Friday, March 27, 2015

Badam Burfi (Sweet Almond Confection)—from BITING THROUGH THE SKIN, by Nina Mukerjee Furstenau

Looking for a snack? Try this recipe from Biting through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America's Heartland, by Nina Mukerjee Furstenau.

Badam Burfi (Sweet Almond Confection)

Makes 20 pieces

1 cup almonds, finely ground
1/3 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons butter

Grease a 6 x 6-inch shallow pan with butter. In a medium-sized saucepan, blend the ground almonds with the milk. Add the sugar and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Place on the stove and cook and stir the almond mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons butter and continue to stir constantly until the mixture thickens and starts to leave the sides of the pan (about 6 minutes). Add the cardamom powder and remove pan from heat. Stir the mixture vigorously with a spoon for 3 minutes until it has the consistency of bread batter.Pour about 1/4 inch of the almond mixture into the prepared greased pan. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Cut into diamond shapes. Cool completely and store pieces in an airtight container, where they will last 1 week, or 2 months if refrigerated.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Events with Dan Gable and Scott Schulte, authors of A WRESTLING LIFE

Come see Dan Gable and Scott Schulte, authors of A Wrestling Life, at the following events:

Dan Gable signing A Wrestling Life in Waterloo
When: March 25, 7:00pm
Where: Barnes & Noble
Join our Facebook event!

Dan Gable signing A Wrestling Life in Davenport
When: March 27, 7:00pm
Where: Barnes & Noble
Join our Facebook event!

Dan Gable signing A Wrestling Life in Coralville
When: March 28, 7:00pm
Where: Barnes & Noble
Join our Facebook event!

Dan Gable signing A Wrestling Life in Vinton
When: March 30, 2:00pm
Where: Vinton-Shellsburg High School
Join our Facebook event!

Dan Gable signing A Wrestling Life in Cedar Rapids
When: March 31, 7:00pm
Where: Barnes & Noble
Join our Facebook event!

Dan Gable signing A Wrestling Life in Sioux City
When: April 9, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Barnes & Noble
Join our Facebook event!

Hope to see you at one of our events!

Monday, March 23, 2015

"Two Up, Two Down"—excerpt from OTHERS HAD IT WORSE

The first I can remember as a kid was living in this log cabin 4 rooms 2 up 2 down. The floors had holes in it. You could of throwed a cat through them. And upstairs where I slept with Barbara and Reva when it snowed on the bed we shook the snow off the covers when we got up. But luck was with us. We kids never seemed to be very sick.

Others Had It Worse: Sour Dock, Moonshine, and Hard Times in Davis County, Iowa, by Vetra Melrose Padget Covert and Chris D. Baker