Welcome Laura DiSilverio!

It's our pleasure to welcome Laura DiSilverio back to Mystery Lovers Kitchen. Laura writes the Book Club Mysteries. THE READAHOLICS AND THE POIROT PUZZLE is the second book in the series.

Don't miss Laura's fun giveaways! Not only is she giving away a book but also an adorable Readaholic T-shirt. Leave a comment to enter and don't forget to leave your email address so she can contact you!

As a child, I despised eggplant, but as I've aged (ahem, matured), I've grown to love it. Not only is it tasty and hearty enough to be a main dish, it's good for you, being low in sodium, cholesterol and calories, high in fiber, and containing Vitamin K, B6, thiamine and manganese. My two favorite dishes are a creole eggplant that I adapted from a Joy of Cooking recipe many eons ago, and eggplant parmesan which I added to my repertoire last month. (I have no idea why it took me so long to try making a dish I've always enjoyed at Italian restaurants.)

Eggplant Creole

So, here's my version of the eggplant creole. You'll need the following ingredients:

Small to medium eggplant, peeled or not (your preference--I leave the peel on for more fiber), chopped (The Martha Stewarts in the crowd may want to save the eggplant shell to use as the "baking and serving dish" for the eggplant creole--I usually just bake it in the saucepan I use to mix it together.)

2 Tbs olive oil

4-6 strips of bacon, cooked, and chopped

1/2 c minced onion

1/4 c chopped green pepper

1 (14.5 oz or thereabouts) can diced tomatoes

1/4 diced celery

1/2 c canned or fresh mushrooms, sautéed with butter, garlic and wine (optional)

1/3 c bread crumbs (I use Italian seasoned, but you can use plain or with other seasonings)

1/2-2/3 c shredded cheese

Sauté the onion and bacon in the olive oil in an oven-proof pan until the onion is translucent. Add the eggplant and everything except the tomatoes and sauté for approx 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the eggplant is tender (I usually let it cook for 30 minutes or so). Toss in the bread crumbs and stir until thickened. Add mushrooms. Top with cheese of your choice (I use cheddar but mozzarella is good, too), mixed with more bread crumbs.  Pop into a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has browned. I serve it over rice. Yum!

The Readaholics and the Poirot Puzzle, the second in the Book Club series, comes out Dec 8th. (Pre-order now!) Amy-Faye has organized the grand opening event for her brother Derek's brewpub, but the party fizzles when a body turns up. Turns out someone tossed Derek's business partner Gordon off the roof and the police think Derek did it. The Readaholics scramble to find the real murderer, investigating Gordon's ex-wives and unhappy family members, scorned women and former employees nursing a grudge. Since they're reading Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, the idea of a conspiracy can't help but pop into their heads (especially Maud's, their resident conspiracy theorist). Amy-Faye wants to solve this case quickly since it's going to put a real strain on her budding relationship with Detective Lindell Hart if he arrests her brother . . .

Laura DiSilverio is the national bestselling author of 15 mystery and suspense novels, and a retired Air Force intelligence officer. Her first standalone suspense novel, The Reckoning Stones, debuted in September and was a Library Journal Pick of the Month (starred review). Her  Book Club Mystery series kicked off in April 2015 and the second in that series, The Readaholics and the Poirot Puzzle, is out Dec 8. A Past President of Sisters in Crime, she pens articles for Writer’s Digest, and teaches writing in various fora. She plots murders and parents teens in Colorado, trying to keep the two tasks separate.

www.lauradisilverio.com

www.facebook.com/lauradisilverio

@lauradisilverio

 Don't forget to leave a comment with your email address to enter the giveaway for a copy of Laura's book and the Readaholic T-shirt!