Could You Repeat That? 171
The Silkworm, Robert Galbraith
"I'll be lucky not to get a knife in the back one dark night."
"Are you serious?"
"Robin," said Strike, mildly exasperated, "Quine was tied up and disemboweled."
The Moosewood Cookbook (New Revised Edition), Mollie Katzen
Assembling a green salad is a highly personalized endeavor, and of course there is no absolutely correct method. But the truth is, some salads are much better than others.
Golden, Itamar Srulovich & Sarit Packer
The last and strangest of all my guidelines is to listen to your cake. You may think I'm mad but give it a go. Take the cake out, lower your ear towards the surface and listen: if you hear crackling, bubbling and hissing, put it back in the oven--it isn't baked.
Royals: Judgment Day (graphic novel), Al Ewing & Javier Rodriguez
PRINCE: The curse of my blood upon you, mammal! May your gift be a blight to your flesh! May you see your world in ruin! And may I see you next in the pits of--
Fables: Book Four (graphic novel), Mark Buckingham
THE PRINCESS: Fencing lessons.
THE PRINCE: Buttercup, be reasonable.
THE PRINCESS: I'm adamant.
Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, The Moosewood Collective
Going home and announcing that you no longer eat meat can shake the cultural norms of your family--they don't know how to feed you, and they surely hope you'll get over it soon. We're here to help.
A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J Maas
My hand was quiet as a final, dying breath as I plucked the ring from the shelf.
The Weaver stopped singing.
Transit, Rachel Cusk
It was interesting thought, that stability might be seen as the product of risk; it was perhaps when people tried to keep things the same that the process of decline began.
Market Cooking, David Tanis
(Aioli, by the way, is not the name for any other sauce, so when you encounter imposters such as Yuzu-Wasabi Aioli, Bacon-Chipotle Aioli, or the like, be polite but not overfriendly.)
A Torch Against the Night, Sabaa Tahir
I am alone, but for ghosts.
An American Marriage, Tayari Jones
"I'm not going," she said. "This is my life, too."
Step Aside, Pops, Kate Beaton
Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
(A few weeks ago he said to me, completely out of nowhere, "You good friend to me, Liss. Loyal friend. Loving friend." Then he sighed, stared off into space and added mournfully, "Not like Sharon." Who the hell is Sharon?)
Night Flower, Kate Elliott
Kiya trudged inside and sat on a bench with a glowering heart.
Tomb Song, Julian Herbert
Some characters just won't go away. They wait patiently until you have a breakdown to come and collect what you owe them.
The Friend, Sigrid Nunez
To write and have something published is less and less something special. Why not me, too? everyone asks.
Wrote French critic Sainte-Beuve.
In 1839.
And...
It's not that I can't say how I feel. It's very simple. I miss you. I miss you every day. I miss you very much.
The Austin Cookbook, Paula Forbes
Turn the chiles periodically with tongs until the skin is blistered all over--don't worry if the skin burns, but if the chile catches fire, you've gone too far.
A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah J Maas
"So I bound myself into this body. I shoved my burning grace deep into me. I gave up everything I was. The cell door just...unlocked. And so I walked out."
The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book, Emily Elsen and Melissa Elsen
Creating a good atmosphere should be your priority as well; it is a very important part of our workday--music, good light, and a clean and organized workspace are major factors in creating good pies. Set up such a space for yourself before you begin and your pie will come out better--we promise.
Nashville Eats, Jennifer Justus
It's hard to think about much else when eating hot chicken.
Circe, Madeline Miller
Whatever you do, I wanted to say, do not be to happy. It will bring down fire on your head.
I said nothing, and let her dance.
Semiosis, Sue Burke
She worked for a while, lips pursed, silent, tugging at the reeds. I had never seen her angry, but of course she was angry enough to make and burn an Earthling during every spring festival.
Census, Jesse Ball
As we got older, we grew used to this. Perhaps we gained a thicker skin. Does that mean caring less? I think it does--but about everything.
Kudos, Rachel Cusk
The muffled sound of the water rose from beyond the dunes, and there was suddenly the sea's feeling of weight and extension, despite the fact that it was out of sight.
Giada's Italy, Giada de Laurentiis
If you have leftovers (and you won't have as much as you think), they are great with eggs in the morning or shredded and served over pasta.
The Merry Spinster, Daniel Mallory Ortberg
"You are too beautiful to remain here in these woods all alone," he declared, as if annexing her.
Crazy Rich Asians, Kevin Kwan
"You're such a creature of habit. It would be super-easy to assassinate you."
Heritage, Sean Brock
Authentic food must engage its geographic culture--it must reflect a way of life.
The Girl in the Green Silk Gown, Seanan McGuire
"I'm pretty damn sure that if you had suddenly appeared in the time of gods and heroes, there'd be something in the folklore about this weird woman who didn't speak Greek, and yet still managed to punch Zeus in the dick before she got turned into an almond tree."
"Why almond," asks Gary.
"They're bitter."
Space Opera, Catherynne M Valente
Oort St. Ultraviolet, man of a thousand instruments, flicked his smoke off the balcony, half a mile straight down into the ocean. "Because," he sighed. "If Mira had been born here and not in fucking Sheffield, she'd never have had the Eeyores so bad that she tried to nail her tail back on with a speeding van and I'd still get to take her for gelato at five in the morning." He smiled ruefully, and it turned his face twenty years younger. "No sale, Zaraz. Everybody's got a Nico and a Siouxsie and a Justine. AM radio is not even a thing compared to the guy who leaves them all to burn because he doesn't want to get up there with the poinsettias and the xylophone and sing about the angels. It's all of us or none of us."
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, Deb Perelman
When my son was about five weeks old, and my every second was devoted to his sweet little squeaks and "beh"s, I realized I hadn't had a real meal in, well, five weeks and that it was becoming hard not to gnaw off his tiny arm from hunger (note: no infants were harmed in the making of this recipe).
Passing Strange, Ellen Klages
"We can only be ourselves as long as we're entertainment?" She frowned and lit a cigarette. "I'm not certain that's a good trade-off."
Soul, Todd Richards
Even after 20 years of cooking professionally, putting watermelon on a menu felt taboo.
Heroine Complex, Sarah Kuhn
Goddammit, Dead-Inside-O-Tron.