Click on link to visit Amazon
MOLTEN DEATH is the first book in the brand-new Orchid Isle Mystery series by Leslie Karst. Set against the lush backdrop of Hawaii and the terrifying ferocity of an active volcano, the author brings the setting to life through her vivid descriptive voice. You can feel the heat of the lava flow, smell the tropical flowers, taste the fresh papaya, and see the glorious beauty of the crashing waves. I also love that the protagonist, Valerie Corbin, and her wife, Kristen, are retirement-age women. It brings a maturity to the storyline and (I hate to admit it) more relatable to my age group. They’re both inquisitive, active, and full of life instead of the stereotypical ‘sitting in a rocking chair knitting’ at their age. Ms. Karst also captures the Hawaiian culture and politics. It’s obvious she’s done her research and, from her author’s note and “about” at the back of the book, lives part-time in Hilo, Hawaii, which gives her an insider’s view of the residents. I appreciated the Hawaiian and Pidgin (a mixture of Hawaiian, English, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Filipino) words and phrases provided, although she expertly crafts her sentences so that the meaning is perfectly clear while reading the story, without slowing down the pace.
The plotline is clever: how can you prove a murder happened when only the protagonist saw a foot and a leg devoured by flowing lava? And any clues left behind by the perpetrator are non-existent because of the destructive lava as well. Most people, including her wife, don’t believe Valerie when she claims she saw a body. Yet her tenacity, despite only being a visitor to the island, has her digging up information and uncovering secrets that people would rather remain hidden. There were clues to follow and a few suspects to keep me guessing. The story kept me engrossed, and I had a hard time putting the book down when other obligations called. By the conclusion of the book, I was ready to book a vacation to the islands and ready to read the next in the series!
There are several recipes at the back of the book, filled with the flavors of the island. I’m always on the lookout for new chicken recipes to serve for dinner (and leftover lunches) so I immediately made Leslie’s Miso-Sesame Chicken recipe. A personal confession here… I rarely eat meat of any kind aside from a bite here or there to adjust seasonings for the family. The Miso-Sesame Chicken was so delicious and flavorful with it’s combination of ginger and miso, with a hint of sweetness, that I ate an entire serving! I also loved the ease of baking the dish and since the chicken has to marinade for several hours (or overnight), I can start the marinading in the morning. Then when I’m ready to cook dinner, it’s a quick step to placing on a baking sheet covered with foil (for easy cleanup) and throwing it in the oven for hands-off cooking. Grilling is also a great option and I’m sure would bring even more flavor to the chicken. If you’re looking for a fairy easy chicken recipe to add to your dinner rotation, you’re going to want to try this one!
Amazon Synopsis
Retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have come to the Big Island of Hawai’i to treat themselves to a well-earned tropical vacation. After the recent loss of her brother, Valerie is in sore need of a distraction from her troubles and is looking forward to enjoying the delicious food and vibrant culture the state has to offer.
Early one morning, the couple and their friend – tattooed local boy, Isaac – set out to see an active lava flow, and Valerie is mesmerized by the shape-shifting mass of orange and red creeping over the field of black rock. Spying a boot in the distance, she strides off alone, pondering how it could have gotten there, only to realize to her horror that the boot is still attached to a leg – a leg which is slowly being engulfed by the hot lava.
Valerie’s convinced a murder has been committed – but as she’s the only witness to the now-vanished corpse, who’s going to believe her?
Determined to prove what she saw, and get justice for the unknown victim, Valerie launches her own investigation. But, thrown into a Hawaiian culture far from the luaus and tiki bars of glossy tourist magazines, she soon begins to fear she may be the next one to end up entombed in shiny black rock . . .
A special thanks to Leslie Karst for offering a print copy of MOLTEN DEATH to one lucky winner! Contest ends April 21, 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!)
Serves 4 - 8
To my mind, thighs are the most flavorful part of the chicken, and with their higher fat content they remain moist even when overcooked (unlike the boneless breasts Valerie uses for this recipe, which are unforgiving and often disappointingly dry). But feel free to use any part of the bird, or buy a whole chicken and part it out yourself, then let your guests choose which piece they want. This recipe works equally well either baked in the oven or grilled on an outdoor barbecue.
Any sort of miso (white, yellow, or red) can be used for this dish, though orange (awase - a blend of white and red) is what I prefer. Miso is quite salty, so do not salt the chicken or add any soy sauce or additional salt to the marinade.
Steamed rice makes the perfect partner to this dish, as a toothsome but mild accompaniment for the flavorful chicken. Use an ice cream scoop dipped in water to make pretty rice balls on the plate next to the chicken, then scatter chopped chives and/or black sesame seeds over it all.
- 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped or minced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup miso
- 1/2 cup sake
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 large chicken thighs
- Chopped chives and/or black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
-
Mix all the ingredients, except chicken and garnish, together in a bowl until smooth.
-
Pat dry the chicken, then place either in a large bowl or a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix, making sure each piece is covered with marinade. Let the chicken marinade in the refrigerator (cover, if in a bowl) for at least four hours, or overnight. Remove from the fridge and bring up to room temperature prior to cooking.
-
If baking the chicken, preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Cover the bottom of a large roasting pan with foil (for easy clean-up - the marinade tends to burn on the bottom of the pan), shake off any excess marinade, then place the chicken pieces in the pan, skin up. (Save the excess marinade for a later step.)
-
Roast until brown and crispy on top, and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (F) - about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. (You may want to turn the temperature up to 425 degrees (F) for the last ten minutes, to ensure a crispy skin.)
-
If grilling, place the chicken pieces skin-side down over medium-high heat. If the grill is too hot, they will burn, so keep an eye on them. When browned, flip them over and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (F).
-
Once the chicken has finished roasting or grilling, remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
-
Pour the excess marinade (and any liquid in the roasting pan, if that's how you prepared the chicken) into a saucepan and bring it up to a low boil over medium heat. Let the sauce cook for 2 - 3 minutes, then pour it into a gravy boat to be served along with the chicken and rice.
Pin to Pinterest:
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This chicken recipe sounds delicious!
This is a new to me author. The book sounds very interesting! I LOVE chicken, so I am always looking for new recipes. This one sound delicious! Have to try it.
Great author and delicious sounding chicken.
Looking forward to reading this book. My sister and her family live on the Big Island, and my grand-niece is a teenage paniolo (cowboy). She has been a rodeo rider since she was six years old. Fun fact – there were cowboys in Hawai’i before anywhere on the Mainland USA. King Kamehameha the Great brought Spanish vaqueros to the island of Hawai’i to train his people how to handle the cattle the King brought to the island.
As for the miso-sesame chicken – miso is great, but I prefer to drink the soup. The recipe does look good – I plan to try it!
That’s awesome that your grand-niece is a paniolo! And thank you for sharing the history of cowboys in Hawaii… I’m always fascinated learning about locations featured in books!