1918 Potatoes Sauté @MaddieDayAuthor #Birthday #Giveaway

MADDIE DAY here, with a yummy side dish for your next birthday meal. Who doesn't love fried potatoes?

I've mentioned here before that my paternal grandmother was born on July 4th, 1900. Dorothy -- Dot -- Henderson was a close part of my life growing up.

As a child, it was fun to remember that, after Independence Day, Mama Dot was the same age as the year. As an adult, it was a treat to discover Dot's diary from the trip her family took driving two cars from Indianapolis to Berkley, California in 1918. As the eldest, Dot drove one of the automobiles, and the diary includes the menu for her 18th birthday dinner at a Salt Lake City hotel on Independence Day.

Knowing what a strong person my grandmother was inspired me to create a historical character a bit like her, the lady PI in the Dot and Amelia Mysteries.

I thought I'd bring you one of the items on her birthday menu. I had my whole family here for the 4th weekend. 

I cooked so much, I kind of ran out of steam for making anything complicated, so I selected Potatoes Sauté to fix.

 

Potatoes Sauté

From Dorothy Henderson's 18th birthday dinner, July 4, 1918, at the Hotel Utah Roof Garden restaurant.

Ingredients

3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and thickly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

1 sprig rosemary chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Steam potatoes (2026 version) in microwave steamer or (1918 version) on stove until nearly tender.

Heat butter in cast iron skillet. 

Saute potatoes, turning, until toasty and crisped. Sprinkle on rosemary. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy with steak and mushrooms, stuffed tomatoes, corn muffins, or anything else you please. And happy birthday to Dot, the USA, and anyone else who shares the day!

Readers: What's your favorite hot side dish? I'll send one commenter a signed copy of A Case for the Ladies!

🥔🧈🎂

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 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.

Grilled Pork Chops #recipe @vmburns

 VMBURNS: It's hot outside, so I have fired up the grill. This time, I grilled pork chops. They were delicious. IN fact, I've made them twice more since the first time. You'll notice that I only made 2 pork chops, not 4. I also like the sweet grilled taste and used a tad more than the 1/4 cup brown sugar listed in the ingredient list. Sadly, the brown sugar doesn't appear in the ingredient picture, but trust me. It's there. If you don't like the sweetness, then you can reduce the brown sugar. I also LOVE using grill mats, They allow your grill to stay clean, but you still get the lovely grill marks on your food. I didn't have grill mats, so I sprayed my grill with Pam. NOTE: Do that before you fire the grill up to avoid flames. Don't ask how I know this. 

GRILLED PORK CHOPS

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Pork chops, bone in
• 1/4 Cup Brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 Teaspoons Ground Black pepper
• 2 Teaspoons Ground Mustard
• 1 Teaspoon Onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

• Let pork shops get to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
• Preheat your grill with cover closed to approximately 400 degrees or Medium-high heat for ten minutes.
• Pat pork chops dry with paper towel and coat with vegetable oil
• Mix all of the dry ingredients in a Zip loc bag. Place the pork chops in the bag and coat with the dry rub.
  
  
  
• Place the pork chops on the hot grill. Leave undisturbed for 6 minutes, until they release from the grates with minimal effort. Rotate a quarter turn and continue grilling for 2-3 more minutes to create the cross hatch marks.
  
  
  
• Flip the pork chops and sear the second side for 2-3 minutes.
  
  
  
• Check the internal temperature of the pork chops with a thermometer. When the temperature reaches 140 degrees, remove from the grill.
• Let the pork chops rest for five minutes before serving.
  
  
  

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• READERS: When it comes to barbecue, do you like sweet heat? Fiery heat? Or No heat? 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

Sautéed Green Beans with Miso and Dijon Mustard #recipe by @LeslieKarst

  

This simple recipe is inspired by one I saw in the New York Times a few weeks back but, as I generally do, I tweaked it some to make it my own (and to accommodate for what I happened to have in the kitchen at the time). And I must say, it came out quite tasty, indeed—the tang of the mustard and lemon go nicely with the salty umami of the miso.

I used red miso, but any variety should work fine for this dish.

Sautéed Green Beans with Miso and Dijon Mustard

(serves 4)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon miso

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 lb. green beans, cut into bite-size pieces

salt and black pepper, to taste (not pictured)

sesame seeds, for garnish (not pictured)

Directions

Combine the miso, mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and sauté until just starting to brown. 

 

Add the green beans and continue to sauté until the beans are almost done. (You can add a bit of water to the pan to hasten the cooking, if you like.) 

 

Pour in the miso mixture and stir until the vegetables are all covered with it. Continue to cook until the beans are done to your liking (I like mine still somewhat crisp).

 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Note that you may not need any salt, as the miso is quite salty!) Serve topped with the sesame seeds.

🌱  🍋 🌿

 

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.

 

 

Green Bean Salad with Feta, Almonds, and Herbed Vinaigrette from Leslie Budewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  The New York Times food writer Sam Sifton says Wednesdays should be no-recipe cooking days, when you get an idea and riff on it, getting creative with what you’re craving or have on hand. I love that approach, though I don’t limit it to Wednesdays!

And sometimes, I have no recipe because my starting point is a photo and description in the NY Times daily food newsletter, which is free to nonsubscribers, but doesn’t include access to the recipes themselves. So I punt. At least one family fave came about that way, our Crispy Gnocchi with Burst Tomatoes and Mozzarella. 

This green bean salad had similar origins. The original called for fresh dill, but my plant is new and I didn’t want to sacrifice all those lovely fronds for one dish. My tarragon, on the other hand, was just screaming to be trimmed and enjoyed. I made my Tarragon Vinaigrette, which I’ve shared here in the past but you could just as easily use fresh dill and a standard vinaigrette of your choice.

Another note: I used frozen green beans because that’s what I had, but I think fresh would be even better. My amounts are approximate. If you’re concerned about turning on the oven because of hot weather, a toaster oven is a good alternative. But toasting doesn’t take long. You could also add cooked seasoned shrimp, or even golden raisins. 

That’s the thing about a no-recipe recipe: It can be anything your little mouth desires.

Enjoy!

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 

Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Green Bean Salad with Feta, Almonds, and Herbed Vinaigrette

1/4 sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

1 pound green beans, fresh or frozen

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup crumbled feta

1/4 cup fresh herbs, such as dill or tarragon

1/4 cup vinaigrette, or more to taste

OR in place of the herbs and vinaigrette, 1/4 cup Tarragon Vinaigrette, or more to taste. 

Heat oven to 300 and toast almonds, about 10 minutes. Remember that nuts will continue to cook and brown after they are removed from the oven.

Cook the green beans until tender-crisp. Drain and rinse to cool and stop the cooking. Slice the red onion and combine with the green beans. Add the almonds, feta, and vinaigrette. 

So, I forgot to take pics as I made the dressing and assembled the salad, but figured I'd use shots from the original vinaigrette recipe. Turns out I forgot to take a picture then, too! I rarely do that, and twice? Must be something about tarragon . . . 

Toss to coat and serve. 

Serves 4 as a side salad. 

What herbs are you loving right now? As you can see from my photo above, herbs are perfect for pots for a deck garden, whether you've got a plot of land or not! 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .  

Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine. 

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.

Release Day News! New Paperback Edition of The Mango Murders by Lucy Burdette

 

Congratulations to our own... Lucy Burdette!

On the release of the 

*New Paperback Edition* 

of her Key West Food Critic Mystery 

THE MANGO MURDERS

Now in Paperback! 

Praise for The Mango Murders:
“A colorful background and fun for foodies enliven a tale of jealousy and revenge.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will fall in love with everything about this series.”
—Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

“Another gem of a cozy mystery . . . For readers with an interest in deftly crafted ‘whodunnit’s starring an amateur female sleuth.”
—Midwest Book Review

“A marvelous mystery.”
—Escape with Dollycas

“Another good one . . . Fans of the series will enjoy.”
—Red Carpet Crash

“If you’re looking for something light and gossipy, full of food and sunshine and friendship—and there are times when we all need that—this is a perfect book for you.”
—Ann Cleeves, New York Times bestselling author