Aunt Naomi’s Jambalaya

In my book, Felicity’s aunt brings jambalaya to share with a grieving family. Some jambalaya recipes have you cook the rice in the sauce, but this tends to give you a drier result, as the rice sucks moisture out of the sauce. Serving the jambalaya over the rice also allows people to choose more or less rice to go with the dish. If, like Naomi, you’re taking the food somewhere to be part of a buffet, you can always toss the sauce together with the cooked rice just before you head out the door. The sausage has to be part of this dish, but you can substitute other proteins for the chicken. Popular choices include shrimp, duck, turkey, wild boar or alligator.

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. boneless chicken, cubed
1 ½ lb. smoked andouille sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can peeled diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning blend
1 tsp. ground thyme.
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced, for serving
Cooked rice, for serving

Place the olive oil in a deep skillet or pot over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown through. Add the sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook stirring frequently until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and the Cajun seasoning blend, thyme, and cayenne pepper, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for an hour or more. Serve over rice, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

 

Felicity’s MawMaw’s Famous Gumbo

As Felicity says in the book, there are a ton of ways to make gumbo, and everyone has their favorite. This is how we make it in our house. You can vary this with different proteins (shrimp and crab are a popular choice) depending on what’s on hand. Okra and filé powder are traditional ingredients in gumbo. But they are both thickeners, so I usually skip okra and add just a little filé, since I don’t like my gumbo super thick. If you don’t like the taste of file, you can easily omit it, since it is added to taste to each serving. If you prefer okra in your gumbo, add about half a pound of sliced okra to the mix. You can make your own roux, but there’s no shame in using the jarred variety (we’ve done both ways, and there’s not a noticeable difference).I grew up in Southeast Texas (the Beaumont/Port Arthur area), and Douget’s Rice Mill is local to Beaumont, so I grew up using their roux (still recommend), but since my husband and I moved to north of Dallas, we find Kary’s is easier to find (and is available on Amazon, if you can’t get it locally).

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ lbs. boneless chicken, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp. roux
½ lb. andouille sausage
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
½ to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, to taste
¼ c. dried parsley
Filé powder, for serving
Cooked rice, for serving

Place olive oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add the diced chicken and brown, stirring frequently. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and the onion turns translucent .Add the roux and enough water to cover the chicken (around 2 quarts of water).Add the sausage. Bring to a boil. Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Turn the heat down to achieve and active simmer. Cook for an hour or more. In the last few minutes add the parsley. Serve over rice, sprinkling a little filé powder over each serving (to taste).

 

Carmen’s Dirty Horchata

One of my favorite chocolate shops is in Deep Ellum (a neighborhood in Dallas). CocoAndre isn’t just a chocolate maker – it’s also a horchateria and they do the BEST dirty horchata. When I designed my fictional chocolate shop, I wanted to include more than just chocolate, because that wouldn’t make for a shop where people would linger, to be a gathering place for my fictional community. CocoAndre was my model for Felicity’s shops coffee bar – so of course, her assistant Carmen’s specialty is dirty horchata. Horchata isn’t difficult to make – it just requires a bit of advance planning, since you’ll want the rice to infuse into the water overnight. Make sure to cool the espresso before adding it to the drink, because warm coffee will melt the ice and water it down. I tend to drink beverages with less sweetener, so I personally drop the sugar in this recipe to ¼ cup. You could bump it up to a whole cup if you like things really sweet. If you want a boozy version, you could add half a shot of Kahlua to each glass.

1 1/3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2 cinnamon sticks, crushed
1 ½ c. milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ c. granulated sugar
chilled espresso or cold-brew concentrate (1 to 2 shots per serving)

Place the rice, crushed cinnamon sticks and 2 cups of water in a blender. Blend for 2 minutes .Add an additional 2 cups of water and blend for another two minutes. Transfer the rice and water mixture to a lidded pitcher and let sit out at room temperature for around 12 hours.

Pour the rice mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a second pitcher. Discard the solids. Stir in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Chill for at least half an hour.

For each drink, fil a glass with ice and fill ¾ of the way with horchata. Add 1 to 2 shots of chilled espresso.

 

Carmen’s Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcakes

When I started working on Grand Openings Can Be Murder, I impulsively had Carmen making cupcakes for the titular grand opening party. But I didn’t want them to be just any cupcakes – they were chocolate cinnamon cupcakes with lemongrass frosting – which is an actual recipe I had created for my cookbook, There are Herbs in My Chocolate. I decided that the herb and chocolate thing would be Carmen’s signature cooking style. So when she makes besos later in the book, they’re not just besos – they’re chocolate chunk besos, rolled in lavender coconut. In the second book, she makes spicy orange cookies and conchas with rosemary and cayenne. Here’s the recipe that sets the tone for Carmen’s character and establishes her cooking style. I hope you enjoy the combination of flavors as much as I do. The frosting for these cupcakes combines cinnamon whiskey with lemongrass-infused butter. The cinnamon hits you first – and then the lemon comes in as a back note. Lemongrass is too gritty/abrasive to mince into a baked good, and you don’t want to add too much liquid to a frosting, so do take the time to infuse the butter and cool it back to solid. For a non-alcoholic version, add two tsp. of cinnamon to the frosting, and add milk to make up the missing liquid.

1 c. cocoa powder
2 c. hot coffee
2 ⅔ c. all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 c. butter, room temperature
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 batch Lemongrass Buttercream Frosting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper wrappers.

Combine the cocoa powder and the hot coffee in a medium bowl. Stir to dissolve. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the chocolate mixture and mix to a uniform color.

Scoop 2 Tbsp. of batter into each paper cup. Bake 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then frost with Lemongrass Buttercream Frosting.

Lemongrass Buttercream Frosting

1 batch Lemongrass-Infused butter
Shortening, as needed
4 c. sifted confectioners’ sugar
4 Tbsp. cinnamon whiskey

Measure the lemongrass butter, and add enough shortening to total one cup.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl frequently. Add the cinnamon whiskey and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

Lemongrass Infused Butter

2 stalks fresh lemon grass
1 c. butter
2 tsp. lemon zest

Trim and discard tough tops and root ends from lemon grass. Remove and discard tough outer layers.

Cut each stalk lengthwise in half, and cut into 2-inch pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan pan, and add the lemongrass pieces. Over high heat, melt the butter. When butter is melted, turn heat to low and stir often until flavors are blended, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the butter into a bowl. Add the lemon zest. With a slotted spoon, lift out and discard lemon grass. Let cool, cover, and chill until solid.

 

Felicity’s Bread Pudding

In Grand Openings Can Be Murder, Felicity Koerber makes bean to bar craft chocolate. To entice people new to bean to bar chocolate to try it out, she makes a whole line of truffles inspired by traditional Cajun desserts. Here, I’ve reversed the idea and given you a recipe for a dessert that incorporates single origin chocolate into the sauce. To counterpoint the pecans, choose a fruity-noted chocolate. This comforting dessert combines rustic bread pudding studded with raisins and pecans with an elevated version of a classic Cajun-style whiskey sauce. You can use whatever kind of whiskey you like. For a non-alcoholic version, omit whiskey and add a tablespoon of vanilla and several gratings of nutmeg for flavor.

butter, for greasing
3 1/2 to 4 c. day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
2 large eggs
½ c. brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar, for garnish
1 batch Single-Origin Chocolate Whiskey Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 4 (6-inch) ramekins with butter and set aside.

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the heavy cream, milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt. Whisk to combine, then add the pecans and raisins. Stir until uniform, then pour the custard mixture over the bread. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is uniform, the allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Divide the pudding mixture evenly in the four ramekins and bake 40-45 minutes or until the center of the bread pudding is set. Dust on a little powdered sugar and top with warm chocolate whiskey sauce. Serve warm.

Single-Origin Chocolate Whiskey Sauce

6 oz. single-origin dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. whiskey

Place chocolate in the top portion of a double boiler (there should be roughly 2 inches of water in the bottom pan) over medium heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate is melted through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Add the cream, and whisk to incorporate. Let cool completely, then stir in the whiskey. Serve on top of bread pudding or other dessert.

 

Felicity’s Lemon and Herb Truffle

Note: Make sure you are using edible oils and flavorings (they should be labeled as such).Essential oils meant for bath products and crafting uses can be toxic if ingested.

Several people have asked for the truffle recipe Felicity makes in Grand Openings Can Be Murder. She’s all about creating meaning through flavor in the kitchen, and this truffle reflects her confusion over her two potential love interests, as there are elements here that represent each of them. Each chocolate will react a little differently, so you may need to adjust the chocolate to cream ratio in order to get a ganache that is solid enough to roll. The test for this recipe was done with a fairly average 70% chocolate. If you want to make different truffles, you can vary the flavoring oils.

1 c. heavy cream
1 sprig of tarragon
4 sprigs of thyme
6 basil leaves
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. white pepper
1 lb. dark chocolate, chopped
6 drops lemon flavoring oil or extract
4 drops bergamot flavoring oil or extract
4 drops rose flavoring oil or extract
Cocoa powder, for rolling
Cocoa nibs, for topping

Place the cream, tarragon, thyme and basil in a small pot, and bring just to a simmer over medium-low heat. Turn the heat off and allow the herbs to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the herbs and add the lemon zest and white pepper. Discard herb solids. Return the cream to the pot and heat over medium-low until the cream starts to steam.

Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the cream over it, and allow it to sit for several minutes, until the chocolate starts to melt. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Add the flavoring oils and whisk again. Place the ganache in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Roll the ganache mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into the cocoa powder, and then press a few cocoa nibs into the top.