Around the Kitchen Table: Our Favorite Vacation Foods + 5-Book #Giveaway!

         

LIBBY KLEIN: It's summertime and that means Beach Vacation for the Libby clan. My family makes an annual trek back to Cape May where I grew up. We hit all the usual tourist spots - the beach, the boardwalk, the mini golf. But when it comes to eating, most of our favorite places fly under the general tourist radar. Well, they don't fly under the radar anymore. Not since everything is on the internet now. But back when the kids were little we had a lot of places only known to locals.

My favorite will always be The Milky Way frozen custard stand for a vanilla cone with crunch coat. If you don't know what that is, you clearly haven't read my series where I extoll the virtue of crunch coat - chopped peanuts with peanut brittle and rainbow jimmies (or sprinkles for your non-South Jersians.) This is a treat I look forward to for a whole year until I return to the shore. 

I bet you have a favorite summer vacation treat. Let us know in the comments what it is and you'll be entered to win some great books to go along with your summer reading. Be sure to include your email address so we know who to send the good news to. How about the rest of you Mystery Lovers' Kitchen bloggers? What is your favorite vacation food? 

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MADDIE DAY: What a fun topic, Libby! At the Milky Way, I might opt for the soft serve cone with a dipped chocolate coating with chopped peanuts, but I digress. 

Growing up, our vacations every year were two weeks tent-camping in Sequoia National Park among the giant California redwoods. During those two weeks only, we got to have Tang instead of OJ (from a frozen concentrate), "real" Log Cabin maple syrup (instead of my mom's sugar syrup flavored by Mapeleine), bacon EVERY DAY, and S'mores over the campfire. These were huge treats for our family of six living on one schoolteacher's salary.

These days, Hugh and I sometimes take a summer week at different spots in Maine, where of course we'll sample the local lobster roll and hit up the best brewpub beer and fare.

Lobster roll, fish bisque, and beers on the harbor in Belfast, Maine.

But truly? I love staying home in summer. I can pick fat juicy blueberries from my bushes. There's nothing's better than a BLT made from a sun-warmed garden tomato, my own lettuce, and slices of my son's sourdough bread (or store-bought whole grain, in a pinch). 

Throw in an ear of of sweet corn from a local farm, a slice of my own peach pie with a scoop of Hodgies vanilla ice cream on top, plus a gin and tonic on the deck? I don't need to go anywhere.

Peach pie minus the ice cream, alas.

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LUCY BURDETTE: We had the grandkids here for a week and I can assure you that they are not gourmet eaters. Their idea of vacation food is hot dogs and ice cream. While they have hot dogs, I have my favorite tuna melt sandwich with a big pickle spear and a bag of chips. Sometimes a root beer float on the side. Yes, I put on a pound or two, but it was worth it! 

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LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Oh, vacation! Me, I love checking out -- and occasionally overindulging in -- the local specialties! Avocado every day in Mexico. Croissants or some other flaky puff pastry treat in France. And when I find something tasty on the menu, I love recreating it at home, like this BLT Salad with Jalapeno Aioli from our visit to Hilo, Hawaii last winter or these French Apple Turnovers, which might not look as perfect as the ones we bought in a tiny little Paris boulangerie and took back to the hotel for an afternoon bite with perfect cafe au lait, but I promise, they were just as tasty!

Although at this exact moment, one of Lucy's root beer floats would be terrific! Whatever your vacation treats, enjoy!

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KIM DAVIS: I love vacations because I allow myself to ignore all attempts at eating healthy, and indulge my taste buds. Back when my husband’s parents were still living, we’d travel to Danville, Illinois twice a year (for many, many years) to spend a week or so with them—at Mother’s Day and then in October for their anniversary. While it wasn’t a “real” vacation, there were two treats I always looked forward to. The first was my mother-in-law’s rhubarb pie. Even though she taught me how to make it, somehow hers was always so much better! I was known to get up early and finish the pie for breakfast before anyone else could claim that last piece. Dessert for breakfast is a vacation must!

The second treat I couldn’t wait to get was the Custard Cup’s turtle sundae. Swoon-worthy! This iconic custard stand was a family-owned business that started in 1949. As the owners aged, they only opened it from May to October (and could be why our visits coincided with those months, lol). I’ve heard that the owners finally sold the business and the new owners are still creating the same delectable custards. Since my in-laws have passed, we no longer visit the area, but I still crave those turtle sundaes! 

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LESLIE KARST: Here in Santa Cruz, we have the marvelous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, with its famous Giant Dipper roller coaster. But the seaside amusement part is also home to a variety of fun treats which I would never eat except when I make my annual visit to ride the Giant Dipper. In which case, I may indulge in a dipped soft-serve ice cream cone.

 

 

 

Or perhaps some cotton candy. Or a frozen Snickers bar. Or maybe even a deep-fried Twinkie (don't knock it if you haven't tried it!). But best of all is the salt water taffy, made and pulled as you watch. Yum!

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VICKI DELANY: Vacation food! What a great thing to think about.  Like Maddie, I rarely travel in the summer, I prefer to be home with the garden and the pool. I travel a lot the rest of the year, and my favourite vacation food then is - what’s on the menu! For the purposes of this topic, rather than travel for summer vacation, I often have family here. And I definitely have favourites I always like to make for them. In Ontario summer in blueberry season and this is just about the best way I’ve found to bake with blueberries.

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen:
Blueberry Almond Bars from Vicki Delany

 

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PEG COCHRAN/MARGARET LOUDON: When I was a kid, my family always spent a week on Cape Cod.  The biggest treat was a steamed lobster.  My father would buy them and bring them back to the rustic cottage we rented every year.  Another treat I looked forward to was fried clams.  I'd love some right now but clams are rather rare in Michigan!

 

Another much anticipated summer event was a trip to Asbury Park, NJ.  We always went in the evening when my father got off work.  They wouldn't tell us we were going until the last minute or we would have driven my mother crazy all day!  We strolled the boardwalk, played some games and of course I had to have cotton candy!  

 

I traveled a fair amount as an adult (BC--before children.) I loved sampling the local dishes.  One memorable vacation was in Portugal where the food was all so fresh and delicious.  When we came home, I had to try my hand at making caldo verde, the traditional Portuguese soup. 

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MOLLY MACRAE: The Custard Cup! Kim, we live within walking distance of the Champaign Jarling’s Custard Cup. We walk over there every time the grandchildren come here for vacation or to visit. It’s practically a law – no one goes back to Ohio until they’ve had their Jarling’s. 

When I was a kid we had a lot of picnics on vacation – packing sandwiches and fruit into the big wicker picnic basket. Some of those picnics were mighty cold but that didn’t stop us. Carrying that tradition forward, here’s a picture my husband snapped one cold and foggy picnic with our boys and my dad on top of Roan Mountain in Tennessee. Great times!

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Photos from our younger years!
Click here to learn more about us
and the books we write together
as Cleo Coyle.

CLEO COYLE: Summertime always revives wonderful sensory memories for me and my husband: the smell of fresh-cut grass, the crunch of corn on the cob, the splash of pool water, and swoosh and awe of fireworks. After all of these years, some of my favorite "vacation foods" are still wrapped up in those childhood memories.

Every year in June, after spending nine months cooped up in classrooms, we kids were rewarded with a special "school picnic" day at Kennywood, a charming, century-old amusement park south of Pittsburgh.

As a budding foodie, I looked forward to noshing on the park's carnival food as much as riding its landmark wooden coasters. Corn Dogs, CANDY APPLES, fresh-cut fries, cotton candy, and ICE CREAM (yes, all in one day of indulgence)...

If you missed my recipe post on how to make an easy
homemade (no-churn, no-machine) Vanilla Ice Cream, 
click here or on the photo above.

I loved going to Kennywood Park so much as a child that I even took a summer job there between high school and college. I was a "Rides" girl and worked on crews that ran everything from the Ferris Wheel and Bob Sleds to the Pirate Ship, and this locally famous old coaster: The Jack Rabbit...

Take a ride with us now in the front seat of this wonderful, landmark wooden roller coaster. To start the video, hit the white arrow in the center of the window below and don't forget to throw your arms up on the way down!

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The "Jack Rabbit" Roller Coaster video (above) is a real blast from my past and my husband's, who also grew in the Western Pennsylvania area. If you don’t see a window (above), click here to ride the coaster with us on YouTube, and have a delicious summer, everyone! ~ Cleo

GIVEAWAY!

To be entered in this week's drawing

for these terrific mysteries below,

join us in the comments.

What are your favorite 

vacation foods? 

Join the

conversation!

Include your email address,

so we can contact the winner!

THE MANGO MURDERS by Lucy Burdette 

ESSENTIALS OF MURDER by Kim Davis 
(choice of ebook or paperback) 

THERE'LL BE SHELL TO PAY by Molly MacRae 

MURDER AT THE RUSTY ANCHOR by Maddie Day 

BUTTLETPROOF BARISTA by Cleo Coyle 

Comments Open through

Wednesday, August 6

Don't forget to include

your email address.

📚

Garlic and Butter Salmon #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

 

This was a good way to dress up salmon fillets and was quick and easy enough for a weeknight.  The recipe serves four but I cut it in half for the two of us.  I can see dressing it up further by adding your favorite herbs and spices to the garlic butter Parmesan crumb mixture. 

Garlic and Butter Salmon

4 tablespoons butter, melted

3 garlic cloves, grated or minced

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl.  I used a glass measuring cup.  Add the garlic.  Use half the mixture to spread on the bottom of your baking dish.

Add the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan to the remaining garlic butter. Stir to combine. 

 

Season salmon filets with salt to taste and place them in the buttered baking dish.

Heap the breadcrumb mixture on top of each fillet. Press lightly to help the breadcrumb mixture adhere. 

 

Bake until the salmon is done to your liking (I baked our for 20 minutes) and the breadcrumbs are crisp.  

 

Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

 

 

NEWS:  The tenth Cranberry Cove book "Where the Bodies are Berried" is in the works!  I'll be turning in the copy edits Monday and I'll soon have a cover for you!

 

Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard Glaze from Vicki Delany

Another attempt to learn how to use my new air fryer. This turned out beautifully, and I will definitely make it again. The recipe as is serves four but as usual I was able to pare it down easily for just me.

Salmon with Mustard Glaze:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp sesame seeds

500 g salmon

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp Italian bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.

In small bowl combine mustard, maple syrup, and 1 tsp sesame seeds.

Brush salmon with half of the mustard mixture.

Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place salmon in single layer in basket.  Cook until flakey, about eight minutes.

In small skillet melt butter over medium head. Add bread crumbs and 1 tsp sesame seeds.  Cook about 1 minute.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over salmon and serve with remaining mustard mixture.

Follow Vicki at www.vickidelany.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor. You can sign up to receive Vicki’s quarterly newsletter at Vicki Delany – Canadian Author of Mystery Novels and Suspense Novels » Contact. She’s on Bluesky at @vickidelany.bsky.social

Now available: Tea with Jam and Dread, the 6^th Tea by the Sea mystery from Kensington.  Tea with Jam & Dread by Vicki Delany: 9781496747303 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

 

 

 

 

 

Janet Snow’s Tuna Noodle Casserole @LucyBurdette

 

LUCY BURDETTE: At one point in the upcoming book The Mango Murders (I won’t say more to avoid spoilers), Hayley Snow’s craving her grandmother’s tuna noodle casserole. She begs her mom Janet to make it for her. Janet says:

“Hayley, sweetheart, she used a can of mushroom soup, a can of tuna, and some egg noodles. Is that what you want? I have a nicer version with a béchamel sauce, grated cheese, sauteed onions, and celery.”

I could feel my mouth watering. But not for the fancy catering version, for my grandmother’s special. “The can of soup please,” I said, a wide grin spreading over my face. The recipe below is Janet’s fancier version. 

This recipe is the fancier one from Janet Snow. It's not hard and it's delicious enough for company!

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 red onion, peeled and minced

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

1 tsp sharp French mustard

2 tbsp chopped Chives 

2 cups milk

1 can tuna in water

8 oz egg noodles

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 cup frozen peas

Breadcrumbs

Grated parmesan

Heat the oven to 350

Cook the noodles as directed on the package, drain, rinse with cool water and set aside.

Drain the can of tuna and give the juice to the cat and let the dog lick the empty can. Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the minced red onion and chopped celery until soft. Stir in the flour until combined. Add the mustard and mix that well. Slowly add the milk, stirring until you have a thick white sauce. Stir in the cheddar cheese until smooth. 

Add the tuna, the peas, and the reserved noodles and stir gently. Fold the mixture into a buttered casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. 

Bake until golden and bubbly, 25-30 minutes. Serve hot with a nice green salad.

Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series including USA Today bestselling A POISONOUS PALATE and A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS. 

Book 15 in the Key West series, THE MANGO MURDERS, will be in bookstores on August 12!

And the new trade paperback edition of A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS is out now!

Exploding Gnocci @LibbyKlein

 Libby Klein There is no recipe today. The recipe exploded. 

I was trying to make ricotta gnocchi. I followed the directions exactly. I made a lovely pan sauce of fried pancetta and sage in butter and olive oil. I still have the grated lemon waiting to go overtop the finished dish. When I put the gnocchi in water they exploded like Mentos in Mountain Dew. I had one giant gnocchi that looked like a life raft. 

Totally disgusted, I let it cook the requisite three minutes, then scooped it out of the water with my spider, and dumped the whole concoction into the butter and oil. It looked like it was breathing it was as mad as I was. Then I got the idea to bake it as if it were cheese puffs. So I scooped little meatball sized dumplings onto a parchment lined sheet pan and stuck them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

They taste right. They kind of resemble little potato pancakes (even though there is no potato since I'm allergic.) For a side dish to meatloaf these would be pretty good. All they are is cheese, flour, and egg with the butter, sage and prosciutto baked in. I don't recommend trying to make exploding gnocchi. Try Vicki Delaney's recipe for Ricotta Gnocchi instead. But if you ever make it by accident, just know you can recover by baking them in the oven and serving them anyway.

Have you ever had a recipe fail so badly you could only pivot or throw it out? Let me know in the comments.

Layla Virtue, a blue-haired, 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop is trying to reinvent herself as a musician—between AA meetings, dodging eccentric neighbors at her trailer park, and reconnecting with her mysterious dad—in this ​unforgettable new mystery brimming with hilarity and heart.

Layla is taking her new life one day at a time from the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park she now calls home. Being alone is how she likes it. Simple. Uncomplicated. Though try telling that to the group of local ladies who are in relentless pursuit of Layla as their new BFF, determined to make her join them for coffee and donuts.

After her first career ended in a literal explosion, Layla’s trying to eke out a living as a rock musician. It’s not easy competing against garage bands who work for tacos and create their music on a computer, while all she has is an electric guitar and leather-ish pants. But Layla isn’t in a position to turn down any gig. Which is why she’s at an 8-year-old’s birthday party, watching as Chuckles the Clown takes a bow under the balloon animals. No one expects it will be his last . . .

Who would want to kill a clown—and why? Layla and her unshakable posse are suddenly embroiled in the seedy underbelly of the upper-class world of second wives and trust fund kids, determined to uncover what magnetic hold a pudgy, balding clown had over women who seem to have everything they could ever want. Then again, Layla knows full well that people are rarely quite what they seem—herself included . . .

Libby Klein writes ridiculously funny murder mysteries from her Northern Virginia office with a very naughty calico Persian named Miss Eliza Doolittle, and a sweet black Lab named Vader. She can name that tune for 70s and 80s rock in the first few notes, and she's translated her love of classic rock into her Layla Virtue Mysteries. Libby was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that prevents her from eating gluten without exploding. Because bread is one of her love languages, she includes the recipes for gluten free goodies in her Cape May based Poppy McAllister series. Most of her hobbies revolve around travel, and eating, and eating while traveling. She insists she can find her way to any coffee shop anywhere in the world, even while blindfolded. Follow all of her nonsense on her website www.LibbyKleinBooks.com/Newsletter/

Lavender Orange Crême Brulée -- #recipe by @LeslieBudewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  I knew early on—maybe on our 2d date—that crême brulée is Mr. Right’s favorite dessert. My mother knew, too, when we visited her and went to a favorite restaurant. That next Christmas, she gave him a crême brulée set—ramekins, a small kitchen torch, and several boxes of a flavored mix. 

Best. Gift. Ever. Because it keeps on giving!

But we ran through the mixes and went searching for a recipe to make the stuff of the gods from scratch. We’ve adapted it many times using different flavors—the original Orange Cinnamon version appeared in Guilty as Cinnamon. 

A few years ago, we were headed to Mr. Right’s sister’s home for Christmas dinner. She’d said she was keeping it simple—for dessert, she’d buy crême brulée from Costco.

Sacrilege, to my guy. He said no; we’d bring dessert. We baked it that morning, then added the finishing touches—sugar and fire—as the family watched. They were skeptical.

One bite in, we became the official Christmas dessert makers.

So naturally, when we started experimenting with lavender recipes, we wanted to try a lavender version. The lavender is subtle, and oh, so lovely. And I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to wait until Christmas to enjoy it!

Since lavender is commonly grown, and not so commonly used in cooking, heed this reminder Pepper gives: Make sure your lavender buds are food-safe. If you buy them from a reputable commercial source, no worries. No special variety is needed, but if you grow your own or cut a few stalks from a neighbor’s plant, make sure no pesticides or herbicides were used nearby. Lavender is best harvested with the flowers are about 25%-50% open, in the morning before the oils begin to release in the heat of the day. 

(The sharp-eyed among you may notice the recipe says it serves 4, but some pictures show 5. Yield will depend on your ramekin size.)

Lavender Lies Bleeding is out now, in paperback and ebook, with audio on the way. (Details below.)

BONUS: The giveaway from my Sunday Spotlight is still open!

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 

Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Lavender Orange Crême Brulée 

A friend of Pepper’s says forget what they say about cake—crême brulée is the angels’ favorite dessert. Who can argue about that? 

2 cups heavy cream or half and half  

1/2 cup white sugar (divided use)

zest of 1 orange, removed in wide strips with a peeler

3 tablespoons dried lavender buds 

4 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 teaspoons turbinado sugar, for topping

strips of orange peel or lavender sprigs for garnish (optional)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a small saucepan, combine the cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and orange zest. Lightly crush the lavender buds between your palms, over the pan, to release the essential oils, then toss the buds into the pan. Whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and strain into a bowl to cool. (This step infuses the cream with the aromatics—the orange zest and lavender buds.) 

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla. When the infused cream is cooled to the touch, slowly pour it into the egg mixture and whisk to combine. (Cooling the cream avoids curdling the eggs.)

Place four 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups in a large baking dish or roasting pan. Carefully fill the ramekins with the custard mixture. Place the dish in the oven and carefully pour hot water into the pan, till it reaches about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake until the custard is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center, about 35 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Lift out the ramekins—tongs work nicely—and cool on a rack at room temperature. (Don’t leave them in the hot water, as the heat would continue to cook the mixture.) When cool, move ramekins to refrigerator to chill for at least an hour before the next step. 

Just before serving, sprinkle a teaspoon of turbinado sugar evenly over the top of each dish. Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch. The sugar will harden, turn golden, and become crunchy. If you don’t have a torch, broil the dishes 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar forms a crisp, golden top. Garnish with a curvy strip of orange peel or a sprig of lavender. 

Serves 4.

Bon appetit!

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING: A Spice Shop Mystery -- out now in paperback and ebook, with audio on the way! 

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, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

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.