When Larry McMurtry died earlier this year I decided to re-read some of his earlier works. Leaving Cheyenne is his second novel and I was struck by two things: 1) I remembered very little about the story. I thought I knew the plot but as I read it it struck me that I only recalled about the first third from my first reading over 40 years ago. 2) This story is another telling of the classic Larry McMurtry theme of a strong-willed woman and a strong-willed man (think Augustus McCrae and Clara Allen in Lonesome Dove.)
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Crispy Tofu in the Oven
When I start talking about tofu – which I have done a lot this past year – my friends give me a sideways glance and as they start to walk away:
“Tofu!? I HATE tofu!”
“What is wrong with tofu?” I ask.
“The flavor and the texture!”
Oh, is that all! Flavor and texture I can fix that.
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Horseman, Pass By by Larry McMurtry
The young protagonist – Lonnie Bannon – lives on a cattle ranch near “Thalia” Texas caught up in the tension between his grandfather, Homer, and his uncle, Hud, who have feuded for years. A hoof and mouth outbreak requires Homer to destroy his entire herd. Hud uses the crisis and Homer’s declining condition to gain control of the ranch.
Tofu and Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce
This is the third time I’ve made this bean curd and mushrooms in oyster sauce; my earlier cooks (once in February 2016 and once in June 2020) were good. Since then I’ve learned more about cooking tofu and how to better stir fry. So when the kids came over for Sunday dinner I used a slightly different method than I did before. Let’s get into it. The first step is to dry the tofu, then cut it into ½-inch cubes – more or less, this isn’t science.
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The Great Teriyaki Steak Showdown
Last summer, I made teriyaki steak from Simply Recipes. It wasn’t great. Carla asked if I couldn’t just buy a bottle of teriyaki marinade this time. What? Is that even possible? So we set up a showdown. We divided a long skirt steak and marinated one half in a bottled sauce, and the other in an updated marinade from my last attempt.
