LESLIE BUDEWITZ: It's always a treat to introduce you, dear readers, to a debut author, and Kate Lansing and her main character, Parker Valentine, are both truly delightful. I met Kate through another author, who knew we share a love for living and writing in the mountain west, and for wine! I read an advance copy of Killer Chardonnay. What fun it is to see my quote on the front cover -- a first for me! I think you'll enjoy Kate and Parker and the book as much as I did.(Well, my quote doesn't show on the thumbnail. I said: "Parker Valentine...will steal your heart and pair it with a smooth mystery in this sparkling debut. A wine rack full of suspects won’t stop the determined sleuth and vintner from bottling up a killer and saving her dream. Killer Chardonnay has legs!")
KATE LANSING: Thanks so much for inviting me to be a guest on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen! I’m absolutely thrilled to be here.
Admittedly, in early drafts of my debut cozy mystery, Killer
Chardonnay, I didn’t know I would be including recipes and suggested wine
pairings. Thus, while writing it, I came up with the most mouth-watering dishes
I could imagine, regardless of how complicated they might be to, you know, actually cook.
Fast forward to when my brilliant editor floats the fabulous
idea to include recipes. Only, this means recreating some of the food and wine
pairings I’d fantasized about. But having always loved cooking, I gladly took
on the challenge!
The dish that gave me the most trouble was the Mango Chutney
Grilled Shrimp, of which my family graciously tasted many renditions. There was so much finesse in balancing flavors—the
acidity and sweetness—and chopping the
mango fine enough to deliciously coat each jumbo shrimp. After my fourth
attempt, my toddler daughter requested seconds, and I knew I had a winner.
So today, I’m excited to share with you my recipe for Mango
Chutney Grilled Shrimp, which I suggest pairing with a crisp sauvignon blanc.
Dear readers, do you dream up a dish before devising a
recipe, or is it the other way around? Talk to us in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of Killer Chardonnay!
Mango Chutney Grilled
Shrimp
(Serves 4-6)
2 T olive oil
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1.5 pounds jumbo shrimp (24 count), deveined in shell, raw
2 cups finely chopped mangoes (2)
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T ginger root, grated
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup orange juice
Sauté onions and crushed red pepper in olive oil for 2-3
minutes, or until onions are translucent. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook
for 1 minute. Add the mangoes, orange juice, and white wine vinegar. Reduce
heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room
temperature.
Butterfly the shrimp by cutting along the back, from head to
tail, almost slicing through lengthwise, but leaving the shell on. This will
keep the shrimp tender on the grill, and increases surface area for the
marinade to work its magic.
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Add half of the mango chutney to the shrimp, making sure to
get some of the marinade in every nook and cranny. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Readers, talk to Kate in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of Killer Chardonnay. Be sure to leave your email address. (US mailing addresses only; winner will be announced Wednesday, June 17.)
Kate Lansing is an award-winning short story author. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, daughter, and a chair-napping tabby cat named Maple. Killer Chardonnay is her first novel. Visit her website, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
About Killer
Chardonnay: A young winery owner won't
let one sour grape ruin the bunch in the first installment of this exciting
cozy mystery series.
Parker Valentine has always dreamed of opening her own winery in her hometown of Boulder, Colorado. But she gets more than she bargained for when a food and wine critic unexpectedly shows up at Vino Valentine on opening day. A negative review could be fatal for her business, and not only does he seem to hate her chardonnay, he also collapses and dies shortly after drinking it.
Although Parker hoped that the attendees would put a cork in it, soon her winery is at the center of a social media firestorm. With #killerchardonnay trending online, Parker's business is in danger of closing, and she has no choice but to investigate the murder herself.
To restore her reputation, catch a killer, and keep her struggling business open, Parker needs only one thing: some good proof.
Buy the book from your local bookseller or online via these links:
I am not creative enough to come up with my own recipes. Maybe that is why I enjoy cozy food murder mysteries. Recipes are included 😬
ReplyDeleteTotally understand, Jenn! I always appreciate the recipes at the back of culinary cozies, too, definitely a perk :-)
DeleteI am mostly a recipe follower, but my husband is a creative cook. Lucky me!
ReplyDeletebrowninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com
Definitely lucky! ;-)
DeleteThis recipe sounds delicious! I like to follow recipes. Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteJess
maceoindo (at) yahoo (dot) com
Thank you, Jess!! It's now one of my family's favorite meals :-) Best of luck with the giveaway!
DeleteHubby and I both love to cook and spending time in the kitchen together. We are some what of a mesh of all of it. We love to enjoy a meal out and then see if we can duplicate it. It's fun to take a recipe that we find interesting and tweak it to our tastes. Then it's also fun to take a main ingredient and see if we can come up with a way of serving it that really hits the spot for both of us.
ReplyDeleteThe recipe for Mango Chutney Grilled Shrimp sounds yummy and I'm thinking we will be trying it real soon.
Always love reading on of your books. Can't wait for the opportunity to read "Killer Chardonnay" which is definitely on my TBR list.
Thank you for the chance to win a copy! Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
That is so sweet, Kay! My hubs and I enjoy cooking together, too, and experiment with recipes in similar ways <3 Hope you enjoy the recipe, and best of luck with the giveaway!
DeleteHi Kate.
ReplyDeleteI "met" you online earlier at another mystery blog last month.
Congratulations on the release of Killer Chardonnay.
As I said there, I love visiting Boulder CO and love food/wine, so this sounds like the start of a yummy series. I also have a box of Ataulfo mangoes at home, so this shrimp mango recipe may be attempted this week.
I already have a copy of Killer Chardonnay (arrived last week) so please do NOT enter me in the giveaway.
It's nice to "see" you again, Grace! And thanks so much for your kind words about my book. I really hope you enjoy both the recipe and Killer Chardonnay! Cheers :-)
DeleteThanks for the recipe and the chance to win the book. It sounds like a great new series!! Contact info on website.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Marilyn!! And thank you! :-)
DeleteThis sounds fun, I've heard good things about this book. I've had ideas for a few simple recipes but nothing like this. I mainly follow another's recipe and I love trying out ones I find in mystery books.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks so much, Alicia! I bet your simple recipes are delicious, and I'm with you on trying ones from mystery books ;-)
DeleteI follow the recipe the first time and might change things up the next time.
ReplyDeleteKitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net
Same here! I'm a huge fan of Ina Garten (who isn't?!) and one of her tips is to try a recipe as intended before making tweaks, which I try to do. Pantry-willing, of course :-)
DeleteI am not a creative or super experienced cook, so coming up with my own recipe is not something I’m good at. Congratulations on the new book...it sounds fun! Thanks for the chance. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Chris!! Coming up with recipes is definitely a challenge--the hardest part for me was to remember to actually write down quantities of ingredients as I went, lol. Best of luck with the giveaway!
DeleteI follow the recipe since I am a novice cook. Congratulations on your captivating cozy. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank you!! Maybe as you gain experience in the kitchen, you'll slowly start experimenting--that's how it started for me :-)
DeleteI do follow a recipe but sometimes change things up a bit when I find a better way to do something.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Totally! I do the same thing, Rita. It's especially fun when a recipe morphs over time into an entirely different dish :-)
DeleteI follow the recipe but I might become more creative when I am familiar with a new flavor which could improve or add to it. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLove that! I tend to do this if there's an ingredient or flavor I'm super into, like earlier this year I was on a big radish kick and kept trying to incorporate them into recipes :-)
DeleteSometimes I look at the ingredients I have and then try to find a recipe that incorporates them! It's fun. Today thinking about black beans and the last of my frozen tomatoes from last season.
ReplyDeleteThat is so fun, Liz!! I call those Chopped meals, after the Food Network show. Working backwards like that has been especially helpful over the last few months...I hope you come up with something delicious to do with your black beans and tomatoes!
DeleteI follow the recipe unless it contains ingredients I don't like, then I substitute! Killer Chardonnay sounds like a great read. Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeletevalleyreader (at) gmail (dot) com
Thank you, Darcy! I hear ya on substituting ingredients I don't care for (raisins, anyone?!).
DeleteGreat fun to have you visit with us, Kate! Like many of the readers here, I often make a recipe as written the first time, then play -- but with experience, of course, I've learned what substitutions I might make right off the bat that will make something easier or tastier for us. Or work with what's on hand -- definitely an issue these last few months! This one will be a big hit in my house, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteLike you Leslie, I am comfortable with tweaking most recipes from the beginning. Substitute one ingredient here/there, working with what is at home. The only exception is baking...I tend to more faithfully follow those recipes.
DeleteAh, yes -- when chemistry is required, so is caution!
DeleteThanks so much for inviting me to be a guest, Leslie, and for your generous blurb, which I'm honored to have on the cover of Killer Chardonnay!
DeleteAgreed, there are definitely instances when I'm okay substituting/tweaking a recipe on the first try, usually when cheese is involved since my husband *gasp* doesn't do cheese, so I'll often try to make at least a portion without :-) And yes, the last few months have definitely led to some very...creative meals, ha!
Grace, fabulous point!! Baking really is a horse of a different color!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWe are wine drinkers in our house. I have a small wine rack which holds a dozen bottle of asst. wines. Reds, Whites, Sparking etc. I'd love to add your book to my home library to start my collection of wine stories.
ReplyDeleteYour wine rack sounds fabulous, Nora, and full of a wonderful assortment. And thank you! A collection of wine stories is such a fun idea!
DeleteIt would be a good one, along with mysteries by Nadine Netman and Ellen Crosby. Reply with your email address for a chance to win!
DeleteSo glad you mentioned Nadine, Leslie! Her sommelier series is fantastic and would definitely make a great addition!
DeleteI enjoy reading the recipes included in cozies, watching cooking shows and reading cookbooks where I learn of flavor combinations that I never thought of.
ReplyDeletejtcgc at yahoo dot com
I love cooking shows and cookbooks for the same reason--always fun to learn about a new ingredient or flavor combination!
DeleteI follow a recipe, although I often adjust it when I need to, like to make it gluten free. Thanks for a chance to win! ljbonkoski@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteTotally get that, Lori! My husband doesn't do dairy or cheese, and now with a toddler at home, recipes sometimes need a few of adjustments to work for us :-)
DeleteI sometimes add different things or maybe take something out of a recipe. Your recipe looks great! tWarner419(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteTweaking recipes like this is a popular trend, which makes sense, but glad to see I'm not alone! And thank you :-)
DeleteI follow the recipe this one sounds delicious. The book sounds interesting and fun to read. Thank you for the chance
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words, Donamae! :-)
DeleteRecipe sounds yummy! I would love to read Killer Chardonnay! Thanks for the chance! almaj80(at)suddenlink(dot)net
ReplyDeleteThank you!! Best of luck with the giveaway!
DeleteNo way would I try to come up with my own recipe! Even to change a recipe is rare for me. I didn't cook at home (mother did teach me to read a recipe and to bake). So when I got married, I cooked from recipes. I did turn out to be a pretty good cook, but not an original one. 😀
ReplyDeletedonna (dot) durnell (at) sbcglobal (dot) net
Ooh, interesting!! Donna, something tells me you have a fantastic collection of recipes! :-)
DeleteI pretty much follow recipes unless it has something in it that I can't or won't eat. Then, I will omit or substitute. My son. on the other hand, makes up as he goes. And, it always tastes great.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
So fun that your son is so creative and skilled in the kitchen, Linda! :-)
Delete