Huge VNSA Book Sale in Phoenix this Weekend
My husband knows that for Valentine’s Day each year, I don’t want jewelry. I don’t want stupidly overpriced flowers that will be dead in a week. I don’t want a dinner out at some crowded restaurant. Nope. I want a trip to the VNSA Book Sale at the Arizona State Fairgrounds.
The VNSA Sale in 2015.
This event takes place the second weekend of February each year, and it’s GINORMOUS. One of the biggest book sales in the country. Years ago, I fought the crowds and lines to be among the first in the door on Saturday, but I have found that I much prefer Sunday. The selection is picked over, yes, but the crowds are fewer AND most of the books are half off.
If you’re in the Phoenix area, check out the sale website for info. The event itself is free, but you have to pay to park. Also, be sure to bring your own hand cart or a sturdy tote bag. Shopping carts are few and always in use.
Note that I’m not actually affiliated with the sale in any way. I’m just a hardcore reader who loves to share the joy with other hardcore readers. If you go, I wish you all the best in your treasure hunt!
#SFWAPro
Read MoreBready or Not: Japanese Milk Bread Rolls
This recipe for Hokkaido-style milk bread rolls makes 8 delicious soft, airy, amazing rolls.
I couldn’t help but be intrigued when I saw this recipe featured in a King Arthur Flour catalog. It relates to the cultural fusion that plays a major role in my latest book, Breath of Earth.
See, yeast breads in Japan were a real life kind of steampunk innovation. European bakeries began to open in major Japanese cities in the 1800s, but they didn’t become more popular until later in the century when bakers began to fuse more Japanese flavors like adzuki paste into rolls. These kinds of sweet bread (kashi-pan) play a small yet vital role in my next book, Call of Fire.
This particular roll isn’t sweet unless you add some jam on your own. These are more of a combination between a standard dinner roll and an egg-based bread like challah.
I usually don’t make breads that involve a pre-ferment stage, but I was pleased with how easy this was to make. I had the dough mix and rise in my bread machine, but you can mix this by whatever method you choose.
This is modified from the recipe at King Arthur Flour. They note there that this can also be made in loaf form. I also have my own recipe for doing a full loaf of Japanese-style Milk Bread (Shokupan). This is my usual load bread that I make about twice a week.
I can tell you, my husband wouldn’t mind if I made these rolls a lot more frequently as well.
Bready or Not: Japanese Milk Bread Rolls
Ingredients
Tangzhong (starter)
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 3 Tablespoons whole milk or half & half
- 2 Tablespoons bread flour
Dough
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 2 Tablespoons nonfat dry milk
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
- 1/2 cup whole milk or half & half
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter 4 Tablespoons, melted
- 1 egg optional, or extra milk to use as a wash
Instructions
To make the tangzhong:
- Combine the starter ingredients in a small saucepan on low heat. Whisk until no lumps remain and continue to beat until it's thick and the whisk leaves no lines across the bottom of the pan; this takes 3 to 5 minutes. Pour it into a cup and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
To make the dough:
- Combine the remaining dough ingredients and add the tangzhong. Continue to knead by hand, mixer, or bread machine until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Add more milk or flour if necessary to achieve the right texture.
- Shape the dough into a ball and set it in a lightly greased covered bowl for about 60 to 90 minutes. It should be puffy, not necessarily doubled in size.
- Prepare a small cake pan by lining the bottom with a cut round of parchment paper. Use nonstick spray on the base of the pan so the parchment stays in place, then spray the top of the paper and the sides of the pan.
- Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place them in the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and let the rolls rest for 30 minutes to an hour; keep an eye on them in case they rise fast!
- Preheat the oven at 350-degrees. Gently brush the rolls with milk or an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water).
- Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are golden brown on top. To check for doneness, use a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the middle roll to see if it is at least 190°F. If the rolls must cook longer, cover them with foil if they are very brown.
- Remove rolls from the oven. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
- OM NOM NOM!
Read More
Breath of Earth on the Locus List!
Huh. Breath of Earth made the 2016 Recommended Reading List at Locus in the Fantasy category. How about that?!
This is the time of year when initial nominations are due soon for some major genre awards. The Nebula deadline is February 15th. I do hope folks keep Breath of Earth in mind. It’s available for sale at all the usual places and is also found in many libraries worldwide.
I’m also asking readers to consider my story “The Souls of Horses” from Clockwork Phoenix 5–which also made the Locus list under anthologies! Ellen Datlow recommended my story on Twitter and it was also called out in a starred Publishers Weekly review of the anthology. The story can be read for free in its entirety online. If you’re a SFWA member, the PDF is available for download in the forums; look in the 2016 short stories section. Actually, take a look in the novel section, too. You might find some pleasant surprises.
#SFWAPro
Read More
Sunday Quote thinks there’s some sports thing today?
Read More“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
~Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
Bready or Not: Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread
Almost exactly a year ago, I shared my recipe for Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread. Now I’m sharing a slight twist: Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread!
If you have oranges growing or catch a good deal at the store, use them for this shortbread! You could also use Clementines or other citrus; I’m not sure how many you’d need, but you want almost 1/2 cup of juice.
One of the wonderful things about this shortbread–like its predecessor–is that it’s fantastic to pack and ship or bring on trips. These cookies are firm and durable while still soft to eat, and they keep for at least a week.
These cookies have the signature buttery-soft texture of shortbread complemented by the slight grit of cornmeal. The orange in these cookies makes them milder than the all-lemon version. If you have orange extract, use that as well!
Not only are these cookies delicious, but they look pretty, too.
Bready or Not: Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter 3 sticks, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 oranges zested and juiced
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract or orange extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- turbinado sugar or sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply butter or nonstick spray.
- In a mixer bowl, combine the butter, sugar, orange zest, and extract. Beat until it's light and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add orange juice and stir.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, and salt. Slowly mix into the wet ingredients until it is just mixed. Dump the dough into the ready pan and use an uneven spatula to even it out.
- Use a knife to score the bars, gently cutting through to establish where it will be sliced again after baking. The dough is very sticky; wipe the blade between passes, and dab the excess back into the top. It doesn't need to look neat. Completely sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar or sparkling sugar.
- Bake until the shortbread looks dry and golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. Immediately use a knife to follow the previous lines and slice the shortbread into bars (when cool, the shortbread will likely crumble when cut). Set the whole pan on a rack to cool, eventually lifting them out by the aluminum foil to finish cooling.
- Store in sealed containers at room temperature. This citrus cornmeal shortbread is excellent for travel and shipping as it keeps well for at least six days.
- OM NOM NOM!
Read More
