Slathering his spinach pie with a bright roasted red pepper tahini, he talked about functional foods. < Back Roasted Red Pepper Tahini February 24, 2020 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 10 Servings Tags: Vegan, Dips and Sauces, Vegetarian About the Recipe Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Alene worried that talk of bombs and war might lead to a potentially polarizing political discussion, but then Lillian asked Miles about his background. He was from a west suburban town that Alene had never heard of. He’d worked in hospitals before becoming a fitness trainer and had done a lot of research into supplements and vitamins. Slathering his slice of spinach pie with a bright roasted red pepper tahini, he talked about microgreens, mushroom beta-glucans, and functional foods. Maybe he’d be helpful in getting Heather to eat like a normal person. “I’m grateful to be a personal trainer,” he said, although nobody had asked. “At least I don’t have to work in the food industry.” Well, that was kind of tone-deaf since that was what she and Ruthie did. The adults in the room looked down at their plates, uncomfortable. Ruthie smoothed everything over by saying, “I always like hearing when people are grateful about the work they do, but we all have to remember that it’s not the work that defines you, it’s you who defines the work.” She was a little preachy sometimes, Alene had to admit. Ingredients 5 or 6 large red peppers, seeded and cut into quarters 1 small or medium onion, any kind, skinned and quartered Olive Oil spray 1 orange 2 TBSP Tahini (or 1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds + 2 TBSP water) 1/4 cup olive or sesame oil ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp basil ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Preparation Preheat oven to 400 degrees F Spray baking pan (or line with foil and spray the foil) Place onion and red peppers skin side down and spray lightly Bake for 20-30 minutes until peppers are soft and edges slightly browned Remove from oven and toss into food processor with other ingredients Taste before serving – might need a little extra salt Previous Next

“Thanks for taking care of that and for having dinner with me,” said Tucker’s mom as she slurped her soup. Family members masticating like cows did nothing to improve his mood. Pounded: A Whipped & Sipped Mystery < Back Acorn Squash Soup August 14, 2025 Prep Time: 10-15 minutes to pull everything together and pour into bowls Cook Time: About 45-60 minutes to roast the squash, 10-15 minutes to process the soup and serve. Serves: 6 Tags: Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian About the Recipe I love the hint of color and sweetness from the apple and tartness of the orange. The first time I had a creamy squash soup was at my friend Susan's house in Carmel, CA. I wanted to keep eating it and skip dinner! Ingredients 1 medium acorn squash (also delicious with butternut squash) 1 medium onion, sliced 1 medium apple, seeded and sliced (I keep the peel on) 1 small orange or tangerine, peeled (I love the tiny bit of citrus flavor) 1 cup water (+ more depending on how thick you want the soup to be) 2 TBSP olive oil of any kind 1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 - 2 fresh cloves) 1 tsp ground ginger (use fresh ginger if you keep it in the freezer like me) 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp sea salt (or more to taste) Pepper to taste (the turmeric is peppery so you might not need extra) Preparation Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C Place the whole squash on a baking pan and bake it for about an hour until soft Allow it to cool and remove seeds and skin (you can bake it the night before) Cut the onion and apple into slices Add oil to a medium pan and sauté apple and onion slices until everything is soft, about 10 minutes In a high-speed blender, combine onion, apple, orange/tangerine, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper with water. Blend for about 2 -3 minutes (soup setting if you have it) until completely smooth and creamy. If your blender does not have a soup setting, place in a ceramic or glass serving bowl and microwave on high for a minute or two. Stir before serving. Taste, and add extra salt or pepper as needed, serve with a yogurt dallop sprinkled with chopped parsley (or just the parsley) Previous Next

Going back and forth in time, Evangeline (Evie) recalls the challenges of being raised on a lush island off the coast of California. Her mother has left Evie and her father, and her father raises Evie from the age of three.  < Back Creatures Crissy Van Meter June 30, 2020 Going back and forth in time, Evangeline (Evie) recalls the challenges of being raised on a lush island off the coast of California. Her mother has left Evie and her father, and her father raises Evie from the age of three.  He’s a jack-of-all-trades but survives by selling a specially grown variety of marijuana. And although he provides her with adventure and a deep love of the ocean, Evie’s father doesn’t show up as a consistent adult in her life. The book opens just before her wedding, when a storm is brewing, her fiancé is out at sea, and a dead whale beaches, which causes a pervading smell of decay across the island. Evie’s mostly absent mother suddenly shows up wanting to participate in the joy of her daughter’s wedding. In flashbacks and musings, Evie confronts her abandonment, guilt, anger and ultimately her love for all creatures - including her parents, her husband, her best friend, and her best friend’s child. With sporadic notes from Evie’s research on wales and sea life, this is a novel to savor while either gazing out to sea or imagining it. Crissy Van Meter is a writer based in Los Angeles. Creatures: A Novel (Algonquin Books) is her debut novel. She teaches creative writing at  The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the founder of the literary project Five Quarterly and the managing editor for Nouvella Books. She serves on the board of directors for the literary non-profit Novelly.  Crissy loves going to Disneyland and has been an annual passholder since she was 5. She’s been to Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World, and she plans to visit the remaining Disney parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

A beautiful dual-timeline novel about the Yemenite community struggling in overcrowded immigrant camps in 1950’s Israel, family bonds, mother-daughter relationships, political realities in 1995 Israel, and a young woman learning to be honest with herself. < Back Songs for the Brokenhearted Ayelet Tsabari September 10, 2024 Zohara flies from New York to Israel for her mother’s funeral. She’d already been through a tough year; a divorce from her American husband and trouble getting started on her doctoral dissertation at NYU. As she clears out the house where she grew up, Zohara finds tapes of her mother singing Yemenite songs in Arabic, and evidence of a secret romance. During her first thirty days of mourning, Zohara has conversations with her mother’s longtime friends, joins her mother’s Yemenite women’s choir, and rekindles old friendships. Songs for the Brokenhearted (Random House, 2024) is a beautiful dual-timeline novel about the Yemenite community struggling in overcrowded immigrant camps in 1950’s Israel, family bonds, mother-daughter relationships, political realities in 1995 Israel, and a young woman learning to be honest with herself. Ayelet Tsabari is an Israeli Canadian writer born in Israel to a large family of Yemeni descent. Her book of stories, The Best Place on Earth , won the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the Edward Lewis Wallant Award. The book was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, was nominated for The Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, and has been published internationally. Her memoir in essays The Art of Leaving , won the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for memoir, was finalist for the Writer’s Trust Hilary Weston Prize and The Vine Awards. She’s the co-editor of the award-winning anthology Tongues: On Longing and Belonging Through Language. Ayelet teaches creative writing at The University of King’s College MFA and at Guelph MFA in Creative Writing. She lives in Tel Aviv with her family, and when she’s not writing or teaching, she loves to cook, do yoga, sing with her neighbourhood choir, and spend time at her favourite place in the world, the beach. These days, more than anything, she wishes for peace. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

[Equal] parts coming of age, epic travel tale, quest to find a mother who disappeared, and journey of personal discovery. < Back The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern Rita Zoey Chin October 12, 2022 The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern (Melville House 2022) by Rita Zoey Chin is equal parts coming of age, epic travel tale, quest to find a mother who disappeared, and journey of personal discovery. The story begins as Leah Fern is planning to commit suicide. She hears someone banging on her door, which is strange since she has no friends. The visitor is a lawyer who shares a box that sends Leah on the road following clues that she hopes will lead to the mother who abandoned her when she was six, 15 years before. North to Canada and west to the ocean, Leah consumes copious amounts of candy as she surmounts obstacles, learns how to navigate with a piece of magnetite, and recounts her happy carnival life, before her mother, the magician, disappeared. Rita Zoey Chin is the author of the widely praised memoir, Let the Tornado Come . She holds an MFA from the University of Maryland and is the recipient of a Katherine Anne Porter Prize, an Academy of American Poets Award, and a Bread Loaf scholarship. She has taught at Towson University and at Grub Street in Boston. Her work has appeared in Guernica , Tin House, and Marie Claire . Outside of writing, Zoey can often be found hiking with her dogs, making silver amulets in her metalsmithing studio, and concocting herbal brews in her kitchen. This is her first novel. Listen to Episode Buy Book 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

M.C. Beaton: Hamish Macbeth Mysteries < Back M.C. Beaton Author of The Hamish Macbeth Mysteries July 16, 2019 Marion Gibbons (1936 – 2019) was born in Scotland and wrote several historical romances under her maiden name, Marion Chesney, and other pseudonyms (Ann Fairfax, Jennie Tremaine, Helen Crampton, Charlotte Ward, and Sarah Chester). She wrote the Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth mystery series (both adapted for TV) as M.C. Beaton. Although I've read a few Agatha Raisins, I found them less entertaining than the Hamish books. She got the idea for Hamish Macbeth while on a fishing holiday in Scotland. This charming series is set in two fictional villages in the Scottish Highlands, an area known for astounding landscapes, extreme weather, and honorable people. Except for the ones who are busily committing crimes. But in his lackadaisical way, clear-headed Hamish Macbeth always finds them. Sergeant Macbeth prefers to avoid any signs of recognition, including promotion. His only ambition, aside from walking his two dogs (and later a sort of domesticated wildcat that shocks everyone who sees it), seems to be to prevent Chief Inspector Blair from closing the Lochdubh police station. There’s a little bit of romance but nothing long-term, although M.C. Beaton published 34 books in the Hamish Macbeth mysteries. It’s worthwhile to start with the first in the series: Death of a Gossip (most of the titles start with ‘Death of’), which is set up like a classical mystery, but jump in anywhere to read about how Officer Macbeth solves murders while dealing with silly superiors, muddled/lying/confused villagers or visitors, and quick-changing, unforgiving weather. The weather is like an ongoing character in the series, sometimes mild and sunny, other times scary and violent. There are always plenty of possible suspects, and sometimes bad guys try to take out poor Hamish, but he always figures out that the beautiful dame is trying to slip him a mickey, or he manages to sift through the lies to find a kernel of truth. There are an awful lot of gorgeous young women, as is to be expected in a mystery, but M.C. Beaton seems more willing than most writers to let even the most adorable of them get whacked. The author is also willing to show Hamish’s flaws; his laziness, his disregard for higher-ups, and his conviction that he always knows better than everyone around him. His thoughts are sometimes about who is aggravating him or what he’s going to have for dinner, and he’s occasionally guilty of missing signals. Sometimes his missed signals lead to more murder. I love reading a Hamish Macbeth story during the summer, when violent snowstorms and blizzards seem mythical and distant. Previous Next

Mariah Fredericks: Jane Prescott Mysteries < Back Mariah Frederick Author of The Jane Prescott Mysteries November 21, 2019 Mariah Fredericks is the author of the Edgar-n ominated Y/A novel Crunch Time (. She was born and raised in New York City, where she lives today with her family. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history and was the head copywriter for Book-of-the-Month Club for many years. I was delighted, upon picking up A Death of No Importance, to be swept into another world. In a simple, elegant writing style, Ms. Fredericks describes the life of a wealthy but troubled family in 1910 New York City. Jane Prescott is ladies’ maid to Charlotte Benchley. A gruesome murder disrupts what was to have been Charlotte’s engagement party to a wealthy society playboy and Jane realizes that she is in a unique position to ascertain the identity of the murderer. With the help of a friendly journalist, she searches for the truth. The second book, Death of a New American, picks up two years later, and Jane is now accompanying the family to Long Island, where their second daughter, Louise Bencley is to be married. The father of the groom is known to have vanquished an Italian mafia family, so when one of the family’s employees is found murdered, it is at first assumed to be a possible rev enge killing. But the friendly journalist who helped Jane in the first book again requests her help, and Jane used her impeccable manners, years of service, and understanding of human nature to once again reveal what actually happened. I look forward to the next book in the series, due out in 2020 Previous Next

Sometimes I drizzle the tahini on top of this dish so that it looks like frosting. < Back Leek and Red Onion Rice Platter October 7, 2021 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 90 Minutes Serves: 6 - 8 Servings Tags: Entrees, Vegetarian, Vegan About the Recipe Ingredients 6 to 8 small roasted red/yellow peppers 3 large leeks 2 large red onions 2 cups brown rice 4 cups vegetable stock 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp zahtar 6 TBSP good olive oil 1 to 2 cups of wine or vegetable stock to deglaze the pan salt and pepper to taste Preparation On foil or baking sheet, spray and salt the peppers, roast at 400 for about 20 minutes until slightly browned. Clean and slice the leeks. Heat a large sauté pan, add 2 TBSP olive oil, and cook the leeks with zahtar until browned, about 15 minutes. Stir as needed. While that’s cooking, slice up the red onions. When the leeks are done, deglaze the pan with whichever liquid you choose, in 1/2 cup increments, and move them to a bowl. Reheat up 2 more TBSP olive oil, and cook the red onions, this time adding in the cumin. Again deglaze the pan, 1/2 cup at a time, and move them into a separate bowl. Now reheat the pan again, again add 2 TBSP olive oil, stir the rice until all covered, add in 4 cups of stock, bring to a simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Add stock or wine. As everything cools down, add salt and pepper, starting with about 1/2 tsp at a time, until you love how it tastes. Serve on a big, layered platter. Sometimes I drizzle the tahini on top of this dish so that it looks like frosting. I also forgot to a add a sprig of parsley to the picture – the splash of green is festive! Previous Next

She opened the refrigerator and freezer, mulling her options. Lemon-leek Chicken seemed like a good idea. < Back Lemon-Leek Chicken August 6, 2019 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes Serves: 5 Servings Tags: Entrees About the Recipe p. 57 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Alene hurried back across the hall to her own apartment. The door was unlocked as usual, since they had a doorman, and nothing ever happened. They’d always felt completely safe in the building. Now she’d need to give the kids keys and retrain them about locking the door. Her father and children were sitting together with all eyes glued on a nature special. She opened the refrigerator and freezer, mulling her options. Lemon-leek Chicken seemed like a good idea. She pulled out celery, carrots and leeks, a large package of frozen chicken thighs, and a container of frozen chicken stock. She chopped the vegetables and sautéed them in a little olive oil, defrosted the stock in the microwave and added it to the pot along with the chicken. She covered the pot, and feeling more in control of her emotions, went to tell her father and children about Gary. Alene took a deep breath and turned off the television. “I have some bad news.” Even her father complained, adding his dismayed voice to the children’s sighs. “We were in the middle of a show about sharks, Alene!” Ingredients About a pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs 2 leeks (cut in about 1/2/ inch pieces) 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (box or homemade) 1 cup rice, faro, or orzo ½ tsp dried dill ½ cup fresh parsley ½ tsp lemon zest Juice of ¼ lemon (or more to taste) 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ½ cup fresh chopped dill ½ tsp kosher or sea salt ½ tsp pepper Preparation Sauté leek in olive oil Pour in stock/broth Add chicken and simmer about 15 minutes Remove chicken and let cool. Add ingredients through lemon zest to pot, including whatever rice or grain you choose Simmer covered until grain is cooked, about 15 minutes Continue simmering 5-10 minutes if you want a thicker (less soup-like) sauce Return chicken to pot, squeeze in lemon juice and season w/salt and pepper Serve in soup bowls with a generous amount of chopped dill over each serving Variation: chop a large onion if you don’t have leeks 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

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