Eating North Carolina and Cheddar Cornmeal Scones by Lucy Burdette

LUCY BURDETTE: I'm just home from a 12 day road trip in North Carolina, part family time, part writing retreat, and part book tour for TOPPED CHEF, along with my writing friends Hallie Ephron and Jennifer McMahon. 

Lucy with Molly Weston

Molly Weston was our guide and host around the Raleigh-Durham, and let me tell you, she knows exactly where to find good food. We ate our way through the area, sampling eastern North Carolina barbecue, fried chicken, fried okra, biscuits, hushpuppies, cole slaw--and don't let me forget some fabulous Mexican food with margaritas!




I did not have time to work out the recipes for those delicacies, though I promise I will try in the future. Meanwhile, I've got biscuits on the brain and I thought I would share one of my fallback recipes. The cheddar cornmeal scones originally came from Epicurious--I've taken a few things out to save prep time, and pumped up the flavor. These go with everything!






Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (can substitute white whole wheat)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
cayenne to taste (I use 1/4 tsp or so)
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 425. Mix together the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal. Again using the pastry cutter, blend in the cheese. Stir together the egg and milk and add this to the other ingredients. Stir until combined, then dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead  for a minute until everything holds together. Flatten the dough into a disk and cut it into six pieces. Place the sections on an oiled pan and bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned. (Try not to overcook or the scones will be dry.)





Serve with butter and honey. These are magnificent with vegetable soup or pea soup or just about anything else you come up with!








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Welcome Guest Blogger - Kaye Barley

What can I say about Kaye Barley? I just love her to pieces. She's one of the most kind, upbeat, and supportive readers out there. I "met" Kaye on the Dorothy L. listserv way back when... gosh, I can't even remember how long ago that was ... and was extremely excited to find out she planned to attend Bouchercon in Baltimore - her first Bouchercon ever. That meant I would finally get to meet this lovely lady in person. And I did.

Kaye is so great. She reads everything it seems, cozies (yay!), thrillers, suspense, you name it. And she's an avid and loyal fan. Just get her talking about Lee Child...

At the last Bouchercon, in Indianapolis, I was lucky again to meet up with Kaye quite a bit. She won a spot at the MWA-sponsored Hot Ticket events and there wasn't a person who won who was giddier or more grateful than Kaye. She's the best. She hosts a fabulous blog - Meanderings and Muses where she hosts more authors you can imagine an where I've been fortunate to guest.

Please welcome Kaye Barley!

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I'm a huge fan of Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, and quite honored to be invited as a guest. Many thanks to my sweet friend Julie for the invitation. Who, by the way, just celebrated her wedding anniversary - Happy Anniversary, Julie!

But I'm not much of a cook, truth be told.

Which does cause me to ponder from time to time a question which has no obvious answer. WHY do I have all these cookbooks?

I am addicted to cookbooks. I have a few favorites from way back and always seem to use the same old standbys over and over. And yet, I keep buying new ones. Silly, really. Especially when it's now so easy to get any recipe you could possibly want by browsing the internet. Including all the scrumptious mouth watering recipes I find right here. Lord knows, I could use the shelf space for something besides all these cookbooks I rarely use; like mystery novels, for instance.

Anyway.

Where was I?

I'm not much of a cook.

But, I do love to bake.

I love all the fun specialty pans put out by Bundt (especially the mini-bundts), and love trying new cake recipes. It's not unusual for me to bake a cake every week when I'm on a roll. But right now we're going through the hottest summer ever here in Boone. And we do not have A/C; few homes here in these mountains have A/C, actually. So, no way am I going to turn on the oven for an hour to an hour and a half until this weather breaks. Check back in February, when we have several inches of snow on the ground. If we haven't lost our power, there's probably a cake in the oven.

But just because it's too hot to bake, the urge doesn't go away, nor does the craving for cake (another addiction, I'm afraid).

Donald reminded me that there's a cake I used to make all the time, but haven't in awhile for some reason. AND it only stays in the oven 15 or 20 minutes. Hooray! Perfect!

It's the ultimate summer cake recipe 'cause it's quite light, and topped with luscious fresh fruit. Let your imagination take over and top this torte with whatever is in season and makes your heart sing. It's easy, it's quick, it's delicious and it's pretty. What more could a gal ask for in a dessert?

My friend Gigi gave me this recipe many years ago. Gigi? If you're out there - we still love this torte, sweetie; Thank You!!

German Fresh Fruit Torte - Obsttorte mit frishem Obst

Grease torte pan carefully, then flour.

Beat 3 eggs on high speed till very foamy.
Add 5 Tbsps. warm water while beating.
Add 1 cup sugar - beat vigorously.
Turn mixer to slower speed and add 1 cup of flour, and 1 tsp. baking powder.
Add 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring (or almond, or rum).
Pour into pan and bake at 350 for 15 or 20 min., till top is lightly golden. Remove to cooling rack immediately.
When completely cool, arrange fruits of your choice as desired.
Use Dr.Oetker (found in your local grocery store) clear glaze over the top.
(if you'd rather make your own glaze, you're on your own - I never have, but I'm sure there are recipes on-line, or even in one of those cookbooks I have . . . )
Top with a big dollop of whipped cream.
yum.

Thanks again, ladies of Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. I loved being here!

Kaye Barley is an avid mystery fan. Kaye and her husband Donald, along with their corgi Harley Doodle Barley, live in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. She is also mistress of the Meanderings and Muses blog - http://meanderingsandmuses.blogspot.com/ - where many writers and fans from the mystery community stop by to play and chat about a wide variety of topics. It's also where Kaye rambles and meanders about whatever might cross her mind on a given day, be it a giggle or a rant.

White Wine Cheese Fondue

I was so excited about our Secret Ingredient - wine - that I had a hard time deciding what to feature here on my day. There are so many wonderful wine-based recipes that my head was spinning. Finally, I decided I would share a recipe that's a true favorite in this house. Even though Krista shared a Fun Fondue recipe with this blog in January (click here to check it out) I believe that there just isn't enough fondue in the world, and I am thrilled to share this delight with you.

One of my daughters found a cheese fondue recipe online several years ago. Over time we've adjusted it by adding ingredients, adjusting proportions, and even changing cooking methods. This recipe is very simple, and very tasty. Extra bonus - it's easy and inexpensive too.

Avery has been getting me interested in cheeses, and I hope she approves of this one ;-)

White Wine Cheese Fondue

1 cup white wine (I used Turning Leaf Vineyards Riesling)

1 clove of garlic, crushed, minced

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I use a vegetarian-friendly brand)

1/4 tsp dry mustard

2 tbsp flour

2 cups shredded cheese of choice

(I took a real shortcut here. I bought "Mexican Style" shredded cheese, a combination of Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla, and Asadero Cheeses.)

Avery - are you shuddering???

Heat the wine in a medium saucepan, adding garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard. Whisk in flour until well blended and the mixture thickens ever so slightly. Add cheese a little at a time and stir until melted and smooth. You may have to add a little bit more wine to achieve the necessary "dippable" consistency of a fondue.

That's all there is. This pulls together in a flash and looks so elegant. My husband and daughter dip carrot sticks, but I find the carroty taste too strong for the subtle cheese flavors. I prefer dipping crusty bread. Yum...

:-)

I'm heading to North Carolina this week (If you're in the Raleigh area and have time to stop by, please see BookTour.com for details) and I won't be back for my regular Tuesday spot next week. You're in for a real treat! Author Wendy Lyn Watson - I SCREAM YOU SCREAM - will be guest blogging that day. Please stop by and make her feel welcome!!

Enjoy Wine Week (I am... and it's not just because of the recipes *grin*)

See you in two weeks!

Julie

Author of EGGSECUTIVE ORDERS, third in the White House Chef Mystery series and GRACE UNDER PRESSURE (coming in June), first in the Manor of Murder series

Don't Forget!!

We have a NEW CONTEST. Win a set of COOKIE CUTTERS from Wilton. To enter the contest, all you have to do is leave a comment!

Check back on March 2, when the cookie cutter winner will be announced -- oh heck, check back every day! There's always something fun going on ;-)

But that's when Jenn McKinlay will launch her new book Sprinkle with Murder, as well as a new CONTEST. One you won't want to miss!

Also, don't forget to enter Jenn’s Name the Cupcake Contest. Go to her website to enter. You and your cupcake might be the lucky ones to be written into BUTTERCREAM BUMP OFF.