Welcome Guest Elizabeth J. Duncan--Chicken Salad with Dried Mango #recipe #giveaway

Leslie Karst here, and I'm pleased to welcome special guest Elizabeth J. Duncan back to the kitchen. The author of two series, the Penny Brannigan mysteries set in North Wales, and Shakespeare in the Catskills, featuring costume designer Charlotte Fairfax, Elizabeth is a two-time winner of the Bony Blithe award for Canada's best light mystery. In pre-pandemic days, she divided her time between Toronto, Canada, and Llandudno, North Wales. And yes, there's a GIVEAWAY! Take it away, Elizabeth:  

Summer eating is in full swing, and what could be better than an easy update on classic chicken salad? Whether you’re packing for a family picnic or entertaining friends at lunch on the porch, patio, or balcony, this tasty salad is sure to become a seasonal standby. Delicious served on a bed of lettuce, topped with toasted slivered almonds, or as shown here, delightful as a sandwich filling.

And this recipe fits in well with today's trend of substituting whatever you've got in your pantry.

(Note: quantities listed below were halved for my single-person household but you can make in any quantity you wish.)

Chicken Salad with Dried Mango (serves six)

4 cups cooked chicken breast (Rotisserie is just fine)

1 cup red grapes, halved

1 cup green grapes, halved  (or all one colour if that's what you have on hand)

1/4 cup sliced green onion

1 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped. (I substituted dried mango)

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I substituted equivalent amount of honey mustard)

3/4 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, honey mustard, salt and pepper. Pour into chicken mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until needed.

GIVEAWAY:

I usually spend October to March in Wales, so my thoughts are already turning to winter travel plans, pandemic permitting. Do you normally get away in the winter, and if so, where? 

Comment below (be sure to include your email address) to be entered in a competition to win a signed hardback copy of On Deadly Tides, #11 in the Penny Brannigan series. Entries welcome from Canada and the U.S. 

About On Deadly Tides: With a picturesque black and white lighthouse, pebble beaches and stunning views of sea and mountains, the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales is the perfect place for an idyllic mid-summer painting holiday. And watercolour artist, businesswoman, and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan is enjoying the retreat enormously - until she discovers the body of a New Zealand journalist on a secluded beach just as the tide is going out, threatening to take the body with it.

The post mortem reveals the victim died from injuries "consistent with a fall from a great height," and the death is ruled accidental. But Penny thinks there's more to the story. Curious how the victim came to such an untimely end at this most inhospitable spot, she uncovers a link to a mysterious disappearance several years earlier.

And as her holiday romance with a wildlife photographer turns to love, she learns some truths about herself, too, that surprise her. As the winds of change blow through Penny's own life, she sets sail on a friendly tide for a future she never dreamed possible, in a beautiful place she never imagined

To connect with Elizabeth:

Website: www.elizabethjduncan.com
Twitter: @elizabethduncan
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elizabethjduncan

WELSH CAKES and the WISE WOMEN

Join Mystery Lovers' Kitchen in welcoming guest Cathy Ace, who writes two delightful mystery series (I've read them!). She was born in Wales, so this recipe is as authentic as it gets.

Thanks for having me along today, ladies. I’m delighted to have the chance to share a recipe that’s been in my family for generations. Welsh cakes are traditional tea-time treats in Wales, and every home will have its own recipe for ‘the perfect Welsh cakes’. (Everyone swears theirs are the best!) With that in mind, I’ll mention some alternative choices up-front: I use currants whereas some will prefer sultanas – if that’s a switch you choose to make, don’t add the sultanas until after you’ve rubbed the flour, salt and sugar to the breadcrumb stage…sultanas will squish; also, I use all butter, while I know many people (my mother included) prefer to use all cooking margarine, or half and half; finally, some will use the same amount of sugar as butter, but I find this too sweet, hence the slightly reduced amount.

Ingredients:

1 lb all-purpose flour

7 ozs granulated sugar

1/4 tsp fine salt

6 ozs currants

7 ounces chilled, cubed butter (I prefer slightly salted)

1 medium egg

Milk (as necessary)

Flour for rolling out

(Makes about 40 cakes, using 2 inch-diameter cutter)

Equipment:

Bakestone (this is a large, flat disk made of cast iron – you’ll find most Welsh households have one. It’s placed directly on the heat. When I migrated to Canada I carried mine in my suitcase – it takes a lot to separate a Welshwoman from her bakestone!)

Alternatively – cast iron griddle or cast iron pan

Fork

Cutting ring – your choice of diameter – I used 2 inches, fluted edge is traditional

Rolling pin

Metal spatula/slice for flipping while cooking

Method:

1) Bring bakestone/griddle to high heat, then turn down to low – heat needs to be constant when you’re cooking

2) Mix flour, salt, sugar and currents together

3) Rub butter into the mixture until you achieve a breadcrumb-like consistency

4) Make a well, crack in your egg

5) With a fork, whisk the mixture into the egg, adding milk as you go to produce a dry-ish mix that just hold and squashes together

6) Place in a mound on a floured surface, roll out to about one quarter of an inch thick

7) Cut rounds and place them on a large, cold plate

8) Put one cake on your griddle to test temperature – the heat needs to brown the cake without burning it. You flip it over just once, then cook until it’s no longer squishy – meaning the center has cooked. This test allows you to work out temperature and timing. Usually the first one doesn’t work out too well, which is why you try just one, rather than loading the griddle.

9) Load the bakestone/griddle and turn cakes just once.

10) Allow to cool.

11) To be served cold, without butter, jam, or anything at all – they are perfect just as they are!

Either store in an airtight container for a week, or freeze (for up to three months) and allow to thaw naturally.


I'm delighted to offer a giveaway--a copy of The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer. Leave a comment below and I'll choose one winner (randomly!). US and Canadian comments welcome!

ABOUT THE BOOK: In the second WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery, THE CASE OF THE MISSING MORRIS DANCER, Henry, eighteenth Duke of Chellingworth, is getting married. One of the troupe of Morris dancers due to lead the duke and his freshly-minted duchess from the church to their stately home has disappeared, threatening this critical (to the local community) Welsh wedding tradition. The four women of the WISE Enquiries Agency – one is Welsh, one Irish, one Scottish and one English, hence the acronym, who are softly-boiled but utterly professional private investigators working out of a converted barn on the spectacular Chellingworth estate in Powys, Wales – are aided and abetted by Althea Twyst, the dowager duchess, as they investigate the case and try to save the day. As a part of the wedding festivities the Young Wives’ Group in the village of Anwen-by-Wye, led by the indomitable Marjorie Pritchard, have to produce a couple of thousand Welsh cakes. Marjorie’s militaristic planning of the task is quite spectacular! 

“This charming sequel to The Case of the Dotty Dowager will delight M.C. Beaton and Jeanne M. Dams readers as the lively ladies use their individual talents to track down their quarry.” Library Journal, January 2016. The book is released in February 2016, and can now be ordered at your local bookstore, online, or at your local library. (NOTE: In April 2016, Cait Morgan Mystery #7, THE CORPSE WITH THE GARNET FACE, is published.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cathy Ace was born and raised in Swansea, South Wales, and worked in marketing communications for decades across Europe. Having migrated to Canada in 2000, she now lives in beautiful British Columbia, where her ever-supportive husband (and two chocolate Labradors) ensure she’s able to write full-time. Cathy writes two series of mystery books: the Cait Morgan Mysteries, and the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries. Her fourth Cait Morgan Mystery, The Corpse with the Platinum Hair, won the 2015 Bony Blithe Award for Best Canadian Light Mystery.

You can find out more about Cathy and both her series of traditional, cozy mysteries at her website (and sign up for her newsletter on the homepage) at: http://cathyace.com/

Like Cathy’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Cathy-Ace-Author-318388861616661/?ref=hl

Follow Cathy on Twitter: @AceCathy

Welsh tea room to the rescue!

We are very happy to welcome our guest Elizabeth J. Duncan to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen today. Elizabeth is the author of the delightful Penny Brannigan series. Elizabeth will give us a taste of Wales today from a real tea room. Enjoy the trip to Wales and the recipe.













There’s no problem that can’t be solved over a steaming cup of your favourite tea and a freshly baked scone smothered in strawberry jam and clotted cream. And no one knows this better than the characters of my Penny Brannigan mystery series set in the fictitious town of Llanelen, North Wales.

In reality, the town is Llanrwst and there you will find the best tearoom you could possibly wish for. It’s called Tu Hwnt I’r Bont, which means Beyond the Bridge in Welsh. The tearoom is situated beside the famous Inigo Jones bridge, but is considerably older. It was built in 1480, so if you like your buildings historic, this one’s for you. It’s covered in Virginia Creeper which turns a vivid red in autumn, and in fact, it’s at its peak right now. You have to duck your head as you enter the building, probably because people weren’t as tall five hundred years ago.


Inside, the tearoom’s décor features a charming mix of paintings, brasses, wall hangings, ewers, and more. But let’s talk about the food … Cakes and scones are baked on the premises and this award-winning, family-run business features locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses and freshly baked bread.

Besides afternoon teas, the tearoom also offers lunches including homemade, seasonal soups, sandwiches, salads, Welsh rarebit, and lots of savoury choices.



I visit Wales twice a year and one of my first stops is always the Tu Hwnt I’r Bont tearoom where its friendly staff make me feel so welcome. Whether I’m meeting a friend for lunch or want some time on my own with a cup of coffee and a delicious treat, this mystery lover loves the open kitchen at Tu Hwnt I’r Bont.

http://www.tuhwntirbont.co.uk/
@ TuHwntirBont


Just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving, Ayla Maddox of the Tu Hwnt I’r Bont Tearoom in Llanrwst, North Wales, shares her recipe for:

Carrot, Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup

1kg Carrots (about two pounds)
1kg Sweet Potato (about two pounds)
2 large Onions
2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Chop onions and cook in oil for 10 minutes. Peel and chop carrots and sweet potato and add to pan with ground ginger. Cover with lid and cook 10 minutes. Add two litres (that's just slightly more than two quarts) of vegetable stock, bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Blend until smooth and season to taste.

After graduating from Carleton University, Ottawa, with a BA in English, Elizabeth J. Duncan worked as a writer and editor for some of Canada’s largest newspapers, including the Ottawa Citizen and Hamilton Spectator. She lived and worked in London, England for five years as a freelance writer and broadcaster.

Since 1995 she has worked in communications, and now teaches writing and communication planning part-time in the Public Relations programs at Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto. She has won several international awards for business writing.

The Cold Light of Mourning, which won the William F. Deeck- Malice Domestic 2006 Grant for Unpublished Writers and the 2008 St. Martin’s/Malice Domestic Award for best first traditional mystery, was her first work of fiction. It was followed by the very entertaining A Brush With Death. .

A Killer's Christmas in Wales, the third novel in the Penny Brannigan mystery series, will be published Oct. 25, 2011

Elizabeth lives in Toronto with her dog, Dolly, and enjoys spending time each year in North Wales.

Drop by www.elizabethjduncan.com and learn more about this gentle series and its accomplished author.

WELSH CHICKEN

by Sheila Connolly

Have you ever come across a dish in a restaurant that you couldn’t forget? And the place doesn’t sell cookbooks and it isn’t online and the chef doesn’t walk to talk to you? I found one of those recipes at a restaurant in the small town of St. David’s in Wales.

St. David’s is notable because it is the smallest city in Britain. Located on the western tip of south Wales, just across the sea from Ireland, it has a population of only 1,800, but it does have a spectacular medieval cathedral, which is what gives it claim to the title “city.”

My husband, daughter and I traveled there more than a decade ago, and during our stay we ate at the Cartref Restaurant (and, yes, actually took a picture of it—if you’re ever there, it’s on the corner of Goat Street and Nun Street). I was blown away by the chicken dish I had for dinner and have been trying to recreate it ever since. “Cartref” is the Welsh word for “home;” “chicken” is “cym iâr” which comes out sounding like “coom-yar.” So here’s my take on Cartref Cym Iâr, or home-style chicken.

BTW, the leek is one of the symbols of Wales (along with the dragon).

2 large leeks
3 slices thick bacon
4 chicken breasts (bone in or boned)
One cup crumbled blue cheese (your choice—I used a mix of French Roquefort and Salemville Amish Blue)
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Slice the white part of the leeks thinly and wash to remove any sand. Let drain.

Chop the bacon into small pieces and simmer in water for five to ten minutes (this reduces the saltiness). Drain on a paper towel. In a large pan, sauté the bacon until it renders most of its fat (but not until it is crisp). Remove from the pan and set aside.

Sauté the chicken breasts in the bacon fat until lightly browned (you don’t need to cook them through). Remove from the pan. Sauté the sliced leeks until they are limp.

Return the bacon pieces to the pan, and add the heavy cream and the crumbled cheese. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Return the chicken breasts to the pan, along with any cooking juices. Baste the chicken pieces with the sauce, then cover and simmer until the breasts are done (low heat, please!). This will vary depending on how thick the chicken pieces are, but probably no more than 10-15 minutes.

To serve, place the chicken breasts on plate, stir the sauce in the pan, then pour the sauce over the chicken. I like to serve this with boiled potatoes (yes, some of the ones in the picture are pink--but I grew them myself!), although you could use rice.

Serves four.