Dying for Dinner: Michael's Mother's Killer Kugel & Pearl’s Tennessee Honey Corn Pudding

Dying for Dinner

Michael's Mother's Killer Kugel

By Debra H. Goldstein

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) pkg. medium egg noodles 1/2 tsp salt

1 Stick margarine 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup plus a little bit granulated sugar 6 eggs

1 1/2 cup sour cream         

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 1/2 cup cottage cheese (nonfat - mah jongg players watch their weight)          

3/4 to 1 cup white raisins, soaked in apple and/or orange juice

Instructions:
Soak raisins in apple and/or orange juice.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook and drain noodles according to instructions on package.  Put noodles back in pot and add margarine immediately.  Add sugar and mix.  Lightly beat eggs and add to noodles.  Add vanilla, salt, sour cream and cottage cheese.  Stir after adding each ingredient.  Add pineapple.  Drain raisins and add to mixture.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour mixture into 9x13 inch lightly greased (Pyrex) pan.  Sprinkle cinnamon on top.  Bake approximately 1 hour, uncovered.  Turn oven off and leave pan in oven for 5 minutes.  Remove kugel from oven and allow it to cool before cutting   Serves 12-16.

For an even lower fat version, use 2 cups nonfat cottage cheese and 1 cup fat free sour cream (but do you really care?)

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Pearl’s Tennessee Honey Corn Pudding

By Don Winston

Ingredients:

5 large eggs

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s Whiskey

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/2 cup half/half 

4 tablespoons cornstarch

2 (15.25-ounce) cans whole kernel white corn

2 (14.75-ounce) cans cream-style white corn

1 small green cayenne pepper, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions:
In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs; add half/half and beat. Stir in the remaining ingredients, adding the corn last. Blend well. Pour mixture into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for one hour or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve warm. 

Judge Debra H. Goldstein is the author of Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery (Five Star Publishing – April 2016) and the 2012 IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue, a mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus. She also writes short stories and non-fiction. Debra serves on the national Sisters in Crime, Guppy Chapter and Alabama Writers Conclave boards and is a MWA member. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, Joel, whose blood runs crimson.

Her website is:  www.DebraHGoldstein.com .

Don Winston grew up in Nashville and graduated from Princeton University. After a stint at Ralph Lauren headquarters in New York, he moved to Los Angeles to work in entertainment as an actor, writer, and producer.

S’wanee: A Paranoid Thriller was his debut novel and hit #3 in Kindle Suspense Fiction, followed by his second novel—The Union Club: A Subversive Thriller. His new thriller—The Gristmill Playhouse: A Nightmare in Three Acts—was released spring 2015.

He’s currently working on a paranormal thriller inspired by the Bell Witch legend.

He lives in Hollywood.

*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.

Dying for Dinner: Caroline's Eggplant Parmesan and Florentine Roast Pork

Dying for Dinner

Looking to serve your beloved a delicious meal this Valentine's Day? Look no further—Killer Nashville is here with tried and trued recipes that'll leave your mouth watering.

Because what's more romantic and intriguing than a recipe procured from a mystery/suspense magazine?

Caroline’s Eggplant Parmesan

By Caroline Davidson

As a new year rings in, the cold weather lingers, and Valentine’s day is right around the corner, there is something romantic about this time of year. It’s a time to reflect on what we want to accomplish over the next 12 months and time to maybe start a new hobby, or spend more time on one we already have! For me, cooking is my hobby and I always wish I could spend more time in my kitchen experimenting and trying new dishes. Maybe if you fear the kitchen and find it stressful, this year you can step outside of your comfort zone and impress your significant other with a warm, romantic dish on a chilly evening. I am sharing with you one of my personal favorite recipes, one that has taken me years to perfect after reading through recipe after recipe from both celebrity chefs and home-cooks. Pour a glass of red wine and dive into this comforting (& vegetarian) romantic dish…

Disclaimer: I’m a cook who doesn’t really measure anything…a dash of this, a spoonful of that…eyeball it and trust your tastebuds!

Serving Size: 4
Cooking Time: 1 hr and 30 min

Ingredients:
2 Eggplants

Salt & Pepper

Italian Seasoning

2 to 3 cups Panko Breadcrumbs

2 large eggs

3/4 to 1 cup Flour

3-4 cups Marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)

1 large ball of fresh Mozzarella cheese (cut into 1 inch slices…or you can use shredded if that’s more convenient!)

12 fresh leaves of Basil

Angel hair pasta

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Vegetable Oil

Instructions:

1. Slice the eggplant in 1 inch slices. You’d like to have 6 slices from each eggplant…creating stacks of 3 eggplant slices for 4 servings. 
2. The key to a delicious eggplant parmesan is taking the bitter flavor that can sometimes be tasted when roasting eggplant. I have your answer! After slicing your eggplant, line them up on a baking sheet and sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt and let sit for 20-25 minutes. Why? This actuallypulls out juices that carry bitter flavors and it collapses the air pockets in the eggplant's sponge-like flesh, preveniting it from absorbing too much oil and getting greasy.
3. While your eggplant is soaking it’s “salt bath” prepare your marinara sauce…this can be homemade or from your favorite store brand. Although, I will admit homemade marinara is SO easy that once you learn to make a big batch of it at home you’ll never go back to buying it at the store! You can also freeze whatever you don’t use in ice cube trays and save in the freezer for months….pull out a few cubes when you want to whip up an easy spaghetti dish or a homemade pizza!
4. Preheat over to 425 degrees
5. Now you can set up your frying station. Here is how I organize my ingredients:
   1. On 1 large plate—spread about 3/4 a cup of white flour
   2. In 1 medium size bowl—crack the 2 eggs and add a tablespoon of water…add salt and pepper and beat until yolks are broken down
   3. On 1 large plate—spread at least 1-2 cups of panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle a generous amount of italian seasoning into the panic.
6. Once the eggplant are finished soaking, rinse them off and pat dry
7. Heat about a 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in your frying pan until simmering. Note: you can drop a piece of panko into the pan—if it starts frying, you are good to go!
8. For each eggplant slice, follow these steps:
   1. Pat both sides of eggplant slice in the flour
   2. Dredge the eggplant slice in the egg wash
   3. Dip both sides of the eggplant slice in the Panko Breadcrumb mixture (after about 4-5 slices, you may need to add some more panko to the plate so that the additional slices are coated well also)
   4. Place in frying pan and fry at least 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown
   5. Place all slices on a paper towel after they are fried and golden brown!
9. After all your eggplant slices have been fried, you are ready to assemble & pop in the oven!
10. In a casserole dish, cover the bottom with a layer of your marinara sauce
11. For each eggplant stack, follow these steps:
    1. place 1 eggplant slice on top of the marinara layer in the casserole dish
    2. top with a slice of mozzarella, 1 basil leaf, and a spoonful of marinara sauce
    3. place the second eggplant slice on top
    4. top with a slice of mozzarella, 1 basil leaf, and a spoonful of marinara sauce
    5. place the third, and last, eggplant slice on top
    6. top with a slice of mozzarella (no basil leaf here, it will turn brown and ugly in the oven…you will add it at the end for presentation!)
12. After you have your 4 stacks completed and in the casserole dish, pop in the oven for 25-30 minutes
13. When your eggplant has about 10 minutes left, cook your angel hair pasta. Be SURE to toss the cooked angel hair with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil…the pop of flavor here is incredible!
14. Pull your eggplant out of the oven and top each eggplant stack with one large basil leaf
15. To assemble:
    1. On a large plate or in a large pasta bowl…add a layer of angel hair pasta
    2. Add a spoonful of marinara sauce on top of the pasta
    3. Top with 1 eggplant stack & add a few crack of fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt
    4. ENJOY!

Arista alla fiorentina/Florentine Roast Pork

By Alana White

MAKES 6 to 8 SERVINGS
PREP: 10 MIN.; BAKE: 1HR., 15 MIN.
STAND: 15 MIN.
PREHEAT OVEN TO 475 DEGREES THEN REDUCE TO 350 DEGREES

1 (4-lb.) boneless pork roast
4 sprinkles fresh rosemary
4 cloves peeled garlic, thinly sliced
5 whole cloves (the spice)
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
Meat thermometer
Aluminum foiled-lined broiler pan, 4-qt. or 9"x13"
 
1.  With a small knife cut slits in the pork roast.  Insert the thinly sliced peeled garlic and the cloves.
2.  Rub pork loin with the olive or canola oil
3.  Insert meat thermometer in thickest portion of the roast
4.  Bake at 475 for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350, and bake 50 to 55 more minutes or until the meat thermometer registers 160.  Turn off oven.
5.  Sprinkle rosemary over the roast and return to oven.  Let stand in the warm oven for 15 minutes or until thermometer reaches 170.
6.  Remove from oven, slice and enjoy!

Caroline Davidson graduated with honors from Belmont University with her Bachelors degree in Entrepreneurship. She worked for a start-up company a few months after college and learned the inside world of the distribution business. After this business dissolved, she joined Turner Publishing in Nashville as the marketing director. She organized marketing campaigns for 30-35 books a year and worked directly with Ingram distributors. Caroline joined JKS Communications as a publicist in the fall of 2015. 

Alana White's debut historical mystery novel, THE SIGN OF THE WEEPING VIRGIN, is set at the height of the Italian Renaissance. The book features powerful (real-life) Florentine lawyer and diplomat Guid'Antonio Vespucci and his nephew and secretary, Amerigo Vespucci, as they investigate a plot involving a painting of the Virgin Mary that has begun weeping in the Vespucci family church, a missing girl, and Pope Sixtus IV's scheme to overthrow the Florentine Republic.

Alana's first short fiction featuring the Vespuccis was a Mystery Readers International Macavity Award finalist. Her book reviews appear regularly in the Historical Novel Society "Historical Novels Review." Her lifelong fascination with Renaissance Italy has taken her to Florence for research on the Vespucci and Medici families on many occasions, and she is currently writing her second Guid'Antonio Vespucci mystery.

In addition to fiction set in 15th-century Florence, Alana is the author of a biography of Sacagawea, SACAGAWEA: WESTWARD WITH LEWIS AND CLARK, and of COME NEXT SPRING, a novel set in 1940s Appalachia. She is a member of the Author's Guild, the Historical Novel Society, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Women's National Book Association.

These recipes are so good they should be a crime. If you concoct either of these great recipes, let us know what you think and send us a picture. We may include it here with a link to your website.

What are you cooking? Submit your favorite recipes. They can be based on your favorite literary character, your Aunt Clara’s, or some amalgamation of ingredients you’ve discovered that makes life worth living (nothing with arsenic seasoning, please). Make sure to include your contact information and explanation of the origin of the recipe. Send your submissions (to which you avow in a court of law that you have all rights to and are granting the nonexclusive rights to Killer Nashville to use in any form and at any time) with subject line “Dying For Dinner” to contact@KillerNashville.com.

Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.

Dying for Dinner: Peach Sangria and Masqueraded Chicken & Dumplings

Dying for Dinner

Congratulations! You survived the holiday season. This Thanksgiving, Aunt Grace shared her views on immigration, tax reform, and her opinion of Millennials (and what’s that trash they’re playing on the radio anyway?). Cousin Jim brought his new girlfriend to your house for Christmas, and they spent the entire dinner arguing on the front porch while your uncles finished off yet another bottle of booze. Hey, that’s family, right? But now that fiasco’s out of the way and you can finally get some much-deserved peace and quiet.

That’s where Killer Nashville comes in. Need to relax for a moment? Diane Kelly shares her recipe for a quick and simple sangria blend. Hungry and would rather do your taxes than be reduced to eating one more piece of ham or turkey? Cynthia Lott has a vegetarian “chicken” and dumplings recipe guaranteed to hit the spot.

Easy-Peasy Peach Sangria Recipe

By Diane Kelly

I fell in love with sangria after trying a fruity batch at a friend’s party. I decided to incorporate the drink into one of my books, and thus came Death, Taxes, and Peach Sangria, the fourth book in my Death and Taxes series. My heroine, IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway, treats herself to glass of the light, refreshing drink after a hard day’s work pursuing white-collar criminals funneling money to terrorists.

Ingredients:

1 bottle of your favorite white zinfandel wine

1 ½ cups peach schnapps

½ cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate

One peach, sliced

½ cup raspberries

1 small orange, sliced

1 ½ cups lemon-lime soda

Directions:

1. Place fruit in a pitcher. Add wine, schnapps, and lemonade concentrate. Stir well. Refrigerate at least one hour.
2. Add soda just before serving and stir again. Serve over ice, enjoy with friends, and forget your troubles!

Masqueraded “Chicken” & Dumplings

By Cynthia Lott

The recipe is something I pulled in bits and pieces from other places and made my own. I have been vegetarian for fifteen years and this recipe is a comfort food for those of us who don't eat chicken. The Irises is book 2 in my Southern Spectral Series.

For the Dumplings:

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 stick margarine

3/4-cup soy milk

For the soup:

1/2 stick margarine

1/2-cup onion, chopped

1/2-cup celery, chopped

1/2-cup flour

1/4 tsp. celery salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

A dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like it spicy

8 cups vegetable broth

2 medium carrots, diced

A package of fake chicken such as Morningstar, Gardein, Lightlife, or Beyond Meat Brands

1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Combine the dumpling dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix the margarine with the dry mixture until it becomes crumbly. Add the soymilk and stir until moistened.
2. Knead the dough for thirty seconds on a floured surface. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into ½-inch squares. Set aside.
3. Sauté margarine, onion, celery in a large saucepan until soft.
4. Add the flour, salt, and pepper (and hot spices if you like) to make a thick paste. Slowly mix in the broth and bring to a boil.
5. Add the carrots, fake chicken and bay leaf.
6. Add the dumpling squares one at a time, stirring gently. Reduce heat. Simmer for around twenty minutes, stirring often.

Makes 6-8 servings.

A former Assistant Attorney General and tax advisor, Diane Kelly inadvertently worked with white-collar criminals. Lest she end up in jail, Diane decided self-employment was a good idea. Her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her award-winning Death and Taxes romantic mystery series. A graduate of her hometown's Citizen Police Academy, Kelly also writes the hilarious K-9 cop Paw Enforcement series. Sign up for Diane’s newsletter at www.dianekelly.com. "Like" Diane on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dianekellybooks, and follow her on Twitter @dianekellybooks.

Cynthia Lott is a professional researcher/librarian and writer. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from Louisiana State University and an MLS from University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Feathers is her debut paranormal thriller in The Southern Spectral Series, published by RiverRun Select. The second book, The Irises, was published in June of 2015.

These recipes are so good they should be a crime. If you concoct either of these great recipes, let us know what you think and send us a picture. We may include it here with a link to your website.

What are you cooking?  Submit your favorite recipes. They can be based on your favorite literary character, your Aunt Clara’s, or some amalgamation of ingredients you’ve discovered that makes life worth living (nothing with arsenic seasoning, please). Make sure to include your contact information and explanation of the origin of the recipe. Send your submissions (to which you avow in a court of law that you have all rights to and are granting the nonexclusive rights to Killer Nashville to use in any form and at any time) with subject line “Dying For Dinner” to contact@KillerNashville.com.

Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.

Dying for Dinner: Blu Cheese Chips and Caramel Apple Pie Sippin’ Moonshine

Dying for Dinner

One look at model and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, and you’ll never believe that nachos or potato chips pass those lips. But she admits to a love of all foods, even the most treacherous of the deep-fried and battered. She told Fitness Magazine that she believes in doing everything in moderation. She allows herself to have what she wants, even if it’s fried chicken, and she keeps up with her exercise. We feel the same about moderation. While we try to make sure that we get lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables the majority of the time, it’s nice to go for the truly decadent every once in a while.

Blu Cheese Chips

By Cara Brookins

This classy cheese-lover’s dish was created for the launch of the psychological thriller, Little Boy Blu.

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
½ lb blue cheese, crumbled. (2 cups)
Salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
One bag blue corn chips (or thick cut potato chips)

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour. Whisk the milk in slowly. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened. (About 5 minutes.) Remove from heat. Whisk in the blue cheese. Add cayenne and salt.

Put half the potato chips in a large bowl and drizzle with half of the sauce. Add remaining chips and then drizzle with the rest of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Caramel Apple Pie Sippin’ Moonshine

By Ross Cavins

This recipe was handed down through the generations to my characters Clint and Waylon Easley, the stars of the first short story in “Follow The Money”, and the unpublished book, The Chasity Hustle. Their daddy used to make it every fall when the apples were ripe, and their mama would heat some up as a bedtime toddy.

The boys took up making moonshine in their late teens, but after blowing up their still twice, they started buying their hooch from Old Man Farley. When he went blind from a batch of his own shine, however, they began buying Everclear from the liquor store.

Whipped cream vodka and caramel candies were added over the years as the boys brought the recipe into current drinking culture. One time they even experimented with absinthe, and it took two months for Waylon to grow his eyebrows back.

This sippin’ moonshine is great over ice on a hot, humid day, or warmed on the stove and served in front of a cozy winter fire. Just don't sit too close.

Ingredients:
1/2 gal apple juice
1/2 gal apple cider
1 cup white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 bottle Everclear (750 ml)
1/2 bottle whipped cream vodka (375 ml)
1 Granny Smith apple (pureed)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
4 cinnamon sticks (cut 1-inch pieces)
39 soft caramel pieces

Directions:
1. Remove all the caramel pieces from their wrappers. This’ll take a while, so you should be prepared to take a shot of vodka about halfway through to keep your strength up.
2. Cut apple into tiny pieces and puree in food processor.
3. Combine apple juice, apple cider, white sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, caramel, apple, and cinnamon sticks into huge stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure caramel and sugars completely melt. Do not stick hand in the pot. Use a long stick, or possibly a wooden spatula.
4. After everything is liquefied, cover and let simmer for another hour while you watch a rerun of Justified on your VCR (or Netflix if you're technologically inclined).
5. Remove pot from heat and let cool for a while.
6. Add Everclear and vodka. Stir well.
7. Remove one mug-full of mixture and set aside.
8. Strain pot into mason jars using a wire strainer and funnel combination. Add 2 cinnamon stick pieces to each jar, seal, and refrigerate.
9. Watch another episode of Justified while you sip on your warm, newly created libation.

Cara Brookins is the author of seven published novels, and has been speaking at events since 2004. Brookins is also a partner in MySocialFam, a social media consulting company that she owns and operates with her four children. Brookins’ works include the adult thriller Little Boy Blu, the YA Timeshifters trilogy, Treasure Quest, and the middle grade Gadget Geeks and Doris Free novels. Her latest book, Rise: How a House Built a Family, is a memoir about leaving a domestic violence situation with her four children and building Inkwell Manor, their 3,500 square foot home, from the ground up with their own hands. Rise sold at auction to St. Martin's Press and will be available in the fall of 2016. Brookins has keynoted multiple events and has also given lectures and appeared on panels at national writers’ conferences, including Thrillerfest, Killer Nashville, Arkansas Literary Festival, and Bouchercon. Brookins also frequently speaks at universities across the country about writing and social media. CaraBrookins.com

Ross Cavins is a web developer and author of the award-winning book, Follow The Money, and the 2014 Claymore Award Finalist, Barry vs. The Apocalypse. A self-appointed disciple of Elmore Leonard, he writes from his home in North Carolina where he pretends that people pay him to do what he loves. His sense of humor is sort of like Disco; you dance to it even if you don't admit it.

These recipes are so good they should be a crime. If you concoct either of these great recipes, let us know what you think and send us a picture. We may include it here with a link to your website.

What are you cooking?  Submit your favorite recipes. They can be based on your favorite literary character, your Aunt Clara’s, or some amalgamation of ingredients you’ve discovered that makes life worth living (nothing with arsenic seasoning, please). Make sure to include your contact information and explanation of the origin of the recipe. Send your submissions (to which you avow in a court of law that you have all rights to and are granting the nonexclusive rights to Killer Nashville to use in any form and at any time) with subject line “Dying For Dinner” to contact@KillerNashville.com.

Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.

Dying for Dinner: Radish, Beet, Carrot Salad and Mulled Chicken

Dying For Dinner

Caught a second viewing of “Fed Up”, a documentary about the obesity epidemic, food, exercise, and the food industry. It will make your jaw drop and rethink the way you eat. Sugar is in all processed foods, and it’s killing us as a nation. Michael Pollen, journalist, professor, and author of such books as the The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (view on Amazon.com) is interviewed and what he says is simple. If you cook fresh foods, then there shouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, Americans are hooked on processed foods loaded with sugar. Go for some fresh stuff and check out these wholesome recipes. Your body will thank you.

To Die for Roasted Radish, Beet, and Carrot Salad with Fresh Orange and Curried Pecans

By Molly McRae

Like any good mystery, this is a recipe that started with “what if?” My family loves roasted vegetables – root vegetables in particular. One day when we had radishes, beets, carrots, and half a red onion, we ended up with this salad. It’s another creation that I’ve turned over to café-owner Mel in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries.

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Ingredients for roasted vegetables:
1 bunch red radishes cut into wedges ½ -inch at wide end
4 beets (tangerine to orange in size), peeled and cut into ½ -inch dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ - to ½ -inch slices
½ a red onion, sliced into ¼ - to ½ -inch rings, then rings into quarters
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. fresh thyme
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Ingredients for curried pecans:
⅓ c. pecan halves
½ to 1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. salt

Fresh ingredients to finish the salad:
3 to 4 c. mixed greens (spinach, romaine, etc.)
1 seedless orange, segments cut into bite-size pieces

1. Toss prepared radishes, beets, carrots, and onion with olive oil. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, turning once or twice, cooking until the vegetables are tender and the edges are beginning to caramelize. Roasted vegetables are good – caramelized vegetables are superb.

2. When you think the vegetables are 3-5 minutes away from being perfect, stir in the balsamic vinegar and finish roasting.

3. Let cool while you prepare the pecans, the greens, and the orange.

4. Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add pecans, curry powder, and salt. Stir until pecans begin to brown. Remove from heat.

5. Put greens in a large salad bowl. Add the roasted vegetables. Top with the orange and the pecans.

The salad doesn’t really need a dressing, but oil and vinegar, Italian and Asiago peppercorn is great.

Mulled Chicken & Brown Rice (serves 6)

By Jamie Mason

I have never included details of food in my writing except once in a ranting essay against picnics, but I do like tasty things that are easy so that my family doesn't feel abandoned when I'm eyeball deep in the writing process. So, here's an easy and killer main dish that cooks for a long time so you can tap out another few thousand words while dinner is made.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 to 2/3 cup raisins (I prefer the baking raisins if I can find them)
2-1/2 cups boiling water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup
Slivered almonds

Heat oven to 350.

Add the raisins to the 2 1/2 cups water while it's heated to boiling, because it fattens them up, and then mix in the can of soup and the spices.

Combine all ingredients except the almonds in an ungreased 2-quart casserole.

Cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Stir, cover with foil, and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Sprinkle with almonds and serve!

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries from NAL/Penguin. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine since 1990 and she is a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. After twenty years in upper east Tennessee – the setting for her stories, short and long – Molly and her family live in Champaign, Illinois. You can find out more about Molly at www.mollymacrae.com or connect with her on Facebook or Pinterest. And you can find her blogging on the first Monday of each month at www.amyalessio.com and on the 23^rd of each month at www.killercharacters.com.

Jamie Mason was born in Oklahoma City, but grew up in Washington, DC. She’s most often reading and writing, but in the life left over, she enjoys films, Formula 1 racing, football, traveling, and, conversely, staying at home. Jamie lives with her husband and two daughters in the mountains of western North Carolina. Her first novel, Three Graves Full, was released by Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books in February of 2013. Her latest, Monday's Lie, also from Gallery, hit shelves in February of 2015.

These recipes are so good they should be a crime. If you concoct either of these great recipes, let us know what you think and send us a picture. We may include it here with a link to your website.

What are you cooking? Submit your favorite recipes. They can be based on your favorite literary character, your Aunt Clara’s, or some amalgamation of ingredients you’ve discovered that makes life worth living (nothing with arsenic seasoning, please). Make sure to include your contact information and explanation of the origin of the recipe. Send your submissions (to which you avow in a court of law that you have all rights to and are granting the nonexclusive rights to Killer Nashville to use in any form and at any time) with subject line “Dying For Dinner” to contact@KillerNashville.com.

Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale.

Dying for Dinner: Spinach Quiche and Florida Pie

Dying For Dinner

When newspaper columnist and critic Harriet van Horne said, “Cooking is like love: It should be entered into with abandon or not at all,” we have to agree. Otherwise, time in the kitchen is monotony, and who wants that? Here are a couple of recipes that are simple, yummy, and will leave plenty of time for writing.

Spinach Quiche

By Stacy Allen

In “Spark of Silver, Flash of Gold”, the second in my Riley Cooper Series (pub date TBA), Riley is living and working on the island of Cypress where she rents a small room in a B&B, that has a kitchenette. A fan of the quick-to-make spinach quiche, she makes it at least once a week for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending upon her mood. The red peppers are her secret ingredient. The other characters love this quiche, so she sometimes makes it to give as gifts or to take to events, since it travels well. Riley is an adventurer, and though she loves to cook, she is way too busy to spend hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

3 cups raw spinach
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium white onion, finely chopped (can use ¼ c. shallots or 1 large leek, minced)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, muddled in a mortar and pestle
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish piecrust
4 eggs, beaten (can use egg beaters if preferred)
16 oz heavy cream (can use light or even half and half if you prefer)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper
1 cup shredded provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the piecrust blind, and set aside to cool. (Blind baking simply means giving the empty crust a head start in the oven before filling it. Do not bake it until golden brown. It will continue to bake when you return it to the oven with the filling.)

2. Heat olive oil in a deep, French sauté pan or wok, and over medium heat sauté onion for a few minutes until tender. Mix in the spinach, and toss with two wooden spoons, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and toss and sauté for another minute or two, until spinach is mostly wilted. Transfer to the piecrust.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and heavy cream. Pour over the spinach mixture in the piecrust. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Provolone.

Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Maggie's Florida Pie (aka Orange Chocolate Coconut Pie)

By Kathleen Cosgrove

Maggie Finn craves pie, and her desires to get a slice are thwarted through most of Kathleen’s novel, “Entangled”.  Here’s an excerpt: “A side dish of pretzels sat near me while I watched a documentary on the history of pie. I developed a craving for one and looked in my refrigerator in case there was some in the back I had forgotten. Since I couldn't remember purchasing any pie the entire time I lived here, not surprisingly, there was none to be found.”

Ingredients:

1 package Orange Jell-O mix
1 package Jell-O Coconut Cream pudding mix
1 package Jell-O Vanilla pudding mix
3-ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
¼-cup condensed milk
1 graham cracker pie shell
Cool Whip

Directions:

1. First, make the filling by combining all the Jell-O mixes into two cups boiling water. Stir constantly until it boils again. Cool in the refrigerator for about two hours.
2. While the filling is chilling, melt the chocolate morsels and mix with the condensed milk. Pour into the graham cracker pie shell.
3. Pour in the orange filling and top with Cool Whip. (Optional: Mix 1 tbsp orange rum or Kahlua into the Cool Whip.)
4. Garnish with orange rind around outer edges and chocolate morsels in center.

Stacy Allen holds an advanced open water diver certificate, with specialties in night, cave and wreck diving. She is also certified in enriched air nitrox.  Her passion for adventure has taken her to five continents to explore over sixty countries. She is the author of “Expedition Indigo”, the first in a new series featuring Dr. Riley Cooper, an archaeology professor from Boston who goes to Italy with a team of researchers to find and excavate the Indigo, a cargo ship full of treasures that sank in the 800s off the coast of Italy. 

Kathleen Cosgrove is a writer living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, just a stone's throw from Nashville. Rubbing shoulders with some of the most creative and talented people on earth has nourished and helped her grow as a writer. She is best known for the unique voice she brings to all her writing. Her style of wit and humor along with snappy dialogue and offbeat characters has reviewers comparing her work to the likes of Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen. She can also be found on-stage in venues in and around Nashville reading her always funny and sometimes touching memoirs.

These recipes are so good they should be a crime. If you concoct either of these great recipes, let us know what you think and send us a picture. We may include it here with a link to your website.

What are you cooking? Submit your favorite recipes. They can be based on your favorite literary character, your Aunt Clara’s, or some amalgamation of ingredients you’ve discovered that makes life worth living (nothing with arsenic seasoning, please). Make sure to include your contact information and explanation of the origin of the recipe. Send your submissions (to which you avow in a court of law that you have all rights to and are granting the nonexclusive rights to Killer Nashville to use in any form and at any time) with subject line “Dying For Dinner” to contact@KillerNashville.com.

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Dying for Dinner: Lazy Day Ribs and Steak Tartare

Dying For Dinner

Executive chef and co-owner of The Meat Hook, Tom Mylan told television personality Andrew Zimmerman that he feels like a lot of people are “food zombies.” They don’t really care about what they are eating.“Just buy microwave stuff if you don’t care about food, or stop being a food zombie and start paying attention,” he said in an interview with Zimmerman. “Learn how to cook. It’s like men not knowing how to tie a tie. If you don’t know how to cook, you’re losing at life.”We couldn’t agree more. That’s why this month’s Dying for Dinner is all about meat - our homage to Mylan’s Brooklyn-based sustainable butcher shop. By the way, Mylan’s book, The Meat Hook Meat Book, is a fascinating journey to understanding butchering.

Colonel Crowe’s Steak Tartare

By Don WinstonColonel Crowe likes his meat the way he likes his Union Club politics: raw and spicy. He invites you to join his dinner table for a stimulating round of club gossip and camaraderie with an occasionally murderous nightcap.3 medium oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional, adjust salt if added), rinsed and minced2 teaspoons brined capers, drained and rinsed3 teaspoons Dijon mustard2 large egg yolks10 ounces USDA prime beef tenderloin, cut into small dice, covered, and refrigerated2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves4 teaspoons olive oil3 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco)4 dashes Worcestershire sauce3/4 teaspoon crushed chili flakes (optional)Salt and pepperCombine anchovies (if using), capers, and mustard in a nonreactive bowl. Using a fork or the back of a spoon, mash ingredients until evenly combined; mix in egg yolks.Use a rubber spatula to fold remaining ingredients into mustard mixture until thoroughly combined. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.Serve immediately with toast points or French fries.

Lazy Day Ribs

By Terry OdellTerry’s favorite, easy and yummy crock-pot recipe debut’s in the third installment of her Mapleton mysteries, Deadly Puzzles. This recipe is as easy as 1-2-3, and it will give writers time to write, but she warns the tantalizing aroma is distracting.1 large package of any kind of ribs. I've used short ribs, country style ribs, baby back ribs, both beef and pork.1 large onion, sliced1 large bottle of barbeque sauce.Put everything in the crock pot. Add enough water to cover (pour it into the bbq sauce bottle to get out every last drop of sauce). Cook on low all day or until the meat is tender.

Don Winson grew up in Nashville and graduated from Princeton University. He has written three stand-alone thrillers, his latest two novels, The Union Club and The Gristmill Playhouse: A Nightmare in Three Acts were published in 2014. 

Terry Odell lives in Colorado and her published works include the Pine Hills Police Series, the Blackthorne, Inc. series, the Mapleton Mystery series, and the romantic suspense novel, What's in a Name? 

Deadly Puzzles, the third book in the Mapleton series, was published in April of 2014.

These recipes are so good they should be a crime. If you concoct either of these great recipes, let us know what you think and send us a picture. We may include it here with a link to your website.What are you cooking? 

Submit your favorite recipes. They can be based on your favorite literary character, your Aunt Clara’s, or some amalgamation of ingredients you’ve discovered that makes life worth living (nothing with arsenic seasoning, please). Make sure to include your contact information and explanation of the origin of the recipe. Send your submissions (to which you avow in a court of law that you have all rights to and are granting the nonexclusive rights to Killer Nashville to use in any form and at any time) with subject line “Dying For Dinner” to contact@KillerNashville.com.

Dying for Dinner: Flo's Perfect Irish Manhattan & Kay's Killer Chili

Dying For Dinner

Pioneer foodie James Beard once said food is our common ground, a universal experience. We agree. Food not only unites, but also motivates and inspires. Just ask Killer Nashville conference attendee Margaret Fenton who sold her manuscript over drinks at the bar one year. We want to create that kind of positive and heart-warming foodie community with you. So as you discuss character arcs, murder suspects, and autopsy reports, enjoy a drink from Murder She Wrote’s Renee Paley-Bain while smelling Nashville author Kay Elam’s chili in the crockpot. As we say here in the South, “Mmmm, Mmmm, that’s good.”

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Flo’s Perfect Irish Manhattan

By Renee Paley-BainRobert “Don’t call me Bobby” Brixton is the protagonist in Margaret Truman’s recent Capital Crime Series novels, Undiplomatic Murder and Internship in Murder, by Donald Bain. While Robert drinks martinis (always made with gin), he’s not above altering cocktail recipes for his lady friend Flo Combes. Renee says a Perfect Irish Manhattan is lighter than one made with Rye and less sweet than one made with bourbon.In a shaker filled with ice, combine the following:3-ounces Jameson’s Irish Whiskey½-ounce each Sweet Vermouth and Dry VermouthDash of Angostura bittersStir well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with either a maraschino cherry or twist of lemon.

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Killer Chili

By Kay ElamKay’s chili is a staple in her home during the chilly months of winter. It’s easy to make, and the smell is heavenly. Simmering in the crockpot for an all-day feast, it’s equally great for watching football games or stimulating the brain to write that bestseller.2 tablespoons of oil1 tablespoon of dried or refrigerated, minced garlic1 yellow onion chopped3 stalks celery chopped1 green pepper chopped1-1/2 pounds ground chuck1 teaspoon salt½ teaspoon pepper¼ cup chili powder½ cup cumin power1 8-ounce can tomato sauce1 16-ounce can tomatoes1 16-ounce can kidney beansPinch of sugarSaute’ garlic, onions, green pepper, celery and garlic in oil until slightly browned. Drain. Add ground chuck and seasonings. Break up meat and cook until browned. Drain again. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, kidney beans and sugar. Cover and reduce heat. Add water if it’s too thick. Serve with cheese, sour cream, Fritos, and / or corn muffins.

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It’s so good, it should be a crime. If you concoct either of these great recipes, let us know what you think and send us a picture. We may include it here with a link to your website.What are you cooking? Submit your favorite recipes. They can be based on your favorite literary character, your Aunt Clara’s, or some amalgamation of ingredients you’ve discovered that makes life worth living (nothing with arsenic seasoning, please). Make sure to include your contact information and explanation of the origin of the recipe. Send your submissions (to which you avow in a court of law that you have all rights to and are granting the nonexclusive rights to Killer Nashville to use in any form and at any time) with subject line “Dying For Dinner” to contact@KillerNashville.com.