Happy September Book Birthday to my fellow Harlequin Intrigue authors! I wish you many sales and many good reviews! I can’t wait to read all these fantastic new releases. Grab your copies today at https://amzn.to/4xiMF9k.
Working Hard for You!
Besides working hard for you to write some fun books, I’m working hard to make new swag for my upcoming book events. I shared a photo of some magnets I’ll have for you, but now that my garage workbench is under control, I sat and made some glasses for you! I’ll have these at upcoming events for people who buy books, and maybe also for upcoming VIP newsletter giveaways. I still have a few transfers left and am considering making some mugs with them. What do you think about that?
P.S. Here is a little video about how I made them!
Happy National Cuban Sandwich Day!
Happy National Cuban Sandwich Day! Our traditional Christmas Eve meal is roast pork, but we also cook a baked ham because you need both to make a Cuban Sandwich. We also use the ham to make ham croquettes, a family favorite that we make several times a year. Cuban sandwiches are very easy to make, and today I’m sharing a recipe for how to make a “Cubano”. Repeat the recipe as many times as necessary for you and your family or guests. You’ll definitely find mention of Cubanos in many of my books, like WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER, SOUTH BEACH LOVE, all the South Beach Security series, and THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET. Grab your copies of these books at https://amzn.to/4zynJwe.
Ingredients
3-4 thick slices roast pork
3-4 slices baked ham
2-3 slices Swiss cheese
yellow mustard
thin-sliced dill pickles
6-8″ long piece Cuban bread (or Italian bread/hero roll)
Directions
Slice open the bread and layer it with the roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles. Spread a thin layer of yellow mustard on the top slice of the bread. Personally, I never ate mine with pickles and mustard since I’m not a pickle fan. Lately, I have been eating my Cubanos with mustard. It does add some pep to the taste!
Close the sandwich and butter the outside of the bread. If you have a panini grill or other kind of sandwich grill, use that to flatten and toast the sandwich. You should let it cook for at least 10 minutes or so to let the meats and cheese heat up.
If you don’t have a panini grill, lay the sandwiches on a greased baking sheet. Cover the sandwiches with aluminum foil and place a heavy cast iron pan on top. Press down and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or so.
Remove from the grill, slice diagonally, which is the custom, and serve with some potato chips.
P.S. – Did you know that both Miami and Tampa lay claim to the invention of Cuban bread? You can click here to read more about the origins of Cuban bread in Tampa.
VIP Newsletter Giveaway Time!
Would you love to win an autographed copy of the Marauders Baseball romance, a gift card, and swag? If you would, sign up for my newsletter, open it, and follow the instructions to enter! The newsletter will be going out shortly, so don’t delay. Even better, I have a monthly giveaway for my VIP Newsletter subscribers. Can it get even better? Yep, as my way of saying thanks for subscribing, you can download a free e-book. Sign up today at https://bit.ly/CaridadsNewsletter.
Special Shoutout to Christine B.
I want to give a special shoutout to Christine B. for her review of THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET. Christine had this to say:
“I would recommend this book to anyone seeking romance, passion, or escape, with just enough relational realism to grab your emotions and perhaps cause you to reconsider your own family trauma…”
THANK YOU, Christine! THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET is FREE on Kindle Unlimited at https://amzn.to/4zvFCM4.
Delicious Zucchini Flower Fritters
I’m adventurous in the kitchen (no, not that way) and will try making many different recipes. But when my brother-in-law gifted me some amazing zucchini flowers, I was a little flummoxed. How do I make these? My sister-in-law said she had stuffed them with mozzarella instead of ricotta, and that made sense. I didn’t want to deal with piping bags. You can also chop the flowers up, add chopped zucchini, and make pancake-like fritters. But I decided to go full bore and do them stuffed and fried. Here’s a little video on how I made them and the recipe! P.S. Chef Carol from the At the Shore novels would definitely pipe ricotta into these while he’s trying to win Emma’s heart! But why not grab the first book in the series, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, for only 99 cents at https://amzn.to/4o0DtCW.
Zucchini Flower Fritter Recipe
Ingredients
8-10 male zucchini flowers (stamens removed)
Mozzarella cut into 1-2″ rods
For the tempura Batter
1 egg, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup ice-cold club soda/seltzer
2 tbsp corn starch
Directions
Heat oil. Your choice of oil, but I use corn oil with some olive oil. The oil should be glistening and you can test it by dropping a little of the batter into it to make sure it’s hot enough. If you have a thermometer, it should be at 350. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritters may turn out greasy.
Carefully open the zucchini flower and stuff mozzarella into the center. Close the flower petals around the cheese. Set aside.
Beat the egg and add the flower and corn starch. Stir to mix and then add the club soda until it is relatively smooth. Do not over beat it because you don’t want to lose the club soda bubbles.
Dip the stuffed flowers into the batter and then gently place in the hot oil. Fry until golden on one side and then turn and fry the other side until golden. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Serve warm for the best flavor! You can make a dipping sauce if you want, but honestly, delicious just on their own!
Here’s what the final product looks like!
Happy Bacon Lovers Day!
Happy Bacon Lovers Day! I love bacon! Do you? I have a standing Sunday breakfast date with a lovely friend and you can bet that there will always be bacon on the plate when we eat. I also love bacon on burgers and keep some in the freezer to use when I make beans or hearty soups. The bacon really adds smokey flavor and unctuousness to those dishes. What about you? Do you love bacon? Do you have a favorite food or recipe that uses bacon? Share! P.S. I have to ask myself if there’s any book where bacon plays a role. Sadly, no. But you’d find lots of other tasty food in NEVER A BRIDE which features Chef Carlo, who is trying to woo wedding planner Emma, a women who doesn’t believe in HEAs. Grab your copy today at https://amzn.to/4xRgdee.
