"Cake Pan" Dutch Babies by Cleo Coyle

Looking for a fun breakfast or brunch? A Dutch Baby, also known as a Bismarck, German Pancake, or David Eyre's Pancake is a lovely idea. (Eyre said he found the recipe in a 1919 cookbook and Craig Claiborne popularized it by printing it in The New York Times back in 1966.) This giant pancake is quick, easy, dramatic (and thus fun for kids). I actually call it my "Poor Girl's Soufflé" because the ingredients are so common, the method so simple.

There are many variations of this pancake out there. Some recipes tell you to use a blender. In my opinion, you don't need one. A hand whisk is all I've ever used to blend ingredients. Some recipes tell you to use a big, cast iron skillet. You don't need one of those, either.

While I often use an *oven-safe* skillet for this recipe, I began to worry (as I considered this post) about the occasional cook out there who may not have a truly oven-safe skillet in his or her cupboard.

Because a Dutch Baby is really just a giant popover, there is no artificial leavening (baking powder or soda). A preheated pan in a very hot oven is what makes the pancake rise (via steam), and there are far too many pans out there that are not oven safe (their handles, for instance, will melt in a very hot oven).

What to do? Well, I reasoned that almost every kitchen has a cake pan in its cupboard and cake pans are certainly safe to place in a screaming hot oven. Hence the unique "Cleo" name of my recipe for you today...

Cleo Coyle's
"Cake Pan"
Dutch Baby

For a PDF version of this recipe that you can print, save or share CLICK HERE





Makes 1 giant Dutch Baby pancake for a 9-inch cake pan

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk (or whatever you have on hand - I've used lowfat and half-and-half!)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (feel free to experiment with other flavorings: cinnamon, vanilla or almond extract, orange zest, or my "Cappuccino" Dutch Baby, see below**)
3 Tablespoons of butter (salted or unsalted, I've used both)

Finish with:

Classic topping: Lemon juice from freshly cut lemons
and confectioner's (icing) sugar (see my "Coffeehouse" musings on this flavor combination at the end of this recipe :-)

Other topping ideas: Maple syrup, fruit syrup, honey, whipped cream, fresh berries, yogurt, or a squeeze from an orange wedge

Method:

Step 1 - Screaming hot oven: First place a cake pan in your oven. Then preheat your oven to 450° Fahrenheit. (Note: If you have an older oven, you may need to preheat your oven for a good 30 minutes to get a true reading of 450°-- to read my post on whether your oven is lying to you, click here.)

Step 2 - Whip up batter: Using a simple hand whisk, blend your eggs, milk, flour, salt, and flavoring(s). Set aside.

Step 3 - Melt the butter: When your oven is fully preheated and your cake pan hot, put on an oven mitt and remove the cake pan from the oven. Throw in your 3 Tablespoons of butter and quickly swirl the pan so the butter does not brown or burn. When most of the butter is melted (not all just most), pour in your Dutch Baby batter.

Step 4 - Bake and serve: Place the pan bake in the hot oven and bake for 7 or 8 minutes. You may need an extra minute or two, depending on your oven. You should see a dramatic rise in the pancake as in my photos. Remove the pancake from the pan to a serving dish and finish with (depending on your flavorings...) a classic squeeze of lemon and a generous dusting of confectioner's sugar (aka icing sugar). Or you might be finishing it with a squeeze of orange and confectioner's sugar. Or a drizzle of sweet, warm maple syrup; your favorite honey; or whipped cream and fresh berries, or whatever strikes your gastronomic fancy.

Variation...

**Cleo's Cappuccino Dutch Baby

In Batter Ingredients -

(Replace 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg with...)

3 Tablespoons cofectioner's sugar
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Finish with...

A dusting of 3 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Cleo's final
"Coffeehouse" musings...

The first time I tried a German pancake was years ago on a long driving trip with a group of friends across the state of Pennsylvania, where I was born and raised. We stopped at a pancake house, and my friends, who were used to pancakes with whipped butter and maple syrup, blanched at the thought of lemon and powdered sugar as a topping on any pancake. Are you kidding?

But this made absolute sense to me because I knew of old Italians who liked to drink their espressos with this flavor combo. They would rub the rims of their demitasse espresso cups with lemon, encrust them with granulated sugar (by inverting on a dish, just as you'd encrust the rim of a margarita glass with salt). They would then fill their cups with hot espresso and sip their java through the lemon-sugar. (BTW - This is not an authentic Italian method of drinking espresso. As far as I know, this lemon-sugar method arose among Italian-American immigrants.)

Consequently, the idea of lemon-sugar sounded wonderful to me. And it was :-) The classic lemon-sugar Dutch Baby topping is still my favorite. I find it so much lighter and refreshing than traditional maple syrup. My husband and I often share a big Dutch Baby in the morning, simply cutting it in two. You can also cut it like a pizza, into four wedges, and share it with others as part of a larger breakfast spread.

Eat with joy!

~Cleo Coyle

author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To get more of my recipes or to find out about the books in my nationally bestselling Coffeehouse Mystery series, visit me at my official website:
www.CoffeehouseMystery.com

Coming
August 2010

Roast Mortem

by Cleo Coyle

MY WEEKLY
COFFEE DRAWING

This Monday

May 17th

LIVE!

at
7 PM (Eastern Time)

Enter or learn more at...

www.CoffeehouseMystery.com

And now our contest news...

Congratulations to Stacy from Louisville!
You've won Riley's Williams-Sonoma’s Ultimate
Grilling Rub Collection!!!

Here's your chance to enter
Julie Hyzy's May Contest!


Julie’s first book in the Manor of Murder Mystery series, Grace Under Pressure, debuts June 1st! To help launch the book and to celebrate its release, she's running a very special contest: Pre-order Grace Under Pressure any time before May 31, 2010, and you're eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Mystery Lovers Bookshop! (and if you've already pre-ordered, you just need to let Julie know!) No receipts required. Just email Julie at JulieHyzy@gmail.com with the date that you pre-ordered and the name of the bookstore you ordered it from, and your name goes in! (Please put "CONTEST" in the subject header. Thanks!)
Here are a few helpful links to get you started: Mystery Lovers Bookshop (free shipping on book orders over $10!) - The Poisoned Pen (my local mystery bookstore) - Barnes & Noble - Amazon.com







Comments for Cleo welcome.
Just hit the "comments" hot button below...

Cinco de Mayo Redux!

I decided that, with a holiday as fun as Cinco de Mayo, we should just keep on celebrating here at the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. Seis de Mayo? Hmm. Unfortunately, I took French in school, so my Spanish is all dependant on Sesame Street viewing from about 35 years ago. If you missed it, see Jenn’s great post yesterday on the history of Cinco de Mayo.

Our family loves tacos! And with my sneaky recipe below, I’m even able to include black beans in the mix and my kids aren’t even aware they’re there! Black beans are fantastic for you—they lower cholesterol, they’re chock-full of protein and fiber, and are loaded with antioxidants, too.

And…my husband and I love margaritas. :) This one is a little girly-looking for my hubby, but as long as we’re not out in public and it doesn’t have an umbrella stuck in it, he’s happy to indulge!

Pink Lemonade Margarita

2 cups crushed ice

1 cup pink lemonade

¼ cup cranberry juice

¼ cup tequila

½ lime squeezed

Combine and mix in blender or cocktail shaker

Easy Taco Dinner

1.25 pounds ground beef

1 package taco seasoning (the seasoning I bought called for tomato sauce and water, so be sure to follow your seasoning instructions)

8 oz tomato sauce (if called for by seasoning packet)

¼ cup water (if called for by seasoning packet)

8 oz can corn kernels

8 oz can black beans

Flour tortillas

Brown ground beef. Skim off fat. Add taco seasoning and mix for 1 minute. Add water, tomato sauce, corn, and beans. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Heat flour tortillas in the microwave.

I bought Archer Farms steam in the bag Spanish Rice as a side dish

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

And now our contest news...
Congratulations to Stacy from Louisville!
You've won Riley's Williams-Sonoma’s Ultimate
Grilling Rub Collection!!!

Here's your chance to enter Julie's May Contest!

Julie’s first book in the Manor of Murder Mystery series, Grace Under Pressure, debuts June 1st! To help launch the book and to celebrate its release, she's running a very special contest: Pre-order Grace Under Pressure any time before May 31, 2010, and you're eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Mystery Lovers Bookshop! (and if you've already pre-ordered, you just need to let Julie know!) No receipts required. Just email Julie at JulieHyzy@gmail.com with the date that you pre-ordered and the name of the bookstore you ordered it from, and your name goes in! (Please put "CONTEST" in the subject header. Thanks!)

Here are a few helpful links to get you started: Mystery Lovers Bookshop (free shipping on book orders over $10!) - The Poisoned Pen (my local mystery bookstore) - Barnes & Noble - Amazon.com

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Felicidades!

First a little history: The holiday of
Cinco De Mayo, The 5th Of May,
commemorates the victory of the
Mexican militia over the French army
at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is
primarily a regional holiday celebrated
in the Mexican city of Puebla
and throughout the state of Puebla, with
some limited recognition in other parts of
Mexico, and especially in U.S. cities with
a significant Mexican population.
It is not Mexico's Independence Day,
which is actually September 16.
This year is especially important as Mexico will be celebrating its bicentennial!

And now onto the food! First off, we have the Hub's wonderful
tequila-lime salsa. If you missed it last time, it's worth checking
out. I am a salsa snob, and I have to say the Hub's is the best
I've ever tasted! Also, we have my very own enchilada casserole.
This is a fabulous dish to whip together using chicken, turkey or
beef. It's easy and delicious!

Another recipe I like to use because of its versatility is one for
a quick oven baked quesadilla. It can be made with chicken or
beef, I tend to use beef, and my favorite part of making it is
shopping for the ingredients. My sons and I like to shop at the
Ranch Market in Phoenix. It's a wonderful market that always
makes me feel as if I'm in Mexico (but the drive is much shorter).
The dudes and I spend a lot of time in the tortilleria,
watching the tortillas being made and then it's on to the
meat counter for our carne asada. I enjoy so much about the
Hispanic culture in the Southwest. The art and history of our
neighbors to the south is truly fascinating. And the food, well,
I am pretty sure I can never leave the Valley of the Sun, because I
simply can not give up Mexican food. I am addicted.

Oven Baked Quesadillas

Ingredients:

2 lbs carne asada, broiled and diced
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 whole wheat tortillas
pico de gallo
guacamole
sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put a tortilla flat on a baking sheet.
Layer on cheddar cheese and
carne asada, fold tortilla over.
Repeat three more times until
you have four folded tortillas.
Bake for 6-8 minutes until the
quesadillas are heated through
and crunchy on the outside.
Garnish with pico de gallo, sour
cream and guacamole
as desired. Makes 8.

FELICIDADES!
Jenn


And now our contest news...

Congratulations to Stacy from Louisville!
You've won Riley's Williams-Sonoma’s Ultimate
Grilling Rub Collection!!!

Here's your chance to enter Julie's May Contest!

Julie’s first book in the Manor of Murder Mystery series, Grace Under Pressure, debuts June 1st! To help launch the book and to celebrate its release, she's running a very special contest: Pre-order Grace Under Pressure any time before May 31, 2010, and you're eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Mystery Lovers Bookshop! (and if you've already pre-ordered, you just need to let Julie know!) No receipts required. Just email Julie at JulieHyzy@gmail.com with the date that you pre-ordered and the name of the bookstore you ordered it from, and your name goes in! (Please put "CONTEST" in the subject header. Thanks!)

Here are a few helpful links to get you started: Mystery Lovers Bookshop (free shipping on book orders over $10!) - The Poisoned Pen (my local mystery bookstore) - Barnes & Noble - Amazon.com

A Recipe for Fancy Fun

I promised you something special this week, remember?

This past weekend was my daughter's Prom Weekend and it was spectacular. I've posted boatloads of pictures on Facebook, so please be sure to stop by and take a peek.

In the meantime, however, I want to share a little of the fun with you. Don't worry, I've included a recipe too. But, as always, there's a story behind it. And there's a blast from my own prom past at the very end...

First we start with Friday night. Pictures at our house. I didn't count the number of kids, but I heard we had 27 all together. Add in parents, sibs, grandparents, neighbors and friends, and there were a whole lotta people here!

At right: The group in rainbow order.

Fortunately, the rain held off and we were able to take a few shots outside. We probably should have tried to do rainbow order again, but it didn't matter. Aren't they all gorgeous?

The kids decided to forego the traditional limo (there were just too many of them and they didn't like the idea of splitting up) and decided to rent a trolley instead.

(That's my daughter, and her friend) The prom was held at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. What a wonderful place for a party. I wonder what the fish were thinking?

This is one of my favorite pictures:

The trolley dropped them all back off here at about 2:00 AM. Boys went home and the girls stayed here for a sleepover. The boys were supposed to rejoin them here for breakfast Saturday morning before the group took off for new activities, but we only got 2 takers. You think maybe the boys decided to sleep in?

Altogether we had about 14 kids for breakfast (see, you knew I would bring food into play in this post, right?). We served bacon, eggs, sausage, hash browns, fruit, bagels, pancakes, muffins, and toast. I had planned to serve the spinach quiche too (this prom is for my veggie daughter, after all) but we really had *so* much food, and we were getting a bit busy preparing it all that I decided to forego the quiche for one day. We had it for breakfast Sunday instead. Yum!!

This recipe is from Eggsecutive Orders and if you enjoy quiche, you'll be sure to like this one. Although not difficult to prepare, it is a bit time-consuming (another reason why we decided not to serve it Saturday), and I found that pouring the 4 egg mixture over the top was just too much. I think 2 eggs would have been enough. But maybe I just didn't buy a deep enough deep dish pie crust. As alway, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

In the spirit of fancy ... whether it be for prom or for any celebration that inspires you to create a fun and delicious breakfast, you'll want to keep this quiche recipe handy!

Spinach Quiche

½ cup butter

3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and finely minced

1 small onion, trimmed, peeled, and finely chopped

1 pint fresh mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

4 ounces herbed feta cheese, crumbled

8 ounces good-quality Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

½ teaspoon Kosher or sea salt, or to taste

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 deep dish pie crust, unbaked

4 eggs

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onion. Stir gently and cook until onion is soft and slightly browned on the edges, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir until warmed through and reduced, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, feta cheese, and half of the Cheddar cheese. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Place mixture into unbaked pie shell.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended, add milk, whisk to combine well. Pour into pie shell over vegetable mixture.

Place filled pie shell on cookie sheet to keep it from overflowing.

Place into preheated oven. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes. Top quiche with remaining Cheddar cheese. Return to oven and bake for and additional 30 to 40 minutes. Quiche is done when the eggs are set and firm in the center.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Now... just for giggles, I'm including a pic from my prom oh-so-many years ago. My date's name was Iver and we went to his prom at St. Ignatius College Prep and to my prom at Maria High School. That was about the extent of our "dating" but I have fond memories of both events. He was a very nice young man.

How proms have changed. Back then I curled my own hair, used a little bit more mascara, and wore a dress I purchased on sale at Wieboldts. (Are they even in business anymore?) These days, it's so much more of an event. To be honest, as much work as it was to get the house set up for all the people, and to make breakfast for a dozen-plus kids, I really enjoyed every minute of the weekend. But I have to admit, I really loved the quiet of Sunday. And having that quiche all to ourselves was a nice treat!

But now it's time for me to turn the tables on you. Did you go to prom? Jump into the comments and share your fun (or horror) stories!

Julie

PS - I'm running the May contest (below) - I hope you take a look and consider entering!

_________________________________________

Julie's May Contest!

Julie’s first book in the Manor of Murder Mystery series, Grace Under Pressure, debuts June 1st! To help launch the book and to celebrate its release, she's running a very special contest: Pre-order Grace Under Pressure any time before May 31, 2010, and you're eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Mystery Lovers Bookshop! (and if you've already pre-ordered, you just need to let Julie know!) No receipts required. Just email Julie at JulieHyzy@gmail.com with the date that you pre-ordered and the name of the bookstore you ordered it from, and your name goes in! (Please put "CONTEST" in the subject header. Thanks!)

Here are a few helpful links to get you started:Mystery Lovers Bookshop (free shipping on book orders over $10!) - Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore (my local bookstore - autographing available) - Barnes & Noble - Amazon.com

Speaking of contests... we have a winner for Riley's April contest! Congratulations to Stacy from Louisville! You've won the Williams-Sonoma’s Ultimate Grilling Rub Collection. We hope you enjoy it and thanks so much for entering the contest. We'll be emailing you soon with more information. Thanks!

Goat Cheese Brownies

We have a winner for Riley's April contest! Congratulations to Stacy from Louisville! You've won the Williams-Sonoma’s Ultimate Grilling Rub Collection. We hope you enjoy it and thanks so much for entering the contest. We'll be emailing you soon with more information. Thanks!

And now...

I just had the most wonderful time at the Malice Domestic Mystery Conference in Virginia. I met all sorts of wonderful readers and authors. What a blast! [For pictures of the conference, check out my website and view the slideshow: Avery Aames. Most of the pictures of are my Sisters in Crime Guppies pals. ]

For the event, I made a treat for some of my girlfriends and my editors (and other important people) and thought I'd share that recipe today.

As a girl, one of my favorite things was making brownies. Not eating them. Making them. I remember the bowls, the spoons to mix with, the smell of other kitchen. From brownies, I moved on to chocolate cream pies. I tried to turn making pies into a neighborhood business. I made these incredible pies (all with mixes, of course--chocolate pudding, chocolate chips, graham cracker crusts, Dream Whip) and sold them to my neighbors. I made a "fortune."

But it's the brownies that got me started. Now, because I need to eat gluten-free, I make brownie mixed from scratch. I use my own flours that aren't wheat (like rice flour, potato starch, etc.) and I stumbled upon this incredible brownie recipe. But I wanted to add cheese to it. I saw a Food Network show about brownies with goat cheese, and thought, aha! Yes. To make it my own, I added ground coffee. Oh, yum! Something novel, fun, different.

Remember, this was an experiment. After making all the segments of the recipe, I looked at the cheese mixture and decided it was too "liquid" to add it to the brownies. I cut it in half and poured it on top, then cut it with the knife. It still looked liquid, but it baked like a dream. I made another batch this week and it came out the same. So it works. Enjoy!

GOAT CHEESE AND COFFEE BROWNIES

Ingredients:

Brownie:

7 oz. dark chocolate

2 sticks butter, unsalted

1 ¾ cup brown sugar

4 eggs [For gluten-free make this 3 eggs and 2 egg whites]

1 1/3 cup flour [For gluten-free make this 1 1/3 cup gluten-free flour plus 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan gum]

¼ tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup cocoa powder

Goat cheese topping:

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 oz. goat cheese [used Laura Chenel’s Chevre]

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons ground espresso coffee

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted.

In a large bowl combine sugar and eggs. Slowly stir into chocolate mixture.

Sift flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder into bowl and combine with chocolate and egg mixture.

Pour batter into a greased, 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

Whip together softened cheeses and sugar until smooth. Add coffee and stir.

Place large spoonfuls of mixture on top of batter and swirl with a butter knife.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until set. Brownies will still be gooey in middle

Let cool before cutting.

If you want to know more about

A Cheese Shop Mystery series and even become a "fan", check out my website by clicking this link:

Avery Aames.

___________________________________________________

Julie's May Contest!

Julie’s first book in the Manor of Murder Mystery series, Grace Under Pressure, debuts June 1st! To help launch the book and to celebrate its release, she's running a very special contest: Pre-order Grace Under Pressure any time before May 31, 2010, and you're eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Mystery Lovers Bookshop! (and if you've already pre-ordered, you just need to let Julie know!) No receipts required. Just email Julie at JulieHyzy@gmail.com with the date that you pre-ordered and the name of the bookstore you ordered it from, and your name goes in! (Please put "CONTEST" in the subject header. Thanks!)

Here are a few helpful links to get you started: Mystery Lovers Bookshop (free shipping on book orders over $10!) - Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore (my local bookstore - autographing available) - Barnes & Noble - Amazon.com

Welcome Guest Blogger Rich Sullivan!

Today I’m pleased to welcome author Rich Sullivan to the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen! Rich’s first book, The Secrets of the Unadilla, was published by Karen Hunter Media/Simon & Schuster in August 2009. Rich is a cook at the Veteran's Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Before that, he was a freelance writer and restaurateur. Thanks for coming by the blog, Rich!

Delicious Death

I think that my love of food and mysteries started when I was a very young and impressionable lad, sitting in my living room in Brooklyn, watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents on our little black-and-white, rabbit-eared television set.

I distinctly remember one episode: A woman bludgeoned her cheating husband to death with a frozen leg of lamb, then thawed it out, cooked it, and served it to the investigating detectives. The gumshoes could not find the murder weapon, and this puzzled them. Said one as he chowed down, “You know, it might be right under our noses!”

Thanks to the glory that is Google, I discovered that what I was watching on that ancient evening was an Alfred Hitchcock episode that aired on April 13, 1958. It was titled Lamb to the Slaughter, starring Barbara Bel Geddes and William Stone. It was written by Roald Dahl, he of Willie Wonka and married-to-Patricia Neal fame.

April 13, 1958? I was barely four years old. No wonder it traumatized me, and made me the way I am. The child is the father of the man!

When I doubled in age, and was now an urbane and sophisticated ten years old, I came down with some horrible childhood disease: the measles, the mumps, the chicken pox, whatever. I was bedridden for about a week, and my mom tried to keep me there by giving me a “grownup” book to read. She challenged me, saying that I would not have the patience to finish it. I took her up on her dare, fluffed my pillow, and plunged in.

The book was Dame Agatha’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. By now, I was wise to the ways of the world, so I knew who murdered Roger by the third chapter. No “mystery writer” was ever gonna mystify me!

Then I read Poirot’s explanation of what really happened to poor Roger, and I literally fell out of the bed. I can still remember how completely stunned I was at the denouement. I thought I was sharp, but this Agatha Christie was something else. When I got better, I went to the corner candy store, where they had a rack of Pocket Books that sold for thirty-five cents each. I saw another Christie, Crooked House, and bought that. I was now prepared for all this “surprise ending” stuff. Miss Agatha (I wondered what she looked like) was slick, but she was no match for me, now that I was hip to her game. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, and all that. I was out for literary payback!

Of course, I read the ending of Crooked House, and fell off the couch, or wherever I was sitting. I then surrendered unconditionally to Agatha Christie, but it was a sweet surrender. I know when I’m defeated!

Food and classic British mystery novels don’t match, because the British, like the Irish and the Scottish, don’t have a cuisine, a delicious dish (with one exception), unless you consider Heinz beans on toast, boiled potatoes, and haggis (Blecch!) “cuisine,” and I don’t, with apologies to my forebears. Whenever Christie mentioned food in one of her books (which was rarely), it was usually a throw-away line about the butler putting out a “cold supper” on the sideboard. I have no idea what a “cold supper” is, but it doesn’t sound very appetizing.

But I think Dame Agatha knew what she was doing. Too much emphasis on food would have ruined a classic Christie. I can’t imagine Poirot saying, “Before I summon all of you to the library to explain the truth, shall we order some Chinese food? Quick,Hastings,may I see a take-out menu?”

Long ago and far away, I owned a restaurant, and the following was one of the most popular items on our bill of fare. It is the abovementioned exception to the bland-as-a-British-blancmange rule. Like Agatha Christie, it is a classic, though I’ve tweaked it a bit, to make it less caloric. I hope you try it, and enjoy it. As Poirot would say: “Bon Apetit!” As Miss Marple would say: “It reminds me of a dish my Aunt Shirley used to make.”

FISH AND CHIPS

Serves Four

(Remember: Cooking is an art, baking is a science. Feel free to improvise.)

2 lbs. scrod (Scrod works best. Sole is too delicate, halibut is too expensive!)

About 15 small red potatoes

High-quality olive oil

About a half-cup of bread crumbs

Three pats of butter

Dried herbs, with the exception of nutmeg or allspice (Now is the time to put to use all those little bottles you’ve got sitting sadly on your “spice rack”: oregano, thyme, garlic salt, tarragon, rosemary, whatever.)

Salt and pepper

One fresh lemon (a must!)

Put the scrod on your working surface, and run your hand down it. If you feel any bones, you can either pick them out with a tweezers, or just take a knife (the bones run in a row), and slice them out.

Slice the scrod into roughly three-inch pieces. Scrod filets are like a long triangle—the pieces won’t be the same size, but that’s okay.

Take about a tablespoon of olive oil in the palm of your hand, and smear it on a baking dish big enough to hold the fish.

Place the fish in the pan. Drizzle just a little bit of the oil on top of each piece, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, and a few dashes of salt and pepper. Cut the butter pats into little pieces, and place one or two on top of each piece of fish. Then put the pan in the fridge, while you make the potatoes.

Cut the potatoes in half or in quarters, depending on their size. Put them in another baking pan. Again, drizzle them with no more than a tablespoon of olive oil. Then, working with your hands, add a bit of water, and mix the potatoes until they are all lightly coated. Put about a quarter-inch of water in the pan, too.

Then add your dried herbs, but go gently! Mix everything up. Turn on the oven to 350.

Put the potatoes in the oven, and cook for about twenty minutes. When you see that they are starting to get brown and crispy, take them out, and flip them over, then put them back.

Now put the fish in the oven. The fish cooks very quickly. Keep an eye on it!

When the fish turns white and the bread crumbs are a little bit browned, take it out of the oven. By then, the potatoes should be done, too.

Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze it all over the fish. Serve. Enjoy!

P.S. A bit of freshly grated cheese tossed onto the potatoes at the very end is delicious!

Folks, it’s been a pleasure. Thank you, Elizabeth. May your little grey cells continue to be fruitful, and multiply!

And thanks to you, Rich, for sharing that great Fish and chips recipe!

Julie's May Contest!

Julie’s first book in the Manor of Murder Mystery series, Grace Under Pressure, debuts June 1st! To help launch the book and to celebrate its release, she's running a very special contest: Pre-order Grace Under Pressure any time before May 31, 2010, and you're eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Mystery Lovers Bookshop! (and if you've already pre-ordered, you just need to let Julie know!) No receipts required. Just email Julie at JulieHyzy@gmail.com with the date that you pre-ordered and the name of the bookstore you ordered it from, and your name goes in! (Please put "CONTEST" in the subject header. Thanks!)

Here are a few helpful links to get you started: Mystery Lovers Bookshop (free shipping on book orders over $10!) - Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore (my local bookstore - autographing available) - Barnes & Noble - Amazon.com