Welcome Guest Blogger Lisa Bork!

Today, we welcome mystery author Lisa Bork to the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen! Lisa’s book, For Better, For Murder, is the first of the Broken Vows series. For Richer, For Danger will be coming out September 2010.

My husband and I used to love to eat out two or three times a week, especially if we were trying a new restaurant. But with the current state of the economy, plus two kids who no longer order from the children’s menu, we eat at home most nights these days.

Now we love trying two or three new recipes each week to see if they are worthy of becoming “old standbys.” This blog is a great discovery for us!

My husband discovered this recipe for pork tenderloin at our grocery store, and we have prepared it for family dinners as well as for dinner parties, always to everyone’s delight. It quickly became an old standby because it tastes delicious, never turns out poorly, and has a heavenly aroma. Applesauce makes a great complement.

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Stew Vegetables

Serves 3-4

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

1 (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lbs) boneless pork tenderloin

1 ½ cups small potatoes, halved

1 ½ cups celery cut in one inch pieces

1 ½ cups carrots cut in one inch pieces

2 medium onions, quartered

4 T. pure olive oil

1 T. spicy brown mustard

3 T. unseasoned bread crumbs

Pinch each of dried Tarragon, Basil, Savory, Thyme, Rosemary, Fennel, and Lavender, mixed together

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place vegetables in shallow baking dish and toss with 3 T. olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes.

Season pork with salt and pepper. Rub with mustard, spice mix, and breadcrumbs until well coated. Place pork on top of vegetables and drizzle with remaining oil. Roast 15 minutes.

Remove pan from oven, turn pork over, and stir vegetables. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook pork to internal temperature of 150 degrees, about 20min/lb.

Remove from oven; let rest 15 minutes. Serve with vegetables. Enjoy!

Thanks so much for visiting with us at the Kitchen today, Lisa! You can learn more about Lisa’s books by visiting her website, http://lisabork.com/books.html .

Who's Who at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen & Blondies!

Thanks to everyone for your congratulations and support this week. It's always exciting to have a new book out, but your wonderful enthusiasm about The Diva Paints the Town made it that much more special for me.



And now, to the question that has been torturing some of you -- who is who in the pictures?
















































































































Lesa, thanks again for awarding us your "Creative Liar" -- oops -- "Creative Writer" award. What fun! Now for my truths --

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

I did begin ballet lessons at the age of three. I am however, not particularly gifted at dancing! I danced as an imp in a high school production of Peer Gynt. The only dancing I have done at the Kennedy Center is waltzing in the lobby on New Year's Eve.

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

True! I was an assistant manager of the Sheraton Washington Hotel (now the Washington Marriott Wardman Park.). It covers 16 acres, has 1300 guest rooms, and convention halls so massive that trucks can drive into them. The sprawling complex includes the historic Wardman Tower, home to the likes of Presidents Hoover, Eisenhower, and Johnson, Marlena Dietrich, socialite Perle Mesta, and at least one spy. It was one of my very favorite jobs. Every day was different. I learned a lot about people at that job, which comes in handy for inventing interesting characters!

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

This is a total lie, though I was honored that Lesa thought it might be true! : )




And last, but not least, every Super Bowl party needs something sweet! In The Diva Paints the Town, Sophie bakes Blondies. I had a tough time finding just the right recipe for Blondies. After several attempts and serious tweaking, I settled on this recipe, which is chewy and flavorful.

Blondies

2 cups dark brown sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons heavy cream 

2 large eggs, lightly beaten 

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup large semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 baking pan.

In a medium size pot, melt the butter with the cream and the brown sugar over medium heat. (It does not need to boil.) Set aside and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Drop a spoonful of the mixture into the eggs and whisk to temper them, then add them to the warm mixture and mix well.

(You can stir the remaining ingredients in by hand but Sophie gets better results using her mixer at this point.) Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, stir in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the flour and the vanilla. It makes a fairly thick batter.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth. Sprinkle the chocolate bits over the batter. Pour the remaining batter over top to cover the chocolate and spread. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. For easiest cutting, cut while still warm, but leave in pan to cool.

Makes about 35 blondies.

ENJOY!

Don't forget about Jenn's fun new contest. Enter your suggestion for the name of a fictional cupcake and have your name and cupcake written into the mystery novel BUTTERCREAM BUMP OFF! (The sequel to SPRINKLE WITH MURDER, which just received a *Starrred Review* from Publishers Weekly!). Send proof of your pre-order of SPRINKLE WITH MURDER, along with your name and cupcake name to Jenn at jennmck@yahoo.com

IRON CHEF WINNER! Congratulations to Helen K. who suggested our next Secret Ingredient for the Mystery Kitchen’s Iron Chef contest! Helen 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! And keep reading our posts to find out how to enter our next contest!

~ Krista

Cleo Coyle: Frozen Pizza Doctor and Pizza Toppings Poll!

Super Bowl Sunday is almost here. In order, I am looking forward to (#1) the half-time show because I love, love, love The Who, Who, Who and they’ll be performing Live, Live, Live... (#2) all those crazy, creative commercials; and (#3) the game. 1 Plain Cheese Frozen Pizza

(The Steelers are my team and they’re not in it this year, hence the game has fallen in priority.)

So...what’s to snack on?! While there are loads of delicious ideas around our blog, I’m sure many households will simply order pies from a local pizzeria.

Oh, sure, pizza delivery is fast and easy, but those $$$ can really add up, and the convenience isn’t always worth it. If you’ve ever had a pie arrive cold at your door with toppings that are less than spectacular (canned mushrooms on your pie, yikes!), then consider my quick & easy prescriptions for doctoring frozen pizza. (Unless of course there’s someone in your house who wants to flirt with the cute pizza delivery person, in which case these ideas are moot!)

CLEO COYLE:FROZEN PIZZA DOCTOR
The patient: Frozen Pizza

The diagnosis: No Pizazz (ok, no groaning!)

The perscription (Rx): See options below...

FROZEN PIZZA DOCTOR Rx #1: Start with a good brand. My favorite is Mystic Pizza. Yes, the same “slice of heaven” that inspired the screenwriter of Julia Roberts’ 1988 movie. I’d love to know your favorite brand. Just leave a note in the comments section below.

(If you never buy frozen pizza, I’ve got you covered. Check out the wonderful homemade pizza crust recipe from our recent Guest Blogger, Mary Jane Maffini, by clicking here. Or try Julie Hyzy’s solution—Caprese flatbread by clicking here.)

FROZEN PIZZA DOC Rx #2: Best tip of them all. Drizzle olive oil around the rim of your frozen pizza before putting it into the oven. You want to drizzle it against the inside rim of the crust (not on the crust). During the high-temperature baking, the oil will seep into the crust and help keep it moist. It adds great flavor, too!

FP DOC Rx #3: Fresh mushrooms! Add 1 cup of fresh, sliced Baby Bella mushrooms to your frozen pizza. These young Portobellos are meaty and chewy—adding texture as well as flavor. Button mushrooms are fine as another option or mix your mushrooms. Sauté in olive oil and a bit of butter before putting on your frozen pie and popping it in the oven.

FP DOC Rx #4: Jimmy Dean Sausage. What?! Not Italian sausage? No. I'm not kidding here. A mild/sweet breakfast sausage is delicious on pizza! Break up about 1/3rd of the 1 pound package with your fingers into a pan on the stovetop; cook it through completely and drain the fat before spreading over the frozen pizza. You’d be surprised how many people assume that the sausage should be put on the pie raw. Not a good idea! Even if the raw sausage does cook through (and it probably won’t, given pizza’s quick bake time), you’ll end up with a lot of grease. So cook, drain, top, bake, and enjoy!
FP DOC Rx #5: Freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and leaves of fresh green basil. Just spread them on the top and bake. The floral fragrance of the basil cooking is really lovely. It brightens and enlivens a frozen pizza and takes no time at all.

Finally, I’d like to learn about your favorite pizza toppings. According to industry sources gathered by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, here are some favorites from around our planet…

Australia: shrimp and pineapple, BBQ
Brazil: green peas
Costa Rica: coconut
France: a combo called “Flambe” with bacon, onion, and fresh cream
Japan: squid and eel
India: chicken tikka, Tandoori chicken, pickled ginger
Netherlands: “double dutch” double cheese, double onions, double beef
Pakistan: curry

Russia: red herring
Saudi Arabi: Hold the pork—all meat toppings must be 100% beef!

CLEO'S PIZZA TOPPING POLL...

Click below to vote on what pizza
you would order if given this list.

Yes. This is my Doctored Mystic Pizza. It started out frozen in a box. We inhaled it last night. :)

Eat with joy!

~ Cleo Coyleauthor of The Coffeehouse Mysteries
www.coffeehousemystery.com/

To get more of my recipes or to learn more about the books in my two nationally bestselling mystery series, visit my official website HERE.

LIAR, LIAR: Still wondering what was true and what was false in our "Creative Writer Bald-Faced Liar's Award"? Congrats to Lesa Holstine for guessing the truth! My very first lie was true. I was a cub reporter at The New York Times and I did indeed interview a group of interfaith peace activists who were taken hostage by Nicaraguan rebels. They all came home, I'm glad to report, safe and sound!

TRUTH IN FALSEHHOODS: My other two lies were based on a bit of truth, which is the best way to consturct lies, as most writers know! My sister was indeed the Community Health Director for Bethel, Alaska, and I did visit her there and meet a female musher and her dogs, but I didn't participate in the Yukon-Kuskowkim 300 Dog Sled Race (although I wanted to)!Finally, although I did attend Carnegie Mellon U., my internship was in journalism (via American U. in Washington, D.C., and not in the creation of SF film concepts). I do love SF, however, and although I didn't contribute any ideas to the original, cutting-edge movie Tron, I'm adapting the screenplay of the upcoming sequel Tron: Legacy into a junior novel for Disney Books. Click here for an awesome Light Cycle ride!

A Side Order of Beer

First of all—Krista’s new book is out, y’all! It’s The Diva Paints the Town, is phenomenal, and you can buy it here.

It’s time for the big game! Everyone has their team jerseys on, a beer in one hand and a plate with assorted (preferably greasy) sundries in the other.

Super Bowl time is here, y’all. At least…I’m pretty sure it is because I saw Avery’s post on it. :) Unfortunately, I’m usually the clueless bystander in the room—doomed to cheer at inappropriate junctures for the wrong team and forever asking about ‘downs’ before immediately forgetting what they are again!

One thing I do enjoy about Super Bowl parties? The beer. Oh believe me, I do like wine, too…but let’s face it—it just doesn’t fit the Super Bowl spirit.

I usually end up bringing my own beer since I’m no fan of the light, American varieties that are usually popular at these venues.

Interested in trying different varieties of beers? The nice thing is that many stores that stock microbrews or international beers will allow you to make your own six packs of different bottles. It’s a great way to sample something new without committing to buying six of something you’re not sure you’ll even like.

Beer (although it’s subdivided into many groups); made of yeast, starch—like malted grain, water, and hops; can be divided into two different groups: pale lagers and ales. Did you know that it’s full of history, too? It’s believed to date back to 9000 BC and is even mentioned in the ancient writings of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Because I’m devoted to the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen readers, I have made the sacrifice to purchase different types of my most favorite kinds of beers. No thanks are necessary! Yes, I suffer for my art. :)

Lager: I’ll admit lagers aren’t my most favorite, but I know they’re very popular with most casual beer drinkers. They’re frequently lighter-colored and mild tasting. They’re fermented at a lower temperature and with a different yeast than ales are. The Brooklyn Lager to the left is a good one.

Ale: There are many different types of ales: Belgian, Scotch, and brown ales are among the most popular. They frequently taste sweeter than ales and can have an almost fruity taste.The Trappistes Rochefort is great…you just might want to consider halving it with a friend. It’s 9.2% alcohol.

Stout: Variations include imperial stouts, dry stouts, oatmeal stouts, even chocolate stouts. They’re very dark beers with highly roasted malts—Guinness is probably the best known of the stouts, and my personal favorite. Is Guinness good for you, as the ads have stated? I’m not so sure about its medicinal value, but it’s wonderful tasting.

Porter (in the stout family): Dark in color, porters are brewed with dark malts. I’m a fan of honey porters. In fact, I’m such a fan that I mistakenly thought I had one in the fridge to take a picture of. Oops! The picture to the right is Sierra Nevada’s honey porter. It’s a beer I enjoy, although I didn’t take the picture.

Wheat: As the name suggests, wheat beers are brewed with a large wheat ingredient and usually quite a bit of malted barley, too. Witte is a tasty wheat beer.

Enjoy the Super Bowl, and see if you can find a new drink to enjoy while you “watch” the game! :)

Now—on to Truth and Lies. :)

As y’all might remember, we were nominated by our friend, Lesa Holstine for the Bald Faced Liars award. Each of us came up with 2 big lies and 1 truth about ourselves, which posted on Saturday.

So….truth or lie?

1. Elizabeth’s grandmother was an extra in Gone with the Wind during the Atlanta fire sequence.---Lie! Although that would have been really cool.

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.-–True! What was I thinking? I remember being really little, winning Bingo and not wanting to say anything because there were so many grownups in the room!

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.—Oh, I lied about that, too. :) This lying can be fun!

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

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com

GREAT CONTESTS TO ENTER:

Love cupcakes? Love mysteries? Remember to enter your suggestion for the name of a fictional cupcake and have your name and cupcake written into the mystery novel BUTTERCREAM BUMP OFF! (The

sequel to SPRINKLE WITH MURDER).

Send proof of your pre-order of SPRINKLE WITH MURDER, along with your name and cupcake name to Jenn at jennmck@yahoo.com !

LET’S GET THE PARTY STARTED!!!

Congratulations to Helen K. who suggested our next Secret Ingredient for the Mystery Kitchen’s Iron Chef contest! Helen 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! And keep reading our posts to find out how to enter our next contest!

Name the Cupcake Contest!

Another release from the Mystery Lover's Kitchen:
Krista's The Diva Paints the Town
is OUT!!! Woo hoo. I can't wait to read it.

And now:

Liar, liar pants on fire!

So, here's what I said to earn my portion

of our Creative Writer Blog Award from Lesa:

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

False! Hub made that one up -- pretty good, yes?

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.

False! I'm six feet tall but a terrible ballplayer, although I love

the game I'm not very good at it.

3. My favorite mode of transportation is my Sector 9

mini-longboard (a skateboard).

True! The dudes and I take our boards out almost

every day. I am happiest when I am sidewalk surfing.

And now we roll into Shameless Self-Promotion!

I am taking a week off from posting recipes to

announce a contest to promote the release

of SPRINKLE WITH MURDER on March 2!

NAME THE CUPCAKE CONTEST!

Love cupcakes? Love mysteries?

Then enter your suggestion for the

name of a fictional cupcake

and have your name and your cupcake

written into the mystery novel

BUTTERCREAM BUMP OFF! (The

sequel to SPRINKLE WITH MURDER).

Simply send me proof of your pre-order of

SPRINKLE WITH MURDER

along with your name and your cupcake

name to jennmck@yahoo.com

LET’S GET THE PARTY STARTED!!!

CONTEST DATES: Feb 1 – Mar 2, 2010

(The winner will be drawn on March 2)

Have fun and good luck!!!

www.jennmckinlay.com

For a little eye candy, here's a
pic of some mouse cupcakes
I made for a birthday party.
Cute, yes?

Split Pea Soup and NEWS!

News first!!

Today is the official release day for Krista's newest book - THE DIVA PAINTS THE TOWN. I know I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I love this series!

I know Krista will be talking about it a bit more on Saturday, but I didn't want the day to pass without acknowledgment!

Congrats Krista!

My family loves split pea soup. I started the girls on it very young before they were old enough to think that eating something green was yucky. It worked for broccoli, salads, and other good-for-you foods, and now my daughters are all happy veggie eaters and they all love split pea soup. My youngest, the vegetarian, has been after me to come up with a version that doesn't use a hambone as its base, but I haven't managed that yet. Soon, I hope. And if it's a success, I'll post it here. But I can't imagine a great pea soup without delicious ham undertones....

Anyway, my mom was the one who first suggested I make this. I had no idea how. She told me to buy Jack Rabbit brand peas, and just follow the recipe on the back of the bag because it was the best. There was no way I believed that a recipe from the back of a cellophane bag would be any good, but it was fabulous. I've modified it a bit since then, but the Jack Rabbit recipe is still pretty excellent. If you need peas, pick up a bag of that brand and follow it to the letter. You won't be disappointed.

Here, however, is my modified version. I've added a bit more water, simmered a bit less time, eliminated an ingredient or two and traded garlic powder for fresh minced garlic.

Personally, I think this is the best pea soup on the planet. Perfect for this weather, perfect to serve at SuperBowl parties ("Soup"-erbowl ... get it?), and just great for bringing back that great feeling of home and warmth and comfort.

Split Pea Soup

16 oz bag of peas

2 chicken bouillon cubes

4 quarts water

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves crushed, minced

1 ham shank (or butt, if that's what you have)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

Carrots (I like the baby carrots that come cleaned and pre-peeled)

Wash peas and pick out any bad ones.

Combine peas, water, ham shank, onions, bouillon, oregano, pepper, bay leaf, and garlic in a deep soup pot. Bring to a gentle boil and then simmer for about an hour or so. Remove shank and trim any meat off (this is a great time to snack!). Cut this meat into bite-size pieces and return to the pot. Add carrots. Simmer again, uncovered, for about another hour and a half. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

I used to simmer it for 2 and a half hours the second time, but then the soup gets really, really thick. I like thick, but, this was a bit too much. Keep an eye on the pot after an hour and judge appropriate simmer time for yourself.

Yum.

Enjoy! This is a great soup to sip while reading mysteries. Trust me!

;-)

Julie

* * *

I'll bet you thought I forgot about the truth and lies.... and I almost did! Here's a reminder of what my "claims" were:

1 - FALSE - although I did buy a goldfish for my fraternity initiation, I did not have to swallow it! Whew!!

2 - TRUE - I have Synesthesia. My youngest shares this "affliction," but I wouldn't trade it away even if I could. Life is so colorful this way ;-)

3 - FALSE - Never met Christian Bale. Never tried to be an extra in Batman. But a lot of folks around here did try to get in and we know a few who succeeded.

Hope you're enjoying our "tall tales"!

Super Bowl Chicken Tortilla!

According to Krista's post on Saturday, I'm the first to reveal the lie in our Creative Writers "contest" (a.k.a. Bold Faced Liars). How mystery lovers love to lie, plant clues, subvert the truth. But in our own lives? Oh, yeah, it's fun for a blog. Thanks, Lesa, for having us come up with memories from our pasts.

My two lies and a truth. Here's what I shared on Saturday in Krista's post.

1: I played a murderess on a mystery cruise.

2: I attended the American Culinary Institute.

3: I performed a skit on stage with Robin Williams.

Now, many of you might know that I started out as an actress before becoming a writer. But I have also mentioned that I catered. So perhaps you had a hard time choosing which were the lies. Well, I might have catered, and I might love researching cheese for my book, and I adore cooking, but I am no gourmet. Rule out #2. That's a lie.

As for the acting. I was lucky enough to make a number of TV commercials and TV shows, like Murder, She Wrote. I did some small parts in a couple of movies. And I toured the country singing and dancing in Broadway shows like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Bells are Ringing. But I did not play a murderess on a mystery cruise. Rule out #1. That's a lie.

#3 is true. When I first started acting in Los Angeles, I joined a comedy group led by comedian Harvey Lembeck, rest his soul. He taught many actors how to improv on stage. My first day in class, I was thrown on stage with a rather chatty guy. It was all I could do to keep up with him, he was so talented, so funny, so exhaustingly kinetic. We made up dialogue as we went, and in the end, I came up with the punch line. The man was Robin Williams. A month later, he was cast as the lead in Mork and Mindy and the rest of his career is history.

And now...for this week's foodie fun!

Chicken tortilla!

The perfect meal for the Super Bowl is a casserole, and Super Bowl is this coming Sunday! Something hearty that can be eaten hot or cold. Great for men as well as women!

My mother gave me this recipe. Though she became a great cook, starting out in her marriage, she learned to follow directions off cans and boxes. I'm sure she found this on the side of a soup can or got it from one of her bridge-playing pals. Who cares? It's delicious and easy. And packed with cheese. Betcha can't eat just one portion!

Note: Best if cooked a day ahead and reheated, but cooking the same day is fine, too. You put it together like lasagna.

SECOND NOTE: USE A THROWAWAY 13 X 9 PAN SO THERE'S NO CLEAN UP!

Joanie's Chicken Tortilla

Ingredients:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, baked ahead, 1 hour, in foil.
1 chopped onion
2 (7-8 oz.) cans green chile salsa
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

12 corn tortillas, sliced in 1" strips

Directions:
Mix onion, salsa, soup, milk in a bowl. [Third note: this stuff will look like glop and unappealing. Don't worry. It makes a great sauce!]

In 13 x 9 pan, LAYER the following:

1 scoop sauce
half of the tortillas lengthwise and widthwise
half of the chicken
half of the sauce

REPEAT

Cover with shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake 300 degrees (a slow oven) for 2 hours.

To reheat, put in oven at 250 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Congrats to Helen K. who suggested our next Secret Ingredient for the Mystery Kitchen’s Iron Chef contest! Helen 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! And keep reading our posts to find out how to enter our next contest!

Lastly, check out my website and join my newsletter. I just gave away my first "newsletter" contest prize of a gift certificate to Williams Sonoma. Anyone signed up for the letter was eligible. You could be the next winner! Click this link: Avery Aames

Best to all.