I love books.
All sorts of books: big ones, tiny ones, new ones, old ones, fact, fiction, entertaining, teaching.
Mon mari would say I like them a bit too much, since I have enough to start my own book shop…. or two.
Today I unpacked my 'good' books.
The leather-bound hard cover books.
The books I won't let him read.
I can read a paperback 3 times without it showing the least sign of use. It could go back on the rack in the store and no one would be the wiser.
By the time mon mari gets to page 25 of a paperback it looks like it's been through the hands of an entire army division…. in the rain.
He's not touching my good, leather books unless I'm in the room to supervise.
But that's okay. For most of the leather books he might be interested in reading I have a spare copy in paperback.
For some I even have a second spare copy in cheap hardcover.
Yes, I have a problem.
I unpacked my leather books today – now that the living room is finished I have a place to put them.
It took me all day.
Because there were so many boxes?
No, only 17.
It took me all day because I had to open each and every book, flip to a favorite passage (or two) and reacquaint myself. You might say I was saying hello after an 18 month separation.
With the Rubaiyat this happened quickly (short, but exquisitely beautiful). With the Iliad or the Bible it took a bit longer.
I discovered my Atlas is 25 years out of date….. Part with it? Are you crazy??
Then, naturally, I had to sort them, alphabetize them and put them all in their proper place.
Told you I have a problem.
Now that I have found horseradish, I no longer have a problem getting my little hands on a Shrimp Cocktail.
The equivalent in Europe is made with Mary Rose sauce…. Which is very good, kind of a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise, but it doesn't have any kick.
And, like I said, now that I have found horseradish….. (I hope they continue to stock it)
Shrimp Cocktail The amount of horseradish and optional hot sauce is entirely a matter of taste.
8oz (250gr) cleaned shrimp
2 eggs, hard boiled
1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) ketchup
2 – 4 tbs prepared horseradish I used 4 or 5
1 tsp lemon juice
dash hot sauce optional
Hard boil eggs.
If necessary clean shrimp and cook in an inch of water to which 6 peppercorns and a dash of lemon have been added, for 2 – 3 minutes, just until they turn opaque and start to curl. If already cleaned and cooked just rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
Mix ketchup, lemon and 2 tbs horseradish. Taste. Add more horseradish, ketchup, hot sauce, lemon, to taste. Spoon into small bowls or cups, or directly onto plates. Slice eggs. Arrange shrimp, eggs around sauce and serve.
In
addition
to
this,
for
the
weekly menu for February 19 we have Caramelized Onion Crespèu
Baked Snapper with Lemon Mustard Sauce, Steak with Shallot Red Wine Sauce, Chicken Breasts Duxelles…
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For more recipes visit my internet cook book: Easy Gourmet Dinners.
Welcome back to your books! I shopped a boatload of books across country when I moved here, too. Silly, really, as mine are not collector’s items, unless the collector is me.
You’ve got to get hold of some horseradish root to plant in your garden! Freshly grated horseradish is so much better than jarred. The Latin name is Armoracia rusticana and googling says that the French name is raifort (and possibly “moutarde des Allemands”). Might someone at the weekly market nearby recognize it by one of those names?
I gather that horseradish is/was used in Alsacian cuisine. I know you’re relatively far from the Alsace but maybe there’s a specialty market in a larger center that would have Alsacian ingredients??
I completely understand about the books, although I’m not quite as good as you at reading paperbacks without any sign that they’ve been read. Which is why I usually decline when someone offers to lend me a book. I can’t bear the responsibility of keeping it in better condition than I received it.
And of course you can’t part with an out of date atlas!! It’s your friend! (Our atlas is hopelessly out of date too.)
should I be surprised 😀 since even for a nice shirt you could have 5 of it but in different colors (read it from a old post of yours :P) call me devil as I enjoy hearing people “problem”!
I’m so with you on the book thing. We recently had overseas visitors, one of whom picked up a brand new cookbook. It was all I could do to not snap, “put it DOWN, NOW!!!”
Zoomie, you are the most important collector of your books! Mine are just for me.
Elizabeth, I’ll look for it at the big new garden center in Bordeaux next month (our next visit). I love old atlas – I have several – such fun to look through and see how things have changed.
Gattina, You’re right…. I do like to collect things.
Neil, someone was going to look at a NEW cook book? Good self restraint. I couldn’t stand it if someone else looked through it before I had thoroughly enjoyed it.