The Things You Learn at a Garage Sale

Today, we're joined by Kate Carlisle, author of the Fixer-Upper Mysteries, which will be coming to the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel next week. So just for fun, she's going to join us TONIGHT to live tweet during the premiere of The Art of Murder, a brand-new Garage Sale Mystery. Then she'll be back again next week for the premiere of Framed for Murder: A Fixer-Upper Mystery, which is based on Kate's book, THIS OLD HOMICIDE. 

And we're so excited that we're giving away a $25 Visa Gift Card to one lucky winner today. Enter by answering Kate's question below and be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you.

Welcome, Kate!

Thank you so much for inviting me to guest blog—two weeks in a row—here at Mystery Lovers Kitchen! Having a book turned into a TV-movie has been a wonderful whirlwind, and it's especially exciting to hear from all of the new readers who discovered me because of all the hoopla. And now a double-bonus from MLK—two guest blogs, and two fun evenings of live-tweeting while watching Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' latest premieres.

   

Life is good.

In honor of tonight's movie premiere theme, I wanted to share a random factoid that I learned at a garage sale: wiener schnitzel is not pork. When you make schnitzel using pork cutlets, it's just schnitzel. Wiener schnitzel is made with veal. Which kind of blew my mind because "wiener" and "pork" seem to go together. But the hostess at the garage sale was from Germany, and I'm not brave enough—or stupid enough—to argue with a German woman about schnitzel.

So here is an authentic recipe for German schnitzel, but please, whatever you do, don't call it wiener schnitzel.

Schnitzel

2 lb thinly sliced boneless pork chops, about ¼-inch thick

½ C all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

3 eggs

½ C plain bread crumbs

Clarified butter (ghee) for frying

1 lemon

Pound the pork chops to tenderize them. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and pepper. In a second bowl, beat the eggs. In a third bowl, place the bread crumbs. Dredge the pork chops in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs.

Melt the clarified butter (also known as ghee) in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. I found mine at Trader Joe's, but I also saw it in the international foods section of my supermarket. If you can't find any, you can use a combination of regular butter and vegetable oil.

You need enough so that the butter or oil comes halfway up the sides of the chops. Cook until well browned, about 2 minutes per side.

Drain on paper towels and serve with a lemon wedge. (Also served here with dressing.)

 

Do you like going to garage sales? If so, share one of your most successful buys, something you use all the time. Remember to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win the $25 Visa Gift Card!

Be sure to follow Kate (twitter.com/katecarlisle) and MLK (twitter.com/mysteryloverskitchen) to join the fun tonight at 9 pm EST/8 pm CST, for the premiere of The Art of Murder: A Garage Sale Mystery!