Welcome to the Food Lovers' Village -- #giveaway #Spotlight Sunday

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Most of you know me for my Spice Shop Mysteries, set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, where Pepper Reece runs a spice shop and solves crime. It’s a delicious series to write, inspired by the tastes, smells, and scents of a place I first encountered as an 18-year-old college girl, and still love. (Here’s my first Spotlight, back when we started the feature, on what inspired the Spice Shop mysteries.)

I also write the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, where Erin Murphy runs a local foods market in her family’s hundred-year plus Mercantile in the heart of the village of Jewel Bay, Montana, and solves crime. 

It takes a village . . . to catch a killer.

And I'll be giving one lucky reader winner's choice of a Village mystery. Read on, friends! 

 

Death al Dente won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First Novel!

No surprise that Jewel Bay is based on the town where we live. I had to change the name so I could kill people. It really is the perfect cozy village, filled with great food, art galleries, live theater, and live music, on a bay formed where two rivers meet to create the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Behind both real and fictional towns are several mountain ranges formed, as Erin likes to say, by the glacial hand of God. (With help from a series of earthquakes and floods, back in geologic time.) Wilderness abounds – along with a 36-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. And there’s a real-live dude ranch literally 5 minutes from the village – just drive across the one-lane bridge and turn left. . 

You can’t make this stuff up.

I’ll admit, that’s not what most people think of when they imagine a small town in Montana. And that’s what makes it the perfect cozy setting. 

A patient of Mr. Right sent his bookmark through the wash!

So where did Erin come from? She’s half Italian, as you can tell by her name. Like me, she left Montana and worked in Seattle. I wanted her to have experience in retail and in groceries, so I made her a grocery buyer for SavCo, the international warehouse chain. (At the time, our niece was a buyer for Costco, though not in groceries.) That gave her the skills to come home and take over the struggling Merc and give her widowed mother, Francesca, a chance to focus on her own line of pastas and sauces – and a new romance. 

And her name? Like the husband of a friend of my mother, Tom Murphy decided that because his wife had named the first two, it was his turn. And when she showed up on St. Patrick’s Day, her name was obvious.

Sadly, Tom Murphy was killed during Erin’s senior year of high school, in a hit-and-run that’s never been solved. Not until Erin returns home. I’ve lost count of how many readers finished the first book, Death al Dente – or murder not quite well done – and asked if we would ever find out what happened to him. Yes, yes, yes! Erin uncovers clues in each of the first three books, in addition to solving the crime in that book, and solves the mystery of her father’s death in Butter Off Dead, the third in the series.

The Food Lovers’ Village series includes five novels and a short story collection, with five short stories featuring Erin and the Villagers, and a prequel novella set in 1910, the year Erin’s great-grandparents, Paddy and Kate Murphy, married and started the Merc. Turns out Erin’s sleuthing skills may be inherited! 

The one lane bridge dressed up for the holidays -- and on the cover of my Christmas short story, The Christmas Stranger! (Available in the collection Carried to the Grave and as an e-book standalone.) 

I hope you’ll take a visit to the Food Lovers’ Village with me. Find out more about the books and read excerpts and praise on my website.  And as a gift to my readers, newsletter subscribers get two free short stories, including “The Picture of Guilt,” in which Erin and her beau make a surprising discovery while huckleberry picking. If you’re new to the series, it’s the perfect taste of the Village! 

Here's a link to one of my favorite Village recipes, Grilled Caprese Kabobs from Treble at the Jam Fest, the 4th Village mystery. I'll be back Tuesday with a yummy recipe for Shrimp with Pearl Couscous and Fried Capers. 

I love visiting new-to-me places on the page! Talk to me about some of your favorite armchair travel. If you've been to the Food Lovers' Village, on the page or IRL, tell us what you love about the place and the books! One lucky reader will win their choice of a Food Lovers' Village mystery -- and if you've read them all already, we'll come up with something else! (Leave your email address to enter. US and Canada only. Winner to be announced Wednesday, July 1.)  

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.

Green Chili and Corn Quesadillas #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

We love these quesadillas. They’re fairly easy to make and are great as leftovers, either reheated or cold. Cilantro isn’t for everyone, and 1/2  a cup is quite a lot, so feel free to cut down on the quantity or leave it out altogether.

The original recipe calls for a nonstick skillet to ensure better browning. If you have one, use it. We don’t have one but our cast iron frying pan has no trouble browning the quesadillas, or anything else, beautifully.

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

Green Chili and Corn Quesadillas

Adapted from Milk Street: The World in a Skillet by Christopher Kimball

 

 

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed and patted dry (or fresh kernels cut from 2 or 3 ears)

2 poblano chilies, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and black pepper

5 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (or queso Oaxaca if you can find it)

1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon brine

8 eight-inch flour tortillas

 

Directions

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon oil until barely smoking. Add the corn and cook, stirring only once or twice, until charred, 3 to 5 minutes. (If you’re using frozen corn, you really do need to thaw them and should pat them at least somewhat dry or they’ll spit and spatter like crazy in the hot oil Ow!) Transfer to a large bowl.

In the same skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil until shimmering. Add the chilies, onion, oregano, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and brown, 6 to 9 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the corn and cool slightly. Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and set aside.

To the vegetable mixture, stir in the cheese, cilantro, pickled jalapeños and their brine. Taste and season for salt and pepper. Divide the mixture evenly between the tortillas, spreading it over half of each. Fold the unfilled sides over and press.

In the skillet over medium-high, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining oil until shimmering. Add 2 quesadillas and cook until the tortillas are golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook, adjusting the heat as needed, until the second sides are browned, another couple of minutes. Transfer to a platter or rack and cook the 6 remaining quesadillas, 2 at a time, using the remaining 1 1/2  tablespoons of oil.

 

 

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

 

 

Now available for pre-order – 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 . . . 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Salmon Cakes @MaddieDayAuthor

Maddie Day here. Remember a couple of weeks ago I shared a recipe for my birthday son's favorite cake? His brother hosted the afternoon backyard party, which featured hearty appetizers. I made these mini salmon cakes with a lemon aioli sauce, and they were a big hit, so I thought I'd share the recipe here.

They would be a great contribution to a Fourth of July party or any other outdoor gathering.

Mini Baked Salmon Cakes

Adapted from TasteandSee.com by Holly Sander

Ingredients* 

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 small onion, diced, sautéed

⅔ cup plain dried breadcrumbs

½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

⅓ cup mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt if you prefer)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (add more if you like things spicy)

4 teaspoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

*Author apologies - I thought I took a picture but the photo didn't make it onto my phone.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.  Rinse and pat dry the salmon, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper.  Roast until cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Allow to cool 5 minutes then using forks to flake or separate the salmon into small pieces.

Place salmon in a large bowl.  Add onions, breadcrumbs, parsley, mayo, mustard, egg, and 4 tablespoons lemon juice.   Season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, then mix gently. 

Using a 1 ½ inch scoop and your hands, form the mixture into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

If you are freezing the salmon cakes, leave them on the baking sheet and place them in the freezer. Once firm, store them in a resealable freezer bag until needed.

To finish the cakes, bake on 400 for about 15-20 minutes, just until they start to crisp and become golden.  

Combine yogurt, Sriracha, 4 teaspoons lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl, and whisk thoroughly.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

This appetizer was super popular at the birthday party. I served them room temperature, but hot from the oven would be great, too.

Readers: What's your favorite appetizer to bring to a party - or to eat?

🐟🐠🐟

A Poisonous Pour is out and available wherever books are sold!

Next up is Murder at the Toy Soldier, Cozy Capers Book Group #8, which releases in late August.

My most recent releases are Murder at Cape Costumers,

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

and A Case for the Ladies.

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.

EASY PAIN AU CHOCOLAT #recipe @VMBURNS

VMBURNS: Pain au chocolat is French and sounds really fancy. It's basically a chocolate croissant. I was in the mood, but I am not skilled enough to make flaky, homemade croissants. Thankfully, I didn't need to. I found a super easy recipe that uses frozen puff pastries. Of course, I made a few adjustments. These are so easy that even Maddy Montgomery, the fashionista, social media influencer, and owner of Baby Cakes Bakery can make them. My sister doesn't like chocolate (she's weird), but I thought they were great.

EASY PAIN AU CHOCOLAT

Ingredients

·      Frozen Puff Pastry sheets

·      Dark chocolate

·      1 Large egg

·      1 Tablespoon water

·      Powdered sugar for dusting

 

InSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.  Thaw the puff pastry sheets for at least 15 minutes.
3.    Combine egg and water and beat until combined to make an egg wash.
   
   
   
4.    Unfold one puff pastry sheet. Roll the pastry sheet onto a lightly floured work surface until it’s symmetrical. Slice each sheet into 4 equal sections (8 total).
   
   
   
5.    Place a chunk of chocolate near left edge of the pastry square. Then, fold the left edge of the pastry and the chocolate over. Add another chunk of chocolate on top of that and this time fold the pastry from the other (right) side. Continue rolling the pastry until you have an oblong.
   
   
   
6.   Repeat with the remaining puff pastry sections.
7.    Add the pastries to the prepared baking sheet and brush the top and sides with the egg wash mixture.
   
   
   
8.   Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown and puffed up.
9.    Allow the pastries to cool and then dust with powdered sugar.

• 
  
  
• READERS: Chocolate Croissants? Yay or Nay? Let me know in the comments below. 

MURDER AT FIRST SLICE (ARC)

As Maddy’s wedding day approaches, friends and family descend on the little town of New Bison, Michigan, to celebrate—so much so that Maddy wonders if there might be another happily-ever-after in store for her widowed father and innkeeper Mrs. Law. Unfortunately, she also has to deal with an unhappy couple: feuding cousins Hannah and Dorothy, who haven’t spoken in decades. Maddy can only hope the spectacular wedding cake crafted by her head baker doesn’t wind up as ammunition in a food fight.

But she doesn’t have to wait long for a wedding disaster to strike. When the imperious Dorothy crashes the rehearsal dinner—with several uninvited guests in tow—and starts battering everyone with constant complaints, the drama reaches reality-show levels. And the next day, Dorothy is dead . . . with Hannah standing over the body, bloody rolling pin in hand.

Nobody in town believes Miss Hannah could commit murder. But a detective newly relocated from New York doesn’t know the sweet, memory-challenged Hannah the way the locals do—and the evidence seems open-and-shut as an oven. Now, with her sous-sleuths the Baker Street Irregulars, the bride-to-be is busy digging into Dorothy’s past to catch a killer before she cuts the cake . . .

BUY LINK