Mr. Willoughby’s Coral Knob
The Chinaman nodded, satisfied, and sat back. The moon was full up by now, three-quarters full, and bright enough to show the little Mandarin’s face as he talked.
“Yes,” he said, through Jamie, “I thought much of women; their grace and beauty, blooming like lotus flowers, floating like milkweed on the wind. And the myriad sounds of them, sometimes like the chatter of ricebirds, or the song of nightingales; sometimes the cawing of crows,” he added with a smile that creased his eyes to slits and brought his hearers to laughter, “but even then I loved them.
“I wrote all my poems to Woman — sometimes they were addressed to one lady or another, but most often to Woman alone. To the taste of breasts like apricots, the warm scent of a woman’s navel when she wakens in the winter, the warmth or a mound that fills your hand like a peach, split with ripeness.”
Fergus, scandalized, put his hands over Marsali’s ears, but the rest of his hearers were most receptive.
“No wonder the wee fellow was an esteemed poet,” Raeburn said with approval. “It’s verra heathen, but I like it!”
“Worth a red knob on your hat, anyday,” Maitland agreed.
“Almost worth learning a bit of Chinee for,” the master’s mate chimed in, eyeing Mr. Willoughby with fresh interest. “Does he have a lot of those poems?”
Diana Gabaldon, Voyager (Chapter 46)
“Mr. Willoughby? Is that safe? I mean — ” I stole a look at the little Chinese, sitting patiently cross-legged on a stool, gleaming in clean blue silk, and lowered by voice. “I mean, they’ll have wine, won’t they?”
Jamie nodded. “And whisky, and cambric, and claret cup, and port, and champagne punch – and a wee cask of the finest French brandy — contributed by the courtesy of Monsieur Etienne Marcel de Provac Alexandre.” He put a hand on his chest and bowed again, in an exaggerated pantomime that made me laugh. “Nay worry,” he said, straightening up. “He’ll behave, or I’ll have his coral globe back – will I no, ye wee heathen?” he added with a grin to Mr. Willoughby.
The Chinese scholar nodded with considerable dignity. The embroidered black silk of his round cap was decorated with a small carved knob of red coral — the badge of his calling, restored to him by the chance encounter with a coral trader on the docks at Montego, and Jamie’s good nature.
Diana Gabaldon, Voyager (Chapter 58)
Mr. Willoughby. Yi Tien Cho.
Mandarin. Poet. Scholar. Artist. Complete. Runaway. Exile.
Drunk. Foot Fetishist. Healer. Friend. Traitor. Saviour.
A complicated and, when we last left him, very desperate man who I have reduced down to nothing more than his little red globe.
But the way I look at it, if he’s going to call out my peach, then I’m gonna make a cheese ball out of his coral knob.
These little cheese balls make a fantastic appetizer for your next party or potluck. See? You can work Outlander into your everyday life! And if you come up with another name for these…something innocuous like “My Family’s Favourite Cheese Ball,” then your friends needn’t know that they’re actually enabling sharing your obsession passion.
I added a roasted red pepper to MY favourite cheese ball to give it a bit of a coral tinge, then rolled them in smoked paprika, black sesame seeds and a mixture of cilantro and ground pistachios.
What would you roll yours in?
(Click on the title below for a printable version of the recipe.)
Mr. Willoughby’s Coral Knob
A perennial party favourite — the cheese ball! You’ll find smoked paprika in specialty Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Markets.
Makes about 20 small balls.
- Roasted Red Pepper, peeled, seeded and chopped – 1 medium
- Yogurt or Sour Cream- 2 Tble
- Cream Cheese – 8 oz pkg.
- Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded – 1½ C (4 oz)
- Parmesan Cheese, finely shredded – ⅓ Cup (1 oz)
- Onion, grated – 3 Tble
- Garlic, grated – 1 clove
- Dry Mustard – ½ tsp
- Black Pepper – ¼ tsp
- Cayenne Pepper – pinch
For Garnish:
- Smoked Paprika – 2 Tble
- Black Sesame or Poppy Seeds – 3 Tble
- Cilantro, finely chopped – 2 Tble AND Pistachios, ground – 2 Tble
Puree the roasted red pepper and yogurt/sour cream with a handheld or countertop blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl with all of the remaining ingredients and beat with a hand mixer on low speed until well combined.
Use a spoon or scraper to shape into a rough ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
Spread each of the garnishes on separate plates.
Roll small spoonfuls of the cheese mixture into balls between your palms. Once the balls are complete, roll them in the garnishes to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the finished cheese balls for at least 30 minutes, to allow the flavours to meld.
Serve with crackers.
Ith gu leòir! (Eat Plenty)
Notes:
- Bottled roasted red peppers are a good substitute. Rinse the peppers well in cold water to remove the brine and dry well before using.
- You can also make one large cheese ball and roll it in your choice of garnish.
I made this as 3 – 1lb logs for a 3 night buffet. It was AMAZING!! My young “sous chef” (he’s just 13) was in charge and after a few math issues he did a great job. This won many compliments and I even managed to take a slab home with me. Thanks for all the great recipes you create!
Theresa,
What do you think of substituting soft goat cheese for the cream cheese?? Obsessed with goat cheese lately, lol!
Love this page, btw!! Thanks so much!
Great idea, DJ! All goat cheese may be a little strong, but it depends on what you like…I might be tempted to use at least 1/4 cream cheese, but the final decision is up to you. :)
Oh yum! Bite sized cheese balls – genius =)
Cheese is my (other) addiction!
I assume the other is whisky? ;)
and Outlander. And beer. Oh dear….
LOL! All good for your health when taken in moderation…
Wow. What a gorgeous, yummy idea. I’d eat these every day! Thanks Mr Willoughby :-)
We ate them everyday for almost a week, Deniz! Mr. Willoughby says you are most welcome.
Wow, these are so, so pretty – very impressive, and it sounds delicious!
Thanks, Kiri!
Hehe I’ve never read outlander (though your blog has me greatly tempted) but I have to agree with Jen. Calling out your peach is a no no. By all means let us all feast on his coral knob lol. :)
xoxo
- Eve
Glad to have you on my side, Eve! Now, let`s talk about why you haven`t read Outlander? Hmmm…
This looks good.
sounds delicious!!! and it’s gluten free!!! it also seems to be stupid proof. LOL which is very good for me hahaha.
Gotta love no-bake recipes!
Never would have thought to use the cilantro/pistachio combo! I have got to try that!!! You’re the (wo)man!!!
Thanks Donna…once you start thinking, the list of garnishes is endless!
LOV! …It’s so exciting to see what you come up with next!
Thanks, Vickie!
These look tasty! I love that they are bite size. Any usual cheese ball or log is big and awkward so I normally shy away from them but these are perfectly portioned…
One perfect bite!
I like that we can make individual ones or one large one- I’m going to keep this recipe handy for my next gathering, thank you!
My pleasure, Outlander Fan! I hope you clan enjoys it…Theresa
I love the part where Fergus covers Marsali’s ears!! By time we get to FC, Marsali and all the kids are corrupted by Fergus!! These look verra yummy and I will try them soon~
Yes, good old sweet, innocent Fergus, eh?
Ohhh, so they’re wee individual servings? I love that idea. They’re so gorgeous that I’d put them on my coffee table. :) I’m thinking though; you probably should have included oysters in some way. The man was a hound, well and truly.
The oysters will have their day, never fear, Christiane!
“But the way I look at it, if he’s going to call out my peach, then I’m gonna make a cheese ball out of his coral knob.”
Not much can make me laugh at 5:15 am….but this did. :)