< Back Sujata Massey Author of The Perveen Mistry and Rei Shamuro Mysteries January 5, 2022 Born in England to parents from India and Germany, Sujata Massey was raised primarily in St. Paul, Minnesota, and she’s lived for over thirty years in Baltimore, Maryland. She’s written fourteen novels, two novellas, and numerous short stories published in eighteen countries. Sujata earned a B.A. in Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and wrote features for the Baltimore Evening Sun newspaper before becoming a novelist. Her novels have won the Agatha, Lefty and Macavity awards and been finalists for the Edgar, Anthony and Mary Higgins Clark prizes.Sujata spoke about her journey, “The Journalist’s Guide to Mystery,” at our Sisters-in-Crime-Chicagoland November 2021 Zoom meeting! What a lovely, engaging woman! Her story included pictures of her at different times of her life and she gave us glimpses of her writing process. I already loved the first three books in her Purveen Mistry series – set in 1910 India and filled with observations about the cultural/political landscape. Good thing I’ve only read the first book in her Rei Shimura series, set in contemporary Japan, so I’ll have more time with Sujata down the road. Previous Next

< Back Gluten-Free/Nut Free/Vegan Banana Bread January 28, 2020 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 75 Minutes Serves: 1 loaf of bread Tags: Muffins and Breads, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Baking, Vegan About the Recipe p. 8 Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery “Would you like a pot of chamomile tea, Julian?” Alene, who also drank water with vinegar every morning, scowled at Olly and smiled at Julian. “The banana muffins and ginger molasses cookies are still warm.” Edith said, “Or you can have smoothies made with flax, hemp and chia, goji, maca powder, romaine lettuce, and fruit. I think drinking smoothies makes me feel much better despite the serious head injury I suffered recently.” Edith needed to mention the attack at least once a day. Ingredients 2 TBSP flax seeds ½ cup water 1 small apple (I use Gala) 3 ripe bananas 1TBSP apple cider vinegar ½ packed dark brown, coconut, or monk fruit sugar ¼ cup canola or olive oil 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp coriander (adds complexity but you won’t taste it) 2 cups gluten-free flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt Preparation Preheat oven to 325 Prepare a standard loaf pan by spraying oil and dusting w/sugar In a small bowl combine water with flax seeds – it will thicken In processor blend water, apple, cider vinegar and sugar Add oil, vanilla and cinnamon, pulse until mixed In small bowl stir gluten-free flour with baking soda and salt Add to processor and pulse until everything is blended Pour batter into prepared loaf pan Bake 70 – 75 minutes until toothpick comes out clean Cool in pan until you can remove the pan and cool cake on a rack Leftover loaf will be denser the following day, but it’ll still taste great! Previous Next

< Back Best Chocolate Cake/Muffins GF. V. September 10, 2019 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 30-40 Minutes Serves: 12 Slices of Cake Tags: Muffins and Breads, Baking, Vegan, Gluten Free, Cakes & Pies & Icing About the Recipe p.184 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery He handed Alene one of his little blue towels and she looked at him closely. Both Dennis and Gary had trained with him. He was strong enough to murder someone with his bare hands. “Where were you last night, by the way?” He smiled. “I thought we’d resolved this, Alene. Are you asking because of your prodigious investigative skills, or has someone hired you as a private eye? Does this mean you suspect me – again?” He rolled his head, as if in agony, and then pointed to the calendar above his desk near the door. “My mother’s birthday is celebrated every year on that very date, the twenty-second of June. Didn’t I tell you I was going to be at my Aunt Ivy’s for a barbeque dinner at which I ate purely protein with no extraneous carbohydrates and merely a sniff of the watermelon and the chocolate cake?” Alene realized she’d been holding herself tightly. She plopped down on the mat and smiled up at Michael. “Sorry.” “But thanks for your thoroughness in checking up on me, Sherlock,” he added. Ingredients 1 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas, drained 4 eggs 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ½ tsp chocolate extract (optional, but worthwhile) 3/4 cup sugar ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp cinnamon (up to 1 tsp if you love cinnamon) 1 TBSP instant decaf coffee or espresso 1 1/3 cups or 9 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips Preparation Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan or a muffin tray Process beans, eggs, and extracts until smooth. Process in sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and coffee powder Pour in chocolate chips and process about 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven (15-18 for muffins), or until a knife inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, or whip up a rich chocolate frosting Previous Next

< 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

< Back Available from these sellers Click on the icon below to purchase a copy today 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. Smothered A Whipped and Sipped Mystery: Book 2 Previous Next

< Back Frank Tallis Author of The Max Liebermann Mysteries June 13, 2019 Dr Frank Tallis is a British retired clinical psychologist who has published over thirty scientific papers in international journals, a textbook about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and four psychology books for lay people: Changing Minds (a history of psychotherapy), Hidden Minds (a history of the unconscious), Lovesick (an exploration of the relationship between romantic love and mental illness) and The Incurable Romantic, a fascinating account of a life investigating obsessive love. Talllis is also the Anthony and Edgar-nominated author of the brilliant Max Liebermann Mystery series, about a dashing early 20th century Viennese psychiatrist and disciple of Sigmund Freud, who uses his understanding of human psychology to help solve horrible crimes. While discussing these ongoing investigations, Max and his good friend, the chubby Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt, play chess and consume delicious and well-described Viennese pastries and specialty coffees. Frank Tallis’ novels are: KILLING TIME (Penguin), SENSING OTHERS (Penguin), MORTAL MISCHIEF (Arrow), VIENNA BLOOD (Arrow), FATAL LIES (Arrow), DARKNESS RISING (Arrow), DEADLY COMMUNION (Arrow), DEATH AND THE MAIDEN (Arrow), and MEPHISTO WALTZ (Pegasus). In 1999 he received a Writers’ Award from the Arts Council of Great Britain and in 2000 he won the New London Writers’ Award (London Arts Board). In 2005 MORTAL MISCHIEF was shortlisted for the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award and for the Quais du Polar Award in France, 2007. FATAL LIES was longlisted for the International Thriller Writers’ Best Paperback Award, 2010. DARKNESS RISING (VIENNA SECRETS in the USA) was runner up for the 2009 Medical Journalist’s Association fiction award and shortlisted for the Elle Prix de Letrice in 2010. It was also nominated for an Anthony and an Edgar in 2011. DEADLY COMMUNION (VIENNA TWILIGHT in the USA) was shortlisted for an Edgar in 2012. The Liebermann books have been translated into fourteen languages and optioned for TV adaptation. I contacted Dr. Tallis on Twitter to tell him how much I like his Liebermann series (and point out that Americans also read his books). He tweeted back to say thanks and that it’s being filmed! Wish I’d had the moxie to write back and ask who is playing the lead. I just adore the series and hope he’ll keep it going. Dr. Tallis deserves more attention on this side of the pond. Previous Next

< Back Mashed Cauliflower and Acorn Squash December 10, 2020 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Serves: 4 Servings Tags: Dips and Sauces, Entrees, Vegetarian, Vegan About the Recipe ​ Ingredients 1 small cauliflower 1 small acorn squash, seeded 1 small red onion ¼ cup olive oil 3 or 4 cloves garlic, or 2 tsp ground garlic 2 tsp basil 1 tsp kosher or sea salt ½ tsp pepper 2 cups water Preparation Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C . Cover a large baking pan with foil. Cut acorn squash into quarters (with skin), cauliflower, and onion into quarters and toss in a large bowl with the oil, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Spread out on the baking pan and roast for about 45 minutes uncovered until soft and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let the vegetables cool. Then blend with water in a large food processor or blender until creamy and smooth. Add additional water to make this into a filling soup. Season to taste, sprinkle with dehydrated onion and chopped parsley. Sometimes I reserve some of the roasted onion and chop it up to garnish the top. Previous Next

< Back Cocoa-Bear Cake (AKA Dragon’s Milk Cake) July 30, 2019 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 50-55 Minutes Serves: 12 Slices of Cake Tags: Vegetarian, Cakes & Pies & Icing About the Recipe 173 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Alene had gone off to college and forgotten all about Neal Dunn, until a summer day after her third year at Northwestern, when they had bumped into each other at a Wrigleyville bar. Neal bought her a beer and invited her to a Cubs game. That had been her first stout, and she thought it was so yummy she bought a six-pack and shared it with Ruthie, who went on to invent a stout cake. They changed “beer” to “bear” so as not to alarm the customers, and it worked. Ingredients For the Cake 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup packed dark brown sugar ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp instant decaf or coffee powder 2 tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cup Dragon’s Milk (room temp) or any dark beer ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips For the Icing 1 can full fat coconut milk ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ¼ cup dark brown sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp instant decaf or coffee powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon Pinch of salt Preparation Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease and sugar an 8” springform Combine dry ingredients in food processor Add wet ingredients except beer, pulse a few times Add beer and mix enough to blend well Pour batter into greased and sugared prepared pan. Bake 50-55 minutes until cake springs under pressure Cool before removing from springform pan Drizzle with icing (recipe below) While the cake is in the oven, mix the icing ingredients in a blender until it’s completely smooth Previous Next

< Back Dairy-free Chocolate Frosting September 3, 2019 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: Varies Serves: 2 Cups of Spread Tags: Vegan, Gluten Free, Baking, Dips and Sauces, Cakes & Pies & Icing About the Recipe P.11 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Alene cut through the alley, unlocked the back entrance and stepped into Whipped and Sipped’s kitchen. The comforting smell of yeast, the enticement of cinnamon and the complexity of chocolate all soothed Alene, who realized she’d been holding her shoulders and neck in awkward stiffness. Ruthie approached with a steaming cup of her favorite espresso topped with whipped almond milk, cocoa and cinnamon powder.” Ingredients 1 ¼ cup water 1 small baked sweet potato (with skin) ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Higher quality powder will taste better!) 1 TBSP instant decaf or coffee powder or crystals 1 tsp cinnamon (optional – you can also just use 1/2 tsp) ½ cup pure maple syrup 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ¼ tsp salt Other options: replace ¼ cup of water with a liquor Replace ¼ cup of water with any kind of milk add a whole peeled orange add ¼ brown sugar for a sweeter frosting or sauce only 1/2 tsp of cinnamon replaced with extra 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract Preparation In a high-powered blender, use the ‘soup’ setting that heats up the ingredients. This heat is enough to temper the chocolate, which will turn shiny. It should be smooth enough to pour or spread. If you don’t have a soup setting, use your blender to mix everything until completely smooth, pour into a microwave-safe container, then zap in the microwave for one minute. Stir, zap another 30 seconds, and stir again until the sauce is a little steamy and silky looking. Add one of the options if you like it sweeter, or more liquid if you need it to be thinner right away. After a night in the refrigerator, it will be thick like a ganache. Zap it again if you need it to be easily spreadable after being in the fridge. Use it to frost a cake, or dip strawberries, or enjoy teaspoonfuls of it all week (if it lasts that long). Previous Next

< Back Chocolate Zucchini – Apple Cake June 25, 2019 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30-50 Minutes Serves: 6-8 Slices of Cake Tags: Muffins and Breads, Baking, Vegetarian, Breakfast, Cakes & Pies & Icing About the Recipe p.84 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery At least once a week, Kacey’s mother came over to the Whipped and Sipped Café. Isobel was another difficult woman in Alene’s orbit, and as soon as she arrived, she usually started lecturing the servers and the people sitting around her about the evils of coffee. She brought her own food in a container that she plucked from her purse. Alene would politely request that Isobel put away whatever she’d brought. “We sell raw pastries with cashew cream and chocolate pecan crusts and we have brownies made from different kinds of beans sweetened with date or coconut sugar, for goodness sake. We offer every kind of salad under the sun, Isobel. I’m sure you can find something to your liking on our menu.” “I’m sure you think your offerings are healthful,” Isobel would respond smugly, her chin jutting forward. “But I concentrate on a mostly raw, macrobiotic diet.” Alene would point out the sign on the door that politely explained their policy of not allowing patrons to bring food into the cafe. Wondering why someone with dyed-red hair, who wore mascara and leather sandals, was so concerned with being natural, she would invite Isobel to order from the raw, the vegan or the smoothie menu. Isobel would pack up what she’d brought, glowering, and grudgingly order a cup of herbal tea. Ingredients For the Cake: 1 ½ cups grated zucchini 1 small tart apple (like Gala or Honey-crisp), seeded and grated 3 eggs 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 ½ tsp vanilla 2 cups unbleached or gluten free flour 4 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips For the Icing: 1 cup semi-sweet chips ½ cup almond, rice or coconut milk ½ cup brown sugar Optional additions: 1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1/2 tsp pure vanilla or almond extract. Preparation Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and sugar two round 8” pans (a Bundt will need more time but looks nice). Throw everything into the food processor and blend until smooth. Add ¼ cup room temp water if batter is too thick. Pour into greased and sugared pan(s) of choice and bake about 30 -50 minutes until top springs back. COOL COMPLETELY before removing from pan and icing. Icing (optional): Zap 1 minute in microwave and stir until smooth. Slather between layers or thin it with water and drizzle over the top of the cake. Previous Next

All-time Favorite Mystery Authors Sort by Last Name Sort by First Name Sort by Most Recent Josephine Tey Daughter of Time, Brat Farrar, To Love and be Wise. The Man in the Queue, The Franchise Affair Read More Elizabeth George Author of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Read More Louise Penny Author of The Armond Gamache Mysteries Read More Attica Lock Author of Black Water Rising Read More Barbara Cleverly Author of The Detective Joe Sandilands Mystery Series Read More Charles Finch Author of The Charles Lynch Mysteries Read More Sujata Massey Author of The Perveen Mistry and Rei Shamuro Mysteries Read More Lindsey Davis Author of The Marcus Didius Falco and Flavia Albia Mysteries Read More C.S. Harris Author of The Sebastian St. Syr Mystery Series Read More Laurie R King Author of The Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes Mysteries Read More Deanna Raybourne Author of The Veronica Speedwell Mysteries and Lady Gray Mysteries Read More Ruth Rendell Author of The Chief Inspector Wexford Novels Read More Christopher Fowler Author of The Bryant and May Mysteries Read More Sherry Thomas Author of The Lady Sherlock Series Read More Catherine Louisa Pirkis Author of Disappeared From Her Home Read More Load More

< Back Chocolate Hamantaschen February 26, 2021 Prep Time: 1 Hour Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 20 Servings Tags: Gluten Free, Vegan, Baking About the Recipe ​ Ingredients 1 ¼ cup quick or old-fashioned oats 1 ¼ cup almond flour (or gluten-free flour) 1 TBSP corn or potato starch 1 tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (I use half a seeded apple) ¼ cup coconut or monkfruit or brown sugar ½ cup plant milk 1 tsp zest (from one medium orange) 2 TBSP coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp apple cider vinegar Chocolate Filling ¼ cup monkfruit, cane, or brown sugar (1/3 to 1/2 cup if you like sweeter chocolate!) ¼ cup coconut or canola oil ¼ cup plant milk ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ¼ tsp sea salt ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Preparation In a blender or processor pulse oats, flour, starch, baking soda, and salt into flour. Move to a large bowl. In the same blender or processor, pulse apple, sugar, plant milk, zest, oil, vanilla, and vinegar until blended. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until it comes together as a dough. Then, refrigerate the dough while you make the filling. Preheat oven to 375℉. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In the same blender, pulse together sugar, oil, plant milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt for about 40-60 seconds until it turns shiny. Transfer from blender to a small bowl and gently stir in the chocolate chips. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Roll to about ⅛ inch thick, adding flour if needed to make it less sticky. Cut circles with a drinking glass. Fill with 1 teaspoon of chocolate filling. Create a triangle by folding the left side over the filling into the center, then the right side over the filling, then then fold the bottom side over the filling. Pinch the corners to hold the shape. Place cookies on the prepared cookie sheets and brush with oil (if you want shinier cookies, otherwise this step is optional). Bake at 375℉ about 14-15 minutes until golden brown. Previous Next