For the Love of a Good Dumpling

 

A warm welcome to Melissa Bourbon Ramirez today. She's giving away The Lola Cruz Christmas Story for free right now, so if you have an e-reader, be sure to take advantage of this opportunity. Details are just below the recipe.

And now Melissa!

I love visiting Mystery Lover’s Kitchen.  It’s one of the best blogs out there and it’s so much fun to be part of it!  I’ve been here a handful of times, each time-sharing a favorite family recipe:

Pumpkin bread:
http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2011/09/welcome-guest-blogger-melissa-bourbon.html

My passion for mahi mahi with strawberry cilantro salsa:
http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2011/12/warm-welcome-to-melissa-bourbon-who-was.html

Spanish rice:

http://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2011/02/please-welcome-guest-blogger-misa.html


Today I thought about discussing the merits of fried okra, but I fear it is a regional thing and there’s something a lot of people don’t like about the slimy vegetable, so I nixed that idea.

I also considered caramel corn, a recipe which, like Sheila’s Home Ec Pizza, came from my high school home ec class and is still something I make several times a year, particularly during the holidays, and which my family goes gaga over.  But I’m angling for another invite back to Mystery Lover’s Kitchen to share this recipe as fall settles in so I’m going to keep it under my hat for now.  We’ll see if they bite. 

Which leads me to dumplings.

Today I want to share with you my love of these little balls of goodness.  A good dumpling is like nothing else.  Did you know there are whole entire websites devoted to nothing but the dumpling?  It’s true.  And fascinating to read about the lengths dumpling fanatics will go to in their search for the perfect dumpling.

I’m not quite so fanatical as all that, but I do love me a good dumplin’, as we say in the South.

Let me interject for a moment to say that while we now live in North Texas, we’re from California, home of dim sum (2nd home, actually, after, you know, China). Dim sum is Chinese breakfast and while I’ve heard they have some good places in Dallas, we’ve not found them.  So we have truly been on a dumpling adventure since our little Podunk town does not have a Chinese restaurant, let alone dim sum.

My son is another dumpling fanatic.  We started our dumpling adventure together by making gluten free pot stickers (he has celiac disease, so we’re always experimenting with different non-gluten flours).  We’ve become very good at our dumpling making, getting much more ambitious.  And when I say much more, I mean by leaps and bounds.  The steamed dumpling and a variety of fillings to tickle everyone’s taste buds have now eclipsed the simple pot sticker with the ready-made wrappers. 

Making dumplings is surprisingly easy.  What got complicated for us when we made them recently is that we decided to make 5 kinds.  That’s what happens when you have a vegetarian child, another with celiac, yet another with type 1 diabetes, and some meat-eaters, all in the same household. 

But even meeting everyone’s tastes and needs, our dumpling-making extravaganza is always a huge success.  The greatest thing about a dumpling adventure is knowing that the gluten free steamed dumplings are gluten free by nature.  They’re made of white rice flour and tapioca starch and are JUST like the ones in the dim sum restaurants we love so much.   That’s a bonus for my son who hates to be different.

This time around, we made gluten free pork and gluten free shrimp dumplings.  We made pork dumplings and shrimp dumplings with ready-made wonton wrappers.  And we made vegetarian dumplings with bean sprouts, scallions, nappa cabbage, and ginger.

The recipes were from this awesome website all about... DUMPLINGS! (http://www.asiandumplingtips.com/)

I’m including the basic Shrimp Paste filling here for you, courtesy of Andrea Nguyen and her Asian Dumpling Tips website.  You can use the ready-made wonton wrappers or get adventurous, like we did, with the steamed dumpling dough.  Either way, enjoy!

 Basic Dim Sum Shrimp Paste 

(http://www.asiandumplingtips.com/2009/05/basic-dim-sum-shrimp-paste-recipe.html)

Makes 1 cup

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (6 1/2 ounces net weight)
Salt 


1 teaspoon cornstarch


Scant 1 teaspoon sugar


1/8 teaspoon white pepper


1 teaspoon oyster sauce


1 teaspoon sesame oil


1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry


1 tablespoon egg white, lightly beaten


2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion, white and green parts


2 tablespoons minced bamboo shoot


1 1/2 teaspoons minced pork fatback or canola oil



So, if you have an hour... or three... try your own dumpling extravaganza.  You won’t be sorry.

To get everyone in the holiday spirit, The Lola Cruz Christmas Story, is now free!  Get a taste of Lola for the holidays on your Kindle, Nook, or whatever eReader you use!
A Lola Cruz Christmas:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Story-Prequel-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B004E9U72E/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lola-cruz-christmas-story-melissa-bourbon-ramirez/1109329204?ean=2940011152047

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-lola-cruz-christmas-story/id431533367?mt=11

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Lola-Cruz-Christmas-Story/book-bCK4RcsL2kWU8Tk6e_hEAw/page1.html

About Deadly Patterns

Bliss, Texas, is gearing up for its annual Winter Wonderland festival, but when a mysterious Scrooge ends the merriment with murder, it’ll take more than a ghost from Christmas past to set things right.

Designing a holiday fashion show set in the town’s most prominent historic mansion seems like a job tailor made for dressmaker Harlow Jane Cassidy. But with the mansion’s restoration still in progress and threatening weather on the horizon, she’s feeling on pins and needles more than reveling in holiday cheer.

Having volunteered to play Santa in this year’s festival, Dan Lee Chrisson was ready to move on after his divorce—until Bliss became his final resting place. Discovering his body puts Harlow at the scene of the crime. She’ll need plenty of help from friends and even her late great-grandmother’s spirited sleuthing if she’s to have a ghost of a chance of catching a killer who’s just jumped to the top of the naughty list….

 

About Sacrifice of Passion
Texas rancher, Vic Vargas, finds himself facing more than his stubbornly silent son when the chupacabra, a supposedly mythical blood‐sucking beast, starts killing his livestock—and stalking Delaney West, the town’s newly returned veterinary assistant, the sensual woman who ran from the altar and broke his heart twelve years earlier.

Reluctantly, he seeks her help to get to the bottom of the disturbing animal mutilations, only to have her break through to his sullen son...and rekindle the love he’d thought was lost forever. But her refusal to share a terrible secret sends her running straight into the lair of the chupacabra, plunging her back into her worst nightmare, and forcing them both to confront the wrongs of the past—in order to stay alive for the future they desperately want.

Also available from Melissa Bourbon Ramirez: Bare Naked Lola

Going undercover is second nature for Private Investigator Lola Cruz, but she’s out of her league when the case of a murdered Royals Courtside Dancer leads her to a local nudist resort. Parading around the sidelines of Sacramento’s professional basketball scene in a barely-there cheerleading outfit is one thing—but parading around in nothing but smile? If she has any chance of hiding this from her traditional family and on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack, she’s going to have a lot more than her duct tape bra and killer dance moves to keep under wraps….

About Melissa Bourbon Ramirez

Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas.  She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.

She is the marketing director at Entangled Publishing, is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur and Entangled Publishing, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox and two romantic suspense titles.

Visit Melissa at her website | Twitter Page | Facebook Home | Goodreads | and Books on the House, a website bringing books and readers together!

A warm welcome to Melissa Bourbon, who was kind enough to join us today on very short notice!  Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas.  She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.

She is the marketing director at Entangled Publishing, is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox and two romantic suspense novels to be released in 2012.

And now, Misa ~

I wanted to be a chef, once upon a time.  My dad said, “Go to college for two years, and then we’ll talk about the culinary institute.”  So I did.  And when two years were up, I went to my dad and he said, “You’re half way there, why don’t you just finish.”

So I did.  And I’m so glad because I think living a writing life is a lot more condusive to having a family and maintaining my sanity than the life of a chef would have been.  Plus I can still fit in my clothes, which is a good thing and might not have been the case had I’d gone into culinary arts since I also greatly enjoy baking.

But the perk of not cooking for a living is that I get to cook now and thoroughly enjoy it.  One of my new all time favorites, ever since I was invited to attend The California Strawberry Commission’s fabulous blogger event in Dallas last summer.

One of the things on their menu was Mahi Mahi tacos (straight from the California strawberry cookbook).

Can I just say... these tacos are an absolute favorite for me now.  Ever since that night in Dallas, I’m in love with Mahi Mahi tacos.

Why?

Three reasons.

    •    The Fish.
    •    The Chipotle Avocado Sour Cream.
    •    The Strawberry Salsa.

First, the fish.  It’s seasoned with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Chili, if you want.  Then you grill it.  Muy facil.

Next, Chipotle Avocado Sour Cream.  This just entails our cream, chopped up avocado, and a teaspoon of chipotle chili in adobo sauce (comes in a can in the International/Mexican food section of your market).  Mash it all together and there you have it.  Delicioso.

The Strawberry salsa is made up of chopped red onion, strawberries, mango, papaya (I use frozen mango and papaya), and cilantro. It's a sweet salsa, and my absolute favorite thing.  Extra cilantro on my portion.

Serve on soft corn tortillas and ENJOY!  I implore you, try this dish.  Everyone who ever has it absolutely loves it!  When I need inspiration for my writing, I don’t turn to chips or cookies or cereal (okay, well, sometimes I do).  I make Mahi Mahi tacos with strawberry salsa, and oh my gosh, I’m sure my books are better because of it.

Don't miss Melissa's latest book, A Fitting End. 

Former Manhattan fashion designer Harlow Jane Cassidy has a gift for creating beautiful dresses.  But when Harlow becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation, she’ll more than her sewing skills to unravel the mystery…

Business is booming at Harlow’s custom dressmaking boutique, Buttons & Bows, even with the presence of her great-grandmother’s ghost hanging around the shop.  But thanks to the fast approaching Margaret Moffette Lea Pageant and Ball, Harlow has her work cut out for her when Mrs. Zinnia James hires her to make her granddaughter’s pageant gown.

With the debutant ball getting the whole town of Bliss, Texas into a tizzy, Harlow knows her dress has to be perfect.  But when a local golf pro is found stabbed to death with dressmaking shears, the new deputy thinks Harlow and Mrs. James conspired to commit the crime.  Now Harlow has to finish the dress on time and clear her name before the next outfit she designs is a prison jumpsuit…

Learn more about Melissa at her website.

Please Welcome Guest Blogger Misa Ramirez!

I'm so happy to have Misa Ramirez (aka Melissa Bourbon) in the Kitchen today. Misa lives just down the road in Argyle, Texas, with her amazing husband and five wildly talented children. Honestly, they're the most gorgeous family you've ever seen. Misa manages to keep her bustling household intact while writing fabulous books: the Lola Cruz Mysteries, a series of romantic suspense novels based on Mexican legends, and a new Magical Dressmaking cozy mystery series (as Melissa Bourbon). Oh, and she's also a fantastic friend. In short, she's my hero!

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Since I have a thing for all things Mexican--starting with my husband--it was a logical leap for me to include food in my books. My Lola Cruz Mystery series, as well as the brand new A Deadly Curse (A Mexican Legend Romantic Suspense), feature food fairly prominently. In the Lola books, the family owns a Mexican restaurant. In A Deadly Curse, and the soon-to-be-released A Deadly Sacrifice, the Vargas brothers own a bar/restaurant, cook, and so much happens in the kitchen.

The kitchen is the heart of the home... and often the heart of my books. In my personal life (in relation to cooking), I always know I’ve hit a homerun with a recipe when mi esposo so eloquently says, “Man, this is better than my mom’s.”

That’s my gauge. If I can make my MIL’s recipes better than she can, then, oh yeah, I’m golden. I silently gloat.

Okay, maybe not so silently. I soak up the praise and revel in it.

And the thing is, my recipes are way...I mean, WAY... easier than hers! How can that be when they’re her recipes? Maybe my husband’s senses have dulled after 20 years. It’s possible. But really, I think it’s because I make the food with love.

Everybody say, “Awwwww....”

All kidding aside, here’s an example. She makes classic Spanish rice, like, everyday. It requires her own canned tomatoes pureed with fresh onions and garlic. In a blender. Forget about the days of canning during the summer (not to mention the gardening involved in actually growing enough tomatoes to can 100 + jars). I have five kids. And the afore-mentioned husband. Plus, you know, a job (as a writer, which means I’m at home a lot, but still, I’m in front of my computer, not in front of a blender). And I teach on the side. So simplification has become my middle name.

MY Spanish rice recipe does not require gardening, canning, slicing, chopping, or appliances. And it’s good! “Better than my mom’s,” says my husband, and he’s not under duress.

So here is the Lola Cruz Spanish rice recipe for your everyday enjoyment. Easy, schmeasy. No blender required.

Spanish Rice (Sopa de Arroz)

2-4 Tbs. oil

1 cup long grain white rice

1 6 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. garlic powder*

1/2 tsp onion powder*

1 tsp. salt, to taste

2 c. water or chicken broth

* You can substitute Adobo seasoning for the onion and garlic powder.

Directions: Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add rice and brown. Stir in 3/4 of the can of tomato sauce [add more if you prefer moister rice, less if you prefer it less tomatoey and drier]. Add water or broth, garlic and onion powder, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer approximately 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

[A note from Wendy: I've made Misa's recipe for Spanish rice, and it earned a hearty "two thumbs up" from the Wat-Hawk family.]

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Misa Ramirez is the author of the Lola Cruz Mysteries (Living the Vida Lola and Hasta la Vista, Lola!). Her new romantic suspense, A Deadly Curse, is available on Kindle, Nook, or from Smashwords. She also writes the Magical Dressmaking Mysteries as Melissa Bourbon. The first book in the Series, Pleating for Mercy, will be released in August, 2011.

Misa is also all over the web. You can visit her at her website, or on any of her three blogs: The Naked Hero, The Writer's Guide to e-Publishing, and Killer Characters.