Author: Canapes and Chocolate

The Sequel is Almost Here!!!

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The sequel to my debut novel, The Last White Truffle is finally complete and will be in the marketplace in about two weeks. SEVEN IS HER NUMBER, follows private detectives extraordinaire Jennifer Pope and Abigail Trent as they track down the killer of Carlotta Chan, famed San Francisco plastic surgeon and wife to Yukon Chan, celebrity TV chef. Jennifer and Abigail are on a deadline to solve the mystery of who committed this heinous crime before their client’ s status goes from ‘Husband of the Victim’ to ‘Person of Interest’. The pair tirelessly follow lead after lead, only to find themselves in a never-ending chase to discover the killer and determine why Carlotta was targeted in the first place. With twists and turns at every corner, you’ll find yourself breathless as you go along Pope and Trent’s journey. Secrets that never end, a mysterious map from hundreds of years ago, and a special number that keeps popping up at every turn. A real mystery with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Get lost …

May Launch

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Dear Readers, My debut novel has finally made it to the edge of publication. Looking at a late May launch date, The Last White Truffle will be found on the following sites: Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and Apple ibooks, among others. It’s almost unbelievable how one event can change your life forever… Jennifer Pope’s life was predictable and, at times, restless. Being a smart, attractive, and accomplished woman at the age of 32, she thought that she had everything planned out. What she didn’t expect was that her well designed life at one of the most prestigious event venues in San Francisco is about to be interrupted as she discovers her old flame, and Executive Chef murdered right on the premises! As Chief of Staff at Monroe Manor, she feels somewhat responsible. Now determined to find the killer, she teams up with Inspector Abigail Trent to unravel the mystery that led to murder. But when a colleague and close friend, Matt Stewart, joins Jennifer on her crusade, things are about to get a bit steamy… …

The Last White Truffle

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Dear Readers, It has been a few years since I have posted a new recipe.  When the pandemic started it seemed a bit limiting on what any of us could do, so I took to writing, and wrote a novel.  The Last White Truffle is a mystery novel with a little romance thrown in.  And since I love blogging about food, I naturally situated my novel at a catering venue, in San Francisco.  If you have a few minutes for a light read, would love to receive comments on what you think so far in this first chapter. Thanks in advance for taking the time!   CHAPTER ONE The Weekend  In less than seventy-two hours, the world as Jennifer Pope knew it would be rocked off its axis, and Monroe Manor would never seem quite the same again.      The Independence Day Gala, which had happened every year for the last twenty-eight, depended on clear skies. But standing out on the grey cement balcony of her town house, all Jennifer could detect was the smell of imminent rain, …

Thin Pork Chops with Buttermilk Gravy

Thin Pork Chops with Old Fashioned Buttermilk Gravy

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We all remember eating tough pork chops as a kid since Moms would deliberately overcook them to ensure nobody got sick from undercooked meat.  Consequently the chops would be bone dry, impossible to cut even if using a steak knife, and when it came to chewing, well imagine a tiny Chihuahua trying to eat peanut butter and you get the picture.  Don’t get me wrong, my Mom was a great cook, but pork chops were every Mom’s nemesis in those days.  Thankfully times have changed and you can buy thinly sliced pork chops that turn out tender, juicy, and full of flavor if prepared the right way.  What once took 90 minutes to prep and cook, now can be done in under 20 minutes.  The perfect recipe for dinner when you don’t have tons of prep time but still want a full-flavored home cooked meal! Ingredients: 4 thin pork chops Olive Oil 2 cloves garlic 1 cup low sodium chicken broth 2 cups buttermilk 1/2 cup flour 1/2 tsp Onion Powder 1/2 tsp paprika Kosher …

Chicken with Cognac and Mushroom

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Sunday dinner features chicken more often than not.  This afternoon I watched The Hundred-Foot Journey, a movie starring Manish Dayal which tells the story of an East Indian start-up restaurant right across the street (exactly One Hundred Feet) from a Michelin-starred French restaurant owned and operated by Helen Mirren.  A cute movie that made me want to cook some delicious Indian food right then, even though I don’t have a clue how to do it, nor do I have their amazing spices.  It did motivate me enough to get off the couch and make something traditional and tasty for Sunday dinner.  And yet….I have a feeling there will be Indian cooking lessons in my future! Ingredients: 4 whole legs (leg and thigh) 12 large cremini mushrooms, sliced 3 Tbls Cognac 3 Tbls unsalted butter 1 Tbl flour 1 Tbl olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced Kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper 1.5 cups chicken broth (low sodium) Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees On medium high heat, add olive oil to non-stick frying pan …

New Year Resolutions for my kitchen

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I haven’t made a list of resolutions for the New Year in a very long time (like 25 years!).  Not all resolutions have to be aimed toward deprivation or total elimination of a food or a habit to be successful.  I have created a list that I intend to focus on for the first quarter of 2016.  Then each quarter I will revise/cut as needed –  my list is only 6 items long but feel they are manageable, which is important for my success. Here goes.. Use more fresh vegetables and fruits in every meal – (move the canned goods out to the garage and place in my disaster kit.)  And a good time to rotate the bottled water into the house to use and buy a fresh supply of bottled water for the kit. Grow and use my own herbs – I hate spending $4 every time I need a little fresh rosemary or thyme in a recipe. This is my new herb garden that I started in mid-November (a great investment).  See here on Amazon to order. Cut way …

Creamy Hash Browns

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Happy New Year Friends!  Am just finishing up a lovely break of 10 days off before returning to work tomorrow.  Breakfast had to be special this morning so I made a batch of Creamy Hash Browns.  You start with fresh shredded potatoes in a pan on the stove and finish in the oven.  Add whatever spices/herbs you like – I used fresh parsley and chives as I now have an herb garden in my kitchen and these herbs were plentiful.  To finish this dish you add a baked egg and small spoonful of black caviar.  A great way to start 2016! Ingredients: 2 russet potatoes, shredded 2 whole eggs 3 Tbl heavy cream 1 Tbl chopped chives 1 Tbl chopped parsley 1/2 tsp black caviar Paprika Kosher Salt Method: Shred the potatoes or use packaged shredded hash browns from the store (usually found near the eggs.)  Add potatoes to a bowl and add cream, chives, pinch of salt, parsley.  Mix and pour into a non-stick pan.  Brown on one side, flip and brown the other …

Goat Cheese and Kalamata Olive Crostini

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When I think of Weekend Football, hearty appetizers come to mind.  To me a good-sized piece of crostini is like eating a mini sandwich.  Except you get to see what you are eating and I fill up quickly on just 3 or 4 of these – okay maybe 5 or 6, cuz I like them. I have a reputation for not being able to keep anything green alive (although green happens to be my favorite color).  I purchased one of those bags of fresh “living” basil that has roots and dirt attached and sits in a plastic bag.  This I knew would not be difficult to keep alive so quickly brought it home and placed it in a tall glass on my kitchen window ledge.  Needless to say I was pretty self-satisfied that I had a “live” plant that I could count on being around for a couple of months or so.  I didn’t realize I was supposed to take it out of the plastic and water it weekly. I went to get some fresh …

French Bread Pudding Soufflé with Grand Marnier

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Days of fresh fruit desserts and long hot summers are gone and Fall has definitely arrived.  Loving it!   Time to switch gears and make warm, cozy desserts and a bread pudding soufflé makes that request easy to fulfill.  You can use all types of bread for this (Challah, Italian, Brioche, or any artisan-style bread) but I prefer to use to be traditional Sour Dough French Bread which adds a more acidic and tangy taste to the desert. It also helps to make the bread pudding rise similar to a soufflé, but without all that extra work and worry associated with it.  Same flavors, but a different texture from a bread pudding recipe where you end up with a very dense, moist pudding – this is light and airy, and lovely.  Make sure whatever bread you choose, that it should be at least a day old (up to a week).  Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, set a bowl of freshly whipped cream on the side, and you are ready for a lovely, cozy, dessert to enjoy cuddled up …

Steak and Pappardelle Ribbon Skillet Pie

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Sundays and Comfort Food frequently go hand-in-hand, at least in my kitchen.  This skillet pie is relatively easy and only takes about 20 minutes prep time, with another 10 minutes in a hot oven so all the flavors meld together.  I prefer my steak to be medium rare, so the steak is quickly browned on the stove before adding to the pie, and then finished off in the oven.  Don’t overbake or the steak will be tough. Ingredients: Olive oil 1 lemon 6 large mushrooms, sliced 1/2 yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, diced 1 cup grape tomatoes 2 cups sour cream 3 sprigs of Thyme 1 tsp Kosher salt 3 Tbl cognac 4 thin NY steaks 1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese 1 can whole water chestnuts, cut into 1/4 Method: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Boil water and cook noodles per package directions in salted water.  I prefer to use Pappardelle noodles, which are flat ribbons of pasta you buy either fresh or dried (I used dried).  While the noodles cook for 10 minutes, add a small …