Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Alfredo-Style White Beans with Garlic Chips #recipe by @LeslieKarst

If you’re craving a creamy, garlicky pasta but want to forgo the simple carbs of the pasta itself, or if you're simply in the mood for a divine dish made with white (cannellini) beans, this is for you. It’s ridiculously easy to prepare and makes for a sumptuous main dish, best served alongside a simple green salad and some crunchy French bread.

Alfredo-Style White Beans with Garlic Chips

(serves 4)

Ingredients

¼ cup butter

8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

salt

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini (aka “great northern” or “white kidney”) beans, rinsed

¾ cup heavy cream

¾ cup (2 oz.) finely grated Parmesan cheese

white or black pepper

oregano sprigs (optional garnish--not pictured)

Directions

Put the butter and sliced garlic into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter foams and the garlic turns golden-brown (about 2-3 minutes). Watch carefully, as the garlic can burn very quickly.

Remove pot from heat, then transfer the garlic with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Season lightly with salt.

Add the beans, cream, and ½ cup of the cheese (retaining ¼ cup for the garnish) to the butter in the pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened (about 5 minutes).

Stir in the chopped garlic continue to cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste with more salt (if necessary) and white or black pepper.

Serve garnished with the rest of the cheese, the garlic chips, and a few sprigs of oregano, if using. (See photo at top.)

🌿 🍋 🌱

Now available!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery, book 1

Buy link here

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly.

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Nominee

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

--Publishers Weekly

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

Buy link here

Praise for Justice is Served:

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court."

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Around the Kitchen Table: OUR FALL FOOD FAVORITES + 6-Book #Giveaway

CLEO COYLE: Marc and I are always happy to welcome the sweater weather of fall after the sweltering heat of summer. Our little Queens, NYC, kitchen has no air conditioning, so the cooler temps of autumn make us happy for culinary reasons, too. At last, we're able to fire up the oven and cook up some of our fall favorites. These kitchen creations not only warm our hearts, they literally help warm our home via the oven's heat. Good eats with lower heating bills. That's a win-win. :)

Our fall baking faves include: Perfect Pumpkin Bread and Honey Apple Cake (hit the links for the recipes or see photos below). We also enjoy roasting in the fall, and Roast Chicken with Lime & Rosemary as well as Braised Beef Short Ribs are two of our many favorites.

How about you? What do you enjoy baking, cooking (or eating!) during the autumn season? Join our conversation in the comments and you will be entered to win a prize package of some terrific mysteries...

Happpy Autumn, Everyone! 🍁

~ Cleo

🎃 Click here or on the photo above for Cleo's
Perfect Pumpkin Bread recipe.

🍎 Click here or on the photo above
for Cleo's Honey Apple Cake recipe.

🍁 ☕ 🍂

LESLIE KARST: Here in Santa Cruz, California, early fall generally means warm days with no coastal fog. But there's a smell in the air of autumn, and the low sun casts a different light on the world, heralding the season's change. Tomatoes abound, so here's a recipe for Slow-Roasted Tomato Jam.

And the pears on my tree are also popping, which brings to mind Pears Poached in Red Wine with Cardamom. But I think one of my favorite autumn dishes has to be this one: Alfredo Style White Beans with Garlic Chips.

Ridiculously easy to prepare and supremely creamy and hearty, it makes for a marvelous autumn meal.

🍁 🍐 🍂

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Unlike a lot of people, I hate to see summer leave, because it is so short and glorious here in Northwest Montana. But I love fall, too, and its characteristic flavors: apples, pumpkins, dates, cinnamon. Squash and onions and warming soups with fresh bread. I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm always hungry! I'd happily eat one or two of these Date Walnut Bars right this minute. A bowl of this French Onion Pasta. Maybe this Hungarian Mushroom Soup, from Between a Wok and a Dead Place.

Or would you prefer this Apple, Kale, and Cheddar Crisp Salad?

I could go on, but I think I hear your tummy rumbling and your fridge calling . . .

🍁 ☕ 🍂

LUCY BURDETTE: Fall is soup weather in my book, and with soup must come biscuits or muffins! This recipe for cornbread muffins based on Melissa Clark's version is probably my favorite. But if that doesn't appeal, how about sweet potato biscuits? Serve them hot with a nice square of butter and you won't feel so badly about winter coming!

🍎 🍁 🍏

MADDIE DAY: I'm with Leslie B on not wanting to see summer go bye-bye. That said, my corner of Massachusetts produces heavenly varieties of apples (and pears). A homemade apple pie is a treat and quite easy to make if you use a pre-made crust (I make my own, but it's not that hard, really).

Speaking of locally grown apples, wouldn't you want to celebrate a fall occasion with an Apple Cidertini?

It's also now cool enough to roast a chicken and to boil down the bones for stock, which means - you got it, Roast Chicken Soup. Even better was this Mexican-themed Day of the Dead Soup.

Chicken broth, tortillas, avocado, and sour cream? Spells Fall to me.

🐔 🍂 🥑

VICKI DELANY: Soup, soup, and more soup for me. I love to make bucket loads of soup when all the lovely fresh vegetables are in season. Stick them in the freezer and they last me all winter long. This tomato soup, made the red peppers, is a big family favourite.

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: Tomato and Red Pepper Soup From Vicki Delany (mysteryloverskitchen.com)

🐔 🍂 🥑

MAYA CORRIGAN: Fall means fresh crunchy apples to me, and apple desserts are my favorites. I love it when the house is filled with the aroma of apples, butter, sugar and cinnamon coming from the oven. Since rolling pins and I have an adversarial relationship, I usually make crisps instead of pies. My easy-to-make cran-apple crisp ism perfect for the fall when both apples and cranberries are plentiful.

The most delicious apple dessert I've ever eaten is a tarte Tatin. It's neither easy nor quick to make, but it's worth the effort. This recipe makes a tarte Tatin superior to any I ate when I visited France in June. I make it with a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples, varieties that may not be available in France.

🍎 🍎 🍎

LIBBY KLEIN: Fall flavors are my favorite. Pumpkin, Apple, all the warm spices. It's easy to overdo the pumpkin spice. It's like cranberry juice. Somehow it got into everything whether it belongs or not. Being gluten-free there are so many things that hit the stores this time of year that I can't have unless I make them myself. So I really love these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. Starbucks has nothing over these!

🎃 🎃 🎃

PEG COCHRAN: For me, fall means fewer salads and the arrival of soup! I love soup of (almost) all kinds althouh I've never warmed to canned tomato soup. One favorite is split pea soup made in the slow cooker. It's wonderful to come home to the smell of dinner cooking--assuming you remember to turn on the slow cooker. Yup, yours truly did that once. I was so disappointed! We also love lentil soup and a version of Tuscan bean soup with chicken. Do you have a favorite go-to soup?

🍐 🍞 🍂

MOLLY MACRAE: Crisp fall days make me long for food as cozy as a sweater. The chilly days also mean I don’t mind heating up the oven and filling the house with smell of baking. Spices, crusty cheese, mm-mmm. Here’s a recipe for Roasted Pear Quick Bread and another for Scalloped Potatoes with Cheese. Pull up a chair and join me, won't you?