Welcome to another edition of Open Book Blog Hop. This week’s question is: “Does food play an important part in your writing?” How about sharing a favorite recipe of one of your characters, or maybe one of yours?
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In The Red Dress, my protagonist, Eve, a bestselling author, feeds her family mostly ready-made meals, claiming not to have enough time to do much cooking. But as the book progresses, she learns that providing a homecooked meal for her family is just as important as producing and selling a book. Below is a scene where Eve and her daughter Ashley discuss a new meatloaf recipe Eve is trying out.
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Late that afternoon, as Eve was preparing the meatloaf, Ashley wandered into the kitchen. Noticing the pan and ingredients scattered all over the counter, she asked, “Wow, what are you making?”
Eve wiped her hands on a paper towel. “I’m making meatloaf. It’s Sylvia’s mother’s recipe.”
“Oh, boy, I love her meatloaf!”
“Well, this is the first time I’ve made it, so I can’t guarantee it’ll come out tasting as good as hers does.”
“I’ll bet it will…
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So, how did the meatloaf recipe turn out? You’ll find the answer to that question by reading The Red Dress.
As the book opens, there’s one dish Eve prepares, mostly from scratch, enchilada casserole. I made this often when my late husband Bill was alive. I got the recipe from a friend. But I had to modify it, substituting refried beans for olives because Bill didn’t like olives and using macaroni instead of tortilla strips because that made it easier for him to eat with one hand. Why could Bill only eat with one hand? Read My Ideal Partner to find out. Here’s my recipe.
Eve’s Enchilada Casserole
1 package large elbow macaroni
1 pound hamburger
1 15-oz can mild enchilada sauce
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 15-oz can refried beans
2 handfuls chopped onions
Cook macaroni according to directions, drain, and place in large casserole dish. Brown hamburger, then add enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, refried beans, and onions and let simmer for ten minutes. Pour over macaroni in casserole dish. Sprinkle with sharp cheddar cheese if desired. Bake at 350F for fifteen minutes. Enjoy!
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How about you? Do you have any favorite recipes? You can answer this in the comment field below or click here to participate in this week’s hop.
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For those of you who use the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, The Red Dress is available for download from their site here. No matter how you read it, please be sure to review it wherever you can. That goes for all my books. Thank you for stopping by. Stay safe, happy, and healthy.
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New! The Red Dress
Copyright July 2019 by DLD Books
When Eve went to her high school senior prom, she wore a red dress that her mother had made for her. That night, after dancing with the boy of her dreams, she caught him in the act with her best friend. Months later, Eve, a freshman in college, is bullied into giving the dress to her roommate. After her mother finds out, their relationship is never the same again.
Twenty-five years later, Eve, a bestselling author, is happily married with three children. Although her mother suffers from dementia, she still remembers, and Eve still harbors the guilt for giving the dress away. When she receives a Facebook friend request from her old college roommate and an invitation to her twenty-five-year high school class reunion, then meets her former best friend by chance, she must confront the past in order to face the future.
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My Corner 
Love this recipe and plan to make it. Sounds really good.
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Thank you, Glenda. It is good. If you want more of a challenge, you can substitute tortilla strips for macaroni. Get a package of flour or corn tortillas and tear each tortilla into bite-size pieces. Then, layer everything with one layer of tortilla strips, one layer of sauce mixture, then another layer of tortilla strips and another layer of sauce mixture, etc. Also, the original recipe calls for olives instead of refried beans. Any way you make it, it’ll be good. Enjoy!
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