Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Pear & blue cheese Grilled Cheese #recipe plus #giveaway


From Daryl aka Avery:

Last week's winner is:

Alicia F!!

Congratulations!!!  I'll be contacting you to find out which book you wish.

Inherit the Word has been out for a couple of weeks. Thanks to all of you, it's selling well.  It hit the Barnes and Noble list at #9 and Bookscan at #12. Honestly, these numbers baffle me, but my editor is thrilled!! (I sure like to keep her happy.)

In the story, a grill fest is taking place. The contestants are challenged with coming up with a novel and tasty grilled cheese sandwich. What fun, right? Not so fun when one of the contestants is murdered. But the contest continues. The mayor says that the victim would have wanted it that way. She was, after all, the eight time winner.

So off we go, grilling sandwiches and, um, grilling suspects.

Quoting a great review by Dru Ann Love on Dru's Book MusingMurder, betrayal, and a grilled cheese contest are found between the pages of this wonderfully prepared drama and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the residents of Crystal Cove in this delectably appetizingly series.”

Here's a recipe that I hope you'll enjoy.  It's included in the book. Katie, the chef for the Cookbook Nook's café, created it. I love the combination of pears and blue cheese. Hope you will, too.


Pear and Blue Cheese Grilled Cheese
(Makes 2 sandwiches)

4 slices bread (gluten-free bread works, too)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons cream cheese
1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 Bartlett or Bosc pear, sliced thin
¼ cup sautéed onions
4 ounces blue cheese, sliced


In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and balsamic vinegar. Butter each slice of bread on one side. Spread the cream cheese-vinegar mixture on the other side of the bread. [Note: This is the inside of the sandwich; the butter side is the outside.]


In a small sauté pan, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Slice the onions thinly. Set the onions in the hot butter and stir for at least five minutes, until the onions are tender. [Note: These can be made a day ahead. Bring to room temperature.]



To assemble: Top two slices of bread, cream cheese side up, with grilled onion. Place blue cheese (it will crumble) on top of the onions. Place pears on top of the cheese. Set the other slice of bread on top of the sandwich and press slightly.
 


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.
 


If cooking on a panini or sandwich maker: Set the sandwich on the griddle and slowly lower the top. Cook for a total of 4 minutes. Remove from the griddle and let cool 2-3 minutes, then serve. Beware, the insides might ooze out the sides. If the lid is too heavy, you might want to consider resorting to the stovetop method.





By the way, I did another book signing this weekend, at a Barnes and Noble. I was delighted by the turn out. 
Some fans stopped in; I met new faces. 
I gave away a couple of raffle prizes. 

Congrats to Helen K and Debbie S.



On that note, this will be the last week for a giveaway to celebrate the release of INHERIT THE WORD. I'll be giving away your choice of a Cheese Shop Mystery or Cookbook Nook Mystery. So leave a comment to enter. 

Maybe even answer these questions for me...

Do you like contests? Do you enter simply to win or to win the prize that is being given away? If you win a book, do you read it? What's your favorite kind of thing to win?

Good luck to all! And if you share the link for this recipe, tell me and you'll be entered twice!

Also, if you are not able to post a comment on this blog for whatever reason (you're at work, no access, etc.) feel free to write me an email and let me know your thoughts and you'll be entered. Click this link for the email contact form.
******************


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Days of Wine and Roquefort 
is out!
order here
Inherit the Word
  is out!
                        order here

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



36 comments:

  1. Thanks for the shout-out.

    I love contests, but the chances of me winning is very small. I try not to enter too many book contests, especially if I already have the book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why are your chances any worse than anyone else's??? LOL But I totally understand, if you already have the book. But a mug filled with something, that would be fun, right?

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  2. I love contests and enter to win them. I like to enter the book contests most. I do read them eventually but I have a lot of books to read. And, I don't share the recipes but I do save a lot of them and make them later. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Linda, my TBR pile on the side of my bed is not to be believed. I sometimes get "angst" worrying that I won't ever finish them all. LOL

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  3. I only enter contests for books that I want to read.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Daryl, I love your warning about the cheese oozing out the sides. That's the best part!

    I love contests, especially ones that result in books, and especially that result in finding a new series to get hooked on. My mother and I share books, so it works double because then she gets hooked on them, too. And she actually buys more books than I do, which is scary to contemplate. :-)

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    1. Karen, we authors love your mother. Ha-ha! About the cheese....yes, it really is the best part. My husband loves grilled "cheese." I happen to adore grilled Parmesan crisps.

      Daryl / Avery

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    2. I always forget about the grilled Parmesan crisps. Perfect for those of us who can't eat the wheat. Thanks for the reminder.

      P.S. I posted a link to the recipe on my Facebook page.

      Delete
  5. I enjoy entering contests very much and reading the book is a wonderful pleasure. Any book since I am an avid reader. thanks for your feature. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I enjoy contests and read constantly, so this is perfect for me!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I enjoy entering contests. I won once, last year on my birthday. I don't enter a lot of contests, only if it is a book I love and don't have or want to read. It's not fair to others to enter a contest for a book that you have no interest in reading. Let someone who would love it win. Books are my favorite prize for any contest. The advance copy I got from Nancy Martin is proudly sitting on a shelf in my livingroom. It is now the one book I don't lend out. It is especially fun to win something that gets you started on a new series. I read too much and am constantly running out of new books to read. =)

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    Replies
    1. Nancy is one of the best people! So darling and fun. Lucky you.

      Daryl / Avery

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  8. I love contests to win free books. I ALWAYS read and review books that someone has honored me by allowing me to have their book for free. Always post reviews EVERYWHERE unless I do not like the book. Then, since it was free, I ethically believe that I should avoid posting bad reviews. This has only happened twice though, and I privately tell the author why I had problems with the book. I do not enter a contest unless I believe that I will enjoy the book----what would I do with the book otherwise, since I have lots of books that I do want to read. If I win a book, it goes to the top of my to read list! BTW--I really enjoyed INHERIT THE WORD and this sandwich was my favorite recipe ! Would love to win a cheese shop mystery. I really would like to find a new series to get in to and this one sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ronna, thanks for such a comprehensive response! And I'm thrilled that you enjoyed Inherit the Word. :)

      Daryl / Avery

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  9. This is one of my very favorite food combos, Daryl/Avery. Thanks for a new take on it.

    Hugs,

    MJ

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    Replies
    1. MJ, I'm like you. I adore pears and blue cheese. How could it miss? I saw a recipe for a burger with pears and blue cheese and grilled onions. I think that's next up for me. :) See you at LCC tomorrow!!

      Daryl / Avery

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  10. congrats on the book getting off to a great start, Daryl! I love the idea of pears with grilled cheese--supper anyone?

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lucy.

      Right? Grilled cheese is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. :)

      Daryl / Avery

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  11. Can I tell you how hungry I am from just looking at that sandwich? Oh, yum!

    ~Krista

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    Replies
    1. I can tell. Would you please mop up your keyboard? LOL

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  12. This sandwich would go great with a glass of Port. It would also be interesting to swap the blue cheese for a Stilton. Thanks for the post, and the inspiration.

    ~ Cleo

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    1. Cleo, absolutely, you can swap out with any pungent cheese. And Port. Definitely. Oooh, wouldn't it make good mini appetizers served with Port?

      Daryl / Avery

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  13. I do love contests! Winning is so exciting, no matter the prize. I won't enter a contest if I already own the prize...but if I own the Kindle version I'd love to win the "real" version...thus my entry into this contest! lol My favorite prizes are autographed books-but I love everything!

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    Replies
    1. Kat, that's sweet. So you're both a Kindle and real book reader? Good to know.

      Daryl / Avery

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    2. Yes, I do read both real books and e-books. I actually appropriated the Kindle my uncle gave my folks for Christmas-I had given them a Kindle Fire (with which my mom wants nothing to do, but my dad is addicted!) I have an iPad mini, but I like to read in the tub and am too afraid to get the iPad near water. I generally only read books from Netgalley or a free book on the Kindle. I will not purchase an e-book...unless that's the only format in which it's published.

      Delete
  14. I just finished this book last night! It was great! I was eyeing the recipes, planning my grocery list for the weekend. This is one of the recipes that I was thinking of making as pears are on sale at the store. (All the recipes looked good though!!).

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    1. Jennifer, thanks for the compliment. So glad you enjoyed. Pears...they're good year-round nowadays, don't you think?

      Daryl / Avery

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  15. I love contests to win books, or gift cards that can be used to buy books. I always read, and generally review the book. I make it a policy, however, to not review books I don't like. This has never happened with a book I won.

    kaye.killgore@comcast.net

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    1. Kaye, isn't that nice to know? I'd hate to give a book to a winner and then have them pan it. LOL Just wouldn't seem fair, right? :) Although I have had some reviews where a person wrote they loved, loved, loved the book and gave it three out of five stars. And there I am, scratching my head.... LOL

      Daryl / Avery

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  16. I usually enter a contest because I like the giveaway.... not just to win (and I do read the books I win!). Besides books, I love give cards to purchase books (electronic or "real"), totes or even a coffee mug (to sip my tea while I read a great mystery!). Contests are fun but reading is even more fun! P.S. - the recipe sounds yummy - a grownup's toasted cheese sandwich. And will definitely try Cleo's suggestions! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jane, you're right. It's a grownup's cheese sandwich. :)

      Best,

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  17. Do you like contests? Yes

    Do you enter simply to win or to win the prize that is being given away? I enter just for things I want, and never enter for what I don't want - I already have too much stuff.

    If you win a book, do you read it? Absolutely!

    What's your favorite kind of thing to win? Money! I never win any, but that would be my favorite.

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    1. Money, yes, Susan, I can totally get into that, too. I think we all can.

      Daryl / Avery

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