Basil ... No, not the Rathbone variety

Basil ... No, not the Rathbone variety

Today's photo is compliments of Laurie Johnson, a glorious cook and friend extraordinaire. After receiving her yummy photo, I just had to write about Basil today. Naturally my mind wandered and I thought of a different Basil. Personally, I find him even yummier.
My favorite dish containing basil has to be Bruschetta with basil and tomatoes. It's a great way to start off an Italian meal, without overpowering the appetite or the palate. The beginning of a novel may start off the same way, not wanting to overwhelm the reader. While this approach may work well in culinary circles, today's fiction readers often prefer to start out with more of a bang.
More later.

"Cinnamon Let Me In!"

Cinnamon Let Me In!*

Warm cinnamon rolls, smothered with creamy icing that drips down the sides; the rich scent of cinnamon toast. While the recipe for cinnamon toast is simple, the proper combination creates a toasted ambrosia. Good writing works the same way. It doesn’t have to be fancy, or decked out in multiple adjectives. It just has to draw the reader in; the same way that grocery stores sometimes put their bakeries near the front door so the heated splendor can tantalize potential customers.

Cinnamon is one of those spices that just does it for me! The scent of those aromatic cinnamon sticks is irresistible. Their aroma lifts my spirits and brings back memories of winter card games when I was a child.  I think of my younger daughter’s glee when Kellogg’s came out with Cinnamon Mini Buns Cereal. And, while I most often think of cinnamon’s culinary uses, I was fascinated to learn in grade school that cinnamon was also used for embalming in ancient Egypt. When writing, sometimes it’s more effective to use alternate meanings or bring less obvious information into play; it has the potential to create more memorable passages.

Don’t forget to find your own ‘cinnamon” and LET IT IN!

BTW, I’m dying to try out this recipe:

 http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/the-right-way-and-the-wrong-way-to-make-cinnamon-toast/

*“One potato, two potato, three potato, four

    Open up Cinnamon, I want more”

As a teen listening to Derek’s Cinnamon, I was primarily focused on the tune and the beat. As a romance writer, I can’t help but snicker at the dual meaning of the simple lyrics. Those less-explicit euphemisms probably allowed the song to get past the censors and in writing, they may bring a certain level of comfort to some readers, allowing them to read something that they would otherwise find offensive. What titillates one reader may be what causes another to return a book to the shelf without buying it.

Stirring the Plot, Bay Leaf Style

Stirring the Plot -

          Bay Leaf Style

Cooking with a bay leaf is a lot like writing back story or character sketches.

Part of flavoring your plot is tossing in a variety of ingredients while you’re writing the first draft. You can always remove some of the ingredients later. If you write them in, at least you’ve got them handy when you need them. You might even find their unique flavor will thrust your story in a different direction; just like my Nikki did when she jumped onto the counter while I was photographing the bay leaves. I certainly hadn’t intended for her to be part of the photo, but must admit that she added her own unique twist to it.

While the bay leaf isn’t an impressive shade of green, its flavoring and scent can be quite memorable. Details in your story can be the same way. Dropping subtle hints at the appropriate time can foreshadow action, provide character details, or even grow your plot.

My philosophy:

MEASURE when you cook and USE ABANDON when you write. 

If you allow your story to SIMMER, your characters and plot will absorb sufficient flavor. Then when you’ve reached the editing and revising stage, you’re ready to pull out superfluous details, much the same way you allow a soup or stew to absorb the bay leaf’s flavor before you pluck it out and toss it away.

Then, SERVE IT HOT.

Note: No, my cat's not eating bay leaves, but she obviously liked the scent well enough to jump onto the counter to sniff at them. For those of your concerned that bay leaves are poisonous to cats, rest assured that I took no chances and removed Nikki and the bay leaves from the counter as soon as I took the picture.  Then I checked the ASPCA’s website http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/ and learned the bay leaves used in cooking are not toxic to cats, though they can be toxic to some livestock – which is not the same as saying you should feed them to your cat. The leaves remain quite stiff even after simmering for hours and your pet could choke on them.

“I’m Just Mad About Saffron”

“I’m Just Mad About Saffron”

The dichotomy between Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow” and his reference to saffron made this a memorable song for me many years ago. His deep rich voice permanently etched the song and color in my mind. I’ve always thought of saffron as the color of school buses and taxis, and perhaps even a yellow submarine or two. Saffron isn’t exactly a mellow yellow, but a heavily saturated color that once seen is never forgotten. Before today, I’d only seen saffron carefully wrapped in paper and kept in a spice jar, but I learned that saffron comes from the Crocus sativus. (pictured above) Now when I think of the color saffron, I will remember its vibrant contrast to its lovely purple blooms.

There’s a reason school buses are painted that bright color; it draws your attention and keeps the students safe. In much the same way, a well written scene will stay with your reader. Writing a scene shouldn’t be a mellow experience either, but one that stands out in your mind.  Each scene needs a pinch of saffron to make it memorable.

Not Just "Plain Vanilla"

Not Just "Plain  
       Vanilla"

Good writing is a lot like vanilla: it awakens your senses.

Crack open the seal on a bottle of vanilla extract and its concentrated aroma tickles your nose with its rich scent.

Salivate as you remember the yummy taste of that vanilla frosting your mom always used on your birthday cake; the way the creamy frosting swirled, forming peaks and valleys.

Roll a vanilla bean pod between your thumb and forefinger and allow its natural oils to coat your skin even before the bean has been split open. Slice open the bean and rub the seeds between your fingers. Contrast this texture with the smooth amber liquid extract used in cooking.

Sift the pale vanilla tropical sand between your fingers before the sun warms it. Run your toes through the sun-warmed golden vanilla afternoon sand. Contrast the feel of the cool wet morning sand to the toasty afternoon sand that your friends piled atop you while you napped like a cat in the sun.

Indulge in the vanilla-based shower gel that awakens you during your early morning shower or the body spray that goes on just before you rush out the door.

Breathe in the heady vanilla scent that wafts out the front door of your favorite bakery.

Boring? Bland? Plain Vanilla? Think again.

Visualize the subtle tone-on-tone patterns hand-stitched into a quilt, rub the nubby textured yarn in a fisherman's knit sweater between your fingers, inhale the fragrance of fine linens lightly spritzed with a vanilla scent, and savor that dab of frosting your mom pretended she didn’t see you take.

Good cooks know that a blending of flavors often produces the best effect. Good writers pay equal attention to sensory details and sprinkle them throughout their writing to evoke their readers’ senses.

Tomorrow I’ll be adding a pinch of color: Saffron.

Photo:

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/paint_colors/explore/color/index.jsp

Variety IS the Spice of Writing

 Variety Is the Spice of Writing

If variety is the Spice of life, it's also the spice of writing. Just like an appetizer differs from dessert, each story needs its own distinctive flavor. It's not all plain vanilla. (Although vanilla is a perfectly delightful flavor.)

 My culinary talents trail far behind my writing skills. I'd much rather go out for dinner than to cook it. Many of us are content with what others have to offer. Others prefer to create. My preference is to create on the page, not in the kitchen.




 
Each spice alters what we eat. It can affect the flavor, the texture, even the duration of our heartburn. 
The same applies to the impact of what we write.

Look for today's blog about VANILLA, the first in a series of :
   Add a Dash of Spice to Your Writing!