Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am always excited when Susannah Hardy
drops by for a visit!
Thanks so much for hosting me for Cozy Wednesday, Dollycas! I’m thrilled that the third book in my Greek to Me Mysteries, A KILLER KEBAB
Doesn’t it seem like every day is National (Insert Interest Here) Day? Well, I checked www.nationaldaycalendar.com, and here’s what I learned about today, November 2. It is National Traffic Directors Day. And by this they do not mean people who wear a whistle and direct vehicular traffic, although I think it would be nice to honor them today anyway by slowing down and giving a friendly wave as you pass. Apparently a Traffic Director is also someone who works in scheduling of programs and announcements for radio and television stations. Who knew? So thank you, traffic directors of all kinds.
Yesterday, November 1, was National Calzone Day, National Deep Fried Clams Day, National Vinegar Day (I’m sensing a theme here), National Cook For Your Pets Day, National Brush Day, National Family Literacy Day, and National Authors Day (another theme). Now these are some days I can get behind!
But back to today, November 2. It’s also (drum roll please) National Deviled Egg Day. And since Thanksgiving is just around the corner and deviled eggs are a must-have at Hardy family celebrations, I thought I’d give you my recipe for deviled eggs. Nothing too Cordon Bleu here, but I do have some tips and variations you might enjoy.
1 dozen medium eggs*
About ¼ cup Hellman’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise
1 T. yellow mustard
3 T. pickle relish, drained
Pinch of ground white pepper
*Note regarding eggs: I find that medium eggs make a nicer size appetizer than large or jumbo. And buy your eggs a week in advance. Fresh eggs are harder to peel, and the shell often sticks to the white, pulling away little chunks. Very ugly. Older eggs work beautifully.
Place eggs in large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil uncovered, and boil for exactly 4 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let eggs sit in hot water for exactly 5 more minutes. Seriously, set a timer. Move eggs to a bowl filled with lots of ice and water. Keep them there for at least 20 minutes. Then, you can drain them and transfer them to the fridge until you’re ready to finish. They’ll keep a couple of days in the fridge, so you can do this step ahead of time.
Once the eggs are good and cold, rap an egg on the counter, then roll it around with your hand to break the shell (not so hard you crush the egg inside). Then peel, rinse, and set aside to dry. Slice eggs in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, wiping the blade in between eggs. Pop yolks into a small mixing bowl. Break up yolks with a fork into fine crumbs, then add mayo, mustard, relish, and pinch of white pepper (looks nicer than black). Doesn’t usually need salt. Spoon or pipe into the whites. Refrigerate until time to eat and for best results serve within a couple of hours. Garnish with a slice of gherkin or olive, a few drained capers, chives chopped fine or about an inch long and made into an “X,” a small slice of pimiento or other roasted red pepper, or with the traditional light sprinkling of paprika. If you are traveling with them, take the filling in a separate container and assemble when you get there (of course, keep cold!).
For variations, you could substitute 1 tsp. good curry powder for the relish (use the chive garnish); 3 T. drained salsa instead of mustard and relish (garnish with a slice of pickled jalapeno); or Greek style: substitute 3 T. drained, crumbled feta cheese instead of mustard and relish, add 1 tsp. dried oregano, and garnish with a slice of Kalamata olive.
Enjoy!
I’m thinking about proposing National Cozy Mystery Day. When should it be?
~Susannah
A Killer Kebab (A Greek to Me Mystery)Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher: Berkley (November 1, 2016)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425271674
E-Book ASIN: B01BK0XCBW
The Bonaparte House is closed for the season, and Georgie Nikolopatos looks forward to fixing up the Greek restaurant and historic landmark—until her renovation plans hit a fatal snag.
With her divorce underway, her mother-in-law returning to Greece, and the tourists gone, Georgie finally has life under control—and the Bonaparte House to herself. She quickly hires a contractor for some much-needed renovations to reopen in time for a special Greek-style Thanksgiving meal. Georgie is suspicious though when former dishwasher Russ Riley arrives with the construction crew. He still has an axe to grind with the Nikolopatos family—but is it sharp enough to kill?
When Georgie finds the body of her divorce lawyer amid the construction debris and Russ is quickly arrested for murder, something about the case doesn’t add up. While Georgie is no fan of Russ, even a bad egg deserves a crack at justice.
Includes delicious Greek recipes!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Another mouth watering mystery from Susannah Hardy.
Even with the tourists gone and The Bonaparte House closed for the season Georgie Nikolopatos still finds herself with a mystery to solve. Georgie has contracted to have the bathrooms of the restaurant updated before Thanksgiving when she hopes to have a huge feast for friends and neighbors and local patrons. She can’t believe after just one day of demolition the remodeling comes to a screeching halt when she finds a dead body with the rubble. The fact that it is her divorce attorney just adds to the urgency to catch the killer. Could it be an old employee seeking revenge? or another one of the lawyers clients? Before she can serve her planned dinner she has to find out for cooked the turkey in the suit!
I love this series! Some of characters were away because of the off season but Hardy introduced new ones to whet my appetite. We also visit Georgie’s mom, Melanie, at “the Spa” with a mysterious illness. Georgie is trying keep their search for additional heirs on track especially now that the lawyer handling Melanie’s affairs has been murdered. Her love interest, Jack, is away on assignment with the Coast Guard and I missed him too but Georgie was so busy I don’t think they would have been able to spend much time together.
What I truly enjoyed was Georgie’s quest to find the original recipe for Thousand Island dressing. There are probably more than a thousand different recipes for it and every one has their own twist or special ingredient. I had never really thought about where is originated or that it referred to a popular destination located along the border between Northern New York State (United States) and Southeastern Ontario (Canada). To me it was just a choice of what to put on salad. I love learning new things.
The author has packed a lot of drama and action into the pages of this book. Again she kept me up late reading. The story starts at a nice pace and builds to the point where you need to read just one more chapter, and then another and another. I was totally in the dark on the actual killer until Georgie and I shared our huge “Aha Moment”.
Every book in this series is excellent and every one has left me wanting more. The Bonaparte House is a unique setting, the characters are vibrant, and the mystery deserves all 5 stars and maybe more.
A Must Read for foodie cozy lovers!
About This Author
Susannah Hardy thinks she has the best job in the world: making up stories and inventing recipes to go along with them. A native of northern New York, where she attended St. Lawrence University, Susannah now lives in Connecticut with her husband, teenaged son, and Elvira the Wonder Cat.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Hardy packs this story full of drama.
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