Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: 05/01/2025

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Parmesan Garlic Chicken Skewers #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

These were so good, I made them two weeks in a row, which is unusual for me since I like to switch things up! They are very easy to make. I opted for skinless, boneless chicken thighs since those are generally more tender. To make things easier, I cut the thighs in strips and threaded them onto the skewers rather than cutting them in cubes. Rolling them in the panko is optional but added a delightful crunch. These are delicious as is but can be dipped in ranch dressing or dip of your choice. The recipe was adapted from Beth's Quick Bites.

1 pound chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Wooden or metal skewers (if wooden, soak in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning)

Panko (Optional but worth it)

Combine olive oil, grated Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Add chicken and marinate, covered, in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to four hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and put on skewers.

Roll skewers in panko if desired.

Heat gas grill to medium high (around 400 degrees) and grill skewers, turning once, until chicken is done. Timing depends on whether you are using breasts or thighs. Check with an instant read thermometer to be sure chicken has reached 165 degrees.

To air fry: pre-heat air fryer to 400 degrees. Place skewers in a single layer. Air fry for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through.

Friday, May 30, 2025

Galvanized Pasta #recipe from Molly MacRae

To galvanize something is (according to Merriam Webster) to subject it to “the action of an electric current especially for the purpose of stimulating physiologically.” Cooking a dish on an electric stove isn’t exactly the same thing, but a current is involved and a good dish does stimulate the partakers physiologically (in a good way).

I found this recipe in A Gothic Cookbook: Hauntingly Delicious Recipes Inspired by 13 Classic Tales, by Ella Buchan and illustrated by Lee Henry. Buchan ingeniously pairs 60 original recipes with her chosen classic tales. Galvanized pasta (called galvanized vermicelli in the book) is one of the recipes paired with Frankenstein – fitting because Dr. Frankenstein brought his monster to life by galvanizing him.

If you make this heady mix of LOTS of garlic, two jalapenos, and handfuls of fresh herbs, plus capers and lime juice, you’ll feel galvanized, too.

Galvanized Pasta

Adapted from A Gothic Cookbook: Hauntingly Delicious Recipes Inspired by 13 Classic Tales

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (I used rotini, because that’s what we had. Next time I’ll try the vermicelli the original recipe called for.)

1 1/3 cup peas, fresh or frozen

Large handful each fresh mint, basil, and flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (I forgot the parsley!)

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/4 cup capers

Juice from 4 limes

2 jalapeños (include ribs and seeds for a more galvanized flavor), roughly chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese to serve

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package.

While the pasta cooks, add all the rest of the ingredients, except the Parmesan, to a food processor and blitz to create a smooth, silky sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a saucepan and warm over medium heat.

Drain the pasta, return to the pot, and add the warmed sauce. Toss well so each strand is nicely coated. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Coming in June 2025!

There’ll be Shell to Pay

Haunted Shell Shop book 2

When she’s not selling seashells by the North Carolina seashore from her shell shop, Maureen Nash is a crime-solving sleuth with a ghost pirate for a supernatural sidekick . . .

Maureen is still getting used to life on Ocracoke Island, learning how to play the “shell game” of her business—and ghost whispering with the spirit of Emrys Lloyd, the eighteenth-century Welsh pirate who haunts her shop, The Moon Shell. The spectral buccaneer has unburied a treasure hidden in the shop’s attic that turns out to be antique shell art stolen from Maureen’s late husband’s family years ago.

Victor “Shelly” Sullivan and his wife Lenrose visit the shop and specifically inquire about these rare items. Not only is it suspicious that this shell collector should arrive around the time Maureen found the art, but Emrys insists that Sullivan’s wife is an imposter because Lenrose is dead. A woman’s corpse the police have been unable to identify was discovered by the Fig Ladies, a group who formed an online fig appreciation society. They’re meeting on Ocracoke for the first time in person and count Lenrose among their number, so the woman can’t possibly be dead.

But Lenrose’s behavior doesn’t quite match the person the Fig Ladies interacted with online. Now, Maureen and Emrys—with assistance from the Fig Ladies—must prove the real Lenrose is dead and unmask her mysterious pretender before a desperate murderer strikes again . . .

Writing as Margaret Welch

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Smashed Potatoes @LucyBurdette

LUCY BURDETTE: in my last post which featured an asparagus and white bean salad, I mentioned that I had served that dish with a roast chicken and smashed potatoes. After I wrote it, I remembered that I’d done a similar potato recipe 12 years ago! But that was a fancier version made by a professional cook in Topped Chef. It was loaded with cheese and scallions, and you can find that here.

But meanwhile, the new version is easy while still being delicious.

Ingredients

New potatoes, any color, 3 to 4 per person

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Handful of fresh chives

Salt.

Preheat the oven to 390

Wash the potatoes and cut out any bad patches. Simmer the potatoes in boiling water that has been salted until just soft, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size.

Drain the potatoes and let them dry.

Transfer them to a baking sheet covered by parchment paper. Spread the potatoes out and mash them with a potato masher. Paint each potato with the mixture of butter and oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake the tray of potatoes until they are starting to get brown and crispy, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and fresh chives. Serve with a bowl of sour cream and watch them disappear!

Next time I might try adding in some shredded cheddar for the last five minutes or so of the baking.

Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series including USA Today bestselling A POISONOUS PALATE and A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS.

Book 15 in the Key West series, THE MANGO MURDERS, will be in bookstores on August 12!

And the new trade paperback edition of A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS is out now!

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Smoked Salmon Open-Faced Sandwich on Rye #recipe by @LeslieKarst

I recently bought a loaf of Jewish rye bread (the light kind with caraway seeds), something I used to eat a lot of when I was younger but for some reason hadn’t in years. And I became kind of obsessed with that bread, making toast oozing with butter for breakfast and cheese sandwiches for lunch. Too bad I don’t have any corned beef to go with the rye bread, I thought one afternoon, recalling an amazing sandwich I once had at the Carnegie Deli in New York City.

Then last week I picked up a package of smoked salmon, along with some cream cheese and capers, at the grocery store. I was considering buying some bagels to go with it all, but then my thoughts turned to that loaf of rye bread at home.

Why not do a mash-up of those two ubiquitous items found in Jewish delis: a bagel with lox and cream cheese, and a corned beef on rye?

Thus was born this sandwich. And yes, it was delicious.

Smoked Salmon Open-Faced Sandwich on Rye

Ingredients

Jewish rye bread

cream cheese

smoked salmon, crumbled

white or yellow onion, sliced thinly

capers

(I don’t specify amounts, because that will depend on your individual taste.)

Directions

Toast the bread. (As you can see, my bread was too wide and tall for my toaster.)

Spread on a good amount of cream cheese, then cover it with the salmon.

Lay the onion slices on the cream cheese, then sprinkle on the capers.

B’tayavon! (Bon áppetit.)

🌿 🐟 🌱

Out now!

Orchid Isle Mystery #2

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

Buy link here.

"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."

Kirkus Reviews

And now available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery #1

Buy link here

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly.

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Nominee

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

--Publishers Weekly

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

Buy link here

Praise for Justice is Served:

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court."

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

EXCITING CHANGES & Easy Spicy Tuna Salad from @CleoCoyle

From Cleo Coyle: Spring always brings changes to our landscape and this year it's ushering in changes here at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. This past week we said sad goodbyes to two of our beloved mystery writing cooks, Maya and Korina, but we'll soon be welcoming two new ones...

As you can see from our temporary new header (at the top of our blog and pasted above), the mystery of our new bloggers' identities will soon be solved. Keep in touch for their exciting first posts, coming soon!

In the meantime, how are things growing in your part of the world? Here in New York City, the flowers and trees have started to bloom and the streets look much prettier dressed in their new greenery and colorful blossoms...

Spring has also sprung in our Queens backyard, where the wild violets have returned to cheer up our little plot of New York ground...

My "Bottomless Cup," created in the cozy
backyard of our Queens, NYC, rowhouse.

📚 Marc and I are under two writing deadlines this summer, which is why I'm sharing a simple recipe that I like to make when I'm pressed for time but still want good protein to fuel my afternoon. Other than tuna and celery, you need only two key ingredients...

The first ingredient is mayonnaise.

And the second is...

Sriracha Chili Sauce!

"OH NO," YOU MAY SAY.

"THAT'S TOO HOT FOR ME!

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

I thought so, too, until I controlled the heat in recipes like this one. Use a small amount of the chili sauce for a wonderful smoky flavor. Increase the chili sauce for more heat.

By blending it with mayonnaise (or sour cream or yogurt or cream cheese or a combo of these things), you can also create the most delightful dipping sauces for boiled or fried shrimp, French fries, and raw veggies like cauliflower, carrots, and celery sticks. And that's it! Well, almost.

You can mix this pretty pink mayo

with other ingredients to make...

Easy Spicy Chicken Salad
Easy Spicy Shrimp Salad
Easy Spicy Egg Salad

Easy Spicy Potato Salad
Easy Spicy Coleslaw....

Or you can create something like my

Easy Spicy Tuna lunch below...

☕

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

Click here for the free recipe PDF.

Cleo's Easy Spicy Tuna Salad

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce

1 can of tuna, drained (5 oz.)

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon dill relish (optional)

Directions: Mix mayo and sriracha sauce to create the spicy mayo. Combine with remaining ingredients to create the spicy tuna salad. I eat it on rice crackers or rye bread, but you may prefer it wrapped in a tortilla or pita...