A Gourmet Tour Through My Novels

I noticed that there is at least one prominant dish served in each of my novels so I thought it might be fun to share a few of these recipes with you:


In Bartlett's Rule, Paige cooks Tortellini Alfredo for Lon when he visits her apartment in Delaware -

TORTELLINI ALFREDO

Printed from COOKS.COM

1 lb. tortellini1

pkg. frozen peas partially thawed

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 c. Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

3/4 c. heavy cream or half and half

Walnuts (optional)

6 oz. Prosciutto or ham, shredded (optional)

Place peas in colander. Cook tortellini as directed (on firm side). Drain from colander. In pot on low heat, melt butter, mix with cream. Return tortellini and peas to pot. On low heat, mix well with butter/cream, add cheese, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add optional ingredient(s).

In Forgotten, Aunt Syl cooks up a meal of Hearty Beef Stew because it is one of Tommy's favorites -

HEARTY BEEF STEW
Printed from COOKS.COM

1 1/2 to 2 lb. boneless beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 tbsp. oil

2 c. water

8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 beef-flavor bouillon cubes or 2 tsp. instant beef bouillon

2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 med. onions, quartered

1 bay leaf

6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 med. potatoes, cut into pieces

2 tbsp. flour

1/4 c. water

1 c. frozen sweet peas

Chopped fresh parsley

Coat beef cubes with mixture of 1/4 cup flour, salt and pepper. In 5-quart Dutch oven, brown meat in oil. Stir in water; tomato sauce, bouillon cubes, celery, onions and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove bay leaf. Add carrots and potatoes. Simmer covered an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
In small jar with lid, add flour to water; shake well. Stir into stew mixture. Stir in peas. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring frequently. Garnish each serving with parsley. 6 (1 1/2 cup)

And in Within the Law, Alli tries to impress Tom by making Filet Mignon with mushroom gravy -

Broiled Filet Mignon with Mushroom Gravy

4 fillet steaks;
2 ts Vegetable oil
2 tb Melted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup beef broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup fat-free sour cream

1 cup presliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Brush steaks with oil and butter and broil 4 to 7 minutes per side; never cook until well done. Remove from pan.Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to pan; sautee 5 minutes. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Place sour cream in a medium bowl. Gradually add mushroom mixture to sour cream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in minced parsley. Serve gravy with steak.