My first appeareance at Bookclub!

Readers of my book Giulia Goes to War at Carolina Shores Book Club!
What wonderful people! They were a kind group of questioners and had a little reception for me too!

Food and Stories

Today I had the pleasure of meeting one of my heroines–C. Hope Clark. She appeared at our local library to speak about mysteries and promote her new fiction book, Low Country Bribe.

For years she has published a newsletter, Funds for Writers, that has been a wonderful place for me to use to try to apply for grants and to find outlets for my writing. She may be where I found Desert Breeze Publishers!

She mentioned, in the course of her talk, that southerners always include a lot of food in whatever they write–of course the same is true for Southern Italians!

These two recipes are the basis for many of the recipes that can be found in my novels and certainly these have formed the basis for many a family dinner in the Leotta family.

Joan’s Basic Marinara Sauce (Red)

Makes  3 ½ -4 cups of sauce, depending on the amount of water used and how long the sauce cooks.

1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes (I use a brand called “6 in 1” or Hunt’s)

½ can water

1 clove garlic

2 T olive oil

2 tsp parsley (fresh or dry)

Salt, basil and/or oregano to taste

 

Peel a clove of garlic and cut it in half. Brown the two halves in olive oil in pot over medium heat. As soon as the garlic is brown (varies, so watch closely) take the garlic out with a spoon and put in the can of tomatoes and then the water. (Be careful, when you add the tomatoes to the hot oil, there will be splatter.)After adding the water, stir and add in the salt, parsley and basil and oregano if you wish.

Cook for about twenty minutes, stirring every so often, over a medium heat.

 

 

Joan’s Basic White Sauce for Pasta

Makes 2 cups (good for one third pound pasta with enough to add more later)

4 T Butter

4 T Flour

2 Cups one per cent milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper (fresh ground is best)

1 tsp nutmeg (fresh ground is best)

Melt butter in heavy saucepan over a low heat. Make a roux by adding the flour, stirring well and then quickly, before the flour begins to brown, add the milk, gradually. Stir constantly to get it to thicken. Add the spices while stirring.

 

Today’s recipe is one that