Kay Goldstein

Star Child
to be published in August, 2012

A fantasy/ adventure about two celestial beings who come to earth to learn how to live as humans. (excerpt below). A moving story that will appeal to young readers and adults alike.


"Millennia of light and heat, the birth of planets, the cooling of suns, the unfolding of lifetimes, the thinking, the being, the seeing, the knowing, all this she witnessed in her heavenly orbit. And she embraced each moment of light and dark, each transformation of swirling gases, each clash and crumbling of brittle crusts, each volcanic hand print and frozen ocean, each a part of her and she a part of each, all connected by the caressing wind of the great Cosmic Breath. As she dove into the atmosphere of the blue planet, surrendering to the fire that consumed her, deep in her memory she kept all the knowing and the love, the light song of her life. And these together, melting in the heat, shaped the fine clear crystal within her."


COOKING LESSONS
STORIES AND RECIPES FROM A FOOD LOVERS LIFE (WORKING TITLE)
(excerpts below)

“Two hours before dinnertime, the chairman of the conference called to ask if we could seat two more. I hesitated. Then my life flashed before me when she continued with, ‘Julia loved your menu and really would like to come.’ I knew better than to say, ‘Julia who?’ I hung up after I heard myself say ‘Okay’ and broke into a cold sweat.”—Dining Out

“Oenophiles, too, will often describe how flavors sucked by ancient vines from the rockiest soils or captured from the fragrant hillsides around them can coalesce into a ruby glass of burgundy. Some people are like that, too, thriving in the toughest climes, blossoming where others wilt, having the will to scrabble for everything they need to produce something wonderful and unexpected.”—Oasis

“But alas, those of us who are more grazers than gluttons have learned instead to cultivate friends who are “enablers,” seeking the perfect Epicurean co-dependency.”—Capacity

“Adam’s introduction was a godsend for two weary travelers with no itinerary, not much money, and nothing to lose by taking a wrong turn.”—Greeks Bearing Gifts


“…It seemed that everything they ate or used or bought came from their land or a neighbor’s orchard or a cousin’s smokehouse or a great grandfather’s skilled hand. I relish the memory of her chicken pie, biscuits, and cornbread, bread and butter pickles, persimmon pudding, and an occasional slab of home-cured country ham swapped at her table like family stories.”—The Pounding

“Food is one of the ways we let them know we love them and measure ourselves as good moms, right? It’s our daily test of ourselves against the Betty Crocker Scale of Motherly Competence, a relentless feedback so to speak, of three meals a day for maybe 18 years. That’s 19,710 meals. Even an all-star batter doesn’t get a hit more than 30% of the time and hardly ever hits a home run. And look what they get paid.”—Food Follies

“Some of us who love to eat and cook are bitten by the bug. Seduced by the romantic charm of creative work and always having guests for dinner, we begin plotting menus and imagining locations and obsessively reading food magazines for new ideas. Most, however recover before taking the plunge, the dream of owning our own food establishment always remaining a sweet and perfect imagining.” — The Proof Is In the Pudding

“We pass the box around, bonded by the communal act of eating. And simultaneously, we are lost in the deeply private revelry of the perfect cannoli examined by the expectant mouth, the gentle crunch as the crisp shell collapses, the melting creaminess of the ricotta filling, and the finish of bittersweet chocolate on the tongue. We are off to a good start.” — Bounty Hunting

“My grandfather taught me how to sharpen a knife and carve a bird and any kind of roast. He always remembered to drop a few scraps for his dog Boots, waiting patiently at his feet. In some ways, his magic flowed from his familiar comfort with the everyday pieces of the physical world around him, knowing the ordinary so well that he could do something extraordinary in a seemingly effortless way. ” — Making Magic

“Park in the muddy field and poise yourself at the entry to the market. Make casual conversation. Don’t make eye contact. Plan your strategy. The goal is to scope out the freshest of the moment, museum-quality vegetables and buy them before they are all gone. This requires a form of zen-like focus, first to discern the call of the perfect tomato, and then to honor its presence in your life without being too grabby.” —Bounty Hunting