She loaded up a tortilla chip with brisket, the cheese goo dripping off the sides. “Open up, sista,” she said. I did. And as she plunged the chip into my mouth, we both burst out laughing.
Miguel came up to the table just as we scraped the last of the queso from the molcajete. He took the seat next to me, planted a kiss on my cheek, and gave us both a crooked grin. “You two are a mad team,” he said. “Criminals better watch out.”
We laughed again, simultaneously lifting and clinking our wineglasses.
“Has Meg been reunited with her son?” he asked.
“She has,” Em answered. “They have a tough road ahead. Ten years is a long time.”
It was very sobering. I hoped they’d find a way to be together.
We sat in a moment of silence before Miguel said, “You ladies did the brisket queso justice, I see.”
Em threw up her hand and looked around. “Ivy’s done. Check, please!”
I swatted at her arm. “I’m so not done. Lobster and prawns, baby.”
Miguel draped his arm around me. “That’s my Ivy. Nothing will stop her from a good meal.”
I sipped my wine. “You better believe it.”
“Thank you for the bottle,” Em said, holding her glass up like a salute.
“I hear you have a wedding date set. That’s a good reason to celebrate,” he said, his gaze sliding over to me.
Emmaline, along with Mrs. Branford and Olaya, were convinced that Miguel and I would be next. I wasn’t in a rush to settle down again, though. My marriage to Luke hadn’t lasted. If—or when—I got married again, I had every intention of it being for the long haul. If that meant taking a little more time before Miguel and I made that commitment, I was okay with that. “It’s the best reason to celebrate,” I agreed. I lifted my glass. “Here’s to Em and Billy.”
Miguel stayed long enough to see our food delivered and to nod his approval at the plating. “I’ll leave you to it. Buen provecho,” he said. He gave me a kiss, then bent to kiss Em on her cheek. “And congratulations, Sheriff. I have no doubt that your wedding will be epic.”
She glowed and I beamed. Miguel was charming and had a way of making a person feel incredibly special. “With Ivy as my maid of honor,” she said, “you better believe it.”
“My my, I think that is worth celebrating, too,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. I had a sneaking suspicion Andrea would be delivering something else to our table before long, but for now, I dug into the lobster and prawns waiting for me on my plate.
Emmaline and I talked wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and flowers for the next thirty-five minutes, our bellies bursting by the time we finished our meals. A young man, just as neatly dressed as Andrea, swept our dishes away before Andrea reappeared carrying two plates, one with an oval shaped baking dish in the center, the other with a decadent square of tres leche cake. Both were decorated with sliced strawberries and blueberries. “Oh my God,” Em said, leaning back in her chair as Andrea set them in the middle of our table. “Your man is too much.”
“Flan,” she announced as she set down the first plate. She looked at me. “And tres leche cake. The boss said this is your favorite.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “He’s right.”
She lifted her brows in a knowing way. “He seems like a man in love,” Andrea said as she set new napkins and dessert spoons out for us. “Enjoy.”
“She’s right, you know,” Em said, taking up her spoon. “Miguel Baptista is most definitely a man in love.”
I waved her comment away with a flick of my hand, but my insides were warm and as gooey as the layers of the tres leche.
Hembesha, East African Spiced Bread
Recipe credit, with permission, to Global Table Adventure (globaltableadventure.com/recipe/eritrean-spiced-bread-hembesha-2/)
Makes one 12-inch hembesha
Ingredients:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp instant dry yeast
1 tsp ground fenugreek
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
1–2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup warm water (start with a little less)
1 large egg
Additional vegetable oil, for cooking
Directions:
First, mix all ingredients, save the additional vegetable oil, together by hand or with a mixer. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
Cover and let rise in a warm spot for between 45 minutes and 1 hour, or until doubled in size. (Instant dry yeast works very quickly—but if you only have regular yeast this will take about 1 ½ hours.)
Roll out dough to about ⅓-inch thickness and put it in an oiled, 12-inch oven-safe pan or skillet. I used a paella pan. A round pan is best, but placing the round dough on a large cookie sheet is fine, too.
Immediately cut with a pastry wheel (a pizza cutter will also work)—first cut in wedges like a pizza, then create concentric circles about an inch apart. If the dough pulls with the cutter, try cutting toward the center.
Be sure to cut 99–100% of the way through—this is the only way your cuts won’t “disappear” once baked.
Let rise 30–45 minutes—until puffed and doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350º F.
Brush with oil and bake 15–20 minutes. Allow to cool in pan.
NOTE: Eritreans also like to cook their hembesha on the stovetop. Try over medium-low (flipping once after 10 minutes). This works better with a heavy-bottom pan as it cooks more evenly.
Rosemary Bread
Ingredients
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 375º F. Proof the yeast by adding to warm water and sugar. Let it rest for five or ten minutes until it becomes bubbly.
Mix in the butter, salt, and 2 cups of the flour.
Add 1 Tbsp of the rosemary to the dough.
Knead for about 10 minutes by hand (or use the dough hook on a mixer) until smooth and elastic. Add more flour, as necessary.
Oil a metal or glass bowl, or proofing basket. Place dough into the bowl and cover with a towel. Leave in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, approximately one hour.
Punch down. Divide into two equal parts and let rise for an additional fifteen minutes. Shape each piece into 2 rounded oval loaves. Sprinkle additional tablespoon of rosemary on top of the loaves and lightly press it into the dough.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or oil. Place prepared loaves on the baking sheet. Let rise for an additional 45–50 minutes.
Place in hot oven and bake 20 minutes or until brown.
After removing from the oven, brush lightly with butter or olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt (optional).
Love the adventures of Ivy and company?
Don’t miss the next
Bread Shop Mystery
coming soon.
And be sure to read the rest of the series:
KNEADED TO DEATH
CRUST NO ONE
THE WALKING BREAD
FLOUR IN THE ATTIC
Available now from
Winnie Archer
and
Kensington Books
Dough or Die Page 23