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LONG ISLAND ICED TINA, is the long anticipated second book in the Catering Hall Mystery series by Maria DiRico (aka award-winning author Ellen Byron). The author proves her writing prowess once again by penning a laugh-out-loud cozy featuring protagonist Mia Carina, daughter of a “recovering” mobster. This alone sets the scene for plenty of opportunities for things to go hilariously wrong when the “Family” is hovering in the shadows and Mia is determined to keep her dad on the straight and narrow. Ms. DiRico enthralls the reader with vivid descriptions of Queens along with other notable New York locations. Using all five senses, the reader feels like they’re experiencing it all – the good and the bad – alongside Mia. Besides the well-developed protagonist, the author has plenty of other supporting characters who are equally appealing and zany providing entertainment all on their own. The quintessential interfering Italian grandmothers, who spout off Italian phrases, give a feeling of authenticity. (And don’t worry, there is plenty of context so you know exactly what they’re saying without knowing a foreign language.)
Combining a murder with a baby shower celebration isn’t a scenario I’ve come across and I have to say, Ms. DiRico does a marvelous job of setting up the crime. It’s not much of a surprise when Mia stumbles across the victim who was hated by so many. When the soon-to-be mom’s mother and grandmother are implicated, Mia steps in to investigate. Adding to the murder mystery is a multifaceted plot involving art theft, a suspicious competing venue owner and chef, and an employee who seems intent on sabotage. As the story progresses the threads come together into a cohesive story and I turned the pages faster and faster to find out what happened next. While the action-packed reveal provided tension, the author interjected just the right dose of humor to keep it cozy light which I appreciate. With the final last page read, I’m back to counting down the days until the next book in this highly entertaining series is released next year!
The theme of running a banquet hall and Mia having an Italian grandmother who loves to cook, there is food galore mentioned throughout the story. I was pleased to see that there are a number of recipes included at the back of the book, especially one for Cannoli Cake. Oh. My. Word. It just doesn’t get much more decadent than this! Starting with a boxed cake mix (yay for making this dessert easier), the combination of rich ricotta, mascarpone cheese, and cream cheese in the luscious filling and frosting, takes the taste to the stratosphere when paired with chocolate chips. I changed the addition of the chocolate chips just a bit, to use in between the layers and then use as a garnish, instead of mixing directly in the frosting. However you choose to include, this dessert is one that you’ll love to serve for special occasions or when you feel the need to spoil yourself or a loved one.
Amazon Synopsis
Mia Carina is back in the borough of Queens—in charge of the family catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor, and keeping her nonna company. But some events—like murder—are not the kind you can schedule . . .
Mia’s newly pregnant friend Nicole plans to hold a shower at Belle View—but Nicole also has to attend one that her competitive (and mysteriously rich) stepmother, Tina, is throwing at the fanciest place in Queens. It’s a good chance for Mia to snoop on a competitor, especially since doing a search for “how to run a catering hall” can get you only so far.
Mia tags along at the lavish party, but the ambience suffers at Nicole’s Belle View shower when a fight breaks out—and then, oddly, a long-missing and valuable stolen painting is unwrapped by the mom-to-be. Tina is clearly shocked to see it. But not as shocked as Mia is when, soon afterward, she spots the lifeless body of a party guest floating in the marina . . .
A special thanks to Maria DiRico for providing a winner with a print copy of HERE COMES THE BODY, the first book in the Catering Hall Mystery series. Contest ends Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
NOTE: Step one is draining the ricotta so that your filling doesn’t end up watery. I wrap mine in cheesecloth, then place it in a strainer that fits over a mixing bowl. I set a heavy can on top of the cheesecloth-wrapped ricotta and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.
- 1 package white cake mix
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 (16 ounce) tub ricotta drained (see above instructions)
- 1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese (doesn’t have to be drained if it has the consistency of cream cheese)
- 1 (8 ounce) container cream cheese (regular or light)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup to a 1 cup of mini chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to 350.
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Beat the cake mix with the yogurt, oil, and water – slowly at first to combine the ingredients, then on medium speed for two minutes. Pour the batter into two 8” cake pans.
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Bake for 25-35 minutes — until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Let the cake cool completely.
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Beat the ricotta, mascarpone, and cream cheese together until thoroughly blended. Add the vanilla, orange juice, almond extract, cinnamon, salt, and powdered sugar until all are well combined. (NOTE: add the sugar one cup at a time and mix slowly at first so that powdered sugar doesn’t go flying out of the mixing bowl. Trust me, it happens!)
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Gently fold the chocolate chips into the filling mix. Start with half a cup of chips. Add more if desired.
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Flip the first cake layer out of its pan onto a plate upside down, so that the flat bottom is on the top. Add a heaping amount of filling and spread it. Place the second layer on top and frost the top and sides with the filling. (NOTE: add the second layer right-side up, so that the flat bottom of it sits on top of the first layer.)
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Serves 8-16, depending on the size of the slices.
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To duplicate my design:
Mix cake batter as directed, but add in 2 eggs for a firmer cake texture. Bake and cool as directed.
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Before making the frosting, line a baking sheet with 2 layers of heavy duty paper towels. After draining the ricotta overnight, spread the ricotta in a thin layer on top of the paper towels. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Scoop the ricotta into a mixing bowl and proceed with the frosting recipe. Discard the paper towels.
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Mix 1-1/2 cups frosting with 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Use as the filling between the two layers of cake.
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Beat in an additional 1 – 2 cups powdered sugar into the reserved frosting, until fairly stiff. Spread a thin coat (crumb coat) of frosting over the cake and refrigerate until set. Spread a heavy layer of frosting over the crumb coat. Press 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips around the base of the cake, to make a 2-inch border. Using a large star tip, use the remaining frosting to pipe swirls or rosettes over the top of the cake. Refrigerate until firm.
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Thanks to Carnival Books and Ellen Byron, I’m thrilled to be moderating this delightful and humorous panel of amazing culinary cozy authors! I hope you’ll be able to join our FREE zoom event!
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Book Carnival is inviting you to a FREE Zoom event.
Topic: Culinary mysteries with recipes from Italy, Greece, Middle Eastern, Paleo and Gluten Free (not a country, obviously!)
Time: Feb 23, 2021 5:00 P.M. (PST), 7:00 (Central), 8:00 (EST) (US and Canada)
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Nothing out of the ordinary jumps to mind. I am looking forward to reading this. .
Hope you like it!
I haven’t been to a baby shower.
Been to baby shower and had fun but nothing bad happened.
Thanks for the chance!
Good luck!
No, all the baby showers I’ve been to were uneventful to the pointvof boring lol.
This book looks wonderful! I can’t wait to read it.
Thanks so much.
I haven’t yet! But, you never know! Lol!
Thank you for the great giveaway!
Good luck!
Nothing outstanding ever happened. I have not been to one in 20 years.
No, all the baby showers I have attended have been as expected.
The cannoli cake looks delicious. We just bought cannoli chips and cream at the supermarket this weekend. Trying not to eat them all at once is a real struggle!
LOL, i hear you!
Although I’ve been to many baby showers, I can’t think of anything that sets one apart from the other as for being extremely different from the norm.
Thank you for the recipe for Cannoli Cake. Sounds yummy and a keeper for sure.
Appreciate the wonderful opportunity to win a copy of “HERE COMES THE BODY”!
Good luck!
All the baby showers I have attended have been lovely with no surprises. I have a friend who went to an “It’s a Boy!” baby shower and then the baby turned out to be a girl ~
Never attended a baby shower.
No but I know someone who missed her own baby shower because she had the baby that day, on her due date.
None of the showers I’ve attended had anything surprising happen. Just the same old boring showers.
I have attended many baby showers but I can’t remember anything unusual happening…just the same old games and present opening.
I haven’t really been to that many baby showers, but at the ones I have attended nothing out of the ordinary happened. Just good food, fun games and the mom-to-be opening lots of cute presents! That cake looks amazing! Sounds delicious!
I’ve only been to one baby shower, but nothing odd happened at it.
She went into labor before the shower. So we brought all the gifts to the hospital for her to open at her leisure and then had a get together afterwards with food and fun and we got to pass little Jessica around. That was about 40 years ago and I’m still friends with Jessica. Her Dad and Mom are like family. Her Dad and his family and my family, we grew up together.
What a story, Paula!
That’s so sweet!
Have been to many baby showers but no disasters except expected boy,blue shower etc, turned out to be a girl.
The only one that I remember is my daughters friends threw her a party and at the break I went up to grab what looked like a choc chip cookie and one of the girls standing there said to me Those are only for Yvonne and I said I just wanted one and if they are only for Yvonne why are they here on the table where the other food items are plus I am Yvonne’s mom. I didn’t take one but I thought they were something that everyone was welcome to. That was 19 years ago oh wow this week and I remember it like it was yesterday.
That is bizarre! Wow!
I haven’t attended a lot of baby showers, but the ones I have consisted of food, games, and the mom-to-be opening gifts. The games are usually quick, which is for the better.
I’ve not experienced anything unusual at any shower
This is gorgeous and amazing!! Thank you SO much!
Thank you for letting me be a part of celebrating your release day!!! Let me tell you, the cake received RAVE reviews!!!
Not a lot of baby showers to talk about.
But our daughter in law had one last year via zoom. It went pretty well.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a baby shower & I don’t remember anything unexpected happening.
I’ve only been to a couple but nothing unusual happened.
I have not. Very cute cover. Thanks for the chance.
I have never been to baby shower where anything unusual (good or bad) has happened. Just a lot of fun.
No, I have to say that the baby showers that I’ve been to have fairly calm and uneventful, just a good time. Congrats on your release!
No just the usual!
I can’t wait for cheat day so I can make this yummy cake!
The baby showers I have been to have been fun with games and lots of laughs.
No, the ones I have attended have just been normal.
no i haven’t.
No, just the usual shower stuff.
The baby shower that is most memorable was the diaper game with the candy in it. You had to guess the candy type? It was so gross!
My mom had twins before I was born and I don’t know why they held her shower so late in the pregnancy, but she was in the hospital after delivering them when the shower occurred. My dad went in her place and this was 64 years ago, so that was quite unusual then!
No I have not.
I only got a chance to go to one baby shower. My own. And had the baby that same day. We had to leave the shower early, lol. Thank you for a chance to win a print copy of Here Comes The Body.
I’ve been to my fair share of baby showers but, thankfully, nothing unexpected happened. At least no one of the expecting mothers went into labor. LOL! Thank you for the giveaway! Loved the first in this series!
I have been to a few and nothing eventful happened. However, at my own baby shower a guest walked right through the screen on the sliding glass door. They said they did not see it.
I was visiting a friend in another city & she brought me along to a friend’s baby shower. When we got there apparently we were the only ones who showed up. I felt bad for the girl but we made the best of it. It’s sad that people flake out on people like that.
yes to both answers. the most memorable was during the baby shower the mother to be started real labor. that was exciting. we finished the shower three months after the baby girl was born. that was so fun.
Nothing unexpected happened unless you count that I got lost getting to a few. But then that was expected, even though I always left extra early…..! Book sounds wonderful, as does the cake!
There was a diaper with melted chocolate in it. Gross looking The mother to be had to taste baby food and guess what it was. Blind folded spoon fed by her sister.
The diaper was a guessing game what candy was it?
One baby shower I went to once the expectant mother started feeling unwell and had to be taken to the emergency. She ended up okay and the baby was born safely but she gave us quite the scare.
we had to smell a diaper with what looked like poo ( candy ) and tell what it is
I’ve never been to a baby shower at all! I would love to win this book though, I loved the first one!
55 years old and I have never been to a baby shower! The cake looks delicious…and the book sounds great!
All the baby showers I have attended nothing out of the ordinary happened. This book sounds fun!
I’ve attended baby showers but nothing unusual happened. The Book looks terrific, Thanks for your great generosity.
This wasn’t good or bad, just kind of funny. The day before my baby shower David and I went to our first birthing class at the hospital. I didn’t think much about it, but the class freaked me out s bad, they showed a video of the entire birthing process and after we left I decided #1 I a not going back to the next 2 classes, #2 I changed my mind and didn’t want to go through with this after all. So sure at 8 months let’s tell everyone at my shower as they walked in how I don’t think I can really do this after all…
Everyone got a laugh out of it for sure… Then when I did go into labor 3 days late from my due date… (Since I had the book from the first class that’s what I followed. ) Well.. I did all my labor at home, finally called the Dr at 5am and he told me it was sti) too soon to go. I waited to shower at 6am and got to the hospital at 7:24am, and had Meghan at 7:52am. (No drugs no nothing .. I was dialated at 10+2 when I got to the hospital.. it only took 4 pushes but I panicked cuz I said I couldn’t be in real labor. ??????
Wow! Glad you made it to the hospital in time!!!
I been to many years ago but none lately. Love this review thank you
Penney
Hello! A baby shower I went to once, as a shower game everyone had to measure their stomachs to compare to the mom to be and somehow use it to guess when the baby would be born. It was so weird and so embarrassing ?!! Not to mention that it really made no sense… anyway, the cake recipe sounds amazing!! Thank you ?