Book or Movie? Which do you prefer?

I’ve been lucky to have two brushes with Hollywood. I did the novel tie-in to the Jane the Virgin television show. Very exciting! Jane even said my name on the air (I’ll have to find that clip for you!) But even more exciting was having South Beach Love turned into a Hallmark movie. But as with some adaptations there were changes which brings up today’s This or That. Would you rather read the book or watch the movie version? I have to confess I’ve never read the Harry Potter series but I have watched all the movies. P.S. – if you’ve watched South Beach Love but haven’t read the book, you can find it at https://amzn.to/48xDjKD. The movie kept the basic premise but the book has a lot more teen angst, an annoying reporter, uplifting friendships and family, and lots of tasty food!

book or movie?

#TastyTuesday Chicken & Rice #AttheShore

Just finished #2 in the At the Shore Contemporary Romance Series and I think it’s a story you will really love! It’s sexy, but tender and packed with emotion as the hero and heroine, Connie Reyes and Jonathan Pierce, learn to let go of the past so that they can build a future together.

In one of the scenes, Connie turns to her friend Emma (the heroine of #3) for some time away from Jonathan. As she stays with Emma at her friend’s Sea Kiss cottage, Connie decides to make Emma some Chicken and Rice as a way to say “Thanks.”

So here is my recipe for Chicken and Rice, a must have in any Latin kitchen. I’ve found that the easiest way to make it is in the oven, although you start it on the stove. If you have Corningware, Le Crueset or some other stove to oven cookware, even better. Who wants to spend time cleaning pots!

Chicken and Rice Recipe

Ingredients

One fryer chicken, cut into pieces
Olive oil
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 cup chopped red & green peppers
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups white rice
2 cups water
1 cup white wine
1 tsp BIJOL (this is a coloring agent you can find in the Latin cooking section of your market)
1 chorizo (also in the Latin section)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

In your pot, put in a little olive oil and brown the chicken. Remove and set to the side.

In the same pot, add the red and green peppers and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add the chorizo and the onions. Saute for another 5 and add the garlic for just a minute. Then add the tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano and wine.

Simmer for about 15 minutes to get rid of the raw tomato taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add the 2 cups water and also, the Bijol. Give it a stir and add the rice. Stir again to mix and then add the chicken pieces. Arrange the chicken pieces so they are spread throughout the pot.

If you don’t have stove to oven cookware, make it in a regular pan and then move it a large enough rectangular aluminum foil pan.

Place the mixture in the oven and cover tightly. Cook for about 30 to 45 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

To serve, fluff the rice and also add canned peas and some sliced roasted red peppers.

If you can’t imagine eating peas straight out of the can, you can add frozen peas to the mixture in the oven during the last ten minutes of cooking.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!
chickenandrice

A Typical Cuban Meal #Tuesday Tip

I’m in the process of writing #2 in the At the Shore Contemporary Romance series and am working on a scene where the hero visits the heroine at her condo in Jersey City. The heroine is Cuban and she knows that the hero loves Cuban food. Unfortunately, she’s been hard at work over the weekend, but she still knows where to go to pick up some great Cuban food before she comes home.

So what’s a typical kind of Cuban meal? I’ve shared some recipes with you before, so here’s a list of what you’ll see in the scene I’m busy writing. You can click on the links for the recipes or visit my Cook’s Treat page.

Black beans and rice for sure!
Citrus-marinated Roast Pork
Plantains of some kind – how about Mashed ones or ripe plantains (maduros)?
Ropa Vieja (a shredded beef dish)
Flan for dessert

I’m thinking maybe a nice sangria to help wash everything down!
Ropa Vieja

Look for ONE SUMMER NIGHT, #1 in the At the Shore Series, in October 2017. You can pre-order this contemporary romance at the following sites:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2krMwfE
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2kYLWZV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2kNuo0p
iBooks: Coming Soon!
Kobo: Coming Soon!

#WriteWed Behind the Scenes of THE PERFECT MIX

THE PERFECT MIX Contemporary RomanceThis Wednesday I’m offering you a little behind the scenes look at the location for Bianca and Rey’s story in The Perfect Mix which will be released shortly.

The Perfect Mix will also be available in the Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Box Set!

My hubby and I always have a Christmas Eve errand to run, namely, to head up to Union City to get Cuban goodies we can’t get locally. That entails taking a shortcut through Weehawkin so we can get a glimpse of New York City. We both love the city!

One of our trips to this area was when we were in the midst of renovations to our current house. We had decided to redo the kitchen since the stove had shorted out, drawer fronts were coming off in our hands, and the 1960s yellow linoleum and missing wall behind the fake brick paneling were finally too much to handle.

As we reached Hamilton Park in Weehawkin, we stopped to snap some photos of the city. It was a day much like this one!

Hamilton Park, Weehawkin

Photo Credit: [email protected]

When we got back into the car, we passed by a building at the end of the park. It seemed empty at the time and had been a restaurant at one point and it made me wonder, what would it be like to take over that space with those fabulous views and renovate it?

Well, as you can imagine, The Perfect Mix was born. In this story, Bianca is a chef who, together with her two partners, is undertaking just that kind of task. The hero, Rey Ramos, is the contractor who has been recommended to them and the sparks between Rey and Bianca are instantaneous!

Rey takes on the task of renovating the restaurant, but along the way, has to deal with falling in love with Bianca and having to share a very painful secret with her.

Anyway, here’s another photo from the same location. It was really overcast and cloudy this year, but I love the way this photo came out!