Storm Thief by Chris Wooding focuses on two young thieves, Moa and Rail, whose story begins in a chaotic city afflicted by storms that rearrange reality. These mysterious “probability storms” cause changes, big or small, and the citizens of Orokos live in fear of them. One of those citizens who knows the reality of that fear is Rail, who lost the use of his lungs during a storm years ago, and now must wear a respirator. He and Moa are, quite literally, partners in crime. They retrieve (aka, steal) items for a crime boss in the ghetto they live in.
While working on one of these missions, Rail and Moa stumble upon a map that holds the key to the mysterious heart of Orokos. With this, they might be disable the ancient machine that causes the probability storms, escape the island without being killed by the sea guardians, or just use it to buy their way out of segregation and the ghetto. Either way, these two face a journey full of hardships and uncertainty.
“Inside was a low, circular room, hot and heavy with the scent of aromatic smoke. In the centre was a square bar where cooks took orders from the clientele. Rail ordered each of them a heaping plate of shark cutlets and pumpkin mash. The food arrived with complimentary mugs of cold tuzel, a spicy drink that Moa loved when she could get it.
They took their plates to a small booth and sat opposite each other. Moa attacked the food with an indecent appetite. Rail was forced to eat much more slowly, lifting his respirator between bites. He hated eating in public, but they both needed a rest and a good meal. It had been an exhausting journey.” – Storm Thief (hardback) page 70
I’ve never had shark before, so this was a harder recipe for me to come up with. I’m assuming it’s fishy tasting, but that’s just about all I know. I tried looking up vegetarian/vegan recipes, but to no avail. So the following recipe is probably nothing like shark, but it sure is tasty!
Tofu Shark Cutlets
Ingredients
3/4 cup yellow onion, minced (about 1 small onion)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 4.5 oz. can of chopped green chiles
1 14 oz. package of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed extremely well, then cubed
1.5 cups of water
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon seaweed powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup margarine
1.5 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons salt
Black pepper, to taste
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pot add water, ginger, garlic, seaweed, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and cumin. Bring to a boil and then add the tofu cubes. Turn down to medium heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes, then drain and place in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, boil water in a large pot and add potatoes. Boil for about 15 minutes, or until soft then drain. In a pan saute the onion in oil until they are golden brown and fragrant. Add the onions and canned chiles to the bowl with tofu. Gently mix everything together.
Put cooked potatoes in a bowl and mash with margarine, parsley, salt, and black pepper.
On a non-stick surface, place 1/4 cup of the potato mixture. Pat it out into a circle (about the size of a veggie burger) then place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the tofu mixture in the middle. Put another 1/4 cup of potato on top, and pat into a covered mound (similar in size to a small fist).
Roll in bread crumbs and place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the potato mixture and tofu.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Pumpkin Mash
Based on a recipe by Steamy Kitchen
Ingredients:
2 medium russet potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup plain pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon margarine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon original soymilk
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Boil a pot of water and add the potatoes. Boil for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain potatoes and coarsely mash with the remaining ingredients. Then transfer to a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
Lima Bean Lover 