Playing in the kitchen

Got new cookware and have been experimenting again.

The result went over well.
*NOTE* I rarely measure so adjust these as you like

Tortellini in beef broth

I suggest a large pan, the tortellini gets big and it all wants to float to the top when it's done.

Package of Tortellini, filling of your choice (I used 3 cheese)
2 cans of Campbell's beef consomme (or any brand you like)
3 cups or so of water
3 or 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes on oregano
pinch of dried parsley
a couple pinches of onion flakes
3 generous pinches of shredded Parmesan
3 or 4 dashes of sea salt
2 or 3 dashes of garlic powder
about 1/2 teaspoon of Greek seasoning
a couple dashes of pepper
about 1 tablespoon of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
one single serving bottle of red wine

Pour everything in the pot and begin heating the water. When it begins to steam add the tortellini and cook until desired tenderness (about 7 to 10 minutes for me)

When the pasta is done add 1 heaping tablespoon of flour to thicken the soup just a bit. To keep the flour from clumping you can put it in a cup or small bowl, add some broth to it and whisk it until it's smooth, then pour it into the pot. Stir it real well and remove from heat and let it sit for about 8 minutes give or take. This is the time to toast the garlic bread and toss a simple salad, I used herb mix and iceberg lettuce and added a few pinches of shredded Parmesan too.

Once Upon A Time In A Blog

Hi folks. This is the official first post on my blog. I hope to have regular news, book reviews, comments, and just whatever strikes me.

If you've visited my website pucasforest.com you've noticed that there's another author listed there too. Santana Smith is a friend and fellow Phaze and Mojocastle author that I'm letting borrow space on my site until he finds a few minutes to get his site working right. He's busy getting over a bad cold caught when he stayed out all night in the local cemetery photographing ghosts.

Anyway, we both have stories coming out this summer. Viva Las Vegas (which I wrote Santana into as a secondary character) will be out from Mojocastle Press soon. Santana's short story Best Friend's Mom is included in the 39 and Still Holding Him anthology from Robin Slick and Phaze. His book Dark Fire will be out soon from Mojocastle Press. Puca will be going to print soon as well. In the works is a collaboration between me and Santana as well as books we're writing on our own. And Santana has a free story called Sanity that will be available from Mojocastle when his book is released, believe me it has a twist you'll never see coming.

I'll be posting reviews for several books in the next few days.