while trying to tie up loose ends, absolve himself of a connection to Tiftus's murder, find the actual killer, and ditch an unwanted new associate.  

To say anything more would be to spoil the excitement in this taut short novel. The Jugger is as hardboiled as anything Mickey Spillane ever wrote, but without the posturing. Parker is cold, efficient, and ruthless, the complete anti-hero. He lets nothing and no one stand in his way when he's trying to accomplish something. Even readers who think they're inured to fictional criminal activities might be surprised by  some of Parker's. Although he's repellent to anyone with moral sensibilities, he's so intriguing that readers who go for noir fiction will want to follow his adventures, a testament to Westlake's authorial skill.

As the quoted passages demonstrate, the author doesn't waste words, doesn't indulge in the kind of verbal pyrotechnics that can dilute and obstruct a narrative. Thus, the story's relentless pace infuses it with a raw power. The no-nonsense style reflects Parker's no-nonsense approach. A further testament to the author's skill is his ability to portray breathing, individualized characters—this despite the fact that the reader is given background information only about Parker and Captain Younger. 

The Jugger will not appeal to readers who only like stories about heroes with noble codes of honor and conduct, nor will it appeal to readers who dislike onstage violence. Fans of rapid-fire hardboiled fiction will greatly enjoy and possibly even love it. To them I highly recommend it.

Barry Ergang ©2012

The Jugger is one of the many titles Barry Ergang is selling from his personal collection. You can see the lists at http://www.barryergangbooksforsale.yolasite.com/

You can find his fiction at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GXMF86  and

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/cassidy20

.

Finally Home

Everything took longer than expected and then we still had to get my meds at the store. My falling twice at the hospital certainly didn't speed up things. But, we are finally home.

The cardiac surgeon basically described what is termed as the "minimally invasive" deal I had mentioned this morning. But, no need for the robots.  They will put a couple of small holes through the ribs and work tools and cameras in to get to the thing in her chest. It is approximately 2 centimeters long and oblong in shape as it sits on her inside chest wall next to her heart. it is pressing on her heart sac. He firmly believes--without question-- it is a Lymphoma. In his mind the only real question is what kind.

During the surgery he will biopsy the thing. Theoretically it should be determined right then and there whether or not it is a Lymphoma and what type. If it is cancer, as expected, he will leave it alone and most likely not try to remove it as that raises the risk of spreading the cancer.

If it is not cancerous, he will make the determination what to do with it depending on what it is. Seems to me, as a non doctor type, that something that is growing and pressing on the heart sac should come out--no matter what it is--but, apparently things are not that simple.

Sandi also has some scar tissue in her lungs from the mess last November--especially her right lung--- and that has to be worked around and possibly removed. In all likelihood he will also have to put another port into her chest to make it easier to start the chemotherapy again. Sandi is not happy about that because the last one caused so much pain and she has significant scarring from it.

As of right now the surgery will be sometime next Thursday afternoon. Exact time it is planned for is up the air at this point. Next Wednesday she will have to go to the check in stuff, fill out paperwork, and give blood, etc. so they can have everything ready for Thursday afternoon.

Needless to say we are both pretty upset and worn out. We feel a little better about the actual surgical aspects now that we know how the procedure will be done. The hard part is knowing that it, most likely, is a return of the cancer which means she was only in remission a few months. And even that was not as long as had been thought because the cancer had to have been back awhile to get to where we are today.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Please understand it is going to take me sometime to catchup on e-mail, Facebook, etc. as I am just worn out.


Kevin

Today--More Medical Stuff

For over a year now our lives seem to revolve around doctor visits. Especially after last November with the cancer diagnosis and start of chemo for Sandi. Later this morning Sandi and I will be seeing the cardiac surgeon her cancer doctor recommended last week. Hopefully he will have the results of the CT Scan she had last Friday. That was done to better locate the 2 centimeter thing on her chest wall slightly behind her heart so that this doctor has a definite surgical target.

As we understand it, at this point, this type of thing means cracking open the chest wall. But, maybe not. Very early this morning long before dawn, when I could not sleep yet again, I started searching around on the internet trying to figure out how they would do this. Apparently the doctor she is seeing this morning is involved with some sort of robotic surgery deal where they do not crack open the chest wall. Instead, in some sort of "minimally invasive" deal, they put a couple of  very small holes in through the ribs on the side and then work from there. This is supposed to be better for the patient with less pain, faster recovery time, etc.

Whether or not she is a candidate for this I obviously do not know. But, if so AND if it works, it sounds much better than cracking the chest wall and spreading it apart which is all I have been thinking about. We also have to schedule this for Sandi as soon as possible when next Tuesday Scott is supposed to be at another hospital for a medical procedure test of his own regarding his ongoing gastrointestinal issues. That has been scheduled for over a month to happen as soon as possible once he finished his finals at UTD.

The fact that I am so limited in every way is really frustrating when it is times like this.


Kevin

WTF-- (Another) Wednesday's Twisted Funny

A more seasonal one that appealed to my sick and twisted mind........

 

WTF--- Wednesday Twisted Funny

Well, I thought it was funny.......

 

Update on Things---Dealing with TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Back in late November I wrote about how I had finally gotten approved for assistance for Medicare Part D by the Social Security Administration.  It took a while longer, but, I now know in general terms what kind of basic help I will receive on my medication costs. Anything helps and this will help me. Late last week I applied online for the program I wanted for drug coverage after overriding in the system (I think) the program that they had automatically put me into.

No surprise that the program they were automatically putting me into--something offered through AARP---had restrictive drug quantity limits and would not cover one of the drugs I am on for my high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. Having played drug roulette before where my blood pressure meds were changed due to insurance nonsense with the result I wound up in the hospital, I have no interest in doing that again.  

Back when I was working I used to scare folks because sometimes I would be beet red in the face and other times I would be as pale as a ghost. People I worked with tended to notice that sort of thing. It isn’t something you can hide like trying not to limp even when your leg and back are hurting big time. I have weird blood pressure issues where I can easily soar sky high (over two hundred) and then drop to below a hundred twenty minutes later. Basically, it is a roller-coaster effect and I have to be on meds that handle that sort of thing. Therefore, I went with a program that appears to not only be cheaper than the program they picked for me but also--at least for now--covers my drugs. It is going to be another ten days or so before I know if I got in and when coverage starts.

Like I said, anything helps. If things go the way I want, this will help.

Dealing with TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES remains far more difficult than it should be or is necessary. Appeal letters went out today trying again to get us back on food stamps and Medicaid for Sandi and Scott. Somehow, and probably because of the original foul-up with Social Security, they have Sandi making a very nice income. I have provided proof again that the figure is/was wrong. I have also provided again documented proof that she is out on UNPAID medical leave and, in addition to other issues, is facing some sort of cardiac surgery to remove the thing from her chest wall slightly behind her heart. I have sent proof to the various people at the various levels who have handled the case incorrectly in the hopes that one of them can fix his or her error and thus restore our much needed food stamps and their Medicaid coverage.

I also included the latest bill from the cancer doctor as Texas Medicaid has not paid that. Now the bill has risen to 847 dollars and with more cancer treatment most likely needed in the upcoming weeks it needs to be paid by them ASAP.

What really took the cake with Texas HHSC was the deal we got yesterday. As I explained back in late November, I had been denied by Texas HHSC for help with Medicare Part B because I had failed to fill out an application. Being certified by the feds wasn’t good enough for the state folks. Also, the family being on food stamps with the same agency having financial records and every other thing on us going back two years plus was not good enough. I had to fill out another application for that and I hadn’t done so. Of course, one can’t fill out an application if one does not get one. So, I appealed the decision--pointed out the obvious problem that NO APPLICATION ever arrived--and requested an application.

I continued to request an application from each person in a different office in the state as the case was assigned a hearing officer, a date and time, etc. I kept pointing out there was no need for a hearing at this point as all I really needed was an application. I finally got my application yesterday.

In SPANISH.

After repeatedly requesting it and never once using anything other than ENGLISH, they sent me a multi-page horrendously long form all in SPANISH.  I can’t read Spanish. I can’t write Spanish. I do not understand anything sent to me in Spanish. My Spanish understanding consists of two obscenities. Two obscenities that I will not repeat here and are not found on any government forms to the best of my knowledge.

I have requested this morning an application in my native language of English.

Next time you see Texas Governor Perry on television talking about waste of tax dollars and how the state of Texas will not participate in the expansion of Medicaid because the state can set up things so much better than federal folks, think about us. Think about what we went through and have been going through to get the very little bit of assistance this state provides to their neediest residents. Residents, who, through no fault of their own, got sick, can’t continue to work, and need help.

Think about how Texas ranks number one in the number of people without insurance. Think about how Texas ranks at near the bottom on education and a number of other things. Think about us and what we have gone through and are still going through.

It just isn’t right. It is bad enough to be sick, disabled, etc. but those in charge make things much worse and much harder than they have to be.

Kevin

Review: "Mad River: A Vigil Flowers Novel" by John Sandford

Mad River: A Virgil Flowers Novel by John Sanford is the latest in an increasingly enjoyable series. When you see the subtitle A Virgil Flowers Novel you know exactly what you are getting in the read--- a profane loner type cop who will be unorthodox in solving the case while also making the time to check out the available ladies. The job will get done, political and probably law enforcement big shots will be annoyed, and the body count will be fairly high.

Continuing the tradition in recent books of this series as well as the Lucas Davenport series, author John Sanford identifies the bad guys from page one. In this case it is two guys and a bad woman. They go by the names of Jimmy Sharp, Tom McCall, and Becky Welsh. They are on a killing spree because Jimmy likes to kill, makes Becky hot for him, and Tom just is along for the ride and whatever else he can get.

Virgil Flowers just got back home to Mankato, Minnesota after being in the Grand Bahamas chasing bone fish and women. It is after midnight and Virgil has been drinking, but Lucas Davenport needs him to sober up quick and hit the road. Lucas wants him to go investigate the death of a husband and wife named Welsh in Shinder, Minnesota. Whether or not it relates to the double murder that happened over in nearby Bigham a couple of days earlier, Lucas doesn’t know. But, having four murders in that small of an area is mighty strange and he wants Flowers on it.

Considering Virgil grew up in Marshall, about thirty miles away from Bigham, he pretty much knows the area and the people.  He also knows that there is going to be at least one obstacle to overcome while working with local law enforcement. Shinder sits in Bare County which is run by Sheriff Lewis Duke. Other local sheriffs call him the “Duke of Hazard” because of his actions which remind many of a certain media hungry Sheriff in Arizona.

As the group continues to kill and begins to internally self-destruct, Virgil Flowers and others work to stop them. A task made much harder by politics, a lack of clues, and increasing media attention. Still, a man does have to take a break at times for food, sleep, and the company of a beautiful woman.

Mad River: A Virgil Flowers Novel  is another solidly good one in the series. Flowers is a fairly predictable character and that streak continues here. No new character revelations are present and one are expected in this series. The group dynamic of Jimmy, Becky and Tom is what one would expect as is the self-destructive aspects of things. What powers the read along is the action, fast pace, and whirlwind nature of events as things disintegrate in many different ways.

Mad River: A Virgil Flowers Novel  

John Sandford

http://www.johnsandford.org

G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Group)

http://penguin.com

October 2012

ISBN # 978-0-399-15770-7

Hardback

400 Pages

$27.95

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012

Market Closing--- Sniplits

I have been waiting for the formal announcement of this having seen Anne recently mention on Facebook that this was in the works. Sad day as another market is going away......

Dear Sniplits Members,

Is there ever anything harder to say than “good-bye” to someone or something or some dream that you have loved?

Seven years ago, Sniplits was just a dream to create audio short stories for what was then still a relatively new MP3 player market. And, perhaps most important to me, to create a market that would pay short story authors for their work.

I know that there are those who believe everything on the Internet should be free. And those who believe that an author’s only reward should be the pleasure of writing. Nonsense I say. Writing is work, and a writer whose work is appreciated by the market should be able to make a living at their writing. No one asks doctors, actors, engineers, teachers or professional athletes to do their work for free just because they enjoy aspects of their job. That is not to say that everyone who wants to write or thinks that they have a story to tell has the ability to turn out a product worth paying for. Not everyone who loves basketball will make it beyond league play and pick-up games. Not everyone who loves biology can be a good doctor.

At Sniplits, I tried to publish authors I thought were worth betting on. And I am incredibly proud to have been the first to buy some of their work. I will continue to faithfully follow and read their stories, and I hope you will too.

I still believe that there will be a market for professionally narrated audio short stories, and particularly for eShorts enhanced with audio. Unfortunately, Sniplits does not have the financial wherewithal to survive until that market develops. Sniplits will be closing on December 15, 2012. If there are stories you have been meaning to download or gift certificates or coupons to use, please do so before then.

The publishing industry is at one of those messy turning points that all industries periodically go through as technologies, business models and market desires change. That is not a bad thing, just messy. The market—i.e. all of us—will help sort out which publishers and authors will thrive and which will fail. I hope we choose thoughtfully and well, and reward those authors and publishers by buying and introducing our friends to their work.

I have given up trying to find the right words to thank Sniplits authors, listeners, narrators, and friends for all of your support over the years. You will be forever in my heart.

Anne S. 

founder/publisher

Cookbook Review: "In The Kitchen With David: QVC’S Resident Foodie Presents Comfort Foods That Take You Home" by David Venable

A lot of cookbooks these days feature celebrities that also are chefs. This is not one of those kind of books. Host of “In The Kitchen With David” on QVC, David Venable is not a chef. He is a guy who likes to eat and knows a thing or two about cooking. The result is this 254 page cookbook with the same title of as his TV show. It features 150 recipes to make food and company fun. It is worth noting up front that pictures of finished dishes are few and far between, the text is small and light in shading which can make it difficult to read, and no nutritional information is included.

After a brief forward and introduction it is on to the recipes. First up is “Appetizers: Party Starters” beginning on page 2. There is a brief introduction to the section followed by 15 recipes. This is where you go for “White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip” (page 5), “Chicken Nachos” (page 9), or “Crispy Potato Skins” (page 15) and many others. Pictures of finished dishes are few and far between, text is small and light in shading, and no nutritional information is included. Directions, ingredient lists, and servings are included as are small highlighted tip style boxes using the logo “Dishin’ With David” containing various information. The information in these boxes is not throwaway information, but actual quality information well worth your time to read.

“Biscuits, Muffins and Quick Breads:  Our Daily Bread” comes next on pages 26-43. “Southern Buttermilk Biscuits” (pages 28-29), “Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping” (pages 34-35) and “Sour Cream Coffee Cake” (Page 38) are here. A number of the recipes in this chapter would easily fir in the next chapter devoted to breakfast and brunch.

“Breakfast and Brunch: Rise and Shine!” features 13 recipes that should hit the spot. “Spinach-Tomato Frittata” (pages 48-49), “Amaretto Brioche French Toast with Cinnamon Butter” (page 53) and “Christmas-Morning French Toast Casserole” (pages 56-57) are just three of the delectable choices here.

I never was much of a fan of soup though Mom made a good vegetable and beef one. So did David’s mom. That love of soup caused “Soups: Big Bowls of Happiness” to come next with choices such as “Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheddar and Bacon" (page 67) and “Loaded Baked Potato Soup” ( pages 74-75) among others. Besides his advice to go beyond a normal bowl and use a bowl carved out into bread, David suggests heating your regular soup bowls up for better soup taste. He also suggests keeping soup hot in a crockpot for larger gatherings.

Starting on page 80, it is all about “Salads: Green Goodness.” 10 recipes are here including ones for “Creamy Potato Salad with Bacon” (pages 90-91) and “Tangy Coleslaw” (page 91).

Side dishes get their due here in the next section titled “Sides: Supporting Players.”  These include “Scrumptious Hush Puppies” (page 101), “Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes” (page 107), “Beer-Battered Onion Rings with Horseradish-Dill Dipping Sauce” (pages 110-111) --- for me just hold the sauce and keep the rings coming --- and “New England Baked Beans” (pages 116-117). Mac n’ Cheese lovers do not despair as that recipe comes later.

David Venable loves pork and makes that clear in the next section titled “Pork: The Devine Swine.”  From pages 120-139 he proclaims his love of pork with “BLT Mini Cups” (pages 122-123), “Breaded Pork Cutlets” (page 130) and “Smoked Gouda-Bacon Cheeseburgers” (page 135) among others. One would expect a ham recipe and here is one with “Holiday Ham with Honey-Mustard Glaze” recipe on page 126. He also teaches you how to properly cook bacon in a variety of ways on page 137 in “Makin Bacon.”  The first tip is – “Whichever one you choose, always remove the bacon from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a good 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.”

The neat thing about casseroles is they can be a one dish deal. Starting on pages 140-141 the section titled “Casseroles and One-Pot Meals: Dinner In One Dish” is all about them. It opens with “My Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese” on pages142-143 (includes bacon), before moving on to  the “Ultimate Game Day Chili” (pages 146-147), “Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake” (page 149) and “Day-After Roast Turkey and Stuffing Casserole” (page 155) among others. While this section does contain the recipe for “Chicken Enchilada Casserole” on page 159 as well as other chicken ones, the next section is devoted specifically to chicken.

“Chicken: Birds of a Feather” has recipes for “Down Home Southern Fried Chicken” (pages 164-165) and “Southern Barbecued Chicken” (pages 166-167) among others. Not just traditional dishes, but things like “Chicken Parmesan” (page 170) and “Chicken Cordon Bleu” (pages 174-175) are also included here.

“Beef: Mighty Meaty” comes next and opens with “Sage and Rosemary-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin” on page 178-179. Among other choices, there is “Meatloaf with Mashed Potato Topping” (pages 182-183) “Chicken-Fried Steak with Country Gravy” (page 184), “Beef Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles” (page 190) and “Sloppy Joes” (page 194).

“Seafood: Jump Right in” follows beef and features a lot of variety. “Fried Calamari with Marinara Sauce” (page 198) and “Herb-Encrusted Tilapia” (page 199) are just two choices here.  “Crab Cakes” (page 206-207) and “Shrimp Po’boy” (page 208) are also here.

Maybe what really you want is a “Deep-Dish Apple Pie.” You can find that on page 212 along with other choices in “Desserts: Sweet, Sweet Gratification.”  Along with several pie variations that are also recipes for “Burnzie’s Coconut Layer Cake” (pages 218-219), “Peach Cobbler” (pages 232-233) and “Bananas Foster Bread Pudding on page 240.  The only dessert that really truly matters is chocolate cake. That is represented here with “Flourless Chocolate Cake” on page 225 for those who need gluten free and “Three-Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting” (pages 226-227) which includes coffee as a secret ingredient.

The 260 book closes with a two-page acknowledgement and a ten page index.

While lacking in nutritional information this 254 page book is a gastronomical treat.  In The Kitchen With David: QVC’S Resident Foodie Presents Comfort Foods That Take You Home is aimed at kitchen cooks everywhere who do amazing things with regular stuff from the grocery store. This is a cookbook designed to use ingredients you should be able to easily get, no matter where you live, so that you can have fun cooking in the kitchen. With 150 recipes you should be able to find something that works no matter the number of guests or the situations.

In The Kitchen With David: QVC’S Resident Foodie Presents Comfort Foods That Take You Home  

David Venable

Ballantine Books (Random House)

http://www.ballantinebooks.com

October 2012

ISBN# 978-0-345-53628-0

Hardback (e-book available)

272 Pages

$30.00

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012