Simple Gifts

It was a quiet November weekend here on the island and that always makes me happy. There was some sunshine but the low, calm, diffuse sun of November which I love. It was a weekend of simple gifts and quiet pastimes.

Saturday morning I spent time writing emails to those people I want to send longer letters to but don’t have time during the week. That’s a pleasant thing --- hot coffee (I found a coffee cup I always loved but had somehow worked its way to the back of the cupboard) and scrambled eggs, time to spend with far away friends. That is sweet. It kept me busy until it was time to meet Jane for lunch.

We went to the new Azorean Restaurant up the street. What a treat that was. Good, somewhat exotic food --- I had the Azorean style tuna served on a bed of greens with a light pineapple dressing, olives, an assortment of Portuguese cheeses. A good thing to linger over while talking books with a fellow author. We are both writing books --- mine fiction, hers non --- and talk about writing.

I had to go to the library. I love our local library, It is a treasure trove of wonderful things. Lately they have started lending books, lectures and other audio programs loaded onto MP3 players. You just buy the earbuds for $1 and can listen to all sorts of things. This week is there annual Food for Fines program. I had run up a bunch of fines so stopped at the market and filled a bag with non-perishable treats to donate to the food pantry in exchange for them forgiving my fines. What a deal! I came home with a bag full of audio books, which I love, and two new needlework books. Even though I rarely crochet, I brought Lily Chin’s new book of crochet designs home as well as a new book on lace knitting from Vogue. So much to knit, so little time.

Even though I’ve already read Regina McBride’s beautiful The Nature of Water and Air, when I found the audio book version of it, I had to take it out. Listening to a book is often an entirely different experience from reading it. I wanted to do some knitting and listening to audio books while knitting is a delicious pastime. So I settled in with that book read by Terry Donnelly in her soft, mellifluous Irish accent and my new alpaca vest that I am busily working on.

I love warm vests in the winter. I have a Polar Fleece one that I wear all the time but I decided I wanted a hand-knit version of it and selected Knit Picks’ Twirl, a bulky 70/30 blend of alpaca and wool, in their Fog, a soft, lovely gray color. The vest is nearing completion and I am eager to finish it because I want to wear it now that the temperatures are sinking. So knitting and listening to a story about seals and tinkers and restless women on the coast of Ireland was lovely.

Sunday I spent most of the day working on Each Angel Burns. More good coffee, more good music, unplug the phone, put a pot of soup on. Wrap up in a warm shawl and work. Wonderful. I am revising, polishing, trying to manage the revelation of story in order to intrigue the reader but not give away too much. It was good writing. It was four o’clock before I knew it. I was invited to Clare’s in the evening and needed some time to do some straightening up around here.

And then there is that soup. Italian Fish Stew is a popular dish in local restaurants. Halibut Point’s is very good, Maria’s is better. I wanted to make my own (at left) so I did. Even though this should probably go on the cookbook blog I’ll add it here. It was worth it. So here we go, a simply delicious soup for a simple weekend:

Italian Fish Stew: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy soup kettle and add 1 large onion, chopped up, and 2 red peppers, cleaned and chopped. Sauté until just tender. Add a large can of diced tomatoes in puree, plenty of chopped garlic, and a bottle of clam juice. Stir in seasonings to taste. I like a good-sized spoonful of red pepper flakes, some Italian seasoning and some extra thyme. Let this simmer until the whole house smells like heaven. Add a cup of chopped clams and a pound and a half of stew fish (this is a local specialty that is composed of the trimmings of white fish --- haddock, cod, halibut, etc. but you can use any white fish if your fish store doesn’t offer such delicacies.) Simmer until the fish is cooked through and serve with a nice red wine.

A perfect, simple treat for a perfect, simple weekend.

Thanks for reading.