Somehow, I Always End Up Writing About Food by Ellery Adams aka JB Stanley

Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. Ms. Adams has held many jobs including caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all the while penning poems, children’s books, and novels. She now writes full-time from her home in Virginia. 

Somehow, I Always End Up Writing About Food 

 By Ellery Adams aka JB Stanley

The heroine of A Killer Plot, Olivia Limoges, is an oak barrel heiress and entrepreneur in the seaside paradise of Oyster Bay, North Carolina. One of her businesses is a five-star restaurant named The Boot Top Bistro. In honor of this fine establishment, I thought I’d share a killer autumn cocktail and to-die-for appetizer that might be served up by Gabe, The Boot Top’s attractive bartender. 

A fair question to ask might be when do the Bayside Book Writers have the opportunity to imbibe when they are caught up in a murder investigation? Every Saturday evening they meet in Olivia’s refurbished lighthouse keeper’s cottage to critique one of the group member’s chapters, but the sudden and violent death of one of their own changes their schedule forever.

I don’t want to reveal any more that a glimpse of the plot, because it’s difficult to talk about the writers without giving too much away, but I promise a range of quirky characters in this coastal mystery. There’s the reclusive Olivia and her constant companion, Captain Haviland the poodle; the roller-skating dwarf from Grumpy’s diner; Flynn, the handsome bookstore owner; Millay, the beautiful Goth bartender; Sawyer Rawlings, the compelling Chief of Police and many more.

So come to Oyster Bay, pull up a barstool at The Boot Top and have a cocktail and an appetizer. But beware, because not all the vacationers who come to relax in this charming seaside town make it back home again.

For more info, please visit elleryadamsmysteries.com

Pomegranate Martini

2 oz citrus vodka

1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 oz fresh pomegranate juice

1 oz simple syrup

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a dash of rose water if available. Garnish with thin orange slice or flamed orange peel. 

 

Olive Crostini Recipe

*INGREDIENTS*

1/2 cup black olives

1/2 cup green olives with pimientos

2 medium cloves garlic

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

4 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, grated

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 French baguette loaf

Chop olives in Cuisinart. Transfer to medium bowl. With machine running, drop garlic through the feed tube of the food processor and mince. Add Parmesan, butter, and olive oil, and process into a paste. Add butter mixture to bowl with olives. Fold in jack cheese and parsley. Cut baguette into thin slices and spread each slice generously with olive mixture. Cook under broiler until bubbly and lightly browned - about 2 minutes. (I’d like to credit Elise from Simply Recipes for this great dish!)