07 November 2021

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder (A Catering Hall Mystery) by Maria DiRico Book Tour and Giveaway!

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 Links 

  Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound 


TOUR 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


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