It's

Cozy Food Friday!

That means it's time to share a recipe from 

another great cozy mystery!

Today I'm featuring a recipe from the cozy mystery 

ASSAULT AND PEPPER

Book 1 in the Spice Shop Mystery series by

Leslie Budewitz

The Agatha Award-winning author of Crime Rib is proud to introduce Pepper Reece, the owner of the Seattle Spice Shop who thinks she can handle any kind of salty customer—until a murderer ends up in the mix…

After leaving a dicey marriage and losing a beloved job in a corporate crash, Pepper Reece has found a new zest for life running a busy spice and tea shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Her aromatic creations are the talk of the town, and everyone stops by for a cup of her refreshing spice tea, even other shopkeepers and Market regulars. But when a panhandler named Doc shows up dead on the store’s doorstep, a Seattle Spice Shop cup in his hand, the local gossip gets too hot for Pepper to handle—especially after the police arrest one of Pepper’s staffers, Tory Finch, for murder.

Tory seems to know why she’s a suspect, but she refuses to do anything to curry favor with the cops. Convinced her reticent employee is innocent, Pepper takes it on herself to sniff out some clues. Only, if she’s not careful, Pepper’s nosy ways might make her next on the killer’s list…

MY REVIEW

First in the Spice Shop Mystery series, ASSAULT AND PEPPER was a tasty read and has whet my appetite for more.

With a large percentage of cozies being set in fictional towns, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book being set in Seattle at a famous location like The Pike Place Public Market.  Honestly, at first it was a little strange for me, but I was soon lost in the story, and Ms. Budewitz’s wonderful writing and no longer gave it a thought.

Her protagonist in ASSAULT AND PEPPER, Pepper Reece was really enjoyable and I liked getting to know her. The same goes for the other characters in the book. Pepper’s staff at the Seattle Spice Shop are as wide ranging in styles and personalities, as the spices they carry are in tastes and smells. The same is to be said of the rest of the cast of characters.  

The mystery element of this story, who killed the panhandler, Doc, and why they killed him, along with the fact that one of the staff of Pepper’s store, Tory, is a suspect, and Tory seems to know why she is, but isn’t doing much to help herself, kept me guessing as I turned page after page, only to be very surprised when the truth came out.

A fun bonus: Every chapter starts off with a fact or a quote.

A delicious bonus: Lots of yummy recipes!

Give ASSAULT AND PEPPER a try and see if it doesn’t spice up your life like it did mine!

ASSAULT AND PEPPER 

is now available for pre-order for it's 

March 3 release!

Today's recipe is

POTATO AND BROCCOLI FRITTATA

Pepper drew inspiration for this recipe from the potatoes and broccolini in the Market. A hybrid of traditional broccoli and gai lan, also called Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, broccolini has long, slender stalks with small florets and kale-like leaves, and a peppery taste that holds up well when cooked. If you can't find it, use traditional broccoli or broccoli raab. Traditional broccoli can be hard to find with the stalks intact, but the search is worth the effort. Use a paring knife or vegetable peeler to cut out any knots and peel off the tough skin. Those stalks carry a lot of flavor and vitamins and minerals. 

Ingredients

8 to 10 small white potatoes (about 10 ounces total), scrubbed and quartered

1 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup olive oil

8 ounces broccolini (or broccoli), trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence (See more at the end of the recipe)

8 large eggs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

   Place the potatoes and broth in a large (10 to 12 inch) ovenproof skillet. On the stove top, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, turning the potatoes often, until almost all of the stock has been absorbed and the potatoes are tender. 

   Preheat your broiler. If yours has variable settings, use the high settings and leave the rack in the middle of the oven. If your broiler is not particularly hot, raise the rack. 

   Add the olive oil, broccolili, onion, and Herbes de Provence to the potatoes in the skillet. Continue cooking on the stove top on medium heat for about 2 minutes, turning frequently, until all the vegetables are coated with oil and herbs. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover skillet, cooking about 3 minutes, until the broccolini has become mostly tender. 

   Beat the eggs with half the Parmesan and the salt and pepper. Check the heat in your skillet: you may need to turn it way down to avoid frying the eggs in the next step. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. COver and cook on the stove top over medium-low heat until the eggs are slightly set, about 10 minutes.

   Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top and place the pan under broiler, until the top is bubbly and golden, and the eggs are set throughout, about 5 minutes.

   Let cool slightly before slicing into wedges.

Makes 8 servings. Wedges reheat beautifully for breakfast or lunch. 

NOTE: All images are from Google Images and/or Pinterest. 

Your dish may vary in appearance.

HERBES DE PORVENCE

A savory touch, to transport your taste buds. 

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons dried savory

2 tablespoons dried crushed lavender flowers

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried sage

Mix spice in a small bowl. Store in a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Makes just over half a cup. 

   As with all herb blends, experiment with your own touches. Let your taste be your guide. Other frequent additions: rosemary, sweet marjoram, or fennel seed. (Marjoram and oregano are distinct herbs but closely related and can be substituted for each other in some recipes.) Try a blend with whatever combination of the suggested herbs you have  on hand. The next summer, grow a pot of lavender on your deck or in a sunny window!

Lisa's note: If you really have no other choice, you can buy as a pre-made product. 

You can find more uses for HERBES DE PROVENCE in the recipe section of 

ASSAULT AND PEPPER

Raise your hand if you're hungry!

Please keep reading and check out my installments of 

Book Beginnings on Fridays

and

The Friday 56

which also feature 

ASSAULT AND PAPPER

by Leslie Budewitz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

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

Keeping my Cozy Food Friday theme going with 

ASSAULT AND PEPPER by Leslie Budewitz

Book 1 in the Spice Shop Mystery series

My Book Beginnings for this week..

"What does autumn taste like? How does it smell?"

Even as I asked, the questions seemed utterly ridiculous. This is already shaping up to be one of those glorious September days in Seattle that make you think the weather will never change, that the sky will always be pure cloudless blue, the leaves on the trees a painter's box of green, the waters of Elliot Bay calm and sparkling.

I've lived here all my forty-two years, and I still get fooled.       

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.

Continuing with ASSAULT AND PEPPER

From page 56

My Friday 56...

A deep masculine grunt at the side door caught my attention and I trotted over to check it out. Before I reached the top of the landing, a broad-shouldered brown-clad back.......

Sorry folks. 

The rest of the sentence is on page 57 ;-)

Learn about author Leslie Budewitz

Leslie on the Web

Leslie's Amazon Page - Follow Leslie!

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