Molly MacRae

Creamy Mushroom Chicken Pasta with Red Bell Pepper and Thyme LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  This is a classic combo that somehow, we’d never made—essentially, an alfredo with chicken, bell pepper, and mushrooms. It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner, pretty enough for weekends or guests. We used a mix of button and crimini mushrooms. Did you know crimini are baby portobellos? No wonder they’re so tasty! Give me a call when this is on your menu—

Creamy Mushroom Chicken Pasta with Red Bell Pepper and Thyme: LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  This is a classic combo that somehow, we’d never made—essentially, an alfredo with chicken, bell pepper, and mushrooms. It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner, pretty enough for weekends or guests. We used a mix of…

Pumpkin Risotto #Recipe by @LibbyKlein #Pumpkin #Thanksgiving Libby Klein Risotto is one of those things I have had in restaurants that lack a decent gluten-free menu. It seems like some of them go out of their way to add gluten to everything. Steak marinated in beer. Chicken with soy sauce in the gravy. Bread crumbs on everything. Risotto has been the only gluten-free option on some menus. But I would not make it at home for years.Risotto always

Pumpkin Risotto #Recipe by @LibbyKlein #Pumpkin #Thanksgiving: Libby Klein Risotto is one of those things I have had in restaurants that lack a decent gluten-free menu. It seems like some of them go out of their way to add gluten to everything. Steak marinated in beer. Chicken with soy sauce in the…

Spicy Peanut Pumpkin Soup #Halloween recipe from Molly MacRae Only as spicy as you want it to be, with a lovely zing of lime, this soup is good on every level. Next time I’ll double the recipe so we have leftovers for lunch.   Spicy Peanut Pumpkin Soup Adapted from Yewande Komolafe in The New York Times Serves 4   Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 garlic cloves, smashed1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped 1/2 habanero (or other

Spicy Peanut Pumpkin Soup #Halloween recipe from Molly MacRae: Only as spicy as
you want it to be, with a lovely zing of lime, this soup is good on every
level. Next time I’ll double the recipe so we have leftovers for lunch.

 

Spicy
Peanut Pumpkin Soup

Adapted from Yewande
Komolafe in The New…

50% OFF Come Shell or High Water audio edition. From @maddieday.bsky.social: "Nobody does ghosts like MacRae." url:https://www.audiobooks.com/promotions/promotedBook/722563/come-shell-or-high-water?refId=219609

A Peach Pie in Disguise for #Halloween by Lucy Burdette LUCY BURDETTE: I remembered making a wonderful pie ten or so years ago for wonderful writer Nancy Pickard, whom we’d invited to teach a class in Connecticut. The recipe came from Whole Grain Baking by King Arthur flour. It was a peach pie with a crumb crust, and oh so good. Since the peaches have been so amazing this year, we froze 6 cups of them to use in a future pie. At the last minute, I

A Peach Pie in Disguise for #Halloween by Lucy Burdette: LUCY BURDETTE: I remembered making a wonderful pie ten or so years ago for wonderful writer Nancy Pickard, whom we’d invited to teach a class in Connecticut. The recipe came from Whole Grain Baking by King Arthur flour. It was a peach pie…

This week's TO SHARE video Why it's urgent to vote YES on California Proposition 50

Attention anyone who knows anyone who votes in California: Watch and share.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake #Halloween @MaddieDayAuthor #giveaway MADDIE DAY reporting in. Here at the Kitchen, we're supposed to offer you readers clever Halloween recipes this season. Alas, I'm behind on everything, and I came came up short. This yummy cake at least includes pumpkin and complementary seasonal spices, and I hope you'll forgive me for not offering something more decorative this year. (I haven't even gotten a pumpkin for outside, so these gold

Spiced Pumpkin Cake #Halloween @MaddieDayAuthor #giveaway: MADDIE DAY reporting in. Here at the Kitchen, we're supposed to offer you readers clever Halloween recipes this season. Alas, I'm behind on everything, and I came came up short. This yummy cake at least includes pumpkin and complementary…

Chickpea Curry with Pumpkin and Kale #Halloween Recipe by @Leslie Karst Before I get to today's recipe, I'm excited to announce that my latest Orchid Isle mystery, WATERS OF DESTRUCTION, was just released yesterday as a trade paperback, at the new low price of $16.99--yippee! (Buy link here.)Okay, now onto the food. This is a delicious and easy-to-prepare dish (adapted from a New York Times recipe), perfect for the cooler autumn nights many of us are now starting to

Chickpea Curry with Pumpkin and Kale #Halloween Recipe by @Leslie Karst: Before I get to today's recipe, I'm excited to announce that my latest Orchid Isle mystery, WATERS OF DESTRUCTION, was just released yesterday as a trade paperback, at the new low price of $16.99--yippee! (Buy link here.)Okay,…

Dessert, Candy Worms and Chaos: Making Graveyard Pudding with My Grandsons. 
Plus a FREE Halloween story for everyone! by Ang Pompano ANG POMPANO: I don’t know about where you live, but here in Connecticut, Halloween has become a major holiday. Some folks go all out, decorating almost as much as they do for Christmas but with orange and purple lights and those nine-foot-tall skeletons towering over the lawn!Ironically, traditional trick-or-treating has mostly given way to parties. But that’s fine by me. It just gives my

Dessert, Candy Worms and Chaos: Making Graveyard Pudding with My Grandsons. 
Plus a FREE Halloween story for everyone! by Ang Pompano: ANG POMPANO: I don’t know about where you live, but here in Connecticut, Halloween has become a major holiday. Some folks go all out, decorating almost as much as…

Paperback Release Day for WATERS OF DESTRUCTION! @LeslieKarst I'm thrilled to announce that today, my second Orchid Isle mystery, Waters of Destruction, is being released as a trade paperback, at the new low price of $16.99! So if you've been waiting to buy the book until the price came down, now's the time!Here’s the synopsis: After a vacation of a lifetime in Hilo, Hawai‘i, retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have decided to move

Paperback Release Day for WATERS OF DESTRUCTION! @LeslieKarst: I'm thrilled to announce that today, my second Orchid Isle mystery, Waters of Destruction, is being released as a trade paperback, at the new low price of $16.99! So if you've been waiting to buy the book until the price came down,…

Halloween Chex Mix -- #halloweenweek treats from Leslie Budewitz LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  One of the highlights of the Christmas season in my childhood neighborhood was the exchange of food gifts among the families. Our next-door neighbors often gave us a big bag of homemade Chex Mix—you remember it, I’m sure, with its mix of nuts and cereals and salty-savory sauce.So when I spotted this recipe for a Halloween version, I was all in. Now, you could simply

Halloween Chex Mix -- #halloweenweek treats from Leslie Budewitz: LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  One of the highlights of the Christmas season in my childhood neighborhood was the exchange of food gifts among the families. Our next-door neighbors often gave us a big bag of homemade Chex Mix—you remember it, I’m…

Welcoming mystery writer Penny Warner to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen today. She brings a fa-BOO-lous brownie recipe and a giveaway.

Spooky Cake Mix Cookies #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon #Halloween:  I bought what I thought was a mix for brownies and you can imagine my disappointment when I got home from the store and discovered I'd picked up a chocolate cake mix instead.  I didn't want to make a cake--I had nothing to…

Lella’s Tuscan Bread Soup by Lucy Burdette LUCY BURDETTE: When John and I visited the beautiful city of Siena, Italy last month, we very much enjoyed taking a cooking class with Scuola di Cucina di Lella. I’ve taken other classes in the past (Japan and France,) but this was a first for John. It’s a wonderful way to get a window into the culture of the place you are visiting.For this class, we and five other American couples made a

Lella’s Tuscan Bread Soup by Lucy Burdette: LUCY BURDETTE: When John and I visited the beautiful city of Siena, Italy last month, we very much enjoyed taking a cooking class with Scuola di Cucina di Lella. I’ve taken other classes in the past (Japan and France,) but this was a first for John. It’s…

Muffins with Carrot, Oats, and Walnuts from Vicki Delany Is there anything better than a lovely, warm, home-made muffin?  Not in my opinion, and there isn’t much baking that comes easier either. I had some excess carrots on hand and wanted to do something with them. I have no need to make a carrot cake, so I made muffins. Muffins with Carrot, Oats, and Walnuts Makes 12 muffins Ingredients:  1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour &nbsp

Muffins with Carrot, Oats, and Walnuts from Vicki Delany: Is there anything
better than a lovely, warm, home-made muffin? 
Not in my opinion, and there isn’t much baking that comes easier either.

I had some excess
carrots on hand and wanted to do something with them. I have no need to make a…

50% OFF! It's a great month to listen to a cozy mystery with a pirate ghost. Come Shell or High Water, book 1 in my Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, is 50% OFF now through November 2nd. url:https://www.audiobooks.com/promotions/promotedBook/722563/come-shell-or-high-water?refId=219609

Churro Cookies #coverreveal #giveaway & #recipe Kim Davis  KIM DAVIS: I'm delighted to let you be the first to see the brand new cover for Catering to the Dead, the eighth book in my Cupcake Catering Mysteries! Keep scrolling down the page for a look... With a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) theme, I included a recipe for Churro Cookies in the book, which I'm sharing here. The cookies are full of cinnamon and are topped by a

Churro Cookies #coverreveal #giveaway & #recipe Kim Davis:  KIM DAVIS: I'm delighted to let you be the first to see the brand new cover for Catering to the Dead, the eighth book in my Cupcake Catering Mysteries! Keep scrolling down the page for a look... With a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)…

How to Make an Easy SPICED APPLE SPOONBREAD from author Cleo Coyle ☕ From Cleo Coyle: One apple and some simple ingredients come together in this recipe to create a tasty bread pudding, perfect for chilly fall mornings, afternoon snacking, or even an after-dinner dessert. Serve it with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for a fun alternative to pancakes or waffles. For dessert service, try plating the warm pudding with a scoop of ice cream or

How to Make an Easy SPICED APPLE SPOONBREAD from author Cleo Coyle: ☕ From Cleo Coyle: One apple and some simple ingredients come together in this recipe to create a tasty bread pudding, perfect for chilly fall mornings, afternoon snacking, or even an after-dinner dessert. Serve it with a drizzle…

Fabulously Moist Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts #Recipe by @Libby Klein Libby Klein The merest hint of chill in the air, the first leaf to turn colors, and I fly into action baking fall treats. Autumn is my favorite time of year and I will it to start when the days are so muggy you need a shower after checking the mailbox at the end of the driveway. Pumpkin bread isn't new, and I'm not doing anything special with it here. But this is a fantastically moist

Fabulously Moist Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts #Recipe by @Libby Klein: Libby Klein The merest hint of chill in the air, the first leaf to turn colors, and I fly into action baking fall treats. Autumn is my favorite time of year and I will it to start when the days are so muggy you need a shower after…

These scones!

Diet Killers: Recipes for Readers – Date, Walnut, Chocolate Chip Cake from Molly MacRae

Diet Killers: Recipes for Readers - discussing the narrative skills of the amazing Barbara Rosenblat and offering a recipe for the amazing Date, Walnut, Chocolate Chip Cake.

Muffuletta Pasta #Recipe by @LibbyKlein Libby Klein I've just returned from a Mystery Writer's Conference in New Orleans where I did as many tours as I could squeeze into two pre-conference days. My favorite tour was a guided food tour of the city by a local chef. Even though I couldn't eat everything on the tour, I still found a new favorite. The Muffuletta. It's pretty close to being an Italian hoagie with olive and vegetable

Muffuletta Pasta #Recipe by @LibbyKlein: Libby Klein I've just returned from a Mystery Writer's Conference in New Orleans where I did as many tours as I could squeeze into two pre-conference days. My favorite tour was a guided food tour of the city by a local chef. Even though I couldn't eat…

Pasta with Fennel, Sausage, and Sweet Pepper Ragu -- dinner with Leslie Budewitz LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Who doesn’t love a hearty pasta made in one pot? This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner. It’s flexible, too – choose hot, mild, or unseasoned sausage, and hot or sweet peppers, as you prefer. The anise-y taste of fennel is a terrific compliment to the sausage and peppers. The method of cooking the chunk of sausage in one piece, rather than broken and stirred

Pasta with Fennel, Sausage, and Sweet Pepper Ragu -- dinner with Leslie Budewitz: LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Who doesn’t love a hearty pasta made in one pot? This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner. It’s flexible, too – choose hot, mild, or unseasoned sausage, and hot or sweet peppers, as you prefer.…

The fabulous Mary Kennedy writes about setting in her latest column for Fresh Fiction and kindly included Julie Hyzy's books and mine. Thanks, Mary! @juliehyzy.bsky.social

Senate Dems: Don't cave! And explain the big picture! Friends,

Senate Dems: Don't cave! And explain the big picture!

Spotlight on Molly MacRae #SpotlightSunday The blog where mystery authors cook up books and delicious recipes.

Where, oh where does the mystery writer write?

Hurricane @vmburns #recipe  VMBURNS: In September, I attended the world mystery conference, Bouchercon 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans is known for good food and I was not disappointed. I also found good cocktails. I had my first hurricane. It was delicious. So, of course I had to try to recreate the drink. I had most of the ingredients on hand, but passion fruit juice isn't in my normal routine. According

Hurricane @vmburns #recipe:  VMBURNS: In September, I attended the world mystery conference, Bouchercon 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans is known for good food and I was not disappointed. I also found good cocktails. I had my first hurricane. It was delicious. So, of course I had to try…

No-Knead Bread MADDIE DAY: After the worst of the warm weather abated earlier this month, I had a hankering for fresh bread, and it was finally cool enough to contemplate baking. I wasn't really up for my usual whole wheat yeasted kneaded recipe, and my sourdough starter is dead, so I hunted down a slow-rise, no-knead artisanal bread recipe. It turned out to be easy to make. When the result was as pretty

No-Knead Bread: MADDIE DAY: After the worst of the warm weather abated earlier this month, I had a hankering for fresh bread, and it was finally cool enough to contemplate baking. I wasn't really up for my usual whole wheat yeasted kneaded recipe, and my sourdough starter is dead, so I hunted down…

Grilled Bananas #recipe from Molly MacRae   Earlier this month, Ang Pompano shared his recipe for grilled melon. It looks amazing! It also made me realize that we hadn’t grilled bananas even once this summer. We probably wouldn’t fire up the grill just for bananas, but if we have the fire going, anyway, then the bananas take very little time to prepare and only add about five minutes to the total grilling. This recipe is a

Grilled Bananas #recipe from Molly MacRae:  

Earlier this month,
Ang Pompano shared his recipe for grilled
melon. It looks amazing! It also made me realize that we hadn’t grilled
bananas even once this summer. We probably wouldn’t fire up the grill just for bananas, but if we have the fire going,…

A Delicious if Homely Cherry Crostata by Lucy Burdette #LydiaBastianich  LUCY BURDETTE: I saw a recipe for this cherry dessert made by food writer Adam Roberts a month or two ago. He borrowed the recipe from Lydia Bastianich, and I decided I must try it since the cherries have been so good this summer. Mine did not turn out so perfectly cute, and for that I have two theories. As you can see in the photo, the crust unfolded as it baked. Why? Number one, I might

A Delicious if Homely Cherry Crostata by Lucy Burdette #LydiaBastianich:  LUCY BURDETTE: I saw a recipe for this cherry dessert made by food writer Adam Roberts a month or two ago. He borrowed the recipe from Lydia Bastianich, and I decided I must try it since the cherries have been so good this…