Looking for a good - and relevant read?

I’ve been reading a really great book, recommended by Bill Gates, called ‘How to Know a Person’ by David Brooks.  David is a Canadian born American book author and political/cultural commentator.  A self-described ideologic moderate.  I recommend watching the Oct 25^th interview with him.  Watch here: PBS interview with David Brooks.

He said he wrote the book in response to a real problem with people knowing how to converse and connect with others.    As a result, and certainly made worse by COVID and continued in the problems between the political parties, people are at an all time low when it comes to being able to have meaningful engagement with others. With the marked decrease in social interaction, the society is on a journey of becoming less human. And so the world we now live in much more bitter and divided with a tremendous amount social pain.

I’m about ½-way through the book and feel that this book is really an attempt to make us all better at seeing another person, making them feel seen, heard and understood. I'm looking forward to completing my journey through this book and reading more from this author.  I recommend this book as time well spent!

Haskap Berry Grunt

One of my favorite programs is on PBS and called America's Test Kitchens.  http://www.americastestkitchen.com/  I recently purchased a cookbook through them called Cook's Country (their sister site) Best Lost Suppers.  I highly recommend this book and all the contents are a wonderful exercise in comfort eating.  But, Hey!  I have more Haskaps than most country blocks so - Thanks to Cooks Country, my spin on this wonderful recipe!

Haskap Grunt

This beautiful dessert cooks on top of the stove.  It's like a beautiful dumpling that wanted to become pie! Stewed and spicy berries are topped with dollops of biscuit dough, covered, and cooked until the dumplings are done.  I like to finish my 'Grunt' off in the oven just to brown the tops of the dumplings. This is SO easy and great with vanilla ice cream.)  Serves 12

Filling:

• 8 cups fresh haskap berries

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardmom

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 Tablespoon instant tapioca

Topping

• 3/4 cup buttermilk

• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoons soda

• 1/2 teaspoon ground sugar

1) For the Filling: Cook 4 cups of the berries, sugar, water, lemon zest, cardmom and cinnamon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and jam-like (10 to 12 minutes).  Stir lemon juice, tapioca, the remaining 4 cups of berries and cook until heated through, about 1 minutes.  Cover and keep warm off the heat.

2) For the Topping: Combine the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla in a measuring cup.  Whisk the flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.  Slowly stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until a dough forms.

3) Using a small ice cream scoop or two large spoons, spoon golf ball-sized dumplings on top of the warm berry mixture (you should have about 14 dumplings).  Cook on top of the stove for 10 minutes then cover and simmer gently until the dumplings have doubled in size and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 16-22 minutes.

4) Combine the cinnamon and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl.  Uncover the pot and sprinkle the dumplings evenly with the cinnamon sugar. At this time I brown the dumplings in the oven under the broiler for a couple of minutes).  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.