Mystery Lovers' Kitchen

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Simple Summer Italian Salad #recipe by @LeslieKarst

I was asked to bring a salad to a dinner party recently where pasta would be the main course, and given all the gorgeous tomatoes that are now arriving in gardens and grocery stores, I decided that needed to be the star of my dish. And then I hit upon the idea of a take on a Caprese Salad, with the addition of cucumber and substituting chives for the basil.

Not only was the salad a snap to make, but it was delicious and gorgeous to look at! I’ll for sure make this again. (Be sure to use the more flavorful tomatoes you can find, as well as good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for the best result.)

Simple Summer Italian Salad

Ingredients

more or less equal amounts of:

fresh tomatoes (preferably heirloom or homegrown)

cucumber

mozzarella cheese

salt and freshly-ground pepper

extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar

chopped chives (or green onions)

Directions

Peel the cucumber, if you like. Or, as I did, peel it partially, so that thin lines of green remain. Then cut the cucumber, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese into thin slices.

Arrange the tomato, cucumber, and cheese slices on a serving platter, alternating them to make a pretty pattern.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

The salad can sit in the fridge at this point for several hours. Shortly before service, drizzle the salad with olive oil.

Then drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Coarsely chop the green onions and scatter them over the salad.

I told you it was easy!

Buon appetito!

🌱 🍋 🌿

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.

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Air Conditioning in a Glass: My Easy Virgin Lime Rickey by author Cleo Coyle

From Cleo Coyle: The heat is on across the country. Here in NYC we've been in the upper 90s with our high humidity putting the real-feel temperatures around 100. But my husband and I have a remedy. To borrow a phrase from Washington, DC, bartender Derek Brown, Chief Spirits Advisor to the National Archives, this baby is...

"Air conditioning in a glass"

Our Virgin "Gin" Lime Rickey is a sweet-tart marvel. This recipe is close to the classic version with a few shortcuts to make it especially easy, because on hazy days, we're lazy, even when it comes to making drinks.

You can adjust the ingredients to you taste, and we'll even show you a non-virgin version that's just as good. Either way, we hope you find this summer drink as refreshing as we do. Now let's start pouring...

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery
series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

🍈 A Note from Cleo

The "gin" in this virgin version of a lime rickey is ginger ale, and the shortcut we use is "Simply Limeade." Look for this tartly refreshing beverage in your grocery store's refrigerated section. If your local store doesn't carry it, you can make your own by stirring sugar syrup into fresh lime juice (sweeten to your own taste).

To download a free PDF
of these recipes that
you can print, save
or share, click here.

Click here for recipe PDF.

🍈 Cleo's Lazy Virgin

"Gin" Lime Rickey

Ingredients:

1 fresh lime

Ice
Simply Limeade (or see my *note below)

Ginger ale (regular or diet)

Directions: Cut the lime in half. Slice off a "lime wheel" (see photo below) and set it aside. Pour ice into a chilled glass (tall or short, your choice). Fill one third of the glass with chilled limeade. Pour in cold, freshly opened ginger ale, stopping short of the top. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime over the ginger ale. For a more tart drink, use the juice from the remaining half, as well. Stir gently, float the lime wheel on top, and enjoy!

*Note: As a substitute for Simply Limeade, stir sugar syrup into freshly squeezed lime juice (sweeten to your own taste).

🍈 Cleo's Lazy Gin
Lime Rickey

Ingredients:

1 fresh lime

Ice

Gin
Simply Limeade (*or see my note above)

Ginger ale (regular or diet)

Directions: Cut the lime in half. Slice off a "lime wheel" (see photo above) and set it aside. Add ice to a chilled glass. Pour in the gin--as far as amounts, I like a splash while my husband goes for a full shot, your choice. By pouring the gin in first, you're giving it a nice chill before you build the drink.

Now add the chilled limeade until the halfway mark. Top with cold, freshly opened ginger ale, stopping short of the rim. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime over the ginger ale. For a more tart drink, use the juice from the remaining half, as well. Stir gently, float the lime wheel on top, and...

Stay cool out there!