November is an important month for our country. It’s a month of freedom and
expression. It’s a month of giving thanks to the men and women who’ve served our
country in the military. And it’s a month to celebrate the unity between the
Pilgrims and Native Americans—a spirit of giving that is the core of America’s
foundation. I’d like to give thanks to the many authors who’ve visited the Cozy
Corner this year and shared their talent and heart-filled stories that give so
many readers a break from the pressures of the daily grind.
This week we have three special authors who’ve gone one step further in the
spirit of giving, and have shared three great recipes for you to add to your
holiday feast. Three different tastes, three different cultures coming together
to bring your family a cozy holiday feast. Enjoy!
Tex-Mex waitress and part-time reporter Josie Callahan is about to serve up
some Lone Star justice in this spicy Taste of Texas Mystery from the author of
Here Today, Gone Tamale.
Tourists are pouring into the town of
Broken Boot for the annual Homestead Days Music Festival. Opening the
celebration at Two Boots dance hall is smooth-talking country singer Jeff Clark,
the ex-boyfriend of Josie’s best friend, Patti Perez. When the charming Clark
woos Patti onstage in an attempt to rekindle some sparks with his old flame,
Josie fears her friend will end up as just one more notch on the singer’s guitar
strap.
To impress her editor at the Broken Boot Bugle,
Josie and her Chihuahua, Lenny, pursue the singer to Patti’s house, hoping for
an interview. Instead, they discover Clark facedown in a bowl of guacamole with
a bloodied guitar at his side. With Patti suddenly a murder suspect, Josie must
use her reporter skills to find out who had a chip on their shoulder—before the
killer double dips....
Mystery Culinary | Mystery Cozy
[Berkley, On Sale: November 1, 2016, Paperback / e-Book,
ISBN: 9780425275948 / eISBN: 9780698166721]
Be careful handling jalapeños. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling and
do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several
hours.
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice or lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
¼ cup of diced red onion
2 teaspoons jalapeño peppers, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
a dash of black pepper
½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, diced (optional)
tortilla chips
Directions
Cut the avocados in half. Remove seeds. Carefully score
the inside of the avocado with a blunt knife and scoop out
the flesh. Place in a bowl.
Mash the avocado with a fork. (Guacamole should be
chunky.)
Sprinkle with lime (or lemon) juice and salt.
Add the diced onion, jalapeños, cilantro, and black pepper.
Peppers vary individually in their hotness. Start with a half of one pepper and
add to your desired degree of hotness.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Refrigerate until ready
to serve. Refrigerating tomatoes can hurt their flavor. If you want to
add chopped tomato to your guacamole, add it immediately
before serving.
Serve with tortilla chips
Variation
For a quick guacamole take a ¼ cup of salsa and mix it in with your mashed
avocados.
I hope you’ll visit Josie, Lenny, and their family in Broken Boot real soon. And
don’t forget to stop in at Milagro to try some of the best Tex Mex in the
Southwest. Adiós, amigos!—Rebecca Adler
The second Greek to Me Mystery from the author of Feta
Attraction
As manager of the Bonaparte House, a historic landmark
and Greek restaurant in upstate New York, Georgie Nikolopatos knows her local
legends—and her traditional Greek recipes are to die for.
Between
her soon-to-be ex-husband Spiro coming out of the closet and her budding romance
with Captain Jack Conway, Georgie’s life is beginning to feel like a soap
opera. And that’s before a surprise visit from her estranged mother
Shirley, better known as soap star Melanie Ashley. But the dramatic family
reunion takes a chilling turn when another long-lost relative turns up
dead.
Just outside Spiro’s new restaurant, Georgie and Melanie find the
body of Doreen Webber—a cousin Georgie never knew she had. With Spiro’s partner
Inky on the list of suspects, Georgie begins to wonder what else her mother may
be hiding. Is the dead- broke diva capable of murder? She’d better find
out before someone adds a new twist to the family plot.
Includes
delicious Greek recipes!
Mystery Culinary
[Berkley Prime Crime, On Sale: November 3, 2015,
Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780425271667 / eISBN: 9780698140097]
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a cool,
dark place (I use a cute glass jar with a tight fitting lid). Shake or stir
before using in recipes.
This delicious seasoning can be used in many ways:
Mix a teaspoon or two with olive oil and lemon juice for a delicious Greek
Vinaigrette to top salad or steamed green beans or broccoli
Mix 2 tsp. with 2 T. olive oil and brush on chicken before baking until
juices run clear. For a deeper flavor, brush the mixture between the chicken
skin and flesh, then bake.
Cut 2 pita breads in half (to make four circles), then cut each circle into
six triangles. Place on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet. Mix 2 tsp.
seasoning with 2 T. olive oil and brush lightly on each triangle. Bake at 375
degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, or until crispy and lightly browned. Keep an eye on
them, as they go from perfect to burned very quickly. Enjoy with Tzaziki (see
Olive and Let Die or the author’s website susannahhardy.com for the recipe).
This Greek-style seasoning mix has many uses, flavoring main dishes, appetizers,
and snacks. Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but this is the secret to many of the
wonderful savory dishes Georgie serves at the Bonaparte House in Bonaparte Bay,
New York. Enjoy! –Susannah Hardy
Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But
tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte . . .
Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since
returning to seaside Santa Linda, California. That is, until the
thirty-one-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s
the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with
owner Olaya Dias and her sisters, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her
life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery . . .
But Ivy’s spirits crumble when a missing classmate is suddenly discovered dead
in her car, riddled with stab wounds. Even more devastating, the prime suspects
are the Dias sisters themselves. Doubting the women could commit such a crime,
Ivy embarks on a murder investigation of her own to prove their innocence and
seize the real killer. As she follows a deadly trail of crumbs around town, Ivy
must trust her gut like never before—or someone else could be toast!
Mystery Cozy
[Kensington, On Sale: February 28, 2017, Paperback /
e-Book, ISBN: 9781496707727 / eISBN: 9781496707734]
Preheat the oven to 450̊ and place the rack in the bottom third of the
oven.
Place a dot of butter in the bottom of each muffin or popover cup and allow to
heat in the oven while you make the popover batter.
Use a small saucepan to warm milk at medium heat. It should be hot, but do
not bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and black pepper until
smooth. Stir in the warm milk.
Add flour to the egg mixture. Combine. The batter should be the consistency
of cream. A few lumps are okay!
Remove the muffin pans from the oven. Spray the pans generously with
nonstick cooking spray. Pour about ⅓ cup of the batter into each of 16 muffin
cups or into the popover pan. Place several cubes of cheese on top
of the batter in each cup. 6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350. Bake the
popovers until the tops puff up and are golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Remember, do not open the oven door while baking. You don’t want the popovers to
collapse!
Turn onto a wire cooling rack right away to preserve the crispy edge of the
popovers. Using a sharp knife, pierce the base of each popover to release the
steam. Sprinkle grated Gruyère over finished popovers, if desired, and serve
immediately.
This recipe was inspired by Jodi Elliott, owner and chef of Foreign &
Domestic Food & Drink in Austin, Texas. Stop in and see her!—Winnie Archer (Misa Ramirez)
**Giveaway Alert!**
Look for my Giving Thanks Giveaway on Fresh Fiction and enter for your chance to
win a signed copy of my Dead Man’s Carve mystery, all proceeds of my Tickled to
Death Mystery go to wounded veterans.
Until Next time, get cozy and read on!
Kym Roberts is a retired detective sergeant
who looks for passion, mystery and suspense in every book she reads and writes.
She can be found on the web kymroberts.com, on Facebook at Kym Roberts (author) and on Twitter @kymroberts911.
Look for her new romantic suspense release, Red Lace, A
Hard Men of the Rockies Novella and upcoming mystery release, Fatal Fiction, A Book
Barn Mystery available for pre-order now.
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