Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Mr. Right's Perfect Hummus, from Leslie Budewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Regulars on the blog and readers who follow me elsewhere know that I often refer to my husband as Mr. Right. And you know he enjoys cooking and loves dips—many of the dips I’ve shared over the years have been his recipes, or ones I’ve found that he’s taken over. We also have learned to trust recipes from the New York Times food writer Melissa Clark, so when I saw her recipe for hummus, the Middle Eastern dip made with chickpeas and tahini, I knew we had to try it.

It was good. But readers, I’m here to tell you: Mr. Right’s version is even better. We use canned chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, instead of cooking dried beans—seriously, who plans that far ahead? He’s changed the proportions and spicery. But the trick he kept? Using ice cold water to smooth out the sauce.

Perfect.

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 
Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Mr. Right's Perfect Hummus

1 - 15 ounce can low-sodium chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
½ to 1 teaspoon cumin or curry powder, to taste
½ cup sliced and seeded peperoncini, optional 
paprika or sumac for topping, optional
fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Grilled pita, baked pita chips, baguette, chips, or crackers for serving. 


Rinse and drain the chickpeas.

Put several ice cubes and cold water in a glass measuring cup or other small container with a pour spout. Use a blender or food processor to process the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and cumin or curry powder into a thick paste. While the blender is running (if possible), add 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water, slowly, until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Add the chickpeas and peperoncini and continue processing until smooth, adding more ice water if necessary. Taste and adjust salt, lemon juice, or cumin, as needed.



Spoon into a small serving bowl. Sprinkle with paprika or sumac if you’d like, and add a sprig of parsley. Serve with wedges of grilled pita, sliced baguette, chips, or crackers—whatever your little heart desires!

Perfect! 
Isn't the bowl adorable? And -- well, perfect!

Summertime, and the Aperol Spritzer was the perfect cocktail on the deck!

Who does the cooking -- and dip-making -- in your house?




At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .  

Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!


ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!


Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine. 

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.









Sunday, September 27, 2026

Spotlight on CLEO COYLE'S HAUNTED BOOKSHOP + DOUBLE #GIVEAWAY!

 


From Cleo Coyle: Some characters haunt you long after a book is done, especially when they’re ghosts. Here are 5 reasons why we think you’ll enjoy being haunted by the characters in our new Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery, recently honored as a *Star Reviewed Library Journal Pick of the Month! 

 OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY...

Before we continue with today's Spotlight post, we'd like to tell you about the first of our two giveaways. CLICK HERE or see the link below to jump to the prize package giveaway we're running for our Cleo Coyle Newsletter Subscribers to celebrate last week's release of our new Coffeehouse Mystery...



Cleo's Eat, Drink, and Get Buried 

Prize Package Giveaway 

Winner will receive:

> A signed copy of Cleo Coyle's New Coffeeouse Mysery Eat, Drink, and Get Buried in it's beautiful first edition hardcover format

> A Sturdy, Canvas Coffeehouse Tote Bag

> A Set of Glossy Cleo Recipe Cards, and...



 🍀 A bone china Irish Blessing  coffee mug from Royal Tara's "Clara" line of Irish gifts.


by Clicking Here


Now for the 5 reasons why we think you’ll enjoy being haunted by the characters in our new Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery...


Reason #1 PENELOPE, THE BOOKSELLER

A young widow with a growing son and busy life, Penelope Thornton-McClure didn’t believe in ghosts. Oh, sure, she knew locals gossiped about her family’s shop being haunted, but she never believed it, not until one horrible night when everything went wrong and she was under a great deal of stress. That’s when he spoke to her. The Ghost. From then on, Jack speaks to Pen at will—his will, not hers—blowing in and out of her head like a blustery gale. Despite his troubled spirit, Jack has a wicked sense of humor, and…after everything they go through together, Pen is amazed at the strangest irony of all, one that uplifts her own spirit: The Ghost believes in her...



Reason #2 JACK, THE HARDBOILED GHOST

A tough PI with an acre of shoulders and an iron jaw, Jack Shepard lived a hard, whiskey-swilling life on the meaner streets of New York City. His death (in 1949) was no picnic, either. Gunned down in a Rhode Island bookshop while following a lead in a case, he found his spirit locked in the fieldstone walls of that bookshop, unable to communicate with anyone—until his breakthrough with the prim young widow. While he has little patience with being stuck in this “cornpone” backwater town, he can’t deny the auburn-haired bookseller has improved his intolerable existence. Yeah, the broad is one of those annoying “do-right, fair-play Jane” types, but he secretly admires her character. Now he feels lucky that his purgatory has come with an angel, a doll he can't stop watching or watching over...



image courtesy giphy


#3 THEIR QUAINT RHODE ISLAND TOWN

Pen’s charming hometown of Quindicott, Rhode Island, is a character all its own. Not far from the Atlantic coast, it may be smaller and less posh than nearby Newport, but its residents are proud of its revived Cranberry Street business district and renowned Victorian B&B. Fresh ocean air, amazing seafood, and a neighborly community make it one of the area's most pleasant places to live—even if you happen to be dead...


Pen's Bookshop Cat "Bookmark"


#4 THE QUIBBLERS IN THE BOOKSHOP 

The "Quibblers" are a quirky group of folks who make up the local Quindicott Business Owners Association. They meet regularly in Pen’s charming old bookshop, guarded by mouse-hunter Bookmark, the cat. There's Fiona Finch, the fastidious co-owner of Finch Inn, who has a penchant for True Crime books and "happening to overhear" conversations between guests. Seymour, the outspoken mailman who moonlights as an ice cream truck driver, collects vintage pulp fiction, and likes to ghost hunt at midnight. And many more oddball characters, people Pen dearly loves—and her hard-boiled ghost barely tolerates.


#5 THE MYSTERY OF THE DEAD LIBRARIAN 

Join our earnest bookseller as she teams up with her hardboiled ghost to catch the cunning killer of Dory, a beloved local librarian in our new release THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN. We truly love our characters, and we hope you will thoroughly enjoy visiting their Haunted Bookshop world.



Coming this Tues. 9/29

To Pre-Order Now: 










CLEO COYLE (cleocoylebooks.com) is the New York Times bestselling pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, collaborating with her husband, Marc Cerasini. With more than 1 million copies of their books sold, Alice and Marc have gained an enthusiastic following. THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN, a *Star Reviewed Library Journal Mystery Pick of the Month, marks the launch of an exciting new spin-off series in Cleo's beloved "Haunted Bookshop" world. Cleo also writes the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries with its 22nd entry, EAT, DRINK, AND GET BURIED, just released and already a #1 Amazon Category Bestseller with more titles to come. Cleo’s novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus; received Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc have also created bestselling tie-in properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or wrangling their rescued stray cats, they cook like crazy, drink a lot of java, and write independently and together.


Visit Cleo's online home here.

Follow Cleo at: Facebook | Twitter | Bluesky 







OUR SECOND GIVEAWAY...

Enter to win an autographed copy of THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN in its beautiful first edition hardcover format by leaving a comment on this post with your email address. If you win our random drawing, that's how we'll contact you, so don't forget to include your email!


Our favorite PI ghost is back in time for Halloween Season! Be sure to subscribe to our Free Cleo Coyle Newsletter so you don't miss the upcoming Haunted Bookshop parties and giveaways. 

Good luck in our Eat, Drink and Get Buried 
& Haunted Bookshop Giveaways, and... 


Happy Haunted Reading, 

Everyone! 

~ Cleo




Comments open through
Midnight, Friday, Oct 2.
Be sure to include
your email address.

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Super Easy Flatbread recipe from Molly MacRae

 

 

Making flatbread is fun. There are some that you pat flat with your hands, some that you make in the palm of your hand, and some that you roll out or flatten in a press. However their made, forming flatbread reminds me of playing with playdough. The result of flatbread forming fun, though, is something delicious to go with your meal, or the base for an open face sandwich or pizza.

The recipe doesn’t call for seasoning beyond salt, but I added a sprinkle of za’atar to each flatbread before rolling it out. Za’atar is a blend of warm and toasted spices. The exact proportions, and the spices, depend on the variety you buy. It’s easy enough to make your own, too. Here’s a link to the za’atar recipe I used.

If you’re new to making flatbread, then this Super Easy Flatbread recipe is great place to start. Mix the dough, grab your rolling pin or a cylindrical drinking glass, and have some roly-poly fun.

 

You’ll find a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the cooking directions.

Super Easy Flatbread

Adapted from Bob’s Red Mill 

Ingredients

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (plus more as needed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups flour (I used whole wheat but all-purpose white or a mix of the two is fine)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional: 2-3 teaspoons of a seasoning mix of your choice.

3-4 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or olive, for cooking

 

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients (all but except the 3-4 tablespoons of neutral oil for cooking). Mix until a soft dough forms. If your dough feels dry, or cracks at the edges, add more yogurt, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s smooth and pliable.  

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Working with one ball at a time, flatten each (and sprinkle with seasoning mix, if using) then roll it into a circle about 5 inches in diameter. Dust your surface and rolling pin with more flour as needed.




Over medium-high, preheat a griddle, cast iron skillet, or nonstick pan. Add a small drizzle of neutral oil to the pan and cook one flatbread at a time, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown and speckled, 1 to 2 or 3 minutes per side. Adjust heat as needed. Transfer cooked flatbreads to a wire rack.



Serve warm. Store leftovers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a warm skillet or microwave before serving.

click here for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of this recipe

 


 Out now!

All Shell Breaks Loose

Book 3 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!


 

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder . . .

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .


 






Writing as Margaret Welch


Happy reading! 


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, the Haunted Shell 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, September 25, 2026

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garam Masala @MaddieDayAuthor

MADDIE DAY here, with an easy Indian-flavored chicken dish. 


I still have lots of garden tomatoes, plus some greens, and we always have chicken in the freezer. 

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garam Masala

I adapted this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery, one of two favorite cookbooks by her that are well-loved in my kitchen.


Ingredients



2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

6 cloves finely chopped garlic

Six medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon curry powder

1-3 inches cinnamon stick

2 chicken breasts, cut into 3-4 chunks each

2 cups chopped greens such as kale, Brussels sprouts leaves, or Asian cabbage

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala


Directions

Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Saute onion until tender. Add ginger and garlic and stir for one minutes. Stir in tomatoes, spices, and chicken.



Note: Original recipe calls for whole cumin, cardamom, and black peppercorns. I live with someone who gets seeds caught in his teeth, so I use ground versions of the spices.

Stir to mix. Add greens and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly and simmer for about 25 minutes or until chicken is tender, stirring several times.



Remove lid and raise heat to medium. Sprinkle in salt and garam masala, stirring gently for about five minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. 

Serve hot over rice.


Readers: How do you like to use fresh tomatoes when you have an excess?

🍅🐔🍅

Murder at the Toy Soldier, Cozy Capers Book Group #8, is out and available wherever books are sold!




My most recent releases are:

A Poisonous Pour, Cece Barton #3,



Murder at Cape Costumers,




Scone Cold Dead, #13 in the Country Store Mysteries,








Check out all my writing.




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.