Cooking By The Book

Cooking by the Book

A collection of mouth-watering recipes from more
than two dozen authors!

PLEASE NOTE: All writing from this e-book is copyrighted, and no part shall be used in any way
or reprinted without permission of the authors. This book and its contents in part or in its
entirety is intended to be used by each contributing author purely as a free promotional item.
It is never to be sold or used in any other way by them or anyone else. The e-book may be
placed on a website by the authors so visitors can download it for free. It may also be
transferred to a floppy by the authors or CD to hand out or mail to fans. (Copyright 2001
Cooking by the Book Contributing Authors)

Mary Emma Allen
http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea me.allen@juno.com

Susan Younan Attiyah
http://www.susanttiyahhomestead.com

Dehanna Bailee
http://www.authorsden.com/dehannabailee/

Karen Mueller Bryson
http://www.homestead.com/heydorothy/
http://www.homestead.com/karenmueller/

Phyllis Cambria
http://www.PartyPlansPlus.com
PartyPlansPlus@aol.com

Michael Chapman
http://www.gopherpublishers.com

Gleanna Connell,
a/k/a Glenys O’Connell
oreo@eircom.net

Charlotte Dillon
http://www.charlottedillon.com

Sharon Fernleaf
http://www.nearholy.com/

Leslie P. Garcia
http://www.diamondhopeenterprises.8m.com
http://communities.iuniverse.com/bin/circle.asp?circleid=7356

Peggy Hazelwood
http://www.albooktross.com
albooktross@aol.com

Carolyn Howard-Johnson
http://www.tlt.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm
HOJONEWS@aol.com

Gail Jenner gfiorini@sisqtel.net
http://www.suite101.com/myhome.cfm.gailjenner
http://www.geocities.com/amaranth50/gailjenner.html

Ann Josephson
http://www.annjosephson.com
ann@annjosephson.com

Catherine Karp
http://www.catherinekarp.com

Carol Kluz
http://www.ckluz.homestead.com

David Leonhardt
http://www.leonhardtonline.com.

Joyce Livingston
http://www.joycelivingston.com
joyce@joycelivingston

Stephanie Parker Logue

Judith Lynn
http://www.judithlynn.com

Kristie Leigh Maguire
http://www.geocities.com/kristieleighmaguire/authorspage.html

Barbara Phinney
barbarap@nbnet.nb.ca

Roxanne Rustand
http://www.roxannerustand.com
www.superauthors.com
R.Rustand@juno.com

Kathleen Walls
http://www.katywalls.com
katywalls@hotmail.com

Norah Wilson
http://personal/nbnet.nb.ca/wilson

~ Contributing Authors ~

~ About This Book ~

Cooking by the Book was put together as a labor of love by more than two dozen
talented writers – who just happen to be wonderful cooks as well. The main goal in
this undertaking was to offer loyal readers and website visitors a gift to show our
appreciation.

During the process of completing this project, all of the writers took great pains to fill
this little e-book with favorite recipes, short biographies, and even some excerpts from
the books that tie in with the appetizing foods you'll find listed.

As you read through the finished cookbook, we hope you discover many delicious
recipes, learn a little about each author, and be tempted to sample a few of the dishes
– and at least a little of our writing.

A lot of effort went into completing this offering. The driving force behind it, and the
person who got the ball rolling, is a gifted author by the name of Kathleen Walls. She
served as contact, editor, planner, and even finished the attractive cover for the
finished e-book. A number of other writers put on their editors' hats to help out,
including Dehanna Bailee, Phyllis Cambria, Charlotte Dillon, Leslie P. Garcia, Peggy
Hazelwood, and Ann Josephson. Other authors, like Carol Kluz and David Leonhardt
stepped forward to handle promotion.

Enjoy!

Charlotte Dillon,
Contributing Author

~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~

BREAD AND MUFFINS
EMMA BRANDENBERG’S VICTORIAN CREAM SCONES
OLD-FASHIONED JOHNNY CAKE
PLAIN MUFFINS

CEREALS
FRUMENTY

APPETIZERS AND SNACKS
BEEF JERKY
SCRUMPTIOUS CHEESE LOG

SOUPS, SALADS AND SANDWICHES
HANK’S CAJUN GUMBO
MAGICALLY DELICIOUS ROAST BEEF PO-BOYS
GARBAGE POTATO SALAD
BECKY’S SALAD

VEGETABLES
"IT’S SO GOOOOD" VEGETABLE FRIED RICE
NANNY’S CREAMED POTATOES
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
SWEET-N-HOT CABBAGE
MOLLY’S GEORGIA FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

PASTAS
SOPA DE ESTRELLITAS ("STAR" PASTA)

MAIN DISHES
BEAT-THE-HEAT TOSTADAS
"MAKE AND RUN ENCHILADA" CASSEROLE
SPICY CHICKEN IN DANCING TOMATO SAUCE
(AKA "TACO CHICKEN" FOR THE UNINSPIRED COOK)
CREOLE PORK CHOPS
PEARL’S EASY SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
CORNED BEEF BRISKET
NEL’S BAKED ROAST
MRS. KELLY’S FLOUNDER
VENISON STEW
EASY AND ELEGANT COUNTRY CHICKEN KIEV
MARINATED HERB BAKED SALMON
VEGETARIAN PIZZA
QUINCE AND SPARROW PIE
BAKED JAMBALAYA
FAVORING CURRY
TUNA TEMPTATION

DESSERTS
WASILLA’S FRUIT CUP
RED HOT JELLO
HARVEST PUMPKIN PIE CHEESECAKE
SWEET & SOUR APPLE STRUSSEL CHEESECAKE
BERRY BLUE LAYER CHEESECAKE
OVER THE RAINBOW CAFÉ’S FAMOUS FRUIT SALAD
NO BANANA BANANA PUDDING
BERRY SLUMP
BUCKSTAR’S SINFUL MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
LEMON ICE BOX PIE
SECOND ONLY TO SEX DESSERT
BLACKBERRY CRISP
MOCHA BROWNIES
STELLA’S 24TH OF JULY CHOCOLATE CHERRY NUT CAKE
WITH SEVEN MINUTE "ICING"
PEGGY’S TASTY COBBLER

BEVERAGES AND MISC.
RUSSIAN SPICE TEA
GRAM HARRY’S HOME-CANNED GARDEN-FRESH RASPBERRY JAM
STRAWBERRY JELLY
BARNEY’S OLD-FASHIONED GINGER ALE
GRAM HARRY’S MUSTARD PICKLES

~ ABBREVIATIONS ~

° C degrees - Celsius
° F degrees - Fahrenheit
gal. - gallon
lb - pound
oz - ounce
pkg - package
T - tablespoon
tsp - teaspoon

~ BREAD AND MUFFINS ~

EMMA BRANDENBERG’S VICTORIAN CREAM SCONES

Setting the Scene:
In the summer of 1897, Emma Brandenberg seems to be living the pampered life of
late-Victorian wealth. Her much-older husband, Philip, is the popular mayor of
Hollybrook, Massachusetts; she resides in a beautiful home and dines on the finest of
foods; and no one, not even her closest friends, ever hears her complain of
unhappiness.

Yet behind closed doors Philip is a controlling and often-abusive monster - and it will
take a nomadic stranger to uncover the truth about the Brandenbergs’ gilded lives...
and to teach Emma about liberation. Indulge yourself in the luxury of Emma
Brandenberg’s Victorian Cream Scones with a tantalizing taste from Catherine Karp’s
novel, Gilded. ISBN: 0738825530

Excerpt from GILDED:
Within a matter of minutes, the house became inundated with the bellowing tones of
masculine voices and laughter. Philip lured his guests into the parlor to the immediate
right of the entry hall and made them all comfortable in his Vanderbilt-worthy palace.
The men seated their backsides on the Brandenbergs’ velvet, consuming the rich
sights of the elegant room around them and raising their nostrils to the aroma of fresh
coffee and freshly baked pastries. By a quarter past the hour, all of the gentlemen had
arrived and settled into the parlor. Nora brought out the teacart laden with scones and
cakes and served the coffee with Emma’s assistance.

Emma Brandenberg’s Victorian Cream Scones

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 T sugar
½ tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
¼ cup cold unsalted butter, sliced into pieces
½ cup currants or raisins
2 beaten eggs
½ cup cream

Topping:
2 T sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Instructions:
For best results, keep ingredients as cold as possible during preparation. Sift dry
ingredients and add butter. Stir in currants or raisins (other dried fruits may be
substituted). Combine the eggs and cream in a separate bowl and add to the flour
mixture. Blend the batter until smooth. Pat into a mound measuring ¾-inch thick. Cut
into triangles and sprinkle with the sugar/cinnamon topping. Bake for about 20
minutes in a preheated 375° F oven until lightly brown. Serve traditionally with jams,
lemon curd, or Devonshire cream or get creative. Makes about 1 dozen.

Author’s Bio:
I’m Catherine Karp, a Southern California native who’s been writing fiction since I was
about 5 years old. My debut novel, Gilded, ISBN: 0738825530, won the Hollywood Film
Festival’s Opus Magnum Discovery Award and took first place in the Authorlink New
Author Awards Competition. The novel can be ordered from most online bookstores,
and autographed copies are available through my web site.

In addition to writing my next novel, Voices Airy, I run HistoryandLovers.com, a site
promoting "historical love stories that don’t fit the historical romance mold." I live with
my husband and daughter in San Diego, California.

Please visit my web site at http://www.catherinekarp.com

************************************************************************

OLD-FASHIONED JOHNNY CAKE

Setting the Scene:
The simplicity of pioneer cooking often fascinates us as we try to re-create some of the
recipes of the early settlers. These take us back to earlier times and encourage us to
read stories and do research about the lives of the pioneers. Stores weren’t readily
available without traveling long distances to the nearest town, so settlers had to be self-
sufficient and raise most of what they needed. So they picked and dried berries for
winter food, raised pumpkins, beans and squash, ate wild game, and caught fish in the
streams. We can still enjoy these simple recipes today. Whip up some old-fashioned
johnny cakes to enjoy with an excerpt from Tales of Adventure and Discovery(ISBN: 0-
9651675-0-X).

Excerpt from Tales of Adventure and Discovery:
Sarah Jane picked up the bucket of blackberries and started toward the cabin.
Suddenly Tag barked and ran to the far side of the berry patch.

"Tag, come back," Sarah Jane called. But Tag continued barking. Then Sarah Jane
heard someone yell. She rushed through the berry patch, her blond braids with the
red yarn tied on the ends flying out behind her. She stopped suddenly when she saw
Tag. He was standing beside a native girl who lay on the ground. The girl was about ten
years old, the same as Sarah Jane.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah Jane asked as she approached the girl cautiously.
The Indian girl looked at Sarah Jane but said nothing. She got up, only to fall when
she put her weight on her right foot.

Later Sarah Jane’s mother offered the native girl biscuits and milk. Since cornmeal
and wheat flour were the most commonly used in pioneer days, cornmeal griddlecakes
or corn bread baked in a pan over the coals may have been what Sarah Jane’s mother
referred to as biscuits.

OLD FASHIONED JOHNNY CAKE

Ingredients:
Sift together:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups sifted flour
½ cup sugar (less if you don’t want it so sweet)
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
Rub in a piece of butter, egg size, or about 2 T

Instructions:
Stir in 1 beaten egg and 1-1/2 cups sweet milk; batter may be slightly lumpy. Turn
into greased 8 by 8-inch baking pan; bake about ½ hour at 375° F. or until inserted
pick comes out clean. (In pioneer days, they might stir in some dried berries before
baking.)

Author's Bio:
I’m Mary Emma Allen, a children’s author, cooking and travel columnist, quiltmaker
and quilt book author, family/inspirational writer, and writing teacher/speaker. I’ve
always been eager to try new ventures in writing; as a result I’ve enjoyed working at
many types of writing and my books reveal this diversity. They include WHEN WE
BECOME THE PARENT TO OUR PARENTS (ISBN: 09651675-1-8), which chronicles my
mother’s journey through Alzheimer’s, Tales of Adventure & Discovery (ISBN: 0-
9651675-0-X), a collection of children’s stories I’ve also illustrated, The Magic of
Patchwork, Writing in Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont; and several manuals for
writers.

My most recent work was a coloring book to accompany the children’s anthology.
Currently I’m working on writing activity books for children and a YA novel inspired by
my ancestors’ experiences during the U.S. Civil War era. Visit my web site: http:
//homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea or e-mail me at me.allen@juno.com.

************************************************************************

PLAIN MUFFINS

Setting the Scene:
When my mother, who was stricken with Alzheimer’s disease, resided in a nursing
home, my grandchildren (her great-grandchildren) enjoyed visiting her with me, even
though she didn’t recognize us. One of the treats consisted of tea parties with Great
Grandma Dee Dee. This is a tradition I started whenever I visited, a family tradition of
sitting over tea and chatting when we visited my grandmother’s home and later my
mom in her home. Mother, while in the nursing home, seemed to find these occasions
relaxing. She particularly enjoyed muffins, whether we made them ourselves or
purchased them at a fast food restaurant. Sometimes we made my mother-in-law’s
blueberry cake and took this for our tea parties. Share another family tradition by
making the plain muffins I made as a youngster, or add extra ingredients to make
them fancy enough for any tea party. Then have a muffin as you read an excerpt from
"Can Children Cope with Alzheimer’s Disease," from WHEN We Become the Parent to
Our Parents (ISBN: 09651675-1-8).

Excerpt from WHEN We Become the Parent to Our Parents:
Kara looks forward to these tea parties.

"You sit near your mommy," she says [to me] and points to the chair
nearest Mother. Then she pulls up a chair for herself and chatters while we eat.

Mother seems unaware of the relationship between Kara and herself. She
no longer recognizes me, or if she does, can’t verbalize it. But Mother does know that a
little girl visits; she comments on the "nice little girl here today."

Mother no longer can feed herself. Kara takes it for granted that I will give Great
Grandma bites of muffin and sips of tea. These visits give the Alzheimer’s patient’s life
significance, as they help their grandchildren and great grandchildren understand the
various phases of life with love and compassion.

PLAIN MUFFINS

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 T melted shortening
2 to 3 T sugar, depending on desired sweetness

Instructions:
Sift the dry ingredients together. Stir together the milk, egg and the melted
shortening. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry mixture, stirring only until mixed.
Batter will be somewhat lumpy. With a tablespoon, drop batter into muffin tins lined
with muffin papers; fill 2/3 full. Bake at 400° F for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the
size muffin.

VARIATIONS:
Add ½ to 1 cup floured blueberries to the batter.
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.
Stir in ½ cup raisins or currants.
Stir in ½ cup chocolate chips.
Chopped nuts can be added with any of the variations.
Add ½ cup chopped cranberries.
Add 1 T grated orange peel.

Author’s Bio:
I’m Mary Emma Allen, a children’s author, cooking and travel columnist, quiltmaker
and quilt book author, family/inspirational writer, and writing teacher/speaker. I’ve
always been eager to try new ventures in writing; as a result I’ve enjoyed working at
many types of writing and my books reveal this diversity. They include When We
Become the Parent to Our Parents (ISBN: 0-9651675-1-8), which chronicles my
mothers journey through Alzheimer’s, Tales of Adventure & Discovery(ISBN: 0-
9651675-0-X), a collection of children’s stories I’ve also illustrated, The Magic of
Patchwork, Writing in Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont, and several manuals for
writers. My most recent work was a coloring book to accompany the children’s
anthology. Currently I’m working on writing activity books for children and a YA novel
inspired by my ancestors’ experiences during the U. S. Civil War era. Visit my web site:
http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea or e-mail me at me.allen@juno.com.

~ CEREALS ~

FRUMENTY

Setting the Scene:
After setting out lunch at the medieval charity fair, our heroine, Janet, is roped into
making supper. Meanwhile, Devin, is getting beaten at a sword fight against Silas, the
man who constantly drools over Janet's cleavage. Afraid she's the prize, Janet is almost
too scared to watch.

Excerpt from All for a Good Cause:
Scowling, Janet took another swig of the beer she was supposed to use for the meat
marinade. After stepping out of her hoops back in Devin's trailer, she'd sought out
Maggie-Ann and for her efforts got roped into setting out lunch. And starting supper.
Her slippers, soaked by the dew, were out drying in the sun behind the kitchen tent.
She decided to risk dropping a clay pot or two on her toes.

"So where did you go this morning?" Maggie-Ann asked her, whisking a bowl of cream.

"I had trouble with my hoops and needed a private place to fix them. I didn't want to
disturb you and Tom."

"You missed breakfast. We had frumenty, and the boys actually liked it. Stop drinking
the marinade."

Janet put down her tumbler of beer. "Just checking it. Besides, I need something to get
me through the weekend. I'm going to be married tomorrow and my betrothed is being
beaten to a pulp by the sheriff."

Maggie-Ann peered out at the practice field. "Good God, is he ever. If I didn't know
better, I'd say Silas was enjoying it. Maybe you're the prize."

"If I am, I'm going home."

"Don't want to marry Silas?" Maggie-Ann asked.

"The thought turns my stomach."

"Maybe it's all the beer you're swilling. Get the meat into it, before it's all gone, will
you? You're making supper, remember?"

Janet dumped the huge seasoned roast into the clay pot she'd swiped
with grease. Almost crying, she dumped the beer into it.

FRUMENTY

Ingredients:
1 cup of cracked wheat
3 cups of water or milk
Honey
Cream

Instructions:
Simmer the cracked wheat in the water or milk until tender and the consistency of
oatmeal, about 20 minutes. Serve into bowls, add a tsp of honey and cover with cream.
Pour cold water into empty pot to aid in clean up. Serves 6.

True, old-fashioned frumenty, a breakfast dish, takes hours to cook, but this version is
just as tasty. Cracked wheat is available in health or bulk food stores. Try adding your
favorite dried fruit in the last few minutes for a special treat.

Author's Bio:
After Barbara Phinney retired from the military, she decided to tackle something she
knew nothing about, romance writing. And so her second career was born. Shortly
after, she was asked by her local newspaper to write a humorous slice-of-life column.
She wrote that until she moved to Canada's East Coast. She says writing romance has
helped her to see the world differently. "Everyone has goals and motives.
Understanding them helps me deal with those around me."

Barbara's romantic comedy, All For A Good Cause, is available as an e-book at Hard
Shell Word Factory's website, www.hardshell.com. Barbara lives with her husband, two
children and an ancient cat. You can contact her about her novel at
barbarap@nbnet.nb.ca.

~ APPETIZERS AND SNACKS ~

BEEF JERKY

Praise for ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS:
"With three-dimensional characters and passion for her story, Gail Jenner
authentically recreates the raw and rugged world of Montana in the late 1800s."
~ Jane Kirkpatrick, ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE
"The words she has written sing, her research is extraordinary, and the plot
mesmerizes."
~Vella Munn, BLACKFEET SEASON
"Set against an authentic background, written by an author with the soul of a poet, this
debut historical romance speaks, in a lyrical voice, of a love that transcends the hate,
fear, and ugliness of the bloody cultural clash between white and Native Americans in
the 1860s and 1870s."
~ Patricia Lucas White, P.S., I’VE TAKEN A LOVER

Excerpt from ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS:
Red Eagle extended the butt end of his knife, teasing her with flashing eyes. Liza took
the knife, turning it in her hands. It was made of horn, perhaps elk or deer. The blade
was broad, sharp, and deadly. For a moment, she wondered if Red Eagle had ever used
it on a man. Stifling the thought, she knelt beside him, eyes averted. She didn’t want
to look into this man’s eyes; they seemed to look through her, and she feared Red
Eagle would see the apprehension and anxiety in her face. Liza timidly reached for the
slab of red meat, grimacing at the blood that ran down her fingers. ‘Do what I do, Liza,’
he instructed quietly, attention diverted by the way she’d begun cutting the meat. Liza
frowned, seeing that her slices of jerky meat were thick, not thin. But she would learn
all that this half-breed could teach her. Having always relied on her father and
brothers, she now had to rely on herself.

BEEF JERKY

Ingredients:
1 lb top round
Salt
Pepper
Liquid smoke

Instructions:
Remove all fat from 1 lb beef* top round (thickly cut) steak. Freeze until icy. Cut into
very thin strips, cutting ACROSS GRAIN for crisp jerky and WITH GRAIN for chewy
jerky. Place sliced meat in bowl or baking dish in a single ½-inch layer. Sprinkle with
salt, pepper and liquid smoke. Repeat layers of meat and seasoning. When finished
with meat layers, weight down with a large plate or heavy object and cover. Chill
overnight. Next day, drain meat. Pat dry. Arrange meat slices on rack in shallow baking
pan. Bake at 250° F till dry, about 3 ½ to 4 hours. Cool. Store in airtight container in
refrigerator or at cool room temperature. Makes 8 to 9 ounces jerky.
*Can substitute venison for beef

Author’s Bio:
Gail Jenner is the wife of fourth generation rancher/farmer, Doug Jenner. They have
three children and live on the original homestead in the northern California
mountains, surrounded by national forests and wilderness areas. The Jenners spend a
lot of time on horseback in the mountains each summer. Gail is also a secondary
history and English teacher.

Gail has completed three novels and a screenplay. She sold her first novel, ACROSS
THE SWEET GRASS HILLS, in June of 1999 to Creative Arts Book Company. A
romantic-historical, it focuses on the Marias Massacre of 1870.

Gail has published articles and stories for Christian, regional, and educational
publishers, including Simon & Schuster and Tyndale. She has placed in a number of
writing contests, including The National Writers’ Novel Contest; The William Faulkner
Short Story Contest; The Writers’ Network International Screenplay and Fiction
Contest; The Chesterfield Writer’s Film Project; and the FADE IN Screenplay Contest.

Available now at bn.com, borders.com, and amazon.com, or in bookstores:
Gail L. Jenner ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS, (ISBN#0-88739-302-0)
gfiorini@sisqtel.net http://www.suite101.com/myhome.cfm.gailjenner and http://www.
geocities.com/amaranth50/gailjenner.html
For wonderful and unusual gifts, visit: http://www.diFiorini.com.

************************************************************************

SCRUMPTIOUS CHEESE LOG

Setting the Scene:
You’re trying to think of a way to earn some extra income, but you want to do
something you really love. Hmmm, what could you do? If you’re like me and love
antiques and collectibles, it’s time to get serious about your hobby! Grab these five
ingredients, make this scrumptious cheese log, then sit down and start brainstorming
how you can make money with this fun hobby!

Excerpt from From Old to Gold: How to Start and Run an Antiques Business:
You like antiques and collectibles. Maybe like is not a strong enough word; you love
antiques and collectibles! When you pass an antique store, you stop, gazing in the
window at the display of treasures beckoning you inside. Sometimes just walking into
an antique store, smelling the musty aroma of the quilts and age-soaked relics brings
back memories. You’re not alone.

Millions of people love antiques, those souvenirs of the past that remind us of our
grandparents’ home or of our childhood. And for all the people who love antiques and
collectibles, there is a need for someone to sell these tangible memories to them.

If you’ve ever dreamed of starting and running your own antiques business, it’s easier
than you might have thought. With many options available today to antiques dealers,
beginning an antiques business is more affordable than you may have imagined.

SCRUMPTIOUS CHEESE LOG

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 oz Bleu cheese
2 T onion, finely chopped
3 T pickle relish
½ cup pecans, finely chopped

Instructions:
Blend cream cheese and Bleu cheese. Add onion and pickles. On plastic wrap, roll
cheese mixture into 10 by 2-inch log. Wrap in waxed paper and chill at least 3 hours
(overnight works great).

Immediately before serving, remove plastic wrap and roll the cheese log in pecans. For
an extra touch of charm, serve on an antique platter or plate over a bed of leaf lettuce
and surround with a variety of breads and crackers.

Author’s Bio:
Peggy Hazelwood loves to make this cheese log for guests or to share at a potluck. She
lives in Denver, Colorado, with two good kitties. Peggy is a freelance writer and
copyeditor, runs the Albooktross electronic bookstore, http://www.albooktross.com,
and in her spare time, loves searching garage sales and thrift stores for "good junk" to
keep (and sometimes sell). She can be reached at Albooktross@aol.com.

Peggy Hazelwood is the author of From Old to Gold: How to Start and Run an Antiques
Business. This informative booklet will guide you on what you need to know in starting
and operating your own antiques and collectibles business. From Old to Gold, available
in the How To category at http://www.albooktross.com, downloads immediately to your
PC!

~ SOUPS, SALADS AND SANDWICHES ~

HANK’S CAJUN GUMBO

Setting the Scene:
Vickie, a distraught mother searching for answers to her daughter’s drug-related death,
has become friends with Hank, an addict turned drug counselor. Hank has promised to
cook her a Cajun gumbo in his apartment over his rehab center. The cooking has been
interrupted when Hank stops to register a young addict wanting help in the center.

Excerpt from LAST STEP:
After answering a few more of Annie’s questions, he took her back to Hilda to start her
classes. He then escorted Vickie back to his apartment. "Sorry to have our day
interrupted like that but that girl needed help. I hope she makes it."

"She seems so sincere," Vickie replied.

"We’ll do our best. The rest is up to her." He changed the subject. "Let’s start that
gumbo. I’m starved. Make yourself useful, woman. I’ll peel the shrimp; you cut up the
okra and onions."

He got out a cutting board and knife for her. When their fingers touched, Vickie felt the
familiar tingle. She knew he did, too, but he turned away and busied himself getting a
large black iron pot and setting it on the stove.

The meal was delicious. They carried on a conversation about Saturday’s plans. Both
were conscious of the contained feelings in the room. Vickie knew that Hank had only
to make a slight move in her direction and they would end up in bed. Hank restrained
himself. He took her back to the hotel but made no move to accompany her to her room.

Hank’s Cajun Gumbo

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh shrimp
1 lb crab meat (whole boiled, cleaned crab or crab claws can be substituted)
1 lb fresh okra (frozen cut okra can be used)
1 medium onion
1 medium bell pepper
2 stalks of celery
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp File (if available)
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped (a can of cooked tomatoes can be substituted)
16 oz can tomato sauce
Salt to taste
3 T olive oil
4 cups water (more can be added if gumbo becomes too thick)

Instructions:
Peel shrimp. Cut okra into slices. Chop onion, bell pepper and celery coarsely. Sauté
onions, peppers and celery in oil in large pot (old cast iron pot is best). When onions
start to become translucent, add okra. Cook until it loses its sliminess then add
shrimp. Peel and chop garlic and add to pot. When shrimp turn pink, add tomatoes,
sauce, water and seasoning. Bring to boil and then simmer about 20 minutes. Add
crab. Simmer 5 more minutes.

Serve over fluffy white rice in a bowl. This thick rich soup is a winter favorite in Cajun
country. This is an adaptable meal; oysters can be added when you add the crab. Some
people also add sausage. A Cajun host always offers food, so if unexpected company
comes, just add water to stretch this gumbo.

Author’s Bio:
My name is Kathleen Walls. I divide my time between a cozy North Georgia mountain
cabin and a St. Augustine, Florida home. My housemates are husband, Martin, dog,
Romeo, and cats, Smoky and Spice.

Last Step (ISBN 0-595-17047-1), my second novel, is available at most online
bookstores and my web site. By Any Other Name, my first novel is available in e-book
format. I recently finished Georgia’s Ghostly Getaways; a spirited travelogue about
Georgia’s haunted sites. Currently I’m working on Kudzu, a story of love and betrayal,
past and present, in the northeastern Georgia mountains.

I also am a frequent contributor to travel and food publications, such as Woodall’s
Publications, Family Motor Coaching, Amateur Chef, Doggone Newsletter and North
Georgia Journal. I also did a stint as a reporter for a local paper, The Union Sentinel.

I would love for you to visit me at my web site, www.katywalls.com.

************************************************************************

MAGICALLY DELICIOUS ROAST BEEF PO-BOYS

Setting the Scene:
In Mister Magic, Candace owns an isolated inn in Louisiana. Lance is a famous
magician who has been accused of everything from Satanic worship to murder. Will a
month with Lance cost Candace more than her heart?

Excerpt from Mister Magic:
Candace walked into the empty lobby and knelt next to the tabloid papers Lance had
thrown across the room. She picked one of them up. There was a photo on the front
page that had supposedly been taken in Lance’s Los Angeles home. The bed in the
picture was covered with black satin sheets. Two skull-shaped candles sat on a table on
either side of it. A large circle with a strange looking star inside of it had been painted
on the wall above the head of the bed. Candace knew the article inside the paper went
into detail about the fact that the circle had been painted with blood. She had already
read all about it when she was in town.

"It makes quite interesting reading. Wouldn’t you say, Candace?"

She looked up to find Lance watching her, his green eyes narrowed and angry. She
wadded the paper up as she stood and walked over to the front desk, where she threw
it in the wastebasket where trash belonged. She didn’t believe the story. Not after
spending the last few days with Lance, not after overhearing the heated conversation
he had with Mr. Walker. Besides, this was real life, not some spine-tingling novel by
Stephen King. People didn’t make packs with Satan in the real world.

"I’d have to agree that it’s interesting, but then I’ve always preferred reading fiction,"
she said with a smile. "After all, it’s usually a lot more excitin’ than the truth." Lance
slowly returned her smile. "Well, come on, I have supper waiting. Roast beef po-boys."

MAGICALLY DELICIOUS ROAST BEEF PO-BOYS

Ingredients:
1 lean eye-of-round roast (Size depends on how many people you are feeding. Warning:
southerners tend to eat twice as much as others, so keep that in mind when figuring
amount needed.)
Flour
Salt
Black Pepper
Red Pepper (Be careful. This stuff is hotter than a love scene!)
Beef Bouillon Cubes
Packaged Brown Gravy Mix
Oil
Favorite Seasonings
French Bread
Lettuce
Tomatoes

Instructions:
Season your roast with salt and pepper. You can also use meat tenderizer, a type of
season all, onion and garlic powder, or whatever seasonings you like. Once the
seasonings are rubbed in well, roll the roast in flour. Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large
pot, then brown the roast on all sides. When the roast is very well browned, add
enough water to the pot to just cover the meat. Add a couple of beef bouillon cubes.
Add salt, pepper, and other favorite seasonings to the water, then cover, lower the fire
and simmer for a couple of hours.

After 2 hours, remove the roast and place it on a cutting board to cool some. Next slice
and cut the roast up into thin bite-size pieces. Return meat to liquid in pot, stir in a
couple of packs of brown gray mix—can be the kind that comes with onion bits or
mushrooms. Let the mixture and the meat simmer for another hour on low, stirring
occasionally to make sure the gravy doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

To serve, slice off a piece of French bread about 5 inches long. Slice it in half, so you
have a top and bottom for your sandwich. Spoon meat and gravy over the bottom slice,
then place sliced lettuce and tomatoes on top of the roast. Take the top piece of French
bread and coat it with plenty of mayonnaise, then place it on top of the lettuce and
tomatoes. Now you have a real southern dressed roast beef po-boy. (Note. All good roast
beef po-boys are really messy, so plenty of paper towels should be at hand.)

Author's Bio:
Charlotte Dillon was born in Louisiana. As a child she feared bedtime, when the lights
were turned out and her room settled into darkness. There was a way not to notice the
slow movement that she could swear was near her closet, or the soft breaths that she
could almost hear under her bed—make up a story. Each night, while she waited for
sleep to come, she invented characters, designed worlds, and slipped away from the
darkness and her childish fears.

As an adult, Charlotte still makes up bedtime tales, but now she has a perfect place to
share those adventures, in her books. She spends her days as a freelance writer, and
evenings and weekends working on her tales of heroes, horses, and the kind of
romance that dreams are made of.

To learn more about Charlotte, visit her website at:
http://www.charlottedillon.com

************************************************************************

GARBAGE POTATO SALAD

Excerpt from True Nature:
Olivia placed the tomatoes in a colander on the table and took one out. She took the
knife from Kailen and deftly removed the stem and sliced it into many perfect pieces.
Smiling her toothless grin, she popped the last piece in her mouth.

"Your treat," she cackled. "You work on these. I will get you a plate. Then I can start on
the lettuce."

The woman headed back into the cooler leaving Kailen with a colander full of tomatoes
and no idea what to do. She picked up the first tomato and proceeded to cut them as
the woman had showed her.

Olivia shuffled back into the kitchen and took an educated glance at Kailen’s
handiwork.

"A bit thinner than that dear, or that will be all you taste."

The woman drew another knife from the block and deftly began to chop up the heads of
lettuce. She explained her technique and the reason she did certain things, walking
back to the simmering pots on the stove to stir them every once and a while and then
returning to the lettuce. She filled the colander with chopped lettuce and took it to the
sink to rinse.

Kailen was surprised at the woman’s energy and complete ease in her own domain.
She felt immediately as if the woman was like family, and began to talk with her more;
asking questions about what she was cooking and her favorite recipes and such.

When she had finished the tomatoes and cleaned off her workplace, Olivia placed a full
plate of food in front of her, and smiled.

"See there, lady," she spoke softly, "You work, you eat. Not so bad now."

Olivia patted her arm, turned and left the kitchen, leaving Kailen alone with a huge pile
of food and the warmth of a good solid woman.

Garbage Potato Salad

Ingredients:
6 cups of potatoes (red, white, and/or yellow)
½ good-sized onion (diced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
½ green pepper (diced)
2 stalks of celery (diced)
2 hard boiled eggs
¼ cup minced raw carrots
¾ cup Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise)
¼ cup mustard
2 T bacon bits
Chili powder or paprika
Salt
Pepper
Celery leaves or parsley

Instructions:
Wash fresh ingredients. Cube potatoes (do not peel) into 1- or 2-inch pieces. Add to
stockpot and bring to boil. Cook until you tender (can pierce with a fork, but not so
long they are mushy). Drain in colander and set aside to cool. Dice onion, pepper,
celery, tomato, and add into large bowl. Add minced carrots. Chop one egg, and add to
bowl. Add potatoes, mayonnaise, bacon bits, and mustard and mix well. Add salt and
pepper to taste. If the salad is too pasty, you can add small amounts of mayonnaise and
mustard to "soften" the blend. You want to try to keep it "chunky." When finished,
scoop salad into serving dish and with a wet spoon, flatten surface. Slice the last egg
long-wise into ovals. Place on top of salad in a flower shape and garnish with parsley or
celery leaves, and chili powder/paprika.

This very colorful salad provides a hearty addition to any meal. It is also a nice item to
prepare to bring to a potluck or cook out. Ingredients are variable and you can modify
to your own tastes and preferences. Go ahead; bring some "trash" to dinner.

Author’s Bio:
I learned how to make potato salad from my Mother who lives in Abita Springs,
Louisiana. It was a staple around our house, and everyone loved Miss Jeanne’s cooking.
I can remember the large gatherings every weekend with family and friends filling the
household. The women took it upon themselves to make sure there was more than an
abundance of food to eat. I believe that you get your best recipes from those who have
come before. ~ Dehanna Bailee

You can find out more about Dehanna Bailee or her current book, True Nature, by
visiting her website at http://www.authorsden.com/dehannabailee/.

************************************************************************

BECKY'S SALAD

Excerpt from A MONTANA FAMILY:
Veterinarian Dana Hathaway is raising two kids and trying to keep her ranch in the
black—no easy task after the death of her husband three years ago. A meddling
mother, matchmaking best friend, and a neighboring rancher with the hots for her—or
could it be her ranch?—make her life complicated. But when her old high school flame
Zach returns to Fossil Hill, Colorado, things change from challenging to downright
dangerous.

Undercover DEA Special Agent Zach Forrestor is on medical leave, and has brought his
newfound niece to this small Colorado town hoping to keep her safe. But an old enemy
follows him and threatens all he cares about—his late sister's child, and the newly-
rekindled love he'd never hoped to regain.

In the midst of old emotions and very real danger, Dana doesn't have much time for
complicated menu planning. This salad, however, is one that wins Zach's heart.

(For more of their story, see OPERATION KATIE, Harlequin Superromance, in June of
2002.)

BECKY'S SALAD

Ingredients:
1 head lettuce
1 head cauliflower, sliced thin (not chopped)
1 Spanish onion, diced fine
1 lb lean bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup carrots, sliced thin

Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (from shaker can, not the refrigerated fresh product)
2 cups regular Hellman's mayonnaise
3 cups seasoned croutons (one box)

Instructions:
Blend the salad dressing ingredients, set aside. Layer the vegetables and bacon in
order listed, except the croutons. Top with dressing. Cover tightly. You can do this the
night before, if need be. To serve: add croutons at the last minute and toss.

Author’s Bio:
Roxanne Rustand discovered romance novels when a friend handed her a Judith
McNaught historical and dared her to put it down. She did—at four o'clock the next
morning. Completely hooked, she devoured all of the romances she could find, and
then started writing one herself.

An award-winning author, her fifth Harlequin Superromance, A MONTANA FAMILY,
was out September 2001. In 2002, her Secret Agents series begins with OPERATION
KATIE in June, followed by an untitled release in November. Also look for
ORCHESTRATED MURDER, a trade paperback serial mystery novel written with a
number of other authors as a fundraiser for KUNI Public Radio, to be released in
October 2001. She has a Master's Degree in Nutrition, and works as a dietitian in a
residential psychiatric facility. The Rustands live in the country with their three
children and a menagerie of epic proportions.... including Sid the Snake, who insisted
in appearing in her first book.

To contact Roxanne:
Address: Box 2550, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-2550.
Websites: http://www.roxannerustand.com and www.superauthors.com
E-mail: R.Rustand@juno.com

~ VEGETABLES ~

"IT’S SO GOOOOD" VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

Setting the Scene:
Dorothy Gale Robinson, an aspiring actress, is the daughter of hippie parents with a
passion for old movies. When her father is killed suddenly while sipping a non-fat
decaf mocha latte at a local coffee shop, Dorothy’s life is turned upside down. When
Dorothy’s mother decides to sell all her worldly possessions and join a New Age cult
headquartered in Banff, Canada, Dorothy, her boyfriend, Lahrs, and a cult-buster,
Mervyn O’Roy venture from Florida to Canada to recover Dorothy’s mother from the
clutches of the New Age cult. In this scene, Dorothy and Lahrs decide to dine at Ed
Wong’s, a restaurant serving both Chinese and authentic Canadian cuisine.

Excerpt from Hey Dorothy You’re Not in Kansas Anymore:
The Asian man seated us at the window and handed us each a menu - which was only
a small laminated sheet of paper. I didn’t see any Canadian cuisine listed. When the
Asian man came back to take our order, I asked him about the Canadian food. "We
have Alberta beef," he said. "You like beef? I make you some Alberta beef. It’s so goooo-
d."

"Does anything come with it?" I asked.

"We have rice. You like rice? We have steamed rice and fried rice. The fried rice is so
goooo-d."

"Is that the only Canadian dish you have?"

"You don’t like beef? This is the best - Alberta beef. You like - you see. I’ll make some
for you. And you take some fried rice. And you sir, you like some Alberta beef? Is so
goooo-d."

Lahrs said, "I think I’ll try the sweet and sour chicken. Is that Alberta chicken?"

"This sweet and sour chicken. It’s so goooo-d. You see. You will like. And you like
some fried rice, too?"

"Yeah. Okay," said Lahrs.

The Asian Man hurried away with our orders. A few seconds later a young woman
came out and served us water and hot tea. "So much for their authentic Canadian
cuisine," I said.

"You not like Alberta beef?" Lahrs said, imitating the waiter.

"We’ll find out."

"You think many people eat here?"

"They can’t have too many customers," I said. "There are only six tables." "I hope the
food really is so goooo-d."

"Me, too. I’m starving."

"IT’S SO GOOOOD" VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

Ingredients:
¼ cup light soy sauce
3 T oil
3 T water
½ tsp ground ginger
1 sliced red bell pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
4 cups cooked rice

Instructions:
Heat a wok and add oil. When the oil is moderately hot, add the ginger and stir-fry for
about 30 seconds. Add the peppers and broccoli and stir-fry for about 2 minutes (or
until cooked.) Add the mushrooms and bean sprouts, and continue to stir-fry for
another 2 minutes (or until cooked.) Add water as necessary to prevent sticking. Add
the cooked rice and soy sauce and stir-fry for another 2 minutes (or until cooked.)
Serve hot. Recipe serves 4.

Author’s Bio:
Karen Mueller Bryson is a published, produced and award-winning playwright. She is
currently a student in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Program in Creative Writing at
Warnborough University in England. Prior to becoming a playwright and novelist,
Karen Mueller Bryson earned a Master’s Degree in Human Development Counseling
and worked for a number of years as a counselor and educator.

Hey Dorothy You’re Not in Kansas Anymore (ISBN 1-931391-43-2) is Karen Mueller
Bryson’s first novel. The book is published by Booklocker.com and is available from
the publisher or at most major bookstores. For additional information about the book,
please visit the website at: http://www.homestead.com/heydorothy/. For more
information about the author, visit her website at: http://www.homestead.
com/karenmueller/.

************************************************************************

NANNY’S CREAMED POTATOES

Setting the Scene:
From The Magic of Patchwork, we learn about quiltmaking of days ago and that social
event, the quilting bee, when women got together, sewed, chatted, and enjoyed one
another’s food. Even today, quiltmakers gather to sew, learn from one another, and
enjoy each other’s company over tea and goodies. I remember quilting with my
grandmother when I was eight years old, making a quilt for my bed, which I still have
today, even though it’s well worn. Then instead of quilting the quilt, Nanny, my aunt
and a neighbor lady tied the quilt. I was so pleased they allowed me to participate. My
granddaughter, at age ten, has been learning to make a quilt this summer.

Excerpt from The Magic of Patchwork:
The magic of patchwork has captivated women for decades making it one of our
American crafts achieving status as an art form. . .

The Quilting Bee - One of the enjoyable aspects of quiltmaking in days ago was the
quilting bee. The ladies met to put a quilt together after the top had been pieced or
appliquéd. This was one of the social activities in pioneer times. They arrived at the
hostess’ home in the morning, bringing their needles and thread. They spent the day
chatting and quilting. Often they exchanged quilt patterns and displayed samples of a
quilt they were working on. Sometimes the ladies brought pies or cakes and the
hostess prepared a meal. Frequently in the evening, the men folk joined them at the
hostess’ home. There would be a supper, perhaps some games and dancing. This was
a way new people in the area got acquainted and long-time residents socialized.

Nanny’s Creamed Potatoes

This very simple dish may have been served for supper at a quilting bee. It made use
of leftover boiled potatoes and was one my grandmother and mother often made. My
mother served it once when my in-laws visited, and my mother-in-law raved about it
long afterward.

Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes, diced
Butter
1 T flour
Whole milk or cream to cover potatoes
Salt
Pepper
Onion, diced (optional)
Fresh parsley, chopped, or paprika

Instructions:
Dice leftover, cooked boiled potatoes. Place potatoes in iron skillet, called a "spider" by
Nanny. (Any heavy frying pan or an electric skillet will do.) Add a dab of butter (home
churned on Nanny’s farm); sprinkle 1 T flour over the potatoes. Pour in whole milk or
cream to just cover potatoes. Add salt and pepper as desired. Cook slowly over
medium heat until potatoes are warmed through and milk has thickened. Sometimes
Mother diced an onion into the potatoes before cooking. In season, she chopped fresh
parsley over the top or sprinkled with paprika. Some cooks like to stir in ¼ cup finely
shredded cheese just before serving.

Author’s Bio:
I’m Mary Emma Allen, a children’s author, cooking and travel columnist, quiltmaker
and quilt book author, family/inspirational writer, and writing teacher/speaker. I’ve
always been eager to try new ventures in writing; as a result I’ve enjoyed working at
many types of writing and my books reveal this diversity. They include When We
Become the Parent to Our Parents , (ISBN: 09651675-1-8) , which chronicles my
mother’s journey through Alzheimer’s, Tales of Adventure & Discovery (ISBN: 0-
9651675-0-X), a collection of children’s stories I’ve also illustrated, The Magic of
Patchwork, Writing in Maine, New Hampshire & Vermont, and several manuals for
writers. My most recent work was a coloring book to accompany the children’s
anthology. Currently I’m working on writing activity books for children and a YA novel
inspired by my ancestors’ experiences during the Civil War era in the United States.
Visit my web site: http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea or e-mail me at me.
allen@juno.com.

************************************************************************

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Setting the Scene:
Dill, a chef, recently separated from the woman he couldn’t imagine being without, is
remembering how Willa, aforementioned woman, taught him that the best remedy for
the blues is good food.

Excerpt from NEARVANA: JUST SOUTH OF NIRVANA:
When Willa took one half of their double-wide trailer and headed north from Oregon
on I-5, Dill took the other half and went south, toward Nirvana, New Mexico.

Dill loved green chilies.

He could love New Mexico.

Trailers don’t travel well cross-country though. That is how Dill’s half, the Cafe, came
to land in Near-Vana, just south of Nirvana. Dill decided it was about as good a name
for his cafe as any, so it stuck.

Cafe NearVana.

These days Dill stands in front of his trailer, stroking the outside wall—right there,
where Willa’s half used to be joined to his, half-believing it to still be there. Feeling it,
like a missing limb.

Thinking of Willa makes Dill hungry. When she wanted to make him feel happy, she
would cook dinner and dessert—recipes that had always brought her comfort when
she was down, before Dill. They were not low-cal, low-fat, meager-portioned meals, but
full-bodied, warming, fill-you-up-you-are-not-alone dinners. And she was right. He
always felt better. As a Chef, he knew it wasn’t healthy, but as a man, a husband, and
a human being, he could think of no better remedy for the blues.

"Willa called me her sweet potato. The first time she made this dish for me, we talked
about having our own little sweet potatoes. You know, children."

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp salt
½ stick butter
½ cup sweet milk
1 tsp orange flavoring
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup butter
½ cup coconut
Pecans

Instructions:
Mix sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk, and orange flavoring. Pour into
casserole. Combine flour, butter, and coconut, and place on top of sweet potato
mixture. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake at 350° F for 35 minutes.

Author’s Bio:
Sharon Fernleaf , a/k/a Mesa Doe, is author of THE WAY OF DOE and co-owner of
NearHoly Press. She lives in the land of green chili—New Mexico—with a chow chow
named Tai, a Labrador/springer spaniel named Sam, and a tabby cat named Rumi,
oh, and her partner.

THE WAY OF DOE is Fernleaf’s first book. NEARVANA: JUST SOUTH OF NIRVANA, is
the sequel to DOE. She has been an artist for twenty years, and took ten years to
write, rewrite, toss and start the first book again. Fernleaf has created a company
based on the ideas found in THE WAY OF DOE: self/community/Earth-empowerment
and Tools for Loving ™. Her site, http://www.nearholy.com/, is new, and so being
built up every day. Inventory includes books and art on the above themes.

************************************************************************

SWEET-N-HOT CABBAGE

Setting the Scene:
TRUE NATURE is set in Louisiana. In the following excerpt, Kailen is touring historic
New Orleans. The tour guide takes her along historic St. Charles Avenue, to the zoo,
and over the Mississippi river before stopping in a small restaurant to sample the
famous fare the city is known for.

Excerpt from TRUE NATURE:
Kailen stared in awe at the tree-lined avenues they traveled on, admiring the ancient
oaks that stretched their long branches across the streaming traffic in a timeless
embrace. The green trolleys rattled and hummed down the tracks, clicking with a
steady rhythm as their wheels passed through intersections, and falling strangely
silent for a moment as they paused on their journey to pick up a passenger or two.
She thought she would come back later in the week to ride one.

Passing the park with a zoo, she watched the many families enjoying the weather
there with each other. She saw one family with a little girl sitting on her fathers’
shoulders holding a bright red balloon while they strolled beneath the green canopy
and it made her ache as she thought of home briefly.

As the tour made it out to another of the great bridges that spanned the mighty river,
she felt a stirring of nostalgia, really beginning to understand how old this city really
was.

Heading out again, the tour briefly stopped at a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant to
eat lunch. She watched as a seemingly endless palette of colors and smells were
offered to whet her appetite, and she ended up eating more than she should have,
but enjoyed every bite.

The food here was so much different from that which she grew up with, the new
textures and flavors triggering taste buds she did not even know existed. Again,
Kailen fleetingly thought of her family back in the Appalachia, knowing that they
would probably not believe that she was eating food like this.

Sweet-n-Hot Cabbage

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1 head cabbage
1 good-sized onion
4 large tomatoes
1 green pepper
¾ cup water
½ cup butter or margarine (optional)
1 T Texas Pete or Tabasco (adjust to personal taste)
5 T sugar (adjust to personal taste)
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:
Chop cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, onion and green pepper. Add all chopped items
into large stockpot and add water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat. Add butter,
hot sauce, and sugar. Simmer ingredients for at least thirty minutes or until cabbage
and cauliflower is tender, and water has reduced. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot
or cold. Keeps well if covered in refrigerator. This side dish can be served either hot or
cold, and also makes a wonderful in between meal as well.

Author’s Bio:
This recipe is a delightful twist on the plain-old cabbage dish that was passed down to
me from my mother-in-law, Ms. Linda from Beckley, West Virginia. I have to admit
that in the past, cabbage has not been my ingredient of choice for cooking, but I have
enjoyed cooking and serving this dish to both my family and guests. It has a smooth
bite with a pleasing aftertaste that will surprise most people who try this dish for the
first time. Bon appetite! ~ Dehanna Bailee

You can find out more about Dehanna Bailee or her current book, TRUE NATURE, by
visiting her web site at http://www.authorsden.com/dehannabailee/.

************************************************************************

MOLLY’S GEORGIA FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Excerpt from Georgia’s Ghostly Getaways:
Fortunately for the modern traveler, Milledgeville managed to preserve much of its
antebellum architecture and flavor. You can still tour The Old Governor’s Mansion,
one of the South’s best examples of Greek Revival architecture. St. Stephen’s
Episcopal Church, where Sherman’s soldiers stabled their horses, is still in use as a
house of worship. The tale of a child who got the pipe organ replaced after Federal
troops poured molasses into the original organ is a case of fact being more interesting
than fiction.

The Old Governors Mansion seems to have multiple spirits. There is Molly, who spent
her life as the cook. Delicious smells emanate from the basement kitchen although
the huge red brick fireplace is no longer used for cooking. When you tour the
mansion you may witness unusual phenomena. Others have. At a tour in 1992, all
the lights flickered as if keeping time to unheard music. Workers have heard footsteps
and even seen apparitions. Servants tell of beds being unmade by spirits after the
room is cleaned.

In an interview with James C. Turner, the curator of the Mansion, he stated " This was
a house of life and death. Governor Brown’s younger brother, John Brown, returned
here in 1864 severely wounded in battle. He died here and was laid out in the
rotunda. From time to time people have heard him groaning in his pain. Likewise,
Governor Cobb’s three-year-old daughter, Aurora died on the upper floor. People
sometimes hear a little girl crying, ‘Mama, Mama’."

Are these spirits still earthbound in this place and era of so much tragedy? You can
judge for yourself. Tours are held Tuesday through Sunday.

Molly’s Georgia Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:
Several green tomatoes
Flour (self rising)
Cornmeal (yellow self rising is best)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Vegetable oil
Buttermilk (regular milk can be substituted)

Instructions:
Mix equal parts of flour and cornmeal. Season liberally with the salt and pepper. Slice
tomatoes in about ¼- to ½-inch slices. Dredge in the flour mixture then in the milk
then back in the flour mix to coat well until all of the tomato slices are coated.
Meanwhile heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil in large skillet (cast iron is best). When
oil is very hot, toss in tomato slices. Tomatoes will brown quickly then turn to brown
other side. Remove and drain on a paper towel and enjoy while hot.

Molly probably cooked many things in her years as cook in the Governor’s Mansion.
One thing you can be sure she cooked was a special Georgia delicacy, Fried Green
Tomatoes. Molly probably used regular flour and meal and mixed in baking power but
let’s make life easy. Life is short and most ghosts don’t cook in the hereafter.

Author’s Bio:
My name is Kathleen Walls. I divide my time between a cozy North Georgia mountain
cabin and a St. Augustine, Florida home. My housemates are husband, Martin, dog,
Romeo, and cats, Smoky and Spice.

Last Step (ISBN 0-595-17047-1), my second novel, is available at most online
bookstores and my web site. By Any Other Name, the first, is available in e-book
format. I recently finished Georgia’s Ghostly Getaways; a spirited travelogue about
Georgia’s haunted sites. Currently I‘m working on Kudzu, a story of love and betrayal,
past and present, in the northeastern Georgia mountains.

I also am a frequent contributor to travel and food publications, such as Woodall’s
Publications, Family Motor Coaching, Amateur Chef, Doggone Newsletter and North
Georgia Journal. I also did a stint as a reporter for a local paper, The Union Sentinel.

I would love for you to visit me at my web site, www.katywall.com.

~ PASTAS ~

SOPA DE ESTRELLITAS ("STAR" PASTA)

Setting the Scene:
Outgoing and honey-throated, Joaquin Gonzalez is an international singing star about
to embark on a brand-new movie career. Joaquin must win over not only Julie, but her
disapproving Aunt Rose, too. Rose cooks traditional Mexican and Southwestern dishes,
including the pasta side dish "estrellitas," or "little stars"—a perfect accompaniment to
many meat dishes. Little stars for big stars…read the excerpt, then check Rose’s "Sopa
de estrellitas."

Excerpt from Love’s Lasting Song:
The cameras rolled on endlessly as people milled around. After a long time, the mayor
escorted Sheryl and Joaquin back toward the airport terminal; the others in the
entourage bustling after them, cameras still clicking and rolling. Randy was caught up
in the crowd, too; Julie saw once, with surprise, that he was leaning close to hear
something Joaquin was saying over his shoulder. There were limousines outside, long
and white; within seconds, Joaquin and Sheryl were being hustled into one of them
while others from the party crowded in after. Julie stood and watched until all the
dignitaries were gone, then the reporters.

"Is something wrong?" Butch asked, already halfway across the parking lot.

"No." Julie forced a smile, waved at his battered pickup." Everything’s fine. Go develop
your pictures, Butch."

He nodded and waved, hurrying off to his work, and for a long, long time, Julie just
stood alone in the burning south Texas sun.

Sopa de Estrellitas ("Star" Pasta)

Ingredients:
2 T olive or vegetable oil
One 7-oz bag star shaped pasta
1 cube tomato/chicken bullion
4 cups water

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Pour in pasta, stirring gently but constantly until
golden brown. Pour in water. Break a cube of bouillon into pieces and scatter in the
skillet. Bring water to boil, stirring occasionally so that the bouillon is dissolved
completely. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes on high heat, so that most of the liquid boils out.
Stir occasionally to mix the bouillon evenly. Serve warm with meat dish, tortillas, and
pinto beans, if desired. For variety, add finely cubed beef or pork with the bouillon and
serve with vegetables for a complete meal, or add one diced jalapeño chili for "Hot Star
Pasta."

Author’s Bio:
More about me? Visit Diamond Hope Enterprises, http://www.diamondhopeenterprises.
8m.com, for my take on current issues in education. The site also features information
on writing, pet ownership, message boards, favorite links, and a poetry page. Or, for
useful writing resources, drop by the community Mild Revelations, http://communities.
iuniverse.com/bin/circle.asp?circleid=7356. New members are always welcome at Mild
Revelations, and if the ideas there aren’t earthshaking, at least they’re well-
intentioned! Leslie P. Garcia, author of Love’s Lasting Song, ISBN 0-595-17380-2.

~ MAIN DISHES ~

BEAT-THE-HEAT TOSTADAS

Setting the Scene:
Summers in Laredo, Texas are hot—even when you’re not madly in love with an irritating,
arrogant, drop-dead gorgeous entertainer from Argentina. So Julie Barnes, heroine of Love’
s Lasting Song, spends little of her time eating, and most of it fighting the attraction she
feels for sexy Joaquin Gonzalez , in Laredo to star in the film version of her book, Shades.
While Joaquin and Julie do battle over the food in some of Laredo’s finest restaurants,
Julie’s boss, Randy appoints himself protector and confidant.

Fortunately for Julie, Randy has a better appetite than she does, and eventually arrives to
gobble down the tostadas Julie’s aunt Rose prepares as a light summer heat beater.
Gather the ingredients, follow the simple steps below—then sit down with a tostada and
enjoy reading the steamy romance Love’s Lasting Song. Here’s an excerpt to get you
started!

Excerpt from Love’s Lasting Song:
"Child, why aren’t you eating?" Aunt Rose gazed worriedly from the untouched tostada,
heaped with lettuce, tomato, chicken and cheese, to Julie’s flushed face. "Are you feeling
okay?"

Julie picked up her glass of tea, frowned at it, and set it back down. She felt devastated,
destroyed, but she wouldn’t admit that to anyone. How easy it had been, losing
control…caring. The acknowledgment bit into her viciously: she had let herself care, and
she shouldn’t have.

Beat-the-Heat Tostadas

Ingredients:
8 tostada shells (crisp, whole corn tortillas)
3 medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and pureed
3 cups cooked, boneless chicken, chilled (shredded and sprinkled with salt)
One 14-oz can refried beans (optional)
2 medium diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
2 cups grated cheese -- Monterrey Jack, cheddar, Colby, or any combination
1 pint sour cream (optional)

Instructions:
Dice tomatoes and shred lettuce; refrigerate until needed. Mash or puree avocado in a
blender to make a smooth paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. (For smoother spreading
consistency, mix in a dash of evaporated milk and stir well.) Spread each tostada with
refried beans, if desired, and then avocado. (For homemade refried beans, mash well-
cooked pinto beans and fry in bacon grease, stirring frequently, for 2 or 3 minutes, until
the beans form a thick paste.) Spread chilled chicken on top of the avocado. Be generous!

Add diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and cheese according to taste. Sour cream may be
spooned over the entire tostada for extra taste and elegance. Place left-over avocado, diced
tomato, lettuce, and cheese on the table as extra toppings for hearty eaters. Tostadas are
finger food, but provide forks for those who prefer to keep their fingers clean. Enjoy as a
light meal perfect on a hot day!

Author’s Bio:
I have been writing since my story "Ricky and Tricky’s Christmas" was published on the
school bulletin board. I was six years old. My first romance, Love’s Lasting Song, provides a
glimpse into the unique and colorful border culture of Laredo, Texas, where I live with my
husband, four children, rottweiler, and great dane. Experiences during my adolescence
with a roadside amusement park, an African lion, 25 horses and ponies, and a large,
strange family provide fodder for future works.

My work has appeared previously in McCall’s, Cat Fancy, The Friend, The Church Herald,
and other publications. My second romance, Inalcanzable, (Unreachable in English) is
currently under consideration while I work on a third novel, set in the Texas hill country.
Please visit me at Diamond Hope Enterprises, http://diamondhopeenterprise.8m.com
ISBN 0-595-17380-2

************************************************************************

"MAKE AND RUN" ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

Setting the Scene:
Whitney Paige is worried sick about Morgan’s disappearance, although everyone who
knew her sister swears that Morgan had probably just decided to go help someone in
need. Morgan’s heart shadow, those who know her best explain, is gold, which means that
she finds peace in her faith, and joy in helping other, which always keeps her busy. What
better meal to cook and have on hand for emergencies than Morgan’s "Make and Run"
Enchilada Casserole, perfect for a fast, hearty supper for the hungry, or for an easily
reheated dinner after a hard day’s work? Make this casserole ahead of time, then sit down
and enjoy another twist or turn in Heart Shadows.

Excerpt from Heart Shadows:
I hurried through the dark cool house to the front door and opened it. The porch was
empty. No one was in sight. I stepped out onto the front porch. My sandaled foot touched
something soft and furry. I looked down and stifled a scream. A dead cat lay on the porch.
A note fastened to its orange fur with tape read, "GO HOME. FORGET YOUR SISTER. YOU
ARE NOT SAFE HERE."

The ugly gray house lurched in front of my eyes. The floor seemed to roll up under my
feet, pitching me at the puke-pink trim. I staggered inside, fighting waves of shock and
nausea. I swayed into the hall, dropping leadenly into a chair next to the phone. Grace’s
efficiency was apparent. A list of emergency numbers perched on the receiver. My
trembling fingers managed to make the connection at the Sheriff’s Department. Dwight
Wilson promised to be right over.

Crunching gravel announced Wilson’s arrival. I struggled to my feet and trudged to the
door. Then I gasped. The cat was gone.

"Make and Run" Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lb of ground beef (cooked chicken or turkey may be substituted if desired)
Two 12-oz cans tomato sauce (keep cans to measure water)
One 1.25-oz pkg chili seasoning
24 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
1 lb cheddar cheese (or more—more cheese is always good!)
Two 2.25-oz cans sliced black (ripe) olives (optional)

Instructions:
Brown the ground beef; omit this step for leftover chicken or turkey. Drain the fat and add
the chili seasoning. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan, along with two cans of water. (Use
the empty cans from the tomato sauce.) If using chicken or turkey, just place the meat in
the pan, then add the tomato sauce and the water. Simmer; if using ground beef, be sure
to cook until meat is completely done. While simmering the meat, pour vegetable oil into a
small skillet to a depth of about an inch. Heat the oil, then dip each tortilla into the hot
oil, browning lightly. For best results, use tongs to dip and remove tortillas.

Turn off meat-tomato mixture, and spoon a small amount into the bottom of a large, glass
baking pan. Size can vary, but I usually use my 9 ½ by 13 inch pan. Cover the bottom
with the sauce, then layer 12 of the tortillas on the bottom of the dish. Cover with the
meat and chili sauce. Layer slices of cheddar cheese, then sprinkle with the chopped
black olives, if desired. Make another layer, repeating the steps: tortillas, meat-chili sauce,
cheese, and olives. When all the sauce is spooned over the top of layer of tortillas, lay on
the cheddar cheese, and more olives if desired. Bake in a conventional oven at 350° F for
30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Cool, cut into squares, and serve.

Author’s Bio:
I’m a staff writer for The Bandera Review, the paper of choice in my hometown, Bandera,
Texas. Things I most love: exercising my Christian faith in my full gospel church (with
deep Baptist roots!), reading my Bible, writing, animals, working with rocks and cement.
Least favorite activities—sewing and ironing—the two things I won’t do at all. Grew up in
Georgia, but got back to Texas, where I was born, as quickly as possible.

Highlights of my life include raising a God-fearing son who is now a U.S. Marine, college
student and who is married to a wonderful Christian wife, gold-mining in the Nevada
desert; raising motherless animals (I even like snakes!); creating a rock and native plant
flower garden, and having my first novel, Heart Shadows (ISBN #: 0-595-145914)
published. ~Stephanie Parker Logue.

************************************************************************

SPICY CHICKEN IN DANCING TOMATO SAUCE
(aka "Taco Chicken," for the uninspired cook)

Setting the Scene:
Whitney Paige was on a mission to save her younger sister Morgan from religious
fanaticism when she left her green Georgia home for the barren reaches of the Great
Basin Desert in Nevada She arrived to find spicy taco chicken simmering on the stove—
and Morgan missing. The zesty chicken in sauce was almost welcoming enough to soothe
Whitney’s frayed temper from her first encounter with the arrogant, handsome Travis
McLaughlin. Almost, but not quite.

The mystery of Morgan’s disappearance deepens into the discovery of a years-old murder,
a murderer, and Whitney’s need to make a life-changing choice: cling to her green heart
shadow of self reliance or flee to the safety of the cross? Her search for Morgan leads her
into a deserted mine tunnel with rattlesnakes and a human skeleton—and to the
unwelcome realization that her feelings for Travis are pretty spicy themselves!

Put this zesty fiesta celebration of chicken and tomato sauce on the stove to simmer, and
then sit back and enjoy the Christian mystery/romance/suspense Heart Shadows.

Excerpt from HEART SHADOWS:
Room by room I investigated. They were all sparsely furnished and Morgan was not in any
of them even though her car was in the drive. I pushed through swinging doors into the
kitchen. A tossed green salad sat in the center of the table. The table was set for two.
Chicken simmered in a spicy taco sauce on the stove. She must be close! I called again. No
answer.

I peeked into pans. Peas stuck to the bottom of a stainless steel pot. They had started to
burn. I cut the flame and checked the other pan. Spaghetti sat in a white, pasty, lump. I
frowned and turned it off, too. It wasn’t like Morgan to be so careless.

Spicy Chicken In Dancing Tomato Sauce
(aka "Taco Chicken," for the uninspired cook)

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
One 1.25-oz package of taco seasoning mix
4 T olive oil
One 16-oz can of diced tomatoes

Instructions:
For this recipe, you’ll need one whole chicken, cut into pieces. It saves time to buy one at
the store instead of grabbing it from the henhouse, butchering it, and plucking feathers.
Plucking feathers is the worst part of being self-sufficient around chickens, and hot wet
chicken smells bad. Back to the recipe before details about how chicken gets to the plate
ruins appetites.

Brown the chicken pieces in 4 T of olive oil. Pour off excess fat. Sprinkle one package of
taco seasoning mix on the chicken pieces. Pour the diced tomatoes, with their juice, over
the chicken. Cover the chicken and let it simmer until tender, usually 30 to 45 minutes.

Serving Suggestion: While the chicken is simmering, cook 1 package spaghetti (choose
size according to need) and veggies of choice to serve as side dishes. When the chicken is
done, serve it on beds of hot spaghetti. This recipe feeds eight light eaters, or about six
real hungry folks.

Author’s Bio:
I’m a staff writer for The Bandera Review, the paper of choice in my hometown, Bandera,
Texas. Things I most love: exercising my Christian faith in my full gospel church (with
deep Baptist roots!), reading my Bible, writing, animals, working with rocks and cement.
Least favorite activities—sewing and ironing—the two things I won’t do at all. Grew up in
Georgia, but got back to Texas, where I was born, as quickly as possible. Highlights of my
life include raising a God-fearing son who is now a U.S. Marine, college student and who
is married to a wonderful Christian wife, gold-mining in the Nevada desert; raising
motherless animals (I even like snakes!); creating a rock and native plant flower garden,
and having my first novel, Heart Shadows (ISBN #: 0-595-145914) published. ~Stephanie
Parker Logue.

************************************************************************

CREOLE PORK CHOPS

Excerpt from Desert Triangle:
Jim McGregor was a handsome blonde haired, blue-eyed bachelor. Typical bachelor
fashion, he hated to cook and ate most of his meals out. He longed for a good home
cooked meal instead of eating restaurant food all the time.

Marcie knew that Jim’s favorite past time wasn’t cooking. She had often heard him
comment about how he hated to cook, especially for just one person. Marcie invited Jim
over to her house for a good home cooked meal.

As the main dish, Marcie served Creole Pork Chops.

Creole Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4 pork chops, ½-inch thick
Salt and pepper
1 T salad oil
½ cup chopped onions
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
One 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf

Instructions:
Season chops; brown in oil. Remove from skillet. Add onion, green pepper and garlic; cook
until tender. Add remaining ingredients and chops. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until
meat is tender. Serves 4.

Author’s Bio:
Kristie Leigh Maguire is the author of the ultra-sensual romance novel, Desert Triangle –
soon to be published with Southern Charm Press.

Kristie and her husband have lived all over the United States and in many foreign
countries while following his career. While living in Japan, Kristie found it very difficult to
find books to read that were written in English. This situation was intolerable, as she was
an avid reader. In desperation she began writing her own books just to have something to
read. She discovered a new passion in writing; thus her career as a romance novelist was
born.

Although Kristie is originally from the South and still remains Southern at heart, she and
her husband now reside in a small town in the high desert of Southern Nevada in between
international assignments.

Visit Kristie at http://www.geocities.com/kristieleighmaguire/authorspage.html

************************************************************************

PEARL’S EASY SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Setting the Scene:
In A Cowboy’s Will, Cody is a cowboy with a big appetite—for a lot of things. Blair is a city
girl who has stepped into his world uninvited. How can two people with so little in
common, and so much to fight each other about, find themselves falling in love.

Excerpt from A Cowboy’s Will:
Cody couldn’t believe Blair had cooked supper. He picked up a golden-brown chicken leg
and took a bite. It actually tasted good! After about the third bite he paused in mid-chew.
There was something awful familiar about the flavor. He took another bite before it came to
him. Pearl’s! It was Pearl’s fried chicken from her restaurant. He looked up from his plate.
Blair was munching away. "You sure did surprise me," he said. "I never guessed you’d be a
good cook. I’m down right floored that you, from the north no less, know how to make
good fried chicken."

She smiled, but had the good grace to look uncomfortable. "I’m glad you like it."

Cody started to burst her bubble, let on that he knew she didn’t cook this stuff. Then
changed his mind. He didn’t know what kept him from doing it. He took another bite of
the delicious chicken. It made him think of Grady. "Too bad Grady isn’t here. He loved
fried chicken. And he loved you and your mother." Cody hadn’t meant to say that last
part, it just popped out.

Blair pushed the salad around on her plate with her fork, then nodded.

He swallowed a bite of potatoes and gravy. He realized he wanted to understand. "Would it
have been so hard for you to come see him from time to time? For your mother to come?"

PEARL’S EASY SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredients:
Chicken for frying (This can be one cut up fryer, or a 10-lb bag of leg quarters.)
Flour
Salt
Black Pepper
Oil

Instructions:
Fill a large frying pan about half full of oil. (I use a huge old cast iron one, since I usually
have to cook lots of fried chicken at one time. Everyone I know loves fried chicken!)

Wash your chicken pieces, salt and pepper each, then coat with flour. (It takes a little
more salt than you would think, so don’t just give it a tiny sprinkle. This isn’t exactly
healthy cooking any ways.) When your oil is good and hot, carefully place each piece of
chicken in the pan. The oil should be up at least half the height of the chicken. (This can
also be deep fried if you prefer.) Once you’ve added as many pieces as fit without touching
each other, lower your heat just a little, and fry chicken on each side until golden brown
and well done inside. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces
and the temperature of the oil.

When done, place chicken on pan lined with brown paper bags with a few paper towels on
top of the bags. Sever warm or cold. (If you want gravy, pour out most of the oil from the
pan, making sure not to pour out the drippings in the bottom from frying all of that
chicken. Add in some flour and brown over high heat, stirring without taking a break.
Once the flour is brown—not black—add cold water, salt, pepper, chicken bouillon, and
what other seasonings you like. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.)

Author’s Bio:
Charlotte Dillon was born in Louisiana. As a child she feared bedtime, when the lights
were turned out and her room settled into darkness. There was a way not to notice the
slow movement that she could swear was near her closet, or the soft breaths that she
could almost hear under her bed—make up a story. Each night, while she waited for sleep
to come, she invented characters, designed worlds, and slipped away from the darkness
and her childish fears.

As an adult, Charlotte still makes up bedtime tales, but now she has a perfect place to
share those adventures, in her books. She spends her days as a freelance writer, and
evenings and weekends working on her tales of heroes, horses, and the kind of romance
that dreams are made of.

To learn more about Charlotte, visit her website at:
http://www.charlottedillon.com

************************************************************************

CORNED BEEF BRISKET

Setting the Scene:
In ARRANGED IN HEAVEN (Berkley, ISBN 0-515-12275-0), the ghost of Gayla’s mother
joins her in the kitchen as she fixes tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for Dr.
Dan Newman, who has come to her place after a rough case in the operating room. The
matchmaking ghost is appalled! She has to talk to Gayla, remind her the way to a man’s
heart is through his stomach.

Excerpt from ARRANGED IN HEAVEN:

"B-but you’re dead."

I’m still watching you, baby. You’ve made me proud. I like your young man, from what I’ve
seen of him."

"Why can’t I see you?" Gayla thought she heard her mother choke back tears.

"It’s a miracle that you can hear me. I’m only supposed to be able to look at you, not talk
with you. I’m glad, though. I always wanted to tell you I was sorry for letting you down
when you needed me most."

It was Gayla’s turn to cry. With the back of her hand she brushed tears from her cheeks. "I
let you down, Mom. I needed to say I’m sorry, too."

"Oh, Gayla. If only . . ."

"I’m okay, Mom. Really." Gayla heard a sizzling sound from the stove. "Oh, no! I’m burning
the soup."

"You’ll never get Danny to propose if you feed him out of a can," her mother told her,
scolding in the gentle way Gayla remembered so well. "You should make him a brisket,
the way I taught you. With potatoes and carrots. And cheesecake for dessert."

Corned Beef Brisket

Ingredients:
1 corned beef brisket, about 4 lb, with the seasoning packet that’s packaged with it
1 medium onion
Water to cover the brisket
2 T prepared mustard
2 T light brown sugar
6 medium red-skinned potatoes
4 carrots, cut in 2-inch chunks
1 small cabbage, quartered

Instructions:
Tie the contents of the seasoning packet in a cheesecloth bag. Rinse brisket and place in a
large pot with the onion and the bag of seasonings. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil,
then reduce heat and simmer for 2-½ hours.

Remove brisket from pot. Place in an oven-proof dish. Cover with mustard and sprinkle
brown sugar over the meat. Bake at 375° F for about 20 minutes while vegetables cook.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to the pot. Boil for 20 minutes, or until tender.
(The potatoes may take longer, particularly if you leave them whole and unpeeled, the way
Gayla’s mom taught her to do.)

Author’s Bio:
Ann Josephson wrote ARRANGED IN HEAVEN and two previous Haunting Hearts books
for Berkley as Sara Jarrod; she also writes as Ann Josephson for Kensington and Ann
Jacobs for Red Sage. ARRANGED was her third published book, and its characters are
among her favorites. Hot, steamy romance, chock full of emotion—that’s how she hopes
readers will find her stories.

Ann loves to hear from readers (mailto:ann@annjosephson.com), and to have friends drop
in at her web site: http://www.annjosephson.com.

************************************************************************

NEL’S BAKED ROAST

Setting the Scene:
From my second published inspirational romance novel, THE BRIDE WORE BOOTS,
published by Heartsong Presents, Barbour Publishing, released November 2000. Rose’s
deceased father has specified in his will she must come back from New York and spend
one year under the tutorship of Bane, or she loses the ranch and it will go to Bane
himself. This scene takes place immediately after Bane has suffered an injury while trying
to save Rose’s horses and her burning barn.

Excerpt from THE BRIDE WORE BOOTS:
After Nel’s tasty lunch of baked roast smothered in its own gravy with creamy mashed
potatoes, Bane pulled her to one side.

"Get your jeans on, I want to show you something."

With a quick look at his starched white western-cut shirt, trimmed with black embroidered
roses and twining leaves, she asked with skepticism. "I’m to wear jeans and you’re staying
dressed like that?"

He winked and gave her hand a squeeze. "Got a bag in the truck. I’ll change in your dad’s
room while you get your dud’s on. Now hop to it!" In no time, they were in Bane’s truck
and heading down the lane.

"Where are we going?" Rose watched the face of the driver as he barreled onto the gravel
road in the opposite direction of town. The Sweet Water Ranch occupied much of the land
in that direction, several other large ranches lay beyond. She couldn’t think of a thing, or
person, out that way he’d want to visit. She slid over close and poked him in the ribs with
her finger.

"Eeeoww! Don’t do that, I’m ticklish!" The truck veered to the left, then to the right as he
compensated and grasped the wheel with one hand while covering his ribs with the other.

"Oh? Glad to know that, if might come in handy!" Her eyes sparkled as she continued to
jab and poke at him.

He brought the truck to a screeching halt and turned to his giddy tormentor. "Hey, you!
Two can play that game!"

Nel’s Baked Roast

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized chuck roast
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 regular-sized cans of tomato sauce
1 can of water

Instructions:
Rinse roast in warm water and place in bottom of clay baking dish or heavy baking pan.
Pour water around edges of roast. Sprinkle chopped onion on top of roast. Spoon
mushroom soup over onions. Pour tomato sauce over all. Add can of water. Cover tightly
with lid. Or, use two layers of foil if you don’t have a lid for your pan, but be sure to
puncture it with several pricks of an ice pick or fork to allow some steam to escape. Bake
in preheated 350 ° F oven for several hours, or until meat pulls apart easily. This recipe
makes its own wonderful, thick gravy without any stirring during the baking process.
Serve with fluffy, masked potatoes topped with a dab of butter. Yummy good!

Author’s Bio:
Joyce Livingston is a real "Kansas" lady who lives in a wonderful cabin her husband built,
overlooking a lake. A retired TV broadcaster of eighteen years, she keeps busy lecturing
and teaching on several subjects. She is also a travel escort, part-time, which takes her to
fantastic places. She has had books and articles published on quilting, sewing, family,
travel, cooking, parenting and devotions—you name it! In 2000, she was voted was voted
Heartsong’s Favorite New Author, and her second published book, THE BRIDE WORE
BOOTS, was voted Contemporary Book of the Year. Her first book, ICE CASTLE, placed
sixth. Her third book, NORTHERN EXPOSURE, was release July 2001. An anthology, AS
AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE, featuring her story, APPLE ANNIE, will be in bookstores April
2002. Joyce invites you to visit her website at: www.joycelivingston.com or email her at:
joyce@joycelivingston

************************************************************************

MRS. KELLY’S FLOUNDER

Excerpt from By Any Other Name:
A lot of local folk don’t even want to say Polly’s name. Local gossip says she’s a witch and if
you anger her, she’ll put a curse on you. Not too long ago, they would have burned her at
the stake.

"My God, she sounds terrifying!" She wanted to turn and run.

"She’s not so bad. Just an elderly maiden lady who has a knack with herbs and a sharp
tongue. Actually, Bella is probably worse if someone crosses her."

He couldn’t have done a better job if he had deliberately set out to terrify her. "Who is
Bella".

"Bella is Arabella Standhope, widowed wife of Sir Malcolm’s younger brother. If you think
of Polly as a hen with one chick, you would have to think of Bella as a brooding hen with
two chicks, Natalie and Morgan."

"I suppose they are my cousins?" The word came easier. Deception probably got easier as
you went along, she thought.

Loretta was still trying to process all the information about her new "relatives", when they
turned into the drive of Standhope Manor.

It occurred to Lorie suddenly that she felt she had unwittingly stumbled onto a Hollywood
set for a gothic movie.

The cook, Mrs. Kelly served the meal, and one of the other maids, a rather shy looking girl
named Janey, assisted her. The food was excellent. Beginning with a clear, beef broth and
progressing to the main course of steamed Flounder with rice and peas, it was all plain
food yet well seasoned and filling. The wine was a mellow Chablis and did a lot for easing
her growing tensions. In spite of her mixed feelings about Greg Morris, Lorie was glad to
see he had remained for supper. His presence provided a buffer between her and the
family.

Mrs. Kelly’s Flounder

Ingredients:
For Fish:
2 to 3 lb flounder fillets
1 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
3 slices lemon
2 bay leaves
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients:
For Sauce:
2 T butter
2 T flour
½ tsp dry mustard
1 lemon
2 cups reserved liquid from fish

Instructions:
Cut bell peppers in strips and onion in slices. Place in large skillet. Slice lemon and put
three slices in pan. Put in two bay leaves and add water to about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in pan.
Cover skillet tightly and bring to a boil. Arrange fish in a single layer in a skillet. Salt and
pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until fish is flaky and tender. Remove bay
leaves and discard.

Sauce:
In small saucepan, melt butter and slowly add flour. Stir until smooth. Drain off
remanding liquid from fish and add to flour mixture. Add water to make 2 cups if needed.
Bring to a boil. Add mustard and lemon juice from lemon not used in fish. Add salt and
pepper to taste. Simmer until thickened. Serve over fish. Serves 4.

Author’s Bio:
My name is Kathleen Walls. I divide my time between a cozy North Georgia mountain
cabin and a St. Augustine, Florida home. My housemates are husband, Martin, dog,
Romeo, and cats, Smoky and Spice.

Last Step (ISBN 0-595-17047-1), my second novel, is available at most online bookstores
and my web site. By Any Other Name, the first, is available in e-book format. I recently
finished Georgia’s Ghostly Getaways; a spirited travelogue about Georgia’s haunted sites.
Currently I’m working on Kudzu, a story of love and betrayal, past and present, in the
northeastern Georgia mountains.

I also am a frequent contributor to travel and food publications, such as Woodall’s
Publications, Family Motor Coaching, Amateur Chef, Doggone Newsletter and North
Georgia Journal. I also did a stint as a reporter for a local paper, The Union Sentinel.

I would love for you to visit me at my web site, www.katywalls.com.

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VENISON STEW

Setting the Scene:
Visit for a day the Pikuni, a tribe of Blackfoot Indians living in 1870 Montana, and you’ll
want to remain a week. Stay the week singing their songs, experiencing their kindness
and joy, and you’ll want to dig-in for a month. Learn to kill a buffalo, tan hides, make a
beaded dress, or taste antelope roasted over an open fire, and you’ll want to stay forever.
But be warned, if you do, be willing to share the heartbreak of their lives and be willing to
have your own irrevocably changed." So writes Meredith Campbell, author of RIGHTEOUS
WARRIORS, about Gail Jenner’s novel, ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS (ISBN 88739-
302-0 ). ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS tells of a man, a woman, and a people
trapped by events that threaten their survival. A love story, it is also the tale of the Marias
Massacre.

Excerpt from ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS:

"Please, can you help us? I mean, are you headed to a fort?"

The soldier mumbled an unintelligible reply. "In a manner of speakin’, I am," he added
quickly, cocking his head. "But I sure could eat and drink somethin’. I feel like a post hole
‘as ain’t been filled up."

He grinned and Liza felt the rush of blood to her face.

"Lost my pack horse," he added. "Of course, I—I have a small stew, antelope is all."

She refrained from telling him about Red Eagle, although she didn’t know why.

"Snake stew would taste good right now," interrupted the soldier."

Liza made a wry face. "Please, what about my father?" She stepped over to the fire and
lifted the kettle of meat prepared earlier for Red Eagle.

"Who dug the bullet out? You?"

"Well, it had to come out..."

"Ain’t yuh as gritty as aigs rolled in sand!"

Venison Stew

Ingredients:
½ lb bacon (or salt pork), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 lb venison steak, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
4 T flour
6 cups water or beef stock
1 large tomato, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 dozen small white onions
Salt and pepper
1 T chopped parsley
½ cup wine (optional)

Instructions:
Sauté bacon until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Brown chunks of venison in 4 T
of the bacon drippings. Stir in flour, lower heat, and let brown 2 to 3 minutes, stirring
often. Add water or stock and let simmer 1 hour, or until venison begins to get tender. Add
more liquid if necessary, including wine (if desired). Add rest of the ingredients and
continue to simmer, till thickened. Serve with biscuits or cornbread.

Author’s Bio:
Gail Jenner is the wife of fourth generation rancher/farmer, Doug Jenner. They have
three children and live on the original homestead in the northern California mountains,
surrounded by national forests and wilderness areas. The Jenners spend a lot of time on
horseback in the mountains each summer. Gail is also a secondary history and English
teacher.

Gail has completed three novels and a screenplay. She sold her first novel, ACROSS THE
SWEET GRASS HILLS, in June of 1999 to Creative Arts Book Company. A romantic-
historical, it focuses on the Marias Massacre of 1870. Gail has published articles and
stories for Christian, regional, and educational publishers, including Simon & Schuster
and Tyndale. She has placed in a number of writing contests, including: The National
Writers’ Novel Contest; The William Faulkner Short Story Contest; The Writers’ Network
International Screenplay and Fiction Contest; The Chesterfield Writer’s Film Project; and
the FADE IN Screenplay Contest.

gfiorini@sisqtel.net, http://www.suite101.com/myhome.cfm/gailjenner http://www.
geocities.com/amaranth50/gailjenner.html
For wonderful and unusual gifts, visit: http://www.diFiorini.com.

************************************************************************

EASY AND ELEGANT COUNTRY CHICKEN KIEV

Excerpt from THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO THROWING A GREAT PARTY (ISBN:
002863974X ):
It’s bound to happen sometime. You have to make dinner for your boss, new love, a client
or someone else you need to impress. Unfortunately your cooking skills are lacking and
your entire collection of dinnerware consists of paper plates, plastic forks and matching
Star Trek glasses from McDonalds.

Relax, it’s not a hopeless cause. In fact, preparing a formal dinner can be easy and fun.

Borrow what you can, but if that’s not possible, almost every town has a rental business.
There you can lease everything you need to set up a perfect dinner party in almost any
space.

If you don’t have dining room furniture, start by renting a table and chairs.
If the chairs are unattractive, rent chair covers. Add a to-the-floor tablecloth for instant
elegance and to cover the often unattractive table legs. Opt for coordinating napkins and
order an extra six just in case.

Get candleholders in varying heights to add drama to your table. Choose a
simple pattern for your dinner, salad, soup, dessert and bread and butter plates along
with coffee cups and saucers. Select salt and pepper shakers, glasses, flatware, and
serving pieces to round out your order. You’ll learn all about setting the table in The
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Throwing a Great Party.

Except for the chicken, dinner is a matter of heat and serve. Buy packaged,
mixed salad greens and a quality Italian salad dressing for your first course. Your frozen
food section will have a variety of prepared rice and vegetable side dishes which would
partner perfectly with the following recipe. Head to your bakery for dessert and dinner
rolls and your meal is complete. The following recipe is delicious, company-perfect and
foolproof.

Easy and Elegant Country Chicken Kiev

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (or 8 chicken thighs)
1 cup melted butter (or margarine)
½ cup dry, white wine
1-½ cups seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup finely chopped, fresh parsley

Instructions:
Mix the butter and wine together. Reserve half the mixture. Spread bread crumbs into
shallow dish. Dip the chicken breasts first in the butter/wine mixture and then into the
bread crumbs. Be sure chicken is completely coated.

Put chicken into a shallow roasting pan and cook at 350° F for 1 to 1-¼ hours until done.
Baste twice while cooking but do not baste during the last 15 minutes. After cooking,
remove chicken from pan and put onto a platter or individual plates. Once cooked, reheat
the reserved butter/wine mixture and stir in the chopped parsley. Top cooked chicken
with butter/wine sauce before serving. Serves 4.

Author’s Bio:
I’m Phyllis Cambria and I’ve have been a celebrations expert for more than 20 years. I’ve
planned parties and events for two to ten thousand guests. In addition to my career as a
professional event planner, I also am a speaker on the subjects of entertaining and
marketing.

My writing appears monthly in Party & Paper Retailer, and I’ve written for
numerous magazines and Websites. Together with my co-author of THE COMPLETE IDIOT’
S GUIDE TO THROWING A GREAT PARTY (ISBN: 002863974), Patty Sachs, we own
PartyPlansPlus.com (http://www.PartyPlansPlus.com). We provide custom party plans,
expert advice and a wide range of books, products and services to make entertaining easy
and fun. E-mail me at PartyPlansPlus@aol.com.

************************************************************************

MARINATED HERB BAKED SALMON

Setting the Scene:
Sarah wanted supper to be special. John and Kathy were always doing for her, and she
wanted to show her appreciation. The store where she was going was off the main street,
but to her way of thinking, it had the best salmon fillets in Boulder County. It was only a
block past her house that she noticed a car pull away from the curb and follow her. She
picked up speed. So did the maroon car. She slowed; it slowed. Instead of heading for the
store, she decided to go off in another direction to one of the parks. Sarah stood back in
some trees and watched as a man got out and crossed the street. he was hurrying in the
direction of the park.

PERILOUS SUMMER is a contemporary novel written by the suspense writing team of
Carol Randy. It explores the common thread that links fraud, assault, extortion, murder
and a twelve-year-old boy on the brink of incarceration in a juvenile detention center. Try
Sarah’s delicious recipe for marinated herb baked salmon.

Excerpt from PERILOUS SUMMER:
"Who are you? Why are you following me?"

For a very brief moment she toyed with confronting the man. Instead, she waited until he
reached the north edge of the park and made a dash for her car. Without looking back,
she took a left turn at the next corner and was long gone before he could get back into his
car.

Marinated Herb Baked Salmon

Ingredients:
4 medium to large fillets of salmon
1 T fresh dill or 1 tsp powdered dill
1 tsp basil
Mrs. Dash
1 cup cooking sherry or wine
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp butter or margarine
Lemon pepper

Instructions:
Place fillets flat in a glass baking dish. Pour 1 cup of cooking sherry or wine over fillets
then sprinkle the tops of fillets with 1 T fresh or 1 tsp powered dill. Sprinkle 1 tsp of sweet
basil over that, then shake some Mrs. dash on top and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove
fish to paper towel and clean baking dish. Rub 1 tsp olive oil on the bottom of the baking
dish then put the fillets back in. Put 1/2 tsp butter or margarine to each side but not on
the fish. Sprinkle the fish with lemon pepper and bake loosely covered for 30 minutes in a
350° F preheated oven. Remove cover and cook another 30 minutes. Serve with Lipton’s
butter herb rice and a tossed salad. Serves 4.

Author’s Bio:
Wyoming residents Carol Kluz and Randy Sue Morris are neighbors who discovered they
have a common interest in writing. They have combined their efforts in creating works by
Carol Randy. The Carol Randy team has co-authored novels and short stories. Providing
the stimulus for fiction is a wealth of experience, including being an agent, proofreader,
editor, publicist, radio trafficker, photographer and Vista volunteer. PERILOUS SUMMER
is the second book in their suspense series featuring Doctor John Knight and his family.
Carol Kluz is also the author of a fantasy series. To read chapters and reviews of Carol
Randy’s first book and the fantasy books go to http://www.ckluz.homestead.com.

************************************************************************

VEGETARIAN PIZZA

Setting the Scene:
Cassandra Ashe, an aspiring social worker, befriends Nikki, a motherless native teen.
Delivering Nikki for her court-ordered counseling, Cass is shocked to discover John
Deadmarsh is the psychologist. John and Cass have a past. She vanished from his bed,
and his life, 17 years ago. How long, he wonders, before she abandons the vulnerable
Nikki?

Excerpt from HAUNTED BY DREAMS:
"Omigod, look at you, Nikki!"

The young Native girl pushed herself away from the railing, brushing her hair behind one
ear. From a center part, two bands of newly-dyed orange hair fell to her shoulders,
framing her face as dramatically as any teen could wish.

"So, whaddya think?"

The girl’s words were casual, but Cass saw the uncertainty in her eyes. "Come in and let
me look at you." She drew Nikki inside. "Okay, now twirl around for me."

Nikki rolled her eyes but obliged, although her lazy turning could hardly be described as
a "twirl".

"I like it."

Nikki bent to scoop up Cass’s wiry Siamese, burying her flushed face in the cat’s fur.

Cass looked at her watch. "Say, do you think we have time for a snack before we go?"

Nikki grinned. "That depends. Whatcha got?"

Cassandra always happened to have something at the ready, and Nikki always came early
enough to avail herself of it. Not that the kid needed handouts. But Cass suspected she
subsisted on Diet Coke and french fries, like most teens.

"Vegetarian pizza."

"Eeew! What’s on it?"

"Let’s just say you’ve probably never eaten broccoli this way."

"Broccoli!"

"I did hold the zucchini."

"Okay, okay. I’ll try it," Nikki grumbled, depositing the cat on the floor again.

Cass smiled.

Vegetarian Pizza

Ingredients:
2 cups blush wine, sweetness level 2 to 3
2 cups warm water
2 T dry yeast
2 T honey
2 tsp salt
1 to 2 T olive oil
3 to 4 cups unbleached or whole wheat flour
1 jar Catelli Garden Select 6 Vegetable Recipe, Garlic and Onion variety tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Thinly sliced zucchini, sweet pepper strips, coarsely chopped onion and sliced tomatoes,
sliced mushrooms

Instructions:
Dough: Put wine and water in a bowl with yeast and stir. Add honey, salt and oil. Stir. Add
1 cup of flour and stir until it is a smooth batter. Let sit for 15 minutes until frothy. Stir in
2 more cups of flour until it is too hard to stir, then take it to the floured board and knead
in remaining flour. Continue to knead dough until smooth and firm. Place in an oiled
bowl, and allow to rise in a warm spot, until doubled.

Spread dough onto oiled pizza pan, allow to rise for 10 to 20 minutes. Smear on tomato
sauce to the edges, with slightly less in the center. Cover with cheese, then add other
toppings. Bake at 400° F until edges are brown and cheese at center is beginning to
bubble. Serves 4.

Author’s Bio:
Norah Wilson works full-time as an executive assistant for a provincial hospital association,
writing madly on weekends. With her husband of 18 years, two teenage children, a very
devoted if not-very-svelte dog, and a rat, she makes her home in Fredericton, New
Brunswick, Canada.

Norah has completed four novels, one of which she sold to Hard Shell Word Factory
(HAUNTED BY DREAMS, ISBN No. 0-7599-0427-8, release date TBA). In 2001, she was a
finalist in Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart contest in the Long
Contemporary category with her romantic suspense LAUREN’S EYES. She would love to
have you visit her site at http://personal/nbnet.nb.ca/wilson or keep an eye out for her
release at http://www.hardshell.com/.

************************************************************************

QUINCE AND SPARROW PIE

Setting the Scene:
In ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE, Janet, the heroine, and her sister have been recruited into
cooking at the medieval charity fair. She should be preparing a roast, but, while sneaking
the beer marinade, she watches the hero Devin battle for her hand in marriage. Janet
puts down her tumbler of beer.

Excerpt from ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE:
"Just checking it. Besides, I need something to get me through the weekend. I’m going to
be married tomorrow and my betrothed is being beaten to a pulp by the sheriff."

Maggie-Ann peered out at the practice field. "Good God, is he ever. If I didn’t know better, I’
d say Silas was enjoying it. Maybe you’re the prize."

"If I am, I’m going home."

"Don’t want to marry Silas?" Maggie-Ann asked.

"The thought turns my stomach."

"Maybe it’s all the beer you’re swilling. Get the meat into it, before it’s all gone, will you?
You’re making supper, remember?"

Janet dumped the huge seasoned roast into the clay pot she’d swiped with grease. Almost
crying, she dumped the beer into it. "What next?"

"Check the list," Maggie-Ann said.

Janet walked over to the table and sat down. The lady who’d organized all the meals had
been precise with her instructions.

"’Take out the pie pastry and fill it with the quince and sparrow mixture," she read. "Good
grief, Maggie-Ann, who killed the sparrows for this?"

Maggie-Ann laughed, slopping the custard over the rim of the bowl. "They’re just Cornish
hens. You’ll have to eat some of that tonight. They’re an aphrodisiac."

Janet automatically glanced up at Devin, who was now shaking Silas’s hand. He was
grinning, but abruptly, he twisted about. Their gazes locked and his grin widened,
shooting like a bullet at her. Immediately, he began to rub his hip and frown.

Janet snorted. What a terrible actor.

Quince and Sparrow Pie

Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry, approx. 10 oz, thawed and rolled out to ¼-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or Cornish hen breast
½ tsp each dried oregano, basil, parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped pears
2 tsp sugar (omit if using canned or fully ripe pears or apples)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400° F. Line an 8-inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Sauté the onion in
the oil until softened. Add chicken, herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Add fruit (and sugar if
necessary) and sauté gently for 2 minutes. Fill pie shell and cover with remaining pastry,
sealing the edges tightly. Bake until top pastry is golden brown. Cool before cutting.

(A medieval aphrodisiac, Quinces nowadays are only popular as a jelly or preserve. They
have a taste between a pear and apple. If you can’t find any quinces, try an equal amount
of slightly unripe pears or apples. If you use ripe or canned fruit, omit the sugar. This
recipe uses pears. Obviously, sparrows aren’t used anymore in cooking. Cornish hens are
the poultry of choice, but chicken is used here to create a quick, savory pie.)

Author’s Bio:
After Barbara Phinney retired from the military, she decided to tackle something she
knew nothing about, romance writing. And so her second career was born. Shortly after,
she was asked by her local newspaper to write a humorous slice-of-life column. She wrote
that until she moved to Canada’s east coast.

She says writing romance has helped her to see the world differently. "Everyone has goals
and motives. Understanding them helps me deal with those around me." Barbara’s
romantic comedy, ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE, is available as an e-book at Hard Shell Word
Factory’s website, www.hardshell.com. Barbara lives with her husband, two children and
an ancient cat. You can contact her about her novel at barbarap@nbnet.nb.ca.

************************************************************************

BAKED JAMBALAYA

Excerpt from True Nature:
The waitress returned with the food, explaining that the band was auditioning that night
for a more permanent position, and then refilled their drinks leaving them to their meals.

Kailen tasted everything on her own plate, and then at Marc’s urging, tasted his as well.
They both finally settled in on eating each other’s meals. She was delighted by all the
different flavors and closed her eyes and savored each item, before moving on to the next.

Marc was enjoying dinner through her experience, watching her closely, noticing the way
she took the time to savor the moment before moving on to the next. Their conversation
founded around the fo