Cinnamon and Sugar

A Most Curious Murder: A Little Library Mystery

Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli is offering two lucky people a chance to be one of the very first readers of her newest book releasing July 12, 2016

A MOST CURIOUS MURDER

Please be aware that this is a galley copy and is the UNcorrected version, but does have the cover art….so there will be some errors. However, I know her latest book will be a riveting tale!

Elizabeth Buzzelli also writes under the name Elizabeth Lee and is the author of two books that I’ve shared on my blog: A TOUGH NUT TO KILL and NUTS AND BURIED.

While I have not had a chance to read the galley myself (but I will, soon!) I will definitely be sharing my review along with a recipe from the author when the book releases. In the meantime, here is what Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli has to say about her book along with a brief overview:

In honor of Alice in Wonderland, and Alice’s 150^th birthday, I have written A Most Curious Murder, a mystery with Alice In Wonderland overtones and undertones. Of course, there were murders in the original, and a great deal of madness, so how could I write anything less? A couple of dead bodies, a Little Person who is a well-known expert on ‘Alice’, and Bear Falls, Michigan, a small Michigan town where everyone might be a suspect in the demise of two brothers.

Jenny Weston moves home to Bear Falls, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, to nurse her bruised ego back to health after a bitter divorce. It is a very strange town with tangled and damaged lives. There is budding love. There is old money. But the idyllic vision of her charming hometown crumbles when her mother’s little library is destroyed.

The next door neighbor, Zoe Zola, a little person and Lewis Carroll enthusiast, suspects local curmudgeon Adam Cane, but when he’s suddenly found dead in Zoe’s fairy garden, all roads lead back to her. Jenny, however, believes Zoe innocent, so the two women team up to find the true culprit, investigating the richest family in Bear Falls, interrogating a few odd townspeople and delving into old, hidden transgressions–until another body turns up.

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A huge thank you to Elizabeth for giving my readers a chance to win two galleys of A MOST CURIOUS MURDER! Please use the Rafflecopter box below to enter. Contest ends Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. 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!) Open to U.S. residents only.

One last thing, if you are a winner please leave a review (even if it’s just a couple sentences) on Goodreads when you’ve finished reading. Remember, this is an uncorrected copy so please overlook any errors when writing your review. Amazon won’t let you post until the book has actually released but it will be greatly appreciated if you can do so.

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Pumpkin Twists Dog Treats

When I saw that MURDER MOST FINICKY by Liz Mugavero was going to be a part of the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours I was very excited. While I have never read any books in this series (my misfortune!) lately I’ve been noticing other reviewers posting great things about this author and series so I knew I needed to add it to my reading list. As a bonus there are pet recipes included at the back of the book, which couldn’t have come at a better time.

One year ago this month, my granddaughter, Emory, adopted a rescue puppy and named her Piper. Fortunately, Piper settled in super-quickly – there are so many dogs who really struggle to adjust to their new surroundings, especially if they’ve been passed from place to place so aren’t sure if this is going to be just another temporary fixture. But, hopefully, with lots of love, and perhaps some CBD oil for dogs, they hopefully soon realise that they are in their forever home and can relax and bond with their humans. Of course celebrating Piper’s adoption anniversary called for making special dog treats so Emory made Liz’s Pumpkin Twists. Piper gave them two paws up and then proceeded to make it difficult to capture a photo without her trying to gobble up the dog treats! The author generously allowed me to share the recipe (provided by The Big Biscuit) and I’ve also included a video tutorial at the bottom of the page.

Kristan “Stan” Conner owns the Pawsitively Organic Food business but wants to expand into a shop in Frog Ledge, CT. Sheldon Allyn, known as Mr. Pastry, is interested in investing and helping her open a shop. When he puts together the Allyn Retreat for Top Chefs in Newport, R.I., to create a star menu for a collection of investors, Stan knows she’d better accept. She arrives at Sheldon’s palatial mansion and meets four of the other five chefs involved in the retreat. The fifth chef, Pierre LaPorte, is a no show until Stan and her cat, Nutty, stumble upon his murdered body on the mansion’s patio overlooking the ocean.

Of course the police take an extra close look at Stan since she found the body and are even more interested in her when they find out this isn’t the first time she’s been involved in a murder. But when another chef, Kyle McLeod, goes missing, he becomes the prime suspect. She’s happy to let the police figure out this crime so she can concentrate on creating her cat dish masterpieces for the investors. Except her estranged sister contacts her and begs Stan to find Kyle and clear his name, and she can’t say no. As she asks questions and digs into the past she finds most of the other chefs are hiding secrets, including her own sister. When another chef disappears Stan knows she’d better step up her investigation before there’s another victim.

As much as Piper loved her Pumpkin Twists I loved MURDER MOST FINICKY! There were plenty of twists and turns in the plot while the author kept me guessing until the very end. The action started right from the very first page and continued with the collection of quirky characters that added to the appeal of the book. Even though this is the fourth book, it was easily read as a stand-alone…but be warned, you’ll want to read the rest of these wonderful books once you finish the last page!

A very special thanks to Liz Mugavero for giving away two print copies of MURDER MOST FINICKY as part of the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours! Please enter using the Rafflecopter below and good luck!

Pumpkin Twists Dog Treats

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup natural canned pumpkin
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour*
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 dash cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F).

In a large bowl, combine water, oil, eggs, and pumpkin and whisk together.

Stir in the whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, cornmeal and cinnamon.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness.

With a knife or pizza cutter, cut out strips 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.

Twist strips and place on a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, turn oven off and let cool inside for 20 -30 minutes.

Cool completely on a wire rack and store in a sealed container.

Treats may also be dehydrated to extend shelf life.

Recipe courtesy of The Big Biscuit

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Emory with her rescue puppy, Piper. What a difference one year makes!

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Cranberry Pecan Yogurt Scones

I have been a fan of Victoria Hamilton’s Vintage Kitchen Mystery series and was delighted to find out that Victoria writes a Teapot Collector Mystery series under the name of Amanda Cooper. Recently I had the pleasure of reading her brand new release, THE GRIM STEEPER, the third book in her series and found I’ve been missing out!

When her grandmother, Rose Freemont, is hospitalized with a suspected heart attack, Sophie Taylor begs to take time off from her sous chef de cuisine position in the Hamptons. Denied permission, she quits. Not that Sophie is a quitter by nature but her grandmother means the world to her and she feels that she should be back in Gracious Grove, New York, to help out.

Out of a job, Sophie returns to work in her grandmother’s tearoom, Auntie Rose’s Victorian Tea House. With Rose’s health returning they plunge themselves into planning the Fall Fling, the town’s Tea Party, which Cruickshank College is sponsoring. In the midst of the preparations, a scandal rocks the college, involving her maybe boyfriend, Jason Murphy. Dean Asquith has accused Jason of accepting bribes to inflate the grades of the school’s star basketball player. Jason’s reputation and job are on the line and when the Dean is found dead in front of Auntie Rose’s Tea House, Sophie knows she’s going to have to find the culprit since the police have Jason in their sights.

THE GRIM STEEPER is the epitome of a cozy mystery! I love how the author connects the reader to the small town feel of Gracious Grove, where every body knows every one. Sophie’s grandmother is a sweet character and her group of teapot collectors, The Silver Spouts, adds charm and some humor when they decide to help with the investigation. The conflict between Sophie and her mother didn’t seem forced and there’s a hint of a mystery to what really happened between them. I’m hoping that relationship will be fully explored in the next book. Auntie Rose’s Victorian Tea House is some place I’d love to visit, especially to browse their teapot collection…have I mentioned I have a “few” teapots myself? And of course no tearoom would be caught without having scones.

Amanda (aka Victoria) has graciously provided a delicious recipe for Cranberry Pecan Yogurt Scones. Healthy yogurt replaces some of the butter in the recipe while still providing tender, flaky pastries. The ruby, tart cranberries and the buttery crunch of the pecans add just the right amount of flavor. My taste testers were clamoring for the recipe before the scones barely cooled! I’ve also included a short video tutorial at the bottom of the page, so you can see how simple these are to mix up.

A huge thank you to Amanda Cooper (Victoria Hamilton) for providing an autographed copy of THE GRIM STEEPER to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe for a chance to win. Contest ends Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. 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!) Open to Canadian and U.S. residents only.

Cranberry Pecan Yogurt Scones

Makes eight generous sized scones

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (use the ‘lightly spoon into measuring cup and level’ method)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (1/3 cup) cold butter – if you are using salted butter you can omit salt from the recipe.
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt (if you are using it).

Add in butter, bit by bit, mixing as you go. Rub it in with your fingers, if you like, but leave small pebbles of the cold butter in the mixture.

Stir in the cranberries and pecans, and then the yogurt. Mix gently, but thoroughly. It may take a bit to get all the dry ingredients worked into the yogurt.

Form dough into a ball. Place on a greased or parchment paper covered baking sheet and pat into a circle about a 1/2-inch thick.

Sprinkle with sugar – you could use turbinado or another decorative sugar for this, if you want, but plain sugar works just fine.

Cut into eight pie shaped segments, but don’t separate the wedges!

Bake at 425 degrees (F) for about 20 minutes, or until edges are slightly crisp and the top is lightly browned. It may need as little as 18 minutes, or as much as 22, but don’t over or under bake the scones!

The scones will break apart nicely into perfect wedges. These are delicious warm or cold, with butter or not, and also stand up well to preserves or jams like Cranberry Apple conserve or cherry jam. Perfect with tea of any kind!

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Orange Cinnamon Crème Brûlée

While Valentine’s Day may be mostly about vibrant pinks and reds and chocolate reigns supreme, sometimes a special, romantic dinner calls for an understated elegant dessert to end. Orange Cinnamon Crème Brûlée from Leslie Budewitz’s latest release, GUILTY AS CINNAMON, is the perfect choice! Leslie’s recipe steeps cinnamon, thyme and orange peel in a custard base to add a complex subtlety to this decadently creamy dessert that is crowned with a crunchy bittersweet layer of yumminess.

While you may think that crème brûlée is an unobtainable culinary talent, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Leslie’s recipe provides easy to follow instructions (and I’ve provided a video tutorial because sometimes seeing what it’s supposed to look like can go a long way to relieving fears – you can find it at the bottom of the page) and it doesn’t take long to put this dessert together. Best of all, the custard can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator, then a quick sprinkle of sugar and a zap with a kitchen torch (or oven broiler) and voilà, a sublime ending to your perfect dinner.

GUILTY AS CINNAMON, the second book in “A Spice Shop Mystery” series, finds Pepper Reese getting ready to expand her spice shop located in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. She’s starting a bridal registry in addition to several chefs purchasing her wares for their local restaurants. A soon-to-be new restaurant owner, Tamara Langston, arrives at the Spice Shop to make a few purchases and discuss sourcing her herbs and spices. She learns that Tamara, a sous chef for Pepper’s ex-boyfriend, Alex, hasn’t told her boss that she’s resigning and opening her own restaurant…they both know that Alex is going to be furious.

The next evening Pepper and a friend go out to dinner and Pepper decides to take a peek in Tamara’s new restaurant space…and finds the future restaurateur dead…killed with a ghost chile, known as bhut capsicum, that Tamara had just purchased from Pepper’s own shop. It doesn’t take long for the police to arrest Alex, since he verbally threatened Tamara in front of the entire restaurant staff when he found out she was leaving his restaurant. Even though Alex has a temper, Pepper is sure he is innocent and when he begs her to find the real killer, she can’t say no. As she talks to people asking questions, she finds several people had motives for wanting the chef dead. Pepper also finds long buried secrets threatening to be exposed may have led to the crime and leads back to her ex-boyfriend and ex-husband, Officer Tag Buhner. When threatening notes are left for her and when her business almost goes up in flames, Pepper knows she’s getting close to the killer and she’d better figure it out before she becomes the next victim.

I loved GUILTY AS CINNAMON, from its clever title to the cover art to the vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Seattle, to the tightly woven plot! The author has allowed Pepper to be human, experiencing real life complex issues with love and betrayal, insecurities, and daily struggles while giving her a chance to grow as a person through the choices she makes. Pepper also has a wonderful supporting cast and I like how Leslie has included a list of the characters at the beginning of the book. It made for a nice reference as I read. Of course I would be remiss to not mention the many fabulous recipes that are included with the book and it was difficult to choose which one to showcase. However, I have to say, I was beyond happy with the results of the Orange Cinnamon Crème Brûlée and I’ll be making it again…soon! Thank you, Leslie, for allowing me to share your incredibly delicious recipe!

Orange Cinnamon Crème Brûlée

On this, Pepper and Tag agree: the very best crème brûlée ever!

Serves 4 – 5

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup white sugar (divided use)
Zest of 1 orange, removed in wide strips with a peeler
1 cinnamon stick
6 to 8 strands of fresh thyme
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons turbinado sugar, for topping (or regular white sugar)
Strips of orange peel or thyme sprigs for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F).

In a small saucepan, combine the cream, 1/4 cup sugar, orange zest and cinnamon stick.

Roll the thyme strands back and forth between your palms, over the pan, to release the essential oils, then toss the thyme into the pan. Whisk to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat and strain into a bowl to cool. (This step infuses the cream with the aromatics – the zest, thyme, and cinnamon.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla.

When the infused cream is cooled to the touch, slowly pour it into the egg mixture and whisk to combine. (Cooling the cream avoids curdling the eggs.)

Place four 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups in a large baking dish or roasting pan.

Carefully fill the ramekins with the custard mixture.

Place the dish in the oven and carefully pour hot water into the pan, till it reaches about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake until the custard is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center, about 35 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven.

Lift out the ramekins – tongs work nicely – and cool on a rack at room temperature. (Don’t leave them in the hot water, as heat would continue to cook the mixture.)

When cool, move ramekins to the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour before the next step.

Just before serving, sprinkle a teaspoon of turbinado sugar evenly over the top of each dish.

Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch. The sugar will harden, turn golden, and become crunchy.

If you don’t have a torch, broil the dishes 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar forms a crisp, golden top.

Garnish with a curvy strip of orange peel or a sprig of thyme.

Tip

Reserve a piece of the orange peel from the recipe and slice into long, skinny strips. Wrap the strips around a toothpick and secure the ends with a bit of tape. Allow the curled orange peel to air dry while you prepare the crème brûlée. Just before serving, slide the curled orange strips from the toothpick, snip off and discard the ends that were taped. Garnish as desired.

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Wondering what to do with those leftover egg whites? Check out this recipe for White Chocolate Macaroons from Daryl Wood Gerber or my Lemon Macarons!

Raspberry Cake

Valentine’s Day is all about pinks and reds, sweets and special desserts! I also enjoy finding cozy mysteries that have a bit of holiday theme in them so I was happy when I started reading FATAL RESERVATIONS, the sixth book in they Key West Food Critic by Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib). I’ve made several of Lucy’s luscious desserts in the past from other books in her series so knew my family was in for a treat when I saw her recipe for Raspberry Cake. And I knew that it would be the perfect Valentine’s Day cake with its gorgeous pink color thanks to the plentiful use of fresh raspberries and NO artificial food coloring.

Hayley Snow is a food critic for style magazine, Key Zest, in Key West, Florida. Putting up with a new boss who bought half interest in the magazine, juggling her “sort-of” relationship with her other boss, Wally, and keeping her elderly roommate, Miss Gloria, out of trouble keeps her more than busy. When Miss Gloria points out the police fishing a body out of the harbor, Hayley is glad she didn’t find it and isn’t involved in anyone’s death this time. That evening she attends the City Council’s meeting on behalf of her magazine to cover the controversy over the application to open a Japanese floating restaurant, For Goodness Sake. She puts the gruesome police activity out of her mind especially as tensions mount when several other restaurant owners in the area speak out against the proposed restaurant. As the agenda moves on to working out a solution for lease renewals for the street performers for the Sunset Celebration, the meeting turns violent when one of the street vendors tries to strangle Hayley’s tarot card reading friend, Lorenzo.

Not long after the meeting adjourns, Lorenzo calls Hayley and tells her that the police suspect he is the murderer of the flaming fork juggling performer, Bart Frontgate, the man pulled from the harbor that afternoon. Apparently Bart was involved in the controversial Sunset Celebration lease renewal issue, on the opposite side of Lorenzo, and they had been feuding for over a year. Hayley is certain that her friend is innocent and starts asking questions to clear his name. But when he disappears and she finds he’s been hiding secrets, Hayley’s loyalty is put to the test, especially when another murder takes place.

Lucy manages to capture the sights, sounds and flavors unique to Key West and makes you feel like you’re on a long vacation with Hayley. Her characters are quirky yet charming and I love to see how they grow and develop with each subsequent book. In addition to a great story, I thoroughly enjoyed the quotes beginning each chapter… with the one contributed by the author from her book, DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS, being my favorite: “Wally flashed a smile, tight as the rubber band around a bouquet of broccoli.” Lucy creates vivid pictures using words as her paint!

A huge thanks to Lucy for allowing me to share her very special Raspberry Cake recipe! I have included a video tutorial at the bottom of the page on how to make the cake as well, with a couple tips for decorating it. Be sure to take a look at the sneak peek of the newest book in “A Key West Food Critic Mystery” series, KILLER TAKEOUT, debuting April 5, 2016!

As a bonus for my readers I have a copy of FATAL RESERVATIONS to give to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe for a chance to win. Contest ends Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. 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!) Open to U.S. residents only.

Raspberry Cake

Hayley imagines this cake could seal the deal with Wally on Valentine’s Day. I think it would have, too – if only he’d tasted a bite before storming off the houseboat.

Serves 6 – 12, depending on the size of the slices.

Ingredients

Cake

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into cubes
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Frosting

1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Confectioners’ sugar**
2 boxes fresh raspberries – about 30 for the frosting and 40 or so for decoration
3 – 4 tablespoons good-quality raspberry jam

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by buttering them well, lining with parchment paper, and then buttering the parchment too.

Combine the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix at low speed.

Add the butter, a few cubes at a time, and continue beating on low for 1 to 2 minutes.

Beat the eggs in, one at a time, mixing well but minimally after each.

Mix the milk with the extracts.

Add 1/2 cup of the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat until combines.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and beat for 1 minute.

Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched, in the neighborhood of 25 minutes. Watch this because you don’t want to over-bake.

Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes.

Remove the cakes, one to a plate and the other to waxed or parchment paper, and allow them to cool to room temperature.

Frosting

Beat together the cream cheese and butter.

Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar to taste. (The author used about 1 cup of sugar.)**

Now gradually beat in about 30 raspberries until your desired pink color is achieved.

Spread the plated cooled cake with a layer of frosting, then a layer of jam.

Layer on the other cake. Frost the top and sides and decorate with remaining berries.

Refrigerate until serving.

Tips

**I used close to 8 cups of confectioners’ sugar for several reasons. 1) My family likes sweet frosting. 2) I knew I wanted to embellish using decorating tips so I needed extra frosting; 3) I wanted a dark pink frosting which meant I needed to use a lot more raspberries without resorting to artificial food coloring.

Here are my tips for getting the frosting just right since raspberries can greatly vary in size and juiciness factors.

After beating the butter, cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar together, add the raspberries a few at a time and check the consistency before adding more. If you want a darker pink, add extra confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, alternating with adding a few raspberries to the frosting until you reach the desired shade and the desired consistency.
If you are piping the frosting onto the cake you will want the consistency to be stiff which means extra confectioners’ sugar.

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Lucy Burdette’s next book, KILLER TAKEOUT, is releasing April 5, 2016! Here’s a sneak peek!

It’s Fantasy Fest at Key West, and food critic Hayley Snow is ready to celebrate. But a killer seems intent on crashing the party. . .

Every year, Key West’s weeklong Mardi Gras–style festival has tourists and locals alike lining up for costumed revelry and delicious eats. Key Zest magazine has assigned Hayley to write a piece on the fest’s grab-and-go food, so she’s planning on hitting up the mobile eateries while checking out the party preparations.

Hayley’s office mate, Danielle, recently elected Queen of Fantasy Fest, is also buzzing between festivities and fundraisers. But when a former royal rival gets taken out, Hayley needs to put down her party hat and her pen and figure out who served up a side of murder—before Danielle gets crowned a killer. . .

Catch-22 Salvadorian Shrimp Salad

I am very excited to be a part of the Escape with Dollycas’ Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour today showcasing A DISGUISE TO DIE FOR by Diane Vallere! The just released first book in a brand new series, Diane Vallere takes the reader on a fun, entertaining read! Plus she includes some delicious recipes, like the Salvadorian Shrimp Salad I’m sharing below, and ideas for creating your own costumed detective party.

Margo Tamblyn has been living in Las Vegas working as a magician’s assistant. She enjoys the job, except for getting cut in half, but when her father has a heart attack, she rushes home for a few days to help him run his costume shop, Disguise DeLimit. Home is Proper City, Nevada, a couple hours from Las Vegas, and her father has owned the costume shop since before she was born. Being raised by a single dad, Margo has dressed herself using items from Disguise DeLimit, so she has a certain flair depending on her mood for the day….maybe she’ll be a cowgirl, or a 60’s hippie, or Nancy Drew… She’s also found that she can hide herself behind whatever costumes she’s wearing, so no one ever learns who she really is.

The town’s spoiled rich “kid”, Blitz Manners, waltzes into the shop and throws a huge amount of money at them demanding they plan and outfit his detective-themed costume birthday party for 40 people in 24 hours. Margo is ready to pass on the job until she realizes her dad and her best friend and party planner, Ebony Welles, need the money. So she consents and uses her considerable creative talent to put it together. They manage to make the party a success until she walks into the catering kitchen and sees Ebony holding a carving knife while standing over a very dead Blitz.

The police are very interested in Ebony but the party planner disappears when long-buried secrets about her past are threatening to be exposed. Along the way Margo meets Tak Hoshiyama, whom her father tells her she can trust. But she’s not so sure after she finds out he could be dating the detective investigating the murder. Is he using her to find Ebony? All Margo knows is that she has to find the real killer and clear her friend’s name.

Diane is a terrific writer and hooks you from the very first page. I loved the variety of characters she developed and how they interact with one another. The author does a wonderful job in making a flawed character so likable and I found myself wanting everything to work out for Margo. The plot is fast paced and kept me guessing until the big reveal!

I have also included a video tutorial at the bottom of the page on how to make this Shrimp Salad – including how to peel and devein shrimp. Let me say I found quite a few shrimp missing after cooking and before I had a chance to put the salad together…they are so incredibly delectable! I think the shrimp will make an impressive appetizer on their own or served over rice for a heartier meal.

Catch-22 Salvadorian Shrimp Salad

Makes 2 big salads or 4 smaller salads

Ingredients

Shrimp

1 pound uncooked, peeled shrimp
2 tablespoons butter
1 packet Goya Sazón seasoning (for lower sodium, use 1 teaspoon achiote/annatto)**

Salad

1 small head lettuce
1/2 carrot, sliced
1 Roma tomato
1 cup jicama, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup white onion
1 bunch cilantro

Dressing: Fresh Salsa Roja (Red Salsa)

Olive oil
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
2-3 Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup cilantro

Instructions

Shrimp

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a pan then add the Sazón and stir for a minute.

Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Salad

Tear lettuce onto plate.

Chop and add: carrot, tomato, jicama, avocado, white onion.

Add cooked shrimp and drizzle any pan juices on top.

Tear cilantro and add on top.

Dressing

Place all ingredients in blender.

Puree until smooth, adding water if necessary.

Serve with salad.

**To make your own Goya Sazón:

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground annatto seeds (achiote) or turmeric or sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together. This is enough for 1 pound of shrimp.

Tip

I found Goya Sazón at my grocery store on the International aisle next to the Latin items. I’ve read that Goya now makes an MSG-free Sazón, but my market did not carry it. Thus I made my own.

I found the ground annatto seeds (achiote) in the spice section with the McCormick spices.

Click on Sangria to see the recipe for the perfect libation to drink with this dish!

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