Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook Read online

  Fool’s Gold Books

  by SUSAN MALLERY

  Christmas on 4th Street

  Three Little Words

  Two of a Kind

  Just One Kiss

  A Fool’s Gold Christmas

  All Summer Long

  Summer Nights

  Summer Days

  Only His

  Only Yours

  Only Mine

  Finding Perfect

  Almost Perfect

  Chasing Perfect

  Fool’s Gold Ebook Novellas

  Halfway There

  Almost Summer

  Only Us

  Sister of the Bride

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Spring

  Light Meals

  Chapter 2

  Spring

  Celebrations

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Summer

  Warm Weather Meals

  Chapter 5

  Summer

  Picnics and Parties

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Fall

  Breakfast and Brunch

  Chapter 8

  Fall

  Casseroles and Soups

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Winter

  Comfort Food

  Chapter 11

  Winter

  Holidays

  Chapter 12

  Fool’s Gold Characters

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Conversion Charts

  Introduction

  I hosted my first dinner party when I was thirteen. Three friends and I decided it would be great fun. I would prepare a feast and they would join me for dinner and a sleepover. (These days dinner rarely leads to a sleepover, or at least, not the kind of sleepover we had planned, but at thirteen it seemed the ultimate in sophistication.) My mother took me shopping then bravely left me alone in her kitchen to prepare our feast.

  In no particular order, here’s what I learned from that first traumatic experience: my aunt was wrong. Turning the oven to 350 degrees and baking whatever for thirty minutes does not apply to everything. That when a recipe directs you to apply butter and flour to the baking dish, it’s not a suggestion. Orange chicken has nothing to do with cooking chicken in orange juice. And that while preparing a salad the night before because you have a gymnastics meet and won’t have time before the party is fine, it’s not a good idea to put on the dressing that early. In other words, if you’ve never cooked before, follow the recipe precisely!

  The food was a disaster. There I was—thirty minutes before my guests were due to arrive and I had nothing to eat. Fortunately, Mom came to the rescue and suggested we order in pizzas. We dined in style, had a wonderful evening and a very successful sleepover.

  All these years later, I still experiment in the kitchen, but I’ve taken my cooking disasters to heart and learned from them. I stick with what I do best: plan ahead and keep it simple. This cookbook is filled with easy recipes for delicious food. A couple of recipes might challenge the beginner, but by and large, “quick and easy” is what I gravitate to. Like many women, I’m too busy to spend hours in the kitchen.

  I’m not a professional chef. I’m a home cook, just like you. I want to nurture my family and friends with spectacular event-appropriate food, with the least amount of time and effort possible.

  I’m also a storyteller. I have always loved telling stories, especially romances. So much so that I’ve turned it into a career. With more than one hundred romance books under my belt, I think it’s safe to say that I’m in this business for the long run.

  A few years ago, I started a new series in the fictitious town of Fool’s Gold. It’s set in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Fool’s Gold is a friendly place with charming people who bring casseroles to their neighbors whenever there’s a life event that calls for it.

  One or two weekends a month, the festivals held in Fool’s Gold bring street-food tastings to the town. Other days, residents can count on an outstanding meal from one of their terrific local restaurants. When a man behaves badly, the women meet en masse to trash him over decadent desserts and a slushy drink du jour.

  The Fool’s Gold series started with Chasing Perfect and now the books number in the double digits. Readers seem to gravitate toward the recurring characters who make the town feel like home, even sending me their own suggestions for food at their favorite eateries in the town. And thus the idea was born to post on my website, www.susanmallery.com, specific recipes so that readers could enjoy the mouthwatering dishes I described in my books with their own friends, book clubs, family and, of course, love interests.

  One day my brilliant editor suggested I consider collecting all the material so we could see what we had. That material became this cookbook.

  We’ve organized the Fool’s Gold recipes by season. My cooking philosophy is to make things easy and delicious, using available ingredients. You will find plenty of recipes for your family and lots for sharing. But there is something else for you in these pages. A surprise.

  As I mentioned before, I am a romance writer. I love the idea of two people falling in love. I adore the sense of community that occurs when two families are drawn together because of a powerful connection. Love heals, love inspires and when combined with delicious food, love is magical.

  Woven within the pages of this cookbook is a Fool’s Gold love story not available anywhere else. It’s funny and flirty and my bonus gift to you. For those of you who adore Fool’s Gold, welcome back. For those of you who have yet to sample this small California town, I offer you a taste of what it’s like to throw caution to the wind and fall wildly in love. Maybe over a Coconut Vanilla Snowball Cupcake.

  Regardless of how you came to have this cookbook, please enjoy the delicious recipes. And remember that important lesson from my first cooking experience: it’s not the execution of a well-planned meal that matters, but the sharing of delicious food with loved ones. And maybe the promise of an extra-special sleepover. Wink. Wink. My best to you and yours.

  Happy cooking and happy reading.

  CHAPTER

  1

  Ana Raquel Hopkins knew for sure that Greg Clary was the most annoying man on the planet. He was the kind of annoying that got under your skin and made you want to scream. It was like being in the mood for guacamole, only to discover that someone had taken all your deliciously ripe avocados. Or worse, taken them and made their guacamole out of those avocados and now people were saying it was better than yours. That’s how annoying Greg Clary was.

  Ana Raquel stared at the sign hanging from the rustic building at the Condor Valley Winery. The hand-carved square of wood said only Café. So simple, so right. While she’d been off studying the art of cooking, Greg had been working his way up the kitchen ranks right here in Fool’s Gold. Six months ago he’d opened Café in his uncle’s winery and the restaurant was getting rave reviews. Everyone was talking about it. And Greg.

  After graduating from culinary school, she, too, had worked in restaurants, but hers had been in San Francisco. After a couple of years, she’d discovered that while she loved making delicious food for people, she didn’t love working in a restaurant. A visit to a street fair had introduced her to the magic that was street food—delectable concoctions made in a mobile kitchen. She’d saved her money, bought an old Airstream and had it refurbished as her traveling kitchen. Then she’d brought it home to Fool’s Gold, where she planned to take the culinary world by storm.

  Only Greg had beaten her to the punch. Again.

  Seventeen years ago, whe n Ana Raquel was in the second grade, she’d been chosen to be Cinderella in the school play. Greg had been picked to play Prince Charming and, in the end, he’d gotten all the applause. In junior high, they’d both run for student council president. Greg had won, leaving her with the runner-up vice-president position. In high school, she’d been nominated for homecoming queen and he’d been nominated for homecoming king.

  You can probably guess who won and who didn’t.

  All of which she could live with, except for what happened the night of their senior prom.

  The fancy dinner and dance had been held at the Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort, just as it was every year. There had been a band and good food. Most of the teens went in groups, rather than with dates—one of those town traditions, she supposed. For reasons she still couldn’t explain, Ana Raquel had chosen that night to confront Greg about all his transgressions.

  But instead of going up to him and yelling, she’d found herself mesmerized by his dark eyes and easy smile. And maybe a little by how good he looked in a tux. Still, she’d had righteous indignation on her side and she knew she really should be telling him off. Only what should have been yelling somehow turned into kissing. And kissing turned into, well, you know.

  She could have lived with the biggest mistake of her life, except that partway through he’d figured out it was her first time, which meant it wasn’t his. Worse, in the middle of the moment, she’d had a second realization. It was the teeny, tiniest bit possible that she had feelings for Greg. Romantic, what-if-I’ve-secretly-loved-him-my-whole-life kind of feelings.

  Talk about a mistake. Greg wasn’t just popular, he was a chick magnet. She would have been little more than one more girl who fell for him. Terrified and humiliated, she’d done the only thing that made sense. She’d run off to culinary school in San Francisco.

  Now she was back in Fool’s Gold and all grown up. She was a nice person, she told herself. Friendly. She liked people and she adored making them happy with her food. If not for Greg, her life would be perfect.

  But she had a solution for that problem and an appointment with the town’s mayor to discuss her brilliant idea. One that would help her make a name for herself and get over Greg Clary once and for all.

  Mayor Marsha Tilson was the longest-serving mayor in California. She was a well-dressed, white-haired woman who loved her town—idiosyncrasies and all. She welcomed Ana Raquel warmly and led her over to her desk.

  “We’re so happy to have you back in Fool’s Gold,” Mayor Marsha said with a smile. “You were missed. You’re always so friendly and enthusiastic. Even when you were little, you looked out for the other children and now that you’re grown, you’re feeding all of us.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad to be here,” Ana Raquel told her. “I learned a lot in San Francisco, but it’s not the same as being home.”

  Ana Raquel was one of three girls. Fayrene, her twin, owned a temp agency and pet-sitting service in town, while Dellina, their older sister, ran a party planning and decorating business. The Hopkins women were self-starters.

  The mayor picked up a flyer for Ana Raquel’s street cart from her desk. “We’re getting excellent feedback on what you’ve been serving. The locals appreciate another place to go for lunch, while the tourists love both the food and the convenience.”

  “I’ve been experimenting a lot with different ingredients,” Ana Raquel told her. “You know how different food is served at different festivals? Rather than make people wait for their favorites, I’m working on ideas of turning festival specialties into everyday recipes. I created an Elephant Ear Pull-Apart Bread. It suits the season, but gives us a taste of what we miss.”

  “I’ve heard your Carrot Cake Muffins are creating quite a stir. There was something close to a riot over them last week.”

  Ana Raquel laughed. “I ran out of muffins and there were still people in line. It got a little loud there in the park.”

  The mayor smiled. “I believe that is what they call a high-quality problem. Now tell me about the cookbook you mentioned when you set up our meeting.”

  Ana Raquel clasped her hands together and leaned forward. “I want to take what I’ve learned and share it with people on a larger scale. I want to create a cookbook based on the town and what we like to eat here. I thought I could collect recipes from locals who want to share them. I’ll also create some of my own. I was thinking the recipes should be delicious but not too complicated. People are busy and not everyone wants to spend all day in the kitchen. We could call it Fool’s Gold Cookbook.”

  She squeezed her fingers, hoping she could hide her sudden nerves. She wanted the mayor to be excited about the cookbook idea.

  Mayor Marsha leaned back in her chair. “That’s very interesting,” she murmured. “I like the concept. Ironically, someone else came to me last week with a similar plan. Given that you both came to me with cookbook ideas, I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of inviting him to join us.”

  Even as she spoke, Mayor Marsha was standing and motioning for someone to enter the room. Ana Raquel knew who it was before she bothered to turn around. Because there was only one person who would invade her meeting and steal her idea.

  Move Directly to Chapter 2

  spring

  Light Meals

  Roasted Beet Salad with Farro, Fennel and Goat Cheese

  Creamy Turkey Salad with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

  Arugula Pesto, Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Pizza

  Super-Healthy Chicken Salad Wrap

  Tarragon Tuna Melt

  Greek Salad Sandwich

  Fajita Quesadilla

  California BLT

  Quick and Easy Nachos

  Steak Stir-fry with Snow Peas

  Coconut Popcorn Shrimp with Mango-Lime Salsa

  Seared Chicken with Lemon Spinach

  Thai Peanut Chicken

  Easy Sesame Peanut Noodles

  Fettuccine with Citrus-Parsley Pesto

  Roasted Salmon with Sweet Pepper and Kale Stir-fry

  Chicken with Mushrooms and White Wine

  SPRING

  Roasted Beet Salad with Farro, Fennel and Goat Cheese

  Farro is a chewy grain found at specialty and gourmet food stores. If farro is unavailable, you can substitute barley or brown rice, cooked according to package directions. This salad boasts both color and crunch.

  Serves 6

  3 medium beets, trimmed (or 1 package [500 grams] precooked beets)

  3 cups water, plus more if needed

  1 cup farro

  Salt and black pepper

  1 small bulb fennel, diced

  1 small shallot, minced

  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped

  4 ounces mild goat cheese, cut into small squares or crumbled

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Loosely wrap each beet in foil and roast 45 minutes, until fork-tender. Peel and dice beets.

  2. Meanwhile, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add farro and a pinch of salt. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook 25 minutes, until the farro is just tender. Add water if needed during cooking. Cover pan with a dish towel until ready to use.

  3. In a large serving bowl, combine beets, farro, fennel, shallot, lemon juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Garnish with tarragon and goat cheese.

  TIP: Save time (and red fingers!) by using precooked beets, now available at many markets.

  SPRING

  SPRING

  Creamy Turkey Salad with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

  Mellow turkey chunks are studded with sweet cranberries and crunchy pecans in this light but filling salad.

  Serves 4

  1 cup mayonnaise (reduced-fat is fine)

  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  ¼–½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

  Salt and black pepper

  4 cups cooked turkey meat, cubed

  1 small stalk celery, chopped

  1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped

  1 cup dried cranberries

  2 tablespoons red onion, minced, or scallion, sliced

  ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

  Romaine lettuce, chopped, for serving

  1. In a large serving bowl, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Fold in remaining ingredients except lettuce. Line serving plates with chopped lettuce. Top with a mound of turkey salad.

  TIP: Round out the meal with a crusty baguette or whole-wheat rolls.

  SPRING

  Arugula Pesto, Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Pizza

  Sharp arugula stands in for basil in this easy pesto sauce. It’s a great way to use up that almost-wilted arugula in your refrigerator.

  Serves 4

  Pesto

  2 cloves garlic, smashed

  1 bag (5 ounces) baby arugula

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  ¼ cup walnuts

  ½ cup Parmesan cheese

  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  Salt

  Pizza

  Vegetable oil and cornmeal, for prepping pan

  1 large (1 pound to 1¼ pounds) prepared pizza dough

  1 cup (6 ounces) ricotta cheese, preferably fresh

  1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  1 large tomato, cored and very thinly sliced

  For pesto:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, process garlic until minced. Add arugula, a handful at a time. Pour in oil; process until blended. Add walnuts, cheese, lemon juice and salt; process until smooth. You should have about 1 cup pesto; you’ll need about ½ cup for the recipe. Reserve remaining pesto for another use.