Book Review of Daggerspell, by Katharine Kerr

Well what a disappointment… I guess the phrase "you can't judge a book by it's cover" is true. It was worth a shot though, and I'll admit I almost didn't make it through this book by Katharine Kerr. I wish I knew what other people saw in it, because I certainly didn't see the same thing. For a novel with almost a full 5 stars on Goodreads I expected something great. I don't know if anyone else has read this, if you have I'd love to hear your thoughts - just shout out in the comment section!

Daggerspell
by
Katharine Kerr

Daggerspell

By

Katharine Kerr

     Katharine Kerr is someone I remember almost reading when I was a younger child, but for some reason I never seemed to pick up any of her novels. I think at the time I was to young to truly understand some of what the books were about, and in this novel Kerr had a very interesting synopsis.      

Daggerspell is a unique phenomenon of a young lord named Nevyn trying to right the wrong caused 400 years past between two lovers as they reincarnate each lifetime. In addition to his quest to fix the order of life, the present day reincarnated lovers must battle a dark magic. In the beginning I was beginning to love this book, however for me Kerr did a poor job uniting the past with the present. It became exceptionally glaring for some of the   character interactions for me.     

Those characters were Nevyn, Jill, Cullyn, and Rhodry. It’s hard for me to explain some of the characters as they predominately demonstrated their past souls as well as their current souls. The most steadfast character of all was Nevyn who doesn’t change through the years because of his mastery of magic casting. Jill was endearing to me through most of the novel because of her steadfast character, of all the characters she was the one whose soul didn’t keep flip-flopping. Jill’s father Cullyn was a rarity in what I would’ve expected in a mercenary, and it made it easier to handle when Kerr finally clued us in to who he was in a past life. Rhodry annoyed me, plain and simple. For as much of a ‘good’ lord as he was supposed to be, almost all of his behavior until the end seemed brash and stupid. Then again, maybe I’m just biased.       

I’m starting to become depressed in these book choices I’ve been making, and maybe it’s because I’m trying too hard to branch out towards different books. I just found Kerr to  be confusing, and lacking direction when she wrote this novel. At one point the book seemed like it was going to redeem itself, but that’s when Kerr threw in a war after a quick skirmish and one mention of possible unrest. In my experience of reading fantasy novels I’ve never had an author just bring about war and not delve into the cause in depth beforehand.      

Lastly I would’ve loved more of a cohesive time jumping sequence than the one in which Kerr gave Daggerspell. It makes it confusing when one jumps from the present to earliest past, to present, to later past, and again. I wouldn’t have been so disappointed with that had I understood the importance of one time jump - which I didn’t. Daggerspell left me tired, bored, and repulsed in some chapters.       

I most likely will not be giving the rest of Katharine Kerr’s books in this series a chance. I don’t know if I’ll be reaching towards another of her books again, or at least for awhile. I’m one of the few that does not love Daggerspell and you never know until you try a book at least once. If you want to judge this novel by the average rating feel free, I did - and I was severely disappointed.  

 My Rating: 1.75 out of 5 Stars.

There's nothing worse then dreading picking up a book, and unfortunately that's the taste left in my mouth after reading Daggerspell. 

Luckily I'm reading something truly charming (at least to me) for the next month. Needless to say it was picked because my future Father-In-Law wants some homemade Chinese food. Not to mention homemade Chinese food is just simply amazing anyway. 

See you all tomorrow!

Slow-Cooked Barbecue Ribs

 I've been on an extreme cooking binge lately, and I think it's because I'm just so happy that I want to push food onto Ricky. He definitely deserves some of his favorite meals! The reason why I'm posting this one so late is because I wanted it to be done in time for Ricky and I to eat together once he got home from "Bro-Night"!

It's actually quite fitting too since the men in Daggerspell were involved in a random war. Usually that means they feast quite extensively on pork or some such, and well I assumed some pork ribs would be lovely tonight. It's a little different, and I'll post this as a warning - you're not going to want to wait when you smell these cooking… Honestly I almost went to war with myself on wanting to sample these before they were done. I think I beat my own father's rib recipe. (Yeah Papa I said it!)

So slow cook these little babies be it a "Bro-Night" or a "Girl-Night"!

Slow-Cooked Barbecue Ribs

• Rack of Ribs (1 Pound)
• Onion (Quartered)
• Spicy Mustard (4 Tablespoons)
• Montreal Steak Seasoning (4 Tablespoons)
• Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce (1 Bottle - Don't Be Cheap!)
• Whiskey (1/2 Cup)
• Water (1 Cup)

Instructions

• Remove the Ribs from the package and trim any of the fat. Don't forget to also trim the membrane on the back of the ribs. (AKA 'Silver Skin'.) Depending on the size of your Dutch Oven you may have to split the rack of Ribs in half. (Or 1/3's.)
• Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a dutch oven place the Onions on the bottom, pour the Water in and add 1/3 of the Sweet Baby Rays.
• Rub the rack of Ribs with the Mustard, and then sprinkle generously with the Montreal Steak Seasoning on all sides. Lay down into the Dutch Oven, and pour the remaining Sweet Baby Rays onto the Ribs.
• Don't forget to drizzle Whiskey onto the Ribs as well, and pop into the oven.

• Bake for 2 hours or until the Ribs are throughly cooked.

Half Way Cooked

• Plate and Enjoy!

These ribs were so tantalizing just cooking in the oven, and I was afraid of a let down once I finally got to eat them. I was definitely not disappointed - these were probably the best I've had in quite some time. 

I highly suggest enjoying these some night, and trust me the meat will fall right off the bone.

This was my last recipe for Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr, and I'll miss the cooking from it - not much else though. Look for my review tomorrow! Night ya'll!

Parmesan and Herb Focaccia

You know those moments where you almost wish you could've done something earlier, and almost had? I almost made this focaccia a lot earlier in the day - instead I waited for it to come hot out of the oven for when Ricky got home. I'm so glad I didn't make it earlier! Now Focaccia will always have a brand new meaning for me, and it's all cause he popped the question! (I said yes!) 

I'm not sure if every Parmesan and Herb Focaccia baked will get a marriage popping question for you, but you can always make this for when you want to be married to a savory and delicious bread!

Parmesan and Herb Focaccia

• Flour (2 3/4 Cups)
• Salt (1 Teaspoon)
• Sugar (1 Teaspoon)
• Active Dry Yeast (1 Tablespoon)
• Garlic Powder (1 Teaspoon)
• Oregano (1 Teaspoon)
• Thyme (1 Teaspoon)
• Basil (1 Teaspoon)
• Black Pepper (1/2 Teaspoon)
• Vegetable Oil (1 Tablespoon)
• Water (Hot, 1 Cup)
• Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons)
• Parmesan Cheese (1/2 Cup)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
• In a large bowl mix together the Flour, Salt, Sugar, Yeast, Garlic, Oregano, Thyme, and Pepper. Add in the Vegetable Oil and Water, mixing well, and then kneading into a well-formed dough ball.
• In a separate bowl, spread half of the Olive Oil around the bottom, place the formed dough ball into the bowl and cover with a damp paper bowl for 20 minutes.
• In a greased 8inX8in pan spread the dough into it. It should be around 1/2 inch thick. Spread the remaining Olive Oil on top of the bread, and sprinkle with the Parmesan Cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. 
• Enjoy warm with some cheese and wine!

There's a lot more I could say, but hey I think ya'll will understand why I don't. See you again on Tuesday! 

Hearty Ham Casserole

What do you do with a hunk of leftover ham? Put it in a hearty, cheesy, and delicious casserole! The best part of this was being able to cook with my best friend Erica! Normally I only am cooking for myself and Ricky, so it's always nice to have someone else over for my Cook and Books recipes. (Not to mention girl nights no matter how old you are, are simply much needed.)

I think this would've been a simple meal, but a hearty one for only the nobility in Daggerspell but hey, I guess that makes us kings everyday here to be able to eat this. I think it's fitting though having been able to utilize some leftover ham (let us not waste), and other ingredients I had. Except for having to make Erica bring me to go get milk. Ooops!

Hearty Ham Casserole

• Ham (2 Cups, Finely Diced)
• Potatoes (2 Cups, Chopped)
• Corn (1 1/2 Cups)
• Onion (Finely Chopped)
• Butter (1/4 Cup)
• Flour (1/3 Cup)
• Milk (1 3/4 Cups)
• Cheddar Cheese (2 Cups)
• Salt (To Taste)
• Pepper (To Taste)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large pot, boil the Potatoes until cooked, but not too tender. Drain, and put into a bowl.
• Mix into the bowl the Ham, and Corn. Slightly mash the Potatoes but not so they're completely smooth. (You still want some chunks.) Set aside.
• In a sauce pan saute together the Onion and Butter. Once the onions have sautéed for approximately 10 minutes you can add in the Flour. Mix together until smooth, and slowly pour in the Milk.
• Bring that mixture to a slight boil, as it will thicken up slowly - pour into the bowl of set aside Ham, Potato, and Corn mix. Mix together well, and season with Salt and Pepper.
• Put this mix into a large casserole dish, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the Cheddar Cheese on top, and bake this uncovered for 5 minutes. 
• Plate and Enjoy!

I know it doesn't look very appetizing, but Erica and I went for seconds. It was a great use of some of my leftover Brown-Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham, and also a way to enjoy some of my casserole dishes that I never get to use. Plus girl nights never involve healthy salads - they involve yummy hearty food!

I just put my oven into self-cleaning mode for the rest of the evening - which means I need to make something awesome to dirty it up again come Sunday! So I hope I'll see ya'll then! 

Maple-Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham

My Parent's Kitchen!

Tonight for Christmas Eve-Eve I made a Maple-Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham.

The best part about this was how easy it is to make, and it still tied perfectly into my book Daggerspell. I tried to make the glaze as basic as possible, and I also wanted to use ingredients that would have been privy to that time frame. (Or as close to as possible.)

I know my Aunt said my Mom should have a 'Plan B' for tonights main dish, but I succeeded with cooking my first Ham! So I'll say this - next time you're in town I'm thrown' a lobster bake!

Maple Brown Sugar Spiral Ham

• Spiral Ham (10 Pounds)*
• Water (3/4 Cups)
• Maple Syrup (100% Pure, 1/2 Cup)
• Brown Sugar (1/2 Cup)
• Stone Ground Mustard (2 Tablespoons)
• Nutmeg (1/2 Teaspoon)
• Cinnamon (1/2 Teaspoon)

*If you don't want to cook a 10 pound ham, just calculate for time - each pound is 15 minutes of cooking time. 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 Degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Place Ham into a roasting pan, and pour the Water over the ham. 

• Cover with tin foil, and place in oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes. 
• In a small sauce pan mix together the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, and turn off the heat.
• Turn the oven up to 400 Degrees Fahrenheit.

• Remove the Ham from the oven, remove the foil, and pour the sauce over the Ham. Return to the oven and bake for a remaining 20 minutes. 

• Plate and Enjoy!

This ham was simply amazing, you could taste the underlying mustard in the glaze which helped off set the sweetness. I doubt that this dish would've been as well put together in medieval fantasy settings, but roast a pig over a spit and drizzle this glaze over it and I guess it would qualify! 

Anyone that still wants to make a delicious and easy Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner, then really try out this ham. It goes wonderfully with some sweet potatoes glazed in maple syrup, or even (had we made some) green bean casserole!

I'll see everyone again on Friday after the holidays! Enjoy!

Three Cheese Filled Muffins

I made these breakfast muffins tonight as a late night snack, but also because they'll be great and easy to reheat in the morning. I'm all about that in the morning!
I can picture any of the characters from Daggerspell opening up a saddlebag and eating one of these on the road - easy, portable, and savory as hell.

I wish I had a picture of the center of these breakfast muffins, but I ate it all before I got the chance to… Oops!

Three Cheese Filled Muffins

I made these as a half batch, so these should yield around 3 texas muffins, or 6 regular muffins. 

Muffin Mix

• Flour (3/4 Cups)
• Baking Powder (1/2 Tablespoon)
• Egg (1 - Part of Whites Reserved)
• Butter (3 Tablespoons, Melted)
• Milk (1/2 Cup)

Three Cheese Filling

• Ricotta Cheese (2 Tablespoons)
• Cheddar Cheese (1/2 Tablespoon)
• Parmesan Cheese (1/2 Tablespoons)
• Reserved Egg Whites
• Salt (To Taste)
• Pepper (To Taste)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix together the muffin mix.
• In a smaller bowl mix together the three cheese filling. 
• In a muffin tin (I used a texas toast muffin tin) place as many cupcake liners as you think you can fill (I like the easy work!)
• Fill the liners half way with the muffin mix, and put a healthy dollop into the middle of the mixture. 
• Use the remaining mix to top off the muffins, and bake for 20-25 minutes.

These little muffins are simply delicious, and would be absolutely amazing with some strawberry jam in the morning. They are best eaten warmed up in a toaster oven or microwave as it helps melt the cheese inside again. (Delicious!)

So make these for a Sunday morning brunch, or even the night before a crappy Monday work day. I hope you all are getting prepped and excited for the holidays! I certainly am! I also have a big surprise for ya'll on Tuesday - something you could make for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Dinner! Stay tuned!!

Bacon and Vegetable Quinoa Stir Fry

I know many of you may read this just for the recipes, and heck maybe the book Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr isn't really relevant to you. Yet for those of you that also follow why my recipes are related to my books - this one may seem some what of a stretch. After all what does stir fry have to do with medieval times? Yet this was kind of a fun fusion dish, and that's why I used quinoa - an ancient grain.
I have no clue if any of the characters from Daggerspell would've actually eaten this, but I can at least imagine the basic ingredients being used. I especially loved how the mustard plays with this dish - it's something unexpected. (Believe me I didn't originally plan on using mustard!)
So be adventurous like Jill and Cullyn and try a fusion stir fry!

Bacon and Vegetable Quinoa Stir Fry

• Quinoa (1 Cup)
• Water (2 Cups)
• Bacon (1/2 Pound, Cut Into 1 Inch Wide Pieces)
• Red Pepper (1/2, Diced)
• Onion (1/2, Diced)
• Carrots (3, Finely Diced)
• Summer Squash (1, Chopped)
• Ginger (1 Tablespoon, Minced)
• Garlic Powder (1 Teaspoon)
• Spicy Mustard (1 1/2 Tablespoons)

Instructions

• In a small pot bring to a boil the Quinoa and 2 Cups Water, reduce heat, and simmer on low covered for 15 minutes.
• In a wok or large skillet cook the Bacon down. Carefully remove some of the grease, but keep a little to sauté together the remaining ingredients.
• Once the vegetables have been cooked to al dente add in the Quinoa. Finish the dish by frying together for around 5 minutes - adding a little more water if necessary.
• Plate and Enjoy!

This was a really yummy, and awesome little surprise of a dish. I loved how well the mustard actually played out with the other ingredients. It worked really well with the bacon too. Let me know how you guys feel about this type of dish, and I can say don't doubt the mustard! Sometimes one of the fun things about cooking round here at my house is realizing it's never going to go as planned. It also tends to happen when you go grocery shopping and just wing it on recipes. I guess that's what makes cooking an adventure - albeit less dangerous than those in Daggerspell!

Savory Beef Jerky

In my last post I mentioned how Jill and Cullyn have been on the road as of late, and that's when I mentioned how in those times it consisted of bread and jerky. Well I've never made beef jerky, and I really wanted to give it a shot. I was never much a fan of beef jerky until this year, and it was all because of some local homemade jerky I tried from the Fryeburg Fair with Ricky.

One thing I hate sometimes about recipes is that the majority of people that write about them have state of the art equipment to use - like dehydrators. Rejoice though! I used just my basic oven, and honestly these beef jerky strips came out so wonderfully.

Savory Beef Jerky

• Flank Steak (1 to 2 Pounds, the Leaner the Better)
• Worcestershire Sauce (1 Cup)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (1/2 Cup)
• Water (1/2 Cup - Add More if Needed)
• Garlic Salt (2 Tablespoons)
• Onion Powder (2 Teaspoons)
• Red Pepper Flakes (2 Teaspoons)
• Honey (2 Teaspoons)
• Salt (A Pinch)
• Pepper (A Pinch)

Instructions

• Place the Flank Steak in the freezer until it's easier to cut, but not frozen all the way through. Remove and slice with the grain around 1/8 inch thick. Place in a large ziplock bag and set aside.
• Mix together the remaining ingredients to make the Marinade. 

Marinade

• Carefully pour this Marinade into the large ziplock bag with the cut Flank Steak. Seal, bag again, seal, and shake generously. Marinate this for at least 12 hours in your fridge. 24 hours is preferable.
• Prior to cooking, remove the bottom rack from your oven, and line completely with tin foil. Place this in the middle of your oven. Trust me, you don't want to scrape dried and burnt marinade off your oven bottom…

Completely Lined in Tin Foil

• Take the top rack, and lay over your sink. (Trust me…)
• Preheat the oven to 150 - 170 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• Carefully lay your marinated Flank Steak cuts over the rack. If there are a few smaller pieces that won't fit on the rack you'll have to fix a small amount of tin foil in a corner to fit the 'reject' pieces on top of.

• Place the rack on to the top most level in the oven, and leave a can in the door to let air flow help dry out the Beef Flank.

Like So!

• Bake the Beef Flank for 3 hours, and then carefully rotate every piece. Bake for another 3 hours.
• Enjoy!

Savory Beef Jerky

These are a labor of love, but no bagged jerky beats this stuff right here. It has just the right amount of flavor, and the perfect texture to it. These will hold up in a nice airtight bag for around a week or so - but I guarantee they'll go quicker than that.

All I can say is this - being on the road back then with this beef jerky wouldn't have been that bad!

Let me know how you guys like it! I'll see ya'll back on Friday!

Bacon and Onion Rolls

I couldn't wait to try making this type of recipe - one thing I have always loved about fantasy books are the days of travel. I have not been disappointed. In Daggerspell Jill has been reunited with her father Cullyn, most of their days have been spent on the road traveling. A large part of travel in such times by horseback would've never allowed individuals to carry much in the way of food. Most of the individuals make do with bread, hard cheese, and jerky. I didn't want to just plate some bread and cheese - but I made my own take of a food built for travel. Therefore I decided to make these Bacon and Onion Rolls - it's a perfect modern version of what could be eaten on the fly. I hope you like it!

Bacon and Onion Rolls

Dough

• Yeast (1 Teaspoon)
• All-Purpose Flour (2 Cups)
• Butter (2 Tablespoons, Melted)
• Warm Water (1/8 Cup)
• Milk (1/2 Cup)
• Egg (1)
• Sugar (2 Teaspoons)
• Salt (1 1/2 Teaspoons)

Filling

• Bacon (1/2 Pound)
• Onion (1, Finely Chopped)
• Egg (1, Just the Whites)

Instructions

• In a small bowl mix together the Yeast and Warm Water, let this stand for 10 minutes or until activated.
• Meanwhile mix together the remaining dry ingredients from the dough set. Add in the Yeast mix once it's been 10 minutes, and mix in the remaining wet ingredients from the dough set.
• Grease a medium sized bowl and put the mixed Dough into it. Cover with saran wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. 
• Cook the Bacon in a large skillet, and put aside. In the same pan sauté the Onion until translucent. Set aside.
• Once the Bacon has cooled, crumble, and mix in with the Onions. Add the Egg Whites, and blend well. Set aside.
• Take the Dough and roll out onto a floured surface into a 9 inch by 6 inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough - leaving an inch around the edges. Slowly roll into a log shape, and cut out inch sized rolls. 
• Place into a greased pan, this recipe should yield nine rolls. (Trim any excess dough out.)
• Let sit for a half hour - this enable the rolls to raise a little more, and preheat the oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bake for 40 - 60 minutes covered in tin foil. 
• Plate and Enjoy! 

Fresh out of the oven!

Heavenly Paired with Marinara

Sorry this was posted so late, once I got wrapped up into these rolls, I wasn't aware how much time it was actually going to take to make. I honestly wasn't really planning well for this evenings time constraints! I'm glad I waited and still made these though - because they are absolutely scrumptious! They're a perfect savory treat - and they kind of remind me of Cinnamon Rolls - just not sweet!

I have something fun I've been wanting to make for Tuesday, and it's kind of tied to the traveling aspect again of Daggerspell right now. So I hope you all join me for that!

Simple Beef Stew

I originally was going to cook this stew yesterday, until our Christmas Party went from ending at 7:00pm to 2:00am… Needless to say I was in no means capable of cooking anything, let alone even a simple beef stew.

It's actually ironic because this stew is inspired by the tavern that Jill grew up in from Daggerspell - who knew I would've been too inebriated to cook it on Friday. Whoops!

Therefore I'm making it for this Saturday instead of yesterday like I was supposed to!

Simple Beef Stew

• Vegetable Oil (2 Tablespoons)
• Stew Beef (1 1/2 Pounds)
• Carrots (3, Finely Chopped)
• Celery Stalks (3, Chopped)
• Medium Onion (1, Sliced)
• Garlic Clove (1, Peeled)
• Water (1 1/2 Cups, and then 1/4 Cup Reserved)
• Worcestershire Sauce (1 Tablespoon)
• Bay Leaves (1 Tablespoon)
• Salt (1 Teaspoon)
• Pepper (1 Teaspoon)
• Paprika (1/2 Teaspoon)
• Cloves (2)
• Corn Starch (2 Tablespoons)

Instructions

• In a large sauce pan heat the Vegetable Oil, and brown the Beef on all sides.
• Add in 1 1/2 Cups Water, Garlic, Onions, Worcestershire Sauce, Bay Leaves, Salt, Pepper, Paprika, and Cloves.
• Simmer this mix for approximately one hour. Remove the Cloves, and throw out. 
• Add in the Carrots, and Celery. Cook for another 30 minutes.
• Take out around one cup of broth and set aside. In the meantime mix together the Corn Starch and 1/4 Cup Water that we had reserved, mix in the hot broth - stirring well.
• Pout this mix back into the stew, and bring to a boil.
• Plate and Enjoy!

This soup was reminiscent of something you could order at a local tavern, and I think between myself and Ricky we could've eaten three bowls in one sitting. Less really is more, and I think my favorite recipes have always been the ones where there are fewer ingredients. 

Does anyone want to tell me their favorite soup or stew that they've enjoyed at a local bar? I know my mom would always say a French Onion soup, and I know I'd always choose a Corn Chowder. (Yum yum!)

Tomorrow I'll be back with another recipe from Daggerspell!

Book Intro: Daggerspell, by Katharine Kerr

I most definitely wanted to pick a fantasy, I also wanted to pick a book by it's cover. Therefore I ended up with Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr. I have no idea what I'll think of this book, but I figured - hey I like that cover!
I'm not sure how I'll be cooking for this book yet, and I have yet to read some as I was just taking a Knife Skills class tonight at Kitchen and Cork in Scarborough. (Amazing class by the way!)

So tune in tomorrow for a mystery dish from Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr!

"Even as a young girl,  Jill was a favorite of the magical, mysterious  Wildfolk, who appeared to her from their invisible  realm. Little did she know her extraordinary  friends represented but a glimpse of a forgotten past  and a fateful future. Four hundred years-and many  lifetimes-ago, one selfish young lord caused the  death of two innocent lovers. Then and there he  vowed never to rest until he'd rightened that  wrong-and laid the foundation for the lives of Jill  and all those whom she would hold dear: her  father, the mercenary soldier Cullyn; the exiled  berserker Rhodry Maelwaedd; and the ancient and  powerful herbman Nevyn, all bound in a struggle against  darkness. . . and a quest to fulfill the  destinies determined centuries ago. Here in this newly  revised edition comes the incredible novel that  began one of the best-loved fantasy seers in recent  years--a tale of bold adventure and timeless  love, perilous battle and pure magic. For  long-standing fans of Deverry and those who have yet to  experience this exciting series,  Daggerspell is a rare and special treat."