Friday, May 31, 2019

Snippy Doodle from Emma Jane's Souvenir Cookbook

I may have mentioned I’m cleaning out and sorting all the stuff in my house to sell, and this is an odd item that emerged from my grandmother’s files.

Why odd? Well, for a start, my grandmother never cooked, so why a cookbook? Because Emma Jane’s Souvenir Cook Book (1937) includes on the title page my grandmother’s handwritten explanation:

From Mrs. B. E. Moncure, Williamsburg, Virginia

Ned [her husband, the grandfather who I never knew] took his meals at Mrs. Moncure’s house while he attended William and Mary.

Emma Jane was Mrs. Moncure’s cook at that time, and Ned knew her well.

It is, to be polite, a very odd little book. Much of the text and the recipes are attributed to Emma Jane Jackson Beauregard Jefferson Davis Lincoln Christian, the aforesaid cook, born during the Civil War and given her name(s) by three Union soldiers who just happened to be passing through Virginia when she was born. She was in her seventies when this book appeared.

The recipes in general are heavy on the flour/butter/sugar/eggs, and most are short—from four to six ingredients—and simple. But I will admit I was intrigued (mostly by the name) by one particular dessert recipe, which is typical of most in the booklet.

Snippy Doodle

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 pound butter [yes, really]

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

½ cup milk

1 level tsp baking powder

Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, egg, milk, flour and baking powder. [Note: nothing is sifted together. And I cheated and used a stand mixer rather than beat the batter by hand.]

Put in a shallow square biscuit pan (8” x 8”), sprinkle with brown sugar [and] cinnamon [and] nuts.

Bake slowly in a moderate oven.

And that is the sum and total of the instructions.

I decided a moderate oven would be about 300 degrees, and kept an eye on the dish while it baked. It took about 40 minutes to firm up and for the crust to brown.

As you might guess, with a pound of butter in it, it’s pretty gooey. I would recommend chilling it for a while before trying to cut it into pieces. But if you read through the recipes throughout the book, you can picture a bunch of youthful male students enjoying the wealth of sweet dishes in a boarding-house atmosphere.

What we now know as the “living history museum” of Williamsburg did not exist as such when my grandfather was at school there: the restoration of the 18^th century Virginia capital began in 1926, but my grandfather was born in 1901 and would have missed it. Still, he and my grandmother visited after the Rockefeller family had provided the funds to transform the place.

Stay tuned! Digging Up History should be released by the end of June--as soon as Beyond the Page finalizes the cover (we're working on it!).

www.sheilaconnolly.com

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Campari Spritz to Celebrate! #recipe @lucyburdette

LUCY BURDETTE: As you might have heard, A DEADLY FEAST, the ninth Key West mystery, was published by Crooked Lane Books on May 7. We need to celebrate with a special drink! Plus, it's my anniversary...27 years with this sweet guy...

Let the festivities commence...there is so much going on in this book— murder on a food tour, Thanksgiving, family drama, and hopefully a wedding--that my characters don't have much time to relax with a drink. I reread the scene in which Hayley Snow‘s parents are serving Thanksgiving dinner to a motley collection of guests including Hayley's father and his new wife, Lorenzo the Tarot card reader, Hayley‘s boss, her roommate Miss Gloria, and hopefully--soon--her fiancé. They serve champagne, of course, and wine with dinner, and there is a mention of a cranberry cocktail, but no helpful details provided…

So I chose the drink that I’ve been dying to make. It’s called a Campari spritz. It's light and perfect for an evening at the beach or by the fire! I think you’ll like it. My tasters found it delicious!

1 ounce Campari

3 ounces Prosecco

Club soda or sparkling water

Sliced Orange

Maraschino cherries

Fill up a pretty glass with ice. And the Campari followed by the Prosecco, and finally add club soda or sparkling water to taste. Garnish with sliced oranges and maraschino cherries. Retire to the beach or the pool or your armchair to sip and read…

ABOUT A DEADLY FEAST:

Before Key Zest food critic Hayley Snow's family descends on the island for Thanksgiving and her wedding to heart throb Detective Nathan Bransford, she has one last assignment--a review of a seafood tasting tour conducted by her friend Analise Smith. But when one of the tourists collapses on the last stop, Analise begs her to investigate before the police destroy her business and shut down the local Key West eateries on her tour. Pressure mounts when Analise calls a second time to request that Hayley meet with Chef Martha Hubbard, who prepared key lime pies for the tasting tour and is terrified that someone poisoned her pies to ruin her reputation. Chefs all around town are preparing their versions of a Thanksgiving feast, but with a murderer on the loose, will Hayley and her friends have anything left to be thankful for?

Praise for Lucy Burdette's Key West mysteries:

“There’s a lot to love about this series—deft plotting, likeable characters, and an ending that always satisfies. But one of the things I love the best is how the author transports her readers to Key West with every page, describing real landmarks and restaurants with such realism that I feel I’m actually there. Magical and delicious fun!”
—Suspense Magazine

Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) has published 17 mysteries, including the latest in the Key West food critic series, A Deadly Feast (Crooked Lane Books, May 2019.) Read more at https://lucyburdette.com. You can also find Lucy on Facebook and Instagram.

This recipe first appeared on Drinks with Reads...

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

It's Margarita Time! #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl:

Are you ready for summer? Do you entertain? Throw barbecues? Do you offer to bring something to someone else's party so they have all the clean-up duties? Heh-heh. Clever.

Well, here's something to bring. It's an easy beverage for any occasion. It's my mother's recipe. (I have to admit taking a picture of a beverage is difficult. I think I need some one-on-one training from Cleo!)

My mother's margaritas were legendary. Whenever I went to visit her in my twenties, my friends begged to come along. Mom came to love margaritas when she bought a timeshare and decided to go to Mexico every year for her two-week vacation at Thanksgiving. She loved the sun. She loved the lower cost of everything. And she liked her margaritas on the rocks.

Now, this recipe is pretty basic. It might even be printed on the Rose's lime juice bottle. But that is the key. Using Rose's lime juice, not margarita mix, which is too sweet in my opinion. The lime juice has a hint of syrup in it, but not too much. Of course, it's up to you whether you rim the glass with salt. And yes, you could blend this drink to make it the "frozen" slush so often associated with margaritas.

For me? I'll take it like my mother did. On the rocks. Cheers!

Proportions (1 nice-sized drink)

1 part Triple Sec

1 part Rose’s Lime Juice

2 parts tequila

margarita salt, if desired

ice

If desired, rim a glass with margarita salt by wetting the rim of the glass and then dipping the rim into the salt.

Mix the liquor and juices in ratio (1:1:2) - so if you’re making for a crowd, mix 1/2 cup of Triple Sec, then 1/2 cup Rose’s Lime Juice and 1 cup Tequila. Get it? (1:1:2)

Fill a margarita glass or wine glass or even a tumbler with ice cubes. My mom preferred serving her margaritas "on the rocks" but this recipe could be made in a blender. Just add about 4-6 ice cubes per drink, after adding in the liquor, etc., and puree away!

Be careful when imbibing. This is potent. One is plenty. Two could, um, lay you flat.

SIFTING THROUGH CLUES buy link

The latest Cookbook Nook Mystery (#8), available in trade paperback and e-book.

What's it about?

Book clubs from all over have descended on Crystal Cove to celebrate the library’s Book Club Bonanza week, and Jenna Hart has packed the Cookbook Nook with juicy reads and tasty cookbooks. But she’s most excited about spending an evening with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast, when they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. It’s all good food and fun for the savvy armchair detectives, until one of the members of the group is found murdered at the last stop on the tour.

As if that weren’t enough to spoil her appetite, Jenna discovers that all the evidence points to her friend Pepper as being the guilty party. And with Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter too close to the case to be impartial, Jenna knows she’ll have to step in to help clear her friend’s name before a bitter injustice sends her to jail. Sifting through the clues, Jenna unearths any number of possible culprits, but she’ll have to cook up a new way to catch the killer before Pepper’s goose is cooked.

Includes tasty sweet and savory recipes!

SAVOR THE MYSTERY!

Friend Daryl and Avery on Facebook
Follow Daryl on Twitter
Follow Avery on Twitter
Follow both of us on Pinterest
Plus check out my website

Follow Daryl on Bookbub

A SOUFFLÉ OF SUSPICION, the 2nd French Bistro Mystery.

Can Mimi prove her chef innocent before the chef gets dusted?

Click here to order.

A DEADLY ÉCLAIR, the 1st French Bistro Mysteries, in all formats.

Can Mimi clear her name before the killer turns up the heat?

Click here to order.

SIFTING THROUGH CLUES, the 8th Cookbook Nook Mystery.
Sifting through the clues, Jenna unearths any number of possible culprits, but she’ll have to cook up a new way to catch the killer before her friend Pepper’s goose is cooked.
Click here to order.

WREATH BETWEEN THE LINES, the 7th Cookbook Nook Mystery.

Jenna Hart is busy decking the halls and ducking a killer

Click here to order.

FOR CHEDDAR OR WORSE, the 7th Cheese Shop Mystery by Avery Aames.

Finally there's going to be a cheese festival in Providence!

Click to order.

GIRL ON THE RUN, a stand-alone suspense.
When a fairytale fantasy night becomes a nightmare, Chessa Paxton must run for her life...but will the truth set her free?

Click to order

DAY OF SECRETS, a stand-alone suspense

A mother he thought was dead. A father he never knew. An enemy that wants them dead.

Click here to order

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Alone in the Kitchen with a Cabbage: An Insanely Easy Recipe from Cleo Coyle #Vegan

I give you The Cabbage...

It looks like a big green planet, doesn't it?

See the solar warmth on the left and the chilly dark side on the right? As the subject of a photo, I think it should have its own atmosphere. As the basis for a recipe, it's a smart choice. It's low in fat and calories and high in nutrition. As for what to do with it, there are countless ways to go.

I found myself alone in the kitchen with this cabbage the other day, and decided to try Extreme Simple Cooking. Let's abbreviate it to ESC, like the Escape key on your computer keyboard. Seems appropriate because recipes like this one let you escape from the kitchen as fast as possible.

And to that end, away we go!

Cleo Coyle has a partner in

crime-writing—her husband.

Learn about their books

by clicking here and here.

A Recipe Note from Cleo

As I mentioned above, cabbage is low in fat and calories and has nice nutritional benefits, including dietary fiber. Read more here.

This is a delicious way to prepare it. The cabbage wedges are roasted in high heat with olive oil. While the outside edges char, the insides become tender and buttery. It's truly delicious and insanely easy. The first time you make it, I strongly suggest that you use nothing more than just a bit of salt so you can really taste the buttery sweetness of those interior wedge leaves.

More seasonings can be added to your liking: e.g., dried garlic and onion flakes, rosemary, dill, caraway seeds, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, etc. Just be sure to go lightly on the seasonings because the roasted cabbage taste is so delicate.

I think a squeeze of lemon before serving is a very nice finish. If you're not a lemon fan, try a drizzle of olive oil or (if you're not a vegan) a bit of butter and...eat in good health! ~ Cleo

🍴

To download a free PDF
of this recipe that you can
print, save, or share, click here.

Click for the Free Recipe PDF.

Cleo Coyle's
Insanely Easy
Roasted Cabbage

Ingredients:

Head of green cabbage
Olive oil

Salt (sea salt will give you nice flavor)
(Optional) Your favorite seasoning mix (suggestions in directions)

Directions:

Step One - The trick to slicing: As you see in my photos, you'll need to slice up the cabbage, but there's a trick to it. You want most of your slices to include the core. The core will help keep the cabbage wedges together in the cooking. I've roasted cabbages in thick slices and also in wedges, and (frankly) I prefer the wedges. You can experiment with what you like best.

Step Two - Prep with olive oil and very light seasoning: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a heavy half-sheet pan with olive oil. Place the slices on the pan. Use a brush to coat the tops with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. If you use pepper or any other seasoning (e.g., dried garlic and onion flakes, caraway seeds, rosemary, dill, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, etc.), do so lightly. When roasted, the cabbage has a delicate, buttery flavor and too much seasoning can overpower it.

Step Three - Roast in your preheated 400 degree F. oven for 30 to 45 minutes (final time will depend on your oven and pan). FLIP the cabbage slices halfway through cooking. I use two forks to do this. Be careful and try to keep the cabbage slices together. (Yes, they will attempt to fall apart on you, but using two fork and a bit of care, you can keep them together. You can do it! I believe in you!) Roasted cabbage wedges are done when you see the edges char (turn brownish), as in my photos.