Thrust
Another Pinterest find that I will not forget. I love Lidia Yuknavitch’s experimental writing style. In her acknowledgements, she says she wanted to play with the novel as a form, and it’s evident on every page. The narrative twists, bends, and leaps across time and place, breaking conventional storytelling boundaries. It drags you through the grit and fire of America, past, present and the fractured spaces in between, showing people who break, fight and sometimes survive by sheer stubbornness. Yuknavitch’s prose is raw, urgent and unflinching, like she’s writing with her fingernails on the walls of the world.
Through it all, there’s a pulse of truth you can’t ignore. “There is no such thing as a whole story,” she writes. “Stories are frayed knots, blood-rusted chains, breath and salt and sex and death.”
Yuknavitch takes you deep into the heart of the story, daring you to follow her anywhere, and I plan to read many more of her books.
Spicy Roasted Chili Chicken with Dark Chocolate Mole
Serves: 2–4 readers brave enough to feel it all
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons dark chocolate
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Fresh cilantro
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Rub chicken thighs with olive oil, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Roast chicken for 25–30 minutes until golden and slightly charred at the edges.
While the chicken cooks, sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, chocolate, cinnamon, and chili powder. Simmer until thick and rich—messy, bold, unforgettable.
Pour mole over roasted chicken.
Serve hot, garnished with cilantro.
Serving suggestion: Pair with strong black coffee or a bold red wine. Eat slowly, letting the heat and dark richness echo the book’s raw pulse.