Three Go-To Recipes for Gatherings
I'm a very lucky author. When I'm working on a book deadline (which is pretty much any day ending in ‘Y'), the resident mad scientist does most of the cooking in our secret lair… er, house. However, I occasionally borrow his laboratory… er, kitchen for special occasions such as potlucks and family celebrations. I've perfected a few dishes over the years, and people ask how to make them. So, here are three go-to recipes for gatherings.
Only one of the main characters in any of my books is a notable cook: Jerzi Adams, in my space opera series. He appears in Overload Flux and is a main character in Pico's Crush, and has a well-deserved reputation for culinary skill. Cooking was his way of surviving before he joined the military. Since then, it's become his way of showing his love and appreciation for friends and family.
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Corn Chive Savory Custard – Go-To Recipe for Gatherings
Elegant side dish that works well on a buffet or a potluck table because it tastes good at room temperature as well as fresh from the oven.
16 to 24 oz. frozen corn, thawed, divided
2 Tbl sugar
1¼ tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted and cooled
3 Tbl. flour
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives*
Preheat oven to 375ºF and move a rack to the middle. Butter a 9×12 baking dish.
Chop half the thawed corn coarsely using a food processor or an immersion blender. Combine the chopped and whole corn in a large bowl and sprinkle with sugar and salt, stirring to combine well.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, butter, flour, and spices. Stir into corn mixture. Add the chives and mix well. Pour into the prepared baking dish. The chives will float to the top, and there's nothing you can do about it. Sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
Bake until just set, about 1 hour. Garnish with more chives if you have any left over. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Alternatively, serve at room temperature.
Heat any leftovers in the microwave or in the oven. It doesn't freeze well, but it's easy to make more.
*If you don't have any fresh chives, I recommend substituting 2-3 teaspoons of onion powder or shallot instead of using the dried chives from a bottle, which tend to taste mostly like lawn grass. And as much as I love garlic, it overwhelms the delicate flavors in this dish.
In my Ice Age Shifters® paranormal romance series, most shifters have acute senses even when in human form. I figure that makes them extra picky or extra appreciative when it comes to foods and spices. For example, I detest the flavor of anise (I don't like licorice, either). If I had superior shifter sense of taste, I probably couldn't even be in the same kitchen with it. But I adore cardamom, so I'd try it in anything vaguely dessert-like. Which is why cardamom ended up in my go-to recipe for cranberries. 
