Recipe Weekend / Book Review: Chocolate Quake by Nancy Fairbanks

You are probably going, "not ANOTHER Nancy Fairbanks novel!", and yes, I'm working my way through all her Carolyn Blue novels, as I get them! As I had a 4 pack deal, you've got this one and another review coming! At least you get a recipe too, right? HA HA 

Synopsis: Soon after arriving in San Francisco Carolyn takes a deep breath and does what she has to…calls her mother-in-law to tell her they’re in town. The answering machine picks up: “You have reached Professor Vera Blue. I am not home because I have been arrested for first degree murder.”

Now Carolyn has to go directly to jail—to find out why the famous feminist was at the scene of the crime with the victim’s blood all over her. Between police and prisoners, lawyers and liars—and even a few earthquake tremors—Carolyn is truly shaken. However, while sampling San Francisco fare, she perseveres in her investigation of the murder, with the help of a motorcycle-riding, ex-pro football player private eye, who calls himself the Sam Spade of the Castro.


Read an excerpt on Nancy's website!


About the Author: Nancy Herndon is a US lecturer in English, and the author of historical romances under the pseudonym Elizabeth Chadwick, and mysteries under the name Nancy Herndon and Nancy Fairbanks. Originally from St Louis, she now lives in El Paso, Texas, with her husband, a University professor. She studied at University of Missouri and Rice University and did doctoral work in English at New York University. From 1989 she published historical romances and short stories under the pseudonym Elizabeth Chadwick. She then wrote seven comic police procedural mysteries, with protagonist, Texan Elena Jarvis, under her married name, Nancy Herndon. Her current series is the Carolyn Blue Culinary mysteries, written under her maiden name, Nancy Fairbanks


Review: Having lived in San Francisco, this was another fun novel for me to read! I liked this one for the 'female empowerment' and all the quirky/eccentricities of San Francisco that Fairbanks shows in a nice way. If you don't want to take a vacation in San Francisco, then you skipped too many pages, as Blue does an excellent job in giving you the full environment! 


The story is a super quick read, that will having you drooling over the excellent recipes included (hint, that's why I'm keeping this one!). If you like light mysteries with some excellent recipes, this series is definitely for you! You can cook your way through the book! Plus it would be excellent for book clubs!


Baked Italian Omelet

This omelet is different, in that it can be served open faced, or folded over on the serving platter! It is perfect for any meal!


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (your choice, Shittake and Porcini recommended)
• 1/2 cup chopped medium onion  shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 2 sprigs chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon  finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 eggs
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cp diced cooked ham
• lemon juice
• 4 oz cubed mozarella cheese
• Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preparation: Preheat oven to 450˚F. 

2. Saute mushrooms and onions in 1 tbsp butter. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs together with the cream, salt, pepper, basil, parsley and 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese.

4. Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in an ovenproof fry pan, just until butter turns white. Add the egg mixture and cook over a very low heat until mixture is soft on top. Remove from heat.

5. Sprinkle the top with the sauteed mushrooms and onion. Then add the ham, 1 tbsp 

Parmesan cheese, several drops of lemon juice, 

mozzarella cheese, and 1 tbpn melted butter. 

6. Place frying pan in oven and bake until the cheese has melted (about 4 minutes). 

7. Remove to a platter and serve with parsley garnish, toasted garlic bread and a side of sauteed tomato slices (sprinkled with fine rbead crumbs, oliv eoil and herbs).

Serves 4 

Disclosure / Disclaimer:  I bought this book for personal use. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it either.