I make this version of hummus when I’m out of tahini. < Back Easy Hummus November 5, 2020 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Serves: 2 Cups of Hummus Tags: Dips and Sauces, Vegan, Gluten Free, Vegetarian About the Recipe I make this version of hummus when I’m out of tahini. Ingredients 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained (save ¼ cup liquid) and rinsed 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice from about ½ of a medium lemon 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar (it brightens just about everything) 1 TBSP toasted sesame oil 1 clove garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp kosher or sea salt 1 tsp dried basil ½ tsp each: cumin, all-spice, turmeric ¼ cup of the chickpea liquid, or water Optional: serve topped with a dab of olive oil and handful of pine nuts Preparation I make this version of hummus when I’m out of tahini. Mix everything in a food processor (using a high-tech blender turns it into baby food). Once you start mixing, slowly add in the chickpea liquid or water until it turns into a smooth, creamy dip. Add extra liquid as needed. Taste it. You might want more salt or lemon. Sometimes I had a handful of fresh parsley. If you prefer a more traditional hummus, just stick with the garbanzos, lemon, salt, sesame/oil. Add pepper if you like more oomph. You can also thin it out enough to use a salad dressing. No need to ever buy pre-made hummus again! Previous Next

Victoria Thompson: Gaslight Mystery Series < Back Victoria Thompson Author of The Gaslight Mystery Series June 6, 2019 Even though I like reading lesser known authors and mystery series, I couldn’t help spending a few bitter Chicago winter evenings this year devouring several in the Gaslight Mystery Series by Victoria Thompson. Winner of the Career Achievement Award for Mystery from RT Book Reviews in 2011, Thompson currently teaches in the master’s degree program for writing popular fiction at Seton Hill University, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. Victoria is a founding member and past president of Novelists, Inc., a national organization of published writers of popular fiction. She is also co-founder and past president of PENNWRITERS, a statewide writer’s organization in Pennsylvania. Victoria has served on the board of directors of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and was co-founder and the first President of New Jersey Romance Writers. She is also a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Victoria lives in a suburb of Chicago with her husband and a very spoiled little dog. I wonder if our children went to the same high school. Chicago is pretty spread out though, with many suburbs. Hint: the one we lived in had a mall. I emailed her because she said: Please send me an email at victoria@victoriathompson.com to let me know what you think of the books and to get on my mailing list so I can send you a reminder each time a new book comes out. Because of the large volume of email I receive, I may not be able to personally reply to each one, but I do read them. You may also visit me on Facebook at Victoria.Thompson.Author and Twitter @gaslightvt. I’ll keep you posted on upcoming releases and appearances. Haven’t heard back yet , but I’ll keep you posted. I’m apparently not the only one who is charmed by Frank Malloy, an NYC detective sergeant until he married wealthy, wise, midwife and champion of women’s health, Sarah Brandt. How fun to wander the streets of late 19th century New York City from Battery Park to Washington Heights, watching as Malloy hops on curbs to avoid horse-drawn carriages or those new-fangled automobiles in a city struggling with corruption and ineptitude. And although he has no need to work, he still finds himself ferreting out con men, thieves and murderers. All in good fun and well done! Previous Next

Tasha Alexander: Lady Emily Historical Mystery Series < Back Tasha Alexander Author of The Lady Emily Historical Mystery Series January 30, 2020 Tasha Alexander studied English Literature and Medieval History at the University of Notre Dame. She wrote a novel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and the long-running Lady Emily Series. She is married to British novelist Andrew Grant and lives in Chicago and Wyoming. Lady Emily, who first appeared in Tasha Alexander’s 2005 novel, And Only to Deceive, is one of the characters I return to again and again. The author delves into British history with an eye for historical accuracy combined with the ability to create fully human characters who are capable of wit and subtlety. She’s also managed to combine dazzling historical fiction (fabulous descriptions of England through the centuries) with well-planned, gripping mysteries. Royalty is often involved, and Alexander conveys an urgency – the Crown is at risk unless the mystery is solved. I always get immersed in the rich details; servants are plentiful, clothing is magnificent, Emily travels into the underbelly of London to get to the bottom of a murder, and her dashing husband Colin reports directly to the queen or king. The inner workings of Britain are portrayed from the Victorian through Edwardian periods, with occasional visits to the distant past, as in Uneasy Lies the Crown, which includes a story line from 1415 that later ties in with the current day mystery. I admire the ease with which Lady Emily Hargreaves travels around the world — it makes me feel silly for complaining about long flights. But then again, we’d all be better prepared for a few weeks in Moscow if we engaged a retinue of servants to carry our trunks. These are delicious books (best enjoyed with a cup of tea that your trusted maid brings in with the afternoon mail). There are fourteen books in the Lady Emily series thus far, and I hope Tasha Alexander is not yet finished. Previous Next

Sometimes wry, sometimes charming, occasionally a story will make you gasp, especially the one-pagers. In 78 pieces of fiction, flash fiction and micro-fiction, Alford’s writing is soothing, sparkling, opaque or mysterious, but it always packs a punch. < Back A Girl Goes into the Forest Peg Alford Pursell September 26, 2019 The stories and fables in A Girl Goes into the Forest (Dzanc Books, 2019) twist and turn with the sorrows and challenges of family, lovers, growing up, and aging. Sometimes wry, sometimes charming, occasionally a story will make you gasp, especially the one-pagers. In 78 pieces of fiction, flash fiction and micro-fiction, Alford’s writing is soothing, sparkling, opaque or mysterious, but it always packs a punch. Peg Alford Pursell , author of Show her a Flower, A Bird, A Shadow , the 2017 Indies Book of the Year for Literary Fiction, has had work published in many journals and anthologies. Her micro-fiction, flash fiction, and hybrid prose have been nominated for Best Small Micro-fictions and Pushcart Prizes. She is the founder and director of WTAW Press, a nonprofit publisher of literary books, and of Why There are Words, the national literary reading series. Also, she enjoys walking through her neighborhood with its redwoods and Little Free Libraries. One of the most fascinating dreams she's had was creating a crossword puzzle in her sleep and being able to remember the lower left section when she awoke. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

Ruthie dropped off a tray of frozen sweet potato-black bean empanadas. < Back Oven-Baked Sweet Potato-Black Bean Empanadas July 23, 2019 Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 24 Servings Tags: Entrees, Vegetarian, Vegan About the Recipe 125 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery That night, Brianne invited the sixth-floor neighbors for dinner, including Joan, who didn’t answer her phone or respond to Brianne’s text. Elderly neighbor, Gloriadine declined, explaining that the funeral had exhausted her for the day. Alene vowed to have Kacey join them instead of sitting alone in her room but she wasn’t sure how she was going to manage it. Brianne was planning to order in, but Ruthie dropped off a tray of frozen sweet potato-black bean empanadas with fresh garlic bread, a big salad, and a jar of her homemade, garlicky salad dressing. Alene decided to send Sierra to get Kacey, who wasn’t responding to texts. It was a chance, but Sierra could be very persuasive. Quinn and Noah were reading comic books on the couch in front of Brianne’s coffee table while Alene and her father joined Brianne at her round kitchen table. Sierra rushed back into the kitchen looking flushed. “Joan just screamed at me,” she said in a hushed tone. “It was unbelievably scary.” Brianne gulped and Cal covered his mouth in surprise. “What did she say?” Alene asked. How dare she scream at a child? Sierra reported the story as if it had been a big adventure. “She opened the door and said, ‘Get away from me, you little shit. I’ve had just about enough from all of you.” “Oh, my goodness,” said Cal, “kindness really doesn’t come naturally to that woman.” Brianne shook her head. “She’s in mourning. We should be patient with her – but who talks that way to a little girl?” “I’m nearly twelve-and-a-half. I’m not exactly a little girl,” said Sierra with a sigh. Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar ¾ cup ice cold water 1 cooked medium sweet potato 1 cup black beans (reserve some of the liquid from the can to moisten the filling) 1 red pepper (or poblano if you want heat) roast, remove seeds and membrane, chop 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (toss in heated pan until fragrant, or use powdered cumin) 1/3 cup chopped scallions 2 or more tablespoons chopped cilantro (use parsley if someone hates cilantro) ½ to 1 teaspoon chili powder (depending on how much heat you want) 1/2 teaspoon salt Preparation Use a food processor to pulse together flour, baking soda and salt Add in oil, cold water, and vinegar: pulse 2-4 times just to combine Remove from the food processor and form into a loose ball Wrap in plastic and place in refrigerator for at least one hour Mash the sweet potato with the rest of the ingredients (add more liquid from can if needed) Remove the dough from the fridge, divide and shape into 8 equal balls On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball of dough into an approximately 5” circle Spoon about 2-3 TBSP of the sweet potato mixture onto each circle Moisten edges of the dough with water and fold over the filling Seal edges with a fork on both sides Place on a large greased baking sheet (or parchment paper/silicone mat) Cut diagonal slits across each empanada and bake at 400° 15 minutes until golden Great for appetizers (Serve 2-3 per adult with salad, guacamole and salsa for dinner) Recipe also works with store-bought pie dough Previous Next

"There are only six sweet potato muffins left," said Alene. < Back Vegan Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Muffins August 13, 2019 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 12 Servings Tags: Muffins and Breads, Vegan, Breakfast About the Recipe p. 8 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery “Your new pastries are going to be a huge winner, Nine,” she told Ruthie, using her college nickname. “There are only six sweet potato muffins left.” “That, my dear Six,” Ruthie responded, with Alene’s college nickname, “is because no one wanted the ugly ones.” Just then, Olly Burns pushed through the swing-door into the kitchen carrying dirty dishes and bad news. “Jack Stone’s out front,” he said in his sing-song voice. “Apparently he wants to work here. With us.” Alene rested her knife on the counter and cringed. She’d once smacked Jack Stone when he’d drunkenly tried to feel her up, about a decade before. He might have been somewhat attractive if he matured and cleaned up, but as far as Alene knew, he’d never been able to overcome his drinking problem. “Gary Vanza asked me to hire Jack, as a favor, to last week,” she said, “but he’s probably never held a job longer than a few months.” She paused with her knife in the air, imagining Jack Stone working in her café with his long, greasy hair and torn jeans. Alene glanced briefly at Kacey and added, “I’m a little worried about trying to teach an old dog new tricks.” Ingredients ¾ cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk ¼ cup EVOO, canola or coconut oil ¾ cup cooked, mashed sweet potato or canned pumpkin 1 cup packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup unsulphured molasses (use same cup you use to measure the oil) 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 ½ cups all-purpose and ½ cup whole wheat flour) ½ tsp salt 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp baking soda Preparation Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray oil into 12 cupcake liners Combine first 7 ingredients in a blender or processor and blend until smooth Stir together flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and baking soda Add to blender and pulse 3 or 4 times just until blended Pour into sprayed cupcake liners (about ¾ full) Bake about 10 minutes in preheated oven Lower oven to 350 degrees, bake an additional 10 until tops are springy Remove from oven Cool and remove from baking pan Serve with maple syrup, berries, whipped coconut milk, chocolate frosting, or jam Variation: stir in a package of mini chocolate chips before baking Previous Next

Jennifer Ashley: Kat Holloway Mysteries < Back Jennifer Ashley Author of The Kat Holloway Mysteries February 20, 2020 Jennifer Ashley is one of those writers with limitless energy and a treasure trove of untold stories in her head. She writes historical, paranormal and contemporary romance as Jennifer Ashley; mysteries as Ashley Gardner; and paranormal romance/urban fantasy as Allyson James. Her over 100 books have been translated into over ten languages, and she is a N.Y.T and U.S.A. Today bestselling author. Her website informs us that although she loves reading and writing above all else, she also has a bunch of hobbies including cooking, hiking, playing flute and guitar, painting, and building miniature rooms and dollhouses. One can only assume she is another one of those people who requires no more than four hours of sleep at night (or she is the most organized woman in the world). I love reading Kat Holloway mysteries, each of which is carefully researched so that the young cook’s preparations and meals are what might have been served in Victorian England. I was so enamored of her seed-cakes that I’ve spent the past two weeks trying to recreate a healthy version without butter or eggs. I love her evening preparation of yeast dough that rises all night so that she can do the second rising in the morning before baking it – exactly how I do it! It’s delightful to hear how Mrs. Holloway plans and executes the meals she’ll serve ‘above stairs,’ in addition to how she puts together her own and the other servants’ meals. There’s usually something in the oven that needs tending, or a complete meal that needs serving when Mrs. Holloway leaves to help a friend solve a problem. Ancillary characters like vivacious, cross-dressing Lady Cynthia, mysterious, renaissance man Daniel Macadam, and snooty butler Mr. Davis are well-drawn and interesting. Mrs. Holloway is always putting on her apron and getting to work in the kitchen or removing her apron and donning her coat, hat and gloves to venture into the bustling city. She treasures her days off with her little daughter, tries to convey proper behavior to her staff, and strives to make the lives of poor beggars a little easier with coins and extra food that she brings outside after the evening meal. Solid Mrs. Holloway is indeed a most charming and dependable hero. Previous Next

Alene was proud of the recipe that she invented. < Back Green Bean and Walnut Spread September 10, 2020 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 4 cups of dip Tags: Dips and Sauces, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan About the Recipe A great way to sneak in your veggies. Ingredients 2 TBSP olive oil 1 large onion, sliced 2 cup roasted or raw unsalted walnuts 2 cups frozen or one 15 ounce can of green beans (or peas) 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Optional: Toss a handful of fresh parsley into the processor to see specks of green Preparation In a large pan, sauté sliced onions in the oil until they’re soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add walnuts and beans or peas, stir for 2-3 minutes. Scoop into a food processor and blend everything together until the texture is uniform. Remove to a bowl and taste before serving (it might need more salt). Sprinkle with chopped parsley or basil. Serve with vegetables, pickles and crackers, or spread on a piece of fresh bread. If you’re out of peas and green beans, 6-8 large sliced mushrooms will also be delicious. Previous Next

It's hard to resist snagging these from the cookie sheet while they cool! < Back Pistachio Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies December 22, 2020 Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 12 Minutes Serves: 24 Servings Tags: Gluten Free, Cookies and Brownies About the Recipe Ingredients ½ cup unsalted pistachios ¼ cup olive or canola oil ¼ cup tahini ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3 cups old fashioned oats 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 2 eggs ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and set out two cookie sheets. In a food processor, blend pistachios until roughly ground. Add everything except chocolate chips and blend 30-60 seconds until it’s all mixed together. Add chocolate chips and briefly pulse a few times to mix them in. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes while you clean up. With wet hands, form 24 balls and space them on the cookie sheets – they will spread. Bake for about 12 minutes until slightly golden, and remove. Cool for at least 5 minutes (If you try to nab one before it’s cool, it will fall apart!) Previous Next

C.S. Harris: Sebastian St. Syr Mystery Series < Back C.S. Harris Author of The Sebastian St. Syr Mystery Series September 29, 2021 C.S. Harris, aka Candice Proctor and C.S. Graham , is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than a dozen novels including the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency 17 book mystery series about an aristocratic detective in early 1800’s England (I LOVED What the Devil Knows, Who Slays the Wicked, Where Shadows Dance etc…). She also co-wrote a C.S. Graham thriller series and seven historical romances plus a nonfiction historical study of the French Revolution. Her books are available worldwide and have been translated into over twenty different languages. Candice graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with a degree in Classics before going on to earn an MA and Ph.D. in history. A former academic, she has taught at the University of Idaho and Midwestern State University in Texas. The daughter of a career Air Force officer and a university professor, she spent many years as a partner in an international business consulting firm. She also worked as an archaeologist on a variety of sites including a Hudson’s Bay Company Fort in San Juan Island, a Cherokee village in Tennessee, a prehistoric kill site in Victoria, Australia, and a Roman cemetery and medieval manor house in Winchester, England. Previous Next

Need iron? This delicious soup will do the trick! < Back Spinach-Lentil Soup October 27, 2020 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 6 Servings Tags: Soup, Vegetarian, Vegan, Entrees About the Recipe Ingredients ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Preparation ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Previous Next

Explore the books by G. P. Gottlieb. Discover the Whipped and Sipped Mysteries and immerse yourself in delightful cozy mystery books. Battered A Whipped and Sipped Mystery: Book 1 When Whipped and Sipped Café proprietor Alene Baron finds a dead body next door, she calls the police and dashes home — to make soup for her family. Alene is 38 and divorced, living in a Chicago high rise with her father and children. She wonders if the murderer is an ex-spouse, a neighbor, or one of her employees. Then someone batters two more people who are connected to the café. There’s another mystery, closer to Alene’s heart: Is the lead detective going to take her seriously? Read More Smothered A Whipped and Sipped Mystery: Book 2 When the owner of the business next door is found dead in his office, Alene Baron’s first feeling is relief. She’s been suspicious of the food supplements her neighbor has been selling, not to mention the smoothies he’s been hawking, which are much inferior to the ones Alene sells in her cafe. Plus, Stanley Huff never cleaned up his garbage in the alley they shared. As a sexual harasser and shady businessman, Stanley had enemies. One of Alene’s favorite employees is a suspect. And now that employee is missing. Read More Charred A Whipped and Sipped Mystery: Book 3 Even a worldwide pandemic can’t keep a woman like Alene Baron down... nor from finding herself in the middle of a murder investigation. While she has to get creative to keep the Whipped and Sipped Café going during the COVID lockdown, that is nothing compared to figuring out the real story about a dead body found in a burnt-out building in her neighborhood. Red herring might not be vegan, but it does seem to be the order of the day. Read More Books by G. P. Gottlieb Praise for Whipped and Sipped Praise for the Whipped and Sipped Mysteries Five Directions Press The action in Charred begins immediately. As if she doesn’t have enough to contend with, Alene agrees to drive Kofi and his girlfriend Kacey, both of whom are her neighbors as well as members of the Whipped and Sipped Café staff, to the site of a recent building fire before she even prepares her family’s breakfast. Read More Batya Medad To be honest, when I was a good three quarters finished with the book, I began to think that there were too many threads and wondered if G.P. Gottlieb would tie them all together. And then suddenly, rather miraculously the author very neatly crocheted them all into a wonderful conclusion. Read More Lisa's Writopia Once I started reading Charred: a Whipped and Sipped Mystery I found it difficult to put down. I became involved in the characters’ lives and what was going on with them. And I was trying to figure out the answers to some questions, questions that Alene also wanted the answers to, and she came close to losing her life while finding them out. Read More Teddy Rose Book Reviews ‘Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery,’ by G.P. Gottlieb is a thrill ride from page one all the way to the amazing recipes that are shared at the end! I loved the mystery in this book, and watching how it all played out really gave me a satisfying reading experience. I loved the cast of characters in this one. From Alene, the funny, kind, feisty heroine, to Kofi, the tall, kind friend whose girlfriend Kacey wants nothing more than to protect him. Read More A Room of Books Charred by G. P. Gottlieb is frightful and fun. Aleene Baron is our main lady. She owns a cafe named "Whipped and Sipped." It's a small offshoot of the big city. When an awful crime takes place, Aleene, her staff and friends begin to ask questions. Kofi Lloyd is a friend and artist of Aleene's. He gives people a new way to look at the city through what he picks up on the street. He would not look at a paper plate in the same way as a passerby going to work or to a church. He makes of the city a Phoenix. Read More Bee Lindy of Book Pleasures.com Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery by G.P. Gottlieb has everything that any good cozy mystery needs. It has a fun setting, a tough, but ultimately vulnerable heroine, and, of course, a mystery. This mystery takes the form of a dead body that gets found in the shell of a burned down building, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start back at the beginning. Read More Suzie M (My Tangled Skeins) From what I can tell, this is the third book in G.P. Gottlieb's 'Whipped and Sipped,' series, and I am only mad that no one told me about these books sooner! This series is right up my alley, and if you love cozy mysteries with a little romance and baked goods, it will be right up your alley, too! Read More Lesley Storey, Storeybook Reviews I always enjoy going back to Chicago and the Whipped and Sipped Cafe. While not a vegan, I can appreciate all of the dishes that are created here by the talented pastry chef Ruth, who is also Alene’s best friend. Read More CHICAGO WRITER’S ASSOCIATION – Windy City Reviews Gottlieb weaves a world where neighbors in a Lakeview apartment building have grown up together and shared a lifetime of secrets. Read More Midwest Book Review of SMOTHERED: A Whipped & Sipped Mystery A delicious-sounding cafe sporting the name 'Whipped and Sipped' doesn't sound like its owner would be into solving a murder, but its neighboring gym owner is highly disliked in town, and his murder somehow comes as no surprise in Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery. Read More Midwest Book Review of BATTERED: A Whipped & Sipped Mystery Fans of mystery stories which pepper recipes and food references into the overall saga will appreciate the focus in Battered, Book One of the 'Whipped and Sipped Mysteries' series which features Alene Baron, owner of the vegetarian cafe Whipped and Sipped. Forced to turn amateur detective when her friend is murdered, Alene finds herself moving from being the owner of a trendy Chicago neighborhood establishment to being an uncertain sleuth who faces personal danger from her investigation. Read More Carstairs Considers Reviews by Mark Baker It’s always fun to find an author with her own twist on the genres I love. In this case, I’m talking specifically about Battered, the first Whipped and Sipped mystery from G. P. Gottlieb. It’s a culinary cozy, but the main character runs a shop that serves healthy treats. Read More