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Author Joyce Tremel Follow her on Twitter here. Visit her on Facebook here. |
My cozy series is called Brewing Trouble, and the first book, To Brew Or Not To Brew will be released from Berkley sometime in the fall of 2015. My main character, Maxine “Max” O’Hara is a brewmaster and in the process of opening a brew pub called the Allegheny Brew House in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. When she finds her assistant and chef dead in one of the beer tanks, Max is determined to find out who killed him. There are some quirky characters, like the woman who owns the bakery who’s a rabid Steelers fan, and a World War II vet who usually has something cranky to say (he’s my favorite). And of course, there’s Max’s love interest, a hunky ex-hockey player who becomes her new chef.
That’s enough about that. You’re here for the food, not my ramblings! Since Max learned how to brew beer in Germany, and it is Oktoberfest right now, I thought some homemade soft pretzels and beer cheese sounded good. I hope you agree!
The pretzels aren’t hard to make, but they do take some time. And they sure beat the ones in the freezer case at the grocery store!
1 ½ cups warm water
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. or 2 ¼ tsp. yeast
4 ½ cups flour
¼ cup canola oil or melted butter
Directions: Combine water, sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top.
Fill a large pot with 10 cups of water, add 2/3 cup baking soda, and bring to a boil. (Note: be sure to use a large enough pot. The bubbles from the baking soda water kind of make a mess. Fortunately it cleans up easily!) While waiting for the water to boil, divide the dough into eight pieces (this makes big pretzels, if you want smaller ones, feel free to break into more pieces).
BEER CHEESE by Joyce Tremel
12 ounces shredded sharp cheddar
1 ½ tbsp. cornstarch
1 bottle of beer (12 oz.)—I suggest using a dark lager or a brown ale.
5 oz evaporated milk
1 tbsp Dijon or brown mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Frank’s Red Hot-hot sauce (Really. Is there any other kind?)
Salt to taste.
Directions: Toss the shredded cheddar with the corn starch and set aside. Whisk together beer, half & half, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan. Heat until steaming, whisking frequently so it doesn’t scorch. Add cheese, stir until melted and bubbly. Add hot sauce and season with salt. Serve warm.
(Note: When I make the beer cheese again, I’m going to reduce the amount of mustard. It kind of overwhelmed the flavor of the cheese. I also think I may use two cheeses—cheddar and swiss—the next time just to see how it tastes.)
Since Oktoberfest 2014 runs from September 20th to October 5th, I suggest serving the pretzels and beer cheese with your favorite Oktoberfest beer.

Joyce Tremel was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. She lives in a suburb of Pittsburgh with her husband and a spoiled cat. Her debut mystery, To Brew Or Not To Brew will be released by Berkley Prime Crime in Fall 2015.
With her brand-new brewmaster certification in hand, Max has been working twelve hour days getting the abandoned Steel City Brewery up to code, perfecting beer recipes, and learning the business. A lot of work, but she’s sure she made the right decision—until things start to go wrong. She’s not too worried until the minor annoyances get progressively worse. And when she finds the body of her assistant brewmaster and chef in one of the beer tanks, she knows that batch wasn’t brewed according to Reinheitsgebot.
I don’t have books to give away yet, but I wanted to do something to thank everyone for stopping by today. So one lucky commenter will get this cute set of coasters from Crate and Barrel.
Good luck!
I can't wait to read your series! My husband and went to Pittsburgh and had a great time. We ate at a German restaurant (that was on a hill) that I think had a brewery. The food and beer was delicious. The next day we went to Oakmont to visit the Mystery Lover's Bookshop. I'm looking forward to "revisiting" Pittsburgh through your series!
ReplyDeleteThat must have been Penn Brewery. I haven't been there for a long time, but they do have good food and beer.
DeleteMystery Lovers Bookshop is the best!
Looking forward to this series
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI am intrigued by the series and Max's love interest. Thanks for sharing the recipes, am going to be trying my hand at them soon.
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think about the recipes when you try them. The pretzels aren't hard, but they do take some time!
DeleteOK, now I'm hungry for soft pretzels and warm dipping cheese! :) The recipes are great --- thank you! I am looking forward to reading To Brew or Not To Brew. It sounds great. (....and a hunky ex-hockey player as a chef is an added bonus!)
ReplyDeleteHi Diana! Yes, I know how you feel about those hunky hockey players, lol!
ReplyDeleteThese recipes sound great! Of course, I spent a chunk of my life around Philly, so I'll have to wait and see how they turn out. (You don't need to enter me in the drawing.)
ReplyDeleteThink we can revive Oakmont? If we all promise to show up and buy lots of books? Maybe we can start a petition.
I really hope MLB has the Festival of Mystery next year. I really miss it!
DeleteWelcome to MLK, Joyce! What a great post.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new series. Much much better and more fun than going to jail!
Hugs,
MJ/VA
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSorry. I couldn't let the typo go! Thank-you! (It's pretty bad when I can't even type thank-you correctly.)
DeleteI 'be never tried making soft pretzels but when I was a kid we used to go to NYC and my dad always bought me a hot soft pretzel from one of the street carts.
ReplyDeleteI've never had one from a cart, but I bet they're good!
DeleteCan't wait for this series.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThanks for the recipes. I have another easy one, but will have to try this one..and the beer cheese too.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like them!
DeleteThank you for sharing this yummy recipe. Thank you for this opportunity to win these awesome coasters! :) I LOVE Pretzels! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteA lovely recipe and delightful giveaway. Thanks for this post and feature. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank-you!
DeleteThe Pretzels would be greatly enjoyed and are simply the best ever treat. Wonderful series which sounds unique. Thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDelete