Welcome, Lori Wilde!

Please welcome my
friend, the superbly
talented and prolific

author Lori Wilde.

I have known Lori for
years and she is not only
a fabulous writer, but
she is also incredibly

generous with her
knowledge of the writing
craft, the business

and even her nursing background.

And today, she is sharing a recipe! Thanks, Lori!

I just discovered a delicious new white chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1¼ cups white chocolate chips

Directions Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with

parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking

soda together. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a skillet over

medium-high heat until melted. Cook, stirring constantly

until the butter is dark golden brown. Pour butter into a large

bowl; add remaining butter. Stir until melted. Add sugars, salt

and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Stir in eggs.

Set aside for 3 minutes. Then stir for 30 seconds.

Repeat stirring and resting process 2 more times until the

mixture is thick and shiny. Stir in the flour mixture followed

by chocolate chips. Drop dough onto baking sheets

(3 tablespoons per cookie). Bake 10 to 14 minutes until the

cookie edges are golden brown and the centers are soft.

Cool on wire rack.

A little bit about Lori: Lori Wilde has sold fifty-two novels for

four major New York Publishing houses. She holds a bachelors degree

in nursing from Texas Christian University and a certificate in forensics.

She volunteers as a sexual assault first responder for Freedom House,

a shelter for battered women.

She has also served as the RWA National conference workshop chair and

PAN retreat chair. She is an instructor for a company who provides

online community education to over 1500 colleges and universities.

Lori is a past RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for

Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. She’s won the Colorado

Award of Excellence, the Wisconsin Write Touch Award, The Lories,

The More Than Maggie, the Golden Quill and The BestBooks of 2006

Book Award.

Her books have been translated into 22 languages and excerpted in

Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Complete Woman, All You and Quick and

Simple magazines. She’s appeared numerous times on the Waldenbook’s

bestseller list, The Barnes and Noble bestseller list, Bookscan Top 40

and Ingram’s Top 50. She lives in Texas with her husband, Bill.

Lori will be teaching a class on High Concept starting

Feb 1 at http://storystewuniversity.com/

Thanks for joining us today, Lori! I just finished reading the

Sweatheart's Knitting Club, and I loved it. It felt like Jesse

and Flynn were long lost family. It was a delight.

For more information about Lori, check out her website:

http://www.loriwilde.com/

Creative Writers Having Fun

We're delighted to have been awarded Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award! Created by Lesa Holstein, this has to be one of the best and most fun blogging awards around! The rules are simple.

1.Thank the person who gave this to you.
2.Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3.Link to the person who nominated you.
4.Tell us up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5.Allow your readers to guess which one or more are true.
5.Nominate seven "Creative Writers" who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6.Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7.Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

Thanks for nominating us, Lesa!

Below you'll find two lies and one truth for each of us. Can you guess which statements are true?

We've taken it a step further by adding pictures of ourselves. Can you match the pictures to the authors?

We hope you'll have as much fun with this as we did. Our seven nominees are scattered through this blog post. Watch out -- you might be the next recipient of Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award!

Avery Aames

1. I played the murderess on a mystery cruise.

2. I attended the American Culinary Institute.

3. I did a skit on stage with Robin Williams.

I nominate The Lipstick Chronicles for Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award!

Jenn McKinlay

1. My genealogy has been traced back to the 1400's
and I had relatives that came over on the Mayflower.

2. At six feet tall, I played basketball all through school and was recruited by several Universities but blew my knee out in my senior year.

3. My favorite mode of transportation is my Sector 9 mini-longboard (a skateboard).


I nominate Killer Hobbies for Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award!

Cleo Coyle

1. While working as a cub reporter for The New York Times I interviewed an interfaith group of peace activists heading to Nicaragua. When they were taken hostage by Nicaraguan rebels, my interviews were grabbed out of the Metro file by the Times Foreign Desk and run in a special box in connection with their major page one story.

2. When my sister was the Community Health Director for Bethel, Alaska, I spent a year living and working in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and I trained with a seasoned female musher to compete in their famous Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race. I didn’t even place, but I did finish!

3. While still a student at Carnegie Mellon, a university known for advanced computer science, I participated in a media internship that involved developing creative concepts for science fiction movies. As a result, one of the minor characters in the cutting-edge movie Tron actually has my nickname!

I nominate Mason Canyon's Thoughts in Progress for Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award!

Krista Davis

1. I began ballet lessons at the age of three and danced in a production of Peer Gynt at the Kennedy Center.

2. I was assistant manager of the largest convention hotel in Washington, DC.

3. I have a Masters Degree in Library Science and owned a bookstore for six years.


I nominate The Cozy Chicks for Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award!

Julie Hyzy

1. I swallowed a goldfish in order to pass initiation into my fraternity in college. I had named him B-D when I bought him (we had to provide our own goldfish), because it was my birthday.

2. I am afflicted by a condition known as synesthesia, meaning that I "see" letters of the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, etc. in certain colors. Monday, for instance, is red.

3. I didn't get to be an extra, but I met and took a picture with Christian Bale when he was in Chicago filming Batman. What a sweet guy!

I nominate Poe's Deadly Daughters for Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award!

Elizabeth Spann Craig

1. Elizabeth’s grandmother was an extra in Gone with the Wind during the Atlanta fire sequence.

2. Elizabeth won $100 playing Bingo at the Cloister in Sea Island, GA, when she was 4 years old. All she wanted with the money was a Donald Duck coloring book.

3. Elizabeth’s years of experience as an assistant funeral director at the Amazing Grace Funeral Home was the inspiration for her murder mystery writing.

I nominate Meanderings and Musings for Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award!

And last, but far from least, our seventh pick for Lesa's "Creative Writer" Blogger Award
is
(drum roll, please)
DAVE
The Grill Guy from My Year on the Grill!

Lesa, thanks again for coming up with this clever award. We've had a lot of fun! We hope our readers have as much fun figuring out the truth!

THE BIG REVEAL:

Each day next week, one of us will reveal which of our three statements was true and which two were lies. On Saturday, Krista Davis will reveal who is who in the photos. In the meantime...

Can you guess which statements are true and which are lies?
And who is who in the photos above? Hint: the placement is scrambled!
Try your luck and leave a comment...

Cleo Coyle’s (Healthier) Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair

You will not find a recipe for "shrimp scampi" among the 1200+ pages of The Professional Chef, the cookbook of the CIA. (No, not the guys with black helicopters, the Culinary Institute of America.)

You will not find "shrimp scampi" in a cookbook of authentic Italian dishes, either. For one thing, "scampi" in Italian refers to Dublin Bay Prawns (the singular is scampo. So essentially the loose translation of "shrimp scampi" would be shrimp shrimp, which sounds even sillier than the oxymoron jumbo shrimp).

Like me, shrimp scampi was born in America; and on United States restaurant menus, ordering this dish usually means you'll be getting a gratin of large shrimp that have been split, brushed with plenty of butter & garlic and then broiled. Some restaurants like to serve it over pasta or rice. A famous chain of American seafood restaurants has long been known for its scampi. (You can even get Red Lobster's copycat scampi recipe by clicking here.)

My recipe below is not "authentic" shrimp scampi from any particular menu, it's simply my improvised, lighter version. The meal is satisfying yet healthy. Garlic, olive oil, fresh parsley, and seafood--all good stuff. You can make it even healthier by using a spinach, whole wheat, or low glycemic index pasta. When I make it, my husband inhales bowls of it, and I hope you enjoy it, too...

Cleo Coyle's (Healthier)
Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair

Servings: about 4

Ingredients:

20-24 Large Shrimp (fresh or frozen)

16 ounces pasta (1 box is usually 16 oz or 1 pound)

5 tablespoons olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1/4 cup dried, but fresh tastes better!)

1/4 cup Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs (I use Progresso or 4C brand)

1/2 teaspoon oregano (dried is ok here)

(Optional finishers) Freshly ground pepper; a quick squeeze of fresh lemon wedge (or a bit of lemon zest grated over the top); sea salt; or freshly grated Pecorino Romano. Directions:

(1) First clean and peel your shrimp. (If using frozen, defrost first.) Then make your pasta according to the package directions. I like angel hair but any pasta will work. (To make this dish even more healthy, try spinach, whole wheat, or a specialty pasta with a low glycemic index.) Drain well and set aside.

(2) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Throw in the chopped garlic cloves and saute for a minute or two. Toss in
your shrimp. When the little fellas begin to turn pink (3 to 5 minutes, do not overcook or shrimp will be tough and rubbery), stop the cooking. Leave the oil in the pan but take out the shrimp and the garlic and set aside.

(3) Add the butter to the pan. When the butter melts, add your drained pasta to the pan, rolling around to coat well with the oil and butter. Toss in the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, parsley, and oregano, and put your shrimp back into the pan to warm again.

(4) There is no need to add the chunks of garlic back in because the garlic has already imparted its flavor to the oil. However, if you really like garlic (as we do), then throw it back in there, baby! Toss all ingredients together and serve! Finish: Although there is much debate about whether to serve seafood pasta dishes with cheese, I do enjoy grating some nice, salty Pecorino Romano over the top. Freshly ground pepper is also nice on this dish and/or a squeeze of lemon.

Eat with joy!

To get more of my recipes or to learn
about the books in my
Coffeehouse Mystery series,
visit my official Web site:
http://coffeehousemystery.com/

Till next time,
~ Cleo Coyle

author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries
www.CoffeehouseMystery.com

Comments welcome!

Southern Sides in a Snap: Corn Pudding

First—congratulations to Helen K.!

Helen K. suggested our next Secret Ingredient for the Mystery Kitchen Iron Chef! She’s won a $25 chocolate gift from Fannie May Chocolates. What was the secret ingredient? Find out during our next Iron Chef week in late February!

Last week I featured a really easy side item…Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese. I thought I’d post another easy Southern side dish that can be pulled together in a hurry—corn pudding.

Corn has always been a Southern staple. We love it on the cob (with lots of butter and salt.) Dishes like Lowcountry Boil (see below) include corn alongside the sausage, shrimp, onion , and potato. And my favorite thing as a kid were corn muffins and cornbread (again…dripping with butter!) Oh…and grits are made from roughly ground corn.

This corn pudding is a weeknight favorite for the family. It takes no time to prepare and the kids love it. You could make this dish less fattening by substituting some egg substitute and some low-fat sour cream. We have the fattening version here. :)

Quick and Easy Corn Pudding

2 eggs, beaten
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 package cornbread mix
1 stick melted margarine
1 cup sour cream

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Combine all the ingredients and bake at 375 degrees for 30--35 minutes.

For a creamier version, use the same recipe but use a small sized can of creamed corn and a small sized can of whole kernel corn.

********************************************

Sometimes I think that I’ll make this recipe with fresh corn that I cut from the cob. Maybe even fresh corn that I grew myself! But then, well, it’s the simplicity and ease of this casserole that makes me continue cooking it this way. But one day? When I have a lot of time? I’ll be making this with my own fresh-cut corn and homemade creamed corn. One day! :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Pretty is as Pretty Dies –Elizabeth Spann Craig
Delicious and Suspicious (May 2010)—Riley Adams

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com

Quick and easy comfort food.

Deadlines, carpool, more deadlines,

email, laundry, more deadlines,
voice mail, PTO events, oh, and

yeah, DINNER!
After almost eleven years of marriage,

the Hub can spot an incoming wife

meltdown at forty yards.

Luckily, when he says, "Don't worry about dinner,
I've got it," it does not mean something served from
a styrofoam box or carton or paper wrapper.

Hub brings out the comfort food and one of his

specialties is:

Garlic-Paprika Chicken.

Ingredients:

Chicken quarters (4-6)
Paprika
Garlic salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

Directions:
Wash the chicken quarters and pat dry.
Place the chicken meaty side up in a lightly oiled
13 X 9 X 2 baking dish.
Rub the chicken with more oil, then generously sprinkle
with garlic salt, paprika and black pepper.
Bake at 350 for one hour or until the juices run
clear. Does it get any easier or more delish than
this?

Mom always said, "Marry a

man who can cook." Was she

ever right! Enjoy!!!

www.jennmckinlay.com

Jennifer McKinlay

SPRINKLE WITH MURDER

MARCH 2010

(Available for pre-order now)

aka Lucy Lawrence

STUCK ON MURDER

Sept 2009 (Available now)

CUT TO THE CORPSE

April 2010 (Available for pre-order now)

Congratulations to Helen K. I can't wait to use your secret ingredient!

Readers, there is so much cooking here at Mystery Lover's Kitchen, be

sure to check back often to see what we're stirring up next!

Caprese Flatbread

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

Helen K. suggested our next Secret Ingredient and because she did, Helen has won a $25 gift of chocolate from Fannie May Chocolates (mmm... my favorite!).

But... we here at Mystery Lovers Kitchen were so excited about *another* ingredient, submitted by our good friend and grill-guy, Dave, that we've been inspired to try something new. Stay tuned and we may have some surprises in store in the coming months. Thanks, Dave!

Helen - feel free to contact me at JulieHyzy(at)gmail(dot)com. Otherwise, I'll be in touch soon.

The fun part of this is that Helen suggested so many ingredients that I'm sure she doesn't even know which one it is! We'll reveal our Secret Ingredient during our next Iron Chef week. (Hint - late February.)

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog...

For my birthday a couple of months back, my family and I went out to one of our favorite local restaurants, Cooper's Hawk, which is also a wonderful winery. I love the place - good energy, fabulous service, consistently great food.

They had recently added some new flatbreads to the appetizer menu and we opted to try the Caprese version. Heck, we all love Caprese salads, so why not?

Was it fabulous? Oh, yes. My vegetarian daughter loved it most of all, and we've ordered it again and again...

But what to do between visits? I decided to try to make a Caprese Flatbread at home.

First of all, remember that you can change/adjust/eliminate/add any ingredients to suit your tastes. Feel free to build on this basic recipe. It's fun.

CAPRESE FLATBREAD

1 pkg frozen bread dough. (These usually come in packs of three. I defrost

one at a time, and then cut the loaf in thirds. One-third of a loaf makes a good-sized flatbread)

Fresh tomatoes, sliced

Fresh Mozzarella, sliced

Fresh basil leaves, chopped

Fresh garlic cloves, crushed and minced

Purple onion, sliced in to super-slim half-rounds

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Italian salad dressing

Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Knead, then roll out the 1/3 chunk of defrosted frozen bread dough. The last photo is of two 1/3 chunks, rolled out. The rolling can get a little bit frustrating because the dough really, really wants to stay in chunk form. But it eventually behaves. I intended to make nice, straight rectangles -- I wanted them to look just like the ones at Coopers Hawk -- as you can see, the shapes turned out more like paramecium =) I could have cut off the edges, but why? This was for my family and the more flatbread, the better.

Spray a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray and transfer the rolled-out dough onto the sheet. Combine olive oil (about 2 - 3 TBSP) with minced garlic. Brush the dough with it. Bake until the flattened bread begins to brown. Bubbles may form during baking, and you can just pop them with the sharp end of a knife or a fork. My bread took about 20 minutes to brown, but I would suggest you leave it in just a little bit longer.

Once it's nicely browned, bring it topside on your stove, and decide if you think it needs more olive oil/garlic. We love garlic, so we usually add a bit more. Add sliced mozzarella, tomatoes, onions and top with chopped basil leaves. Once it's all arranged and looks pretty, drizzle a little Italian salad dressing and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Return the flatbread to the oven and bake until edges start to crisp. In these photos, I didn't leave them in quite long enough and the edges are still a little

soft. They tasted great, but we discovered that we prefer them just a little bit more crispy.

As I mentioned, you can add any ingredients you prefer. Other cheeses, other herbs. I bet this would be fabulous with roasted peppers. Hope you have fun eggsperimenting!

(Sorry, couldn't resist throwing in a plug for Eggsecutive Orders! LOL)

Enjoy,

Julie

www.juliehyzy.com

Fig Newtons for Grown-ups!

I have to admit, I love Fig Newtons. Love them. But now that I'm celiac (meaning I can't eat gluten or wheat products), Fig Newtons from the package don't love me.

HOWEVER, I figured out how to make a gluten-free Fig Newtons for GROWN-UPS that are so melt-in-your-mouth delicious, they're hard to beat. And I used...get this...cheese! Cottage cheese. Yep, cottage cheese!

Experimenting...isn't it fun? Trying out a new recipe? Trying out a combination of things that just might work...and they do?

Last Saturday, I had a craving for coffee cake. I had the basics in the cupboard...except, I realized I didn't have sour cream. Well, cottage cheese and cream make sour cream...don't they? Sort of. I substituted. [ I've become such a cheese-girl since I started writing A Cheese Shop Mystery series!!]

Then I looked on the door of my refrigerator, saw Dalmatia Fig Spread [found at grocery stores and at Dalmatia.com], and I thought, how can I incorporate this?

I decided that jam IN THE MIDDLE of the coffee cake

might be great.

I added extra brown sugar. [Note: Brown sugar makes everything better!] AND VOILA.

Fig Newtons for Grown-ups!

[Second note: the cake can be sort of gooey, but licking your fingers is acceptable when eating Fig Newtons.]

Enjoy!!

FIG NEWTONS FOR GROWN-UPS!

Ingredients:

2 cups Pamela's Gluten-free baking mix

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp. Gluten-free vanilla

2/3 cup butter, melted

2 eggs, large

1 cup sour cream OR 2/3 cup cottage cheese and 1/3 cup cream (milk)

1/2 cup fig spread

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

Powdered sugar for the top

Directions:

Combine Pamela's mix, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, cheese, vanilla. Mix well.

Spread half of batter in an 8 x 8 greased pan.

Put dollops of fig spread on the batter.

Mix remaining sugars and spices. Sprinkle over fig spread.

Cover with remaining batter.

Bake 45-50 minutes.

Let cool for twenty minutes to "set".

Cut in 9 slices. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

BIG NOTE: This can be made with regular Bisquick and be just as delicious. It just won't be gluten-free!

Have a great week. I hope everyone is enjoying the new year, making goals, and keeping promises ! Love, laugh, believe.

~Avery

Welcome Guest Blogger - Barb Goffman!!

We here at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen are absolutely delighted to welcome Barb Goffman back for a special visit. Today Barb is here to talk a little bit about Malice Domestic (which is where I met Krista and Avery last year!) And, of course, she has a recipe to share, too!

Let me step aside now and allow Barb to jump in...

~ Julie

If you love mysteries, particularly traditional mysteries, take note: Only 96 days until Malice! Yep, just four months before Malice Domestic begins. On April 30^th, the largest annual fan convention devoted to the traditional mystery begins its 2010 adventure in Arlington, Virginia – right outside DC.

And an adventure it is. If you’ve been to Malice recently, you know the fun we’ve had. (Yes, as program chair, I’m biased, but I’m also right!) If you haven’t been to Malice recently, here’s a little bit of what you’ve been missing:

· Parnell Hall in drag, appearing as his character The Puzzle Lady

· Peter Lovesey sharing the hilarious results of his books being translated into Japanese

· Marcia Talley sharing all her dirty little secrets

· Carole Nelson Douglas morphing from Delilah Street into Midnight Louie

· The chance to snag an empty seat at your favorite author’s table and share a meal with her. (I had breakfast on the fly last year with Anne Perry!)

· Meeting mystery fans from throughout the U.S. and beyond. Perhaps you’ve heard from Doris Ann Norris, the 2000-year-old librarian, on listservs like DorothyL. At Malice you can meet her in the flesh.

· Sitting with your favorite author at the Agatha Awards dinner

· Learning how to kill with undetected poisons from The Poison Lady herself, Luci Zahray

· Hearing funny lady Elaine Viets lead this panel of comedians: Don Bruns, Jeff Cohen, Parnell Hall, and Pari Noskin Taichert

· Watching Sherlock Holmes face off against Hercule Piorot in the greatest-sleuth-of-all contest. (Sherlock won.)

· Learning CSI techniques from real-life technician John French.

· Attending a whirlwind charity auction run by Hank Phillippi Ryan and Pari Noskin Taichert and winning the chance to name a pet in Sandy Parshall’s next book

And here’s just some of what you’ll miss this year if you don’t attend:

· Mary Higgins Clark. Need I say more? The queen of suspense will be our lifetime achievement honoree, and she will be in the house.

· William Link. Don’t recognize the name? Well, maybe you’ll recognize these names: Columbo, Mannix, and Murder She Wrote. He co-created and produced them all and he’s this year’s Poirot Award honoree.

· A tribute to Ed Hoch. The man had nearly 1,000 mystery short stories published. His passing two years again was a real loss to the mystery world. This year his friends and family will gather to honor his memory.

· The return of some real fan favorites. Margaret Maron. Dorothy Cannell. Charles Todd. Carolyn Hart. Katherine Hall Page. Louise Penny. Donna Andrews. They’ll all be there, sitting on panels, signing books, chatting with fans. Maybe even with you.

· Some ladies from a little blog called Mystery Lovers Kitchen. Yep, Avery Aames, Krista Davis, and Riley Adams (aka Elizabeth Spann Craig) are all on the schedule.

· Rhys Bowen as toastmaster. If you’ve never heard this funny lady, well, you really shouldn’t deprive yourself of the treat.

· And last, but certainly not least, our guest of honor, Parnell Hall. He sings. He acts. He tells jokes. Oh yeah, he also writes great books and is a hell of a nice guy. You can meet him, but you’ve got come to Malice to do so.

So how do you do that? Simple. Go to www.malicedomestic.org/registration.html. You can register online or download the snail mail form. Then make your hotel reservation, arrange your transportation, and mark your calendar for April 30th – May 2^nd. And like me, you too can start counting the days.

Here’s a little something to keep you occupied while you wait for Malice: Our chair Verena Rose’s Seven Deadly Sin Salad.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh spinach, torn

1 medium head lettuce, torn

6 hard cooked eggs, sliced

1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 eight-ounce can of sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 ten-ounce package of frozen English peas, thawed

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

½ a package (four ounces) of buttermilk dressing mix

Optional ingredients

Sliced onion

Chopped fresh parsley

Grated cheese

Directions:

Layer the first six ingredients (plus onion, if desired) in the order listed above in a large salad bowl. Combine the mayo, sour cream and dressing mix and then mix well. Spread this mix over the top of the vegetables in the bowl, sealing to the edge of the bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley or grated cheese, if desired. Cover tightly and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Toss before serving. Yields 12 to 15 servings.

Hope you like the salad. If you’ve been to Malice before, we’d love to hear your favorite Malice memories. Please share! And if you’ll be a first-timer, we’d love to hear what you’re most looking forward to!

* * * * *

Barb Goffman is an Agatha Award-nominated author who toils as a lawyer by day to pay the vet bills at night for her miracle dog, Scout. (He had cancer three times, but now he’s cured!) She’s program chair of Malice Domestic and writes short stories in her spare time. Barb’s most recent story is “The Worst Noel” in The Gift of Murder and she’ll have a new story coming out in April in Chesapeake Crimes: They Had It Comin’, the fourth volume in the Agatha- and Anthony-award-winning Chesapeake Crimes series. Barb’s website is www.barbgoffman.com.

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

I was going to blame this blog on Jenn. (Jenn’s thinking -- Me? What did I do?) Well you posted about Rainy Day Cookies. And then CJ posted about Cold Weather Soup. So I was going to blame him, too. The truth, however, is that it has been very cold, and we had an ice storm last night that left everything coated in ice. Honestly, though the thermometer didn’t think so, it felt colder outside in the icy rain than it did when the temperature dropped into the teens last week.

So now you’re wondering why I have to blame anyone, right? Well, along with ice cream in the summer, this is a big weakness of mine -- pudding. There’s something about pudding that’s so soothing. I recommend it for days when romances break up, your sports team doesn’t win, rejections arrive from agents, and someone posts an unflattering review of your book. And then there’s the cold, wet weather thing, which justifies it almost anytime in the winter.


In THE DIVA PAINTS THE TOWN (which will be out on Groundhog Day), Sophie makes ooey gooey chocolate Mudslide Lava Cakes (the recipe is in the book) to sooth the nerves of her best friend Nina Reid Norwood. After all, Nina thinks she may have killed someone -- a problem no one wants to have! For some reason warm chocolate can fix all kinds of troubles. If chocolate doesn't fix them, it makes them more tolerable.

I won’t blame my craving for warm chocolate pudding on Jenn or CJ. But I do blame Mother Nature and her ice storm!

Homemade pudding is one of those things you can do in minutes. I’ve been know to whip it up late at night or fifteen minutes before company arrived. It’s very easy to make. You'll wonder why you ever bothered buying a mix. The basic ingredients -- milk, cornstarch, and sugar -- are probably in your kitchen right now. I’ve made lots of pudding over the years, but my favorite recipe came from Have Your Cake and Eat It Too, by Susan G. Purdy. She added corn syrup to recipe, and I still think it’s the best! I’ve monkeyed with it a hair so it’s not quite as low fat as her original recipe, but it’s still on the low fat side of the equation and has all the rich flavor we crave.

I’ve further simplified the whole process by using four tools: a heavy bottomed pot; a two-cup Pyrex measuring cup; a whisk; and a mini-whisk. No point in washing a lot of stuff!

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

2 cups nonfat milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus two tablespoons unsweetened powdered cocoa
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 - 2 tablespoons butter

1. Pour the milk into the Pyrex measuring cup.

2. Combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in the pot. Whisk together and get rid of any lumps. Use the whisk like spoon, it’s just more efficient in breaking up the lumps.

3. Pour the cold milk into the pot and whisk until blended. (Note that you still haven't turned on the stove!)

4. Measure the corn syrup in the same Pyrex cup. Add to the pot and whisk in.

5. Turn the burner to medium high and bring to a gentle boil, using the whisk as a spoon and stirring. You may need to turn down the heat when it begins to bubble. Cook so it gently bubbles, stirring with the whisk for one minute. It will thicken.

6. Remove from heat temporarily.

7. Break the egg into the same Pyrex cup and whisk with the small whisk (or a fork).

Drop a tiny amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg and whisk immediately to temper it. Add a little bit more and whisk. (This is so the egg won’t seize up and cook when it’s added to the warm liquid.)

8. Add the egg to the milk mixture and whisk in.

9. Bring to a gentle boil again and let cook for one minute, stirring the whole time.

10.Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and the butter.

At this point, you can spoon it into cups or little bowls. This is a great way to use those little cups that came with your china. Spoon the pudding into the cups, refrigerate until firm, and turn over onto a plate to serve. My great indulgence is to eat it warm, but it’s perfectly delicious cold, too. Serve with fruit or cookies -- or just plain!

If you prefer Vanilla Pudding, check out my very similar recipe 1234 Vanilla Pudding at my website.


PS to Jenn's and Elizabeth's kids --
Yes! You can make banana pudding with chocolate pudding . . .

~ Krista

Cold Day Soup by the "Brooklyn Knight" C.J. Henderson

Piers Knight—SWM, over 30, enjoys sushi, works in a museum...is the world’s only chance for survival...

Please welcome my friend and fellow foodie, the multi-published SF, paranormal, and mystery author C.J. Henderson. Tor books has just launched C.J.'s fantastic new paranormal urban mystery series: Brooklyn Knight. (You don't have to take my word for it. Check out the praise below.) ~ Cleo Coyle

Library Journal: "...Henderson revives the fast-paced action and smart, quippy dialog of the best pulp fiction in his urban fantasy debut, which features a truly likable hero, a resourceful and surprising heroine, and a plot that combines wizardly battles with today's headlines."

Hugo Award Winner Mike Resnick: "Brooklyn Knight is everything a thrilling old-time pulp adventure should be, but told with thoroughly modern skills. As urban fantasies go, Brooklyn Knight is as breathlessly exciting as they come."

William Shatner: "C.J. and I have worked together before on a series of books called MAN O’ WAR. I know his expertise, his storytelling ability and love of words. I believe you will enjoy this book every bit as much as I enjoyed working with him."

Hello, all, C.J. Henderson here. Since I've always seemed to have put eating scenes into my novels, this web site is just the perfect place for me. It's a wonderful idea, but for a moment I was a bit worried when I was invited to share a recipe from my latest book to hit the stores, Brooklyn Knight. This is the first book in a new series, and I don't really know the characters yet the way I do in some of my longer running series. Since the two main characters meet for the first time here, they take most of their meals in restaurants. What to do? Luckily, I remembered that this book does have one home-cooked scene in it...

Piers Knight is a touch older, a curator at the Brooklyn Museum and a long-time New York City resident. He initiates most of the eating in the story, and apparently he likes to eat out. But, his new assistant, Bridget Elkins, is a small town girl from Montana. When it falls to her to raid Knight's fridge and try to find something for them to eat, she makes soup. And, from what she says in the book, I know she's making a favorite of my family, one they insist on every other week in the fall.

Now, for those of you that end up reading the book, Ms. Elkins is like a lot of cooks. She doesn't mention one of the main ingredients. But, you know how it is when you want to impress someone with your cooking. However, no such tricks will follow. Here, for the first time ever, I present the full and complete recipe for...

Cold Day Soup

Ingredients:

Turkey or Chicken (note: we're talking bones, leftover scraps, feet and butts and all the stuff that's still on the cutting board after chopping or still on the platter after a meal. Remember, dried out, tough scraps of meat left on bones make great soup)

Ham (note: same as above. Yes, you can go to the store and just grab a slice, or you can use the bone or the shank from some dinner where you put out a whole ham) Amount of meat left up to chef. For me, the more bones, the better.

3 pounds Potatoes (dealer's choice. Eastern potatoes are the safest. If you like something better, you can't hurt this soup by changing the type of potatoes)
1 head Celery
2 pounds Onions
1 small head Cabbage
2 pounds Carrots

Instructions:

NOTE: First off, understand that all quantities above can be raised or lowered without substantially altering the taste. 5 pounds of potatoes instead of three and only half a head of cabbage ... makes very little difference. This is a "grandma" soup, the kind of thing that you make out of what you have. The work here is not so much in the preparation as it is in the endurance of cooking to completion.

(1) First, in the biggest pot (or two) you have, get your bones and meat inside, covered with water, and get them to boiling. It takes a good while to soften and loosen all the meat on the bones, and certainly a while to start dragging the flavor of the marrow out of the bones. So, meat in pot, water on meat, pot on stove and let the simmering commence.

(2) Second, at your leisure, it's time to clean and chop the vegetables. You can easily let the meat slow boil for an hour before you throw in the rest. The cabbage is the hardest to get to break down after the meat, so it should go in first. After that, it's as-you-like-it.

(3) You're not going to be serving the veggies with the soup, this is mostly a broth only dish, so size of chunks is up to you. Your job is to get the water and the meat/bones simmering. Then, you clean and peel and chop and throw in the veggies. After that, the waiting game begins. Once the soup has everything inside and has come to a boil once more, turn down the fire to where it will keep a mild boil going, and then let it sit and cook. Check it every twenty, thirty minutes. Stir, see what's happening in the pot. After two hours a lot of juice should have boiled away. Let the soup cool a while, because you're going to have to take a spoon and get the grease off the top. It's the ham. It's going to leave too much grease floating on top for most people. So, you'll take a spoon and, as it begins to congeal on the top, you'll get it out of there before it ends up in your family's bowls.

After that, it just heat and serve. And, salt to taste (or let folks do it at the table--you know how salt conscious everyone is these days)

And, here's that next day note: If you're willing to do the work, once all those left-over soup stuff has cooled, go through it and pull out the potatoes and the meat. The meat will be soft and filled with good soup juice. Throw the cabbage, onions and carrots away because they'll be too mushy to be of any good. But, the meat and potatoes will fry up into something that, with a little salt and pepper will make everyone happy.

Thanks again for joining us today, C.J.! To find out more about C.J., his new series Brooklyn Knight, or his other books, visit his official web site by clicking here.

Our Iron Chef Contest Continues! Send us your idea for our next "Secret Ingredient" and you could win a great prize! Send your suggestions to MysteryLoversKitchen@gmail.com. One entry allowed per person, per day. The winner will be chosen among blog followers only, so if you're not following yet, be sure to click one of the "follow" buttons in the right column. We'll be choosing the next winner very soon! ~Cleo

Comments for C.J. Welcome!

One for the Kids, Busy Moms, and a Crowd: Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Now this is a Southern-style recipe, everybody. Translation: fattening. I’m positive that there’s a low-fat Deep South cookbook out there—unfortunately, mine all date from the 1950s and 60s when a stick of butter here and there was nothing to worry over.

I was also on the rotation yesterday evening for food preparation at Room at the Inn at Sardis Presbyterian church. Our church hosts the homeless one night each week, offering a warm, safe place to sleep, and supper and breakfast before transporting them to the Urban Ministry Center the following day.

I needed a lot of mac and cheese. Another lady and I were in charge of macaroni and cheese for 22 people. I doubled the recipe below. It doubles easily, which makes it perfect for any functions you need to bring a side dish to.

And I have hungry kids, too. All the time. So I added a little extra for my family to have before I took the container to the church.

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

1 8-oz pkg macaroni noodles (uncooked)
1 large can evaporated milk
1 1/2 C regular sweet milk
1/4 C melted butter or margarine
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can cheddar cheese soup
3 C grated cheddar cheese
2 t oil

Cook macaroni, according to package directions. (Although 8 oz doesn’t seem like much when you’re cooking it, the noodles plump up when you cook them in the slow cooker.) Drain. Mix cooked noodles with 2 teaspoons of oil and mix well. Mix remaining ingredients, except for 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Put noodles in the crock pot, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the noodles (to put on top later). Pour the mixture over the noodles. Top with the remainder of the cheddar cheese and noodles. Cook 4-6 hours on low (you might want to check it after 2…depending on your slow cooker. Don’t want the edges to start browning.

It will be a little gushy when you get it out. Okay, a lot gushy. But as it sits, it’ll improve.

Our cat, Shadow, watched me as I cooked. He thinks macaroni and cheese would be excellent for felines, too. :)

Soon we'll be announcing our next winner in our Secret Ingredient contest. It's not too late to send us your ideas and you could win .... chocolate!

Send us your suggestions at MysteryLoversKitchen@gmail.com and sign up to follow our blog. It's that easy. We'll be choosing the next winner very soon!