Louisa Edwards's Blog, page 10
January 17, 2011
Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit...
I'm about to head out to the grocery store for provisions. It's still chilly enough here that I want to make soup or stew, maybe something with beans. Especially after the success of that yummy chickpea & spinach stew last week! Anyone have a great bean recipe to share?
January 14, 2011
Cover Hotness!
So exciting--I can finally share my new cover with you all! TOO HOT TO TOUCH, first in the Hot Trilogy, will be out August 2nd, and let me tell you, it's not just the title that's hot. I'm in lust...
What do you think? Does it make you eager to meet my new crop of sexy, talented, passionate chefs as they battle it out in the Rising Star Chef competition? 
What do you think? Does it make you eager to meet my new crop of sexy, talented, passionate chefs as they battle it out in the Rising Star Chef competition?
January 12, 2011
The Perfect Dish by Kristen Painter
THE PERFECT DISH by Kristen Painter is now out! Who doesn't love a hot chef hero?Blurb: Texas-born Kelly Spicer is not just one of Manhattan's hottest young chefs, he's also one of the city's most eligible bachelors. Desperate to help his grieving sister, Kelly uses the magic cookbook passed down through his family's generations to conjure up a recipe of chocolate-laced persuasion to enlist the help of the only woman he thinks can reach his sister.
Psychologist Meredith Black has buried two husbands,an experience which has made her an expert in grief and pushed her to pen two books that landed her on the Oprah show and the best seller list. A cynic in matters of the heart, her success does nothing to ease her belief that she's a jinx. She vows never to love again and when she makes that sentiment public, dating Kelly becomes her best damage control.
You can find it on Amazon or B&N.
Doesn't that cover make you want to drag that guy into the kitchen and...bake a cake? Rowr!
January 11, 2011
Baby, It's Cold Outside
It is COLD here in Austin today. Does it make me a hypocrite if I kind of like it? I know, I know, I complained a lot about the bitter, looooong winters in Ohio, and I was stoked to live someplace warmer. But here, there's no snow to shovel, I made a hearty stew last night (chickpeas, spinach, and tomatoes, with a garlicky aioli dolloped on top,) and have a fire in the fireplace. It was kind of awesome. Maybe I'm just not a fan of 5-month winters with lots of icy, slushy, snowy mess.
What's your favorite thing about winter weather?
What's your favorite thing about winter weather?
January 7, 2011
New Year's Resolutions
I know it's a little late, but I thought I'd post about those tricky beasts, New Year's resolutions. There's an art to them, you see. You want to them to stretch you, to propel you further than you've managed to go before--but you also want them to be achievable. Quick hint: don't word them like "I'll NEVER do x and such" or "I'll do x and such every single day!" Unless you were already working hard on that goal, you're not going to be able to make such a drastic, complete switch.
But it's just as dangerous to word your resolution too vaguely. "I'll try to do x and such more." More than what? "More" could mean once, or it could mean three times a week. Be specific, but reasonable.
My goals are these: I will work toward being able to swim a mile three times a week by February 15th. I will take advantage of living in Austin by going out once a week (to a bar, to listen to live music, to take a class, to a museum, etc) and I will read fifty books this year.
That last one is my favorite! I was a voracious reader long before I was a writer, and I miss it. The activities are so closely linked in my head; I tend to feel like if I'm reading, I'm slacking, and should be using that time to write. But reading is actually a part of writing--it's how I expand my vocabulary, not just of word definitions, but of ideas and emotions and personality traits and settings.
Plus, I just plain love to read.
So I'm off to a good start, beginning with AS ALWAYS, JULIA, the collected letters of Julia Child and her first publishing contact and dear friend, Avis DeVoto. I'm about a quarter of the way through it, and it's every bit as charming as you think it is. I'd be glad for some book recommendations from all of you! I'll ask again, don't worry. And I plan to keep track of my progress right here on this blog, so you can all help keep me honest!
What were your New Year's resolutions this year?
But it's just as dangerous to word your resolution too vaguely. "I'll try to do x and such more." More than what? "More" could mean once, or it could mean three times a week. Be specific, but reasonable.
My goals are these: I will work toward being able to swim a mile three times a week by February 15th. I will take advantage of living in Austin by going out once a week (to a bar, to listen to live music, to take a class, to a museum, etc) and I will read fifty books this year.
That last one is my favorite! I was a voracious reader long before I was a writer, and I miss it. The activities are so closely linked in my head; I tend to feel like if I'm reading, I'm slacking, and should be using that time to write. But reading is actually a part of writing--it's how I expand my vocabulary, not just of word definitions, but of ideas and emotions and personality traits and settings.
Plus, I just plain love to read.So I'm off to a good start, beginning with AS ALWAYS, JULIA, the collected letters of Julia Child and her first publishing contact and dear friend, Avis DeVoto. I'm about a quarter of the way through it, and it's every bit as charming as you think it is. I'd be glad for some book recommendations from all of you! I'll ask again, don't worry. And I plan to keep track of my progress right here on this blog, so you can all help keep me honest!
What were your New Year's resolutions this year?
December 18, 2010
Holiday Treasures
I finally put my Christmas tree up yesterday. I know! Better late than never, though, right? The only thing missing is the popcorn and cranberry garland. May have to watch The Ref tonight and string some!
Oscar wants to know why he can't go tearing through the living room the way he usually does.
Anyway, I had a lovely time cooing over old family ornaments with my mom. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I've collected a lot of fruits and vegetables over the years--like this cute green tomato! What's your favorite holiday keepsake?
Oscar wants to know why he can't go tearing through the living room the way he usually does.
Anyway, I had a lovely time cooing over old family ornaments with my mom. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I've collected a lot of fruits and vegetables over the years--like this cute green tomato! What's your favorite holiday keepsake?
December 16, 2010
Cover Art News!
Oh my gosh, you guys! I've got the cover art for my next book, Too Hot to Touch, and I'm DYING to share it with you...but I can't yet. Sorry! While we make sure we have final approvals, everyone chime in--what are some of your favorite book covers of all time?
Here are a few of mine:
Here are a few of mine:
December 14, 2010
TKA Blog Party
Come one, come all! An invitation to the event of the season, hosted by The Knight Agency Blog:
HO HO HO! It's the most wonderful time of the year, and that means it's time for TKA's annual online holiday party! Join our agents, authors and TKA Santa for an hour of non-stop giveaways. This is our most fun, relaxed chat of the year. No worries about what to ask a guest author or waiting your turn to speak -- it's literally a free for all! This year Gena Showalter, Nalini Singh, Maria Geraci, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Shannon K. Butcher, Linda Gerber, Michelle Celmer, Louisa Edwards, Lydia Dare, Joey W. Hill, Jessica Andersen, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Chris Marie Green and Shirley Jump are all giving away signed copies of their releases. Plus we're raiding our book closets and giving out titles by Rachel Caine, Marley Gibson and Cecil Murphey, among others. Oh yeah, and there's a Christmas stocking prize stuffed with books and holiday treats.
Don't forget to mark your calendars!
WHAT: Knight Agency Annual Holiday Lunchbox Chat
WHEN: Thursday, December 16th @ 12:30pm ET
WHERE: The Knight Agency Chat Room, http://client1.sigmachat.com/sc.php?id=115545
HOW TO CHAT: Enter any combination of username and password. Login. Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.
HO HO HO! It's the most wonderful time of the year, and that means it's time for TKA's annual online holiday party! Join our agents, authors and TKA Santa for an hour of non-stop giveaways. This is our most fun, relaxed chat of the year. No worries about what to ask a guest author or waiting your turn to speak -- it's literally a free for all! This year Gena Showalter, Nalini Singh, Maria Geraci, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Shannon K. Butcher, Linda Gerber, Michelle Celmer, Louisa Edwards, Lydia Dare, Joey W. Hill, Jessica Andersen, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Chris Marie Green and Shirley Jump are all giving away signed copies of their releases. Plus we're raiding our book closets and giving out titles by Rachel Caine, Marley Gibson and Cecil Murphey, among others. Oh yeah, and there's a Christmas stocking prize stuffed with books and holiday treats. Don't forget to mark your calendars!
WHAT: Knight Agency Annual Holiday Lunchbox Chat
WHEN: Thursday, December 16th @ 12:30pm ET
WHERE: The Knight Agency Chat Room, http://client1.sigmachat.com/sc.php?id=115545
HOW TO CHAT: Enter any combination of username and password. Login. Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.
December 10, 2010
Holiday Recipe: Mississippi Nut Cake
Otherwise known, by the more upfront, less teetotalling side of my family, as Whiskey Cake! This is one of my all-time holiday favorites, and it's one of those that proves how delicious simple recipes can be. It's the fruitcake for people who hate fruitcake! I make miniature loaves as neighborhood gifts and wrap them in cute, holiday-printed cloth and clear plastic wrap, then tie a ribbon around it, and attach a miniature airline-sized bottle of Jack Daniels. Sometimes I think about trying something new, but I get people begging me for their whiskey cakes year after year, so I never do!
Try it. I guarantee you'll love it!
Whiskey Cake
1 lb. chopped pecans
½ lb. golden raisins
1 ½ C. flour, separated (see below)
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ C. butter
1 1/8 C. sugar
3 eggs separated
2 tsps. Freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 C. good, sweet bourbon plus ½ C. (I usually use Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift the flour and measure 1 ½ C.
Mix ½ C. of the flour with the nuts and raisins. Sift the remaining flour again with the baking powder and salt.
Cream butter and sugar and add 3 egg yolks. Mix the nutmeg and whiskey together and add little by little , alternating with dry ingredients. Add nuts and raisins; finally beat egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter.
Pour into 2 regular-sized loaf pans or four mini-loaf pans and let stand for a few minutes to settle. Bake at 325 for about 1 ¼ hours.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let stand in the pans for 1 hour before pouring an extra half cup of bourbon over the whole thing and taking them out of the pans to finish cooling.
Wrap in clean cloth and continue "watering" with bourbon. You can't put too much! The cake just gets better and better...
Try it. I guarantee you'll love it!
Whiskey Cake
1 lb. chopped pecans
½ lb. golden raisins
1 ½ C. flour, separated (see below)
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ C. butter
1 1/8 C. sugar
3 eggs separated
2 tsps. Freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 C. good, sweet bourbon plus ½ C. (I usually use Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift the flour and measure 1 ½ C.
Mix ½ C. of the flour with the nuts and raisins. Sift the remaining flour again with the baking powder and salt.
Cream butter and sugar and add 3 egg yolks. Mix the nutmeg and whiskey together and add little by little , alternating with dry ingredients. Add nuts and raisins; finally beat egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter.
Pour into 2 regular-sized loaf pans or four mini-loaf pans and let stand for a few minutes to settle. Bake at 325 for about 1 ¼ hours.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let stand in the pans for 1 hour before pouring an extra half cup of bourbon over the whole thing and taking them out of the pans to finish cooling.
Wrap in clean cloth and continue "watering" with bourbon. You can't put too much! The cake just gets better and better...
December 9, 2010
Book Club
Who's got the wine and cheese plate? It's Book Club Day! Over at Marie Force's blog, we're all gabbing about Just One Taste. How fun is that? I'm also giving away a signed copy of the whole Market Trilogy, Can't Stand the Heat, On the Steamy Side, and Just One Taste. Plus, there are several great recipes! You seriously don't want to miss it. Pop on over and put in your two cents on the book. I'd love to chat with you!
