It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder (A Catering Hall Mystery)
by Maria DiRico
About It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder (A Catering Hall Mystery) 
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Publisher : Kensington Cozies (October 26, 2021)
Mass Market Paperback : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496725360
ISBN-13 : 978-1496725363
Digital ASIN : B08VFBT9B2
Astoria, Queens, is decorated within an inch of its life for the Christmas season, and Mia Carina is juggling her job at the Belle View catering hall with a case of murder . . .
Mia’s busy with a full schedule of events at the family business—among them an over-the-top Nativity-themed first birthday party and a Sweet Sixteen for a teen drama queen. But her personal life is even more challenging. Her estranged mother has returned—and her lifelong friend Jamie has discovered a shocking secret about his past. He’s so angry that he starts hanging out with Lorenzo, who claims to be his long-lost brother—even after it becomes clear that Lorenzo’s story is as fake as a plastic Christmas tree.
Then a body turns up among the elves in a Santa’s-workshop lawn display, and amateur sleuth Mia has a buffet of suspects to choose from. Amid the holiday celebrations, she intends to find out who’s the guilty party . . .
Italian recipe included!
Mushroom Pasta alla Carbonara
This vegetarian take on a delicious iconic dish was inspired
by Rachael Ray’s recipe for traditional pasta carbonara.
Meat eaters, feel free to substitute 1⁄3 cup pancetta
for the mushrooms. Or include both.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. uncooked fettucine or another long pasta, like linguini
- or spaghetti
- 3 T. olive oil
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1⁄4 tsp. salt
- 1⁄4 tsp. black pepper
- 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
- 3 large egg yolks
- 10 oz. cremini or white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1⁄4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 and 1⁄2 cup saved pasta water, separated
Follow the instructions to cook your pasta in a large pot of boiling water, but cook it one minute less than instructed so that it’s al dente. Save 1 and 1⁄2 cups of the cooking water when you drain the pasta and set it aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook over
medium heat for several minutes, stirring so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and stir to incorporate.
Cook for a few more minutes, then reduce the heat to low.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the three egg yolks.
Whisk in one cup of the reserved pasta water.
Add the pasta to the mushroom mixture and toss to combine the ingredients. Remove the pan or pot from the heat and add the yolk liquid. Toss well to combine. Add the cheese and parsley and toss all the ingredients well to make sure the pasta is coated. If you need additional liquid, you can add some or all of the 1⁄2 cup of pasta water.
Serve immediately. This dish goes great with garlic bread and a side salad.
Servings: 4–6.
About Maria DiRico
Maria DiRico is the pseudonym for Ellen Byron, author of the award winning, USA Today bestselling Cajun Country Mysteries. Born in Queens, New York, she is first-generation Italian-American on her mother's side and the granddaughter of a low-level Jewish mobster on her father's side. She grew up visiting the Astoria Manor and Grand Bay Marina catering halls, which were run by her Italian mother's family in Queens and have become the inspiration for her Catering Hall Mystery Series. DiRico has been a writer-producer for hit television series like Wings and Just Shoot Me, and her first play, Graceland, appears in the Best Short Plays collection. She's a freelance journalist, with over 200 articles published in national magazines, and previously worked as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs.
Author LinksTOUR PARTICIPANTS
November 1 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
November 1 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 1 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – RECIPE
November 1 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
November 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
November 2 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
November 2 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, RECIPE
November 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 3 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
November 3 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW
November 3 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
November 3 – My Journey Back – RECIPE
November 4 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
November 4 – Brooke Blogs – RECIPE
November 4 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
November 4 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
November 5 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, EXCERPT
November 5 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 5 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
November 5 – This Is My Truth Now – REVIEW
November 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – RECIPE
November 6 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT
November 6 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
November 6 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST,
November 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – RECIPE
November 7 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
November 7 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
November 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
Sounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting me on the tour!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! Good luck with the book!
DeleteSounds like a book I will enjoy.
ReplyDeleteIf you read it, hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDelete