As I worked on Tequila Mockingbird, book five in my
current culinary mystery series, for National Novel Writing Month, I knew the
series was nearing an end. Book six, Cooks
in the Can, will conclude the adventures of personal chefs Alli and Gina in
Glendale, Arizona.
So what’s in The After?
I still want to write
culinary mysteries, but I am switching it up by moving Alli and Evan to Alaska
and having Alli work for a couple of small businesses there. A common joke in
Alaska is that Alaska is home to both the wanted and the unwanted. Perfect spot
for the cop Evan, right?
Their small Alaska town will
be populated with a variety of quirky folk, some of whom run small businesses
in the town. In this series, the first book will feature Alli, but other books
will have her as a supporting character with other small business owners being
the focus. I’m not sure how to avoid the Cabot Cove Syndrome yet, but I’ll
figure it out.
I already have some titles
for these “murders with taste”, but for me, that’s no big deal. Punny titles
pop into my head all the time. What do you think about these to pick from: Baked Alaska, Go with the Floe, Chocolate
Moose, Dead and Breakfast, Mint to Be, Arsenic and Old Mace, Thyme
to Die, Duds and Suds, and Iced? More are occurring to me all the
time, so who knows which ones will be in this series.
My plan, at this point, is
to create a small town in Alaska with a variety of quirky characters, each of
whom runs a small business in town. Each book in the series will have Alli
helping to solve the mystery created around the small business and its owner.
The titles above may have
tipped you that one small business owner, Maeve, runs an herb shop. She supplies
residents and area restaurants with spices and herbs, but a more lucrative component
is her salves and infusions made with marijuana. That keeps her bottom line
healthy.
Riley is the owner of the
local bed and breakfast, Riley’s Roost—Where you rise and shine! She’s the
self-appointed mayor and knows everything about everybody in the town. But she’s
a busybody with a heart.
Another resident is Bud,
the owner of Bud’s Duds ‘n’ Suds, the local bar that has the only laundromat
for 50 miles. He sees the good, the bad, and the ugly in the town, and is privy
to secrets told by inebriated customers.
I need a bakery, a diner,
and a local newspaper still. And, of course, there is the realtor who gets into
lots of spaces. Populating a town is a challenge and great fun!
As to recipes—this is a
culinary mystery series, of course—rhubarb is very big in Alaska, so there will
be several recipes using the ubiquitous plant, like this recipe from the
University of Alaska:
Easy
Rhubarb Jam Yields 2 pints
5 cups rhubarb
3 cups sugar
3 ounce package strawberry-flavored gelatin
Combine rhubarb and sugar and let stand one hour.
Boil until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the strawberry flavored
gelatin and stir until dissolved.
Let cool. Pour into freezer containers for storing in
freezer or jars
for storing in refrigerator.
Jam should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than 2
weeks. Leave ½ inch
headspace.
Also, salmon is the
lifeblood of Alaska, so several salmon recipes will be featured, including this
salmon caviar one from an Alaskan friend of mine, Sandy Peacock that she
received from her Alaskan friend, Chi Dragich. Thanks to them for sharing this absolutely delicious recipe. I ate it like a grizzly bear!
Salmon Caviar
Yields 2 quarts
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon saki
1-3 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon Dashi
seasoning
Salmon roe from one salmon
Open the skein, flatten on
wire rack, rubbing back and forth to separate eggs.
Flush with cold water, in
rectangular plastic tubs, multiple times until water is clear.
Pick out bits of egg,
veins, etc. Set in strainer to dry. Color of eggs will return and appear
uniform.
In large bowl, mix well all
ingredients except salmon roe.
Fold in eggs to seasoning
mixture.
Place in sterile jars and
refrigerate for up to 3-4 weeks.
Serve on crackers with
cream cheese.
What do you think? Would
you pick up a culinary mystery series set in The Last Frontier? Please share
this post. Thanks!
Facebook:
Sharon Arthur Moore is planning her next culinary mystery series. This one will
be set in Alaska. Check out what’s on the horizon. Recipes included. http://bit.ly/2ASIx7M
Twitter:
@good2tweat shares two #recipes from her next culinary mystery series set in
Alaska. http://bit.ly/2ASIx7M
