Dead Man Hand - T. M. Simmons, Author

Granny's Gumbo

A lot of Cajun dishes start with a good roux. True Southern women make their own roux, from cooking equal parts shortening and flour in a large, deep cast-iron skillet for half-an-hour, stirring constantly, until it's a nice dark brown. Men do this, also, since my husband always makes his own roux. However, there is roux mix for sale in lots of stores; some powdered, some in pint jars already cooked (which I like the best). So take your pick, but you'll need about a pint of roux.

Ingredients:

Roux:
½ cup shortening
½ cup water
Stir together and cook in large cast-iron skillet for half-an-hour, stirring constantly

Other Ingredients: 

1 whole chicken
1 lb. smoked sausage
1 lb. crawfish tails (found in the frozen seafood section, if you don't have your own leftovers from a crawfish boil, as we do)
1 lb. medium shrimp (if desired; if no crawfish available, use at least 2 lbs. of shrimp)
1 stick butter or margarine
2 bunches green onions (chopped)
2 large green bell peppers (seeds removed; chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
Zatarain's Creole Seasoning (to taste, but taste often, can be salty if overused)
Louisiana Hot Sauce (to taste)
Gumbo filè
White rice

Cover the chicken with water and boil, adding more water as needed. Cool. Skin and de-bone, keeping the broth for the gumbo. Tear the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Melt the butter/margarine in a large skillet. Sauté the onions and bell peppers for about five minutes.
Cut the smoked sausage links on an angle into 1/8 inch thick slices.
Bring the chicken water back to a boil.
Add onions, bell peppers (along with the butter/margarine from the skillet).
Add the de-boned chicken, smoked sausage, crawfish tails, and/or shrimp.
Add the roux mix according to directions. If you use the powdered mix, mix it with the chicken broth, not water. Add more water if necessary. The mixture should be medium thick and a nice, dark brown.
Add salt, pepper, spices, hot sauce (to taste and taste after each add).
Simmer low for at least an hour.
Cook enough rice for six people.
Serve gumbo over rice, along with filè for more seasoning

This makes a scrumptious meal with cornbread

Dead Man Hand – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

“I left it open,” he said in a frantic voice. “Who shut it? We have to get back in there!” I glanced overhead. The transom was closed. The thud of Danny’s shoulder drew my attention, and the door shattered off its hinges. He dragged me after him – straight over under the poor woman’s hanging body – and ordered, “Wrap your arms around her and try to hold her up some.” Stifling my distaste, I did as Danny said. He climbed onto a chair he’d already pulled over beside the woman. Thank the Universe I still had on my coat, so it absorbed any still wet blood… except where my hands touched her bare legs. I also tried to ignore something else I’d only read about in research, never experienced. The poor woman’s bowels had evacuated. Somehow Danny managed to get the rope loose from her neck. Her weight staggered me, but Danny quickly took the burden off me when he climbed off the chair. For an instant, he stared down at the body lolling in his arms, then appeared to control himself and carried her over to the bed, where he laid her down.

Alice is a writer. She is also the proud owner of a home full of paranormal residents. She and her Aunt Twila and friend ‘Granny’ have become quite well known for their ability to talk to ghosts and make them understand that if they won’t go through the light then they will behave or be banned to places where they can’t bother humans. For her own residents she has come up with what she calls ‘The Howard and Alice Ghost Agreement.’ Howard, being her Head Ghost has been put in charge of the other paranormal cohorts within her domain.

Alice received a call from Twila telling her they were to travel to Red Dollar, New Mexico, stay at the Red Dollar Hotel and bring the ghosts there under control so the hotel could sell. It appears the ghostly residents have been causing trouble whenever the real estate agent brings potential buyers by. Furniture has been thrown around, doors slammed, the signs destroyed, all scaring anyone off from wanting to buy. Their job is to create an agreement for the hotel ghosts. So off take Alice, her dog Trucker, her cat Miss Molly and Granny to spend a few days in the beautiful Red Dollar Hotel.

For the travelers, trouble starts in the beginning. There is a storm that has set in delaying Twila’s flight. They get to the hotel only to find a woman hanging in one of the rooms leading Alice to the conclusion she had been murdered since her hands had been removed. A ghost that had appealed to Alice before leaving home suddenly appears again at the hotel. She encounters a ghost that is not only smelly and dirty but also has a mean streak, especially when it comes to cats. Alice’s police ex-husband shows up for what she feels is no reason. And then there is True who was shot in the back of the head after winning the hotel in a poker game over 100 years before. True refuses to pass over and ends up reliving his shooting every night. All of this plus the discovery of a possible black conven working the area have the little group a real fix.

Dead Man Hand is a book I couldn’t put down. The more I read and the closer I got to the end, the more I wanted it to just keep going. I didn’t want it to end. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I must go back and read Dead Man Talking and Dead Man Haunt, the first and second books within this set. Author T. M. Simmons keeps you going with her style of writing.

A Torn Page - The 2012 Spring Short Fiction Anthology

 

Lactose-Free Pumpkin Pie

(Shared with us by Dan O'Brien)

Using fresh instead of canned pumpkin is a bit labor intensive, but it’s worth it. Plus, the color of a fresh pumpkin pie is bright orange.

Ingredients: 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

1/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

prebaked pie shell (if you’re lactose intolerant, check for milk ingredients)

 

Directions: Wash, deseed, and steam a small pumpkin in a large stockpot. Cook until the flesh scoops away from the skin with a spoon. If you have trouble cutting it when it is fresh, steam it first in a large stock pot. Wait until it cools and the puree in food processor or blender.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat on medium speed for a minute or two. Pour into pieshell and bake 45 minutes or until firm.

A Torn Page – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

One of the best parts of reading short stories is that it’s like reading ‘a whole bunch’ of books in one.  I’ve always loved the fact that I can involve myself in so many stories in such a short period of time and A Torn Page is no exception.  The Authors, of which there are too many to list, put the reader into many situations… some make sense, some don’t, some are realistic, some aren’t.  Some are happy, some are sad.  But one thing they all have in common is that they are enjoyable to read.

Silky is the story of a young lady who returns home to her mother after not speaking to her in several years.  Will her mother welcome her with open arms or turn her away.  And what will she do when she is introduced to the baby?

In There Was a Naked Man on the Terrace you find yourself thinking ‘what would I do?’  Call the police?  Ask him to come in?  Or maybe join him?  This one was really quite interesting. 

Remnants is about the town that was.  You ask ‘was what?’  The answer is simply the ‘town that was.’

In Therapy you just might find out that you must be insane to be a therapist.  After reading Therapy I must say it makes sense to me.

And one of my favorites was The Day I Met Jesus Christ.  Possible?  I think so.

Those are just a few of the stories you’ll find in A Torn Page.  This is one of those books that you can pick up, read a story at random and come back a week later and read another.  A Torn Page will have you thinking and even analyzing what you’ve just read and you just might find yourself reading the same story more than once and coming up with a different conclusion each time.

Until Today: Stories and Poems on Life as I Know It - Jerry M. White, Author

Corn Bread Pie
(One of Jerry's Favorite Dishes)

1 lb. ground beef
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 t salt
1 T chili powder
1/2 chopped green pepper
1 lg. onion, chopped
11/2 c water
3/4 t black pepper
1 can whole kernel corn (12 oz.), drained

Brown beef & onion well. Combine ingredients in skillet. Mix well and let simmer 15 minutes. Turn into greased sasserole. Top with corn bread. Bake in moderate oven 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Corn Bread Topping

3/4 c cornmeal
1 T flour
1 egg
1 T bacon
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 c milk

Mix all well and pour onto top of beef mixture. It will sink into mixture but will rise as it bakes and cook crispy.

This is a treat to try.

Until Today: Stories and Poems on Life as I Know It – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

My Honor to be His

The more I see in this life of mine
The more I see that nothing is mine
The more I see in this life I live
The more I see how much I can give

My life is honored by who owns the glory
My life is owned by who writes the story
I go where I’m sent; I go where I’m led
I want only to say what He wants said

I really try to do everything I should
It hurts me inside to not even do the things I could
My life feels, and is, sometimes out of control
It is so very hard to always be so very bold

What honor I give Him through my life every day
It is an honor to give it every way
He honors me with love and His forgiveness is mine
But the honor and the privilege to serve Him is all mine

It is through this service that my life has meaning
It is on this honor my salvation is leaning
My price has been paid by His life laid down
I will do the things I should without a single frown

Jerry M. White wrote this poem in 2004 and it has to be one of my favorites.  In so few words he really says it all. 

Until Today isn’t your typical book of poems.  Jerry White starts each poem(s) off with a little story explaining not only what they are about but what prompted him to write them.  He takes us through his spiritual world with poems like the one above.  We go through his family world with poems such as Audacity.  This is the story of his grandmother being rescued from a mental hospital.  His poem What Have We Done (another one of my favorites) brings to light what has been lost with the changes of time.  He walks us through the loss of his grandchildren to cancer and the true meaning of family through Grandma’s Apron.  He takes us on through life in the world of work with poems such as Light the Fuse and then through memories with The Last Day of School.  And to tie it all up he gives us the world of the Living and the Dead as he points out the problems in Nameless Numbers and concludes with Pillaged which leaves no doubt that our government is breaking.

I’ve read and written reviews for Author Jerry M. White before and have to say that with each he gets better and better. Seldom do I read one that doesn’t hit a cord from my own life and own feelings.  I thoroughly enjoy his works of art.

Misguided Sensitivity - Philip Nork, Author

"Nana's Caramel Cookies"
(A Phil Favorite)

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (1/2 pound)
1 egg
1/2 tsp.vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 to 1 cup of broken pecans

Mix all ingredients and form into several long rolls. Put in refrigerator until cold.

Slice and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Phil Nork
author of Misguided Sensitivity, Legends of the Lake, and You're Never Alone
And coming soon Life Is a Balance ... It's Not Only About You.
Real life fiction for real life people
(Some readers love stories about werewolves, shape-shifters or science fiction ... things that may never happen to them. I write about situations that CAN happen to you and maybe already have...or at least they're ones you can relate to.)

Misguided Sensitivity – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

In the 1960’s the typical family consisted of a stay-at-home mother, a working father, and some kids.  As you grew up you were exposed to an equal amount of boy things and girl things.  In my world that never happened.  We three kids were raised by a divorced mother and her side of the family.  For reasons I did not know, my father deserted the family when I turned eight.  He was also on his own journey of self-discovery; it just took him longer than the average man to realize it.  He left us kids with a mother who had no skills and no money.  Mom could have just given up and slipped into a world of denial.  Instead, she decided to learn a trade, get a job, and she tried to give the three of us a decent childhood.  In my eight-year-old eyes, she was a hero.  Especially between the ages of eight and fifteen my mom was my voice of reason.  I idolized her, I respected her, and I hoped to one day marry someone just like her.  Between her and her side of the family we were taken care of, loved, and given the nurturing we needed to hopefully become normal, productive adults.  And yet my life took a bad turn after my dad left us.

After his father left, Phil stepped into a state of depression spending most his time alone and in his room.  The only person he allowed to bring him out of his shell was his great grandmother whom he called Nana.  When she died, Phil stepped even deeper into himself.  He became angry with God but also thought that perhaps God was punishing him for some unknown reason.  His Nana had taught him many lessons during their time together but the one that started his journey into life was when she told him ‘you will meet many people throughout your life and if you want them to remember you, you must always be a little different, you must be sincere, and you must make them feel special, especially the girls.’  This lesson became the beginning of many more that Phil would start adding to his list. 

Through these lessons and the people who taught him, Phil took on three distinct lives.  He became Disco Phil who gave the girls whatever they wanted.  At the Burger Shack he became a leader who listened to and offered advice to the girls who needed it.  And at school he was just another face in the crowd.  But what will happen if either of these lives come together?  Phil is not only a good listener that makes the girls feel special but he is also a good learner with some of the girls being the teachers. 

Back in the 1960/70s one in every ten teenagers were affected by divorce.  Most keep their feelings and pain to themselves and release it through drugs, alcohol and sometimes even sex.  As I read Misguided Sensitivity I was able to see how many of the girls took the route of sex as their way of forgetting and feeling as if someone did care and love them.  I believe most boys turned more to alcohol and drugs.  Phil was one of the sensitive kids who released his anger through compassion, attention and understanding for others.  It takes him from the back rows of the drive-ins to the motel rooms of older women.   Is he really hurting anyone?  Is he really helping them?  Is he being used by those he tries to help?  Or is he just hurting himself?  These are the questions that jump around in your mind as you read Misguided Sensitivity. 

In my opinion, Misguided Sensitivity is a book that should be read by all young men and even a few women. 

The Mafia Funeral and Other Short Stories - Morgan St. James, Author

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Fancy without the fuss. Chicken roll-ups with a golden coating and ham and Swiss filling

8 boneless chicken breasts

8 slices of thin deli ham
8 slices of Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1 cup 2% milk
2 cups of crushed cornflakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sale
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Flatten the chicken breasts by placing each one between two pieces of waxed paper or a plastic baggie. Start from the center to the outer edges and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet to an even thickness. Top each breast with a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese. Roll them up, tuck in the ends and secure with a toothpick.

2. Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Combine the cornflakes and seasonings in another shallow bowl. Dip each rolled chicken breast in the egg, then roll in the cornflake mixture.

3. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear. Discard the toothpicks before serving.

I’m a big fan of things that are easy to make and look like they took lots of effort. Here is an easy recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu. For those cooks who are adventurous, different fillings can be substituted. I’ve used spinach and gorgonzola cheese or sautéed mushrooms and onions to name a few. If you use more than one filling and are serving this to a large crowd, it’s fun to put a toothpick with a little sign saying what the filling is in one of the pieces in each group.

The Mafia Funeral and Other Short Stories – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

The procession of forty black limos and one flashy yellow convertible made its way along the thirty-five mile route from downtown Los Angeles to the cemetery in Tustin, flanked by at least fifteen officers on motorcycles.  The heads of drivers in nearby cars whirled to take in the sight, probably wondering which dignitary had died.

In The Mafia Funeral the dignitary that died turned out to be a family member of the mafia.  Eliot’s wife is mistaken for the daughter of a Mafia Don and has a time convincing the ‘Uncle Johnnie’ that she isn’t.  This story has a sadness, a touch of humor and a bit of oh my.

Rip Off takes Stephen Rollins from a bad life to a good life and back to the ultimate of bad. 

Saying Goodbye to Miss Molly is a story that brought tears to my eyes.

Morgan St. James has written a garden of stories with some of them being as beautiful as the daisy, some with the beauty of the rose but will stick you with their thorns and some that are as threatening as a weed.  The Mafia Funeral is a collection of short stories, some true, some fiction but all well worth reading.

Now I’m impatiently waiting on her next book Confessions of a Cougar that is due out in late 2012. 

Lost In The Shadows - Carol Costa, Author

Candied Sweet Potatoes
(A Carol Specialty)

4 or 5 raw sweet potatoes
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 cup orange juivce
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a sauce pan mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, juice and butter/margarine.  Cook on med. heat until it makes a thick syrup.  Place potatoes in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Pour sugar mix over potatoes.  Bake 1 hr.

Lost In The Shadows – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

“Laura.  Laura, I need you.”  It was Jimmy’s voice, deep and full of mischief.  He stood in the midst of the little vegetable garden in the back of the yard beyond the flowers and expanse of green lawn.  The plants in the garden were enclosed by a short white picket fence and Jimmy’s stocky frame loomed above it.  He was dressed in the coveralls he always wore when he tended his beloved garden.  Even from this distance, Laura could see the handsome face that blended the best features of Jimmy’s golden haired Anglo mother and dark-skinned Hispanic father.  Jimmy waved and beckoned to Laura to join him in the garden.  Her heart pounded in her chest as the old longing took hold of her.  She remembered his touch, his strength and ached to be in his arms once more.  Laura grabbed hold of the latch that held the door and struggled to release it, but it remained stubbornly set.  She banged her fist against the glass and called out to Jimmy.  “The door won’t open.  Help me, Jimmy.”  She watched as Jimmy effortlessly stepped over the short fence and walked across the lawn towards the house.  Laura cried now with joy and anticipation.  Then, as Jimmy continued to move towards her, she saw his hand reach up to tug at the metal fastener of his overalls.  The snap yielded to his touch and triggered an explosion.  The coveralls burst into flames.

Laura Martinez is the widow.  Her husband Jimmy was killed when his car went off the road and burst into flames killing and burning him beyond recognition.  After spending a few weeks morning his death, it’s now time for Laura to pull herself back together.  She would start by putting their home in an exclusive neighborhood on the market and while she made her move to return to work.  Work for her was Myers Aircraft Company where she worked in bookkeeping.  Jimmy had worked there too which made it even harder for her to face the surroundings which had been a big part of her memories of him. 

First day back and Laura is summoned to the head of security’s office.  There she meets FBI Agent Keith Spencer.  Some of the 1st words out of Keith’s mouth are to ask her where she has hidden the plans to the new Air Force HT-14.  Laura is dumbfounded.  She is one of the most honest, trusting people you would find and she is being accused of not only theft but also of deceiving her own country.  Then Keith hits her with another bombshell.  Jimmy’s death wasn’t an accident, he was murdered.

Following Laura as she tries to prove her innocence, as she too is targeted and almost killed and as she does her best to convince Keith that she had nothing to do with the theft, takes you on a ride from Arizona to Mexico and then into the courtroom.  But if Laura had nothing to do with the theft, how were the plans removed from the premises?  Who is trying to kill her and why?  And who is really behind the attempts on not only her life but Keith’s as well? 

I’ve yet to read a Carol Costa that didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat and this one is no exception.  Well written and exciting!

Magic In The Storm - Meredith Bond, Author

Beef Kababs
(A Merry Special)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup minced onion
2 Tbs minced ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro (can also used the chopped frozen cilantro)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
a dash black pepper
dash ground red chili powder or chili flakes (to taste)
1 lb extra lean ground beef (can substitute lamb)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine everything into a bowl and mix well.
3. Form mixture into 1" balls
4. Place balls (either flattened or not, as you wish) onto a foil lined baking pan and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Turn them and then bake for another 5-7 minutes or so until cooked through.
Serve with raita (plain yogurt mixed with shredded & drained cucumber and about one tsp ground cumin -- to taste) or ketchup. 

Magic in the Storm – Review by Martha A. Cheves – Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Jack took a few steps back while he was thinking and leaned himself against the wall.  “Hmmm.  That’s a tricky one, ain’t it?  Never heard o’anythin’ like that happenin’, not that I know a lot of Vallen, mind ye.”  He thought for a moment, then said, “I’ve always thought the power came from within.  There must be somethin’ changin’ within ye.  What is it, inside of ye, that’s changin’?”  Morgan shook his head, thinking hard.  “I don’t know.”  “Well, when ye figure that one out, then you’ll know where the power’s comin’ from.”  What was changing within him?  Morgan stood back and began to think about this.  So many things had changed within him recently.  It could be his self-confidence, it could be Adriana, it could be his determination not to wait for his destiny to come to him, but to go and seek it out on his own, it could be so many different things.

Morgan Vallentyn is a Vallen.  Most people compare them to and even mistaken them for witches but their powers are real and true with each having a different specialty.  Morgan was born the 7th child of the 7th generation Vallen.  His mother Lady Vallentyne should have been happy but when she discovered that Morgan was a male child what would have been a strong mother’s love turned to hate.  No Vallen leader had ever been a male and had it not been for her husband, Morgan’s father, she would have killed the child just after birth.  Instead, Morgan was banished to the forest where his mother cast a spell that would imprison him for life. 

Adriana Hayden was an orphan who had been entrusted into the care of a distant relative, Lord Devaux.  Devaux had one desire in life and that was to climb the ladder of Parliament.  To do this he needed influential people and money.  He found both in Lady Vallentyne.  Her oldest child and son, Jonathan, the sixth Viscount Vallentyne would be the perfect husband for Adriana.  Jonathan wanted nothing more than to run the Estate but his mother had higher expectations for her son.  He was to enter politics and with he and Devaux combining their minds and skills, Jonathan would be quite successful.  She would see to this marriage even if it meant using her powers and with her being the highest priestess within the clan, no one could refuse her.  So she thought.

The last thing Adriana wanted was to marry, especially without love.  Her heart’s desire was to paint.  Nothing mattered more to her than her paintings.  Unfortunately, Devaux knew of this love and used it to blackmail her into agreeing to marry Jonathan.  While visiting the Vallentyne Estate, Adriana had ventured into the woods that acted as Morgan’s prison.  Not knowing the history of his being an outcast, she made the mistake of mentioning him to Lady Vallentyne.  This brought more injustice to be inflicted on Morgan by his mother.

Morgan is nearing his 21st birthday and knows that he must reach his full capacity of powers before that day or lose all powers.  Through his experimenting he finds his powers have increased but has no idea why.  All Vallen are born with their powers which are revealed at an early age.  His powers growing as he nears his birthday is unheard of.  Something is different and something is causing this to happen.  But he’s running out of time and has no idea as to how he will find his full potential, especially while being encased within the forest.  He must find a way to break his mother’s spell and escape.

Magic In The Storm was an edge of the seat read.  I kept hoping that Morgan’s mother would change and give in to him allowing him to find his own strength and powers.  When he finally made it out of the forest I knew she would see that he was truly the 7th of the 7th generation and accept him even though he was a male, not a female.  Did she?  I’ll never tell.  I will say that a lot happens as his powers increase but does he ever become more powerful than his mother?  If so, does she help him in his endeavor?  I’ll only tell you that Magic In The Storm was a very enjoyable book.