Makes 2–2½ cups
1 medium cucumber
2–2½ cups plain yogurt
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper or red chili powder to taste
Peel and chop cucumber. In a medium bowl, lightly beat yogurt with salt to taste, and pepper or chili powder to taste. Fold in the cucumber. Serve on the side with the parathas.
PANCHAALI'S EGGPLANT BHARTA
Makes 4 servings
Panchaali, the main character in my novel The Palace of Illusions, is given a test by her mother-in-law soon after her marriage. She is asked to cook an eggplant (brinjal) without any oil or spices. Panchaali, who has been trained by a sorceress, is able to conjure up the necessary ingredients, but I've included a list of spices for those of us who might lack such special skills.
Note: Garam masala is a ground mix of spices such as cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and clove and can be purchased at an Indian grocery.
Wear plastic or rubber gloves while handling chiles to protect your skin from the oil in them. Avoid direct contact with your eyes and wash your hands thoroughly after handling.
1 large eggplant
Approximately ½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 ½-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon chopped serrano or jalapeño chile (less if you don't want it spicy; more if you want an added zing) (see note)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala (see note)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
Hot rice or roti (rolled bread similar to tortillas), for serving
1 Chop eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and toss. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2 In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, chile, coriander, cumin and garam masala, and sauté until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, and sauté until well-cooked, about 5–10 minutes.
3 Add the cubed eggplant. Cover pan and simmer until eggplant is fully cooked, 10–20 minutes. As the eggplant softens, remove cover, turn heat to low and cook until any liquid dries up (it should not be watery when finished). Mash the entire mix together (it should be fairly thick).
4 Serve with hot rice or roti.
A SISTER OF MY HEART SPECIAL: PAYESH (BENGALI RICE PUDDING)
Makes 4–6 servings
When Anju and Sudha, the cousins who are the protagonists in my novel Sister of My Heart, are little girls, their aunt, Pishi, cooks several special desserts for them. This one, payesh, is very traditional in Bengal, the part of India where I come from and where Sister of My Heart is set. It is also a dish that my mother was famous for. But whereas hers used to take a half-day to make, I've given you a shortcut recipe.
Note: The payesh consistency should be fairly thick, and it may take a little longer than indicated to achieve this thickness. Keep in mind that the payesh also thickens as it cools. The almonds in the payesh give it a crunchy texture.
3 cups half-and-half (nonfat or whole)
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup basmati rice, washed
1 2–2½ inch stick cinnamon
¾–1 cup granulated sugar or brown sugar, according to your taste
½ cup raisins
½ cup blanched almonds
Rose petals (if desired)
1 In a heavy bottomed pot, bring half-and-half and milk to a boil over high heat.
2 Add rice and cinnamon stick. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often to prevent sticking, until rice is soft and milk thickened, 20–30 minutes.
3 Add sugar, raisins, and almonds. Cook on low heat another 15–20 minutes until the mixture is thick (see note). Remove cinnamon stick.
4 Payesh can be eaten warm or chilled. Sometimes we sprinkle rose petals on the chilled version just before serving. If refrigerated, it keeps for 5–6 days.
Heidi Durrow
Timothi Jane Graham
SELECTED WOEKS
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky (2010)
Inspiration I was inspired to write The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by a newspaper article I read around fifteen years ago about a girl who survived a terrible accident that killed her family. I became obsessed with the girl: what would her survival look like? How would she grow up with her grief? The Girl Who Fell From the Sky was my attempt to give that girl a voice and a future.
Readers Should Know Nothing inspires me to write more than my morning coffee, which I drink with a bendy straw. I write first thing in the morning in longhand in my Moleskine journal. It's raw, wild writing; no rules or forms. It's the only time I'm not afraid of the blank page.
Readers Frequently Ask People often ask me whether the story of Rachel, my young, biracial, and bicultural character in The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, is autobiographical. And the answer is yes and no. What happens to Rachel did not happen to me, but the emotional center of her struggle is something that I can relate to.
Poetic Influence I have a lot of favorite writers, but I turn to poetry when I am looking for inspiration. It helps attune me to language in a different way. Some of my favorites are William Stafford, Audre Lorde, Mary Oliver, Sharon Olds, and Shakespeare's sonnets.
HEIDI'S MORNING FRANSKBRøD (WHITE BREAD)
Makes 1 loaf
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is the story of Rachel, a young biracial/bicultural girl who survives a tragedy in which her family dies. Rachel is half-black and half-Danish and ends up living with her strict African-American grandmother in Portland, Oregon. In the early chapters, Rachel is struck by the fact that the bread she loves — the bread that her mother used to make — isn't anywhere to be found in her new community. Wonder Bread bought from the Wonder Bread Factory is the staple in her new neighborhood. Like Rachel, I missed hearty Danish breads when we moved to the United States from overseas. This recipe is my mother's homemade bread, and it takes me “home” every time I make it.
My favorite way to eat this bread is with a little butter, a slice of Danish Havarti cheese with caraway seeds, and a good cup of coffee. This is possibly my favorite meal of all time. Also, try it with a good jam or the Danish way with butter and a dark chocolate wafer. This is something I've only ever seen in Denmark, so I buy a few packs of wafers each time I get back.
Note: This bread can be hand stirred; just use clean hands as a tool. Brush the dough with egg for a shiny crust or coffee for a deep golden brown crust.
1 1/3 cups warm water (105–115°F.)
1 ¼-ounce packet active dry yeast
½ teaspoon sugar
3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed
¾ teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil, for greasing bowl
1 lightly beaten egg, or 1 tablespoon egg substitute or cold coffee (see note)
1 Measure water, yeast, sugar, flour, and salt into large bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Start mixing at low setting; when all dry ingredients are moist increase speed to medium high. Mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Switch to dough hook and mix at low speed for 10 minutes. Dough should form a smooth lump. If dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough no longer sticks to bottom or sides of bowl.
2 Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface, and knead for about 1 minute.
3 Lightly grease a medium bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, and turn over to coat the top. Cover bowl with moist dish towel or plastic wrap sprayed on the inside with cooking spray or rubbed with oil. Put in warm place and let dough rise until double in size, 25–30 minutes.
4 Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a 9″ × 5″ × 3″ loaf pan with cooking spray or oil.
5 Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface, and punch dough down to original size. Knead lightly and shape into a 9-inch long roll.
6 Place in loaf
pan. Cover pan with dish towel and allow dough to double in size, 25–30 minutes.
7 Brush with lightly beaten egg, egg substitute, or coffee (see note). Poke several times with fork, or slice 5–7 slits in top (no deeper than ¼ inch). Place in oven and bake 40–45 minutes. Bread is ready when golden brown, and a light tap on crust gives a knocking sound.
8 Tip loaf onto cooling rack. Wait 10–15 minutes before slicing with a very sharp bread knife. Serve and enjoy your favorite way.
MOR'S PANEKAGER (CREPES)
Makes about 12 crepes
In The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, the big special “breakfast” that Aunt Loretta makes for Rachel when she comes to live in Portland, Oregon, is pancakes, the big fluffy kind. “There is something dangerous about pancakes,” Rachel says when she notices her grand-mother watching her eat. I grew up on Danish style pancakes (or panekager). Later in life, I learned that Danish pancakes — served with applesauce and sugar in my house — were called crepes in the United States. I simply call them delicious!
Our favorite way to serve these is to slather applesauce on them (each person does their own) and either sprinkle sugar on before rolling them up, or dip the rolled crepe into sugar and then applesauce. My mother makes the applesauce from scratch generally, and she also sometimes will serve them with other jams if there's a feeling for adventure in the room! We also like savory fillings such as Chicken à la King, broccoli and cheese, seafood, and cottage cheese garnished with tomatoes and cucumber slices.
Note: My mom's favorite pan for these crepes is a 10-inch cast iron pan, but she also uses a nonstick at times. The crepes should be thin, similar to French crepes, so pour just enough batter into the pan to cover the bottom. Mor sometimes uses a gravy spoon to scoop the batter, and that's just about the right size.
FOR THE CREPES
1 cup milk (skim or 2%)
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
½ teaspoon ground cardamom or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup (1 stick) margarine or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
FILLINGS (OPTIONAL)
Applesauce
Sugar
Strawberries and whipped topping
Blueberries and whipped topping
Chunky applesauce with cinnamon
Favorite jam or jelly
1 In a large bowl, mix the milk, flour, eggs, cardamom or vanilla, and sugar vigorously by hand or with an electric mixer. Slowly stir in melted margarine or butter.
2 Heat an ungreased 10-inch crepe pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. It's hot enough when a few drops of water sprinkled onto pan disappear in a rapid dance.
3 Pour about ¼ cup of batter in the center of sizzling pan (see note). Immediately swirl pan until the entire surface is covered. Tiny bubbles will appear on top of the “almost-ready-to-be-turned-over” crepe. Another sign is that edge gets slightly curly. (If ridges form on batter while cooking, reduce heat slightly.) Flip crepe over with a spatula. Use common sense in cooking time on the other side. It is very brief, about 1 minute.
4 Serve with desired fillings.
PECAN PIE à LA DANE
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie; 8 servings
Because my mom, like my character Rachel's mom, is Danish, her signature dishes are all made from Danish recipes. But my mom also worked hard to incorporate some American foods into her repertoire. Pecan pie became one of her specialties even though it would seem quintessentially Southern and not at all Danish. This recipe is perfection and even the very Southern Grandma Doris character in The Girl Who Fell from the Sky would agree.
I am a pecan pie purist. I like vanilla ice cream beside the pie on the plate, and maybe I will wet a bite or two of the pie with the melty part of the ice cream. My mom likes ice cream on the pie.
FOR THE CRUST
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup solid vegetable shortening, chilled
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
FOR THE FILLING
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
3 large eggs
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) margarine or butter, melted
1 1/3 cups pecan halves
Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
1 To make the dough by hand: Place flour in a mixing bowl. Add shortening in small amounts. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to crumble flour and shortening together until mixture reaches the consistency of grated cheese. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolk, vinegar, and water. Pour into flour mixture. Stir lightly with a fork just until dough forms a ball. Do not overmix or pound dough. If dough is not coming together, sprinkle on additional ice water, 1–2 teaspoons at a time. To make the dough in a food processor: Pulse the flour and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk, vinegar, and ice water, and pulse again until dough begins to mass together. Add extra water, 1–2 teaspoons at a time, if the dough seems crumbly or dry.
2 Shape dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic or wax paper, and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.
3 Preheat oven to 350°F.
4 To roll the dough: Place dough on lightly floured surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll from the center outward into a circle roughly 13 inches in diameter. Carefully fold in half, then again to form a triangle. Place in an ungreased 9″ pie plate, positioning it so the point of the triangle is in the center of the pie plate. Gently unfold.
5 Trim dough to within ½ inch of edge of plate. Roll edges of dough inward, pressing lightly. To decorate, press the tines of a fork firmly into the dough rim, repeating around entire edge.
6 To make the filling: Combine the sugars, corn syrup, eggs, and margarine or butter in a food processor, or beat vigorously by hand.
7 Pour pecan halves into the unbaked pie shell. Pour filling mixture over pecans. Bake for 65–70 minutes, until edge of crust is golden brown. Filling will not be set, but will do so as it cools off.
8 Serve lukewarm or cold as desired. Filling will become firmer after refrigeration. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you wish (see note). Pie also freezes well for later use.
David Ebershoff
Edith Sanchez
SELECTED WOEKS
The 19th Wife (2008)
Pasadena (2002)
The Rose City (2001)
The Danish Girl (2000)
Inspiration Several years ago I was talking to a professor of nineteenth-century women's history. In this conversation she mentioned someone called the nineteenth wife. I said, The nineteenth what? Who was this nineteenth wife? And what kind of life did she lead? These are the questions that started me on the long, long process of writing The 19th Wife.
Readers Should Know If you're a dog person, you'll understand this. If you're not, you'll find this corny, so forgive me. My dog, Elektra, helps me write. She's ten now, and for the last decade she's always been at my feet as I've written my books. She's so present in my writing process that she worked her way into my last novel. One of the characters in The 19th Wife has a dog named Elektra who is shamelessly based on the real Elektra. To my great delight, Elektra now has fans.
Readers Frequently Ask
Q: What are you working on next?
A: Unfortunately my answer is a little lame because I don't like to talk about a book while I'm writing it. I can tell you it's a new novel set in the recent past about a family you might have heard of.
Influences on My Writing
The Brontë sisters because they revolutionized the novel and wrote books that captivated my imagination when I was young, precisely when I needed books to take me away.
E.M. Forster because his novels are both serious and ironic, often simultaneously, and because he bravely wrote gay men into literature.
Leo Tolstoy because everything
a novelist needs to know can be found in his work.
PEACHES à LA ANN ELIZA
Makes 3–4 servings
Pioneers learned to make do with what they had in nineteenth-century Utah. The high desert climate was harsh (hot in summer, frigid in winter) and the natural vegetation was scant. When I was researching The 19th Wife, I encountered many mentions of peaches in women's letters and diaries. The abundant sunshine and dry air were ideal for fruit and nut orchards, and many pioneer women had at least one or two peach trees on their property. These women proved ingenious at using all of a tree's fruit, never letting a peach go to waste. Of course, they made peach pies, jams, and preserves, but they also made peach sauce, which was used as a sauce or added to other recipes as a sweetener. I found a number of references to “peach leather,” a peach jerky made by drying peach strips in the sun. That technique isn't practical in New York City, but after I read an article about grilled desserts in Men's Health magazine, I figured grilling peaches was the next best thing.
Note: This recipe works best late in summer when peaches are at their sweetest. Soft, ripe peaches work best because their juices release more quickly and caramelize better. I leave the pit in, but you don't have to. In winter, when good peaches are scarce and the grill sits under a heap of snow, you can broil canned peaches in your oven.
A good summer peach should be sweet enough to serve by itself, but some people like their grilled peaches drizzled with maple syrup.
For a more substantial dessert, serve with Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream.
FOR GRILLED FRESH PEACHES
Ripe peaches (1 per person)
Vegetable cooking spray for the grill
FOR BROILED PEACHES
1 15-ounce can sliced peaches, or 1 16-ounce bag frozen sliced peaches, thawed
Olive oil, for greasing the broiler pan
Salt for sprinkling
FOR THE TOPPINGS
Maple syrup, for serving (optional)
Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
FOR THE GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Walnuts
1 To make grilled peaches: Wash and dry the peaches, and cut them in half.
Table of Contents: From Breakfast With Anita Diamant to Dessert With James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights From Today's Bestselling Authors Page 7
