Monday, March 5, 2012

Dad's "Mystery" Barbecue Chili Stew Stuff

I see so many of the blogs by my favorite cozy authors have recipes and food articles as well as writing tips and book reviews. In fact some have devoted entire blogs to the food side of the cozy equation. Dana Stabenow's Feast for One and the Mystery Lover's Kitchen are my top two choices.

Maybe it's time to add a food article here... I published several of my "Food Memories" on Squidoo.com, but my favorite culinary "Mystery" will always be Dad's "mystery" Barbecue Chili Stew Stuff!


Dad's "Mystery" Barbecue Chili Stew Stuff

Or Defrosted Delight

A brewing pot of leftovers which ended up looking like chili or stew or something like soup.I grew up in a small 3 bedroom ranch style home in North Charleston, SC. Dad was retired Navy and Mom got her cooking expertise from her mother whom we lovingly called Nana. I left home in '79 to see the world Air Force style so a large portion of my "food memories" are from the 60's and 70's growing up and eating at the kitchen table. We had the typical gas range, side by side fridge, and the obligatory deep freeze in the utility room outside under the carport.

My folks froze everything! That old freezer was filled with Tupperware and white freezer paper wrapped mysteries and morsels. Masking tape labels were applied, if we were lucky, with the contents and date frozen listed, but I think most of it was retrieved by Dad's memory.

My favorite times were when he had to cook the deer venison that was going to expire...... Grabbing this from the freezer along with some cubed stew beef or whatever other beef cut was about to expire, he would throw it all in the big stainless stock pot and start boiling. Most folks when they cook use timers or keep an eye on the clock but I swear Dad's timer was a can of beer!

After a beer or two he would add something to the pot, kidney beans, navy beans, whatever beans. Then the sauce--usually tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, hot sauce (Tabasco ™ or other HOT sauce he had handy), and a splash from the next can of beer.

After another beer or two, in would go onions and green peppers and the cherry tomatoes from his vegetable garden in the back yard.

He would taste it constantly. Adding a dash of pepper here and some salt there, garlic, oregano or Italian seasoning if he thought it would help the taste at that moment.

Finally, after simmering this concoction for 4-5 hours, he would declare it finished! Out would come the bowls and bread and crackers as we were each told to have some, it was dinner! And so we would..... Dad would be at his end of the melamine and stainless steel kitchen table, Mom would be at hers, my sister and I would be on the one side opposite the kitchen wall occupying the fourth side.

How was it? Well, what I described was the meat-based "Mystery" Barbecue Chili Stew Stuff version.  It usually turned out pretty good!  He also had a seafood version as well.

Once in a while he would perform the same "magic" with the catfish and crappie he had caught and frozen along with shrimp or blue crab from my Uncle's boating excursions. This was a seafood version that Mom liked better, but I got turned off by the fish bones or crab shell he would miss. He wouldn't change any of the other ingredients so it was still a brown tomato based "gumbo" or stew.

Oh, by the way, he would always make too much. So, out would come the Tupperware and masking tape, now washed and ready for reuse! To the fridge for a couple of days as "leftovers" and then the migration to the deep freeze!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Clobbered By Camembert by Avery Aames (Cheese Shop Mystery #3)

Clobbered by Camembert (A Cheese Shop Mystery #3)Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Whew! Charlotte Bissette what have you gotten into now? Sounds like something Sheriff Urso would say throughout this entire mystery! Twists and turns galore keep you engaged in the "who dun it" behind developer Kaitlyn Clydesdale's death. Rebecca's boyfriend is the prime suspect, but Charlotte of course won't let him hang for it.

Another excellent story that moves at a quick clip around Providence, Ohio during the Winter Wonderland Faire. Not only is there a murder to be solved, but Charlotte's ex fiance, Chippendale "Chip" Cooper returns to reignite their relationship. Well that's what he thinks anyway. Tensions mount when Charlotte's love interest, Jordan, meets Chip throughout the story trying to insinuate himself back into Charlotte's heart.

Charlotte's investigations reveal more suspects in Clydesdale's death as the story progresses. You must read it for yourself. There are TWO really AHA moments at the end as the murder is solved and everyone winds down at the dinner party at the Bissette's.

Looking forward to number 4 in the series, To Brie or Not To Brie. You get a taste of it in the sneak peek Avery Aames provides after the delicious recipe section.

Clobbered by Camembert (A Cheese Shop Mystery #3)

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An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette (Key West Food Critic Mystery #1)

An Appetite for Murder (Key West Food Critic Mystery, #1)An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For me this book was a done deal. What is not to like about a culinary cozy placed in the city of my birth-Key West... Hayley Snow, food critic, takes the reader on an impromptu tour of the island as she samples the local dining and comfort food hangouts for her reviews. She manages this while also trying to find a killer before she gets booked for the murder of her "maybe" future boss.

Houseboat living and glimpses at the local populace are enticing as Hayley, a transplant from New Jersey, makes her way through the clues and obstacles placed in her path throughout the novel.

Not only the descriptions of the scenery and places on the Key were refreshing to me, but the recipes included Hayley's Leaning Tower of Eggplant. I am a big eggplant fan....

I am anxiously awaiting (thanks to the included sneak peek) the 2nd book in the series scheduled for 09/2012.

An Appetite for Murder (Key West Food Critic Mystery, #1)

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Liver Let Die (Clueless Cook Mystery #1) by Liz Lipperman

Liver Let Die (A Clueless Cook Mystery #1)Liver Let Die by Liz Lipperman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I know it seems like forever since I started reading Liver Let Die, but it was not because of the book. The book moves with a quick pace as we follow Jordan McAllister and watch her get entangled in all sorts of crises all because of some duck liver foie gras!

This book combined a lot of elements; article writing, recipes, mystery, suspense and romance. Jordan gets to try her hand writing the food column for her local paper, while she doesn't have trouble with the restaurant critic portion, it's hilarious how she comes up with the solution to the weekly gourmet recipes she has to publish!

How she trundles through the murder of the waiter that served her during first restaurant review is balanced with just the right amount of humor and seriousness.

I loved this first book and look forward to the second in "The Clueless Cook Mystery" series from Liz Lipperman. I also like the play on the James Bond title....

John

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Long Quiche Goodbye (Cheese Shop Mystery, #1)

The Long Quiche Goodbye (Cheese Shop Mystery, #1)The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent read! New series for me to read, this mystery provided plenty of suspense as the clues take you down one path and then another. As with many of the cozy mysteries, you get quite an education about the specific genre, in this case, cheese and wines, but mostly cheese. It is, after all, a Cheese Shop Mystery! I haven't read many cozies yet, but my nook is quite loaded with them, they are addictive, just like any great series books... Quite the departure from my usual "Star Anything" Science Fiction...

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