Friday, December 26, 2025

Baked Salmon and Broccoli @MaddieDayAuthor

MADDIE DAY here. Christmas and Hanukkah are over for the year, and I wanted to make a simple, healthy dinner for tonight that I didn't have to think too much about. I had a piece of salmon and a head of broccoli, plus a fresh baguette.



My son and his wife, who are staying with us for a few more days, are vegetarians who occasionally eat fish, and they're giving my granddaughter tastes of it, too. 

So I bring you baked salmon and broccoli.

Baked Salmon and Broccoli

Ingredients


1 pound salmon filet

3 cups broccoli florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/2 cup white wine


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into a 9" x 11" baking dish. Add salmon skin down into middle of pan and arrange broccoli around the edges. Spread mustard over salmon. Drizzle rest of olive oil over broccoli. Sprinkle wine over fish.


Cover with foil and bake for twenty minutes or until middle of salmon is opaque, not translucent.

Serve with crusty bread and butter, or over rice.


Yes, the Santa placemats are still on the table!

Readers: What do you make for family in the aftermath of a holiday, if not leftovers?

🐟🥦🐠

Murder at Cape Costumers is out and available wherever book are sold!




My most recent releases are Scone Cold Dead#13 in the Country Store Mysteries,









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We hope you'll visit Maddie and her Agatha Award-winning alter ego Edith Maxwell on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.


Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.




 


Thursday, December 25, 2025

MERRY CHRISTMAS, FELIZ NAVIDAD, HAPPY HANUKKAH #Holiday #Christmas

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


This is a season for hope, peace, and goodwill. It's a time for spending time with friends and family, and a time to enjoy good FOOD! 
Happy Holidays from Mystery Lovers' Kitchen!


Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Glazed Carrots #HolidayRecipe @LeslieKarst

 

My mom used to make glazed carrots fairly often when I was a kid, and it was the only way I liked that particular root vegetable. She didn’t add much—if any—sugar to the dish, but the natural sweetness of the carrots came out by virtue of the slow cooking and the addition of sherry to the recipe. And her secret ingredient? A cube or two of chicken bouillon, to pump up the savoriness of the side dish.


This version is basically the same as my mother’s, but with the addition of onions (because who doesn't want onions added to their veg?) and a bit of brown sugar, which I think helps bring out the natural flavor of the carrots without making it too cloyingly sweet.

 



So if you’re at a loss for a last-minute side dish for your Christmas dinner tomorrow—or simply want a way to use of that bag of carrots I know you have in your fridge—this is for you!


Happy holidays, everyone!


Glazed Carrots

(serves 6)


Ingredients


4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter

2 lbs. carrots, sliced into thin batons

¼ cup cooking sherry

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons chicken base or 2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 teaspoons brown sugar

black pepper, to taste 

chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)




Directions


Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet (one that has a cover), then add the carrots and stir until they’re evenly coated with the butter.

 

 

Pour in the sherry, then cover the pan and cook the carrots until just starting to soften—about 5 minutes. 

 




Add the bouillon and the sugar, and continue to cook, stirring until they have dissolved. 

 




Add the onions and stir them in, then continue to cook, uncovered, until they soften and the carrots are cooked through. (Use a fork to test for doneness.)

 


Season with pepper to taste (you likely won’t need any salt, as the bouillon contains a lot of it already), then turn up the heat and continue cooking for a couple more minutes, stirring often, until the veg start to brown.

 



Garnish with chopped parsley.


🌱  🍋  🌿

 

Coming April 7!

Orchid Isle Mystery  #3

MURDER, LOCAL STYLE

Available for pre-order here.

 

A dinner to die for! Retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen investigate a suspicious poisoning in this new Orchid Isle mystery featuring a feisty couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i.

 


 🍍 🌴 🍹

 

Out now in paperback!

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

 



Also available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery  #1

Buy link here

 

2025 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Mystery!

 

“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 Finalist

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 AmazonBarnes and Noble, and Bookshop.


 

 


Tuesday, December 23, 2025

HEAVENLY CHRISTMAS FUDGE from author Cleo Coyle #Chocolate #ChristmasRecipe


From Cleo Coyle: While my husband was growing up, he and his brother were big fans of their mom's Christmas fudge. Marc's mom is now in heaven, but a few years ago, I wanted him to be able to enjoy her fudge again, so I took up her "add-in" holiday tradition. You see, the fudge my mother-in-law made for her son began with the basic recipe found on jars of Marshmallow Fluff, with a few exceptions. Every year she would vary what was added. Some years were walnuts or cashews, other years salted peanuts, pecans, raisins, or M&M candies.

Cleo Coyle writes two
 bestselling mystery
 series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

My choice was one of my favorite nuts (the kind you eat :)). The result? Marc said my macadamia nut fudge tasted better than any of the varieties he'd eaten in past years. High praise indeed. Now you can see why this "heavenly" fudge recipe is so special to us, and why we're happy to re-share it with you on this eve of Christmas Eve. 
Merry Christmas, everyone... 

🎄 May you eat with heavenly joy! 

~ Cleo




To download this heavenly recipe
in a free PDF that you can print,
save, or share, click here or
on the image below.










☕ Cleo Coyle's "Heavenly"
Chocolate Macadamia Nut Christmas Fudge*

*Recipe slightly adapted from a jar of Marshmallow Fluff and inspired by Marc's mom, Evelyn Cerasini, who now resides in Heaven.

Makes enough fudge to fill a 9x9 pan (for thicker fudge use 8x8)

Ingredients:


4 tablespoons butter
2 ½ cups white, granulated sugar
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
7.5-ounce jar of Marshmallow Fluff
1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt (or table salt)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts (measure after chopping)

Directions:

(1) First line a 9x9 or 8x8 pan with parchment or wax paper, allowing a little extra to hang over the sides for handles. (You will use the handles to lift the fudge block out of the pan for easy cutting.) Lightly butter the top of the paper to prevent the fudge from sticking.

(2) In a medium-sized saucepan (non-stick, if possible), over low heat, melt the butter. Then add the sugar, evaporated milk, Fluff, and salt. Stir over low heat until ingredients are well blended.

(3) Increase the heat until the mixture is boiling. (Not simmering or burping but truly boiling.) Continue to boil while slowly stirring constantly, for 6 to 7 minutes (do not cut this time short). Remove from heat and let cool for about 2 minutes. (Why? If the mixture is still boiling when you add the vanilla, the intense heat will destroy the extract's full flavor.) Now add the vanilla and chocolate chips and stir until chips are melted and everything is blended. Fold in the nuts.

(4) Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and let cool at room temperature, uncovered, for at least two hours before cutting. Once the fudge is set and completely cooled, store it in an airtight container for up to ten days. (That's in theory. Ours is always eaten long before then!)









Happy Holidays 
Happpy New Year!

May you eat with comfort and joy!

New York Times bestselling author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries and
Haunted Bookshop Mysteries


Cleo (Alice) with her husband Marc

Visit Cleo's online coffeehouse here.
And follow her at these links...


Our Brand-New 

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"EASILY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ THIS YEAR...10 STARS!"  Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book 

 

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No Roast for the Weary
includes a killer menu of
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National Mystery Bestseller
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Fresh Fiction Readers' Selection
2 Best of Year Lists!



To Buy:



🔎 KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Scads of red herrings, peeks behind the show-biz curtain, and bountiful appended recipes will leave fans smiling contentedly."

📚 BOOKLIST

"This twentieth Coffeehouse mystery (after Honey Roasted) brings together the history of the shop, ripped-from-the-headlines plot elements, [and] the drama of on-site filming."





The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling works
of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark 
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the 
21 titles includes the added bonus of recipes.  




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Mystery...

  
Jack & Pen 
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To download the free PDF of this recipe
click here or on the image below.