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. 

***Hey, thanks for reading! If you've enjoyed my posts or tried one of my recipes, you can support my writing efforts through Buy Me a Coffee...or tea...or flavored fizzy water. Your donation will be greatly appreciated, especially now as I deal with a chronic autoimmune disease that flared back up again. The button is located on the right-hand side of this page or you can follow the link here. If you can't donate, that's okay, too. Either way, thank you so much for reading my stuff!  

Krista Davis Comes Through Again with Diva No. 14

 

Falling in love with a cozy mystery series can be the proverbial double-edged sword. On the one hand, I get all excited when I get the latest edition. It’s like catching up with old friends you haven’t seen in a long while. 

However, there is always the risk of the newest installment not living up to the previous books. We cozy mystery fans have all experienced the decline in a well-loved series. It starts when we come to the end of a book and think, “Hum, that wasn’t as enjoyable as I’d hoped.” 

Thank goodness that hasn’t happened with Krista Davis’s Domestic Diva series! 

I just finished reading The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit, number 14 in the series, and I loved it! In this edition, event organizer and domestic advice expert Sophie Winston is in the middle of Old Town Alexandria’s Home Decorating Festival. Still, she has time to pick up her best friend, Nina, at the airport after she returns from a trip to Portugal. However, when Sophie finds one of Nina’s traveling companions dead the following morning, she wonders just what went on during that trip. Perhaps the clue scratched into the soil by the victim before dying will hold the answer. 

While the story takes place in the well-known Washington D.C. suburb, it has some international intrigue and a possible smuggling operation woven into the plot. When another traveler turns up dead, Sophie worries her friend is next on the list. 

The book was enthralling from the first paragraph to the last. There was a surprise at the end, which made me both laugh out loud and cheer. Plus, it was lovely to catch up on all the goings-on with Sophie, Nina, Mars, Bernie, Humphrey, and of course, Natasha, the other domestic diva in the book who antagonizes everyone. 

Natasha doesn’t have as prominent a role in this book as the previous ones, which I found to be a relief. She is pretty annoying, though Davis is good at giving her some redeeming qualities to keep us from wondering why Sophie remains her friend. Still, it was nice to only have her pop in from time to time as part of an entertaining subplot to the main story. 

Of course, the book also ends with some tasty recipes. I can’t wait to try the Mango Peach Salsa, Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes, and Pear Upside-Down Skillet Cake. 

Since it’s the start of berry season, I made the Berry Pecan Coffee Cake. Buttery and full of blueberries, it’s the perfect partner to my morning cup of coffee. 

To learn more about Davis, visit her website here. She also has a Paws and Claws series that is perfect for animal lovers, and a Pen and Ink series for the artist in all of us. 

You don’t have to read the Domestic Diva series in order, but if that’s your style, the first one is The Diva Runs Out of Thyme.

Other recipes from Krista Davis's mysteries I have posted about in the past include:

Garden Veggie White Pizza from The Diva Digs Up the Dirt

Sunset Boulevard Cocktail, also from The Diva Digs Up the Dirt

Cinnamon-Pumpkin Muffins from Murder, She Barked

Yield: 9

Author: Linda Ditch

Berry Pecan Coffee Cake

Adapted from a recipe found in The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit by Krista Davis, who gave permission for me to share this recipe. It is easy to make and perfect for breakfast or an afternoon tea break. Make sure to take the butter and eggs out of the fridge ahead of time to allow them to reach room temperature.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 packed cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup blueberries
• For topping:
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 3 Tablespoons softened butter
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 6 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside.
2. Lightly grease a 9-inch-square pan and line with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit but with the sides long enough to lift the finished cake out of the pan.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a bowl. Mix with a whisk or a fork to combine. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars with a mixer. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Then alternate adding the flour mixture with the applesauce, beating between each addition, until smooth. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish.
5. To make the topping, chop the pecans and combine them with the butter and brown sugar until combined. Sprinkle in lumps over the top of the cake batter. (The topping will melt and sink while baking.)
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center is set and a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then remove it to a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes or so. Serve the cake warm.

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.

The Must-Read Cozy Mystery Series

Book no. 13 is out today!

You know those nights when you can’t sleep? Maybe you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. Or perhaps you can’t shut your mind off to go to sleep in the first place.

The solution for me is to lose myself in the world inside a book. By visiting a different place and wrapping myself in the lives of characters who feel like friends, I am able to escape the troubles and fears of my own life long enough to relax and believe everything will be okay.

And my number one author of choice is cozy mystery writer Krista Davis.

One warning: Her books can cause one-more-chapter syndrome! The phenomenon where you'll stop reading after one more chapter. 

If you’re a fan of food, friendship, and mystery, then Davis’s Domestic Diva series needs to be on your list. Her latest edition, Diva Spices It Up, was released today, but I was lucky enough to win an advanced copy through a drawing on her Facebook page. 

The book didn’t disappoint. In fact, I think it may be the best one in the series! The two recipes I made from it didn’t disappoint, either.

In this book, Sophie Winston, event planner and food advice columnist, takes on ghostwriting a cookbook for a former actress when the previous writer disappears. Is the missing ghostwriter in hiding, or was she murdered? And what about all of the suspicious spy activity Sophie keeps witnessing in her Washington D.C. suburb?

I devoured this story like a fudgy piece of chocolate cake! The plot was intriguing, and the solution was not what I expected.

This was my favorite Davis book to date!

Plus, it was a joy to spend time in Sophie’s world for a while. I like Sophie. Her friends, including an ex-husband, love to gather in her kitchen to solve murders and enjoy good food. Sophie never thinks twice about whipping up a tasty meal or snack for whoever shows up. That skill connects with my own enjoyment of feeding good food to the people I love.

Like all of Davis’s books, there are recipes from the story included at the end. I tried out:

Cornbread with a Corny Twist, which was so good I ate three pieces in spite of each one being 11 points on my WW purple plan!

Roasted Parmesan Chicken Breast, which was crispy and perfect alongside some whole-grain linguini primavera. This photo doesn't do the recipe justice, but I was in a hurry to start eating!  (7 points on WW purple)

Both recipes will make regular menu appearances.

To learn more about Davis, visit her website here. She also has a Paws and Claws series that is perfect for animal lovers, and a Pen and Ink series for the artist in all of us.

You don’t have to read the Domestic Diva series in order, but if that’s your style, the first one is The Diva Runs Out of Thyme.

Trust me, you’re going to love it!

Already a Diva fan? What's your favorite book? Character? Who should Sophie choose for a love interest? 

Why Books Matter—Review of The Hate U Give

“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”

The Hate U Give first caught my attention while I was driving to cover a school board meeting after becoming the education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. (Which is also why I haven’t posted on here a lot lately. Sorry!)  I was listening to “All Things Considered” on NPR. They were doing interviews about the book’s movie version, which was released that weekend.

Author Angie Thomas talked about growing up in a mostly black, poor neighborhood in Jackson, Mississippi.  She said, “And I went to a mostly white, upper-class, private school just 10 minutes away from my home. But in 10 minutes, it was like going into an entirely different world. So, I overcompensated by doing what's called code-switching. I would make myself more presentable I thought. I was careful of how I spoke. I was careful of how much emotion I showed. And it was a struggle because so often I was silent on things that mattered to me.” 

I had just written a story about the College Prep Academy started in the public-school system here in Topeka. Middle school students could join to spend half their day at a new, beautiful school learning at a higher, more intense level to start preparing for a college future. The first group came from schools in Topeka’s poorer and more racially-diverse neighborhoods.

In other words, Thomas was describing those students. Kids that tugged at my heart because I knew they were trying to better their lives while dealing will all kinds of crap around them. Young people I’m cheering for, praying for, and hoping for their success.

But also, young people I know little about. Seriously, what does a middle-aged white woman who grew up in a typical middle-class family with two parents and a sister know about life in “the hood?” I’ll tell you what she knows—the stories in the paper and on the evening news depicting violence, drugs, and poverty. Not the people, and certainly not kids blossoming into adulthood.

So, I knew I had to read this book.

I just finished it last night, and I was blown away. I knew nothing. Absolutely nothing. The book taught me just how much I don’t understand about being black in America.

Or Asian

Or Latino

Or any minority.

I thought I wasn’t a prejudice person. I still don’t think I am, but this book showed me areas where I was letting unconscious bias cloud the way I thought about those news stories, and sometimes the people I met in person.

But I can listen. And learn. And try to understand, starting with this book.

The Hate U Give should be mandatory reading for everyone but at the very least our young people and their parents. It should also be discussed openly and non-judgmentally.

By the way, for the record, I can’t stand green bean casserole, but I do think mac and cheese bubbling from the oven is a meal. It’s also a good side dish.

Confused? Read the book.

Why Books Matter is a new segment I’m starting on my blog. I’ll write about the books I’m reading, especially ones that strike a chord with my heart. I gave it this name because, to me, books can reach people and instigate change more than anything else in the world other than education. Best of all, you can go back to the good ones time and time again.