Haunted House Cupcakes from Not Quite Nigela

More exquisite delights from Not Quite Nigela's wonderful food site. For those of you who like to bake as well as eat, blog owner Lorraine Elliott gives detailed instructions.

I cook once in a while but rarely bake. If a reader decides to try the recipe and would like me to do a taste test I'll send you my address :)

Adrian Phoenix - Two Favorite New Orleans Recipes

PVN:  While researching did you come across any good New Orleans recipes you would like to share?


AP: Here’s a couple of yummy recipes:

Bourbon Street Po’ Boy

 
6 tablespoons butter or margarine; 6 tablespoons flour; 1 large onion, sliced; a small green bell pepper, sliced; 2 cups beef broth; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; ¾ teaspoon Tabasco sauce; ½ teaspoon thyme, crumbled; 1 pound thinly sliced cooked beef; 4 hero rolls. (Serves 4)

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan; stir in flour.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until flour browns, about 4 minutes.
3. Add onion and bell pepper.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes; gradually stir in broth.
5. Add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and thyme; stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens.
6. Cut a thin slice from top of each roll; scoop out soft insides.
7. Arrange meat on each roll; spoon gravy over meat and replace tops on rolls.

Café Brûlot

1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 cinnamon stick; 5 whole cloves; rind of 1 lemon, thinly slivered; 2 thin slices lemon; 1 thin slice orange; ½ cup orange-flavored liqueur; ¼ cup brandy; 3 cups freshly brewed Louisiana coffee with chicory; lemon and orange rind curls (optional). (Serves 6)

1. Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and citrus rinds in a chafing dish or medium skillet; heat until sugar begins to dissolve.
2. Add citrus slices, liqueur and brandy; heat.
3. Half fill a metal ladle with some of the hot liquid and carefully ignite.
4. Add to mixture in pan to ignite, ladling to distribute flavors.
5. When flame dies, add coffee; heat.
6. Serve in demitasse cups; garnish with curls of lemon and orange rind (if desired).

Drink up, y’all!

Susan Blexrud's Choco-Kahlua Pound Cake

There is still time to enter the Contest [ends Feb.22] for a copy of Susan's new release Love Fang. Meanwhile find below a prize everyone can enjoy!

Choco-Kahlua Pound Cake

A Recipe from Susan Blexrud

1 box (pudding recipe) devil’s food cake mix
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
¾ cup water
¼ cup bourbon
½ cup Kahlua
¾ cup black coffee, dougle strength
2 teaspoons cocoa
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all the ingredients and beat for 4 minutes.  Bake in a greased bundt pan for 50 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes, then ice.

Icing:  1 stick butter, I cup sugar, 2/3 cup evaporated milk, 1 and ½ cups chocolate chips.
Heat the butter, sugar and milk; boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Take off the heat and rapidly stir in the chocolate schips and pour over the cake immediately.

Internet Sites of Paranormal Interest October 24, 2008

Now through October 31 you can get a free copy of The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose. The author says:

"I want you to discover the worlds I'm exploring in the Reincarnation series so much, I'm offering you the first in the series - THE REINCARNATIONIST - free.

"No strings, just the free book — all you have to do is click on either of the links above and download the entire novel and start reading THE REINCARNATIONIST (which has just been released in paperback) now! Readers and reviewers say it's 'un-put-downable.'

"The series continues with The Memorist (which is out now) - and early reviews and reader reactions is the same - it seems I've tapped into a universal interest with these books that explore who we were and who we are while at the same time giving you a page turning read. I hope you'll agree. "

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As part of St John's Storytelling Festival Storyteller host Dale Jarvis' is telling a rather exciting cat and mouse story. I'm not much of a Tweeter but I do follow Dale on Twitter. That's where you'll find the serialized tale.






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New book coming up Oct 28 is All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 5)
by Kerrelyn Sparks. And it has its own video.




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I found a short interview with author Scott Bowen author of The Vampire Survival Guide: How to Fight and Win Against the Undead (Skyhorse, 2008). See my Vampire Notes for details about the book.

BTW alert reader Vickie tells me that there is such a thing as The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks.

No more need for sleepless nights, folks!



Scott Bowen

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There is an interesting interview at Literary Escapism with reader/writer/blogger Tez Miller. She answers the question on how to hone your TBR list. At least how she does it. Living in Australia seems to have built in limitations. A contest asks the questions "what efforts have you made to shorten your wishlist? Do you find it easy or difficult to cross stuff off? How do you go about deciding which books you’ll purchase, and which ones you’ll get from the library?". You have until Oct. 28 to enter.

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Holidays bring out the artist in many of us, but for Melissa Valeriote, a true professional in the field, seasons like Halloween can be loads of fun. Be sure to visit her blog The Holiday Queen
to see some delightful creations.

This item is called Pumpkin Ghost. I love it. The photo on the blog site is larger and shows the details better.

And it's edible!


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It's not cheap being an author. Mark on The League of Reluctant Adults rants a bit on the cost to an author in publicizing his/her book. No wonder few writers can afford to depend on writing as their full time job.

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Bleeding Vampire Cupcakes for Your Halloween Party