Gelato

I actually have several book reviews in progress, but haven’t had the time to sit down and flesh them out (and make sure I have things right, like the characters’ names or the spelling of the author’s name, little details like that!) as I’ve been busily working on an outline/synopsis for a novel. I’ve had a story accepted for publication and the editor wants me to expand said story into a novel, hence the outline. I suck at outlining, so it was a bit of a trauma getting it written. Outlines have always made me feel hemmed in creatively and I either have a huge block towards them or lack the ability to plot without starting at chapter one and laboriously following my characters through the story. Either way, I did get a short and VERY basic outline finished and sent off. Yay me!

What, you ask, does this have to do with gelato? I just finished a cup of dark chocolate and Tahitian vanilla bean goodness before writing this post. It was on my mind, doncha know. And OH so very very very decadent and yummy… For those of you not in the know, I will quote from the Caffe Gelato website here:

Gelato is Italy’s version of ice cream, with three major differences.
First, gelato has significantly less butterfat than ice cream’s typical 18 and 26 percent. Tests conducted by Delaware’s Department of Agriculture confirmed Caffé Gelato’s vanilla and chocolate gelato both have less than 10 percent butterfat.

However, less fat does not mean less taste. With the lower butterfat content, gelato is less solidly frozen than ice cream and melts in the mouth faster.Therefore, the customer will taste gelato’s full flavor immediately.



Second, gelato has a much higher density than ice cream. Ice cream is produced by mixing cream, milk and sugar, then adding air. Manufacturers add air to ice cream because it nearly doubles the quantity of their product. But, it cuts their quality in half. No air is added to gelato. The result is a higher quality dessert with a richer, creamier taste.

Third, gelato is served slightly warmer than ice cream. While both gelato and ice cream are served well below the freezing temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, gelato is served 10 to 15 degrees warmer than ice cream. Because it is less solidly frozen, gelato’s taste is further enhanced as it melts in the mouth.

I will be reviewing a book this weekend, as well as posting on Fatal Foodies. Do check out that blog (there are five of us currently posting each week) if you’re into mysteries and food! Or just food. It’s a very droolable read! And don't forget my new blog is here! Still trying to make that switch...

Upcoming Virtual Book Signings!

My friend and fellow writer Steve Prosapio, is holding Bookdays on his blog, virtual interviews and book drawings with four writers, including myself. Steve’s blog is here. Below, in his own words, is a more comprehensive description of the events. Please stop by his blog, both on the dates mentioned and just to check it out! And yes, a free copy of MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon, will be up for grabs!

“They say that March comes in like a lion…

But I’m hereby declaring the next thirty days, “March out and buy a book” month! In support of that, I’ll be hosting virtual “book-signing” events each Wednesday this month on my blog. In fact, I’ll no longer refer to the fourth day of the week as “Wednesday” any longer. It’s now called “Bookday.”

Okay, that last part might be a bit over the top, but the “book events” will be fun.

Without further ado, here’s who will be joining us:

March 5th – Chicago, IL
Geoffrey Edwards, author of Fire Bell in the Night, a historical novel set in antebellum South Carolina that centers on the trial of a man who helped an escaping slave.

March 12th – San Francisco, CA
Dana Fredsti, author of Murder For Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon, an almost-cozy murder mystery about an acting troupe that specializes in spoofing, not sleuthing…until bodies start stacking up.
March 19th – Sienna, Italy
My review of Too Much Tuscan Sun by Dario Castagno, a memoir of a Chianti tour guide. I recently met Dario at a book signing. I’d corresponded with him from time to time since purchasing his book in 2005.

March 26th – New York, NY
Seymour Garte, author of Where We Stand: A Surprising Look at the Real State of Our Planet. This nonfiction work explores environmental topics and suggests what we can do to better care for the earth.
Stop by for any/all of these events on my blog. Interviews with the authors will be posted and some of them have agreed to stop by the blog that day to discuss their work and answer questions from the audience (aka the No Bull Gallery). You do NOT need to be registered with Live Journal to participate. You can post anonymously (hit the “anonymous” button after clicking your comment), but please make sure to put your name on the post. Books and/or gift cards will be given away on the Friday following the visits to those who participate.

Don’t miss out on your chance to “mingle” with published authors (and win free books)!

Again, these events will be held ON MY BLOG on the posted dates. I will be “replaying” the interviews, so to speak, on my gather.com home page but if you want to win prizes, come and post to the BLOG itself. “

Posting on a Saturday night...

And having a damnably hard time writing anything. I've probably used up all of my brain power today doing tax things, such as going through my files and bags and folders and drawers and finding all receipts/invoices/bills for 2006 AND 2007, separating them out and getting some order, before finally sitting down and doing a prelim run on 2006 taxes. I am happy to say that without using even half of my legitimate deductions, I am getting a hefty refund this year. I am pleased and have cracked a bottle of tasty pinot noir to celebrate the occasion.

I have a new favorite mystery author: Nadia Gordon, who writes the Sunny McCoskey series, set in Napa Valley. Well written, funny, cleverly plotted and with LOTS of food and wine descriptions, these books more than make up for the loads of crappy mysteries I've read over the last couple of years. I wish I'd found them before Murder for Hire got a publisher 'cause I would have been less depressed about all of my rejections. Something about reading the crap and not being able to get published seriously damaged my self-esteem as a writer. It's doing better now, thank you.

I also found a new Barbara Hambly fantasy last week! For those of you who like fantasy, horror, or just enjoy good writing, Barbara Hambly is an amazing writer. I've read all of her books (she has over a baker's dozen in various genres) several times and the re-reads are just as good as the first time I cracked each book. The latest is Circle of the Moon, a sequel to Sisters of the Raven, fantasy with a thread of horror running through it. Finding a new Barbara Hambly at B. Dalton's was as good as getting an Easter basket with a solid chocolate rabbit from See's in it.

My cats just knocked something off of the kitchen table. The sound it made when it landed on the tiled floor leads me to believe that the object in question was glass. Ah well... At least I get a refund!