This is the second in A Cookbook Nook mystery series.
Also out today,
ICED TO DEATH by our very own Peg Cochran. Congrats, Peg!!!! Click on the title to learn more.
And we have a winner from last week's book giveaway.
Libby D!!!
I'll be contacting you to find out which book you
wish to receive. Congratulations!! I'm still having more book giveaways through this month, so check out the rules below...
* * *
I feel like I've been promoting for a decade right about now, with
DAYS OF WINE AND ROQUEFORT out last month and now
INHERIT THE WORD. It's quite a challenge to keep my head on my shoulders and my mind clear!
From the back cover of Inherit:
When tempers get too hot to handle, someone’s bound to get
grilled.
Jenna Hart moved back
to Crystal Cove, California, with the intention to relax and help her aunt,
Vera, run the local culinary bookshop and café. But it’s hard to follow a
simple recipe for relaxation when murder gets thrown in the mix…
The Cookbook Nook is set to host the town’s upcoming Grill
Fest, a tasty tradition which pits local amateur chefs against one another to
concoct the most delicious dishes. This year’s challenge: Grilled Cheese. But
with competing chefs bearing grudges from past years, more mouths are running
off than salivating.
The expression “too many cooks” proves all too true when the
eight-time champ is found murdered in the alley behind the café. Soon a local
diner owner (and Jenna’s “second mother”) is suspected of bumping off the
competition, and Jenna has to douse the flames before the wrong person gets
burned…
Praise for the series:
“A delectable tasty mix of
characters, crime, and cookbooks.”
— New York
Times bestselling author Kate Carlisle
I hope you'll check it out.
In the meantime, today I'm sharing one of the recipes from the book. It was inspired by an appetizer my mother made. I gave that history to Jenna, the protagonist in the series. Her mother used to make these delicious appetizers. Her mother did all the cooking, which is why Jenna needs to ramp up her kitchen skills. She turned the is scrumptious little appetizer into a grilled cheese, and was quite pleased with herself!
Enjoy.
PS This is the recipe I mentioned in my newsletter, if you receive that!
Shrimp Swiss Cheese Melt
(Makes 2 sandwiches)
4 slices bread
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1 teaspoon Bouquet Garni (or tarragon
or parsley)
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Salt to taste
4 large shrimp, diced
4 large asparagus, cooked to tender
4 slices Swiss cheese
For the asparagus:
Bring an
inch of water to boil in a saucepan. Snap off the ends of the asparagus and
cook, covered, in boiling water for 2 minutes. Pour off the water. Keep
asparagus covered for 2 more minutes. Rinse in cold water. Slice in half and
then cut into in thin strips. Set aside.
For the shrimp salad:
Remove the
tails and dice the shrimp. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the
mayonnaise, cream cheese, chives, spice, lemon zest, and the shrimp. Taste and
add salt if desired.
To assemble:
Use the
remaining mayonnaise and spread on each slice of bread. Place all 4 slices of
the bread, mayonnaise side down, on a cutting board. Spread the
shrimp-cheese-mixture on 2 of the slices. Lay out the asparagus on the other 2
slices. Top each with Swiss cheese. Place the two sides together.
If cooking on a stovetop: Heat a large
skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Set the sandwiches on the skillet
and cook for 4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip the sandwiches, using a
spatula, and cook another 2-4 minutes. You can compress the sandwich with the
spatula. Turn the sandwich one more time. Press down with the spatula, and
remove from the pan. Let cool about 2-3 minutes, and serve.
For the book giveaway this week, leave a comment with your email included. If you tweet or share on Facebook, tell me in your comment and you'll be entered TWICE.
I'll give you your choice of one of the Cheese Shop mysteries, including the latest DAYS OF WINE AND ROQUEFORT, or a copy of FINAL SENTENCE, the 1st in the Cookbook Nook mysteries. I'll announce the winner next week. Good luck!
******************
Thanks for the shrimp recipe. Eating shrimp and crab is suppose to help with arthritis. Fun eating whether it helps or not. Bobbipad@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteBarbara/Bobbi - I agree. Shrimp is one of my favorite foods. I know it can be high in cholesterol, but it's not like I'm eating a ton of it and every day. It's a treat!
DeleteDaryl / Avery
Why would you ruin perfectly good grilled cheese by adding shrimp to it? (Yeah, not a fish fan here.) carstairs38@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteAw, Mark, you're missing out. :) That from one fish lover.
DeleteDaryl / Avery
Why would you ruin a perfectly good grilled cheese by adding asparagus (to me that is on the same level as liver - uneatable! ) Well, to each their own. :) Looking forward to your Cookbook Nook series.
ReplyDeletekpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
Ha. Karen and Mark, you should send me your favorite grilled cheese choices! No asparagus, check. No shrimp, check. What do you like? By the way, I bet something like broccoli or other green veggie would do the trick.
DeleteDaryl / Avery
No thanks on the sandwich. I'm allergic to shellfish. But, yes, please, to the book. No allergies there. lkish77123 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteWow, this sandwich is definitely not striking the notes I'd hoped. It truly is one of my favorites and Jenna's, too. :) To each their own. Maybe it has something to do with growing up by the ocean and near San Francisco, where shellfish and fish are so fresh and delish.
DeleteDaryl / Avery
It looks really good to me. I could also see experimenting with different cheeses but the asparagus and shrimp mix sounds tasty. Maybe because I have lived in SF Bay area 25+ years, see this kind of thing all the time.
ReplyDeleteAnd the book sounds yummy too!
sallycootie@gmail.com
See, Sally? I think it might be a location thing re: flavors. We coastal girls like shrimp! :)
DeleteDaryl / Avery
Congrats on Inherit the Word, Daryl! How exciting, you busy woman, This recipe made my mouth water. Thanks for that ... must go eat shrimp and cheese, now!
ReplyDeleteHugs,.
MJ
Thanks, MJ. I am busy. But I like busy. :)
DeleteDaryl / Avery
It looks like a good sandwich but I can't make shrimp because my boyfriend is allergic to it.
ReplyDeletesgiden at verizon.net
Sandy, bummer. I understand allergies. Especially the anaphylactic kind. Definitely have to keep your distance. How about substituting chicken breast?
DeleteBest,
Daryl / Avery