My Second Career . . . as a chef by Avery Aames

Avery Aames is the author of A Cheese Shop Mystery series.  The first, The Long Quiche Goodbye, is a national bestseller. Avery is an Agatha Award nominee for “Best First Novel.” Avery blogs at Mystery Lovers Kitchen, http://www.mysteryloverskitchen - a blog for foodies who love mysteries. And some of her characters show up at Killer Characters, http://killercharacters.com  Visit Avery at her website: http://www.averyaames.com to read a sneak preview, see her book trailer, find recipes, and more.

 

My second career…as a chef 
by Avery Aames 

No one ever told me when I became a writer that in addition to spending time in my writing office, I’d also be spending a lot of time in a different office…the kitchen.  I spent years writing novels in my office, in the library, in coffee shops, but I never had an inkling that much of my time as a writer would wind up in the kitchen.  I cooked as a girl. A lot. I catered at one point in my life and I waitressed in restaurants and worked in restaurant and camp kitchens. But not once did I consider becoming a professional cook and devising recipes every week. That wasn’t in my purview.

 

And yet here I am. I write A Cheese Shop Mystery series, so cooking is part of my research.  Oooh, do I love research. I’ve visited cheese shops in numerous states. I’ve tasted over a hundred different cheeses in the past year and a half (since I started writing the series)--cheeses like Tuscan Tartufo, Brebis d’Argental, Abbaye de Belloc, and more. And I’m adding cheese to tons of recipes.

Why? Because my protagonist Charlotte Bessette offers different samplings of food at Fromagerie Bessette in addition to her gourmet cheeses, so I try to emulate her.  I’ve created a Ham and Pineapple Quiche  as well as an Asparagus quiche that (my husband and a few fans have told me) are to die for.

In addition, to promote my novels and reach a different fan base, I blog with a bunch of authors every week on Mystery Lovers Kitchen, a blog for writers who love to cook up crime. For my weekly post, I devise a new recipe. Some are complex and some are as simple as a delicious cheese and chocolate pairing platter.  I’ve reposted many of the recipes on my website including: Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese crust; Five-cheese Macaroni;  Stilton and Mascarpone Torte; and Champagne Fondue.

Actually, I’ve been making lots of fondue of late, since the book coming out May 3rd is titled LOST AND  FONDUE.

Of course, taste testing everything I make means that I have to exercise more because I’m eating more.  It’s like a vicious circle or a rat caught in a maze, which probably goes along with the cheese theme, right?

Now, some might ask, with all the cooking, when do I have time to write? I make time. I can’t not write.  I love to write. I love creating new characters, new  plots.  I just turned in book 3 in the series, and I’m working on book 4 as well as writing short stories while coming up with other new ideas for series. 
Titles, you ask? CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERT and TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE.  Cheese-y, I know.

Question of the day:  If you’re a writer, what’s your snack of choice while writing? If you’re a reader, what’s your snack of choice while reading? And do books about food make you hungry?

Three commenters today will win an autographed copy of THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE.   So make sure we have your email.  Good luck.  And don’t forget to check out the rest of my blog tour, which is entered on the event calendar on my website.

Say cheese!

Avery
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