It's

Cozy Food Friday

with a 

!!!GIVEAWAY!!!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 

another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring 

OUT OF THE DYING PAN

Book 2 in the Deep Fried Mysteries

by Linda Reilly

Revenge is set to sizzle in the tasty new Deep Fried Mystery from the author of Fillet of Murder.

For Talia Marby, the sweet smell of success is a lot like the pungent aroma of fried fish and vinegar. Her new business, Fry Me a Sliver, is rapidly expanding beyond fish and chips to become one of the best eateries in the Berkshires. But the nasty owner of a neighboring boutique is making a stink, baiting Talia in a very public fight at a community center fundraiser and nursing an inexplicable grudge.

When the boutique owner is found strangled with Talia’s scarf knotted around her neck, our favorite fish fryer finds herself in hot oil. Needing to clear her name, and fast, Talia’s investigation soon yields some shocking surprises as well as a sizzling suspicion: someone had good reason to want the victim dead—and it’s frying Talia’s nerves...

Includes delicious recipes!

~*~*~*~*~

MY REVIEW

Author Linda Reilly has fried up another delicious treat!

When I read the first book in this series, FILLET OF MURDER, I was in deep fried mystery heaven. Guess what? You can go back again…I sure did with, OUT OF THE DYING PAN!

It was so delightful to be back in Wrensdale in the Berkshires. I simply adore the characters and the settings author Reilly has created with this series. I’d spend a lot of time in a place like Fry Me A Sliver. I know this because just reading about it made my stomach growl. J

Besides featuring fantastic sounding food, OUT OF THE DYING PAN was a superbly written mystery that flowed at a perfect pace. I loved every word from the first page on. Through the entire investigation I kept trying to guess the killer. I thought I had it figured out until I read the reveal. Wow…talk about a surprise! Outstanding! You really got me on this one Ms. Reilly.  

Fans of the first book are going to love this installment, and those new to the series, you can read it without feeling lost, but since it’s only book two, I suggest you pick up book one, FILLET OF MURDER as well and read them back to back. You won’t regret it!

Make sure to check out the back of the book for some yummy deep fried recipes!

~*~*~*~*~

About Linda

Raised in a sleepy town in the Berkshires, Linda Reilly has spent the bulk of her career in the field of real estate closings and title examination. It wasn’t until 1995 that her first short mystery, Out of Luck, was accepted for publication by Woman’s World Magazine. Since then she’s had over forty short stories published, including a sprinkling of romances. In 2013 Five Star Publishing released her first full-length mystery, Some Enchanted Murder. Her first mystery in the Deep Fried series, a cozy featuring fry cook Talia Marby, was released by Berkley Prime Crime in May 2015.

Linda lives in New Hampshire with her husband, who affectionately calls her “Nose-in-a-book.”

!!!GIVEAWAY!!!

Linda Reilly is giving away 
1 Signed copy of
OUT OF THE DYING PAN!

Enter using the Rafflecopter form
at the end of this post!

This giveaway is open to US and Canada!

~*~*~*~*~

On to the recipe!

TALIA'S DEEP-FRIED MEATBALLS

All photos are courtesy of Google Images

Your dish may differ in appearance

Talia spent her childhood at her nana's elbow watching her make homemade meatballs. She knew that Nana tweaked the recipe depending on whom she was feeding. Ingredients such as fresh garlic, Parmesan cheese, and herbs can be adjusted to suit your taste. 

If you'd like to cut down on preparation time for the deep-fried meatballs, there are many froazen brands that are quite good. 

Meatballs

3/4 pound hamburger

1 tablespoon finely minced onion

1 teaspoon crushed garlic (more if you're a garlic lover!)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon crushed basil

1/8 teaspoon crushed oregano

1 cup panko crumbs

5 tablespoons high-quality marinara sauce

   Mix all of the above ingredients with a fork until well blended. 

   Form into small- or medium-sized meatballs (about 1 1/2 inch diameter works well, but you can make them smaller if you'd like). 

   Roast in preheated over at 425 degrees in a roasting pan coated with nonstick spray for 10 to 12 minutes. 

   The meatballs should be browned but not over done. 

   Chill in the fridge for at least a few hours or preferably overnight. 

   They cal also br frozen ahead of time. 

Batter

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon finely crushed basil

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon beaten egg

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

   Combine together in a mixing bowl the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, Parmesan, and basil.

   In separate bowl, combine the water, egg, and oil. 

   Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well blended.

   In a deep fryer or heavy pan, heat additional vegetable oil to 350 to 375 degrees, using just enough oil to cover the meatballs. 

   A candy/deep-fry thermometer will help gauge the oil temperature. 

   One by one, coat the chilled meatballs in the batter. 

   Using tongs, remove each meatball from the batter and lower each one slowly into the oil, but avoid crowding the pan. 

   Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes, then remove and drain on paper towels. 

   Don't worry if your deep-fried meatballs end up with little batter "tails". They're crispy and delicious!

   Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.  

Wouldn't these be great hors d'oeuvres?

~*~*~

Please keep reading and check out my 

installments of 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

and

The Friday 56

Both are also from 

OUT OF THE DYING PAN

 ~*~*~

Book Beginnings on Fridays is a meme hosted by Rose City Reader

Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading

My Book Beginnings

Talia Marby watched with a lump in her throat as the sign that read LAMBERT'S FISH & CHIPS was lowered carefully to the ground.

The Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda's Voice

Rules: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's okay.) *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you. *Post it.

My Friday 56 

A wave of longing fell over her.

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 

clicking on the link in the 

upper right hand corner of this page.