Lit List Short Reviews
Beyond The Sushi Chef: The Ultimate Bible For Mastering Nigri Sushi From The Creators of Sushi University.jp
Everything you ever wanted to know about sushi can be found in the book Beyond The Sushi Chef: The Ultimate Bible For Mastering Nigri Sushi.
This book is perfect for those who love Japanese cooking or even for those who are curious about it, but never actually tried sushi before or have been to such a restaurant.
The book is filled with descriptions of various sushi, what they go best with, when the best season is for them, the history, and their overall price. A description of the Atlantic Salmon reveals it to be distributed mostly on the North Atlantic, but can be found in Norway, Chile, England, and Australia. Farmed salmon are chilled by locals and never frozen. They were the first fish farmed in seawater in Europe. They are characterized by their texture, fat content, and color. They are considered the most expensive type of farmed salmon.
Even though it's not a cookbook, there are some interesting ways of preparing the salmon. A Tossaki hand roll is often considered the first piece of a sushi course. It goes well with sushi vinegar using red vinegar. Since it's the head, it moves a lot so should be prepared using the back of the knife.
For those who have never visited an authentic sushi restaurant and would like to visit one, the book provides tips on etiquette when visiting such an establishment. Among them are "Stay in your allotted seat at the counter. Long established restaurants may have their own rules such as the regular customers will need to sit in front of the sushi chef. In these types of places, if you want to enjoy conversation then you should sit at the table." This section reveals the universal truth that good manners are always essential.
Beyond The Sushi Chef gives the Reader exactly everything they need to know to turn a potentially fishy situation into a fine dining experience.
Suspended Animation by Carly Rheilan
The short story, Suspended Animation by Carly Rheilan, does one thing best. It captures a moment of suspense and terror and does it brilliantly.
An unnamed character is locked in a strange situation where they are imprisoned in some aerial suspension. They only have a Spider for company (who may be an actual spider or someone that they call Spider). Finding the inspiration from Spider the Narrator makes their move.
There is a tone of disorientation in this book as the Narrator doesn't know where they are or how long they have been there. Neither do we. We don't know this character's name, back story, or why they are in this predicament. I'm a big fan of getting important information like that. It helps us get to know this character and understand their predicament. But it also adds to the confusion. If we the Observers don't know what's going on, there is no way that the Protagonist does.
The tension mounts as the Narrator struggles to get out of this situation. The phrases like "Any minute it will be my turn. It's time. I can't go on taking this. Seriously." It's almost like Anxiety Poetry as the words go up and down like this Character does. It's a verbal description of what is going on with the Narrator both physically and mentally.
This story captures this moment of suspension wonderfully. Sometimes you want more but sometimes a moment is all you need.
The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet Cookbooks for Beginners: 600 Anti-Inflammatory Recipes with 21-Day Meal Plan to Reduce Inflammation by Fernando K. Rankin
Fernando K. Rankin's recipe book, The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet Cookbooks for Beginners, isn't just a recipe book for Readers to eat food to prevent chronic inflammation. It's also filled with suggestions on how to take a more holistic approach to living a healthier life that reduces inflammation.
The introduction talks about how serious Chronic Inflammation is by describing symptoms such as insulin resistance, memory loss, joint pain, and weight gain. It also describes severe long term effects and health risks like cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, and digestive ailments.
Besides a proper diet (which will be discussed soon), the book offers suggestions to improve one's lifestyle including exercise, sleep, and to avoid addictive habits.
As for the diet, Rankin offers suggestions like whole grains, healthy plant based facts, and my favorite line fruits and vegetables that "make your plate look like a rainbow." Some sensitivities include Gluten, nightshades like tomatoes and eggplants, and carbohydrates.
The book also includes a helpful chart of a 21 Days Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Plan. The chart coincides with the recipes found within the book. Day 1 suggests Simple Steel-Cut Oats for Breakfast, Quinca Florentine for Lunch, Savory Beef Meatloaf for Dinner, and Cranberry Compote for a Snack. The chart concludes with meals for Day 21 including Sweet Potato-Ground Turkey Hash for Breakfast, Pressure Cooked Ratatouille for Lunch, Cherry Tomato and Basil Chicken Casserole for Dinner, and Pecan and Date Snack Bars for Snack. It would be nice for the chart to show the direct links to the recipes for the Kindle version but it provides a nice visual aid and schedule for those who have specific goals in mind when it comes to health.
The recipes are simple and healthy and can be used to remove ailments from the body. Food like Elegant White Fish Soup and Pork Chops with Cooked Apple Salsa show the different ways that the food can be prepared. The book shows that good health is an ongoing continuous process but can result in a happier outlook on face.
After The Apocalypse The Kim and Kaya Chronicles by Scott W. Kimak
After The Apocalypse The Kim and Kaya Chronicles by Scott W. Kimak is the moving story of a girl, her parents, and her dog at the end of the world.
In a post Apocalyptic world, 18 year old Kim lives in a militaristic underground society with her parents, Major and Captain Wessek and her German Shepherd, Kaya. When her parents question the health of their Colonel, they are thrown into the brig and tried for treason for their efforts. This suggests to Kim and her family that the Colonel definitely has something to hide.
Because of its brief length (64 pages), we aren't given much information about the world in which Kim lives. We don't know what triggered the apocalypse whether it was war or environmental related. There are some revelations towards the end that reveal that something more sinister and conspiratorial is going on. The Apocalypse takes a back seat and as someone who has read more than enough post Apocalyptic Dystopian Science Fiction last year, that's all the better.
What stands out are the relations between Kim, her parents, and Kaya. Kim's parents are strong people clearly in positions of power in their society. They train their daughter in a military fashion so she knows how to fight and defend herself. However, their love for her is apparent. When she talks to Nick, a boy who also lives underground, her parents have the typical worried parents reaction as though she were just a typical teenage girl with a crush on a boy at school. They also encourage her to think for herself. When they are arrested, she questions the authorities and stands up for them as they did for her. It's clear that the Wesseks raised their daughter right.
The other touching relationship is between Kim and Kaya. As we have seen in other Science Fiction works, dogs do not fare well in post Apocalyptic Dystopian settings (I Am Legend is a notable example). However, Kimak is determined to keep Kim and Kaya together which is a boon for animal lovers. The young woman and her dog are a great team as they protect each other from danger and Kim cares for the dog as though Kaya were a younger sibling. They share a bond that transcends human-animal and makes them partners and friends.
Though not long, After The Apocalypse shows that even at the end of the world love and compassion can still be found.
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