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A POISONOUS PALATE is the fourteenth book in the Key West Food Critic Mysteries by Lucy Burdette. This delicious addition to a long-running and entertaining series kept me on my toes as I followed along with protagonist Hayley Snow, as she delved into a 40-year-old cold case. The mysterious disappearance of a young woman in the 1970s proves too tantalizing to pass up when Hayley is contacted by the missing woman’s friend, Catherine. Catherine, it seems, is in town to research Hemingway and his four wives and his toxic love and needs Hayley’s help in finding out what happened so long ago. The author does an admirable job weaving in facts about Hemingway and his relationships without bogging down the plotline. It also adds to the setting of Key West and its history, while Ms. Burdette’s vivid descriptions bring the area to life on the pages. I also love the core characters surrounding Hayley: her detective husband, who finally accepts that Hayley will investigate crimes; her octogenarian sidekick, Miss Gloria (she’s a hoot!); and her mom and stepdad.
It doesn’t take long for Catherine to disappear shortly after one of her long-ago friends is murdered. Hayley is left to piece together the puzzle on how the cold case and the current murder fit together. She can’t help but wonder if Catherine is a murderer or if something happened to her. As a food critic for a local magazine, Hayley knows how to talk to people and delves into hunting down clues… while eating at lots of restaurants. There are clues to follow for the sharp armchair detective, but I was foolish to fall for the misdirection. As the mystery came together, in a heart pounding way, the pieces fell into place in a highly satisfying manner. Ms. Burdette delivers a complex mystery with well-written characters that will keep readers enthralled.
Cottage Cheese Oat Waffles are not only delicious, they’re chockful of protein and whole grains! I love that the batter comes together quickly in a food processor and that the leftovers can be wrapped and stored in the freezer for a quick breakfast (or dinner) later. However you served them — as a base for chicken or topped with berries and whipped cream — these yummy waffles are sure to appeal to everyone. I’ll definitely be keeping a stash of these in my freezer for a quick, healthy meal that feels decadent.
Amazon Synopsis
When food critic Hayley Snow receives an intriguing email about a mysterious, decades-old disappearance, her curiosity is piqued. Writer Catherine Davitt has returned to the Keys to research a book about Hemingway’s wives, but she’s also on the hunt for the truth about her missing friend. Hayley quickly agrees to help investigate and they hit the road to see what clues they might find.
Back in the late 1970s, Catherine and her friend Veronica were part of a group of lost souls camping in the mangroves of Big Pine Key, until Veronica vanished, and the sheriff’s office cleared out the camp. Catherine and Hayley begin interviewing Big Pine Key residents who were around at the time of Veronica’s disappearance, but uncover more questions than answers.
Catherine and Hayley stop to speak with a motel owner who frequented the fringes of the commune, but they find him stabbed to death. Then Catherine also goes missing, and signs point to a connection between the old case and the new murder. It’s up to Hayley to unravel the knot of secrets and lies before time runs out.
A special thanks to Lucy Burdette for offering a print copy of A POISONOUS PALATE to one lucky winner! Contest ends August 11, 2024 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. 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!)
From the author:
This past spring, we went to lunch with new friends at the Square Grouper on Cudjoe Dey. I'm a sucker for fried chicken served over waffles, which was the special of the day, and that's exactly what I ordered. I had a feeling Miss Gloria would order it too.
Here's my version of the dish which started out as the one on the New York Times Cooking site. I made some tweaks inspired by Jane Brody's cottage cheese oat biscuits, which I've made and loved for years.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup ground oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (next time, I'll try white whole wheat)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- Chicken cutlets
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Melt the butter and set it aside.
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Grind the oats until fairly fine in your food processor, You want a little bit of texture left.
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Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse those into the oats.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, milk, melted butter, and eggs.
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Pulse the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. The batter should look thick (and delicious!).
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Preheat a waffle iron and lightly coat with butter unless your brand of iron tells you this isn't necessary, as mind did. Cook waffles (using about 1/2 cup batter per waffle) until golden and crisp. Keep them warm in a 200 degrees (F) oven until ready to serve.
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For the chicken, I bought pre-fried chicken cutlets from Bishop's Orchards, a local grocery and farm near us. That way, I could simply heat them, slice, and serve over the waffles with syrup. You are welcome to make your own!
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This made about eight waffles. You could cut the recipe in half, but why not make them all and freeze the ones you don't eat for an easy breakfast down the line? I can picture them next time with a big serving of fruit and plain yogurt drizzled with honey or syrup!
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ooh can I get the recipe for the cottage cheese oat muffins?
Lucy shared the recipe on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen! You can view the recipe here: https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2012/11/cottage-oat-biscuits-la-jane-brody.html?
Sounds like a great read.
Love that book cover! So cute! This waffle recipe looks good! Have to try it.
Sounds great thank you! Love the recipe, I will have to try that.
Already have this wonderful book.
The waffles sound great.
The book sounds good and so do the waffles. I don’t have a food processor and am always afraid to try substituting my old blender. If I had a bigger kitchen to store appliances I would love to get a food processor. I love waffles and these sound yummy and more nutritious than regular ones.
Small kitchen appliances do take up a lot of space. A blender or stick blender should work well. I think the oats can easily be broken down in the blender (I’ve done it before to make oat flour) then mix the rest of the ingredients together by hand or with an electric mixer.