Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Appetite for Murder


One of my favorite Christmas gifts is a wonderful murder mystery themed cookbook, called Appetite for Murder, by Kathy Borich (thank you Bianca, Dave, Jack and Sam).

The cookbook has chapters devoted to dining with Sherlock Holmes, tea with Miss Marple, potluck with Edgar Allen Poe, pub food with Chief Inspector Morse and Christmas with Ellery Queen, among others. Each chapter begins with a summary and analysis of a particular story and is followed by the suggested menu and recipes. 

In one of the Sherlock sections, called Lederhosen and Legerdemain: An Alpine Affair with Pastry Light as Air, Kathy talks about what happens in the Conan-Doyle classic, 'The Adventure of the Final Solution,' and pairs it with dinner. 

As Sherlock fans can attest, this is a hard story to cook to, because this particular story set at the infamous Reichenbach Falls of Switzerland, doesn't end happily.

On this occasion, Appetite for Murder treats us to an decadent swiss feast. The meal includes sumptuous dishes such as Tarte Bourbonnaise and Prunes and Figs Soaked in Wine, Fondue Brillat-Savarin with Sliced White Truffles and Drunken Strawberries Featuring a Fruity Young Pinot Noir.

Now tell me that wouldn't make a memorable book club dinner. 


Here is Kathy's easy-to-make recipe for Drunken Strawberries:


Drunken Strawberries

  • 4 Cups Fresh, Ripe Strawberries 
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Sugar 
  • Fruity Young Pinot Noir or Beaujolais 
  • *Crème Fraiche 
Wash and trim 4 cups strawberries. Cut into quarters. Sprinkle with sugar and toss. Serve in goblets with just enough wine to cover. Dollop with crème fraiche.

*Crème Fraiche Literally fresh cream, creme friche is a rich, heavy country creme with a tart flavor, similar to our dairy creme but richer and sweeter. The French use the creme fraiche for many purposes, from thickneing and enriching soups and sauces to garnishing desserts and pastries. This easy method of creatring the cream enables you to produce a variety of fresh fruit desserts in minutes. To create this simple version, combine 2/3 cup whipping creme with 1/3 cup dairy sour cream. 
I have to admit, that I went for the Rediwhip when I made this and it was still fabulous. 

If you want to recreate additional Sherlock inspired recipes, you can find more here on Criminal Element or more here on Kathy's site
It is great fun. 


2 comments:

  1. Yummy. I need to get this. I'm checking Amazon. It would be fun to host a dinner party using this then watch a related movie.

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    Replies
    1. It's a great book. The dinner party idea is a great one.

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