Ellen Byron's Blog, page 6
November 24, 2020
Three Tasty Thanksgiving Recipes - including Sugar High Pie!
I wanted to share three delicious Thanksgiving recipes with you all. First up is one for stuffing from my pal Leslie Karst, author of the terrific Sally Solari Mysteries. Leslie and I blog together, along with six other awesome mystery authors at chicksonthecase.com. She's also a trained chef, so you can count on her for a tasty dish. Click here for a link to the recipe.
The second recipe is my own creation for leftovers, Turkey-Dinner-in-a-Braid, from BODY ON THE BAYOU, my second Cajun Country Mystery. I love sharing this recipe with readers. Click here to access it.
The third recipe, from MURDER IN THE BAYOU BONEYARD, is my twist on pecan pie. It's loaded with so many goodies that it also qualifies as a candy bar, lol! My friend and fellow author Kim Davis also has the best website, cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com, where she shares recipes and even videos of her process. Click here to access her take on Sugar High Pie.
Sending gratitude and thanks to everyone during this unprecedented holiday season. I am so thankful for each and every reader who has found me.
Much love,
Ellen
Three Tasty Thanksgiving Recipes - including Sugar High Pie!
I wanted to share three delicious Thanksgiving recipes with you all. First up is one for stuffing from my pal Leslie Karst, author of the terrific Sally Solari Mysteries. Leslie and I blog together, along with six other awesome mystery authors at chicksonthecase.com. She's also a trained chef, so you can count on her for a tasty dish. Click here for a link to the recipe.
The second recipe is my own creation for leftovers, Turkey-Dinner-in-a-Braid, from BODY ON THE BAYOU, my second Cajun Country Mystery. I love sharing this recipe with readers. Click here to access it.
The third recipe, from MURDER IN THE BAYOU BONEYARD, is my twist on pecan pie. It's loaded with so many goodies that it also qualifies as a candy bar, lol! My friend and fellow author Kim Davis also has the best website, cinnamonsugarandalittlebitofmurder.com, where she shares recipes and even videos of her process. Click here to access her take on Sugar High Pie.
Sending gratitude and thanks to everyone during this unprecedented holiday season. I am so thankful for each and every reader who has found me.
Much love,
Ellen
October 12, 2020
Homemade Halloween Treats
Halloween will look different this year, that's for sure. But we can all still enjoy this special spooky time. Here are two recipes for tasty treats with a Halloween theme.
HAUNTING HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES
CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:
1 box white cake mix
1 cup pureed cauliflower (*)
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large egg whites
6 oz. nonfat vanilla yogurt (I like Trader Joe’s French Vanilla because it doesn’t have fake sweeteners in it)
FROSTING:
See below.
FOR DECORATING:
Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies
Toothpicks and Peeps ghosts (if they’re available)
Candy pumpkins
Coconut
Green food coloring (you can substitute green sprinkles for the coconut and green food coloring)
Stick pretzels (optional)
Cupcake holders
CUPCAKE INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix on slow speed for 30 seconds to blend; then mix on a medium speed for at least two minutes until the ingredients are smooth. Feel free to blend longer if you need to.
Fill cupcake holders 2/3rd full. Bake cupcakes according to instructions on the box. (BTW, ignore the ingredient list on the cake box! These ingredients are a substitute for those).
(*) NOTE: To make the cauliflower puree, cut up a head of cauliflower and steam it until it’s tender. Then puree it in a blender or Cuisinart until it has a smooth consistency (it may not be totally smooth but get it as close as you can). You can also buy riced cauliflower and puree it, which is what I did for this blog post.
Makes 20-24 cupcakes.
FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS:
I’m not a fan of canned frosting but if it makes your life easier, go for it. If you want to make your own chocolate frosting, here’s a recipe inspired by one in The Cake Doctor, by Ann Byrn.
(Note: I make chocolate frosting because I feel like it adds a night-time touch. You can also make vanilla frosting, dye it green, and skip the colored coconut.)
FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
8 T. butter at room temperature
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup milk (plus additional, if needed to thin the frosting)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Blend the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is soft and well-combined. (If you have an electric mixer, run it on low speed.) Stop the machine and add 1 cup powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt to the bowl. Run on low speed to incorporate. Repeat to add the rest of the sugar, adding a little milk if the frosting is too thick or a little confectioner’s sugar if it’s too thin.
Makes approx.. 3 cups of frosting.
DECORATING INSTRUCTIONS:
Frost the cupcakes.
Use green food dye to color coconut and sprinkle it on top of the cupcake so that it resembles grass. (If you don’t like coconut, look for green sprinkles.)
Fill a cake decorating bag pre-set with the smallest tip with about ¼ cup frosting. If you don’t have a cake decorating set, put the frosting into small plastic lunch bag and snip a small corner from the bag. Use the frosting to write “R.I.P.” on a Pepperidge farm Milano cookie, then stick the cookie into the cupcake.
Add a candy pumpkin in front of the “tombstone.” If you want to add a broken “fence” to your decoration, use some of the frosting as “glue” to form the fence from three pretzel sticks. Place in freezer for a few minutes to harden the frosting “glue.”
Sadly, Peeps ghosts aren’t available this year, but if they are, insert a toothpick halfway into a Peeps ghost, then insert the exposed end of the toothpick into the cupcake.
TRANSPORTATION TIP:
Halloween is going to be quite different this year. But if you’re bringing these to a socially-distanced party or bake sale, I used the large plastic cups you get at a store like Smart and Final, flipping the cup over so that the lid served as a base.
Makes 20-22 cupcakes.
Cajun Pecan Cookie “Fingers”
Ingredients
1 cup softened butter
8 tbsp. powdered sugar
2 and ¾ cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
4 T. vanilla
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Frosting of your choice (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix together to blend. Add the other ingredients and work the dough together with your hands. (Yes, your hands. It’s like you’re making pie crust dough.)
Shape the dough into finger-length cylinders, almost like small cigars. If you want to, you can make a couple of horizontal hashmarks on each cook to replicate the wrinkles on fingers. Place the cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for about 15 minutes.
Either sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar or frost the tips like fingernails turn them into spooky fingers!
Yield: 24-36, depending on the size of the cookies.
October 4, 2020
Sign up for "HAUNTED LOUISIANA: FACT OR FICTION?"
October 10, 4 pm EST, 3 Central, 1 PST
A special virtual event! Join me, Chere Coen (Haunted Lafayette; Magic is in the Bag); Mark Bologna (Beyond Bourbon Street Podcast); and Keenan Powell (Maeve Malloy Mysteries) as we discuss some of Louisiana's most famous ghost stories and legends. Event includes giveaways. ,,Click here to register.
September 17, 2020
September 12, 2020
Murder in the Bayou Boneyard has launched! Join me on my Virtual Blog Tour...
To celebrate the launch of MURDER IN THE BAYOU BONEYARD, the sixth book in my Agatha Award-winning Cajun Country Mystery series...
I've got some fantastic "e-ppearances" lined up with amazing authors like Hallie Ephron, Elaine Viets, Lori Rader-Day, Vicki Delany, and Daryl Wood Gerber. Check out my Appearances page for links to these fun events you can watch from home in your jammies!
Hope to e-see you soon!
Ellen
September 7, 2020
Why do I do a "Shameless Shilling Campaign?"
Promoting your own work is HARD. Really hard. So I came up with a tongue-in-cheek way to do it. You can read about here at Chicks on the Case.
July 27, 2020
Ten New Orleans Do's and Don'ts for 2020
March 2020: As summer approaches and people start making travel plans, I thought I'd re-share this post for anyone planning a NOLA trip.
It's official. The Big Easy has beat out my hometown, The Big Apple, as my favorite city in America. I adore New Orleans' warmth, exuberance, and fascinating culture. But even though the Crescent City is magical, it's important to remember that it's still an actual city, replete with all the pluses and minuses of a major metropolis. Here are ten do's and don'ts that will help you laissez les bon temps rouler - let the good times roll.
DO: Eat at off hours. During normal meal times, you may find an hour-long wait at the most casual French Quarter restaurant. So go earlier or later. We went to Mother's, one of my favorite haunts, at 4:45 one day simply because we were starving at that time. We got right in. Ten minutes later, there was a line down the block. This is especially true if the Saints are in town. Those fans like to eat and party!
DO: Visit quirky museums and watering holes. You certainly want to go to The Presbytere, with its wonderful exhibits and beautiful location next to St. Louis Cathedral. But the city's quirky museums are absolutely worth a visit, like the funky New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum and the also-funky New Orleans Historical Pharmacie Museum. For a memorable Vieux Carre afternoon, follow a museum visit with a little libation at one of the city's historic bars like the Napoleon House or Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, the oldest bar in the Quarter. And add the World War II Museum to your list. Bring tissues and plan to spend at least a few hours there.
DO: Take the time to stroll along the Moonwalk and watch vessels glide down the Mighty Mississippi. I've always loved relaxing on the wooden stairs that abut the river at the foot of Jackson Square. Nothing soothes me like listening to the Mississippi lap at my feet with occasional ship's horn in the distance. Adjacent to the Moonwalk, you'll find both Washington Artillery Park - a raised plaza that offers a great view of Jackson Square - and in the other direction, Woldenberg Riverfront Park. Enjoy a lovely walk with river vistas in one direction and the Quarter in the other. Sidebar: Moonwalk is named for the city's legendary mayor, Moon Landrieu, who spurred the walk's development in the 70s. His son Mitch is the current mayor of New Orleans.
DO: Take a streetcar ride up St. Charles Avenue. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar offers a beautiful, old-timey ride that passes through the city's gracious Garden District and the mansions of Uptown. (Built later than the Garden district, this area is also known as the Silk Stocking Ward.)You’ll tootle by Loyola University and my alma mater, Tulane University. (Roll, Wave!) Both are across the street from Audubon Park. You can stay on the streetcar to the Riverbend neighborhood and stop for lunch at Camellia Grill, whose waffles, burgers, and pecan pie are legendary. But make sure you get on the right streetcar, or you could end up going in the wrong direction.
DO: Watch where you step on Bourbon Street. Everything you've heard about Bourbon Street is true. There's nothing like walking past a strip club barker with your sixteen year-old just as the man yells out jovially, "It's T--ty Time!" (Hope I didn't offend anyone, but I had to share!) All party roads eventually lead to Bourbon Street, and the unpleasant result of too many Dacquiris or Hurricanes can be icky puddles of you-know-what on the ground. So keep one eye on the crazy and one eye on the ground.
AND NOW SOME IMPORTANT DON'TS:
DON’T: Wander off the beaten path at night. New Orleans - especially the French Quarter- may feel like an adult Disneyland, but it's not.There's crime, like in any major city, so protect yourself by making your wallet as inaccessible as possible and doing your nighttime exploring in a group. I was told by natives that it’s best not to stray past Dauphine Street in the late evening. Where's Dauphine, you ask? I couldn't tell you north, south, east or west in NOLA if you put a gun to my head - which unfortunately has happened to some visitors. I can tell you that it's away from the river. Sidebar: you'll frequently hear these kind of directions in the city. "How do I get to Decatur Street?" "Walk two blocks toward the river." "Where's Rampart Street?" "It's six blocks away from the river." The Mississippi serves as a de facto compass for NOLA.
DON’T: be surprised when your hotel bill shoots up at checkout. Holy moly, we were! The city tacks a lot of taxes onto your room rate. By the time they were figured into our bill, our nightly rate increased by 20%. It didn't break the bank, but it did up-end our budget a bit. So either check before you make a reservation or assume there will be an increase and prepare for it. And if you dodge it, let me know where you stayed.
DON’T: lose track of your liquor consumption. In a city where people walk around wearing sixty-four ounce fish bowls full of liquor around their necks - I kid you not - this is very easy to do.
New Orleans is open-carry when it comes to booze. As long as it's in a plastic container of some kind, you're good to go, which is why you see people stumbling drunk at 8 a.m. Pace yourself, people. If you don't, there's a good chance you’ll be the one barfing up what others are trying to step over.
DON’T: be shocked by the number of homeless people with dogs. Especially on Decatur Street near the French Market, where you'll see them in practically every doorway. I nearly went broke handing out dollar bills, along with warnings that the money was to be used for the animals. I saw homeless men and women who cherished their pets, and vagrants who seemed to use them as a tool to garner sympathy dollars from rubes like me. I will say that the dogs seemed well-fed. But it still upset me, which is why I'm including this warning in my list.
DON’T: be afraid to be a tourist. Go ahead, hit those restaurants you’ve heard about for years. Places like Antoine’s, Brennan's, Galatoires, et al, have been around for decades and even centuries not because they’re tourist traps but because the locals still frequent them. Here's an example. My family was at Brennan's having a drink before dinner during a recent visit when I was surprised by an old college pal who happened to be there with her daughter. She told me that Antoine's would be closed the next night for a private debutante party. (Being a deb is a huge deal in NOLA.) To take advantage of Antoine's Happy Hour at their Hermes Bar, we flipped around our evening plans.
These are just a few suggestions on how to have a great time in The Big Easy from moi. Readers, if you have any do's and don'ts about visiting New Orleans, I'd love to hear them!
July 23, 2020
Sneak Peek! Prologue for MURDER IN THE BAYOU BONEYARD
As a special treat for my wonderful readers, I'm sharing the prologue for Cajun Country Mystery #6, MURDER IN THE BAYOU BONEYARD. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thanks for reading the prologue from MURDER IN THE BAYOU BONEYARD, the sixth book in my Agatha Award-winning, USA Today Bestselling Cajun Country Mystery series.
July 13, 2020
A Tale of Two Titles
Thought you'd enjoy my post at Chicks on the Case today about how I came up with two of my book titles. Click here to read it!
