Drive - James Sallis

To be honest, I would have never read this book if it wasn’t for the movie as neither the book nor the  author were on my radar at all.  Like the film, the book follows the story of Driver, a movie stunt car driver who moonlights as a getaway car driver. The central story of the book involves a heist which goes horribly wrong; one from which the normally disengaged Driver cannot walk away.

The writing in Drive is taut, not a word is wasted. The scene where Irina is killed, for instance, is an absolute masterpiece of minimalism and is all the more powerful for being so. There are also some marvellously evocative lines such as “L.A. became a different beast by night.  Final washes of pink and orange lay low on the horizon now, breaking up, fading, as the sun let go it’s hold and the city’s lights, a hundred thousand impatient understudies stepped in”.

There is also a dry sense of humour prevalent in the book.  “Driver found the book in a second hand store out on Pico, wondering whether the old-lady proprietor’s sweater or the books smelled mustier.  Or maybe it was the old lady herself.  Old people had that smell about them sometimes.”   There is also a very dark but also very funny running joke where, as Driver kills the people Bernie Rose (a pizza shop owner) sends to kill him, he circles phrases like “We deliver”  on the pizza shop fliers and leaves them with the bodies.

Sallis also writes really well about food.  Mouth watering references to food such as “ steaks smothered in a slurry of onions, peppers and tomato, sides of black beans, pimento studded rice”, “fries crisp on the outside and meaty beneath, coleslaw creamy and sweet”  pepper the pages of the book.  Much of the food mentioned is Mexican so my chosen dishes are loosely Mexican in nature.  And technically could be eaten with one hand whilst driving.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am thankful that the  film brought it to my attention.  I have just finished reading another one of James Sallis’ book, “The Killer Is Dying” which was equally well written and I am looking forward to the sequal to Drive which comes out later this year.

Chillies Stuffed with Corn and Crema (loosely based on the recipe by Lourdes Castro in Simply Mexican, my changes in pink)

• 6 poblano chillies  ( I used long yellow sweet peppers as I could not find poblanos  and added chilli to the mix to make up for the heat lost)  


• Kernels from 5 ears fresh corn or 3 cups frozen


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 1 red onion chopped


• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped


• ½ tsp salt. Black pepper


• 2 cups cheddar cheese


• ½ cup Mexican crema (I used Crème Fraiche, however there is a recipe for crema in the Mercedes Castro book)


• 1 red chilli chopped finely


• Coriander, chopped (a small handful)


• Can of tuna – after stuffing the first two chillies, I realised I would not have enough mixture for the remaining two so I added a can of tuna to the mix to bulk it up.  These were also delicious!  Lourdes Castro suggests adding mushrooms, ground meat or chorizo to the mix if required.  Chicken would also be tasty.

Over an open flame or in a dry cast iron or non-stick skillet, roast the chillies over a high heat until they are charred on all sides.
Remove the chillies from the heat and seal in a plastic bag for 5 minutes.  This will create steam and help to loosen the skin from the flesh.
Peel away the skins.  Cut a slit down one side of each chilli, starting just under the stem and going all the way down to the tip.
Remove all the seeds and as many of the veins as possible, being careful not to rip the chilli.  Set aside.
Remove the kernels from the cobs if using fresh corn.
Add the oil to a large sauté pan set over a medium high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and chilli and sauté until the onion becomes translucent (about 2 minutes).
Add the corn kernels and cook until the corn begins to turn a golden brown.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside.
Stuff ½ cup of sautéed corn mixture into a chilli.  This is trickier than it seems as the chillies can tear quite easily.  Castro suggests using a piping bag.
Top the corn with 1 ½ tablespoons crema, then 1 ½ tablespoons cheese.  The chilli should be fat and full.
Place the stuffed chilli, slit side up in a baking dish and repeat with the remaining chillies.
Bake for ten minutes.  Then grill for 10 minutes until the cheese turns golden brown and bubbly.
These are best eaten hot, or at least warm.  Would be Drivers could cook up a batch before going on a heist.  They can be eaten whilst the robbery is taking place.

MUSHROOM AND SPINACH QUESADILLAS

Driver needed nerves of steel; the spinach in this could provide the iron required for this.

I made this by combining a number of recipes, hence quantities are hazy and can be modified according to taste – this is for 2 quesadillas. You could easily add meat to this if desired, some chopped cooked chicken would be delicious, salami, ham, pancetta would also be tasty.

I served this with a salsa made from chopped up tomatoes, chilli, red onion, lime juice and coriander.

• A few good handfuls of spinach


• ½ leek, finely sliced (you could use onion, I just had ½ a leek I wanted to make use of)


• 1 clove of garlic sliced finely


• 4 portobello mushrooms, sliced


• 4 tortillas (I used wheat and rye)


• 1 cup cheese – I used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella in this iteration this can be modified – Swiss would be lovely and I also made a version with goat’s cheese which was also delicious


• 1 chilli chopped finely


• Olive oil, salt and pepper

Sauté leek and garlic in olive oil until soft.  Add the chopped chilli and mushroom and sauté until mushroom is soft.
Add spinach and allow leaves to wilt.
Spread ½ the mixture onto 2 of the tortillas
Add meat if using
Top with the cheese.
Top with the remaining tortilla.
Press down
Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat.  Place quesadilla in the skillet and cook 3 minutes in each side or until brown.
Repeat for the other quesadilla
Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges and serve.

RASPBERRY & ORANGE FRAPPE (makes 10 Cups)

Unlike the above, this should definitely NOT be consumed behind the wheel! The colour of this is absolutely gorgeous and the mixture of raspberry and orange reminds me of James Sallis’ description of the L.A. sunset above. 

Also, whilst the original recipe did not specify this, when I make this again, I would strain the raspberry and orange mixture to get rid of the raspberry seeds.  Unless you want to pick them out of your teeth with every sip!

• 600g frozen raspberries


• 1.25 l (5 cups) orange juice ( you could add some lemon or lime juice for extra tanginess)


• 250ml tequila


• 125ml orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier)


• Crushed ice

Place the raspberries and the orange juice in a blender and blend until well combined.
Strain to get rid of the raspberry seeds
Pour into a large jug.
Add the tequila and orange liqueur to the jug and stir well.
Quarter fill each glass with the crushed ice and add the frappe.
Serve immediately.

And finally, my version of the famous meme: