2014 Reading Challenge: January

Well I wanted to wait until the end of January to see if my new-years resolutions actually panned out - and whilst my writing has hit a wall (I challenged myself to write 500 words a day - hah!) I am actually on top of my Goodreads 2014 challenge to read 50 books this year! I'm a total bibliophile, but sometimes it's hard to get myself to make time to sit down and read when there's well, the internet. I've noticed I am so much better at keeping track of things when I have some kind of public/online record so I actually got my act in gear on Jan 1st and started reading.

Here are my January books!

Airframe by Michael Crichton

I am a massive Crichton fan - how could I not be? I wanted to be a palaeontologist or hacker or hacker-palaentologist for most of my childhood because of him. I love the consistency in his stories; the attention to detail, awesome characters, believability and style. His stories are always well paced, like you're 'watching' the book which is always good for a thriller. Being an Aircrash Investigation fan this book was perfect for me, and most importantly it has corporate espionage and an awesome straight-talking female lead. Fast-paced and definitely worth a read - just not when you're flying!





Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

To be honest I haven't really got on with Austen since I was 13; whilst I appreciate her style and wit as a nice way to relax this story never really got me into it. Maybe because it never gets going. They don't get to the Abbey until 70 pages from the end of the book! But it still has some of my favourite Austen quotes and I find Charlotte to be a really lovely character. Entertaining and light, but don't expect any amazing twists.






The Trial by Franz Kafka

To be honest if I had known what this book was like before I picked it up I might have been more apprehensive about reading it. That is not to be negative because the story most certainly had an impact on me, but it takes a while to get into and sadly is unfinished so leaves one feeling a little lost. My copy also seemed to neglect paragraphs, but perhaps that is the style it is written in anyway! The story follows K who is convicted of a crime which he has no knowledge; as a law student this was an interesting commentary on human rights, but the story has so much more substance than that! Really feel like this challenged my comfort zone when it comes to books and enjoyed every minute of it.



The Iraqi Christ by Hassan Blasim

Another book which I chose to broaden my mind and challenge myself. Ironically good to read after Kafka, though unintentional as it follows a similar fantastical style of story telling. The book is a collection of short stories centring on the recent history of Iraq and the torments suffered by its citizens and refugees. It will make you think.

Merry Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I certainly did! My family went to a restaurant this year for Christmas dinner which I found rather odd because I am one of those strange people who actually prefers to stay in her PJs all day, but it was an experience. I cooked on Boxing Day so it's not that we missed out on the left-overs! Even if it was a little abnormal and the house seems a little empty I have still had a wonderful Christmas and plan to carry on celebrating until I have to actually focus on Uni work again. Cheers!

Simple French Onion Soup

Last January my boyfriend and I visited Paris as a birthday treat for me. One evening after traipsing around the streets trying to find somewhere to eat (he's fussy and we were unfamiliar with the fact that in Europe a lot of restaurants don't open at 6pm) we found this cute, little restaurant with a view of the Eiffel Tour and it served Soupe à l'oignon Gratinée! I like to throw myself into things when I travel and the menu stated this was a classic so I had to try it - amazingly my boyfriend did too.

The name sounds fancy, but don't let that put you off :) I know I will probably upset a lot of would-be-chefs with my 'simple' version, since it probably cuts a couple of corners and doesn't call for alcohol (I'm a student, do you think I'm going to put that in food?) But I'm hoping that is part of the appeal, it is so simple to make and most importantly calls for heaps of grated cheese!

Ingredients:

- 2/3 Medium onions
- 1 litre of beef stock (I have also used chicken, vegetable etc.)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Seasoning: Salt & Pepper, Garlic, Thyme, Paprika, Vinegar, Worcester Sauce.

Gratin: 1/2 cups grated cheese, Sliced french loaf.

Method:

1) Thinly slice 2/3 medium onions and set aside. Get a large pot/pan and melt together 1tbsp butter and 1tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and toss them in the oil so that they are coated.

2) Cover the pan and leave it on a low heat for 15 minutes.

3) Uncover the pot, raise the heat and add salt and sugar.

4) Cook for 30 mins until onions are even a deep golden brown colour and a caramelised syrupy texture. Stir regularly to prevent onions at the bottom burning and don't be afraid to cut time down if you're happy with the colour/consistency!*

5) When onions are caramelised add stock. Season lightly with salt & pepper and whatever else you have available. You can add more later so don't over do it, a pinch of whatever you want should be enough for now :)

6) Simmer for 20-30mins whilst tasting and adding flavour to your liking.**


Gratin:

1) For your gratin slice a french loaf and place rounds on a baking tray. Brush lightly with olive oil and put under the grill for 3mins until lightly browned.

2) Ladle*** some of your soup into a bowl and float the toasted rounds on the top.

3) Grate your chosen cheese**** and layer on top of the bread so that it is completely covered.

4) Put the grill on max and cook for 3-5mins checking occasionally. I often add more cheese after a few minutes because gaps will appear in the bubbling lid. Cook until golden brown and then you're ready to eat! (Careful though burning cheese is dangerous!)

Some Tips:

*Sometimes the cooking time varies quite a bit depending on the size of your onions so keep an eye on it!

**I like to add a good bit of vinegar and Worcester sauce because it gives it a little kick, but this might not be for everyone. And once I really overdid the vinegar which was a disaster!

***If you feel you have too high a ratio of onions to soup you can always sieve the soup and remove some that way, but it's best to cook with too many than too few because it adds to the flavour!

****Traditionally I believe Gruyere is commonly used, but I have always personally used cheddar. Parmesan is also good!