Heralding the summer's early sway
Dear friends,
I'm just back from two weeks of combined writing retreat and visit to family, and the to-do list stretches out to the horizon. We're two weeks from Fourth Street Fantasy convention here in Minneapolis, four weeks from my appearance as Featured Reader at SFWA's Poetry Open Mic. (SFWA stands for Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. Yes, I know that's not enough Fs, but it used to be Science Fiction Writers of America, and people were used to saying siff-wah anyway; it works out similarly enough that no one wanted to go to the trouble of changing it.)
So I'm going to be doing panel prep, and I'm going to be surrounding myself with my own poems and trying to put them in some kind of sensible reading order. This is not a thing I've done before. I'm not sure if I should be excited or dismayed at the idea that it's partway to a little chapbook of poems: figuring out an order is not half the battle, but it's some of the battle. But there's no time for chapbooks now, nope nope, I still have regular writing stuff to do (the current long project got going again on my retreat, hurrah), and also I have to wrap up writing the journaling prompts and the workshop materials for my vertigo writing project. I already told you about the to-do list approaching the horizon. I meant it.
I'm not a summer person. I think you all know that, I am as fall-winter as a person can get without being literally a snowflake (not the overly sensitive kind, the kind that is water but better). I describe changing over to summer clothes as "dressing up like a summer person," whereas in fall I "put my real clothes back on." I am doing my best, though! I am hosting a picnic! I am eating seasonal fruit! I am counting down to the start of the farmer's market (three days, friends) and plotting what I will buy there (SPRING PEAS). We're going to have summer; I might as well try to enjoy it.
I keep running into people on the internets talking about how summer is a lazy season, though, and that's...well, I hope they live their truth, let's say that. Because I cannot relate. I would say, "where do I sign up for that?" but I think the answer is "by having a completely different personality since birth." It's fine, I'll go out and water the garden while the gardener is out of town and then get back to work.
New story for this month is out in ebook form here, with physical book to follow for those who are interested in that. The magazine is vol. 5 of If There's Anyone Left, and my story is "The Things You Know, The Things You Trust," a short science fiction piece about the world changing forever--and the people around us changing less than we'd think. It’s flash, so I’m leery of saying more lest I retell the whole story to you right here and now.
I have another story coming out soon, so stay tuned for that, and meanwhile enjoy the beginning of summer, or if you're on the other half of the planet, enjoy my envy.
Best,
Marissa
Cherry Brownies (with compote recipe wrapped in)
We've finally arrived at the cherry brownies I've been promising you! This is very modular. You'll see what I mean.
First: Make a cherry compote.
3 c cherries, pitted (frozen is fine, and don't thaw in advance if you're using frozen) (if you're using big fresh cherries you'll probably want to halve them, which is also unnecessary with frozen)
1/4 c + 2 T granulated sugar
2 T water (liqueur will work here if you keep that sitting around and feel fancy--kirsch or lakka or something)
1 1/2 T corn starch
1 1/2 T water (DEFINITELY WATER no matter how fancy you are)
3/4 t almond extract
1 t orange zest
Combine the 1 1/2 T corn starch with 1 1/2 T water until dissolved.
Put cherries, sugar, and 2 T water/liqueur in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes. They'll get juicy and soft here. Stir up the cornstarch mix if it's settled (it probably will settle) and stir it in. Cook for a minute longer. The juice texture will thicken here. Stir in almond extract and orange zest if using--they're optional but good.
This is basically cherry pie filling, and if you like canned/jarred cherry pie filling, or if you don't have a ready and enthusiastic cherry supplier like my bestie, you can use that. OR you can just make the cherry compote and put it on your favorite brownie recipe, possibly with ice cream, and call it a day. You should do that if you don't like brownies with Stuff In Them. (One member of my household does not.) This recipe WILL result in you biting into chunks of cherry in your brownies; if that's a fate you're trying to avoid, be forewarned.
If not, though! If not, then you make the brownies!
Line a 9x13 metal pan with parchment and grease the parchment. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
9 T butter, cut up a bit
Combine these in the microwave or over a double boiler until melted, stirring frequently
Add:
1 c + 2 T sugar
1/2 T vanilla extract
3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
Stir well. Add the cherry compote you just made.
Then:
6 T cocoa powder
1/2 c cornstarch
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
Stir all together until smooth, transfer to baking pan, and bake for half an hour, plus or minus depending on how your oven runs. Hurrah.
The other way to say this is that you substitute the cherries for one of the eggs in your favorite brownie recipe. I've given you the gf recipe I tried this with, it also works with my gluten-y recipe, I bet it will work with your brownies too if you want to use that instead. Yay cherry brownies.