C.M. Stone's Blog, page 6

#12TastesofChristmas – Gingerbread Latte

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

My boyfriend is an evil bird munching man who made a lot of suggestions for this day involving things like ortolans. I’m going for a far less literal interpretation (and this approach is going to be necessary when it comes to all that dancing and a’leaping). When do birds start calling? Morning. What do you need so you don’t want to throatpunch the birds for waking you up? Coffee.

My own gingerbread latte is different from the one you’ll get at Starbucks. The most striking flavor in gingerbread is not the ginger, but their recipe is little more than a plain super syrup with ginger and cinnamon added. If you want a latte that really gets the flavor of gingerbread right, you need molasses.

Ingredients

4 shots espresso (or 3/4 cup strong-brew coffee)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Dash of freshly ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons molasses

1 1/2 cup milk (for foaming)

Sugar to taste

Directions

In a glass measuring cup, combine hot coffee, spices and molasses. Whisk to blend the spices in the coffee. If you’re concerned about the molasses not adding enough sweetness, taste it at this point to determine how much sugar you’ll want to add. Two teaspoons is usually enough.

Divide your coffee between two mugs.

Steam or froth the milk in a milk frother if you’re lucky enough to have one, or on the stove if you’re like me.

Divide the milk between the two mugs and serve.

Garnishing with whipped cream, a thin drizzle of molasses, and just a sprinkle of ginger on top makes this treat absolutely heavenly.

#12TastesofChristmas – Dry-Brined Turkey

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

Abandon hope, all ye vegetarians who enter here. This one is about meat and there’s no escape.

My boyfriend loves turkey, but the problem with turkey and chicken is just how dry it gets. Brining involves soaking the meat in salty water before cooking and this does increase the moisture content, but there’s a problem with this method. No matter what you put in your brine–broth, herbs, etc–what’s going to actually be absorbed into the meat is almost exclusively salt and water. So you’ll get a moist bird with the wrong flavor and texture. Ew.

The trick, then, is to do a dry brine. Salt without any added water will be absorbed into the meat and prevent it from losing most of its existing moisture. Look, science-y looking graphs! Dry brined meat will retain nearly 90% of its original moisture. A traditional brine will retain ever so slightly more moisture, but much of it is added water rather than anything that tastes like meat. The dilution of the natural fats and proteins already in the meat leads to a squishier, blander meal. The choice is clear, at least for me.

To dry brine your bird, start the day before you’re going to cook it. Use coarse sea salt or kosher salt (never fine grained salt! you want big flakes!) to sprinkle onto the meat until it looks like a light snowfall. Mix in some poultry friendly savories with your salt for added flavor, like sage, rosemary and thyme and let it stay like this in the fridge overnight. Roast like you normally would, but don’t baste and don’t stuff. On this, Saint Alton Brown and I are entirely in agreement.

For the most moisture and flavor, put your salt and herb mixture between the skin and the meat. I haven’t done it this way, preferring the lazy method of just putting it on the outside of the skin. Even with the minimal amount of effort, I ended up with a turkey that was–sans any hyperbole at all–the best turkey I’d ever eaten.

I know things like Christmas goose and ham are more traditional, but if you’ve got a turkey lover you want to keep enthralled forever like I do, consider a dry-brined Christmas turkey. Your mouth will thank you.

#12TastesofChristmas – Turtle Pie

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

I’ve seen several blogs following this same holiday theme that have a dish involving real turtle on the second day. A couple have also used squab in place of actual turtle doves. This is just too literal for my taste. You’re getting the actually tasty kind of turtle here and you’ll like it. This recipe does utilize nuts, so if food allergies are a concern consider sunflower seeds as a suitable replacement. In fact, you can find one of my favorite nut free pie recipes over on Entangled in Romance today.

This pie is incredibly rich, so be warned. I can only ever handle a thin sliver at a time. If you’re watching your sodium, I’d suggest foregoing the salt on the pecans and lightly sprinkling the top of the pie with coarse sea salt. Caramel and salt is too heavenly a combination to deny yourself completely and sea salt can add the right kick without going overboard on hidden sodium.

Ingredients

1 cup roasted, salted pecans

1 9 inch pie shell, baked

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

1/4 cup corn syrup

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Place pecans in the bottom of your pie shell.

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat cook 1 cup condensed milk, brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Stir and bring to a boil; stir continuously for at least 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then slowly beat with a spoon until mixture starts to thicken; this should take about 2 minutes. Be sure not to over beat or it’ll be too hard. Pour the caramel mixture into pie shell; cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

In a medium saucepan, cook chocolate and butter over low heat until melted together. Stir in remaining condensed milk and mix well. Remove from heat and allow to cool just enough so that yolk won’t cook when added. Cooling time will be about 3 minutes. Stir in egg yolk to chocolate mixture, then spread over cooled filling. Place your pie back in refrigerator and cool for another hour.

The whole thing should take about half an hour of direct work and two hours of chilling.

#12TastesofChristmas – Pears With Blue Cheese and Prosciutto

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…a partridge in a pear tree.

This simple appetizer takes about five minutes to prepare. The slightly spicy flavor of the arugula compliments the sweet pear and the richness of the prosciutto and blue cheese. There are kosher and vegetarian alternatives for the prosciutto as well.

No partridges were harmed in the making of this recipe.

Ingredients

2 pears cut into 8 wedges each

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup arugula

3 ounces blue cheese, cut into small pieces

6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut lengthwise to make sixteen strips in all

Directions

In a large bowl, toss the pears and lemon juice.

Layer a slice of pear, an arugula leaf, and a piece of cheese on a piece of prosciutto and roll up.

Review: How to Beguile a Duke

How to Beguile a Duke by Ally Broadfield

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are three things I expect a romance novel to do for me, at a minimum: it needs to make me laugh, it needs to make me cry, and it needs to make me melt.

Having just finished How to Beguile a Duke, I’m torn between doing all three at once. Catherine is a wonderful heroine whom I just wanted to hug and save from all the rumors and judgement around her. Nick is a very nearly perfect hero in every way. I really believed these two falling in love and I also really believed in everything that was keeping them apart. Their own insecurities and the expectations of society made the misunderstandings between them believable and heartbreaking.

But more than anything else? This was a fun book. I didn’t just laugh. I cackled. I cringed. I kicked my feet (and my cat was on them at the time, oops) and wished I had a friend nearby to read passages out loud to.

I just finished it and I have other books I want to read, but I’m also tempted to go back and reread passages. Definitely a new favorite.

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What a night!

Wow! I think this was probably my best birthday ever, in all honesty. And that’s including the year we had a dance party in my living room.

First of all, of course, my novella came out. That was fantastic all on its own and would have made the day special regardless.

But I got to have four of my favorite ladies in the world here with me for drinks and food and laughter. (If only all of my favorite ladies could have been here!) The cake was fantastic and beautiful. Thank you so much for your decorating skills, India. ♥ The pizza turned out absolutely delicious, too. I think the olive oil and sea salt I put on the crust really pushed it over the top. And the ice cream had peanut butter cups in it. Look, you just can’t go wrong with ice cream that has candy in it. End of discussion.

The conversation and good times with some of my most cherished people in the world around me made it the best, though. And then getting to take that party from my home to the virtual release party? Magical. So many great people showed up and there was fun from start to finish. The part when we were discussing men online and then out in meatspace I heard “OMG IDRIS ELBA IS SO HOT. DID YOU KNOW HOW HOT HE IS?” was the highlight for me.

Thanks to everyone–here physically, online, or just in my heart–who contributed to a wonderful day for me. May we have many more years like this together.

My birthday AND a book birthday?

Today is definitely going to be an incredibly busy day for me. It’s my birthday and I’ll be hosting a small party here at my home. I’ll also be hosting a Facebook release party because it’s my book birthday!

 

One Night in Vegas is my debut novella with Entangled, which I’m thrilled over. Chris and Eliza were so much fun to write about (they’ll be showing up again in print, so keep your eyes out for that!) and I’ve been in love with Entangled for a while now, so it’s an honor to be writing for them.

 

Dinner tonight is going to be alfredo vegetarian pizza (using my own recipe), finished with a balsamic vinegar drizzle, and salad and drinks. Dessert is a homemade red velvet cake with white chocolate pudding between the layers and cream cheese frosting, as well as peanut butter cup ice cream. I’m going to do my best not to go into a food coma before I have to start my turn at the release party!

 

Now, if you want to wish me a happy birthday, how about some book love and checking out One Night in Vegas? ;)

Review: No More Mr. Nice Guy

No More Mr. Nice Guy by Amy Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a lot of fun and there was definitely no joking around when that alley scene was described as the hottest sex ever. Whew! I made the mistake of cracking it open while I was in the waiting room at the doctor’s office and happened to get to that scene. I’m not sure I’ve turned that shade of red before. It’s a good thing I wasn’t there to have my blood pressure checked!

Mack is a very swoonworthy hero and not just because I’ve got a thing for veterinarians. He’s sweet, romantic, and really, really dirty. Josie is fun and relatable. Aside from making me blush, No More Mr. Nice Guy also made me laugh out loud and get a little teary-eyed.

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One Night in Vegas

Title: One Night In Vegas (a Gambling Hearts novella)

Genre: Contemporary Romance, novella

Length: 100 pages

Release Date: December 8, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-63375-160-6

Imprint: Lovestruck

You can’t avoid fate…

Eliza DeMatteo returns to her hometown of Las Vegas on vacation knowing her matchmaking older brother is probably going to try and set her up with his best friend. But Eliza already knows plenty about sexy cowboy Christian Yerrick, the man who crushed her heart when they were kids. In fact, she’s determined to avoid Chris completely…until she runs into his truck on the Las Vegas freeway.

Chris has his own misgivings about seeing Eliza. His lingering feelings for her trigger all of his issues with relationships. Especially long-distance ones, which is the only kind of relationship they’d ever have. Still, there’s no reason they can’t enjoy New Year’s Eve together. But when the fireworks between them burn hotter than the Vegas Strip, Chris and Eliza know they only have one night to get it right. Because this time, what doesn’t happen in Vegas could haunt them forever…

 

Excerpt:

Chris parked the truck and climbed out to survey the view. They were perched on one of the mountains that ringed Las Vegas Valley so that the Strip off in the distance was displayed below them. He heard Eliza gasp behind him.

“Wow. This is even better than the view from the Ferris wheel. It’s been so long since I’ve been out here and it’s just…so much bigger now.”

With her close by, he couldn’t resist reaching out to brush her hand with his fingers. She caught his fingers with her own, tangling them together. Using their clasped hands, he tugged her closer and she came readily. Even without their bodies touching, he could have closed his eyes and known exactly where her every limb was, based on the warmth.

His free hand went to her cheek and, before he could make another move, she darted forward to catch his lips with hers. The boldness won a pleased groan of surprise from him. She’d been the one who left, but when he kissed her he felt like he was the one coming home after a trip that lasted far too long. Every memory—from the past and newly created—returned in force. Her warmth. How she fit against his body. The way her skin smelled faintly of roses, even after all these years. The taste of her lips under his, more practiced than they’d been the first time they’d kissed but no less sweet. Those full lips parted and took the invitation, his tongue sweeping past them. Just like the kiss on the Ferris wheel, he was intoxicated by her touch.

Holding her close to him, he gently pressed her back against the tailgate of his truck and trailed his mouth down the side of her throat, where he teased with kisses and soft nips of his teeth. Dimly, he was aware of an alarm going off on her phone, but it was the least important thing he could imagine at that moment.

“Fireworks,” she breathed.

His hand freed itself from hers to slide up inside her jacket, resting on her stomach for the moment, though the urge to feel her breast in his palm was strong. “I agree.”

She laughed and drew back from him a few inches. “I thought we were going to light off actual fireworks before the big show at midnight.”

He groaned. “Really? That’s what we’re doing?”

Horchata

Makes 8-12 cups

Photo courtesy of Justin Kern

Ingredients:

2/3 cup uncooked, long-grain rice

2 cups almonds

1 Ceylon cinnamon stick

2 star anise pods

5 cloves

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

10 cups water divided (6 cups for heating, 4 cold)

1 cup simple syrup (2 parts sugar, one part water)

Directions:

Blanch the almonds by boiling them in water for one minute. Once you remove them from the water, gently squeeze them to slip the skins off of them. Lay them flat in a dry, greaseless pan and toast them until lightly browned. Grind up the almonds and rice and put the resulting powder in your “soak” container. I find a coffee grinder works really well for this. I used a spare large pitcher to soak, but a big jar would also be great.

Bring six cups of water to boil with the anise pods and cloves. Allow the spices to steep for 30 minutes, then strain them out. Add the cinnamon stick to the powdered rice and almonds, then pour the hot water over. Stir it together to be sure there aren’t any dry clumps left in the powder, then cover and let soak overnight at room temperature.

In the morning put the proto-horchata through the blender until smooth (the Ceylon cinnamon stick will be nice and soft from soaking and just blend right up), then strain into a pitcher. Because the sediment is really fine, it works best to strain it through several layers of cheesecloth, followed by squeezing the cheesecloth to get the rest of the liquid out of the sediment. Add the cold water, simple syrup, and vanilla extract to the pitcher and stir. Serve over ice.

I’ve seen a lot of recipes call for dairy, while the horchata I’ve always had in my family is dairy-free. This has a really nice creamy consistency without being chalky from too much rice and the recipe can easily be divided in half if you’re not feeding an army.