~Meet S. C. Merritt~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Culinary MysteriesLeave a comment

THE INGREDIENTS;

S.C. Merritt writes the Sweetwater Springs Southern Mysteries and the Bucket List Mysteries. Cozy mysteries featuring southern, female sleuths, plots with a twist, and a little sprinkle of romance. The Sweetwater Springs Southern Mystery Series is set in a small, Alabama town full of quirky characters, delicious restaurants, and lots of murder. Yummy recipes are included in each book!

Website:  www.scmerritt.com
Facebook: SC Merritt, Author
Instagram: @scmerrittauthor

Recently widowed Glory Harper needs a fresh start. After the investigation into her husband’s suspicious death in Texas stalls, she decides that the best way to begin moving forward with her life is to pull up stakes and head back home to Alabama. But when Glory stumbles over a body in the graveyard during a church picnic, she finds herself at the top of the suspect list. Which isn’t surprising since the murder weapon is engraved with her initials. Looks like this murder has her name written all over it.
Glory decides to put her mystery-solving instincts to work and “help” her brother, a detective on the local force, prove her innocence. But when his new boss, the hunky Hunt Walker, steps in and takes over, Glory can’t seem to stay out of hot water. And it’s getting hotter by the minute!
Can Glory find the killer before another dead body is found?

Sweetwater Springs Southern Mysteries
Sideburns and Suspicions (prequel)
Potluck and Pandemonium (Book 1)
Lakefronts and Larceny (Book 2)
Reunions and Reckonings (Book 3)
Moonshine and Murder (Book 4)
Fruitcakes and Fatalities (Book 5)
Cake and Corruption (Book 6)
Hot Cars and Homicide (Book 7 – Release 2024)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:

  • In the Sweetwater series, I chose Macy’s on Main (a bakery and coffee shop) owned by my MC’s daughter. Sweetwater Springs is a fictional version of my hometown in Alabama. My real-life daughter is a professional chef/baker and always said she wanted to open a bakery in a particular storefront there. Several years ago, someone purchased it and remodeled it as a florist/gift shop, but it inspired me to use some of their ideas in my descriptions.
  • I “test-drive” my recipes before publication and try to take pictures for my newsletter. Sometimes I ask friends over to have a cooking day. If the recipe isn’t a personal/family one, I research ones that would fit my MC’s tastes or soups/salads/sandwiches that are seasonal that someone would offer for lunch specials at a coffee shop during the year.
  • I am not a great cook/baker, but my daughter is, so I patterned my MC and her daughter the same way. I usually try to include at least one “easy” recipe for the non-cooks like me, and a more advanced one for readers who are much better cooks.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information

  • Many of my relationships are woven with the culinary aspects. For example: There is a group of 4 old retired men from the town (I call them “the regulars”) who are the first ones in every morning. They get a basket of hot pastries and coffee and begin their game of the day (cards, Scrabble, dominoes, etc). The MC get much of her juicy info from them.
  • My family has been my biggest culinary inspiration in this series, from my daughter’s love for baking, to her husband’s (also a chef) expertise, to my grandmother’s fruitcake recipe.
  • The biggest challenge for me in blending culinary themes and mystery is to keep the main thing, the main thing. Unless the food itself is central to the mystery, I try to keep the food and recipe descriptions basic. Not everyone wants to read several paragraphs of step by step instructions for a dish, so I try to say just enough to add some color to the story, but leave the details to the actual recipes in the back. If readers are intrigued, they can try them. I have had many tell me that they do try them and have loved them!

SERVE WITH A TEASE ABOUT YOUR OTHER SERIES

I also have a second series that features recipes. It’s called the Bucket List Mysteries.

Two retirees become best friends and decide to pool their money and purchase an RV and travel to mark off places on their bucket lists. One of these ladies is a retired home-cooking restaurant owner. She writes a food blog on the road from the RV and the recipes usually reflect the flavor of their bucket list destination for that book.

Victoria LK Williams

https://linktr.ee/VictoriaLKWilliams

~Meet Joy Ann Ribar~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Culinary Mysteries2 Comments

THE INGREDIENTS;

Joy Ann Ribar writes the Deep Lake Cozy Mystery Series: Bakery without the calories, wine without the hangover, and drama without the backlash. Make friends with Frankie Champagne – full time baker, vintner and Bubble & Bake shop owner with her business partner/best friend, Carmen Martinez.  Frankie’s sideline, regional reporter for Point Press, allows her to stick her nose across the crime tape in the small town of Deep Lakes, Wisconsin. Of course, her investigations curl the toes of her life-long pal Sheriff Alonzo Goodman, especially since Frankie enlists the help of her romantic partner, Coroner Garrett Iverson.  The laugh-out-loud humor and strong female relationships make a winning recipe for this mystery series.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07TCPZWW8
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19312175.Joy_Ann_Ribar
https://www.facebook.com/JoyRibarAuthor

Newest in the series, May 2024: Deep Wedded Blues
Romance is in the air in Deep Lakes, Wisconsin until several calamities strike at once. Can Frankie orchestrate her daughter’s wedding at the vineyard, or will the mystery illness plaguing the county make the nuptials one more summer casualty? 

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:

What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for your mystery series?
Baking makes me happy, so it was easy for me to place my main character as a bakery owner. Recently, I began traveling to wineries with friends and learned about viticulture and tasting wines. I thought it would be fun and unique to have my MC own a combination bakery and wine lounge. Of course, she has a small vineyard, too and makes her own wines.

What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects of your mysteries?
I continue to experiment with baking recipes, but baking as a business is a different animal. My daughter is a commercial baker and a great resource about baking equipment and processes involved in baking for the public. As for wine-making, we (me,my husband, and our friends) purchased wine equipment and started making our own. I continue to research grape cultivation and have volunteered during the harvest season.

Do you have any personal culinary experiences that have significantly influenced your writing?
My mother taught me to bake during my childhood. I come from a large family and was one of the youngest, so my mother spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Luckily for me, my dad had a sweet tooth, and I took to baking. It became my love language. In my young adult life, I was hired to make cakes for graduations, first communions, confirmations, major birthdays, and weddings!

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information

How do you use culinary elements to develop your characters and their relationships?
My MC, Frankie Champagne, partners with her best friend, Carmen Martinez, at their shop, Bubble & Bake. The two women, along with the rest of the kitchen crew, discuss murder victims and possible suspects during the course of their daily baking, but they also share personal experiences as friends. Because the characters offer their unique views, the back-and-forth dialogue shows their personalities, but highlights the trusting environment of teamwork in the kitchen.  The bakery and wine lounge is a wonderful place of interaction where the workers mingle with customers, and every supporting character can help move the plot forward.  It’s easy to get information out of someone over a glass or wine or a yummy pastry.

How do you think food enhances the mystery and suspense in your stories?
  It’s interesting to combine a murder investigation with a cozy element such as baked goods and wine. I think readers want justice to prevail in any kind of crime, but they also are  curious about the details of who did it, how they did it, and why they did it. Food brings people together to share stories and creates an environment where secrets can be revealed. In my mysteries, the characters who serve the customers are observers of their actions and conversations, leading to speculation or revelation that keeps the plot moving.

Can you discuss how the preparation or enjoyment of food in your stories ties into plot development or mystery resolution?
My MC, Frankie, often arms herself with baked goods when she investigates crimes. For instance, she knows Detective Shirley Lazaar is certain to spill the beans about a suspect if Frankie brings her butterhorns. In my first mystery, a Valentine’s cupcake leads to the person of interest who becomes key in solving the mystery.  In Deep Wedded Blues, Frankie shares her signature Scandinavian kringles with the Amish women she hopes will open up to her. 

SERVE WITH A RECIPE FROM YOUR BOOK (or your favorite recipe)

Bubble & Bake Brie

A large wheel of Brie (9 oz)

Cut up one apple and two pears into medium slices – do not peel

Melt about ¼ cup of butter and add ¼ cup or more of dark brown sugar

To that mixture: add cinnamon or other spices you like (I am heavy handed in my spicing so I used 2 teaspoons)

Then chop some walnuts or pecans and throw them into the butter/sugar mixture (Half cup)

Lightly grease a round/square baking dish with butter and set the brie in the middle

Spread the fruits around the wheel

Spoon the nut/butter/brown sugar mixture over the fruits

Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes or until the fruit is tender, not mushy

Cut the brie as you would a pie (well more wedges than a pie)

The cheesy goodness will melt into beautiful soft yellow puddles around your fruit

Serve this with crackers (I love multigrain ones) or small slices of Brioche

Enjoy with a glass of white wine or moscato, if you wish

~Meet Courtney Flagg~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Culinary MysteriesLeave a comment

THE INGREDIENTS;

Courtney writes the Seasonal Sweet Mystery Series
Where curiosity meets crime. Emma is the proud owner of Candyland Confections, a beloved candy store. With her extraordinary talent for creating delicious sweets and her knack for solving puzzles, Emma becomes an unexpected detective in her quaint little town.

https://courtneyflaggbooks.com/

www.instagram.com/courtneyflaggbooks

www.youtube.com/sparkplannerlife

www.tiktok.com@courtneyflaggbooks

Emma Marsh, a candy shop owner, and her sister Lilly race against time to find the
stolen award of a local haunted house competition, while dealing with eerie
entries, quirky contestants, and a mysterious menace.


INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:

What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for your mystery series? There’s something irresistible about a good mystery with a dash of food. That’s why I was drawn to these charming cozy covers that feature delicious confections and festive color schemes. I wanted to create a series that would celebrate the seasons and your appetite for reading.

What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects of your mysteries? I don’t claim to be an expert on the culinary side of things. I just love to write about food and share my passion with my readers. Working in the food industry gives me plenty of inspiration and exposure to different cuisines and cultures.

Do you have any personal culinary experience that have significantly influenced your writing? Meet Emma Marsh, the sweetest sleuth in town. She owns Candyland Confections, a candy shop that sells all kinds of chocolate treats. I know a thing or two about chocolate, having learned how to make low sugar versions in her past career. I can use my chocolate knowledge to craft mouthwatering descriptions and clever clues for her cozy mysteries.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information


How do you think food enhances the mystery and suspense in your stories? Food is more than just nourishment. It is a way of connecting with people, cultures, and emotions. That’s why I love to use food as a tool to create mystery and suspense in my stories. Food adds a layer of realism and relatability to my cozy mysteries, as readers can imagine themselves in the scenes and recall their own experiences with food. Food can also be a source of clues, red herrings, or motives for murder.

Who or what are you biggest culinary inspirations when writing your cozy mystery? Nothing beats the real thing when it comes to writing about candy. That’s why I love to visit candy shops whenever I can and get a taste of their sweet creations. I also like to chat with the owners whenever possible to learn about their craft and history. I use these experiences to enrich my cozy mysteries with vivid details and authenticity.

How do you hope your culinary-theme mysteries will connect with and engage readers? I want readers to feel like they are visiting a candy wonderland, where they can indulge in their sweet tooth and their curiosity. I also want to involve readers in the creative process, by asking for their feedback and suggestions. This way, I can overcome any challenges and make the stories more engaging and interactive.

SERVE WITH A RECIPE FROM YOUR BOOK (or your favorite recipe)

Ginger Cookies published in Peppermint Perjury (Book #3)

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Sugar (may use brown sugar)
  • 1/2 Cup Shortening
  • 6 Tablespoon Molasses (Green Label)
  • 1 Small Egg
  • 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
  • 2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • Extra sugar for rolling dough balls in

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Note some ovens may require 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cream together Sugar and Shortening in a bowl. Add in egg and molasses.
  3. Slowly add in the dry ingredients (Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Ground Cloves, Ground Ginger, and Ground Cinnamon.) Stir until a dough forms.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form the dough into small balls. Roll the dough in sugar then flatten on baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 10-13 minutes at 350 degrees.
  6. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. 

~Let’s Meet Denise Jaden~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Culinary MysteriesLeave a comment

THE INGREDIENTS;

Denise writes the Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Capers
Small town cozy mysteries with a smart and savvy sleuth, a quick-witted cat named Hunch, and recipes that will make your mouth water!

http://www.denisejaden.com 
https://www.facebook.com/denisejadenauthor/

Mallory Beck’s life takes a detour from casseroles to crime scenes in this whimsical cozy mystery. With the help of her seventh-grade crush, now the town’s most swoon-worthy cop, and her intuitive cat, Hunch, Mallory must unravel a murder mystery that’s as complex as her lasagna recipe.

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:

What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for your mystery series?
I love to cook and when exploring different locales around the U.S. and their culinary specialties, West Virginia seemed like a real hub for comfort food. That attracted me right away, and I developed the fictional town of Honeysuckle Grove to bring that comfort food to life.

What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects of your mysteries?
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and like my main character, Mallory, I have an easier time processing and even plotting out book details while I’m cooking. I haven’t done a lot of specific research, but I have learned a lot in trying different recipes.

Do you have any personal culinary experiences that have significantly influenced your writing?
I don’t really have any professional training, but when I was homeschooling my son a few years ago, we came up with a cooking course that would teach him a variety of cooking skills. Through that, I felt like I was taking a cooking course as well.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information

How do you think food enhances the mystery and suspense in your stories?
My favorite way of using food in my mysteries it to slow down the suspense for a moment and have Mallory process for the reader where she’s at in the investigation. Kitchen time is often recap time in my mysteries, and I feel like it’s the perfect chance to make sure the reader and the characters are all on the same page—so to speak.

How do you use culinary elements to develop your characters and their relationships?
My main character’s sidekick, Amber, is a teenager who loses her dad in book one, and feels abandoned by a mother dealing with her own grief. Amber has always wanted to learn how to cook, and when she meets Mallory, they naturally spend a lot of time in the kitchen together while attempting to solve murder mysteries. It turns out, they are very good at both!

How do you hope your culinary-themed mysteries will connect with and engage readers?
I personally love reading culinary-themed mysteries, so I feel like I am my ideal reader. Not only do quaint small towns make me feel cozy and warm while I’m reading about them, many of the delicious food items I read about really add to that cuddled-up, pajamas-all-day feeling while also inspiring me to get back into the kitchen. I hope my readers feel that way, too.

SERVE WITH A RECIPE FROM YOUR BOOK (or your favorite recipe)

Coconut Shrimp with Mango Salsa

These delectable shrimp are pure crunch-in-the-mouth goodness! Use store-bought panko or try the recipe at the bottom to make your own. The mango salsa adds just the right amount of heat and sweet to complement these tasty treats.

Ingredients:

Coconut Shrimp:
1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 cup panko bread crumbs (see recipe below to make your own!)
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
2 large eggs, beaten

Mango Salsa:
3 ripe mangos, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ cup red onion, diced
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 large lime, juiced (or about ¼ cup lime juice)
Salt, to taste

Panko:
1 loaf of airy white bread, crusts removed

Mango Salsa Instructions:
Note: Prepare the mango salsa in advance so it’s ready to eat when the shrimp are hot and fresh.

  1. In a processor, combine the prepared mango, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeño. Drizzle with the juice of one lime.
  2. Pulse a couple of times to make the salsa easy to dip into, and then season with salt and stir again.
  3. Add to a serving bowl and let the salsa rest for at least ten minutes.

Panko Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

  1. Tear into pieces and pulse 1 to 2 times in a food processor. Place bread shards onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Do not to let the panko brown. Remove breadcrumbs from the oven, let cool, and store in glass jars until you’re ready to make your coconut shrimp.

Coconut Shrimp Directions:
Note: These tasty shrimp can be cooked using a deep fryer, for maximum crispiness, a frying pan with oil, or an air fryer, for a low-fat alternative.

  1. Place three shallow bowls alongside one another. In the first, season flour with salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, combine panko bread crumbs and coconut. Place beaten eggs in a third shallow bowl. Working with one at a time, dip shrimp in flour, then eggs, then coconut mixture.
  2. Preheat your deep fryer or air fryer to 400 degrees, or preheat a frying pan coated with coconut oil. When all the shrimp are prepared, space out and place in your deep or air fryer basket, or onto your preheated frying pan. Make sure these shrimp have plenty of room, and don’t crown the fryer or the frying pan. Cook until shrimp is golden and cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes in the air fryer or frying pan (turning once in the frying pan. Work in batches as necessary. Enjoy!

~Let’s Meet Cat Green~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Culinary MysteriesLeave a comment

THE INGREDIENTS;

Website: https://www.CatGreenAuthor.com
https://www.instagram.com/CatGreenAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatGreenAuthor/
Poisoned in Provence https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KMGC6QJ

A Provencal culinary competition. A poisoned judge. Can Nina and fashionista French Bulldog solve the mystery before the soufflé falls?

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:

What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for your mystery series ?
The cuisine in Provence is the best, and who can resist a handsome young French chef!

What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects of your mysteries?
I have judged culinary competitions in the past so it was easy to recreate the ambiance.

Do you have any personal culinary experience that has significantly influenced your writing?
I’d been a restaurant reviewer in the past

How do you use culinary elements to develop your characters and their relationships?
Food makes murder seem more … palatable.
Culinary elements …. people have definitive likes and dislikes when it comes to food. Also it’s always easy to kill people with poisoned food – that’s why the kings in the past had food tasters.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information

 How do you hope your culinary-themed mysteries will connect with and engage readers?
Culinary elements can be kept exciting with the new locales of each of my books.

Who influenced you to write culinary cozy mysteries?
I worked with Julia Child on projects for the American Institute of Food and Wine when I lived in Boston and she started my culinary journey.

How do you hope your culinary-themed mysteries will connect with and engage readers?
Not everyone likes cozy mysteries, but everyone likes food.

How do you hope your culinary-themed mysteries will connect with  readers?
I’ve never found pairing cozy mysteries and food difficult.

How do you use culinary scenes in your book?
I like to have “cooking together” scenes for characters falling in love. 10. ~What are some food-related subplots in your book? ~ Food related subplots in my books usually revolve around death by poisoned food.            

SERVE WITH A RECIPE FROM YOUR BOOK (or your favorite recipe)

This is a SIMPLE recipe that only takes 30 seconds and everyone enjoys. It is a modification of a classic Pavlova.

Ingredients:
Box of Meringue cookies
Fresh berries

I recommend layering a large stemless wine glass with a bottom layer of Meringue. Layering the berries, another layer of Meringue, and then fruit on top. I garnish it with a spring of mint.

~Let’s Meet Vikki Walton~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Cozy Mysteries, Culinary MysteriesLeave a comment

THE INGREDIENTS;

www.vikkiwalton.com

https://www.facebook.com/VikkiWaltonAuthor

Direct Sales Link: https://payhip.com/b/7nbBT

 When nurse, Christie Taylor takes a vacation, she doesn’t know that death has followed her home. Small towns have secrets and someone is willing to kill to keep theirs. Pie recipe included. Don’t read hungry!

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:

What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for your mystery series?
I used to live in the Texas Hill Country and pie is a big hit with most people so decided to focus on a pie-baking, horse-riding amateur sleuth.

 What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects of your mysteries?
The recipes have all been eaten by me and others. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

 Do you have any personal culinary experiences that have significantly influenced your writing?
To be honest, I like the idea of cooking more than the actual event. I do it but I hate clean-up.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information

How do you think food enhances the mystery and suspense in your stories?
People always chat over food so Christie and her Pop or friends are always sitting down to eat and discuss things. When she’s making the pies, her mind wanders and she may think of a clue she’d not recognized before.

How do you hope your culinary-themed mysteries will connect with and engage readers?
Maybe they’ll try one of the recipes or be reminded of a relative who cooked that type of pie.

Are there any food-related subplots in your series that you find particularly compelling or fun to write?
There’s usually a meal or two in the story and it always involves down-home country food. It takes me back to when I ate those meals in my own life. As for the pies, my favorite is buttermilk.

~Let’s meet P.D. Workman~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Cozy Mysteries, Culinary Mysteries, UncategorizedLeave a comment

THE INGREDIENTS;

pdworkman.com
shop.pdworkman.com
@pdworkmanauthor on most social media

Once again, gluten-free baker Erin Price finds herself caught in the
midst of a murder investigation. As her pies become the center of
suspicion and a close friend is implicated, Erin is determined to
uncover the truth and serve justice. It is the perfect recipe for an
enthralling mystery.

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:

What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for
your mystery series?
The title of the first book in the series, Gluten-Free
Murder, was the first thing that came to me. So it
followed that the cozy mystery series would be set
around a gluten-free bakery.

What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects
of your mysteries?
With my personal experience in the arena of gluten-free
baking, I don’t usually need to do too much more
research into that aspect of it. Research into poisons
and other methods of murder, however, is another story!
I don’t have a lot of personal experience with those.

Do you have any personal culinary experiences that have
significantly influenced your writing?
While I’m not a baker, I do have experience with glutenfree
baking, vegan recipes, dealing with multiple
allergens, and more.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information

How do you think food enhances the mystery and suspense in
your stories?
Sometimes the food has a connection with the way the
murder was committed, sometimes it is a way for friends
to connect with each other, and sometimes there is a
Serve with a recipe from your book, or your favorite recipe.
Here is one published in Recipes from Auntie Clem’s Bakery:
contest, fair, or other event that drives the plot forward.
Who knew gluten free baking could be so dangerous?

How do you use culinary elements to develop your characters
and their relationships?
There are all kinds of relationships around the
characters and food. Erin is a nurturer, and one of the
major ways that she reaches out to care for other is
through food. She has special relationships with her
employees, certain customers, and other friends in Bald
Eagle Falls. She bakes for her customers and Officer
Handsome’s K9 partner, has tea with her friends and the
church ladies, and cooks or eats at the restaurant with
her sweetheart.

Are there any food-related subplots in your series that you
find particularly compelling or fun to write?
One of Erin’s favourite customers is the Foster family,
and in particular, little Peter Foster, the oldest child in
the family, who has celiac disease. The relationship
between the two of them is very special. Throughout the
series, I have been developing the characters of the
other members of the Foster family. Peter and the little
girls have gotten older and another baby boy has been
welcomed into the family who has multiple food
sensitivities. I always love writing about this little family
and the joy they bring to Erin as she serves them.

SERVE WITH A RECIPE FROM YOUR BOOK (or your favorite recipe)

Gingerbread Men
Yield: about 3 dozen cookies, depending on cookie cutter size
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut oil, not melted*
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup blackstrap molasses
2 3/4 cups buckwheat flour plus extra for rolling
1/4 cup psyllium husks
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
water
*Auntie Clem’s Bakery doesn’t use any nuts, but I use the ones that
are safe for me. Make sure coconut oil is okay for the people you
are serving. If not, substitute vegetable shortening or another solid
fat.
Method
Cream the coconut oil and sugar until light.
Add the blackstrap molasses and mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Add water by tablespoons until it forms a ball
Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with
parchment paper
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters.
Re-roll scraps until all of the dough has been used.
Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 – 12 minutes
depending on how big your cookies cutter is. If you’re making
gingerbread houses, you may want to bake twice like biscotti.
Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire
rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Victoria LK Williams
Follow me on Ream Stories

~Let’s meet Kelly Young~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Cozy Mysteries, Culinary Mysteries2 Comments

THE INGREDIENTS;

Links: https://kyoung18.wixsite.com/kelly-young-author
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kelly-Young/author/B00927WCK8
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5781387.Kelly_Young

Kelly writes the Travel Writer Cozy Mystery

Breakups are never easy. But when a young woman disappears after a very public breakup, leaving everything, including her medication behind, a small town’s Pumpkinfest celebration is disrupted. Will travel writer and sleuth Casey find the woman in time? It’s an urgent quest at Pumpkinfest. Book Link

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:
What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for the book?
While the series is not culinary, but travel, the second book is culinary and I chose the real event of Pumpkinfest in Port Elgin for the setting, as I am familiar with that area and event.

What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects?
In each book in the series, we see the characters getting together over food at actual restaurants located in the actual settings. This always involves trips to the town in question, so I can get a feel for it, its events, and people. For Urgent Quest at Pumpkinfest, I enlisted the help of family and friends to submit pumpkin recipes and included them at the end of the book.

Do you have any personal culinary experiences that influenced your writing?
The aforementioned eating establishments mentioned in my books are ones I have frequented myself, and my main character usually eats the same type of food as I would eat.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information
How do you use culinary elements to develop your characters and their relationships?
I am a firm believer that many of the important moments in life happen around a table. For my characters, they meet up around various tables to discuss not only the work the travel writer is engaged in, but the case they are embroiled in, and in the process solidify and develop relationships.

What are some challenges you face in blending culinary themes?
Culinary themes in my books are something that I attempt to have appear comfortably in the background as the characters enjoy a meal together. The challenge is to not sound like a restaurant menu, but have the food being shared flow into the story with humour and a sense of realism.

SERVE WITH A RECIPE FROM YOUR BOOK (or your favorite recipe)

A Pumpkinfest recipe

My niece has her own baking business – Hammond Baking Co. – and when I asked for a pumpkin recipe, she crafted the following recipe for Pumpkin Pretzels, specifically for the book.

(makes 5) * 1 cup of milk * 2-1/4 tsp quick rising yeast * 3 tbsp brown sugar * 2 tbsp soft butter * 2-1/4 cups all purpose flour * 1 tsp salt * 1/3 cup baking soda * 1 tbsp cinnamon sugar * 1/4 cup icing sugar * 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice * 1 tsp of vanilla * 1 tsp water

1. Heat milk in saucepan over med heat until steaming
2. Transfer to a mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast on top. Wait 2-3 mins until yeast soft
3. Stir in brown sugar
4. Transfer to kitchen-aid bowl, with wooden spoon mix in butter and 1 cup flour until gooey like paste
5. Add remaining 1-1/4 cup flour and salt and set on low/medium speed with dough hook until tacky dough forms
6. Place the ball of dough in a greased bowl and spray top of dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hr
7. Preheat oven to 450
8. Cut dough into 5, roll with palms of hand starting in the middle and rolling outwards, slapping dough to lengthen
9. Roll into a pretzel shape
10. Add baking soda to 4 cups of warm water
11. Dunk pretzels into water solution quickly and place them on baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar
12. Bake 14 mins, rotating pans halfway through
13. While baking, mix icing sugar, vanilla, water, and pumpkin pie spice together to make glaze
14. When pretzels come out, move to cooking wrack and brush with glaze
15. Eat! by Emma Hammond

~Let’s Meet Michelle Ford~

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Cozy Mysteries, Culinary MysteriesLeave a comment

THE INGREDIENTS;

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Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cheesycozies

Michelle writes the Cheese Cafe Cozy Mystery series.

In Brianna West’s new cheese-themed café on quaint Driftwood Island, she plans to serve mascarpone croissants and asiago scones to friends new and old. But when Brianna follows her eccentric Aunt Dot’s escaped goat and discovers the water buffalo farmer next door with Dot’s pitchfork in his back, her aunt is suspect number one. With the help of her chatty best friend, the inflated egos of the local Gourmand Society, and a handsome local Mountie in charge of law enforcement, Brianna sets out to prove her aunt’s innocence. Poison and Parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:

What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for your mystery series?
I’ve been a lover of cheese since I was old enough to say the word. When I went to choose a subgenre to write my cozy mysteries in, I had choices between animals, hobbies, food, and many others. Food was the obvious choice for me! When I was brainstorming ideas, I kept coming back to the thought of a cheese-themed bakery-café. I mean, who wouldn’t want to visit that? If it existed in my town, I would eat there for sure. A lot of my mystery writing is wish-fulfillment in the cozy little town of Snuggler’s Cove.

What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects of your mysteries?
Buying and eating all sorts of cheese, of course! I also test and modify recipes, because I make companion cookbooks for my readers to enjoy along with their novels. My newsletter often gets the early versions to try out. So, plenty of eating and baking for me. It’s a hard life!

Do you have any personal culinary experiences that have significantly influenced your writing?
I have no formal training in the culinary arts. My two main sources of learning were: my mother, who is an excellent cook and taught me how to make things from scratch that taste amazing; and plenty of testing in my own kitchen! The school of experience is my teacher.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information

How do you keep the culinary elements in your series fresh and exciting with each new book?
Each book features a new type of cheese, and it’s been fun to think of inventive ways to incorporate each one into the plot. Murder and Mozzarella focuses on the murder of a water buffalo farmer (the type of milk that traditional mozzarella is made from). Fraud and Feta features a suspect with Greek origins, as well as an unsettling ritual with the cheese. Poison and Parmesan uses the cheese in the plot, but I won’t say more in order not to introduce spoilers!

Are there any food-related subplots in your series that you find particularly compelling or fun to write?
I adore the Gourmand Society that Brianna is a member of. It’s a glorified cheese club, but the president is a food snob, grumpy with a heart of gold. The rest of the members are just as colorful, and they are a joy to write in all their quirky hilarity. They tend to help Brianna solve the mystery in their own special ways.

How do you use culinary elements to develop your characters and their relationships?
The local law enforcement are Mounties, since this is a series set in small-town Canada. One of the officers is very fond of Brianna’s scones and comes in regularly to buy them. They have some chemistry, and the scones are a great excuse for them to see each other.

SERVE WITH A RECIPE FROM YOUR BOOK (or your favorite recipe)

A timer dinged from the kitchen, and Brianna held up her finger. “And
fresh rosemary and paprika mozzarella bites made with Montague
buffalo milk.”
Magnus sniffed and glanced at the offerings behind glass.
“I’d better order the mozzarella,” he said gruffly.

ROSEMARY-PAPRIKA MOZZARELLA BITES

D I R E C T I O N S
1) Cut 12 oz mozzarella cheese into one-inch pieces.
2) Dip cheese into a bowl of 1 cup milk, one handful at a time. Transfer mozzarella with a fork to a bowl of 1 cup all-purpose flour and dredge.
3) Dip back in milk, then in a bowl filled with a mixture of 2 cups panko
bread crumbs, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, and 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary) until evenly coated.
4) Place mozzarella bites on a plate and freeze for at least 2 hours.
5) Heat up 2 tbsp oil on medium heat. Fry mozzarella bites in hot oil, turning occasionally, until golden brown (a few mins). Be sure to take them out of the oil before they get too hot or cheese will ooze out of
breading.
6) Serve warm, with marinara or other sauce if desired (although they’re delicious plain).
Makes 4-6 servings.

Victoria LK Williams
Follow me on Ream Stories

~Let’s Meet Karen Sue Walker

On By Victoria LK Williams (Vicki Williams)In Author Interviews, Culinary MysteriesLeave a comment

THE INGREDIENTS;

Karen writes the Haunted Tearoom Cozy Mysteries
When April May buys a Victorian home and opens a tearoom, she’ll get more than she planned for: A cat in her attic, a ghost, and murder!

Website: https://karensuewalker.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bridalshopmysteries/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093Y59HTG

From Tea is for Trouble “I’m April May and on a whim, I bought a huge Victorian home in a cozy seaside town. I’d always loved afternoon tea with dainty sandwiches, scones, and delicious pastries, and the charming pink and purple house would make a perfect tearoom!
No one told me the house came with a Bengal cat in the attic who might just be guarding a treasure. How else to explain people breaking into my house?
And what about the handsome, arrogant chef in my kitchen no one else can see? Is he a figment of my imagination or a ghost? Either way, he’s putting a tasty French twist on my menu.
And before I can even open my tearoom, I’ve found a dead body!”
This is book 1 of the Haunted Tearoom Cozy Mystery series. Book 8, Tea is for Taken, was just released.

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the blog post by answering the following questions:
~What inspired you to choose the particular culinary setting for your mystery series?~
I chose the small-town beach setting in northern California because I’d love to move there, buy a Victorian home, and open a tearoom, but I don’t have the resources to do it in real life. Besides, it sounds like a lot of work!
~What kind of research goes into creating the culinary aspects of your mysteries?~
There’s a great deal of research that goes into creating the culinary aspects of my mysteries, from perusing cookbooks and food blogs, visiting tearooms around the country, and spending hours in my kitchen covered in flour!
~Do you have any personal culinary experience that has significantly influenced your writing?~
I began baking in my early teens and when I learned I could whip up a batch of cookies or shortbread and brighten someone’s day (or my own). As a single mother, baking was something that took very little money, and I loved being able to give my daughter (and myself) a sweet treat.

Bake our readers’ interest by providing some additional information

  • In one of Haunted Tearoom mysteries, food preference is a key clue to a murderer’s identity. In another, it reveals a main character’s hidden past.
  • Culinary elements reveal character traits, something I’ve observed in real life. People approach food much the way they do life. Some embrace pleasure, some greedily devour everything they can, and some cautiously take just one bite before committing. I love to give readers hints and clues through characters’ attitudes about food.
  • The dishes that April or others make in each book, and the included recipes, follow a theme. In the latest book, Tea is for Taken, April and her friend Irma visit Lavender Falls a magical place where lavender-themed food and drink is everywhere. I had fun experimenting with lavender in my baking.
  • My only challenge has been finding the time to research and test all the recipes. First, I find recipes that fit my story, next I see how I can make them a little different or unique, and then I make the recipe at least once (if it come out perfectly) but often 2-3 times before I get it just right.

SERVE WITH A RECIPE FROM YOUR BOOK (or your favorite recipe)

Sereni-Tea Cream Scones
Recipe from Tea is for Trouble
Yield: 10-16 scones depending on size and thickness

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose or plain flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons (30 grams) granulated or caster sugar
  • 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups (320-360 ml) heavy, whipping, or double cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
  2. In a medium to large bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar).
  3. Add 1 1/3 cup (320 ml) of the cream slowly while stirring until all the flour mixture is incorporated into the dough. Add remainder of cream if needed.
  4. Roll or pat dough until it’s ½ to ¾ inch thick.
  5. Cut round scones with a 2- to 3-inch cutter or glass.
  6. Place scones on parchment-lined or non-stick cookie sheet.
  7. Brush tops of scones with cream or milk (optional).
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until they are golden brown on the edges.

Serve with clotted cream with jam or preserves or lemon curd.