Irene Preston's Blog, page 7

Kelly Jensen: Chicken Piccata Recipe

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So, I have at least one thing in common with the wonderful Kelly Jensen – we both love capers! Kelly is here today with her Chicken Piccata recipe.  Capers give a lovely little burst of bright flavor to a dish that I just adore and they will take your chicken-for-dinner to the next level. Don’t forget to scroll down and check out Kelly’s new book, Out in the Blue.

Kelly:
Chicken Piccata

I love capers. They’re super salty and have a really unique flavour. I can eat them straight out of the jar, but prefer adding them to my recipes. Sometimes I add too many and my family makes little piles of them on the sides of their plates. I usually eat those too.

One of my favourite recipes including capers is Chicken Piccata. I didn’t know this particular combination of ingredients actually had an official name until I saw it on a restaurant menu. My first experience of it was at a pot luck luncheon where it was simply referred to as the lemony chicken dish. A couple of years later, I found it on a restaurant menu where the description of lemon and capers sounded familiar. Something was missing, though. There were no artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes and the restaurant didn’t serve it with a heap of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Over the years, I’ve fiddled with many versions of this recipe. I’ve dropped the sun dried tomatoes because while I adore them, they can overpower the delicate lemon flavour. I always include the quartered artichoke hearts. Their texture really adds an interesting element. I’ve served my Chicken Piccata with rice, pasta and vegetables. I still prefer bread. I always make enough that I have left overs—the sauce thickens overnight and is really yummy the next day.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves, sliced lengthwise so you have eight pieces about a quarter inches thick. Alternatively, you can buy the thin sliced or “Fit & Easy” breasts.

salt and pepper

lemon zest (about a teaspoon)

garlic powder and paprika

1/3 cup flour

oil for cooking (enough to slick the bottom of the pan)

½ cup white wine. I always use wine I would drink for cooking. Not something cheap and nasty. The last time I made this recipe I used Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. It worked beautifully.

½ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 can of quartered artichoke hearts

1 teaspoon of capers

about six to eight thin slices of lemon

Parsley (as a garnish)

Set the oven to 350.

Prepare the chicken (slice it, or just open your handy dandy pre-sliced package). Salt and pepper the breasts and set aside. In either a Ziploc bag or bowl, mix the flour, zest, garlic powder and paprika. Coat the chicken with your seasoned flour.

In a decent sized skillet, heat the oil to a moderate temperature. You want to brown the breasts, but not cook them all the way through—a couple of minutes on each side, and don’t worry about a perfect or even brownness. A light tan will do! Cook the chicken in batches so you have plenty of room to turn them pieces over, then transfer the chicken to an oven proof/casserole dish and set aside.

Add the chicken stock to your still warm pan. Stir past all the stuck-on bits. This is your sauce. Add the wine and continue to cook (bubbling lightly) until the liquid has reduced a little. Add the lemon juice and reduce a little more. Add the capers and artichoke hearts. Heat through for another minute or so.

Pour the sauce over the chicken. If the artichokes all clump up on one side of the dish, even them out a bit. Add the lemon slices. Your dish might look something like this!

Put it into the oven and leave it there for about fifteen to twenty minutes. The sauce will thicken a little and the flavour lemon slices will sort of meld with everything else. This recipe is designed to serve four people, two pieces each. Garnish with parsley and don’t forget the bread!

Out in the Blue

At forty-five, Jared Tailler suddenly feels old. When his employer grounds him, he starts thinking in terms of measuring his coffin. Well, not quite, but he’s creakier and hairier than he was ten years ago, and his closest relationship is the one he has with his frequent-flyer card.

It’s time to get out there.

On the first day of a five-day hiking trip, he meets Finley Macrae, a younger, seemingly brighter man. As they inch together in halting steps, Jared learns he’s not the only one lost out in the blue—Fin’s good cheer hides a turbulence deeper than Jared’s midlife crisis. Maybe together they can find the trail to happiness.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2015 Daily Dose package “Never Too Late.”

Where to Buy Out in the Blue:

Amazon | ARe | Dreamspinner Press

 

About Kelly:

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Born in Australia and raised everywhere else, Kelly now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter and herd of four cats. After disproving the theory that water only spins counter-clockwise around drains north of the equator, she turned her attention to more productive pursuits such as reading, writing, writing about reading and writing stories of her own. She also enjoys volunteering at her local library, playing video games and holds a brown belt in Kiryoku, a martial art combining Shotokan, Aikido and Tang Soo Do. Her family is not intimidated by her.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, short stories, and this bio. She does not consider this bio a seminal work. Her books are much more interesting (and definitely sexier).

Visit Kelly Online:

Twitter | Facebook | Website

 

Amanda Shalaby: Fusilli with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Recipe

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Amanda Shalaby is here with a recipe that reminded me of Carlo… Yum! Off to buy sun-dried tomatoes and enjoy!

Don’t forget to check out an excerpt from Amanda’s book Bleddyn Hall after the recipe – you can pick it up FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Amanda:

I’m always on the lookout for a fast, easy and delicious meal since, well, I can’t order out ALL the time – but I need as much time later in the day to work on my next book! It takes about 40 minutes from prep to cooked and feeds about six people (which for just me and the hubby means leftovers)!

Fusilli with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved

1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed

2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

16 ounces fusilli pasta

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed, optional

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

 

Bleddyn Hall

After a whirlwind romance during the London Season, Lady Isabel Sutton finds herself quickly engaged to the handsome Lord Tresham  Bleddyn, Earl of Dancy.  When his father passes away suddenly, however, his period of mourning delays their marriage and ruins the season for Tresham’s  younger, twin sisters, Annalise and Rosamund.

After the girls invite Isabel to their Yorkshire home, Bleddyn  Hall, Tresham  seems an entirely different man than the one she fell in love with in London.  Not only that, but all is not well within the walls of Bleddyn  Hall. The house’s dark secrets lead to murder, mystery, and a gruesome discovery.

Was Isabel’s happy future with Tresham  nothing more than an illusion?  What is more, will she survive her stay at Bleddyn Hall?

Excerpt from Bleddyn Hall:

Lord Easton was all smiles at the buffet table. “I am delighted with our table, Lord Dancy,” he said, filling Rosamund’s plate with lobster rolls, crab puffs, and smoked salmon sandwiches. “It is a great pleasure to be seated with yourself and your sisters. And your partner, Lady Isabel, is certainly very charming.”

The pronouncement of Lady Isabel’s name left Lord Dancy unequal to a response. The very suggestion of her made it impossible for him to give his current surroundings any attention. There was nothing to do but admit the truth to himself. He was unequivocally and wholly besotted with her. So much so that his passions would rival the most love-sick schoolboy who ever felt the power of a first love.

What was it, he wondered, that drew him to her so strongly? To be sure, she had all the characteristics of a well-bred lady, but such qualities were found in abundance throughout the Tyrwhitt’s ballroom. She was beautiful, as were many of the other young women in attendance. Perhaps it was the self-doubt in her expression—an expression in direct contraast with the over-confidence of the female masses. He prided himself on having the keenest of observations when it came to the human spirit, and in his opinion Lady Isabel knew not how lovely she truly was. Her humility amidst the overflow of vanity displayed by the general crowd was attractive, indeed.

Not that it was Lady Isabel’s humility he saw in his mind’s eye as he filled their plates mindlessly, not at all enjoying the display of seafood before him. Rather, everywhere he looked the solid gold hue of Lady Isabel’s amber eyes met him, nay, hypnotized him and held his mind captive to the image so he nearly lost his plate beside Lord Easton.

“As to Lady Rosamund,” that gentleman went on, coloring, “I feel particularly honored to have escorted her to dinner. She has, as you are certainly aware, the most unassuming temperament one could ever hope to meet with. Such modesty is of the rarest sort. I cannot recall having been previously acquainted with anyone who could ever hope to find themselves equal to it.”

This extended praise of his youngest sister forced Tresham’s unwilling mind to focus his attention on the awkward gentleman beside him. His assessment of Rosamund was by no means unjustified, for she was above all tender and unpretentious, not to mention his particular favorite. But such notice of her by any man brought all his brotherly caution to the surface.

Tresham’s gaze had an unsettling effect upon Lord Easton, who, in his eagerness to please, fumbled on. “I am sure I am not the first to detect her excellent qualities. They are so infinitely superior to the majority they must be plain to anyone so fortunate as to gain an introduction to her.”

“Lord Easton,” Tresham said, uncertain as to whether the interruption of his thoughts or the attention to his sister was the more bothersome, “you do my sister great credit, and I thank you. Pray excuse me as I return to our table, for my plates are quite full.”

“Oh, yes, indeed, Lord Dancy,” said a glowing Lord Easton. “I shall meet you there directly.”

Buy Bleddyn Hall on Amazon

(Free on Kindle Unlimited!)

 

About Amanda:

Amanda L. V. Shalaby’s passion for all things Jane Austen was inspired by her mother and grandmother. She now writes her own historical romantic mysteries, and is the author of Rhianna and Audra. Her latest novel, Bleddyn Hall, is a gothic Victorian mystery and romance set in both London and Yorkshire.

When Amanda is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Matthew, her Shih Tzu dogs, Isabella and Huntley, and her Persian cat, Sebastian.

Visit Amanda Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon

The Improvisational Cook : Recipe, Giveaway, and a Free Cookbook for the Asking

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Yay, fish! I can’t believe this is my first Friday fish dish! Lisabet Sarai is here with a great snapper dish plus a FREE cookbook – all you have to do is comment to get your copy.  In addition, one random commenter will score a copy of The Ingredients of Bliss  – make sure to leave a comment y’all!

 

Lisabet:

I’ve been cooking since I was seven or eight. (I’m in my sixties now.) I still love the sense of creativity I get in the kitchen. However, I’ve never been the sort to follow recipes, at least not verbatim. I’ll browse my cookbooks looking for ideas, but then I generally embellish the recipes I find based on my own instincts. For day-to-day meal preparation, I have a core set of ingredients and seasonings always on hand, but I rarely plan the details ahead of time. Instead, I improvise.

The advantages of this approach? My meals are never boring, because I never make a dish exactly the same twice in a row. The downside? Occasionally my experiments fall flat, and once in a great while, they fail spectacularly. (I will never forget the stuffed peppers that exploded on top of the stove…!)

My indulgent husband accepts the pros and cons of my improvisational approach. Actually, he enjoys cooking as well (though not as a routine activity).  More than half our cookbook collection originally belonged to him.

Anyway, here’s a quick, healthy dinner dish with plenty of flavor, that I more or less invented. DH says it doesn’t really  taste Mexican,  but hey, it’s my recipe, I can call it whatever I want.

Grilled Snapper a la Mexicana

Serves 2 adults

Ingredients

Two white snapper fillets, about half a pound total

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes or sliced cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice (fresh squeezed if possible)

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. oregano

1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

 

Method

Wash the fish fillets. Salt lightly. Place in a shallow heat-resistant pan.
Combine the olive oil, lemon or lime juice and spices including pepper. Mix well.
Mix the tomatoes, onion and garlic. Scatter over the top of the fish.
Pour the olive oil mixture over the fillets.
Grill under broiler or in a toaster oven for 20 minutes or until cooked.

Serve with rice, tortillas and a tossed salad. To add to the Mexican theme, add half a cup chopped avocado and half a cup black olives to the salad.

GIVEAWAY!

Want a copy of my free e-cookbook, Recipes from an International Kitchen? Just leave a comment on this post, asking for it. Be sure to include your email address! I will also give away a copy of The Ingredients of Bliss to the author of one randomly selected comment. If you like food, adventure, romance and steamy sex, you’ll adore this book.

The Ingredients of Bliss

One sexy French chef. One kinky American TV producer. One ambitious Chinese gal who thinks she wants them both. The ingredients of bliss? Or a recipe for disaster?

Accomplished cook Mei Lee ‘Emily’ Wong knows exactly what she wants—her own show on the Tastes of France food channel. But life is full of complications. First, her deceptively nerdy producer, Harry Sanborne, initiates Emily into the delights of submission. Then her boss, legendary chef Etienne Duvalier, begs her to dominate him. Emily just can’t resist—especially when Harry orders her to explore her inner mistress. Suave and sexy Etienne will do whatever she asks—in the bedroom if not in the kitchen. And Harry, her lovingly diabolical Dom, adores pushing Emily’s limits.

When the network sends the trio to France to shoot a series of cooking shows on location, Emily knows her career is on the upswing. Her plans fall apart in Marseille as a Hong Kong drug syndicate kidnaps both Etienne and Harry. The Iron Hammer Triad mistakes Etienne for notorious gangster Jean Le Requin, who has stolen their drug shipment, worth millions. Emily realizes she must find the real Le Requin, retrieve the purloined dope, and bargain it for Harry’s and Etienne’s lives. The secret she’s been keeping from Harry might prove useful. Still, what chance does one woman whose knife skills are limited to chopping vegetables, have against the ruthless cruelty of two criminal organizations?

Where to Buy The Ingredients of Bliss

Totally Bound | ARe | Amazon | B&N

About Lisabet

I became addicted to words at an early age. I began reading when I was four. I wrote my first story at five years old and my first poem at seven. Since then, I have written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – more than fifty single author titles including eight full length novels, plus dozens of short stories in various collections.

I have more degrees than anyone would ever need, from prestigious educational institutions who would no doubt be deeply embarrassed by my chosen genre.  Aside from writing, travel is one of my most fervent passions.  I’ve visited every continent except Australia, though I still have a long bucket list of places I haven’t been. Currently I live in Southeast Asia with my indulgent husband and two exceptional felines, where I pursues an alternative career that is completely unrelated to my creative writing.

Make sure to visit Lisabet online:

LisabetSarai.com

Blog: Beyond Romance | Yahoo Mailing List | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Lauren Linwood: A Sweet Summer Treat

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The Texas weather has been so fickle lately, but summer is finally here! Summer to me means fruit, and Lauren Linwood is here with a terrific blueberry pie to share with family over the long Memorial Day weekend. Don’t forget to check out the giveaway at the bottom of the page!

Lauren:

When warm weather hits in Texas, I simply must have fresh blueberries—in my morning Greek yogurt, topping off homemade vanilla ice cream, and especially in a pie or tart. I love the mix of sweetness with tartness together, especially if the pie crust has a hint of cinnamon in it.

In my medieval historical romance A Bit of Heaven on Earth, King Edward III calls upon widowed Elizabeth of Kentwood. She knows the mercurial king has a fondness for tarts, so she has two of his favorites—pear & plum—prepared for his visit. Edward wouldn’t have had an opportunity to taste a blueberry tart from the Kentwood kitchens. They were only known to the Western Hemisphere at that time. He didn’t know what he was missing!

Here’s a simple recipe for a blueberry pie from my friend Mel. How do I know it’s simple? Because I’ve made it! When my engaged daughter got a pie dish at a bridal shower last month, she wanted to give it a spin. What better recipe than this one? Her first effort was so successful, we begged her to bring it again next time we had a family dinner. Hope you’ll test this easy-peasy dessert recipe—and give A Bit of Heaven on Earth a try!

 

Mel’s Favorite Blueberry Pie Recipe

1 pkg. refrigerated pie crust

2 T. plain bread crumbs

2 T. light brown sugar (packed)

4-5 c. fresh blueberries (about a quart)

2/3 c. sugar

3 T. flour

2 T. lemon juice

½ t. ground cinnamon

1 egg, slightly beaten

 

Directions:

-Cut 1 crust into ½” wide strips; set aside

-Place 1 crust in a pie plate.

-Combine crumbs & brown sugar in a small bowl; sprinkle half the mixture over the crust

-Combine blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, & cinnamon in a large bowl; spoon into pie

plate

-Weave cut strips into a lattice pattern on top of the pie, pinching them to the edge & crimping

over edges

-Lightly brush the top with the beaten egg; sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top

-Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; lower to 350 degrees and bake for 45-50 minutes until

center is bubbly & crust is a golden brown (cover edges with foil if it’s browning too quickly)

-Serve warm with vanilla ice cream

 

 

A Bit of Heaven on Earth  :

When Gavin of Ashgrove and his closest friend are captured in a fierce battle during the Hundred Years’ War, their captors demand a hefty ransom from their fathers for their return. Robert is quickly set free, but Gavin’s father refuses to pay for his son’s release, leaving him to rot in a squalid French prison. Aided by a sympathetic priest, he escapes and returns home to England, only to find he has been proclaimed a bastard and disinherited.

With nowhere to turn Gavin journeys to Kentwood, where he fostered as a boy, hoping Lord Aldred will take him on as a knight in his guard. The old warrior is close to death, but he soon realizes Gavin is his son. Aldred plots to have Gavin inherit Kentwood and marry his much younger wife, Elizabeth, a famed and opinionated beauty who remains a virgin after a decade of marriage.

Will the king recognize Lord Aldred’s first request of a marriage between Elizabeth and Robert, uniting Robert’s estate with Kentwood—or will the temperamental Edward reward Aldred’s years of service and honor a dying man’s final request?

Buy On Amazon (FREE on Kindle Unlimited)

About Lauren:

Lauren Linwood’s historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love. Her romantic suspense novels feature strong heroes and heroines who unite to defeat a clever antagonist and discover a deep, abiding love during their journey.

A native Texan, Lauren is an avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan who manages stress by alternating yoga with long walks. She plans to start a support group for House Hunters addicts—as soon as she finishes her next piece of dark chocolate.

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Blog   Amazon Author Page   Goodreads Author Page  About Me

 

 

Lizzi Tremayne: Żurek White Borscht or Sour Rye Soup Recipe

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Lizzi Tremayne is here today with some “Old World” flavors and a tantalizing look at her book A Long Trail Rolling. I love rye and can’t wait to give this one a try!

 

Lizzi:

Suddenly hungry, her heart and body craving succour, Aleksandra reached for the zakwas sour rye culture and started a pot of żurek. Like the wheaten sourdough starter other pioneers in the West used to leaven their biscuits and breads, zakwas gave żurek, the traditional Polish comfort food, a unique taste when stewed with grilled kielbasa, bacon, potatoes, mushrooms, and sour cream. Nibbling at crispy shreds of the aromatic sausage as it cooked, she sighed with pleasure and began to smile again.

Recipe: Żurek

This hearty stew, typical of the ‘sour’ soups common and beloved by many Eastern Europeans, is my favorite soup. It is well worth the time it takes to make it. Thank you to the Glinkowski family, third generation owners of Glinkowski Carriages, for sharing with us their love of Poland and Żurek. After leaving them, we tasted different versions of it in every town we visited around Polska.

 

Zakwas (“ZAH-kvahss,”)

Sourdough Rye Starter Culture

2 c rye flour

1 c oat flakes

4 c water, boiled and cooled to room temperature

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 T sourdough starter or 1 crust from piece of Polish rye bread

(remove crust after 3 days)

Mix in a nonreactive vessel (glass, stainless steel, stoneware) and leave in warm place (70-80 F / 20-27 C) to ferment for 2-5 days until bubbly and as sour as you wish, then use it to make żurek.

The resulting culture: After I use some to make żurek, I refresh the rest by ‘feeding it’ more kibbled/cracked rye or rye flour and water, as Aleksandra’s mother did in the story. Leave out, covered, to ferment overnight then refrigerate. When it hasn’t been used for a while, liquid will accumulate on top and be less active. Stir it and replenish as above. With this starter, I can make żurek whenever I want and also use it as a starter in sourdough rye bread recipes.

NB:  for our purposes,

c=cup=250 ml liquid or dry,   t=teaspoon=5 ml,   T=tablespoon=15 ml.

 

Żurek or zur or biały barszcz (“ZHOO-rek”,”BYAH-wih BARSHCH”)

White Borscht or Sour Rye Soup

2 onions, minced

fat/ oil for frying

1 lb (450 g) chopped bacon

2 lb (900 g) Polish kielbasa sausage (pork/beef) in ½  inch slices

1 T marjoram, 2 whole allspices, 6 peppercorns, 1 bay leaf

6 c boiling water or stock

2 c zakwas

½ c cultured sour cream

carrots, peas, mushrooms and/or parsnips, if desired, diced

salt and pepper to taste

 

To serve:

6 eggs, boiled and cut into wedges or quarters

4 potatoes, boiled and hot, cut into quarters or cubes

rye bread or trenchers

In large soup pot, brown chopped onion till translucent, then add bacon and cut up sausage. Stir-fry until browned (some prefer to prick sausages and cook them whole in the liquid soup, then cut up later). Add spices and boiling water or stock. Add zakwas, while whisking. This will thicken the soup. If you used oat flakes, you may wish to strain the zakwas but I don’t strain it, as I also use kibbled rye in my starter. They cook down, J.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. If it has thickened enough, add the sour cream. If not, stir one tablespoon flour into the sour cream before adding, then bring to boil again and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. I make (at least) a double recipe, as it is better the next day or after freezing.

To serve, ladle soup over potatoes and eggs placed into the bottom of individual bowls or make bread trenchers to use in their place! Cheat by horizontally cutting the top off of a large bun to create a lid (or cut a hole out of the top as you would a Jack O’Lantern pumpkin). Hollow the bread out and ladle the soup into it.

Serve with rye bread.

(What else?)

Enjoy!

A Long Trail Rolling

She didn’t expect to become a target, but she is one now!

It might have been the mare that did it, stopping dead in her tracks, nearly dropping Aleksandra over her shoulder, or maybe it was the flies that buzzed around the blood pooling beneath the butchered man in the Pony Express station doorway. Whichever it was, it got her full attention.

Seventeen year old Aleksandra, trained in the Cossack arts from infancy by her father, finds herself alone and running to prevent her Pa’s killer from obtaining a secret coveted by the Russian Czar, one which could alter the forces of power in Europe. Disguised as a Pony Express rider in 1860’s Utah Territory, she finds herself in even deeper trouble when she rides full speed into the middle of the Indian Paiute Wars. Her Californio boss Xavier has a strength to match her own, but can they overcome their differences before the ever-increasing odds overtake them?

With this debut Western Historical Adventure, Lizzi Tremayne won the 2014 RWNZ Pacific Hearts Award and was a finalist in the 2013 Great Beginnings. A saga of the Old West with a multicultural cast of those who make up America, it would interest readers who enjoy Westerns, horses, American Indians, immigrants, and the Pony Express. It has a capable heroine, strong historical detail, period veterinary treatment and frontier-pushing characters. It has been compared to the work of Phillipa Gregory, Diana Gabaldon and Jean Auel, with a little Laura Ingalls Wilder thrown in.

The Series:      This novel is the first in The Long Trail quadrilogy of historical adventure sagas following Aleksandra and Xavier from the wilderness of 1860 Utah to Colonial New Zealand.

Where to buy A Long Trail Rolling:

Amazon | CreateSpace | Kobo | B&N | More

About Lizzie

Lizzi grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand. She is the proud mother of two boys in that sea of green. When  not writing, she’s swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She is multiply published and awarded in special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

Author Links: You can read more about me and what I write, as well as contacting me at:

LizziTremayne.com

Books | Amazon | Goodreads | Pinterest | Twitter | Facebook

Helena Fairfax: “Going for a Ruby”: Why Chicken Tikka Masala is England’s National Dish

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I love curry. Thai green curry with coconut milk is my fave, but I’m not sure I’ve ever met a curry I didn’t like.  Until recently, I had no idea how popular curry is in the UK. Helene Fairfax is here today to explain the whole thing to us. Don’t forget to check out Helena’s book, A Way from Heart to Heart. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, I’m probably giving something away!

Helena:

I live in the north of England, near the city of Bradford – a city which for the past four years has been crowned the so-called Curry Capital of Britain. Curry is one of the most popular dishes in the UK, and also one of my favourite meals. It seems a bit of a cheat to choose a loose term like “curry” for my favourite food, since there are thousands of different types of curry, and this is just a generic term for spicy food originating in Asia. In the US, I believe a curry restaurant is called an Indian restaurant, but in reality curries come from many different countries, each with their own specialities. In the Bradford area, most curry chefs are from Pakistan, and in my particular area, they are mainly from the Bangladesh region.

People from India and Pakistan started coming to the Bradford region in the nineteenth century, to work in the woollen mills. Their cuisine has left such a lasting impact that curry has now become the national dish of England – and in particular, a curry called Chicken Tikka Masala. In fact, Chicken Tikka Masala is never found in Asia – it’s an Asian/British hybrid recipe, and just shows how our cultures have become enmeshed one with the other over the years.

Bradford’s cuisine has become synonymous with curry, but there are other cities in the UK that hotly contest the Curry Capital crown each year. Glasgow is one, and also Birmingham. Manchester has a whole street of curry houses known affectionately as the “Curry Mile”. I’ve had many an excellent meal on the Curry Mile, as well as on Brick Lane in London’s East End, which is also famous for its curry restaurants. If a Londoner asks you if you “Fancy a Ruby?” it’s short for “Ruby Murray,” and cockney rhyming slang for curry. (Ruby Murray is a singer from the fifties.) “Going for a Ruby” is such a common term in London that many London curry restaurants are actually called “The Ruby” – another example of how our cultures have entwined.

Curries are quite often very cheap meals and for a long time they had a working-class image. Even now “curry houses” are often found in the more downmarket end of town, but this is absolutely no reflection on the quality of the food. Don’t be fooled by the cheap price and the locale. The chefs are often superb, and I’ve had much nicer meals in some of these curry houses than in far more expensive restaurants.

In my new release, A Way from Heart to Heart, I have the hero and heroine go out for the evening to a curry restaurant in a rundown area of London. The heroine is surprised at the hero’s choice – she always thought he was more a guy for fancy restaurants. She’s even more surprised when the waiter turns out to be a good friend of his. It’s the first of many surprises for the heroine as the story progresses.

A Way from Heart to Heart

A novel about friendship, loss, and the human heart’s enduring capacity for love…

After the death of her husband in Afghanistan, Kate Hemingway’s world collapses around her. Her free time is spent with a charity for teenage girls, helping them mend their broken lives – which is ironic, since her own life is fractured beyond repair.

Reserved, upper-class journalist Paul Farrell is everything Kate and her teenage charges aren’t.  But when Paul agrees to help Kate with her charity, he makes a stunning revelation that changes everything, and leaves Kate torn.

Can she risk her son’s happiness as well as her own?

Where to Buy  A Way from Heart to Heart

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About Helena

Helena Fairfax writes engaging contemporary romances with sympathetic heroines and heroes she’s secretly in love with. Her first novel, The Silk Romance, was a contender for the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme Award and a runner-up in the Global Ebook Awards. Helena was also recently shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize.

Helena is a British author who was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She’s grown used to the cold now, and these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town in the north of England, right next door to the windswept Yorkshire moors. She walks this romantic landscape every day with her rescue dog, finding it the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings.

Visit Helena Online

HelenaFairfax.com

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This article originally appeared on HelenaFairfax.com

New Release! Party and Giveaways for Romancing Austin

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It’s here! I’m so excited for you to meet Dylan and Win and experience a little bit of my favorite town! Order now and get all seven stories for only $0.99 (reg. $3.99).

Don’t forget – we’ve got GIVEAWAYS (scroll down).

Also, please join all the authors for a RELEASE PARTY from 6-10 PM tonight (click here). Come meet my friends and fellow authors!

Available Now!

Romancing Austin

Former rock star Dex Reed throws a wild comeback party in his Austin penthouse, and seven romances heat up the night.

This is a multi-genre romance collection – so there is a little something for everyone. I’m also so pleased with how all the stories spotlight different bits of Austin. We didn’t plan that – but it perfectly illustrates the kind of town Austin is – filled with amazing, creative people of all kinds.  Come meet Dex and party like rock stars with us!

No Quitting Allowed by  Rebecca Royce
One last assignment and then Lana is quitting her job, quitting Austin, and moving on with her life. Until Jake stumbles into her and changes the direction of her whole world.

Twisted by Cara Carnes
Caleb “Colt” Douglas agreed to close out Twisted Delirium’s sold out world tour with a gig at SXSW for one reason–win back the woman he left behind.

Do Over by Chandra Ryan
When life offers Juliana a fresh start, will she follow her heart or play it safe?

Consortium by Riley Bancroft
Record exec Holt Michaelson married the enigmatic Chloe to keep his assets safe from a vindictive competitor, but after a fiery encounter with his new wife, he’s determined to claim her as his own, body and soul.

Tall Order by Irene Preston
Dylan made the worst mistake of his life when he chose his career over Aston, but tonight he’ll take a risk on Aston even if it’s too late.

Enchanted by Evelyn Berry
Stripped of her magic, fairy princess Aurora is torn between her duty to her imperiled family and to a brilliant musician who holds the key to their freedom…and her heart.

One Night with the Vampire by Jax Garren
Tonight Alex will finally possess the woman he’s craved, but Sofia’s dangerous family secrets threaten to tear them apart.

More Info | Free Chapter 

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Big prize pack from all the authors includes a $75 Amazon gift card and lots of free books!

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Guajillo What? Pasta al Mojo de Ajo con Camarones

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I thought I would bring you something with a little Latino flair today. Dylan, my chef from “Tall Order” is third generation Mexican American. He doesn’t speak any Spanish, but his roots shine through when he is cooking at home for Win. Since Bones has callously refused to butcher a goat and dig a pit so I could make you authentic barbacoa, I had to fall back on something I could throw together in the kitchen during the five minutes I generally allow for food prep. Ready?

Dried Guajillo

Recipe:  Pasta al Mojo de Ajo con Camarones

Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil
3 whole guajillo chiles
3/4 cup minced garlic (I use the stuff in the jar, but you chop up a million cloves of garlic if it makes you happy)
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 lb Angel Hair Pasta
1 lb peeled shrimp
grated Parmesan or queso anejo (optional)
green onions, parsley or cilantro (optional)

So, first we’re going to make the garlic sauce (mojo de ajo). I like to make mine with guajillo chilies. You can get guajilloes dried in most supermarkets.  They have a milder heat than, say, a jalapeno or a serrano and the taste is a little brighter. They are also a lot bigger, so if you’re going to substitute something, you’ll need to adjust the quantity.

Put the oil in a skillet or saucepan and heat it until a few drops of water flicked into it sizzle. Using tongs, place a dried chili in the oil. Cook for about 5 seconds, then remove to drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the other two chilies.

Next cook the garlic in the same oil. Stir occasionally and cook until just golden. Be careful not to overcook the chilies or garlic.

Now set your garlic and oil aside to cool a little. By now the chilies are probably cool enough to handle. Take off the stems and put the remainder of the chilies in a food processor. Process until you have small chili flakes (but not powder).

Stir the chili flakes, lime juice, and salt into your garlic and oil.

So that is your mojo de ajo. You can let it cool completely, put it in a jar, and store in the refrigerator for several days if needed.

We’re going to use most of it for our recipe though!

Go ahead and cook your pasta according to the package directions. If you’re good at multitasking, you can cook your pasta and shrimp at the same time. If not, just go ahead and do the pasta. The shrimp will only take a couple of minutes. If you do your pasta first, add a little of the mojo de ajo right after you drain it so it won’t try to stick.

Now heat a couple of tablespoons of the oil from your garlic sauce in a skillet. Just the oil.  If you put any of the garlic in now, it is likely to burn. After it is hot, add the shrimp and cook until just pink (really, only a minute or two).  Turn off the heat and add 1/2 – 3/4 cup of the mojo de ajo.

Final step. Toss everything together!

If you want, you can add some grated cheese to the pasta and/or garnish with some green onions, parsley or cilantro.

And that’s it! Remember, if you have any sauce left over, you can stick it in the fridge and use it for something later in the week.

I didn’t take a picture (sorry). If I make this soon, maybe I’ll update the post.

Instead, here is a guajillo quote from “Tall Order“!

He glanced down at his blue Roy Rogers-style shirt and brown polyester pants. He looked like something out of a bad fifties western. He was a walking joke. Fitting, because Joe Bob’s Texas Catering Company was a joke to everyone in the Austin culinary world.  A year ago, if anyone had told him he would ever touch food prepared by Joe Bob’s he would have laughed his ass off. Now here he was, Joe Bob’s new pet chef, hired on for the SXSW music festival to trot out in front of V.I.P. clients.

What difference Dylan’s culinary skills made, he didn’t know. Joe Bob’s catered to the convention crowd because no real Texan would hire them. The company churned out bland, assembly line food that the owner, Felix Minger, hawked as “real Texas barbeque” and “authentic Tex-Mex” to moon-faced Yankees who didn’t know pico de gallo from picante sauce much less a jalapeño from a guajillo.

Dex Reed, New Yorker via New Zealand with more cash than brains, had been the perfect mark. Felix had culled the rock star out of the SXSW crowd the way a lion separates the sick gazelle from the herd. Dylan would never forget the conference call to go over the menu. Dex wanted Tex-Mex, his concept of which seemed to be an unholy fusion of national fast-food chain offerings and the latest catch-phrases he’d picked up from Food Network. The rock star had heard Austin was the place to get tacos, so tacos were what he wanted—but not ordinary tacos. Something “elevated” and “in a taco bar, like that Elvis place.”

“Elevated tacos. Got it.” Dylan had nodded solemnly and tried not to laugh, because conference calls now included video and as much as he despised Felix and Joe Bob’s, he needed the extra paycheck. Three red-eye shifts a week in a diner out by the airport weren’t cutting it.

He didn’t know how he was supposed to elevate anything destined to be stuck in a buffet and self-assembled by drunk music fans. Never mind the “Elvis place” had a nacho bar, not a taco bar, and there was nothing “elevated” about it.

Read More from Tall Order

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Don’t forget, “Tall Order” is part of the Romancing Austin Anthology (Seven Romances. One Wild Party).

For a limited time, you can get the whole anthology (“Tall Order” + 6 more stories) for only $0.99!




Where to Buy Romancing Austin

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Amanda C Stone: Cole’s Candy Bar Pie

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Amanda has ditched us but I’m not complaining. She sent along Cole from The Adventures of Cole and Perry and he brought PIE! You can get away with a lot around here if you come bearing pie.

This is a great, easy dessert that let’s you experiment with your own favorite flavors. Enjoy!

 Cole

Good morning everyone and a very happy Friday to you! My name is Cole and I was invited to the lovely Irene’s blog to share my favorite recipe. It’s not much of a secret how much I enjoy sweet treats and desserts. This recipe is easy to make and something you whip up quickly if you’ve got company.

Here’s what you’re going to need to make this yummy dessert!

Here’s what you need!

Candy Bar Pie Recipe:

1 tub of cool whip (8 ounce size)
1 package of instant pudding (4 serving size)
1 premade graham cracker pie crust (6 ounce size)
2 cups of milk (if your package of instant pudding calls for a different amount use the amount listed on the package)
2 cups of candy pieces, seperated (either chopped up candy bars or bite sized candy like M&Ms)

Directions:

Dump package of instant pudding into a bowl along with the milk. Whisk milk and pudding together until you have pudding consistency.

Add in half (1/2) of the cool whip and continue whisking until completely combined.

Pour in one (1) cup of the candy pieces and gently blend together with a spoon to distribute the candy throughout the pudding mixture.

Carefully pour the pudding and candy mixture into the piecrust. The piecrust will be full!

Spread the last half of the cool whip on top of the pie as a frosting with a spoon.

Sprinkle the remainder of the candy on top.

 

Mmmmm… Pie!

Voila! Completed pie!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can change the flavors depending on the season or your mood. Try a mint pudding and peppermint candy combination, or try chocolate pudding with chocolate cool whip. There are even seasonal flavors of pudding and cool whip that would make interesting combinations. You can even dress up the pie and drizzle chocolate sauce, caramel, or strawberry sauce on top. My only advice is to avoid candy with wafers in the middle. They get soggy in the pie and don’t taste good after about an hour. Otherwise keep trying combinations to your heart’s, and stomach’s, content!

The Adventures of Cole and Perry

Read all about Cole and how he met Perry, along with all of their adventures along the way in The Adventures of Cole and Perry by Amanda C. Stone. You can buy the book from Amazon and All Romance eBooks

 

About Amanda C. Stone

Armed with her Batman notebook, fourth grade Amanda C. Stone was ready to start writing stories about unicorns, family members, and her imaginary friends Pink Amanda and Blue Amanda. Today, Amanda is armed with a new notebook, along with a laptop, and a never ending supply of caffeine. Her stories are about all kinds of things, but the most important aspect is people falling in love.

Visit Amanda Online:

AmandaStoneBooks.com

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The Feels (topic shamelessly stolen from Liv Rancourt)

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So the other day Liv Rancourt and I were doing the grown-up-author equivalent of a 12-year-old girl’s sleepover – we messaged each other on FB and gushed over our crushes (K.J. Charles and Sherry Thomas)

Then Liv, in clear violation of all pinky-swears, told the whole school. (She blogged about it).

It’s a good blog, too. You should read it.

But, the mention of Sherry Thomas and FEELS reminded me of something.

I’ve been a Sherry Thomas fan for a while. If anyone asks me why, I always answer with one phrase, “emotional intensity.” Sherry can grab me from page one, and she never lets go.  I’ve spent a fair amount of time wondering how she does it. It wasn’t until I read The Burning Sky that I finally got a clue…and it was because of what didn’t happen that I spotted it.

For the first time  ever in a Sherry Thomas book, when I read The Burning Sky, I wasn’t invested from the very first page. In fact, if it hadn’t been for being hooked big-time by the blurb, I might have stopped reading.

The blurb that kept me reading

Well, that didn’t last. When I went from ho-hum to can’t-put-it-down, I stopped. What just happened here?

The answer. Something Bad.

Not something bad just happened along, either.

The heroine, Iolanthe, does something bad. Really bad. Something with far-reaching consequences. Something so bad she will regret it forever.

To be fair, she doesn’t mean to, but the result is the same.

The result for me, the reader, was that I went from practically skimming to Caring (capital C). Iolanthe, who had seemed distant to me before, was suddenly a Real Girl.

And that, my friends, is the clincher for emotional intensity.

To achieve that emotional response, we have to care about a character. To care, we have to relate. And the way we relate is not through perfection, but through imperfection.

I don’t mean every story has to be doom and gloom. But, be honest. Do any of us really relate to the perfect princess? Yeah, we all want to be her – but she’s not real. We can never truly identify with her. Why? Because no matter how great our lives are, they are also full of adversity. No matter how great we are, we’re full of flaws and insecurities and not-so-great character traits. That adversity and those flaws are the keys to emotion. Pain and joy are two sides of the same coin. There is no context for one without the other. So Iolanthe could be Our Heroine all day long, but until she screwed up and bad things happened, I just didn’t care.

Liv talks about Ben and Jonah in Jackdaw. It’s not their love that makes the story so incredible. It’s how they get there through the pain.  As Liv points out, “Ben hated Jonah, except for how much he loved him”. It’s the depths that make us appreciate the heights.

You should go read Liv’s blog. She gets way more into the nuts and bolts of actually writing emotions.

If you want to see if you have the same reaction I did to The Burning Sky, there is an excerpt here.

Please make sure to try a few books by KJ Charles and Sherry Thomas. In addition to perfecting The Feels, both are  master story-tellers. I promise you won’t be disappointed.