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When you’re writing historical fiction, research is essential. For Under A Texas Star, I researched the history of Texas, the Texas Rangers, guns, horses, and a myriad of other minutia.
Though Pedro never shares his recipe for chili, I can tell you that the spicy Mexican stew that Marly and Jase eat at El Hombre, was con carne (with meat), not con frijoles (with beans). Similarly, Pedro’s salsa (which just means sauce) would have been made fresh every day, using a mortar and pestle to grind the spices into the vegetables that provided the base. Guacamole would be made right before serving so the avocado wouldn’t turn brown.
Being a big TexMex fan, I knew a lot of this stuff already. (I talked my Food Science group at Ryerson into hand making taco shells for our final project.) That doesn’t mean I can’t learn something new. Looking up the spelling of “antojitos” for this blog I discovered that the word doesn’t refer to a particular dish, it’s a catchall word for street food. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas and gorditos are all examples of antojitos. The spicy pinwheels made of cream cheese and tortillas that I know as antojitos are, like Red Rose tea, a Canadian product.
Yikes! Good job I never put it on the menu on the El Hombre.
Antojitos and Guacamole
Ingredients
250 ml/1 cup plain cream cheese
Hot peppers to taste (I prefer pickled banana peppers over jalapenos but either work, in a pinch Tabasco sauce also works)
Tortilla shells (handmade or store bought)
Directions
Seed and dice pepper if using fresh. Blend with cream cheese. Spread thickly on tortilla shells and roll.
Wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut on an angle to create pinwheels and serve with salsa and guacamole.
Guacamole
Avocado
Lemon or lime juice (fresh squeezed is best)
Salt and pepper to taste
You put the lime in the avocado and mix it all up.
Salsa
250 ml/1 cup diced tomatoes or tomatillos
125 ml/ ½ cup chopped onion, garlic, sweet peppers, cilantro, chives, parsley (proportions and combination depend on preferences and availability)
Fresh hot peppers to taste
black pepper, cayenne pepper, sage, thyme, dried crushed chili peppers (to taste)
salt to taste
sugar to taste
If you want to be authentic, pull out your mortar and pestle, otherwise a spice grinder works. Combine the herbs and spices – fresh or whole when possible – and grind. Set aside.
Combine fresh vegetables to suit your tastes. You can use a blender or mortar and pestle, or just chop everything finely by hand. I have made salsa without onions garlic or bell peppers for a friend with food sensitivities and I’m not crazy about cilantro so never use it even though it’s a traditional ingredient.
Add your spice mixture, salt and sugar bit by bit. Salsa, like romance, is all about getting the right balance of sweet and hot. Salt is like humour. You need it to bring out the other flavours.
Come to think of it, that’s my recipe for Under A Texas Star.
About the book
“In Under A Texas Star, you’ll travel back in time, following a trail to love and mystery in my historical romance crime novel. With the help of Texas Ranger Jase Strachan, Marly Landers–a young woman masquerading as a boy – is after the con man Charlie Meese. Murder, fraud and romantic pitfalls litter their path before Marly tracks down her quarry and finally gets her man.”
Under A Texas Star is available now at Amazon Kindle Store and Smashwords for only $3.99.
Trade paperback and other eBook retailers will be coming soon. Subscribe to Imajin Books News for updates www.imajinbooks.com.
About the author
Alison Bruce has an honors degree in history and philosophy, which has nothing to do with any regular job she’s held since. A liberal arts education did prepare her to be a writer, however. She penned her first novel during lectures while pretending to take notes.
Alison writes mysteries, romance, westerns and fantasy. Her protagonists are marked by their strength of character, the ability to adapt (sooner or later) to new situations and to learn from adversity.
Copywriter and editor since 1992, Alison has also been a comic book store manager, small press publisher and web designer in the past. She currently manages publications for Crime Writers Canada and is a volunteer with Action Read Family Literacy Centre. A single mother, she lives in Guelph, Ontario with her two children, Kate and Sam.
Find Alison Bruce online:
Sweet and Hot – the perfect combination for food and romance – I love it!
Terrific recipe – and terrific book.
Hey, it’s only nine in the morning and I am hungry already thanks to your blog. Hot and sweet, that Melodie. Always thinking romance.
Now you know what to make for lunch, ladies.
We need to come up with a new cuisine,”CanMex” because these dishes go great with Bloody Caesars (or Virgin Caesars) and that is also a Canadian product.
YUM. That is all I can say. With gardening season here, I cannot wait to pull together some salsa. I think I’ll add some Georgia peaches when they are available for a different flavor.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing this recipe!
I already love the book, but now you’ve got me rethinking what we’re having for dinner! Kudos for both.
I highly recommend Under A Texas Star. Between Alison’s great writing style and her characters, Jase & Marly, it’s win win all the way around with this one.
I’ve never made my own salsa before but it looks like I’ve got me a good recipe to try out. Thanks Alison!
Thanks Maggie! I made the salsa to go with dinner tonight for Sophie. Like so much I enjoy preparing, it’s super simple. Can’t take too much time away from writing.
Can’t wait to try the guacamole!
Tomatillos are often the main ingredient in salsa instead of tomatoes. Very tasty too. Give them a try.
I love tomatillo salsa!
Hope you’ll love the book too, Frances.
Did you ever research Under a Texas Star. It’s so well done, truly seamless! You catapult me back to the old west on every page.
Your recipe looks delicious–can’t wait to try it. Sweet and hot! What’s not to love about that!
Alison,
I could live off guacamole. Eat it with a spoon like ice cream. Your recipes, like your storytelling, tantalize the senses and leave the mouth watering. Good job!
Thank you Sharon! I love research. I love the way one piece of information leads to another… to another… Sometimes it’s like trying to eat just one nacho.
Thank you Sherry! You remind me that research is like a good spice blend. Best to keep it too one side and add it as needed so the dish – and the story – remain mouthwatering, not unpalatable.
Of course, now I want nachos and guacamole.
Congratulations to Maggie for winning the draw.
Thank you Angela for inviting me as your guest for appetizers. I’ll start kitchen testing recipes for my next book in case you invite me back.
Cheers – Alison
God that sounds good! You’re making me wish I could cook. Um, I don’t suppose I could convince you to come cook it for me…?
@Rebecca – I’ll happily have you over for build your own tacos next time you’re in Guelph. Meanwhile, I hope you pick up Under A Texas Star to tide you over.
Alison
PS: I’m showing up on June 16 at: http://sapphireromance.blogspot.com/ where you can get another chance at winning a copy of my book.