My guest today is bestselling author Elaine Viets! I've known Elaine almost as long as I've been published, which is 20 years this month. When I invited Elaine to be my guest, she told me that she doesn't cook. I insisted that she had to have at least one recipe to share and she graciously accepted my invitation .
ELAINE: Me
blogging for Mystery Lover’s Kitchen is like someone shooting baskets in a
driveway and all of a sudden, drafted into the NBA.
I
don’t belong here, but I’m honored to be here, and I’m awed by your creativity
in the kitchen and at the computer.
I'm
not much of a cook. I can whip up a good scrambled egg and broil fish, but
that’s about it. Usually, I put the food on the stove and then wander off and
read something interesting on the Internet, and before I know it, my kitchen is
filled with smoke. I once burned boil-in-the-bag lima beans. It took forever to
get the melted plastic out of the pot.
Lately,
I've been making a lot of roast carrots. It started when a friend gave me
leftover whole carrots from a restaurant that was forced to close because of
the pandemic. The carrots were big and beautiful – nearly the size of fireplace
logs.
I
searched online for easy recipes and found this one for roasted carrots.
The
only ingredients are sea salt, olive oil and carrots. I set the oven for 425
degrees.
First,
I washed the carrot, then cut it into thin circles.
I added about a tablespoon
of olive oil for a big carrot, and a couple of grinds of sea salt, and mix the
ingredients in a bowl.
Then
I transferred the mixture to a baking dish, and baked it for about twenty-five
minutes. Thicker circles may take as long as 45 minutes. If you’re a distracted
cook like me, BE SURE TO SET THE TIMER ON STOVE.
One
big carrot serves one person.
That’s
it. Roasted carrots are a good side dish for lunch or dinner, and have a nice,
nutty flavor.
Book
Giveaway (for US readers only)
I’m
giving away a signed hardcover of A Star Is Dead, my new Angela Richman,
Death Investigator mystery. Leave a comment with your e-mail address for a chance to win.
Death investigators are like paralegals for the
medical examiner. DIs are not doctors, but they work for the ME’s office. At a
homicide, the death investigator is in charge of the body, and the police
handle the rest of the crime scene.
A Star Is Dead is
the fourth in the series, following Ice Blonde, Fire and Ashes and
Brain Storm. New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris called Brain
Storm “a complex novel of crime, punishment, and medical malfeasance.”
Here’s what
happens in A Star Is Dead.
Ageless
Hollywood diva Jessica Gray is finishing the last leg of her one-woman show in
St Louis, Missouri, and the nearby town of Chouteau Forest is dazzled. During
the show Jessica humiliates three homeless women onstage, fires her entourage,
and makes a bitter enemy of the Forest’s powerful patriarch.
Jessica
collapses at an after-show party and is rushed to the Chouteau Forest hospital.
Ignoring her doctors’ advice, Jessica discharges herself to return home to LA.
On the way to the airport she suffers a deadly coughing fit. When Angela
Richman’s friend, Mario, is arrested for Jessica’s murder and faces the death
penalty, Angela is compelled to investigate.
Reviewers
like A Star Is Dead:
“Sharp
dialogue and well-sculpted characters punctuate A Star Is Dead,”
reviewer Oline Cogdill says. Oline’s
review appeared in papers from California to Boston.
“Witty
dialogue and well-defined characters,” Publishers Weekly says, “lift
this wry look at the trappings of celebrity.”
Library
Journal calls Star “an intriguing mystery
featuring a character in the little-known job of death investigator.”
“This
continues to be a cleverly written mystery series that exposes the ugly
underside of the wealthy elite and the pretenses money only superficially
hides,” Kings River Life’s Cindy Chow writes.
Mother’s
Day is coming! Get Mom a signed hardcover of A Star Is Dead from Murder
on the Beach. The bookstore is closed, but it will ship your copy if you email murdermb@gate.net.
Also,
help feed the hungry. I will donate $1 to Feeding South Florida
(feedingsouthflorida.org) for every copy of A Star Is Dead purchased
through Murder on the Beach bookstore.
You
can also buy A Star Is Dead on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Angela-Richman-Death-Investigator-mystery-ebook/dp/B083M5G48C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27GQ92CHW1A2S&dchild=1&keywords=a+star+is+dead+elaine+viets&qid=1587655400&s=books&sprefix=Viets+A+Star+%2Caps%2C179&sr=1-1
That’s
it. Enjoy my books and your carrots. Just don’t go overboard. Eating too many
carrots can cause “carotenemia,” which will turn your skin orange‑yellow.
Facebook:
ElaineVietsMystery Writer
Twitter:
@evmysterywriter
Is there anything better than roasted carrots? I think Not! Love them...........and LOVE your books!!
ReplyDeleteMain3(at)att.(net) Debbie M.
Sounds like a good book. And I do like roasted carrots and it's so easy. According to my mom, I liked carrots and squash so well as a baby that I actually did start to turn orange ��
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
Healthy and easy roasted veggie which I enjoy. Many thanks for this great giveaway. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThis intriguing story interests me greatly. Very compelling. Thanks for the lovely recipe and book feature. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteUtter simplicity in cooking.
ReplyDeleteYes, the key is to set a timer and not ignore it when it rings!
libbydodd at comcast dot net
I love the idea of a Death Investigator. I like to cook, but sometimes the idea of just cutting up vegetables, adding a few spices and olive oil and roasting is very appealing. Uses up all those old bits in the refrigerator, too. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeletesallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com
Elaine, I'm so proud of you! You wrote a recipe! And it sounds yummy.
ReplyDeleteMissing seeing you this weekend, by the way. But looking forward to a new book by you. Great news!
k maslowski at fuse dot net
Love roasted vegetables!
ReplyDeletejtcgc at yahoo dot com
I love roasted vegetables, really brings out a great flavor. "A star Is Dead" sounds like an interesting book. I've never read a book featuring a death investigator, sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
Yum & easy = perfect for me.
ReplyDeleteturtle6422 at gmail dot com
I love roasted veggies! Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteLove roasted veggies will have to try the carrots. rmmoss2(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to make glazed carrots, which are similar to this. The sugar in the carrots makes them naturally sweet--yum!
ReplyDeleteBTW, being able to make good scrambled eggs is actually the sign of a very proficient cook! (Just ask Julia Child.) I once burned a pot of hard boiled eggs I was making for Easter. Yes, a timer is perhaps the most important cooking utensil there is.
Now this is a recipe even I could make! And it sounds tasty too. mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com
ReplyDeleteI love the roasted carrots. Thanks for the giveaway. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe! We love roasted veggies. Book looks good too. The synopsis was most intriguing. And our Food Banks are really in need this year. deepotter at centurylink dot net
ReplyDeleteNot all recipes have to be long or elaborate. Since hubby doesn't care for carrots at all, this recipe is just right for me. I won't usually bother with something if it's just for "me" at the great frustration of hubby because I cook things just for "him" all the time. This recipe gives me ways to eat my carrots with not much hassle at all.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the fabulous opportunity to win a copy of "A Star Is Dead"! Sounds like a wonderful book and one I would really enjoy having the chance to read.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
I'd love to read A Star Is Dead! It sounds like a book I'd really enjoy. I've read a number of your books from the Dead-End Job series and the Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper series. I think that roasted vegetable are delicious! I like to make a big batch of roasted vegetables on a sheet pan that I can use all through the week for meals.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
I would love to read that book.
ReplyDeletekaye.killgore(at)comcast(dot)net
I love your books and am looking forward to reading this series. karengreen1121@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love books by this author! Would LOVE to win! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI must try roasted carrots soon. Thank you for the recipe. The book sounds interesting. Thank you for the chance Donakutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI just never have thought about putting carrots in the oven what a great recipe. Thank you for posting! ptclayton2 at aol.com peggy clayton
ReplyDeleteI really like roasted vegetables of any kind. My mom told me that she fed so many carrots to my brother when he was a baby that he turned orange. 😬
ReplyDeleteclugston.kathy@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteLove roasted carrots better than raw! tWarner419@aol.com
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine! We love roasted veggies. I'm a fairly good cook but I live by timers...I have 2 in the kitchen and one in the bedroom/office by the laptop and desktop computer. Otherwise I get too distracted and "forget" what's going on in the rest of the house! The book sounds intriguing! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds interesting and is set in my area! Tllakbeard@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThe recipe sounds easy and delicious.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds really good too!
madamhawk at gmail dot com
This is so funny I had been given a big bag of carrots and I have never roasted before but this is what I am going to do tomorrow...Thank you...love ebooks
ReplyDeleteMarilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com