A Spy in Saigon - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to allow Nancy Cole Silverman to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. Nancy writes the Kat Lawson Mystery series. A Spy in Saigon is the fourth book in the series.

Why I Love Female Protagonists 
By Nancy Cole Silverman 

I grew up during the era of black-and-white TV. There were only three networks, with limited programming, and they all signed off at midnight. I remember waking up on Saturday mornings, racing downstairs in my cowboy hat and footed pajamas to watch the early morning kids’ shows like The Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, and Fury while eating a bowl of Cheerios in front of the TV. In case you hadn’t guessed, I was an adventurous child, and when it came to reading, I preferred books like Walter Farley’s Black Stallion over Nancy Drew—despite her very clever sleuthing.

It wasn’t until I retired from a career in talk radio—where I had broken the glass ceiling and was one of the only women in the country to run a sports talk radio station—that I decided it was time to go home and write mysteries. But after twenty-five years working in a predominantly old-boys’ club, I wasn’t about to write a mystery with a male lead. Despite being a big fan of Lee Child’s books about Jack Reacher and Jeffery Deaver’s Colter Shaw series, where were the women? Couldn’t there be a lone, female protagonist who could save the day?

I’m not talking about a female superhero with a black belt in Karate who can take down five burly men in an alley fight–I didn’t want to write about a cartoon character, but about a real woman. A strong, single, intelligent female lead with more brains than brawn. A woman with enough real-life experience to know how to sidestep a bad situation, who isn’t shy about using her feminine wiles to navigate complex social situations and come out on top. Someone as flawed as she was driven. I’ve met such women in business—and Kat Lawson embodies them all—mid-forties, attractive, widowed, and divorced. A disgraced investigative reporter, fired from her last job due to an inappropriate workplace relationship. I’ll spare the details—heavy sex happens best off page and in the mind of the reader—but suffice to say, Kat’s boss was promoted, while she was fired and forced to find other employment. This left her desperate for a job, working as a feature reporter for Journey International, a cover operation for the FBI, where, on assignment, Kat is asked to make an occasional delivery.

Things, of course, never go as planned, and every protagonist needs a sidekick to help move the plot along. The Lone Ranger had Tonto, the Rifleman had his son, and if we go far enough back to Gunsmoke, Matt Dillon, in addition to Doc and Chester, had Miss Kitty. Alas, a woman! But even she was a woman behind the man, and not the lead. So, while I wanted to create a strong female character, I also needed to craft a sidekick who would be enough like Kat and yet different enough to be a constant source of entertainment and struggle. Enter Sophie Brill, Kat’s handler; sixty-five, a retired art historian, member of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, and publisher of Journey International. Kat is Sophie’s eyes and ears on the ground, while Sophie is Kat’s sole contact while abroad, and fortunately, or unfortunately, as the case may be, only a phone call away.

Each of Kat’s adventures takes place in a different country, one I’ve visited, and as a former journalist, I have spent a lot of time researching. A Spy in Saigon is set in Vietnam, and the country is much more than just a backdrop for a good story. The area became as much of a character as Kat was on the page, with mysteries of its own and a history that would haunt me. Little did I know, when I first started writing, just how much of my own history was about to unfold.

Writing a spy novel set in a foreign country linked to a historical period required digging into the archives, studying the customs and daily life of Vietnam, and understanding the complexities of espionage during both the war and much later. It enabled me to create a cast of characters that reflected the moral ambiguity and shifting allegiances of that era and today. When I finished writing and rewriting, I set the book aside. Did I truly want to share this story? Things I knew and researched were no longer front-page news. Was the past sometimes better left undisturbed? I didn’t have clear answers. However, I wanted my readers to think about history, politics, and the nature of truth, and to consider the real sacrifices and dilemmas faced by those living through extraordinary times.

Thank you for reading A Spy in Saigon. It was a story inspired by faith, forgiveness, and love.

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A Spy in Saigon: A Kat Lawson Mystery by Nancy Cole Silverman 

About A Spy in Saigon

 

A Spy in Saigon: A Kat Lawson Mystery
Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - Vietnam
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books
Publication Date: ‎ November 25, 2025
Paperback Print Length: ‎ 230 pages

The truth will set you free – or it will kill you.

Kat Lawson’s new undercover assignment has turned deadly. A trip to Vietnam to write a travel feature for Journey International while making a drop to deliver cash and passports for a top-secret operation has gone awry. Kat has a choice to make and a target on her back. She can live with a secret, or she can reveal a truth that puts her in the crosshairs of an enemy sworn to kill her. With the lives of trafficked children at stake in a country where agents and double agents trade secrets, Kat must choose between the acceptance of a truth that will forever change her life or living a lie that will save the lives of others.

About Nancy Cole Silverman

 

After 25 years in news and talk radio, Nancy Cole Silverman retired to write fiction. Her crime-focused novels have attracted readers throughout America, and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Silverman writes the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries (Henry Press) and the Kat Lawson Mysteries (Level Best Books). For more detailed information, visit www.nancycolesilverman.com  

Author Links: 

Website www.nancycolesilverman.com  

Facebook www.facebook.com/nancy.cole.silverman.2025  

Purchase Link - Amazon

Murder on the Med - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm happy to allow Neil Webster to take over Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Neil on the pages of MURDER ON THE MED by Nancy Cole Silverman. This book is the third in the Kat Lawson Mystery series and was released last week.

A Man of Mystery

I have a name everybody knows. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you. I'm not just rich. I'm mega-rich. Heir to one of the biggest diamond mines in the world. My investment portfolio outperforms any in the market. My connections among those of the wealthy are beyond reproach. Some say I have a Midas Touch. Everything I do turns to gold. My name is Neil Webster. And while some may think they know who I am, there are only two people in the world who know who I really am. One is dead, and the other, I would trust my life to.

I've worked hard to keep my personal life private, and I like it that way. So I was surprised when I learned that my former business partner's wife, Dede Drumerhausen, had asked Kat Lawson, a reporter with Journey International, to come onboard Athena–my home away from home—to write a travel feature. Athena is the first of what I had hoped would be a series of upscale retirement communities at sea. An expensive venture, and frankly, one that lately hasn't worked out as I would like. I am hesitant to talk about anything to do with my business, much less my personal life, and now, with Kat Lawson onboard, I'll have to keep my guard up.

Regardless of my feelings, I made it my business to meet with Kat and welcome her aboard on our first day at sea. She was staying in Dede's suite while Dede attended several cooking schools in southern Italy. I always felt it best to keep those who could do you the most harm close to you. And journalists, I've learned from experience, tend to be snoopy and, at times, unscrupulous in their fact-finding. Hence, I wasn't about to risk Kat uncovering information about Athena that she didn't need to concern herself with.

I was most gracious. Charming, despite the fact I surprised Kat when she returned from High Tea and found me in Dede's kitchen, stocking her spice cabinet.

Kat's initial reaction was one of surprise—essential when one wants the upper hand. I assured her I had totally forgotten that Dede had arranged for Kat to stay in her cabin while away and explained that Dede and I shared a mutual interest in the culinary arts. I apologized for surprising her and explained that I had picked up some exotic spices and was merely stocking Dede's spice cabinet. I promised her I'd not surprise her again.

Kat reacted as I expected she would. She was alarmed that someone had access to her apartment, then chagrined when she realized I was Neil Webster—the Neil Webster—Athena's owner, one of the world's wealthiest men, and undoubtedly one of the most sought-after interviews any reporter could hope for. Kat played the scene favorably, aware of the opportunity versus the risk of my being anything but a gentleman. It all worked out exactly as I wanted.

I invited Kat to dinner. She countered with a challenge that since I consider myself a fan of the culinary arts, I might make dinner instead. I accepted. I'm a fabulous cook. I enjoy entertaining but insisted on one stipulation. Kat could ask me anything at all about Athena, her storied past as a Russian oligarch's private yacht. Her itinerary. Her crew, or even general questions about her residents. But my personal life and business affairs were strictly off-limits. Kat, of course, said yes. Whether she thought she might ply me with wine or slip flirtatiously beneath my defensive radar, I wasn't worried. I've no interest in women and a very loyal crew.

Kat's butler, Finn, is my long-time partner, and very little gets by him. I know everything that goes on aboard Athena, even when not onboard. Or at least I thought I did. 

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Review

MURDER ON THE MED by Nancy Cole Silverman
The Third Kat Lawson Mystery

 

A former investigative reporter now working for the FBI, Kat Lawson has certainly earned a vacation. Her cover magazine, Travel International, has arranged a cruise for her along the Amalfi Coast. She's to relax and write a puff piece about her ship, the Athena, which is actually a traveling home for wealthy retired senior citizens. However, two elderly women say that their friend, Dede Drummerhausen, whose cabin Kat is subletting, did not leave the ship as planned. They believe she was pushed overboard, possibly murdered! When Kat finds a gold coin hidden in her cabin, she wonders if something sinister could really be going on. Antiquities theft? Murder? So much for a peaceful relaxing vacation!

 

MURDER ON THE MED is a thrilling meld of mystery and history. One of the things I like best about the book is the fact that its senior citizens are vital, active people with brains and determination. They are actively pursuing their dream. Unfortunately, their dreams are nefarious and the Gang of Eight are definitely the bad guys! Marco and Dede are also vibrant seniors, each of whom gave me plenty of chuckles. I really appreciate Kat as a protagonist. She's smart and eminently capable. She thinks on her feet and has great insight, so important as she truly was just expecting a vacation.

I love how history and archeology are entwined in the story. I never knew about the Brutus coin and found it fascinating to learn about that, as well as the ancient underwater cities. A scene made more exciting by the fact that visiting them may have been a plan to kill Kat!

The third Kat Lawson Mystery is a bit of a cat and mouse game, or should I say Kat and mouse game. Each group trying to ascertain what the other knows and Kat trying to figure out not only what's going on, but who to trust. I was captivated.

With wily characters in a sumptuous setting on the sea MURDER ON THE MED is an ingenious mystery that will keep you guessing.

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 Murder on the Med: A Kat Lawson Mystery by Nancy Cole Silverman

About Murder on the Med

Murder on the Med: A Kat Lawson Mystery
Mystery - 3rd in Series
Setting - On a cruise ship in the Mediterranean
Publisher: ‎ Level Best Books (June 4, 2024)
Print length: ‎ 271 pages

A travel feature turns into a deadly investigation for Kat Lawson when she discovers a missing passenger, presumed overboard, may have been used as a mule to smuggle ancient artifacts aboard Athena, a luxury cruise ship designed for retired seniors at sea.

Kat Lawson has got a plumb assignment, or so she thinks. Travel International has rewarded her with a vacation cruise along the Amalfi Coast to report on a new floating senior retirement center. After working undercover as a travel reporter for the FBI and barely escaping her last assignment with her life, Kat's job is to relax, take notes, shoot pictures, and report back on an extravagant cruise from Napes to Positano. What could go wrong?

But once aboard, Kat quickly learns it's not all smooth sailing. Kat finds a handbag for Dede Drummerhausen, the woman who owns the suite where Kat is staying, and hidden inside is a gold coin. Rumor abound. Passengers and some of their possessions have gone missing. The residents are restless, and some on board are suspicious of a travel reporter who might uncover their secret mission. When Athena's captain discovers Kat snooping below deck, she soon realizes, like the antiquities hidden onboard, that she's been kidnapped and that her job and her life are in danger.

About Nancy Cole Silverman

Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five years in news and talk radio before retiring to write fiction. Silverman’s award-winning short stories and crime-focused novels, the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries (Henry Press), are based in Los Angeles, while her newest series, the Kat Lawson Mysteries (Level Best Books), takes a more international approach. Kat Lawson, a former investigative reporter has gone undercover for the FBI as a feature writer for a travel publication. Expect lots of international intrigue, vivid descriptions of small European villages, great food, lost archives, and non-stop action. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and thoroughly pampered standard poodle, Paris.

Author Link: 

Website: www.nancycolesilverman.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.silverman.90/  

Threads: @nancy.silverman  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4027978.Nancy_Cole_Silverman  

Purchase Links - Amazon -

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Currently Reading...

I am currently reading Murder on the Med by Nancy Cole Silverman. This book is the third in the Kat Lawson Mystery series and was released yesterday.

A former investigative reporter now working for the FBI, Kat Lawson has certainly earned a vacation. Her cover magazine, Travel International, has arranged a cruise for her along the Amalfi Coast. She's to relax and write a puff piece about her ship, the Athena, which is actually a traveling home for wealthy retired senior citizens. However, two elderly women say that their friend, Dede Drummerhausen, whose cabin Kat is subletting, did not leave the ship as planned. They believe she was pushed overboard, possibly murdered! When Kat finds a gold coin hidden in her cabin, she wonders if something sinister could really be going on. Antiquities theft? Murder? So much for a peaceful relaxing vacation!

Passport to Spy - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

PASSPORT TO SPY by Nancy Cole Silverman
The Second Kat Lawson Mystery 

Kat Lawson is in Munich, Germany ostensibly as a reporter for Travel Life magazine writing about winter attractions. In reality, she's working for the FBI looking for information about a hidden cache of artwork stolen by the Nazis. She has no trouble getting close to her target, a charismatic museum curator, but unfortunately, she's also caught the eye of a suspicious Russian, a gatekeeper receptionist, and a protective sister. Soon Kat gets in deeper than she ever imagined. Will she get out alive?

Though I'm generally a stickler for reading series in order I didn't have time to read the first Kat Lawson mystery before this one. However, PASSPORT TO SPY works perfectly well as an introduction to the series. In fact, it seems as if it is the first book in the series as this is Kat's first assignment. I never felt as if I was missing anything and the book works perfectly well as a stand alone mystery, though I am quite looking forward to see what happens next.

Both intriguing and captivating the second Kat Lawson mystery has mysteries to unravel, though Kat's job is not to solve them. Instead she's supposed to get close to the museum curator and merely gather intelligence. Kat not only gets close, but gets more involved than her handler wants and discovers more than she should. I love how she's able to incorporate her cover story into her real work, as I got to learn about the winter activities and tourist spots around Munich. I also appreciated how Kat was able to keep calm as things spiraled out of control.

PASSPORT TO SPY is an exciting mystery that's part thriller, part historical fiction, and all fun.

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Passport to Spy: A Kat Lawson Mystery by Nancy Cole Silverman

About Passport to Spy

Passport to Spy: A Kat Lawson Mystery
Historical Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - Germany
Level Best Books (June 6, 2023)
Print length: ‎ 268 pages

After losing her job as an investigative reporter for The Phoenix Gazette, Kat Lawson has a new gig. The FBI has asked her to work undercover as a reporter for Travel International to cover Munich, Germany’s festive holiday scene—an excuse to get close to Hans von Hausmann, a very charismatic and popular museum curator suspected of hiding a cache of stolen masterpieces believed to be part of the World’s Largest Art Heist. The job comes with lots of perks: airfare, travel expenses, the opportunity to see the world...and for a seasoned reporter like Kat, nothing she can’t handle. But, when a trusted source is found dead, Kat realizes the tables have been turned. Armed with evidence that will expose a cache of artwork stolen from museums and the homes of wealthy Jews during the 2nd World War, Kat must find a way to avoid being caught by the German Polizie, who have enough evidence to charge her with murder, and those who want her dead to keep their hidden treasures forever secret. The hunter has become the hunted; now, Kat has a target on her back.

About Nancy Cole Silverman

Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five years in news and talk radio, beginning her career in college on the talent side as one of the first female voices on the air. Later on the business side in Los Angeles, she retired as one of two female general managers in the nation’s second-largest radio market. After a successful career in the radio industry, Silverman retired to write fiction. Her short stories and crime-focused novels—the Carol Childs and Misty Dawn Mysteries, (Henry Press) are both Los Angeles-based. Her newest series THE NAVIGATOR’S DAUGHTER, (Level Best Books) takes a more international approach. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a thoroughly pampered standard poodle.

Author Links: 

Website www.nancycolesilverman.com  

Facebook Nancy Cole Silverman | Facebook  

Goodreads: Nancy Cole Silverman (Author of Shadow Of Doubt) | Goodreads  

Purchase Links - Amazon  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022

I'm not sure how today is the last day of 2021. What a year it's been! There have been lots of lows, COVID, anyone, but lots of highs too. I asked some favorite cozy authors what the best thing about 2021 was, any New Year's Eve plans (I'll be in lounge wear relaxing with my cats, in bed well before midnight), and resolutions and goals for 2022. Here's what they said.

From Meg Macy

Kathy: The best thing that happened in 2021...

My granddaughter's birth

Kathy: What are you most looking forward to in 2022?

More reading! Hoping we can go to Hawaii for our anniversary

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? 

Buying lighter dinnerware! Our Pfaltzgraff is getting too heavy

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans?

Playing games, usually, a wine cooler, snacks. I'd prefer being in bed before midnight, but the hub is a night owl. 

Meg Macy
National Bestselling Author of the ShamelesslyAdorable Teddy Bear Cozy Mysteries
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Also writing historical mysteries as
D.E. Ireland Meg Mims
~ Witty Mystery, Vivid History ~

 

From Kathleen Kalb/Nikki Knight

New Year’s Resolution:

Do better at accepting that there are things I can’t control – pandemic, family health issues, rejections – and focus on doing my best with the things I can control.

New Year’s Plans:

My favorite family – and Work Family – holiday is New Year’s Day. I work weekends and holidays so I can be a stay-at-home mom during the week. On New Year’s, I pull one last holiday fill-in shift with the same people I’ve been with for almost 20 years, then come home and have a wonderful dinner with my family. Everyone is relaxed and happy and it’s easily the best day of the season both at work and home!

Kathleen Marple Kalb
Author of the Ella Shane Mysteries: A FATAL FIRST NIGHT out now, A FATAL OVERTURE, 3/29/2022, Kensington Books
As Nikki Knight: Author of LIVE, LOCAL AND DEAD, A Vermont Radio Mystery, 2/8/2022, Crooked Lane Books
"Bad Apples" Honorable Mention, Black Orchid Novella Award 2021
https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/ 

 

From Ellen Byron/Maria DiRico

Best thing that happened in 2021?

Pogo, our beloved chihuahua mix rescue, survived a serious injury. He’s 15, so that’s saying something. Also, I was invited to be the 2023 Toastmaster at Left Coast Crime! I’m so excited about this.

Kathy: What are you most looking forward to in 2022?

Professionally, the launch of BAYOU BOOK THIEF, the first book in my Vintage Cookbook Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. Personally, our daughter’s graduation from Loyola University in New Orleans. Although that’s bittersweet. I’ll miss her college days.

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? 

Lose. WEIGHT!

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans?

Good luck getting me out of my jammies on New Year’s Eve! We celebrate twice, once at 9 p.m. PST, when it’s midnight in my hometown of New York. Then at midnight – if we’re still up! 

https://www.ellenbyron.com/

From Nancy Cole Silverman

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions?

More walking, less worry and the start of a new series. Book One, THE NAVIGATOR’S DAUGHTER, drop June 7, 2021.

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans?

We’re not big New Year’s Celebrators. We’ll go to dinner early, come home and toast the New Year in quietly. 

 https://www.nancycolesilverman.com/

 

From Tina Kashian

Kathy: What are you most looking forward to in 2022?

 

As a mother, my oldest daughter graduates high school. It will be a sad and happy time. I will most likely be the mom sobbing in the bleachers. As a writer, I'm looking forward to the release of "Murder in the Mountains," an anthology with nine mystery authors. My story, "A Killer Pocono Hike," features my Kebab Kitchen amateur sleuths. Lucy Berberian and Katie Watson take a girlfriend trip to the mountains, but murder follows them. 

 

 Here is a link to the book for a special pre-order price of $0.99. https://amzn.to/3D41QHk

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? 

Exercise more!

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans? 

We used to go to big parties. Now we get together with close friends for food and wine.

 

From Victoria Hamilton

Best thing that happened in 2021? 

I had two well received books out in 2021, (DOUBLE OR MUFFIN, Merry Muffin Mysteries #7 & A CALCULATED WHISK, Vintage Kitchen Mysteries #10) and I feel so fortunate to be able to do that. That’s pretty special.

But… on a personal note, I started and stuck to an exercise routine, something I’ve never been able to do for longer than a few weeks. I was shaken to the core by the death of a close friend and neighbour in late 2020. He was someone I went to high school with, and one year younger than I am. It shook something loose inside of me; I want to have a long an active life. So I started and stuck to a ‘diet’ and exercise plan (ongoing), lost a little weight, but better, started to feel that exercise is now a part of my life. I’ve become a planking zealot.

Kathy: What are you most looking forward to in 2022

Professionally, I am going to tackle the BIG ONE, the passion project that haunts me day and night, a proposal for a mystery series unlike anything I’ve ever written. I don’t know yet if it will be any good, but I’m going to work on it, then put it out there. 

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions?

Kinda/sorta. Christmas of 2020 a friend gave me a 2021 weekly planner. The cover said ‘Make yourself a priority’. Revolutionary thought!

So… on January 4th, 2021 I started exercising and kept it up all damn year, recording what I did almost every day. It has brought some weight loss and better health, but it is also something I am doing just for me, and there aren’t many things I do just for me. I resolve to continue to make me a priority, my health and well being. I resolve to keep working on me, how I can be and do better. I resolve to find a serene place in my mind where I can find peace. Bring on 2022.

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans?

2020/2021 was a couple of crappy years, although I will say 2021, while not great, has been consequential for me. I’ve made some changes. Midnight, New Year’s Eve I’ll be in front of the tube eating Chinese food with the two cats, and watching the two Andys on CNN. I’ll make it to midnight, shout hurrah, and yell “get out of here you stinking lousy 2021”, and hello to a hopeful new year.

2022 has to be better, right? That’s all I’m asking for, is better.

http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com/

 

From Jenny Kales

Celebrating the New Year with a Recipe from Callie’s Kitchen

When I started envisioning The Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries, one of the things I was most looking forward to was the food. True, this is a cozy mystery series, requiring my amateur sleuth, Calliope “Callie” Costas to find a killer amidst cooking assignments, but she is also a Greek American and a Midwesterner. The food traditions are plentiful, and they say a lot about who Callie is as a person. Yes, she is warm, nurturing and kind, but also ready to think on the fly and use kitchen equipment that just might help her in the face of a killer!

Of course, holiday foods play a role in my series. The following recipe for kreatopita, a special Greek New Year’s “pita” or pie, appears in my Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries Cookbook. Kreatopita is hearty and homey, true comfort food, and especially welcome at this time of year. What makes it special is that a coin is placed in the pie and whoever finds it has good luck for the New Year. This pie is traditionally served on New Year’s Day, and it has many derivations – you can use ground pork, beef, or lamb. I’ve included my family recipe for you below. It’s a delicious tradition that you don’t have to be Greek to enjoy! 

 New Year’s Kreatopita

Ingredients:

4 cups finely cut leeks

½ lb. unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks)

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs.’ ground beef or lamb

6 eggs

1 -2 tsp. dried oregano, ¼ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp dried basil OR 2 tsp. Greek seasoning blend, if you have it

½ cup grated kasseri (hard Greek cheese – available at many well-stocked supermarkets or gourmet grocery shops) or Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

½ lb. phyllo sheets (pastry sheets), thawed if frozen

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a large baking pan and a sterilized coin. Or, you can wrap your coin in a small amount of aluminum foil. This is also a good way to make the coin stand out so that the diners can see it so that they don’t accidentally eat it.

Sauté the leeks in a small amount of the melted butter until wilted and golden. Set aside to cool. In a large, wide frying pan, sauté meat in olive oil until browned. Set this aside to cool. When both meat and leeks have cooled, stir in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly mixed. Add cheese and mix gently. Add seasonings, plus salt and pepper to taste, and mix thoroughly.

On the bottom of a large baking pan, layer 8 phyllo sheets, one at a time, spreading melted butter generously over each sheet, all the way to the corners. A pastry brush works best. Place your sterilized coin on top of the last baking sheet. Work quickly so that the phyllo doesn’t dry out and cover it up with plastic wrap while you do the next step.

Spread filling evenly over phyllo, then cover the top with 8 more phyllo sheets, spreading melted butter on each sheet, one at a time. With a sharp knife, score into even squares before putting into oven (this makes it easier to cut after baking). If any of the phyllo overhangs your baking pan, carefully trim with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the phyllo looks golden brown.

Note: Warn your guests that there is a coin in this pie, and of course, supervise any young diners so that there are no unhappy surprises. We only want good luck! Chronia Polla! That’s Greek for Happy New Year!

To learn more about my books, visit my Amazon author page: and follow me on Facebook at Jenny Kales Author.

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So, mystery fans, what are you looking forward to in 2022?

Boxing Day Recipes

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, or, if you don't celebrate, a wonderful Saturday! Christmas is actually just beginning, remember the 12 days of Christmas are the 12 days AFTER Christmas. It will end on Epiphany, Three Kings Day on January 12...although many Poles celebrate until Candlemas, February 2! In keeping with the holiday I asked some favorite cozy authors to share some favorite holiday recipes.

 From Maureen Klovers

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Biscotti

 

Biscotti was the Roman Empire’s version of hard tack—its legions marched to battle with bellies full of biscotti—which is proof positive that Italians do everything better! In modern-day Italy, they are generally referred to as “cantucci”— “biscotti” is a broader, more generic term for a hard cookie or bread.

 

As the name suggests, biscotti are twice-cooked (“Bis” meant “twice” in latin, and “cotto”—the singular of “cotti”—means “cooked” in modern Italian), and this recipe requires you to do just that. The upside is that you end up with a wonderfully crunchy cookie to dip in your cappuccino or dessert wine, and they will last far longer than your typical chewy American cookie.

 

Peanut butter and chocolate are not particularly authentic flavorings, but this is one of my favorite recipes and—judging by all of the information I’ve extracted from neighbors I’ve plied with these biscotti—one of Acorn Hollow’s favorite recipes too!

 

3 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup peanut butter

¼ cup water

2 ¾ cup flour

1 ¾ cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp salt

4 cups dark chocolate chips, divided

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Combine eggs, peanut butter, and water in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then add dry ingredient mixture to wet ingredients, stirring to fully incorporate. Then stir in one cup of chocolate chips.

 

Line cookie sheet with buttered parchment paper. Divide dough, which should be sticky and relatively dry for cookie dough, into two halves. Form each half into a log, approximately three inches in width and one-half inch in height, on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with back of spoon.

 

Bake logs at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Then remove from oven and turn down oven temperature to 300 degrees. Slice logs on the bias (diagonally) into ¾ inch thick slices. Then arrange slices, cut side up, on the cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip slices biscotti so that the other side gets toasted and bake another 10 minutes at 300 degrees.

 

Let biscotti cool on a wire rack. Once biscotti have cooled somewhat, melt 3 cups of chocolate chips in a double boiler, stirring constantly. Then dredge one side of each biscotti in the melted chocolate and return to the wire rack to dry. Let harden overnight.

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From Daryl Wood Gerber

My grandmother made these and I’ve made them every year since. My sister does, too, and she lives in Virginia.  I make them gluten-free now. My grandmother used regular flour (not the sweet rice flour, white rice flour, and tapioca starch, and and no xanthan gum.  :)  Enjoy. 

 

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From Ellen Byron

 

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From Nancy Cole Silverman

Carrot pudding. It’s a steamed pudding and an old world favorite.

 

 

1 Cup Flour
½ t cinnamon
1/s tsp salt
1 Cup finely grated carrots
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup nuts
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1 Cup grated apples
½ C melted butter
1 Cup raisins

Sift flour with spices, salt, and baking soda. Combine w/ other ingredients and mix thoroughly after each. Spoon into a large mold. Steam 3 ½ hours and allow to cool to room temp. Serve with hard sauce.

 
HARD SAUCE

1 Cup powdered sugar
½ Cup butter melted
1 T Rum or imitation Rum flavoring.
Mix well. Chill til ready to serve. 

 

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From Victoria Hamilton

 

I know most people think of sweets at Christmas, and I love desserts like sugar cookies, or a pie or cake. But… there is a photo of me as a kid reaching for a handful of Nuts ‘n Bolts. It was the sixties, and Mom made it every year and now I do, too! I love it!

I use a modified recipe from the original. The original recipes uses Cheerios (for the ‘nuts’ part; I always figured in the name ‘Nuts ‘n Bolts’ the pretzel sticks were the ‘bolts’ and Cheerios were the ‘nuts… tho’ maybe the peanuts are the ‘nuts’?), but I like Crispix cereal in my mix instead.

Nut’s ‘n Bolts

Ingredients

4 Cups Cheerios OR mix it up… you can use any mixture of cereals, as long as makes up 4 cups. I’m using Crispix for mine, but you can use Rice Chex or Shreddies.

1 cup peanuts (I like redskins, but can’t usually get them!)

2 Cups pretzel sticks

¼ cup melted butter (or more… I’ll admit, I used a scant half cup.)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (this is a little weak in flavour for me… I think I’ll double it for my next batch!)

1 tsp paprika (smoked is best)

½ tsp garlic salt (or seasoning salt… I used Herbamare organic seasoned salt, about a teaspoon)


Method

1 – Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit

2 – In ungreased 13 X 9 inch pan mix cereals, pretzels and peanuts. Stir together remaining ingredients, pour over cereal tossing until evenly coated.

3 – Bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool; store in airtight container.

When I smell the Nuts ‘n Bolts, I know it’s Christmas. 

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Meg Macy loves shortbread and shares this recipe, which is simple: https://preppykitchen.com/shortbread-cookies-recipe/

 

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Tina Kashian provides a link to her Armenian White Holiday cookie recipe which was on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2021/12/armenian-white-christmas-cookies-with.html 

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I hope you've enjoyed these recipes. Please share some of yours in the comments below! Happy Boxing Day!