Books,

Having discovered I couldn't renew my loan of the CDs of Suzanne Collins Catching Fire, I had to listen to it solidly for about 24 hours straight, well no, I did get some sleep in between. I still had to pay a fine of 30¢ - very annoying. Not only that, I discover it is obviously not the last book and am now led to believe it is a trilogy. In fact I believe these are young adult books, but I am certainly enjoying them. The Hunger Games being the first book. Talking of books, Glenda Larke's blog today includes a picture taken in a London book store showing her Last Stormlord well displayed with her name as a shelf tag. Pretty thrilling moment I would imagine. She certainly deserves lots of success and prominence for this latest trilogy. Today I am meeting a friend for lunch so we can exchange books. Whilst vacationing in the States, she bought a copy of Elizabeth Moon's Oath of Fealty which is a Paksenarrion story. I read the first ones and very much enjoyed them, so I am looking forward to reading this one. I like Elizabeth Moon's writing and haven't been disappointed in any of her stories yet. I am lending my friend the Watergiver books, I am not sure if she has read any of Glenda's works before. I also picked up three more books and another Cat Who recording on CD yesterday, well I can't use my treadmill without something to listen to. Talking of lunch, we are meeting at a newer restaurant just down the road from where I live called The Arabesque. I have been wanting to try it for a while. I know they sell shawarmas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawarma not that I imagine theirs are quite the same as the ones in this article, the meat shown in the picture is the same idea as the Greek gyro (hero) which has become a popular sandwich over here although I have never seen one of these spits over here. Mind you I never saw one in Greece either, but I did see pictures of them, specifically in Kerkira or Corfu. The only time I saw a shawarma sandwich, some colleagues picked them up for lunch at the office and I thought they looked delicious. I will let you know how things go at the Arabesque. Coincidentally two sources emailed me fish recipes yesterday and as I rarely publish a fish dish, I thought I would do so. Both Matt and I like fish although a lot of people don't, pity they are missing a very good food. This one is for Catfish which, if you have never eaten, I can recommend, it makes a good meal. I also enjoy okra although there was a time when I wasn't too keen on it. It was OK in a stew of some kind, but then a southern friend cooked some for us, it was absolutely fresh and she did it in the microwave. It was delicious. I was sorry I had given her the rest of it. I guess this classifies as a real southern meal. Louisiana Catfish with Okra and Corn From Eating Well Purchased Cajun or Creole seasoning flavors both the catfish and vegetables in this 30-minute dinner. This dish is best with fresh vegetables, but we were pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out with frozen okra and corn. Serve with cheese grits and a green salad. 4 servings Ingredients •2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra •1 3/4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears; see Tip), or frozen •1 medium onion, diced •2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided •1 3/4 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning, divided •1 pound catfish fillets, patted dry and cut into 4 portions Preparation 1.Preheat oven to 450°F. 2.Combine okra, corn, onion, 2 teaspoons oil and 3/4 teaspoon Cajun (or Creole) seasoning in a large bowl. Spread the mixture out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring twice, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. 3.Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of catfish with the remaining 1 teaspoon Cajun (or Creole) seasoning. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add the fish and cook until just cooked through and starting to brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with the roasted vegetables. Nutrition Per serving : 288 Calories; 15 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 9 g Mono; 53 mg Cholesterol; 19 g Carbohydrates; 21 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 311 mg Sodium; 695 mg Potassium 1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat •Tip: To remove corn from the cob, stand an uncooked ear of corn on its stem end and slice the kernels off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. Have a great day