Leftcoast

I've been reading Andy Weir's The Martian. Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. This was a real surprise to me, but a pleasant one. Told in the first person, the tone makes the novel. Not a grim survivalist tract, but a somewhat lighthearted account of the ordeal. Highly recommended. Jim

For those experiencing a little too much Ho-ho-ho this Christmas, you might enjoy listening to David Sedaris narrate his sardonic, but funny, account of being an elf in Macy's at Christmastime. This has been a Christmas staple on NPR for years, but might be new to some. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17570326 Jim

I think I've been doing too many sudokus -- I can't make her go clockwise at all. Jim

Sharon, How about Fiesta Potato Flan, which even my sister, a fussy eater, likes: 3 medium-sized russet potatoes (about 1 lb) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup corn meal 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 jar (8 oz) mild (or spicy) picante sauce 1 cup shredded cooked chicken 1 cup (4 oz) Monterey Jack cheese, grated 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine warm potatoes, flour, corn meal, 3 tablespoons oil, garlic salt and pepper in large bowl. Mix to form smooth dough. Press into bottom and side of greased 10-inch flan or quiche pan. Spread picante sauce evenly over potato mixture, top with chicken and cheese, sprinkle parsley and 1 tablespoon oil over top. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. I use more chicken (I tend to make this when I've baked a chicken and I use most of the white meat for this), I use a medium-spicy picante sauce, and I use a 10-inch pyrex pie pan. Tastes good left over, too. Oh, and I use a ricer on those potatoes, but I know everyone doesn't have one of those, so you could just mash them enough to get all the lumps out. Jim

"Happy Birthday, Dom," the brunet said shortly (Abruptly, hastily, excitedly???) as he stepped into the barroom. Jim