CasaBabes' Recipes for Romantic Nights!

Time to have a howling good party!!! So pass out the word--it's the big day!
We've been running around the world participating in Barbara Vey's 3rd Anniversary Publishers Weekly's Birthday Bash, and today is the romance blow out!



And we're contributing recipes for those special dates, but also Sourcebooks is contributing books as gifts! Thanks so much to everyone for helping to put this together. It did have pictures of our giveaway books, but, the post wouldn't save! So it's time to party!

Mary Margret Daughtridge--Sealed with a Ring
Linda Wisdom--Hex in High Heels
Judi Fennell--Catch of a Lifetime
Cheryl Brooks—Fugitive
Sharon Lathan--Mr & Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy
Joanne Kennedy --Cowboy Trouble
Amanda Forester--The Highlander's Sword
Ashlyn Chase-- An ARC of Strange Neighbors
Shana Galen--An ARC of The Making of a Duchess
Robin Kaye--Breakfast in Bed
Marie Force--Love at First Flight
Terry Spear--Legend of the White Wolf
Kathryne Kennedy--MY UNFAIR LADY



Roast Beef Hash for Wolfish Appetites
** By Terry Spear

Slaving away over a hot stove is not what wolfish kinds of characters have time for. Romps in the woods, moonlit swims, and other more, hmm, intimate excursions are more important. So having roast beef one night (as in To Tempt the Wolf) and then fixing leftovers the next day in the form of Roast Beef Hash, can be the perfect easy way to get off the hook, but create an appealing new dish.

Ingredients
Leftover Roast (I've used beef brisket also, to give the hash a more smoky flavor, and corned beef also for another spicy alternative)
2 Medium Onions
3 Medium Potatoes, Peeled
1 Tsp Garlic Salt, or ¼ Clove of Garlic
1/8 Tsp Black Pepper
Cooking Oil to coat bottom of Frying Pan (Olive Oil can be substituted for Vegetable Oil for a different flavor)

Directions
1) Dice potatoes and onions into bite size chunks. Combine all ingredients, except for meat, and cook on low until potatoes and onions are tender.

2) Cut up roast into bite size chunks and add to mix to warm, not overcook. My dad used to make it by throwing the meat in with the potatoes and onions in the beginning and by the time everything was cooked, the meat would be crispy critters. :)

Great way to serve leftovers without tasting like tired old leftovers and easy enough for anyone with Wolfish appetites to make! Serves 2-3.

~~~

Mr. Darcy's Favorite Desserts
** By Sharon Lathan

It is a well known fact that Mr. Darcy has a weakness for lemon flavored desserts. Pemberley's cook, Mrs. Langton, is well aware of this, providing her Master with delicious lemon confections on a regular basis. Here are two of his favorite desserts, the recipes acquired from Mrs. Hugo Partridge's 1790 cookbook and in her original words. *Mrs. Partridge's manuscript of traditional English cuisine can be read here: http://printsgeorge.com/Jane_Austen-Historic%20Recipes.htm

Lemon Cheese--
Take a pint of thick cream, a quarter of a pound of double refined sugar pounded very fine, the juice of two lemons & the rind of two grated, mix them well together & whisk them with a whisk until it is very thick, then put it into a lawn sieve (A very fine sieve, made of lawn, a kind of fine linen) just large enough to hold it. Let it stand 24 hours, turn it out, & garnish it as you please.

Lemon Pudding--
Take the rinds of two large lemons, boil them into two or three waters until the bitterness be out; Beat it fine in a mortar with 3/4 of a pound of blanch'd almonds, 3/4 of a pound of loaf sugar beaten, 3 or 4 spoonfuls of orange flower water, the yolks of ten eggs, 3/4 of a pound of clarify'd butter; mix all these well together and put puff paste (pastry) round your dish.

~~~

Basic Baltimore Crab Soup
**By Marie Force
A Baltimore prosecutor set to begin the murder trial of his career and a hair stylist with a dysfunctional family met in the airport on their way to visit their significant others in Florida. After they each endure a disastrous weekend, they meet up again on the flight home, striking up an unlikely friendship that leads to love.
Easy to make and a Baltimore institution

Ingredients and directions:

To 1 gallon of very hot water add:
1 lb. stew beef, diced and browned with fat
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp. seafood seasoning
3 slices bacon, halved
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large can tomato paste
Cook 1 hour over med-high heat in an uncovered pot. After 1 hour add:
2 packages frozen mixed vegetables
3 large potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 small cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup barley

Cook for 1 hour over medium heat. After 1 hour add:
1 lb backfin or regular crabmeat
1 1b claw crabmeat

Heat through.

Courtesy The Crab Cookbook by Whitey Schmidt.

~~~

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
**By Linda Wisdom

Chocolate is a food staple in our house and why the witches are chocoholics and even Fluff and Puff get into the act at times. These cookies are so addictive and popular with friends. Enjoy!

Filling –

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Cookie -- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine, softened

8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

reserve 2 oz. for frosting

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

Frosting –

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 tbsp. cocoa

1-2 tbsp milk

reserved 2 oz. cream cheese

Combine peanut butter and powdered sugar, blend until smooth. Chill while mixing cookie dough. Cream brown sugar, sugar, margarine and 6 oz cream cheese until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Blend flour, cocoa and baking powder into creamed mixture. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, place 2 in. apart on cookie sheets. With thumb, make imprint in center of each cookie. Fill with 1 tsp filling. Bring dough around filling to completely cover. Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes. Cool.

Mix frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled cookie.

~~~

Cheryl's Orange Banana Bread

**by Cheryl Brooks

This bread is not only good, it's orgasmic--like a Zetithian!

3 very ripe bananas
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
the grated zest (about 1 Tbsp) and juice of one large orange
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening

Cream the shortening together with the eggs, bananas, and sugar. Add the orange juice and zest and then beat in remaining ingredients. Bake in a large (9 X 5) greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for about one hour and enjoy!

~~~

Key West Penne

** By Judi Fennell

In honor of Ginger La Fleur’s unending quest for lunch, I decided to post this recipe. Ginger, a flamingo, isn’t all that thrilled with the slim pickins she gets for her meals, thanks to Human fishing practices, so she’s continually trying to bribe or blackmail Angel, the heroine who’s a mermaid, to give her prawns and scallops from Logan’s (the hero’s) refrigerator. She eventually gets her way, but she’s got plenty to say in the interim.

I’m guessing if Ginger had her druthers, she’d substitute prawns for the shrimp in this recipe, but I didn’t when I made it. I did substitute light cream for heavy cream which is probably a sacrilege, but I do it with my alfredo sauce all the time, and that tastes just fine. So did this.

It’s not my own recipe, but I was looking for something light and easy, and with the Florida name, well, that pretty much sealed the deal since my February release, Catch of a Lifetime, is set in Florida. Enjoy! And I hope you enjoy “taking the plunge” into my Mer series!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Key-West-Penne/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta

1 pound shrimp

1 pound scallops

1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry

1 (8 ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and patted dry

1 pint heavy cream (*I used light and it was fine)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Combine shrimp, scallops, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes, then cook until shrimp turn pink. Reduce heat, and stir in cream and parmesan. Toss with cooked pasta, and sprinkle olives on top.

~~~

Gluten-free Macaroons (to cure* what ails you)
** by Mary Margret Daughtridge

*A friend told me that macaroons were a folk remedy for some kind of digestive distress. The Archway brand was specified. I was intrigued. However, when I read the package ingredients I saw Archway macaroons contained cornstarch, a no-no for me. The other ingredients were egg white, sugar, vanilla, salt, so I decided to try to replicate the macaroons without the cornstarch.

My cookies turned out much lighter and airier than most store-bought macaroons –a fascinating combination of melt-in-your-mouth, lightly crispy outside, and lightly chewy on the inside.

I don’t know if these macaroons are as therapeutic as Archway’s, but they are delicious and—taken with coffee and the company of a good friend—will almost certainly make you feel better.

Yield: about 30

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus baking time

EASY

Preheat oven to 300

Grease cookie sheet.

Ingredients:

Whites of 2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

½ (or more) teaspoon vanilla

dash salt

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

¾ to 1 cup dried shredded coconut

Directions:

Beat whites at low speed until foamy. Increase speed and add sugar a little at a time until stiff peaks form.

Add vanilla and salt. Beat in vanilla and salt just until incorporated. (5 seconds)

Sprinkle tapioca flour over meringue; sprinkle the coconut. Using a spatula, fold dry ingredients into the meringue.

Drop by teaspoons 2 inches apart onto well–greased cookie sheet.

Bake 25-30 minutes until crispy outside and lightly browned.

Remove to wire rack and allow to cool.

Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Delicious still warm from the oven, but just as good cool, and they keep well for 4 days.

~~~

Chocolate Fondue

**Robin Kaye

I always have a lot of food in my books and I receive a lot of requests for the recipes. Here's one of my favorites - the Chocolate Fondue that Rich and Becca enjoyed in Breakfast in Bed. If you've read the book, you know it's good for more than just dipping strawberries...

Ingredients:

¾ cup heavy whipping cream (reserve a ¼ cup in case fondue needs to be thinned or cooled for other uses) *grin*

4 bittersweet chocolate bars chopped (3 ½ oz. each)

2 Tablespoons Frangelico or Amaretto (optional)

Food for dipping such as strawberries, pretzels, marshmallows, biscotti, orange slices etc. (use your imagination.)

Directions:

Heat cream in microwave being careful not to scald, add chocolate and let sit in hot cream for a few minutes to soften, then whisk together. Stir in liqueur and transfer to a fondue pot or set the mixing bowl on a rack over a small, lit candle. Dip fruit and other edibles and feed each other. Then, if you wish, cool the remaining chocolate fondue off with heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s cool enough to dip your fingers (or other body parts) in.

~~~

Ella’s Venison Meatloaf

**by Joanne Kennedy

In Wyoming, hunting and fishing are a way of life, and native game is a home-cooked specialty in many households. Luke’s mother makes the best venison meatloaf in Lackaduck – when she doesn’t get the cooking mixed up with the laundry.

Rather than offer Ella’s jockey shorts recipe, I thought I’d post her venison meatloaf. The trick with wild game is to keep the very lean (and healthy!) meat from drying out. This recipe does the trick and tastes great!

Ella’s Venison Meatloaf

1T olive oil

2 T chopped onion

1 t minced garlic

16 Saltine crackers, crumbled

2 eggs

1 t brown mustard

1T chopped parsley

1 t dried thyme

Dash cinnamon

Dash paprika

5 T ketchup

2 T brown sugar

1 ½ lbs ground venison

½ lb ground pork

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.

Beat eggs; add onion mixture, mustard, parsley, thyme, cinnamon, paprika, ketchup and brown sugar.

Stir finely crumbled saltines into mixture; add ground venison and pork. Mix well and form into loaf shape in 9x13 pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until meat thermometer inserted in center reads 160 degrees.

~~~

Medieval(ish) Wassail

**Amanda Forester

Authentic medieval wassail I found challenging to prepare and so alcoholic it was hard to swallow. They sure could drink in those medieval times! This is a modified version with a cider base instead of sherry or ale. With winter here to stay, I hope this drink will keep you warm!

2 liters apple cider

1 orange, cut into thick slices

1 lemon, cut into thick slices

4 cinnamon sticks

½ t nutmeg

6 allspice berries

8 whole cloves

3 cups sherry

Brandy (from a splash to a glug depending on taste)

Stick the whole cloves into the peel of the orange slices. Pour cider into large pot, and add orange slices, lemon slices, and spices. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Add sherry and/or brandy to taste. Strain out spices and fruit. Serve warm.

~~~

Merry's Famous Lasagna

**By Ashlyn Chase

With Jason Falco playing the field, as well as professional baseball, a genuine home cooked meal was a rare treat.

How did Merry Mackenzie know Lasagna was his very favorite dish of all time? When the sexy nurse cooked for him on their first date, the thought of giving up restaurants and one night stands sounded pretty good to the star pitcher.

Lasagna noodles
1 1/2 Jars of sauce spiced up with extra oregano and garlic
Ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Cook the noodles. Cut them in half.
Instead of layering, place a dob of all ingredients at one end of the noodle and roll it up. Place in baking pan that's been greased with olive oil.
Repeat until the pan is full. Spread the rest of the sauce over all the rolled noodles, top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for about an hour.

~~~

Hannah Glasse's Art of Cookery:

**By Kathryne Kennedy

My upcoming release, THE FIRE LORD'S LOVER, is a Georgian (eighteenth century) fantasy romance filled with the pageantry of the era in a magical new England. You may have to add a dash of fairy dust to the salad to enjoy the complete flavor.

Green Salad

serves 4 to 6

1 small head lettuce, washed & cut up

1 cup watercress leaves

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

20 mint leaves

Dressing:

1/8 cup olive oil

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 teaspoon salt

In a salad bowl, mix the dressing ingredients well. Add the greens and toss to coat with the dressing.

~~~

GOOD GROOM HUNTING

**Shana Galen

I'm including a recipe for Tex-Mex Corn Chowder. It's comfort food, and Sarah in THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS (June 2010) can certainly use comfort after she's forced to give up her position as a governess to act as an aristocrat in order to spy on a French duke. Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Corn Chowder (2-4 servings)

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5-10 minutes

1 can whole-kernel corn, drained

1 can cream-style sweet corn

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion

1 can black beans or red kidney beans--rinsed and drained

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup water

shredded cheddar cheese

cilantro (optional)

Combine corn, undrained cream-style corn, undrained tomatoes, beans, broth, and water in medium sauce pan.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer covered for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle each serving with shredded cheddar cheese. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

~~~

Blueberry Break

**by Lydia Dale

Much like the Westfield brothers, blueberries are ruled by the pull of the moon. In Tall, Dark and Wolfish, Elspeth, a witch by her very nature, takes advantage of the healing properties of blueberries when she uses them in an attempt to restore Benjamin Westfield to his former wolfish self.

Here’s our version of something she might have used!

Blueberry Break

Ingredients:

¾ cup of sugar

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp of baking powder

¼ tsp of salt

½ cup of milk

2 cups of fresh blueberries

¼ cup of butter, softened

Topping:

2/3 cup of sugar

½ cup of all purpose flower

½ tsp of cinnamon

1/3 cup of cold butter

Directions:

In a small bowl, cream the butter and the sugar together with a mixer. Beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add it in small increments to the mixing bowl with the butter, sugar and egg, alternating it with the milk until both are well incorporated. Fold in the blueberries. Pour into a 9 X 9 baking dish.

For the topping, combine the sugar, cinnamon and flour in a bowl. Cut the cold butter in slowly with the edge of a fork or cutting tool until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over blueberry mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Goes great with coffee, tea and, yes, even ice cream.


Hope you try some of these mouth-watering recipes, and good luck on winning our books! Just comment on Barbara Vey's blog for the books. Ours for the recipes! And thanks so much for joining us!

Terry