Mystery Lovers' Kitchen

Comfort Orzo

2012-05-27T00:15:00.000-04:00

by Guest Edith Maxell/Tace Baker

Thanks for inviting me into the kitchen!

I'm thrilled that my debut mystery, Speaking of Murder, will be published by Barking Rain Press in September of this year. The book is being published under my alter-ego's name, Tace Baker.

In it, the murder of a talented student at a small New England college thrusts linguistics professor Lauren Rousseau into the search for the killer. Lauren is a determined Quaker with an ear for accents. Her investigation exposes small town intrigues, academic blackmail and a clandestine drug cartel that now has its sights set on her.

Convinced that that the key to the crime lies hidden in her dead student's thesis, Lauren races to solve the mystery while an escalating trail of misfortune circles ever closer. Her department chair behaves suspiciously. A century-old local boat shop is torched. Lauren's best friend goes missing and the unsettled relationship with her boyfriend threatens to implode just when she needs him the most.

Lauren doesn't cook, but her sister Jackie does, as well as her boyfriend, Zac Agnant. The following is the end of a scene.

I closed and locked the door behind me. My legs tingled with fatigue and the aftermath of fear. Wulu ran to his dish, back to me, back to the dish, and looked up with expectation on his face.

"Just a minute, Wu. Just give me a minute." I leaned against the door. I sank to the floor, knees up in front of me, groaning when my bruised and swollen knee bent too far for comfort. Wulu ran back, gave a little bark, and then licked my hand. My world was exploding. My head was, too, and I sank it into my hands.

The phone rang. I wanted to reach for it. My ebbing adrenaline fought with being too exhausted to move. I needed to call Natalia, report the incident on the house boat, have her see if Thomas was all right. Coming up with the energy to do that seemed beyond me, though. I closed my eyes for just a second. Just a minute to let the throbbing in my knee ease up.

After Lauren wakes up injured and cold in the dark, she listens to the voicemail and finds Jackie offering to bring dinner over. When Lauren asks what's on the menu, Jackie responds, "Comfort food. Orzo with sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and spicy chicken sausage."

I thought I'd share that recipe with you here. Does this sound like comfort food to you? And what about a mystery that includes linguistics, Haitian cooking, video editing, a heroin-smuggling ring, and small-town life?

Speaking of Murder Comfort Orzo

1/2 box orzo
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
1/2 c pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 c soaked and drained sun-dried (or dehydrated) tomatoes
1/2 c fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
Handful fresh basil, sliced
4 spicy chicken sausages, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1. Boil pot of water.

2. Add orzo and a pinch of salt.

3. Stir until boiling, then turn heat down but keep boiling, until al dente.

4. Add 1 T olive oil and garlic to large skillet over medium-low heat and saute until tender.

5. Add sliced sausages to skillet and brown on both sides.

6. Drain orzo, toss with olive oil, and add to other ingredients in skillet.

7. Add olives, both kinds of tomatoes, and basil.

8. Salt and pepper to taste.

9. Warm together and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese., red wine, a green salad, and a dose of mystery.

Speaking of Murder, a mystery featuring Quaker Linguistics professor Lauren Rousseau, will be published under Edith Maxwell’s pen name of Tace Baker in September, 2012, by Barking Rain Press. You can find Tace at www.tacebaker.com, http://www.facebook.com/TaceBaker, and @tacebaker.

Edith Maxwell also writes the Local Foods Mystery series, featuring organic farmer Cam Flaherty and the Locavore Club. A Tine to Live, a Tine to Die will be published by Kensington in the spring of 2013. She has also had short stories in two Level Best anthologies and elsewhere. Edith blogs at www.edithmaxwell.com, posts at www.facebook.com/EdithMaxwellAuthor, and is at @edithmaxwell.

Lucy Burdette's Memorial Day Stuffed Mushrooms

2012-05-26T00:30:00.000-04:00

Before I get into the food and party aspect of Memorial Day weekend, we should pause to think about what it really honors, right? The day was originally set aside to honor the men and women who died while at war defending our country. Here's a little poem that says it all:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies. Moina Michael, inspired by In Flanders Fields

This day makes me think of my father, who didn't perish at war, though he considered his service as an engineer in the army during WWII to be one of the most meaningful times of his life. (And he had a long one, dying this past January at the age of 89--and we miss him dearly.) Here he was (top right), getting ready with the 1057 Corps of Engineers to head into France, just before D-Day.

So, our heartfelt thanks to all those who lost their lives...or had them changed by the experience of war.

Okay so, the other reason we celebrate on Memorial Day is that it launches the summer season--hooray! Chances are you might be hosting a party. Or at least going to one...and you've probably politely offered to bring something, hoping of course that hostess will just as politely demur or suggest a bottle of wine. Instead she says, "How about an hors d'oeuvres?"

If you're like me, you can't think of one creamy dip with veggies that hasn't been done to death. Cheese and crackers? Deadly boring. But I do have a delicious and easy recipe for stuffed mushrooms that will make folks think you really put yourself out:).

Ingredients:

1 box white mushrooms (although no reason the brown baby bellas shouldn't work too)

1 package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Mix the cheeses and the garlic together until well combined. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms, remove the stems, and set them aside for some other use. I know purists suggest brushing mushrooms, rather than washing, but I go ahead and clean them under running water and then pat them dry.

Stuff the cavities with the cheese mixture and bake at 400 until the mushrooms soften and the stuffing begins to brown. Serve warm. That's it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lucy Burdette is the author of AN APPETITE FOR MURDER, the first Key West food critic mystery. DEATH IN FOUR COURSES will be released on September 4.

Please "like" her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter, and above all, enjoy her mysteries!

Fiddlehead Ferns

2012-05-25T00:15:00.000-04:00

by Sheila Connolly

We seem to be on a vegetable streak here at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. Whatever I was going to write about this week went flying out of my head when I spotted a package of fiddlehead ferns at my local market.

I bet a lot of you are now scratching your heads and saying, she's gone flipping crazy and is chewing on the foliage. Not so, I assure you.

Fiddlehead ferns unfurl themselves in spring in New England, and they have an exceedingly short life (they keep unrolling until they become ferns, and then they aren't as edible unless you really are into foliage). You have a window of about two weeks to find and enjoy them.

I first encountered them during an indulgent luncheon with my husband at the famed French restaurant Lutèce in New York, alas now closed (since 2004). Then there was a long spell with no sightings, until they appeared as if by magic in our market one year and I seized upon them, and have kept my eye open for them ever since.

Since they are available for such a short time, there is a dearth of recipes available for them. What is more peculiar is that among many of the online recipes, the authors drown their fiddleheads in overwhelming flavors, like horseradish or mustard. Fiddleheads are shy and retiring little creatures, similar in flavor to asparagus, so what's the point?

A pound of fiddleheads, cleaned

The best solution is to prepare them simply. First cut off any brown parts of the stem and remove any brown bits of leaf, then cook. There are a couple of options:

1. Steaming: In a steamer set over boiling water, steam a pound of fiddleheads for about five minutes, until they are just tender. Drain off the water, add butter and salt, and enjoy, unadorned, as a side dish.

After steaming (don't overcook!)

2. Sauteing: Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the fiddleheads, toss to coat with butter, then cover and cook gently until they are just tender.

An alternative is to sauté finely chopped shallots in the butter first, then add the fern heads, or if you want something slightly stronger, minced garlic. You may also want to try a mild-flavored olive oil.

No matter how you prepare them, enjoy this fleeting flavor of spring! Now, if I could just find someone who sells garlic scapes (the curly ends of hardneck garlic, which are usually cut off and thrown away) again…or ramps (another early spring vegetable, also called a wild leek, that has a mild onion-garlic flavor)…

Garlic scapes

Roasted Broccoli

2012-05-24T01:00:00.000-04:00

Need more fiber in your diet? Looking for an easy, nutrient-rich side to go with anything from fancy steak to burgers?Try roasted broccoli.

Unlike our former president, I love broccoli. It was one of my favorite sides as a child: a box of frozen broccoli, boiled and tossed with a little butter or vinegar (yep, you heard me right ... vinegar).

You know the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? Well, my boiled broccoli wasn't broken. But Mr. Wendy encourages me to try something new now and then, and so one day I decided to try roasting the broccoli (I'd just discovered the wonder of roasted cauliflower, so it was a natural progression).

Result? Yum.

I still like my boiled broccoli dressed with vinegar, but this roasted broccoli has joined our rotation. It's easy, fast, delicious, and elegant enough to serve to company.

Lovely Broccoli

And you should really work as much broccoli into your diet as you can. According to a variety of Internet sources, a single cup of broccoli has 3 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, more than a full day's supply of vitamin C, and a mere 31 calories. Come on ... you can't beat those stats. So break out your roasting pan and enjoy!

Broccoli tossed with oil and seasoning

Roasted Broccoli a la Wendy

1 head broccoli, trimmed and stalks cut lengthwise into spears

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. (or a pinch) crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425.

Toss all ingredients together, spread on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, and bake for 8 - 10 minutes.

Yep, it's that simple.

Broccoli soup ala Avery Aames

2012-05-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

Still cold? No. Me, either, but I love soup. I can drink it even on the warmest of days. There's something so comforting about it. Wrapping my hands around the bowl. Letting the steam waft over my face. Savoring the first bite as my mouth and tongue get used to the temperature and flavors. I like soup all by itself or maybe with a hunk of bread. Most people like to add a salad or half a sandwich. Whatever your preference, enjoy!

I found a wonderful, light recipe for soup that included Gorgonzola cheese. Because I'm in the middle of writing the 5th in the Cheese Shop Mystery series called THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROQUEFORT, I've got Roquefort on the brain. Gorgonzola is the Italian version of Roquefort.

HISTORY OF GORGONZOLA:

Gorgonzola is an area in the northern part of Italy, in the Milan area which is part of Lombardy. The residents of the area claim that farmers from their area created Gorgonzola cheese around 879. This is under dispute by a couple of other towns that have the same geographic makeup. Do I care? Not really. It tastes good. Gorgonzola is a veined blue cheese with quite a bite to it. It's made from raw milk (cow or goat, by the way).

Now, back to soup. Can a soup made with Gorgonzola cheese be light? Yes! I kid you not.

The trick to making soups with veggies is to use a blender or food processor. But remember--and this is key to the way I like soup--reserve some big chunks of the veggies or starches so the soup isn't all pureed.

EASY BROCCOLI AND GORGONZOLA SOUP

Ingredients:

Serves 4

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (gluten free if needed)

½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (divide in half)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

¾ cup half-and-half

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, chopped, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add the broccoli florets and broth and cook, covered, about 5 minutes. Remove about 1 cup of the florets and reserve.

Add half of the cheese, the salt and pepper, and half-and-half to the pot. Stir. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Divide the mixture among 4 bowls. Garnish each with reserved florets and some of the cheese.

Like I said, I like my soup with a hunk of bread. I made biscuits for this meal. Gluten-free, using a Pamela's mix. So easy. All it takes is some of the mix, butter, and milk. Twelve minutes later, light fluffy biscuits. They're perfect with soup.

* * * * *

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.

Chat with me on Facebook and Twitter.

And if you haven't done so, sign up for my mailing list

so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!

Also, do you know about my alter ego?
DARYL WOOD GERBER...
That is my "second" name on the left.
Daryl is what my husband actually calls me.

Daryl--I--will have a new series out in 2013:
THE COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERIES
featuring a cookbook store owner
who is an avid reader and admitted foodie!

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.
She doesn't say all the same things "I" do. Promise.

Say cheese!

***********

Brownies and Cream – My Lite Frozen Treats for Summertime Snacking from Cleo Coyle

2012-05-22T00:50:00.000-04:00

The first time I heard the word Brookie, I thought it was slang for a resident of Brooklyn, New York. In fact, it’s a cross between a brownie and a cookie, and this Brookie is my favorite recipe for the summer. (I adapted it from another recipe--Cuppa Joe Mocha Drops--which I originally created to make use of my leftover coffee.)

This is a lighter version of that cookie. I replaced much of the butter with low-fat yogurt and canola oil. The chocolate flavor is delicious and the texture soft and brownie-like. They're wonderful eaten warm, just out of the oven, and remain one of my favorite coffee break snacks.

Thus...

You can drop this batter into a bigger and thicker cookie, which will give you a "Brookie" that tastes like a brownie.

OR...

You can drop the batter into smaller, thinner cookies, which are absolutely perfect for making tasty, little ice cream sandwiches. (As Sue mentioned in the comments, they're kind of a lighter, summertime version of a whoopie pie.)

On the ice cream sandwich making: I’ve used frozen yogurt, sorbet, and sherbet. Below, I’ll show you how I make "cheater" ice cream, which is even lower in fat and calories. It’s also economical. To wit...

The price of low-fat frozen desserts has been going through the roof--unlike shares of Facebook stock, lol. Actually, I'm not kidding here. In NYC these days, a box of Weight Watchers ice cream sandwiches goes for around seven dollars (for six sandwiches, yikes!). So while my homemade frozen treats are low in fat and fun to make, they’re also much easier on ye olde budget. Another very good reason to…

Cleo Coyle, Brookie baker,
is author of The Coffeehouse
Mysteries

Eat with joy!

~ Cleo

Cleo Coyle’s

"Brookies" & Cream

Lite Frozen Sandwich Treats

To download a PDF of this recipe that you can print, save, or share, click here.

Makes about 24 large Brookies or 48 small

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup oil (I use canola)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt or coarse sea salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white, granulated sugar
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt (do not use nonfat)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with fork
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*To make this recipe even healthier, replace half of the all-purpose flour with "white whole wheat" flour.

Directions:

Step 1 – First preheat your oven to 350° F. Next melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir the oil into this and set aside to cool.

Step 2 – One bowl mixing method: Sift together flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Now add in your two sugars, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Finally add the cooled melted butter and oil mixture. With a spoon or rubber spatula, mix by hand until flour is completely incorporated into a thick batter. Now stir about 50 strokes to blend well. Do not over-mix, however, or you’ll develop the gluten in the flour and your Brookies will be tough instead of tender.

Step 3 – Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Batter will be thicker than cake batter but thinner than cookie dough. Drop in small mounds with a few inches of space between. Use a tablespoon for large Brookies, a teaspoon for smaller ones. Using the back of the spoon, lightly swirl the mounds into even, level, flattish circles. Bake smaller Brookies for about 8 minutes, larger ones for about 10. Remove from oven. I like to slide the entire strip of parchment paper onto the wire rack--this saves time and avoids disturbing the shape of the Brookies by moving one at a time with a spatula. Serve warm or chill and sandwich together with ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, or sherbet.

CHEATER ICE CREAM SANDWICHES: For a tasty, very low calorie and low fat alternative to ice cream, use whipped cream or Cool Whip (low-fat, vanilla, or chocolate). See my photos below, which will show you how I use Reddi-wip whipped cream to make my chilly cheater treats.

4 QUICK
TROUBLESHOOTER NOTES:

(A) Line the plate: When making Brookies into ice cream sandwiches, be sure to cover your plate with wax paper or plastic wrap before placing in the freezer or the bottom half may stick to the plate. I place small pieces of plastic wrap down on the plate, fill each sandwich, wrap each one up separately, and store them in the freezer to be eaten over the course of the week, during my coffee breaks.

(B) Cover lightly: When using whipped cream, be sure place the top Brookie on very gently. (C) Allow time to freeze: The whipped cream will freeze after two to three hours.

Prefer a richer buttercream
or whoopie pie marshmallow filling? For a richer dessert, put two Brookies together with a vanilla buttercream or chocolate frosting filling. For an easy, delicious Mocha Frosting Filling recipe, download my Cuppa Joe Mocha Drops recipe, which includes directions for this tasty chocolate-coffee frosting. Get the PDF by clicking here.

For a classic Whoopie Pie filling recipe, check out my reply to Sue in the comments after this post, where I posted a traditional filling recipe that uses marshmallow creme. Enjoy!

F O O D I E

P H O T O S

Troubleshooting:

When making my "cheater" ice cream sandwiches
with either whipped cream or Cool Whip,
be sure to place the tops on very gently!

If using whipped cream in a can, you'll need to double dose
the cream after about an hour in the freezer. Here's why:
After the initial hit, the air in the cream deflates.
But no worries. The double dosing really does the trick.

See the results in the last photo below.

Enjoy Your
Memorial Day Weekend,
Everyone!

~ Cleo Coyle, author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To get more of my recipes, enter to win

free coffee, or learn about my books, including
my bestselling Haunted Bookshop series, visit my online coffeehouse: CoffeehouseMystery.com

The Coffeehouse Mysteries are national bestselling

culinary mysteries set in a landmark Greenwich Village

coffeehouse, and each of the ten titles includes the

added bonus of recipes.

The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure

Book #1 of
The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries, which Cleo writes
under the name Alice Kimberly
To learn more, click here.

Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Cream Sauce

2012-05-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

What's in your freezer? Seriously, what's in there that needs to be used? In my case, it's fruit! Fruit that we froze last summer that will be back in season soon. So I'm using up cherries and raspberries like crazy. Not that I mind!

Reduce raspberries

Like my protagonist, Sophie Winston, I like to keep a few goodies in the freezer in case company is coming. I live 45 minutes from my favorite grocery store, so a quick drive there and back eats up an entire morning. To be on the safe side, I keep a few things at the ready and one of them is usually pork tenderloin. It defrosts very nicely overnight, and it's always so tender.

Brown the meat

Since I have all these raspberries that need to be eaten, I made a raspberry reduction and added cream. I used 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar, which gives it a serious kick. It's also sweet, thanks to sugar and honey, so it's a

De-glaze pan

nice combination of sweet and tart. *If you're sensitive to vinegar, you might want to cut back on the amount and use only one or two tablespoons.

Straining the sauce isn't necessary, although it's probably more attractive strained. I would take the extra step for company.

The sweet and tart combination would be great on venison, too. Or beef, or, well, I'm seriously thinking it might even be good on ice cream! Either I've been watching too many cooking shows or I've been taken over by Natasha.

Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Cream Sauce

15-16 ounces frozen raspberries
1/2 cup cognac
1/3 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons or 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar*
2 tablespoons honey
pinch of thyme

2-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pork tenderloins
salt & pepper
water

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons heavy cream

fresh raspberries to garnish (optional)

Place the raspberries in a large pot. (If they have ice crystals on them, wash them off.) Add the cognac, sugar, balsamic vinegar, honey, and thyme. Bring to a boil, stir to combine, and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about twenty minutes until it has thickened and the liquid is reduced by about half. (This can be done in advance and refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 400. Pour the olive oil into an oven proof pan large enough to hold the pork tenderloins and heat at just under medium. Brown the tenderloins on all sides, approximately 10 minutes total. Place the pan in the oven and roast 12 - 15 minutes. A meat thermometer should read about 140 degrees. Remove from pan and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Meanwhile, de-glaze the pan with a splash or two of water. Add the raspberry mixture to the pan, stir, and heat. Remove from heat, whisk in the butter and the heavy cream. If you wish, you may strain the sauce. Serve over the meat and garnish with fresh raspberries.

Unstrained

Strained

Guest: Bailey Cates and Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

2012-05-20T01:00:00.000-04:00

I (Wendy) am patting myself on the back right now ... I can't believe I landed Bailey Cates for a guest spot. And then she produces this recipe. Yowza. Join me in welcoming Bailey to the Kitchen, and then prepare to drool ...

***

Thanks for inviting me to share a recipe here on Mystery Lovers Kitchen, Wendy!

Before the title for Brownies and Broomsticks was finalized my editor and I talked about calling the first Magical Bakery Mystery Brioche and Broomsticks. Oh, how I love brioche! Rich, buttery, lovely stuff. I don’t own any brioche pans, though, since they can’t really be used for anything else, and it bakes up just fine in a regular loaf pan. Even better? Use the dough to make cinnamon rolls!

This recipe calls for duck eggs. Quack! They’re quite large and add wonderful richness to baked goods. But if you don’t know any duck farmers or they aren’t offered at your farmers market good old chicken eggs work just fine. Also, I’m a bit of a purist and don’t put nuts or raisins in my cinnamon rolls, but if that’s the way you roll just sprinkle your additions over the central filling.

Since this is a no-knead dough it’s best to make the dough a day ahead and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:

¾ cup lukewarm water

¾ Tablespoon yeast (1 packet)

¾ Tablespoon Kosher salt

3 duck eggs (or 4 chicken eggs) slightly beaten

1/3 cup honey

¾ cup butter, melted

3 ¾ cups all purpose flour

For the filling:

1/3 cup butter, softened

¼ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (I use more)

For the glaze:

¼ cup butter softened

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar

In a large bowl mix the water, yeast and salt. Allow to sit for a few minutes then mix in the eggs, honey and butter. Add the flour all at once and mix with the other ingredients just until blended. I’m afraid using your hands is the best way. Don’t over mix. Don’t knead. And there will be some lumps when you’re done.

Lightly cover and allow the dough to sit on the counter for two or three hours – it will double in size. When the top has flattened, cover the bowl and leave overnight – or up to a week – in the refrigerator. You don’t have to punch it down first.

When you’re ready to make your rolls, generously flour your work surface, your hands, the dough, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thickness in a rough rectangle – about 12x15 inches. I usually do this on a piece of parchment paper because it’s easier to roll the dough into a log to slice. Mix the butter, sugar and cinnamon and spread over the dough, then roll from the short side so you have a roll about 12 inches long. The brioche dough is rather sticky, so you may have to use a dough scraper if you didn’t use parchment paper. Slice the roll into 8 (or 10, depending on how large you want the end product) equal pieces with a sharp serrated knife.

Mix together the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar for the glaze and spread in the bottom of a 9x12 baking pan (I use a large round cake pan). Place the rolls cut side down on the brown sugar mixture and allow to rest/rise for 1 hour. Then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and done in the middle.

Invert the rolls onto a plate immediately after you remove them from the oven or the brown sugar glaze will harden and the rolls will stick in the pan.

These are already crazy decadent, of course, but you can mix up an additional thin glaze of confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract and a little water to dribble over the warm rolls.

And regarding the brownies in the final title of Brownies and Broomsticks? You can find the recipe for Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies in the back of the book!

Thanks again, Wendy. Enjoy!

***

Bailey Cates writes the Magical Bakery Mysteries. They feature new witch and baker Katie Lightfoot and are set in Savannah, Georgia. The first in the series, Brownies and Broomsticks, released this month in paperback and ebook formats from NAL/Penguin. She also writes the Home Crafting Mystery Series as Cricket McRae. The sixth in the series, Deadly Row to Hoe, will release this November from Midnight Ink/Llewellyn.

For more information, please visit her website www.cricketmcrae.com or check out her blogs at www.hearthcricket.com and www.baileycates.com. You can also find her on Twitter: @cricketmcrae and @writerbailey and on Facebook as Cricket McRae and as Author Bailey Cates.

Caribbean Marinated Chicken Breasts by Peg Cochran

2012-05-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

With warmer weather on the horizon, it's great to have some quick grilling recipes on hand--the kind that let you kick back and relax while your grill is doing all the work! This is a very flavorful but low calorie recipe my character, Gigi Fitzgerald, from my Gourmet De-Lite series, would totally approve of!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
juice of 2 limes
2 jalapenos, choppped
1 TBL ground coriander
1 tsp. salt
Several grindings of black pepper
1 TBL olive oil

Place all of the ingredients, except the chicken breasts, into your blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally (it helps if they are a teeny bit frozen).

Place breasts and marinade in zip lock plastic bag. Let marinate in fridge for half an hour to two hours. The longer, the more flavor you'll have.

Heat grill to medium. Remove chicken from marinade and place on grill. Grill approximately five minutes per side.

(Meanwhile, kick back with a book and a glass of wine).

Enjoy grilled chicken breasts with a salad (Greek quinoa salad shown here.)

GOLDEN SUNSHINE CAKE

2012-05-18T00:15:00.000-04:00

by Sheila Connolly

I discovered this recipe in a copy of Good Housekeeping's Book of Menus, Recipes and Household Discoveries (14^th ed., 1926), and I've updated it for our newfangled electric appliances.

As I was wending my way up the Eastern Seaboard this past month, I made a point of stopping in one of my favorite antique places, a three-story barn in a delightful New Jersey town. I seldom come out of there without a new find, and this year I spotted from across the room an addition to my collection of antique (or maybe semi-antique) cake molds. I had to have it, even though I realized it might take some explaining to the airport inspectors (it didn't).

To welcome it to my household, I went hunting for a recipe roughly the same age as the pan, which led to the Golden Sunshine Cake. You will notice there is no shortening in this recipe. It's made much easier than it would have been in 1926 because now you can use an electric mixer to do all that beating. The result is a light, airy cake whose flavor and texture reminded me of lady fingers. The cookbook reported that it was a good cake to serve with ice cream. I think it would be delightful with fresh fruit as well.

BTW, my new-old cake pan holds six cups, which was exactly the right size for this recipe.

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

4 Tblsp cold water

1 cup pastry flour

1½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1½ Tblsp cornstarch

1 tsp lemon extract

Generously grease your cake pan (since there are no fats in this recipe, it has a tendency to stick).

Separate the eggs and beat the yolks until thick. Add the sugar gradually, stirring constantly. Add the water and mix thoroughly.

Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the first mixture. Beat well, then add the lemon extract.

Stiff egg whites

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the mixture.

Bake in a loaf or tube pan at 320 degrees F for one hour.

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

2012-05-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

Marinade, with my pouty whisk

I don't mind using convenience foods, so this is one of the last posts I thought I'd ever write. Marinated artichoke hearts come in a jar, pre-marinated and delicious. Making your own would be like making your own cheese or your own yarn: great for some people, but not really something I'm dying to do.

Last week, I planned to make artichoke dip for a girl night. Somehow, though, I found myself with two cans of artichoke hearts when I needed one can of plain and one jar of marinated.

What's a girl to do? Go to the grocery store?

Heaven forbid.

No, I had 24 hours before the girl night, and I decided to use one of those cans to make my own marinated artichokes.

Turns out, it's pretty easy. And worth the extra effort. Even though the veggies themselves came out of a can, the freshly-made marinade gave the artichokes a kick that you just don't get from the jarred version.

Scrumptious!

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, well-drained

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. dried mixed Italian herbs (basil, oregano, and thyme ... or a purchased blend)

Mix all ingredients in a container with a lid. Seal up, and refrigerate 12 - 24 hours.

Chocolate Truffle Cake from Avery Aames

2012-05-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

When I went to the Malice Domestic Conference, I was lucky enough to join fellow authors for a dinner sponsored by our fabulous publisher Berkley Prime Crime. We went to a top-notch restaurant, RUTH'S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE, and were wined and dined. I sat at the table with my editor and other authors, including Ellery Adams, her writing partner Sylvia, new delightful author Erika Chase, and the fabulous Jenn McKinlay. The six of us laughed so hard! When dessert came around, we were stuffed, but we were offered two choices: individual cheesecakes and flourless chocolate cake. How could we say no?

I chose the chocolate, thinking I'd have a bite or two and push it aside. Well...what was that commercial way back when? "I can't believe I ate the whole thing." I did. Everyone did. A whole slice. It was like a smooth, satiny chocolate truffle candy. Throughout the experience (and it was an experience), I said I had to learn to make it.

So when I got home, I went on a hunt for a chocolate truffle kind of cake on the Internet. I promised myself I would make this cake until I got it right. On the first try, it was delicious and I ate another WHOLE slice in the first sitting.

I'm sharing this recipe with you today because it'll wow your family and friends...but I have to admit, this cake still doesn't have the consistency that the Ruth's Chris cake did. Which means, of course, POOR ME, I'll have to keep experimenting. However, I think I'll have to limit my experiments to every month and not every week or I'll resemble the Pillsbury Doughboy in less time than it takes to spell,

"C-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e!"

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

ALA RUTH'S CHRIS FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

(TRY #1)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups half-and-half

2/3 cup sugar

2 oz. flavored liquid of your choice (cordials, coffee, etc.) * I used espresso

2 lbs. dark, milk or mixed chocolate, chopped (5 CUPS) * I used half dark, half semi-sweet

6 eggs (whisked)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 300º. Brush a 10" spring-form pan with butter, line the bottom with buttered parchment and wrap the pan in foil in case of any leaks. [MINE DIDN’T LEAK AT ALL.]

Bring the half-and-half, sugar and coffee JUST to a boil. Place the chocolate into a mixing bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate.

Let sit for a few minutes. [It will melt nicely.]

Mix at low speed for two minutes.

Add the eggs in all at once and mix thirty seconds, until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared spring-form pan. Bake until the cake is “set” - about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours. The cake will still look wet and slightly loose in the very center, but the edges will be set, slightly puffed and have small cracks. [looks like a cheesecake – I cooked mine one hour then turned off the oven and let it set for another 20 minutes]

Allow cake to cool on a rack (this takes about 2 full hours), then chill for 6 hours or overnight before removing pan sides.

[Note: the cake was really "high" as it came out of the oven and then it sank to a firm 2 inches, more like a cheesecake.]

[Also, note, I "found" the basis for this recipe on a website called "Go New England."

* * *

By the way, I'm thinking of adding a half cup of applesauce to see if that will bring out the velvety smoothness. What do you think?

* * *

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.

Chat with me on Facebook and Twitter.

And if you haven't done so, sign up for my mailing list

***********

Easy Honey-Glazed Peach Crostata from Cleo Coyle

2012-05-15T02:13:00.001-04:00

Sweet, round, and succulent, the yellow-orange orbs of summer are hard to resist. I know many of you are peach lovers, too. Last week, Libby D. left a comment on my Insanely Easy Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake post, suggesting the use of fresh peaches in place of cherry pie filling. It was a great suggestion, and ever since she made it, I couldn't stop thinking about the shimmering glazed filling in this recipe. It combines yellow peaches with a bit of honey, butter, and flour. I think it would make the perfect substitute for the cherry pie filling in last week's coffee cake post.

I first shared this recipe two years ago, but with summer produce about to hit stores across the country (and Libby's comment last week), I decided to bring it back for those of you who may have missed it or would like to download it again. May you bake it with joy! ~ Cleo

To download a PDF of this recipe that you can print, save, or share click here.

Cleo Coyle, sucker for
summer produce, is author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries.

Cleo Coyle's

Lite and Easy
Honey-Glazed
Peach Crostata

This is my lite and easy version of a free-form crostata, which is an Italian baked dessert tart, usually made with jam or fruit. This rustic tart bakes much faster than a typical two-crust pie and is incredibly simple to make using peaches, butter, and honey. (The French, of course, would call this a galette.)

INGREDIENTS

For Crostata Filling:

1 tablespoon butter

1-1/2 tablespoons honey (I use orange blossom)

2 tablespoons flour

Pinch of salt

5 large, ripe, yellow peaches skinned and diced (or 6 small)

1 egg, lightly beaten with fork (for brushing crust)

2-3 tablespoon sugar for dusting (for best result use “sugar in the raw” aka turbinado sugar)

For Crostata Crust:

One pie crust, rolled out to at least 11-inches in diameter

NOTE: When I have time, I make my own pie crusts from scratch, like the one you see to the right. For today's recipe, I opted for a pre-made pie crust. If pie crusts are a snap for you to make, go for it. Otherwise, no worries. Just pick up a pre-made crust from your grocery store. That's exactly what you see in my photos, a Pillsbury crust from a box that I thawed and unrolled.

METHOD

Step 1 - Prepare filling: In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat, add honey, flour, salt, and diced peaches. Gently stir for about 3 to 5 minutes to coat the peaches with the glaze and soften them up.

Before the next step, allow filling to cool. Use a slotted spoon to drain some of the excess liquid, but not all of it. This crostata bakes quickly in the oven and the butter and honey will make a more succulent crostata than baking the fruit without this honey glaze.

Step 2 - Fill tart: Place rolled out dough (about 11 inches in diameter) onto a baking sheet lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. OR line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Mound diced peaches in the center, leaving a 2-inch border.

NOTE: A parchment paper lining on your baking sheet will make it easier to transfer the tart to a serving plate. See my *Crust Note at the end of this recipe.

Step 3 - Brush with egg and fold: Mix lightly beaten egg with a splash of water and brush the crust's border with this egg wash. Now create a rustic crust edge. Using clean fingers, lift up the border a bit and begin to pinch the dough together every inch or so around the edges, then fold down each pinched peak over the fruit (see photos below).

Step 4 - Brush and sprinkle: Lightly brush the crust again with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Raw sugar will give you the best result in this recipe.

See my note below for more info on "sugar in the raw."

*NOTE: Sugar in the raw is a coarse, natural brown sugar. In the US, we call a version of this turbinado sugar. In the United Kingdom, this type of sugar is called demerara. Either way, it makes an excellent finish for baked goods, sprinkled on crusts, over the tops of cakes and pies. Read more about it by clicking here.

Step 5 - Bake: Place baking sheet on lowest rack of an oven that’s been very well pre-heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

The crostata will be done in 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before slicing and serving right from the baking sheet. Want to move the tart to a serving plate? See my note below...

*CRUST NOTE: In this tart, the fruit is the star, not the crust, which is too thin to move without breaking. If you wish to transfer this thin-crust crostata to a serving platter, line baking sheet with parchment paper. After baking, slide paper (crostata and all) onto platter then carefully pull paper out from under crust or cut around edges for a pretty appearance.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: This baby is delicious served with ice cream or whipped cream. Ginger whipped cream pairs especially well with the flavors in this rustic tart. Recipe below...

Cleo's Fresh
Ginger Whipped Cream

Makes about 4 servings

1 cup heavy cream

3-4 tablespoons sugar (to your taste)

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Place heavy cream, sugar, and ginger into a well chilled bowl and beat with an electric mixer. The cream will thicken as you beat it. When it forms stiff peaks, you're done. Do not over beat.

Note: Chill it, baby! Using a chilled bowl will speed up the process of whipping your cream. I use a metal bowl that's been in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. I'll also put my hand-mixer's beaters into the freezer for 15 minutes.

Eat with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle, author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To get more of my recipes, enter to win

free coffee, or learn about my books, including
my bestselling Haunted Bookshop series, visit my online coffeehouse: CoffeehouseMystery.com

The Coffeehouse Mysteries are national bestselling

culinary mysteries set in a landmark Greenwich Village

coffeehouse, and each of the ten titles includes the

added bonus of recipes.

The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure

Book #1 of
The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries, which Cleo writes
under the name Alice Kimberly
To learn more, click here.

Beef Filet in Pastry with Mushroom Sauce

2012-05-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

When I was in high school, Mr. Holleman, one of my English teachers, invited a number of students to his house for dinner. I don't recall what we were celebrating, but I do remember that he made Lamb Wellington. It was a delicious and elegant dinner. We were all impressed, but not nearly as impressed as I am today. Lamb Wellington is a major production, and we'd have been just as happy with pizza! I'm even more impressed because he had to make the pastry dough, too. I have no idea what happened to Mr. Holleman, but I bet he's still a great cook.

When I was shopping recently, I came across something called Puff Pastry Dough Squares. They're frozen and the package says they're excellent for croissants and turnovers. Hmm, but I had something more savory in mind.

Unlike frozen filo dough, this doesn't need to defrost overnight. Twenty minutes does the trick. That makes it easier to handle, too, because it's still cold when you're working with it. I'm planning to try out some more ideas, but I went for beef filets first.

I kept the contents simple for my first try, simply salting and peppering the meat. Honestly, that was all it needed. I used mustard, but it wasn't necessary at all.

I learned a few things this time around, too. It makes a beautiful presentation. Try them out on family before you make them for a dinner party, but they look gorgeous.

Use a high quality cut of beef, preferably tenderloin. The individual servings of meat should be fairly small, because they have to fit into two squares, approximately 4x4 inches. But look for thick pieces of meat. The one complaint I had was that the meat was overcooked for my taste. It came out medium, when I would have much preferred medium rare. While it seems like the solution to that would be to simply cook it for a shorter period of time, the pastry dough has to cook for about twenty minutes or it won't puff properly. So it seems to me the solution is to use a thicker piece of meat.

Another thing I learned as I went is to rub olive oil around the edge of the pastry dough BEFORE you place the meat or anything else on it. It's just much simpler that way. Of course, you could add cheese or some of the mushrooms on top of the meat if you want to -- I'll be trying some of those variations and will let you know how it goes.

So here's the recipe, simple as can be, but oh, so tasty!

Beef Filet in Puff Pastry

olive oil
4 pieces frozen puff pastry dough squares
2 thick, small beef tenderloin pieces
mustard (optional)
salt
pepper
1 egg

Follow the instructions on the filo package about thawing.

Preheat oven to 400.

Salt and pepper the steaks on both sides.

Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan at medium heat. Brown the steaks on each side for about 1 minute and remove from heat.

Meanwhile lightly grease a baking sheet, or cover it with parchment paper.

Use two pieces of the square filo dough for each steak. Dab a little bit of olive oil on your finger and run it around the edges of both filo squares. Place the steak on one piece. If using mustard, spread a little bit in the middle of the other piece. Then take the top piece and lay it over the steak, olive oil side down.

Using your fingers, press the edges together firmly. Run around the whole thing pressing a second time to be sure it's sealed. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the other piece of beef.

Whisk the egg and brush over tops of both pastry packets.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve topped with Mushroom Sauce, below.

Mushroom Sauce

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 1/4 cups chopped mushrooms (cremini, button, Portobello)
1/2 cup chicken stock + 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon flour
salt
pepper

Mince the garlic and cut the mushrooms into 1/2 inch cubes.

Pour the olive oil into a pan over lowish heat and add the garlic. When fragrant, add the mushrooms and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cook gently, stirring occasionally. Mix the flour with 1 tablespoon chicken stock until the flour dissolves and there are no lumps. Slowly stir it into the mushroom mixture to thicken it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

First You Catch Your Dreams

2012-05-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

It's so appropriate to welcome Elizabeth Zelvin on Mother's Day. Liz is a loving mom and grandmother and an amazing, multi-talented woman. She's a New York psychotherapist, a three-time Agatha Award nominee, and author of the mystery series featuring recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler, starting with Death Will Get You Sober. The third book, Death Will Extend Your Vacation, is just out, and “Death Will Tank Your Fish” was a 2011 Derringer Award nominee for Best Short Story. Liz has also just released a CD of original songs, Outrageous Older Woman. Happy Mother's day, Liz!

One of the best kept secrets in the fashionable Hamptons is a beautiful peninsula called Gerard Drive, a narrow road winding its way between the wetlands of Accabonac Harbor and the open expanse of Gardiners Bay. On a clear day, it looks as if you could throw a stone to Gardiners Island, the private domain on which they say the pirate Blackbeard buried his treasure. The Gardiner of the day caught him at it, captured and sent him off to England to be hanged, while the family has been eating off the buccaneer’s gold plates to this day. Or so they say.

If you meet any oldtimers while you’re getting your shellfish permit at the Town Clerk’s office in East Hampton, they won’t tell you where to find the shellfish. But if you run or walk your dog or bike or rollerblade on Gerard Drive, you can’t help seeing clammers, sometimes almost dryshod on the mud flats at low tide and sometimes waist deep and balancing precariously as they reach into the mud under their feet for the makings of a classic chowder. It looks so easy....

I discovered the hard way, ie, by becoming eligible for Medicare one day at a time, that shellfish permits are actually permanent and free to seniors. (You spring chickens will have to get one every year and pay a fee for it.) I kept meaning to go and use it, along with the clam gauge that indicates when a clam is too small to keep legally. But the tide table for Accabonac Harbor is another well kept secret (go on, try to google it—you’ll get the highs and lows for Three Mile Harbor, not at all the same thing), and since they built a bridge (or dug a channel, which was the important part) letting water from the bay go in and out more easily at a point about a mile from the mouth of the harbor (between the tip of Gerard Drive and the delightfully named Louse Point), the mud flats only get uncovered when low tide is very low indeed.

I run three miles along that drive every day I can when I’m out there. The air is filled with birdsong, wildflowers abound, deer and rabbits dart across the road, and the sparkling air and glinting water demonstrate why artists rave about the East Hampton light. I’m always looking for clues to that extra-low tide, and last Columbus Day weekend, a three-day stretch of absolutely perfect weather, I found it. Ospreys and herring gulls have no trouble catching seafood, so why should I? I gathered up my gear and permit (couldn’t find the clam gauge) and made ready to hunt the wild clam.

Now came the hard part: getting my hubby to come with me. His idea of paradise is a big chair, an open window with the breeze blowing through it, and a good book. Well, his real idea of paradise is the streets of New York City. But he was there, and I wasn’t letting him off. I had to share the fun, didn’t I? And what are husbands for if not to carry the rake, the bucket, and, one hopes, the clams?

Alas, the clams did not cooperate. We spent a couple of hours stooped over and burrowing in the muck with toes and fingernails. Not a clam. A couple stationed maybe fifty yards from us were literally raking them in. “This is a good spot!” the woman kept exclaiming. Unfortunately, clam etiquette forbids poaching on someone else’s spot. But I kept inching closer. A couple of young women came splashing out, politely avoided the first couple’s spot, and quickly found another that yielded not only clams but a large oyster and a crab or two.

My husband was not a happy clammer. Nor was I—but I didn’t want to go home without clams. It happens that our favorite gourmet farm market, whose clam chowder is a perfect 10, didn’t make it at all last season, and we were both feeling chowder deprived. You need about three dozen good sized clams to make a pot of chowder. That wasn’t happening. Finally, the two young women kindly offered to share their spot. Within minutes, my husband got a clam. One. To make a long story short, we ended up with half a dozen clams, two medium-sized and the other four—well, let’s say it’s just as well we couldn’t find our clam gauge and that the Marine Patrol didn’t happen to come along.

Did I make clam chowder? You betcha. It was kind of like the stone soup of folklore—putting a big nothing in the pot and adding all the other ingredients. But was it good? It was delicious.

East-Hampton-is-practically-New-England Clam Chowder

(Note: Real New England clam chowder is made with melt-in-your-mouth soft shell clams. New Englanders call the clams I’m talking about quahogs.)

Liz's Clam Chowder

3 dozen fresh hard shell clams

water to cover

bacon or pancetta

1 large onion

carrots

celery

1-2 large potatoes, peeled

heavy cream

sweet butter

Make sure the clam shells are clean (and not soapy). Put them in a large pot and cover with water. Cover the pot and steam the clams until they open. Remove the clams, take them out of the shells, and put them aside. Discard the shells.

Chop or dice the bacon, onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cook the bacon in a hot skillet, then add the onions and cook until they’re golden. Bring the clam broth to a boil. Add the carrots, celery, and potatoes, lower the heat, and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are soft. (You can sautée the carrots and celery first along with the onion if you like.)

Chop the clams and stir them into the broth. Season with salt, pepper, and dill to taste.

At this point, you’ve done the work. You can put the soup in a container in the fridge (or freezer, if you want to) and use it later. Or you can finish the job and eat it right away. Take the pot off the heat and make sure it is no longer boiling. Stir in heavy cream. (The woman I learned this recipe from said to use 1 part cream to 2 parts clam broth. I think it’s a judgment call, depending on how thin you like your chowder. It will be thinner than most commercial and restaurant chowders, which are thickened with corn starch. Bad.)

Float a couple of pats of butter on the top until they melt, and you’re done. Be careful not to let the chowder boil once you’ve added the cream and butter. Serve hot.

Visit Liz at her website www.elizabethzelvin.com and her music website, www.lizzelvin.com. Liz blogs on Poe’s Deadly Daughters and SleuthSayers.

Lucy Burdette's Mother's Day Stuffed Peppers

2012-05-12T00:30:00.000-04:00

I know I've been on a sausage run here lately, and I said I'd get away from that--but I can't resist one more recipe. It's Mother's Day tomorrow and you're probably thinking "why is Lucy talking sausage-stuffed peppers to celebrate mothers?"

Here's why: this post is in honor of my mother-in-law, Dorothy, who loves this recipe as much as I do! And she's moving from Florida to Maine, so she'll need some dinners that will warm her from the inside out...

This is an "early" photo of Dorothy and me--I think it was taken about fifteen years ago at the first golf member-guest we played in. I wasn't much of a golfer and we were plenty nervous! We had a good time though--she's a good sport, in addition to having produced my wonderful husband...

So back to the peppers... This is an old-fashioned supper that had its genesis in a recipe from THE BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS COOKBOOK. Many tweaks later, here's my version. If you don't like the idea of sausage, you can substitute ground beef or turkey. For the vegetarian, I think you'd be fine substituting black beans or garbanzos or a mixture, for the meat. I prefer to make this in the summer when I can pluck the peppers right from the garden, but it sure tastes good when the weather's cold. I recommend organic peppers if you can find them, as these vegetables do tend to absorb pesticides…Other recipes suggest you parboil the peppers, but I haven't found this step to be necessary.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz roll sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jar Classico spicy red pepper pasta sauce (or your choice)
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 cup water
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4-6 uncooked green peppers

Saute the sausage or beef until brown, then drain on paper towels. Saute the chopped onions in the same pan. Return the meat to the pan once the onions are soft. Add the uncooked rice, the water, the Worcestershire sauce, and half the jarred sauce. Simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked. This might take a half hour, depending on your rice--and you might need to add a little water along the way. Then stir in the cheese.

While the meat mixture is simmering, cut the peppers lengthwise. Cut out the stems and seeds and membranes. Pour the remaining half of the sauce into a greased baking dish, and set the peppers into the pan. When the meat mixture is ready, stuff it into the peppers, cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes at 350 until peppers are soft and sauce is bubbling. Even your mother-in-law will find them irresistible!

And to celebrate all mothers and stepmothers and mothers-in-law and women who have acted like mothers in our lives, please enjoy this video of former US poet laureate Billy Collins reading his poem, The Lanyard. It's one of my absolute favorites and a perfect accompaniment to the day!

Lucy Burdette is the author of the Key West food critic mysteries. Please "like" her on facebook and follow her on Twitter. DEATH IN FOUR COURSES will be out in September, but you can order it now!

ASIAN MARINATED FISH

2012-05-11T00:15:00.000-04:00

by Sheila Connolly

I know, I promised to shut up about fish, but I visited the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia earlier this month—one of my all-time favorite food places—and I was reminded again of what I'm missing. Here's a list of the types of fish that a single vendor had on display:

Squid (whole or cleaned), baby octopus, smelts, spots, croakers, shad, sea trout, mountain trout, silver trout, whiting, porgy, sea bass, mullet, bluefish, perch, red snapper, butterfish, striped bass and bronzino.

To add insult to injury, the most expensive (red snapper and bronzino) were priced at $8.99 per pound, but most were between $2.49 and $4.99 per pound, less than half of what my local market charges for any kind of fish.

Last time I looked, Massachusetts was a lot closer to the ocean than Pennsylvania. And the Reading Terminal vendors were Amish, which means they come from even further away from the coast. Why, why must I be so deprived? I contented myself with taking pictures—it's kind of hard to carry raw fish on a plane. Maybe next time I'll drive—with a very large cooler.

Anyway, here's one more simple and quick fish dish, and then I'll go sulk quietly, at least until I learn to catch my own fish. But then I'd have to learn to filet them. Oh dear.

ASIAN MARINATED FISH

1½ pounds sturdy white fish (hake, pollock or cod), cut into pieces of roughly the same thickness (so they will cook evenly)

Marinade:

½ cup chopped green onions
3 Tblsp minced or grated peeled fresh ginger
1 Tblsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 Tblsp peanut oil
1 Tblsp soy sauce

Rinse the pieces of fish and pat dry. Combine the green onions, ginger, rice wine, oil and soy sauce in a glass baking dish. Add the fish and turn until the pieces are coated. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.

Sauce:

3 Tblsp sugar
2 Tblsp soy sauce
2 Tblsp Asian sesame oil
2 Tblsp rice wine or dry sherry
1 whole star anise
¼ cup chopped green onions

Bring the first five ingredients to a boil in a heavy small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar (yes, I really do have star anise in my pantry). Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove the star anise and add the green onions.

Star Anise

Drain the marinade from the fish and pat the pieces dry (save the marinade). Heat a flat-bottomed pan over high heat. Add 1 Tblsp of oil and let heat (note: peanut oil will withstand heat better than most vegetable oils), then add the fish pieces (in one layer) and cover for 30 seconds. Loosen the pieces from the pan with a spatula, reduce the heat to medium and cook for one minute. Turn the pieces and cook for one additional minute.

Add the reserved marinade to the pan and cook for one more minute.

Serve with rice, and drizzle the sauce over both the fish and the rice.

Barbecue "Ribs"

2012-05-10T01:00:00.001-04:00

Fake ribs and slaw on a sammie, with corn on the cob.
Perfect summer fare!

Today I bring you another installment in the saga of this 20-year vegetarian's love of good ol' meat: barbecue ribz. (The "z" means they're not real!)

You can buy frozen fake barbecue ribs, and they're pretty tasty, frankly. But they're expensive, and I'm cheap. This version is less expensive (assuming these are the sort of ingredients you keep in your pantry). They're also surprisingly easy. Note that there are lots of similar recipes on the net. This just happens to be the one I've tried and the one I can vouch for. But don't be bashful about trying something similar with different spices or a slightly different protein profile.

You can grill the finished product on an actual charcoal grill, but I'm happy to broil them to get that caramel crisp on the sauce. The ribz themselves can be eaten alone, but I like them on a sandwich with a simple coleslaw garnish. Voila, some down home bbq sammies.

Susan V's Barbecued Seitan Ribz

(originally posted at Everyday Dish)

1 c. wheat gluten

2 tsp. smoked paprika (I have sometimes subbed 2 tsp. of Penzey's Galena St. Rub, so you could probably try any BBQ rub blend that has paprika in it)

2 Tbs. nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese)

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 c. water

2 Tbs. nut butter (tahini, peanut butter, etc.)

1 tsp. liquid smoke

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 c. bottled barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8x8 inch pan with nonstick spray.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk all the wet ingredients (except the bbq sauce) in a separate bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix and knead for about 2 minutes.

Place dough in pan and flatten. Score into 8 strips, then cut those in half to make 16 rectangles. Bake 25 minutes. Turn broiler on to high.

Remove from oven and cut again. Use a spatula to lift the pieces out, and place on a broiler rack lined with foil. Brush with half the sauce, broil for 3 minutes, flip, brush with remaining sauce, and broil again. (Keep an eye on the broiler so you don't burn these ... you can also grill them on an outdoor grill or a George Foreman type thingie.)

Cecina Flatbread - made with Garbanzos & Gluten-free

2012-05-09T00:01:00.000-04:00

This is grilled salmon covered with the tomato sauce/cecina on the side.

This flatbread was recommended to me by a waiter who knew I needed to eat gluten-free. He said back in Italy (the Tuscany region), where he was raised, this is the bread they served to anyone who had a wheat allergy. {If you didn't know, Italy has been way ahead of the US in discovering gluten allergies. From what I’ve heard, all children are tested by the age of two.}

The flatbread is called cecina (garbanzo is ceci in Italian) and it works as an appetizer or snack. Just like bread, it is best eaten right when it comes out of the oven. I read on the Internet (from someone else who read it somewhere..don't you love the Internet?) that cecina was "invented" by accident when a ship carrying garbanzo flour was caught in a storm. The flour got wet but the crew, not wanting to throw it away, added oil and baked it. I believe it, don’t you? J Hey, cheese was discovered when goat milk was transported across the desert. The milk, stowed in sacks that were loaded onto camels, rocked to and fro and churned itself.

Make sure to bake the cecina in a hot oven until it has a golden crust. Since baking times will vary depending on your oven, check on it often! {I also will suggest that once it's done, if you want it crispier, cut into slices, remove the pieces from the baking pan, put on a new (non-oiled) pan and bake longer to "dry" them out. It's delish! Promise. (And full of protein)

CECINA

Serves: 4

2 cups garbanzo flour

2 cups water

1 ½ teaspoon salt

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

freshly-ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix the garbanzo flour and add the water with a whisk. Stir well, making sure you don't have any lumps. Add the salt. The mixture should be silky smooth.

Cover and let the mixture stand for an hour (or longer…overnight is okay). Remove any foam that has formed at the top. Stir again.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour oil into a 15 x 10 x 1 jellyroll style pan. (It should cover the bottom.)

Add the garbanzo mixture. It should be low -- no higher than ¼ inch high...sort of floating on top of the oil.

Bake in the hot oven until the cecina has a golden crust all over, about 30 minutes.

Grind lots of fresh black pepper on top of the cecina as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cut into slices and serve warm.

I served this with my:

Homemade Tomato Oregano Sauce

Ingredients:

10 Roma tomatoes (peeled, seeded, diced) (about 3 cups)

½ yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

10 grinds of a pepper mill

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano

¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

Chop and dice tomatoes (see below for removing peel). Chop and dice onions. Put all the ingredients in a 10” saucepan. Heat to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.

**Peeling tomatoes: Bring a pot of water to boil. Put the tomatoes into the boiling water for about 20-30 seconds. Remove with tongs and douse with cold water. The peel should remove easily with a serrated knife. Once peeled, cut in half, remove the seeds, then chop fine for the sauce.

* * * * *

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.

Chat with me on Facebook and Twitter.

And if you haven't done so, sign up for my mailing list

so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!

ALSO...DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY ALTER EGO
DARYL WOOD GERBER? "She" has a new series that will start next year, 2013:
THE COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERIES.

{"We" share a website portal.}

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.
She doesn't say all the same things I do.
And pretty soon she'll have some fun news to share!

You'll hear that first in Avery's newsletter!

Say cheese!

***********

Insanely Easy Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake for Mother's Day from Cleo Coyle

2012-05-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

When I am old, I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves and satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells and run my stick along public railings and make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall go out in my slippers in the rain and pick flowers in other people's gardens. And learn to spit...

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

~ Jenny Joseph

Cleo Coyle, who aspires to
wear purple, is author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Happy Mother's Day!

(A little early.)

I'm putting on the coffee and
baking up a favorite...

Shirley Hunt Jackson,
Red Hat Queen

Courtesy of a beautiful mom
and grandmom, who wrote to me two years ago
and shared this recipe.

Thank you to Red Hatter...

Shirley Hunt Jackson

Insanely Easy

Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake

Courtesy of Shirley Jackson

Note from Shirley: "I made this coffee cake for the first time at Pam's home in Houston for a group of Red Hat friends. This coffee cake tastes just like a yeast bread that has taken you a long time to make. Sure does make your kitchen smell cozy."

Note from Cleo: "Shirley is absolutely right about the yeast and the coziness of this coffee cake. Over the years, I've seen many cake recipes with a cake mix as starter. I've seen many 'pie-filling-over-cake-mix' recipes, too. But I've never seen yeast used as an ingredient (have any of you?). The use of yeast in this recipe gives the streusel a sweet bread-like flavor and texture, but without kneading or rising time. It's also fantastic chilled, so it makes a great summer cake, too. Thanks again to Shirley!"

To download this recipe in a PDF file that you can print, save, or share, click here.

INGREDIENTS

For dough base:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour, unsifted
1 packet (1/4 ounce) dry yeast
2/3 cup very warm tap water
2 eggs

For topping:
5 Tablespoons butter (salted is fine)1 can (1 pound 5 ounce) cherry pie filling
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Step 1 - Make dough base: First preheat your oven to 375° Fahrenheit and coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with cooking spray (or grease and flour it to prevent sticking). Then, in a large mixing bowl, measure out 1-1/2 cups of the dry cake mix. (You are reserving the remaining mix for the topping.) Add the flour and dry yeast. Now add the 2/3rds cup of very warm tap water. Allow the yeast to come alive and bubble for a minute. Finally, add the 2 eggs. Beat everything for 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl often. Dough will be thick. Using a rubber spatula or back of a spoon, spread it across the bottom of your coated baking pan.

Step 2 - Make streusel topping: Melt butter in a saucepan and pour it over the remaining cake mix. Mix the butter in well with the dry mix. It should be lumpy and crumbly. (See photo.)

Step 3 - Assemble coffee cake: Spoon the cherry pie filling evenly across the top of the dough in the baking pan. Sprinkle sugar on top of the filling. Finally, using your fingers, crumble the streusel topping over it all. (There is quite a bit of topping in this recipe. I decided to hold back some of mine so the bright redness of the cherries would really show through.)

Step 4 - Bake and glaze: Bake the coffee cake for 30 minutes in your preheated oven (375° F). Cool the coffee cake on a rack (to allow air to circulate under the hot pan bottom). When the top is fairly cool, drizzle with glaze. See my Quick Glaze recipe below. After cake is served, refrigerate leftovers to keep fresh. This cake is also delicious chilled!

CLEO'S FAVORITE
QUICK GLAZE:

Cleo's note: Shirley's cherry streusel coffee cake glaze used corn syrup, water, and powdered sugar. With her indulgence, I am giving you my favorite butter glaze instead, which is what I use when I make this cake. Here is the simple recipe...

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter (salted is fine)

2 Tablespoons whole milk (cream or half-and-half)

1 cup confectioner's (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Over medium heat, warm butter and milk in a saucepan. Do not let this mixture brown, burn, or boil or you will have a scalded taste in your glaze. As soon as butter has melted, stir in the sifted confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, until it is completely melted. You must work with the glaze quickly, while it is still warm. Using a rubber spatula or spoon, drizzle the warm glaze over the coffee cake. If the glaze hardens up on you, place the saucepan over the heat again and whisk until liquefied and smooth once more.

CARE FOR A SLICE?

Happy Mother's
Day!

~ Cleo Coyle, author of

The Coffeehouse Mysteries

To get more of my recipes, enter to win

free coffee, or learn about my books, including
my bestselling Haunted Bookshop series, visit my online coffeehouse: CoffeehouseMystery.com

The Coffeehouse Mysteries are national bestselling

culinary mysteries set in a landmark Greenwich Village

coffeehouse, and each of the ten titles includes the

added bonus of recipes.

The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure

Book #1 of
The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries, which Cleo writes
under the name Alice Kimberly
To learn more, click here.

Lamb Steak

2012-05-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I wasn't a big fan of lamb. To me, there was something a little bit gamey about the flavor of the meat. I changed my mind, though, as I got older.

My absolute favorite flavoring for lamb is Penzey's Lamb Seasoning. It's one of their blends of herbs and spices. I love it because it doesn't pretend to disguise the flavor, it just enhances it in the very best way. Before lamb became so costly, I once grilled a leg of lamb, heavily doused with Pensey's Lamb Seasoning, and it was great.

So when I longingly ogled the $50 and $60 lamb legs at my grocery store this week, I spied something called a lamb steak.

Now, being a little bit snarky by nature, I immediately assumed that it's the lamb industry's clever way of enticing lamb lovers like me who just can't justify spending so much for a leg of lamb anymore.

Rub with Penzey's Lamb seasoning

The cut has a tiny bone in it, and it's only about one inch thick, sort of like a beef steak. I had my doubts, but I gave it a shot. Since the steak is so thin, it cooks very quickly on a pan. Terrific for a special weeknight dinner. We made a big salad that included flavorful fresh raspberries, quinoa, and chopped walnuts, and laid the lamb slices on top. It was delicious.

Lamb Steak

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt
finely ground black pepper
Penzey's lamb seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil

Rinse steak and pat dry. Use a fork to prick holes in it on both sides. Spread one tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar on each side. Dust with sea salt and pepper and rub on the meat on each side. Finally, shake a generous amount of Penzey's lamb seasoning on each side and rub into the meat. Refrigerate for about 40 minutes. Remove meat from refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking so it will lose the refrigerator chill.

Warm a large pan over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and heat until a drop of water sizzles. Add the meat and cook until the sides have lost most of their pink color. Flip and cook on the other side until the interior is pinkish red, but not raw. Remove from heat and let sit for ten minutes before slicing into thin pieces. (Note: take care not to overcook or it will become tough.)

Jenn McKinlay is our guest!

2012-05-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Please welcome former MLK'er and now our guest, Jenn McKinlay.

Jenn amazes me. She is the successful New York Times selling author of two series, the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries and the Library Lover’s mysteries. She also writes under the names Lucy Lawrence and Josie Belle...which, if you can count, means there are possibly four new titles out at any one time! Her newest release is RED VELVET REVENGE coming in July 2012. I had the delightful pleasure to read this book! Delicious.

Welcome, Jenn, from Avery. :)

* * *

The Cherpumple!

Writers, I’ve noticed, are an obsessive lot. We get thoughts stuck in our heads and we become practically non-functional until we have exorcised the ideas that are ailing us, which could be anything from figuring out a particularly challenging scene, a reluctant character or a twisty plot point. For me, this sort of obsessiveness also spills over into my daily life, which my family has learned to tolerate as one of the perks of living with me. I like to think I’m teaching them flexibility but probably, they are really learning to humor the crazy lady.

Anyway, my latest obsession is with the cherpumple. The whattle? Yes, you heard me right. The cherpumple. It is a three layer -- CHERry pie in chocolate cake -- PUMPkin pie in carrot cake -- apPLE pie in spice cake -- combination that leaves one equally dazzled and repulsed. It was developed by Charles Phoenix as dessert’s answer to the turducken (you know the turkey stuffed with a chicken stuffed with a duck).

**********

**********

Amazing, no? Now, as much as I wanted to tackle the entire cherpumple, I was mostly obsessed with the cherry-chocolate layer and so, I decided to give it a go. Charles doesn’t use chocolate as the cake for his cherry pie. I saw that somewhere else and decided it was definitely the way to go. My fellow librarian Jordan, the one who introduced me to the cherpumple, was leaving our library for a promotion. I decided to make it for her good-bye party. Needless to say, the pressure was on not to screw it up!

I am happy to report that it was easy peasy just as Charles Phoenix’s video demonstrates. I baked the pie, Mrs. Smith’s classic cherry, according to the box’s directions the night before and let it cool overnight. The next day I got out my trusty springform pan and made my cake batter. I used a boxed mix, Pillsbury Chocolate, not wanting to invest too much time if it proved disastrous. I put a half inch of batter in the pan then I carefully removed the pie from its aluminum pan and put it in the cake batter. I poured the rest of the batter over the pie and put it in the oven to bake according to the mix’s instructions. I set the timer for 35 minutes and then tested it. It was still gooey on top so I gave it another ten minutes. Ding! It was perfect.

Then I made a batch of vanilla buttercream. One cup of butter, 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 3 tablespoons of milk. When the cake cooled, I carefully took it out of the pan and then frosted it and we were ready to go.

I took the cake to the party and was very nervous to see what it would like when we cut that baby open. It was also a lot heavier than a standard cake, and I was equally relieved that I didn’t drop it. Well, I have to say, “SUCCESS!” The cake set up perfectly around the pie and much to my surprise it was delicious.

If I do it again, I will serve the cake-pie with ice cream. The pie part of it seemed to demand it.

And that, my friends, is the cherpumple. Well, at least the “cher” part of it. Someday soon I am going to try the pumpkin and the apple layers, but I do think I will have to work up to putting all three together at once. It is stunning though, isn’t it?

Thanks for letting me bring my insanity to the Mystery Lover’s Kitchen! You ladies are the cherpumple of my eye. Yes, that’s a good thing. Happy reading and happy eating!

* * *

Jenn McKinlay is the New York Times best selling author of the Cupcake Bakery mysteries and the Library Lover’s mysteries. She also writes under the names Lucy Lawrence and Josie Belle. You can contact her via her website: JENN MCKINLAY.

A Charmed Banoffee Pie

2012-05-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

Ellery Adams

In each installment of the Charmed Pie Shoppe mysteries (the first one debuts this July), I include a customer of the week pie. These are recipes sent me by real readers and this one was to die for!

Not only is it a blend of soft, ripe bananas and rich, decadent caramel, but the creamy smoothness of the whipped topping just finishes it off with a dollop of pure heaven. Add a few chocolate shavings for the garnish and you've got a pie worth serving Mother.

In fact, the woman who sent me this recipe comes from a long line of Scottish bakers. Her mam ran a bakery on Orkney Islands (sorry, but I don't know exactly where) and they're still boiling their sweetened condensed milk even though you can buy it pre-made nowadays. Some things are better done the old fashioned way. Some things are worthy of patience and attention to detail. I think that's something most moms would agree on.

So enjoy this wonderful pie and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there (whether your children have two feet or four paws!)

Charmed Banoffee Pie

Ingredients

10 ounces ginger snaps, crushed fine

1 stick butter, melted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

3 ripe bananas, sliced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 ½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

hunk of milk chocolate candy bar for garnish

Directions

Prepare ginger snap crust. In medium bowl, mix melted butter with brown sugar. Add crushed ginger snaps. Mix well. Press mixture into 9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Cool.

Put can of sweetened condensed milk in large saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 2 hours (Adding water when necessary). Cool. Open and stir with fork to remove any lumps. (It will be brown in color). Spread on top of the ginger snap crust.

Slice three bananas and sprinkle with lemon juice. Arrange over the toffee.

Put large mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters in freezer for ten minutes. Remove and add heavy whipping cream. Whip until peaks are just about to form and then add in vanilla extract and sugar. Continue whipping until stiff and spread on top of banana layer. Grate milk chocolate over the top. Chill until serving.

DUCK WITH APPLES AND GREEN PEPPERCORNS

2012-05-04T00:15:00.002-04:00

by Sheila Connolly

I originally created this recipe for One Bad Apple. It was my homage to one of my favorite restaurants in Amherst, where I've eaten many times. The restaurant is authentically French, which explains the slightly hifalutin ingredients. Duck? Peppercorns?

I'll admit it's not always easy to find a duck to cook. Usually they're frozen, and often when you defrost them you find they're more fat than meat. Sometimes I think about asking a neighbor to go out and shoot one for me, but then I'd have to deal with cleaning out the innards and getting rid of the feathers and feet and head and stuff…no, I guess I'll stick with the commercial ducks.

Luckily our local market has been stocking frozen duck parts for a while now. The front quarters are expensive, but the back quarters (thigh and leg) I think are meatier and more flavorful. And since there are only two of us living at home now, it's easier to make only two pieces and not have to worry about using up leftover duck (which can be kind of greasy).

So here's the simplified version of my recipe:

Duck with Apples and Green Peppercorns

Two duck quarters, thawed

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium tart apple

1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

1 Tblsp preserved green peppercorns

½ cup cider (fresh or hard)

1 tsp honey

1 tsp cider vinegar

With a sharp knife, score the skin and fat of the duck pieces without cutting into the flesh. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then place the duck pieces skin side down to sear. Do not move them for 4-5 minutes.

Ready for the oven

Remove the pieces from the pan and place them on a rack over a roasting pan (cover the pan, not the rack, with foil, if you don't want to deal with all the duck fat that will be rendered). Place in a preheated 300 degree oven and roast for about 45 minutes. It really may take this long; test with an instant-read thermometer, which should register 165 degrees, and the blood should run clear when you pierce the thigh.

While the duck pieces are in the oven, make the sauce. Core but do not peel the apple (I used a Cortland, which is a good all-purpose apple) and slice thinly (about 1/8 of an inch: the peel keeps the slices from disintegrating when you cook them). In the pan you used to sauté the duck pieces (with the olive oil and duck fat), place the apples and peppercorns and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden (about 5 minutes). Add the shallots and rosemary and continue cooking, stirring, until the shallots are soft (another 2 minutes). Add the cider and increase the heat until the sauce is simmering, then simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the honey and cider vinegar and simmer for another minute. Taste for seasoning and add salt if you think it needs it.

Serve the duck pieces and spoon the apples and sauce over them. I accompanied the duck with new fingerling potatoes.

Birthday Bundt

2012-05-03T01:00:00.000-04:00

Did you know I have a day job?

Oh my, yes. I teach American government to college kids. The great thing is that I love it almost as much as I love writing. I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

I remember once upon a time I thought the life of a writer was quite glamorous. Now I know better. There's a lot to recommend it (wonderful readers, getting paid to play make-believe, being able to work in your jammies), it's not all dreamy contemplation of the written word. Witness this quite lovely clip of Meryl Streep as Mary Fisher in She Devil:

Someone recently commented that people have similar misconceptions about my day job (college professor), likely because of movies featuring ivy-covered walls and men in tweed, pipes clenched between their teeth, telling kids to rip up their texts and learn from life and blah, blah, blah.

It's nothing like that at all.

First, I don't lecture to 35 young adults who are all completely absorbed in what I say. Rather, I have nearly 600 students this semester, and many of them probably couldn't tell you my name. And those ivy covered walls? Try ongoing asbestos abatement.

But just as there are tons of unexpected pleasures associated with being a writer, there are tons of unexpected pleasures associated with teaching at a big ol' public university. While we don't have the gorgeous old buildings you see in the movies, my office is in Sage Hall, and it's a perfectly lovely room with actual windows (two!) and doves (not pigeons) who perch on my sills. I also get to enjoy my own personal inside joke: my office used to belong to a guy named Warren Watson, and I have kept his name plate. It's silly, but it makes me laugh to think of the Watson dynasty.

Sage Hall - no ivy, but not bad.

My crazy-messy desk, complete with gorgeous i-Mac

The Watson legacy lives on in Sage Hall

And while my relationship with many of my students remains pretty impersonal, others find a special place in my heart and never move out. Right now, my kiddos are knocking my socks off with a great project they did rewriting the constitution after the zombie apocalypse. Seriously, they did a great job. Makes me about burst with pride.

I also have fabulous co-workers. Writing is a solitary profession, so having a cluster of colleagues with whom to spend my days is invaluable. Today, we celebrated the birthday of one of my suite-mates. Cards all-round, lots of laughing and joking throughout the day, and a birthday bundt cake.

So that's what I want to share with you today: the recipe for that birthday bundt cake, so you, too, can share in the warmth of wonderful co-workers. And tell me what your workplace is like ... what's your favorite thing about your job???

Chocolate Bundt Cake

(from The Veganomicon)

1 3/4 c. brewed coffee
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. canola oil
1/3 c. applesauce
1/4 c. cornstarch
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Spray bundt pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Bring coffee to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and whisk in cocoa powder until melted.

Coffee and cocoa powder

In bowl of stand mixer, combine canola oil, applesauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk until well dissolved. Add extracts and slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Add dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

Pour into bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes (until knife comes out clean). Cool on rack for 20 minutes, then invert on plate or serving platter. Sift powdered sugar over and serve!