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Q&A: Debra Goldstein, TWO BITES TOO MANY
By Kathryn Gandek-Tighe
Posted: 2019-11-07T03:24:00Z

Debra Goldstein has a new book, TWO BITES TOO MANY, from Kensington. She not only answers our questions about writing and the book, but recipes for Jell-O in a Can and Howellian Catnip.

Writers usually hate writing book summaries. Will you share with us your real book blurb or one you wish you could have used?

 

Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce.  Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her law firm receptionist job and – if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts – lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end…

 

When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands – the twins’ sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle.  Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block.

 

 

What was the a-ha moment that made you write this story?

 

After my first two books were orphaned by different publishers, I still wanted to write a cozy mystery. Most cozies are set in a small town or confined space and feature either a proficient craftsperson or an excellent cook or baker. Although I had no problem creating a small Southern town, I ran into a roadblock with the other elements because I hate cooking, baking, or crafts. As I fretted, I realized there had to be other readers out there like me – people for whom cooking from scratch is a fate worse than death. That a-ha moment made me create Sarah Blair. Married at eighteen, divorced by twenty-eight, with nothing to show for the last decade except her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, Sarah is a woman whose idea of good china is floral paper plates.

Who is your favorite character and why?

 

Although I adore Sarah Blair, my favorite Two Bites Too Many characters are RahRah, the alpha male Siamese cat, and Fluffy, the dog. Neither one sings, talks, or thinks out loud, but they are integral to the story. Both play key roles in the plotline and in highlighting the good and bad in other characters.

What meal and drink do you think would pair well with your book?

 

Nothing frightens Sarah Blair more than being in the kitchen. She survives on meals that aren’t made from scratch, take out dinners, or food made by her twin sister, Chef Emily. The meal and drink most fun to pair with Two Bites Too Many would be Jell-O in a Can and the Howellian Catnip. Here are the recipes:

 

Jell-O in a Can

In the 1950s, Jell-O and Dole Pineapple joined forces to create the Jell-O in the Pineapple Can recipe.

 

1 20 oz. can of sliced pineapple

1 3 oz. pkg. of Jell-O gelatin, any flavor choice

1 cup boiling water

Optional: 1 banana or other type of fruit

 

Open the can and pour off the pineapple juice but leave the pineapple in the can. Dissolve the Jell-O in boiling water and permit it to cool slightly before pouring the Jell-O and water mixture into the can, over the pineapple. If desired, place the banana or other fruit in the center of the rings of pineapple.

 

Chill until set.

 

To serve, run a knife around the inside of the can and tip it out. (Before rimmed flip-top cans, one pushed the jelled mixture through and out using the bottom of the can.) Slice between the pineapple rings and serve.

 

Howellian Catnip

 

This drink uses a dash of chilled white wine (fruity preferred), ½ cup ice, and the remainder of the glass is filled with chilled Sprite, 7-UP, or any type of lemon-lime soda. The Howellian Catnip also has a touch of food coloring (optional). It gets its name because it barely contains a taste of wine. (Although having only a nip of wine makes the Howellian Catnip an economically savvy drink, it should not be served to children).

 

Were there indispensable people without whom you couldn’t have written the book?

 

Because I don’t cook and know nothing about restaurant kitchens, I couldn’t have written Two Bites Too Many without the help of several local restaurant owners, managers, caterers, and waiters. They not only let me interview them, but took the time to take me through their kitchens to see their equipment and understand its operation. One restaurateur had a great time leading me into a very cold room where food supplies were neatly stored on shelves on either side. As we exited on the other side, she noted that because we went all the way through the room, it was a walk-through freezer, but if it had not had the back door, it would simply have been a walk-in freezer. Lesson learned – and I was glad no one closed either door while I was inside the room.

 

Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (One Taste Too Many, Two Bites Too Many). She also wrote Should Have Played Poker and IPPY winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place, have appeared in numerous publications.

Tagged as CozyMystery
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