Pimento Cheese Recipe is A Dish to Die For (Review)

My fellow cozy mystery readers need to mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 9th. That’s when Lucy Burdette releases her latest edition of the Key West Food Critic Mysteries, A Dish to Die For, and it’s the best one yet. 

Actually, a better idea is to preorder your copy NOW!

In A Dish to Die For, magazine food critic Hayley Snow heads to a neighboring town with a friend to enjoy lunch on a beach away from the negativity she senses in post-Covid-pandemic Key West. However, her husband Nathan’s dog, Ziggy, digs up the body of GG Garcia, a rabble-rousing Key West developer. GG was best known for over-development of the fragile Keys, womanizing, and not following city rules. In other words, the man had enemies.

I’ve enjoyed all of Burdette’s Key West mysteries, but this one was my favorite by far. Her characters, especially Hayley, develop and mature with each edition. Hayley’s relationship with her husband feels authentic and not overly lovey-dovey the way books often portray marriage. And while trying to solve the murder, Hayley has to face a complicated but timely issue (I won’t say what since I don’t want to give anything away). This is handled in a genuine but also caring manner. 

What I also loved about this book was the clever way clues to solving the murder were found in something many home cooks have in their kitchens—those spiral-bound cookbooks produced by local non-profits. You know the ones I mean? They’re put together by church groups, a local children’s charity, or a family wanting to save cherished recipes. 

These cookbooks are full of recipes not from professional chefs or food writers but instead from home cooks. The dishes inside are hits at the family dinner table, holiday gatherings, or a neighborhood cookout. The simplicity of the recipes makes them perfect for home cooks. This is one of my favorites, from a Mennonite family who had a restaurant in their Missouri farmhouse. 

Photo courtesy of Lucy Burdette.

The spiral-bound cookbooks featured in A Dish to Die For are ones produced by the Woman’s Club of Key West, an actual organization in existence since 1915. The group meets in the Hellings House on busy Duval Street, which is available for private event rentals. The building is a setting in this book, and I suggest you visit the Woman’s Club website to see interior and exterior photos. 

Image from Key West Woman's Club Website

Burdette’s use of real Key West locations—and sometimes real people—is another thing I love about her work. I have a list of places to check out on my next Key West visit, all from the pages of her books. 

I also love that she includes recipes for dishes talked about in the story. There are several I want to try from this book, but the first I made was one for pimento cheese spread. I grew up eating it spread on celery and in sandwiches. This recipe is part of a three-layer finger sandwich that also includes a cucumber watercress filling and a curried egg salad filling.

I made some changes from the original pimento cheese recipe: I used yellow instead of white cheddar. And instead of sautéing the scallions in butter, I added them straight to the mixture for a more robust flavor. 

If you’ve only eaten pimento cheese found in the grocery store, you’re missing out! This recipe is the best I’ve had and is so easy to assemble. 

The pimento cheese and A Dish to Die For are big hits in my household. My mom is reading the book and keeps reminding me not to give anything away before she finishes. 

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Hemingway Black Bean Soup

 

Sometimes you just need a big pot of comfort beans. 

When I wrote the review of Key Lime Crime by Lucy Burdette in August, I was transported back to the single day I spent in Key West while on a cruise in 2016. Those 6 hours were enough for me to fall in love with the town’s unique and beautiful spirit. 

I loved the houses with sleeping porches to beat the nighttime heat. I loved all the people traveling on bikes and scooters.

I even decided the chickens roaming everywhere were cute!

My favorite stop was the Hemingway Home. No big surprise a writer would be intrigued by the home of such a famous and infamous author like Ernest Hemingway. 

I still dream of one day having a writing studio inspired by his. Also, as a cat person who is absent from feline friends thanks to rental agreements, I had to pet each one of the purring polydactyl (six-toed) creatures I met.

In the gift shop, I picked up a copy of The Hemingway Cookbook by Craig Boreth. It’s a lovely cookbook full of stories and photos of Ernest Hemingway and the key people and places in his life. Plus, there are plenty of recipes for some of his favorite meals.

I tested out this one for black bean soup. My only changes from the original were to use chicken broth instead of just water and utilizing my slow cooker instead of the stovetop. 

What I love most about this recipe is you can use these beans in many other dishes as well. They work for refried black beans, a bean dip, or drained and added to burritos. Soup isn’t the only option with a pot full of these beauties! 

I’ve marked a few more recipes in the cookbook to try (Lime Ice, anyone!) and Key West is tops on my list of places to explore further one day. 

 

Yield: 6

Author: Linda Ditch

Print

Hemingway Black Bean Soup

Adapted from The Hemingway Cookbook by Craig Boreth

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry black beans
• 2 large green bell peppers
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
• 32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Hot sauce, to taste
• Diced bell peppers, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions

1. The night before, rinse the beans and check for any stones. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water to 2 to 4 inches above the level of the beans. Set aside to soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain the water from the beans and then pour the beans into a slow cooker. Dice the green bell peppers and onion and add to the cooker, along with all the ingredients up to the vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. Add water to the slow cooker if more moisture is needed.
3. Just before serving, add the vinegar, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Serve as is or over rice. (I used brown rice.) Garnish with the chopped bell peppers and sour cream (or Greek-style yogurt).

Created using The Recipes Generator

Author Lucy Burdette Answers Questions About Key West Food Critic Series

 

Meet Lucy Burdette, the author of the Key West food critic mystery series. The newest edition, The Key Lime Crime, was released on Tuesday, August 11, 2020.

 

Lucy is actually clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib. Along with her Florida-based series, she has published the golf lover’s mystery series and the advice column mysteries. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and a past-president of Sisters in Crime.

 

As a huge fan of the series, I had some questions for her about its creation and the new book. Here are the answers she sent via email:

 

Q: What is it you love most about Key West?

LB: I love so many things about Key West, from the weather in winter time to the arts and book scene, to the quirky people who live there, to the wonderful variety of restaurants.

 

Q: What inspired you to create the character of Hayley Snow?

LB: When I was between contracts, I heard about a publisher looking for a new series featuring a food critic. I thought, I love to eat, I can do that! My husband and I were just in the process of setting up winter residence in Key West and I realized that this would make a perfect setting. Then I tried to imagine a character who would have an outsider view of the island and lots of conflict about staying there. Not that she was conflicted about staying there but it’s expensive and not so easy to get a job and these would be things she would face. Hence, Hayley Snow was born!

 

Q: You put real-life people in your books. Why?

LB: I think the first real person I put in the book was police officer Steve Torrence. He has become a good friend and is very generous with giving me advice about police procedure, so this was a kind of thank you. Since then, Key West characters in real life have become irresistible! Hayley's friend and tarot card reader Lorenzo is a real person, who reads cards for people at the Mallory Square sunset celebration. (His real name is Ron and now he advises me!) Some people have bought names or names of pets in charity auctions and that is always fun. In the new book, the orange tiger kitten T-bone is a real cat, whom I adopted from the FKSPCA.

 

Q: Do you create all the recipes in the books?

LB: Unless otherwise noted, the recipes are mine. Of course I read about the dishes I want to make, and like to try to copy dishes from the restaurants we enjoy. But they are my own versions.

 

Q: How do you feel about key lime pie? Do you have a favorite?

LB: I think that we tasted at least 10 different pies while I was writing this book. My favorite version has a graham cracker crust, no food coloring in the filling, and whipped cream on top. However I will try any Key lime pie presented to me! My husband told me at the end of this adventure that he really doesn’t like Key lime pie that much. And that shows you what a good sport he is.

 

Q: What are your top 5 not-to-miss Key West spots people should visit?

LB: Some of my favorite places are the Harry Truman Little White House, the Hemingway home with polydactyl cats, the custom house museum, Mallory Square at sunset, and a conch train tour around the island, especially for new visitors.

 

Q: How do you divide your year between Florida and Connecticut? How are the atmospheres between the two places different?

LB: We are Key West residents, and we often are there from October to May. After that it gets too hot and humid and I dread the hurricane season! We are happy to spend the remaining time in Connecticut to visit old friends and family. I miss each place while I’m away.

 

Q: Anything else you’d like readers to know?

LB: I was a clinical psychologist in my previous career and I hope that comes through in the characters I bring to life. It’s hard not to nudge these people to get into therapy when I know it would help! LOL

 

You can learn more about Lucy and her books at her website here.

Burdette Mystery Series Celebrates Food and Key West—The Perfect Combo

 

Is it possible to fall in love with a place in just a few hours?

 

Absolutely!

 

That’s exactly what happened when I visited Key West while on a Carnival cruise in 2016. After shopping on Duval Street, exploring Hemmingway’s home, photographing the chickens that roam the streets, and devouring a slice of key lime pie, as well as numerous pieces of key lime fudge, I was in love with this town on the southernmost point of the continental United States.

 

When I returned home, I immediately started to read Lucy Burdette’s Key West Food Critic cozy mystery series. I was hooked, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering the main character, Hayley Snow, is a food writer. She also lives on a houseboat, which she shares with a feisty-but-loving elderly woman. I zoomed through all of the editions already in print and then waited for each new edition with great anticipation and little patience.

 

Announcement! The newest book, The Key Lime Crime, will be released on Tuesday, August 11, 2020!

 

This is the 10^th book in the series, and lucky me got an advance copy.

 

I enjoyed every page!

Set during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, when Key West, Florida explodes with tourists, Hayley is covering a key lime pie baking contest. Plus, her new mother-in-law comes for a visit—the same woman who didn’t come to the wedding a few weeks earlier. When Hayley, her elderly (and sassy) roommate, and mother-in-law discover the body of controversial new pastry chef from the contest, the trio sets out to find the murderer, which doesn’t make new husband and detective, Nathan, very happy.

One of the aspects of Burdette’s series I adore is her ability to describe Key West so clearly. It’s easy to feel like you’re right in the midst of the quirky town. She also includes real locations, restaurants, and people in her stories. With most of us feeling cooped up because of the coronavirus pandemic, reading this series is like taking a mini-vacation. In fact, I have a list of places from her books I plan to explore when I return for a longer visit.

Besides being an enjoyable read, the book also has recipes for many of the dishes mentioned in the story—thank goodness! So far, I’ve tested out the Chai Snickerdoodles, and they were tasty. The only change I would make would be to add a little vanilla to the cookie dough, which I’ll try out the next time. And yes, there will be a next time!

 

Since key lime is in the title, there are numerous references to the various pie styles found on the island, including this one from Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe I posted about after my visit. The book includes key lime martini and key lime parfait recipes, both of which are on my gotta-try list.

 

If you’re a fan of mysteries, food, unique characters, or tropical settings, then you need to read the Key West Food Critic series.

 

STAY TUNED! On Thursday, August 13, I’ll post a Q&A interview I did with Lucy Burdette about this series and the new book! Plus, over the next few weeks, I will post recipes not only from her books but from a couple of cookbooks I bought on my visit.