Mystery Lovers Kitchen Celebrates 15 years of Eating and Writing!

Lucy, Peg, and Ellery

 LUCY BURDETTE: Believe it or not—and we hardly can—our blog celebrates 15 years of life this summer! Fifteen years of writing and cooking and sharing all of that with you, our treasured readers! To celebrate, we thought you’d like to share a birthday celebration with us of course, but also with some of our distinguished alumna. We’ll have two days of MLK memories and stories, and two big giveaways. So do leave a comment today, and come back tomorrow for part two of our birthday celebration and leave another!

Today we’ll start with our alums. I rounded up as many as were available and asked them about a favorite memory or recipe from their days on the blog, and a sentence about what they’re writing now. 

ELIZABETH SPANN CRAIG: I was a mom of young kids when I was a regular at the Kitchen. Cooking kid-friendly meals could become monotonous, but the Kitchen kept me from getting stuck in a rut. There was always warm camaraderie on the blog and terrific comments! My kids are grown and flown now, and I'm writing 4 active cozy series. 

JULIE WILLIAMS FOR SHEILA CONNOLLY: When I think of my mother, I immediately remember her fresh apple cake. It's always a crowd-pleaser at potlucks, it stays moist for days as the glaze melds into the cake, and best of all it is very simple to make! Both my parents used to make this for all occasions, and now I make it too -- and sometimes just the glaze, to pour over a bowl of extra-decadent late-night vanilla ice cream. Try a fresh apple cake for the summer barbecue sweets table! I am currently writing a new play with music called Rich and Strange, which will be staged by Curious Theatre Branch in spring 2025. Come see it if you're a Chicago local! I also have a hardcover copy of my mom's final book, The Secret Staircase, to give away. I finished it for publication after she passed, so I think of it as a collaborative effort, though the characters and setting are all classic Sheila Connolly!

Krista and Daryl

KRISTA DAVIS: It seems like yesterday when Daryl Wood Gerber and I approached Julie Hyzy about starting Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. She was the first one on board. I’m thrilled that the blog continues to thrive and that so many talented authors are sharing their recipes.  I’m working on The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg. The Wagtail Murder Club with be released in February!

DARYL WOOD GERBER: I loved blogging on Mystery Lovers Kitchen and meeting all our regular readers. When I was first published, writing the Cheese Shop Mysteries as Avery Aames, I had such a blast sharing all the cheese-y recipes I was creating for the books: quiches, fondues, cheesecakes. I particularly liked offering tidbits about all the new cheeses I was tasting. Do you know I tasted over 1,000 cheeses while writing that series? Who knew when I started writing mysteries I’d have to be able to cook AND know cheese? It has been a delicious adventure. Daryl will give away A TWINKLE OF TROUBLE, book #5 in the Fairy Garden Mystery series. 

ELLERY ADAMS: I can’t tell you how many amazing recipes I’ve discovered on Mystery Lovers Kitchen. One of Krista Davis’s cookie recipes became a family favorite and when my daughter went gluten-free, I found plenty of treats on the blog, thanks to Daryl Wood Gerber. Thanks for uniting so many writers and readers through words and food—two of the best things in life! I’m currently working on The Tattered Cover, Book 8 in The Secret, Book, and Scone Society series as well as a new fiction project that is not at all cozy. 

TINA KASHIAN: I have many favorite memories from my time at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. I enjoyed connecting with new readers, and I loved meeting some readers and my fellow blog mates at Malice Domestic conferences. My favorite recipe was baklava. My Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years and my mother was a talented Mediterranean cook. She’s passed away but I have her treasured recipe box and I shared many of her recipes on the blog, including the baklava recipe.

 “Murder in the Air” just released. The anthology includes my short cozy story “A Contest Win to Die For” which features my Kebab Kitchen sleuth Lucy Berberian.

JENN MCKINLAY: Wow! As a founding member of MLK, this blows my mind. Congratulations to all the participants of this delicious blog. What an amazing achievement! I still make Julie Hyzy's walking tacos for my guys and Cleo Coyle taught me the art of the muffin top which has been invaluable for quick breakfasts! Keep on serving up the good stuff, chefs!

Sheila and MJ

MARY JANE MAFFINI AND VICTORIA ABBOTT: I am thrilled to be at this great party! I’ll never forget the close bonds forged during my years at Mystery Lovers Kitchen and the fun we had. I loved those smart women who created clever plots and dynamite endings one-handedly while casually whipping up souffles with the other.  It doesn’t get any better! For us, it was a family affair because for some years my daughter Victoria (of Victoria Abbott)  was part of it too.  Plus my husband was thrilled with the results on his plate and said so. Not only did he enjoy the many new recipes I tried but he liked those of my MLK friends. It spurred him to cook. From Peg Cochran he learned about mirepoix and he has been a dedicated soup maker ever since.  Win-win!  Thank you, MLK, present and past, for years of great recipes, for enduring friendships and for all those wonderful books.  But I cannot leave out the faithful readers and the commenters. The comments section always rocked and camaraderie blossomed with several commenters.  You know who you are!  Bon appétit, everyone. 

Sheila Connolly: THE SECRET STAIRCASE

Jenn McKinlay: FONDANT FUMBLE

Mary Jane Maffini: DEATH PLANS A PERFECT TRIP

Krista Davis: THE DIVA GOES OVERBOARD

Ellery Adams: PAPER CUTS

Daryl Wood Gerber: A TWINKLE OF TROUBLE

Tina Kashian: HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE

Elizabeth Spann Craig: THE TYPE-A GUIDE TO SOLVING MURDER