Stewed Peppers with Polenta #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

This dish has deliciously rich, bright flavors. It becomes an entire meal when served with cheesy polenta. But if you’re looking for something less involved, feel free to leave out the raisins, capers, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, and honey. You can’t go wrong with jazzed up stewed peppers for a colorful main dish or as a more straightforward side without the bells and whistles.   

Note: The recipe calls for instant polenta and cautions against substituting regular or quick polenta. The polenta should be creamy and spoonable. If, after stirring in the cheese, yours is too thick, then thin it with a bit of water.

You’ll find a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the cooking directions.

Stewed Peppers with Polenta

Adapted from Milk Street Vegetables by Christopher Kimball

 

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 medium bell peppers (mix of colors), thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 cup raisins (or golden raisins or currents)

1/4 cup drained capers

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup instant polenta

1 cup (2 ounces) Parmesan or Asiago cheese, finely grated, plus more to serve

1 tablespoon honey

 

Directions

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl.

To the skillet, add the bell peppers, onion, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the raisins, capers, vinegar, and 3/4 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are fully softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. While whisking constantly, gradually add the polenta. Return to a boil, continuing to stir, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, adding more water to thin if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

When the pepper mixture is done, remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the honey, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir the polenta to smooth it out and then pour it into a large serving dish. Top the polenta with the stewed peppers. Scatter the pine nuts and more cheese over the top.

 

click here for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of this recipe

 

 

Out now!

All Shell Breaks Loose

Book 3 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!

 

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder . . .

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .

 

Happy reading!

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry Pie for #AmeliaEarhart #birthday @MaddieDayAuthor #giveaway

MADDIE DAY here, wishing the spirit of Amelia Earhart a very happy birthday!

Yes, our intrepid feminist pilot was born today in Kansas in 1894. As I was writing A Case for the Ladies, I envisioned a fictional reality for Amelia as a sidekick to lady PI Dot Henderson in1926 Boston, where Amelia actually lived and taught in a settlement house. After a short stint teaching English to immigrant factory workers in my very own town of Amesbury, Massachusetts, north of Boston on the New Hampshire line, Amelia landed a job as a social worker and teacher at Denison House in what is now Boston's South End. 

She is shown here with some of the children at the establishment. In real life, mostly she taught adult women, although she did coach the Chinese girls' basketball team.

I loved researching Amelia's early life and the path that brought her to the Boston area along with her mother and sister, who lived in West Medford not far from my best friend's home. 

The former Earhart home on Brook Street in recent years.

Amelia was already a devoted aviator and flew out of an airfield south of Boston on the weekends. 

I don't believe Amelia cared much about cooking. In A Case for the Ladies, Dot's Aunt Etta employed a wonderful housekeeper and cook named Georgia, who often baked with fruits in season. I have scenes in the book where the two young investigators enjoy Georgia's pastries. The season being July and August, blueberries were often on the menu. 

I don't use lard in my pie crusts, but butter was a common alternative, and I can't think that the process has changed much except for my ability to closely regulate my gas oven temperature with electronic controls. I hope you enjoy Amelia's birthday pie! 

Note: I had one more quart of blueberries in my freezer from last year as this year's picking season began last week, so I hunted down a recipe calling for frozen berries. They weren't quite enough, so I supplemented with fresh berries. I know the recipe would be equally successful with only fresh blueberries. 

Blueberry Pie for Amelia

Adapted from BakingwithButter.com

Pie Ingredients

 

2.2 pounds frozen blueberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar (can be decreased if blueberries are very sweet, or increased if tart), plus more for sprinkling

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ tablespoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water

1 two-crust pie crust, store-bought or homemade (I use the no-fail food processor recipe, "Pâte brisée fine, électrique," from From Julia Child's Kitchen, 1975)

Instructions 

In a large saucepan, combine the frozen blueberries, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Don't add the butter yet. On very low heat, stir until the frozen blueberries release some of their liquid.

Once they've released their juices, turn the heat up to medium and keep stirring regularly until the mixture heats thoroughly and comes to a bubble. Don't forget to stir, or the cornstarch mixture will begin to cook prematurely at the bottom of the pan. (Sorry, forgot to photograph this stage.)

Once the mixture begins to bubble, let it boil while continuously stirring. Do this for a full minute until it's thick and glossy. It will lose its cloudy appearance and become clear and thick.

Once it's cooked, remove it from the heat and stir through the tablespoon of butter.

Pour the hot blueberry mixture into a large bowl and let it cool to room temperature. (The filling can also be made a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.)

Add filling to the bottom crust. Cover with top crust, and fold top under bottom all around. 

Crimp the edges between index finger and thumb on one hand and index finger on the other, all the way around. Cut steam vents in the top in any pattern you like. 

Whisk together the egg and water. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough on top of the pie with egg wash.

Sprinkle the crust with sugar.

Place the unbaked pie in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C.)

Once the oven is at temperature, place the pie on the middle rack in the oven, and add a rimmed tray underneath to catch any spills.

Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for a further 45 minutes until the pie crust is thoroughly browned and the purple blueberry filling bubbles through the gaps in the top crust.

If the crust is showing signs of excessive browning, you can cover the top of the pie with a piece of aluminum foil or silicone crust protectors.

Once baked, remove the hot pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours. For a firmer filling, let the pie cool completely and refrigerate it for a few hours once it is chilled.

Serve and enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Readers: What's your favorite summer fruit dessert? Do you have an attachment to Amelia Earhart? I'll send one lucky commenter a copy of A Case for the Ladies as a birthday present to the aviator.

🛩🎂🌎

A Poisonous Pour is out and available wherever books are sold!

Next up is Murder at the Toy Soldier, Cozy Capers Book Group #8, which releases in late August.

My other most recent releases are Murder at Cape Costumers,

Scone Cold Dead, #13 in the Country Store Mysteries,

and A Case for the Ladies.

Check out all my writing.

We hope you'll visit Maddie and her Agatha Award-winning alter ego Edith Maxwell on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.

Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.

BUTTER RICE #recipe @vmburns

VMBURNS:  The first time I made Butter Rice, I didn't have a yellow onion. The only onion I had was a red onion. An onion is an onion, right? Well, kind of. I knew the red onion would have a bit more of a bite to it than the yellow onion. No problem. I used a little less of the red. The taste was fine. The issue came in the color. The red onions looked purple against the white rice, which was a little weird. However, I couldn't really taste the onions. The second time I made this, I used yellow onion, but didn't have 3 cups of chicken broth. So, I substituted water. Again, the rice tasted fine. What's my point? My point is this recipe is flexible. There are only a small number of ingredients and it's pretty hard to mess this up.

• BUTTER RICE

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Medium Onion, finely diced
• 1 1/2 Cups Rice
• 3 Cups Chicken broth
• 2 Bay leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt butter over medium heat in large saucepan. Add in onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Stir in rice and coat in the butter.
   
   
   
2. Pour in remaining ingredients. Cover, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and about 15 minutes.
   
   
   
3. Turn heat off rice, but keep on the burner for 10 minutes to steam. Fluff rice with a fork, remove bay leaves, and serve as desired. 
   
   
   

• 
  
• READERS:  Onions? Red? Yellow? Or, no way? Let me know in the comments below. 

MURDER AT FIRST SLICE (ARC)

As Maddy’s wedding day approaches, friends and family descend on the little town of New Bison, Michigan, to celebrate—so much so that Maddy wonders if there might be another happily-ever-after in store for her widowed father and innkeeper Mrs. Law. Unfortunately, she also has to deal with an unhappy couple: feuding cousins Hannah and Dorothy, who haven’t spoken in decades. Maddy can only hope the spectacular wedding cake crafted by her head baker doesn’t wind up as ammunition in a food fight.

But she doesn’t have to wait long for a wedding disaster to strike. When the imperious Dorothy crashes the rehearsal dinner—with several uninvited guests in tow—and starts battering everyone with constant complaints, the drama reaches reality-show levels. And the next day, Dorothy is dead . . . with Hannah standing over the body, bloody rolling pin in hand.

Nobody in town believes Miss Hannah could commit murder. But a detective newly relocated from New York doesn’t know the sweet, memory-challenged Hannah the way the locals do—and the evidence seems open-and-shut as an oven. Now, with her sous-sleuths the Baker Street Irregulars, the bride-to-be is busy digging into Dorothy’s past to catch a killer before she cuts the cake . . .

BUY LINK

Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine and Guava Juice #recipe by @LeslieKarst

  

To my mind, there are few things more delicious than fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs. And this dish, simmered in hearty red wine along with sweet-and-tart guava juice, provides a lovely blend of savory with a hint of fruit—perfect to compliment the beefy ribs. Especially when paired with potatoes, over which you can spoon that heavenly sauce. 

 

This dish—as well as all pot roasts—is best made a day in advance, both to allow the flavors to blend, and also to make it easy to skim off all the excess fat once it’s cooled.

Feel free to substitute some other sweet beverage for the guava juice if you like: another fruit juice, Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, whatever strikes your fancy. (Note that I ended up adding a can of beer—not pictured in the ingredients photos—towards the end of the cooking, as it needed more liquid and I didn’t want to open another bottle of wine, and more guava juice would have made the ribs too sweet for my taste.)

Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine and Guava Juice

(serves 8)

Ingredients

4-5 lbs. beef short ribs, at room temperature

salt and black pepper

flour for dusting the ribs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

6 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

3 onions, coarsely chopped (I only used 3 of the 4 pictured)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bottle hearty red wine

1 can guava juice

1 can beer (or other liquid—additional wine, stock, juice, or water), if needed

 

Directions

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, then dust them with flour.

In a large Dutch oven or similar pot, heat the oil over medium heat till shimmering, then add the beef ribs, making sure they are in a single layer and don’t crowd each other. (You’ll likely have to do this in two batches.) Fry until all side are browned, turning as needed, then remove to a baking pan or bowl.

 

Add the chopped carrots and celery to the fat in the pot and fry over medium heat until starting to brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a bowl.

 

Add the chopped onions to the pot and fry over medium heat until starting to brown. Remove to a bowl—or the same bowl as the other veg. 

 

Return the short ribs (and any accumulated juices) to the pot and add the guava juice. Then pour in enough wine so that the ribs are covered by at least an inch of liquid. (This may or may not be a full bottle of wine.)

 

 

Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and cover. Simmer for about two hours—until the meat is tender and starting to fall off the bone, stirring periodically and making sure the meat isn’t sticking. Add a can of beer (or something else) toward the end if needed to keep the meat mostly covered with liquid.

When the meat is done, add the cooked vegetables, along with the chopped garlic, to the pot and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. 

 

Let the pot cool to room temperature, then place it in the fridge. Once the fat has congealed at the top, scrape off as much as you easily can with a spoon. But don’t stress too much about getting it all, as it does add flavor to the dish. (And be sure to save that yummy fat, as it’s great for frying vegetables!)

 

Reheat to a simmer, then serve the ribs with the gravy spooned over roasted or mashed potatoes, or whatever starch you prefer. 

 

🌱  🍋 🌿

 

Just Released!

Orchid Isle Mystery  #3

MURDER, LOCAL STYLE

Available for purchase here.

 

"The beauties and customs of Hawai‘i provide a striking backdrop for a murder with an unexpected motive."

Kirkus Reviews 

 

 🍍 🌴 🍹

 

Out now in paperback!

Orchid Isle Mystery  #2

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

Buy link here. 

 

2026 Lefty and Agatha Award Finalist

for Best Mystery/Contemporary Mystery!

 

"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."

Kirkus Reviews

 

Also available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery  #1

Buy link here

 

2025 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Mystery!

 

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

 

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly. 

 

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

 

 

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

 

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

 

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

 --Publishers Weekly

 

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served:  A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

Buy link here

 

 

 

Praise for Justice is Served:

 

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court." 

 

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

 

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.