(Serves 8–12)
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs, baked ahead, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 chopped onion (about 1 cup)
2 4-ounce cans green chiles, diced
1 12-ounce can cream of chicken soup, condensed
1 12-ounce can cream of mushroom soup, condensed
1 cup milk
12 corn tortillas, sliced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, more if desired
Precook the chicken breasts or thighs. I like to wrap them in foil and bake at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool and cut into small bites. Leave the oven on.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, green chiles, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, milk, and chicken.
In individual oven-safe ramekin dishes, layer the following as you would lasagna:
Sauce with chicken
Tortillas lengthwise and widthwise
Sauce with chicken
Tortillas lengthwise and widthwise
Sauce
Cover with shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake at 300 degrees F for 35–45 minutes and cheese is crispy. Let cool about 20 minutes before serving.
If you’d like to make this as a casserole, layer in a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
From Katie:
For cucumber tea sandwiches, here are a few little tips, exactly as I stated in my demonstration at the shop: The English cucumbers don’t have as many seeds and possess a pleasant, crisp flavor. Do remember to cut them thinly. Some people like to remove the skins. I would if the skin is waxy, but usually I like to leave the skins on. Personally, I like the crunch. And lastly, don’t use too much cream cheese. You don’t want to overwhelm the flavor of the cucumber.
(Makes 16 sandwiches)
8 slices white bread
4 tablespoons cream cheese
2 English cucumbers, sliced thinly (if desired, remove peel)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Lay the white bread on a cutting board. Spread each slice with 1/2 tablespoon cream cheese. Layer the cucumbers on top of four slices of bread with cream cheese. The cucumber may overlap since they are so thin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with the other slice of bread.
Carefully remove the crusts and then cut each sandwich diagonally into four triangles.
Remember to keep the sandwiches covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap until ready to serve. Otherwise, they will dry out.
Curried Egg Tea Sandwiches
From Jenna:
I love Indian spices, particularly the flavor of curry. Adding curry to this delicate sandwich adds just the right amount of zing. Katie taught me how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg. She heats up the water to boiling and, using tongs, sets each egg into the water. She leaves it boiling (on medium heat) and cooks the eggs for 10 minutes. Then she removes the eggs with tongs and sets them in a bowl to cool. Voilà. Done. The shell comes right off without a mess. The yolk is a perfect yellow color.
(Makes 4 full sandwiches of 16 triangles)
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped coarsely
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons curry powder, more if desired
salt and pepper to taste (for a nice variation, use white pepper)
8 slices white bread
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
In a medium bowl, mash the eggs, mayonnaise, and curry powder together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread the egg mixture over half of the bread slices. Top with a small amount of lettuce on each sandwich and then the remaining bread slices. Cut the crusts from the bread. Cut each sandwich into four triangles.
Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Tea Sandwiches
From Katie:
Herb butters can be fun. They can be a part of an elegant menu, or they can be an easy way to give an ordinary dinner a little zest. By the way, they keep extraordinarily well. You can use all sorts of fresh herbs like rosemary, parsley, and tarragon. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to two months and in the freezer—yes, the freezer—for up to six months. Because of the garlic in this recipe, cover tightly in your refrigerator.
(Makes 12 full sandwiches or 24 – 48 triangles)
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Dash of salt and pepper
1/2 cup of basil butter, softened (recipe below)
12 slices bread (you may choose the flavor)
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper.
Spread the basil butter onto six of the bread slices. Top with the cheese and tomato mixture. Place the remaining slices of bread on top. Carefully cut off crusts and cut into desired shapes.
Basil Butter
(Yield: 1/2 cup +)
1/4 cup basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
In a food processor, grind the basil and garlic. Add the lemon juice, salt, and sugar. Pulse to mix. Add the butter into the food processor and blend until smooth.
Pear and Cheese Tea Sandwich
From Jenna:
The combination of goat cheese and pears really appeals to me. I would imagine you could use any cheese you’d like. Blue cheese might be nice. Now, there are times I really like nuts and times I don’t, so again, you decide. With or without? They do add a nice crunch.
(Makes 8 sandwiches or 16–32 triangles)
4 ounces of crumbled goat cheese, softened to room temperature
2 red Bartlett or Bosc pears, core and seeds removed, diced
1/2 cup watercress, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped (or nuts of your choice, if desired)
4 tablespoons honey
16 slices of white bread
In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese and pears. Add the watercress, pecans (or nuts of your choice) and honey. Spread the mixture on 8 slices of bread. Top the sandwiches with the remaining slices of bread. Carefully remove crusts and cut the sandwiches into desired shapes.
If you’re not a goat cheese fan, try blue cheese.
Mascarpone Stilton Cheese Appetizer
From Pepper:
I don’t honestly know what to say about this recipe. Everyone seems to like it. It’s colorful and savory, and mascarpone is simply the easiest cheese in the world to mold. Put on music while you’re cooking and sing along. It makes the chore more fun.
(Serves 12–16)
2 tablespoons honey
1 pound mascarpone cheese (room temperature is key)
8 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup pecan pieces, or any nut you choose
1/2 cup Craisins (cranberry raisins)
In a large bowl, stir the honey into the mascarpone.
In a very small bowl-shaped dish (cereal bowl size), spray the sides with cooking oil. Line the bowl with plastic wrap covering all sides. Be sure to push the plastic wrap flat. Spray again with cooking spray or baste lightly with oil. Spread the sides and bottom of the wrap with the mascarpone mixture, about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut Stilton into slices about 1/4 inch thick and line the mascarpone mixture with slices. Then layer the mascarpone and the Stilton, one after the other, until you reach the top. Final layer should be mascarpone. Tightly seal with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for a few hours until the mascarpone is firm. To serve, remove the plastic wrap, tip the bowl onto a serving plate, and remove the plastic wrap liner. Press crushed pecans or any nut you choose on the sides. Decorate with Craisins.
Serve with your favorite crackers.<
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Raita Appetizer
From Jenna:
Aunt Vera gave this recipe to me. It is so tasty and so easy that, yes, even I can make it. Honestly, I’m becoming a pretty good cook. Working alongside Rhett has given me tremendous confidence. I can’t wait to see what the future may bring.
(Serves 6–8)
1/2 cucumber, grated or finely chopped (I prefer using English cucumbers)
1 5-ounce container plain Greek yogurt
1 large handful mint leaves = about 1/4 cup chopped
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons green chiles, finely chopped
pita triangles
Remove the core of seeds from the cucumber. Then grate or finely chop. Wrap the grated or finely chopped cucumber in a paper towel and squeeze out any excess water.
In a small bowl, mix together the cucumber, yogurt, mint leaves, salt, and green chiles.
Put mixture into a pretty bowl and serve chilled as an appetizer with pita triangles.
Savory Cheddar Scones
From Katie:
These little scones are so easy to make. The white pepper gives them a real punch. They’re a perfect addition to any tea or breakfast. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can create it by mixing 2/3 cup milk (less one tablespoon) plus 1 tablespoon vinegar. Let that mixture stand for about five minutes before using.
(Makes 8)
2-1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
3 large eggs (2 for the recipe, one for the egg wash)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped chives
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl or food processor, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and white pepper. Cut in the butter. The mixture should be the texture of coarse cornmeal.
In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs with the buttermilk. Add to the flour mixture and stir (or pulse) until just combined.
Stir (or pulse) in the cheddar and chives.
Turn the dough—it will be sticky—onto a well-floured board. Knead gently. Divide the dough and roll each into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Set the scones on the prepared baking sheet, and cut each circle into 4 triangles. You might have to moisten your knife between cuts.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg. Brush the egg on top of the scones.
Bake the scones for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Whitefish Tea Sandwiches
From Lola:
My restaurant is known for making hearty meals as well as fish and chips and fish taco sandwiches. But when I dine, I like to eat lightly. This sandwich fits the bill. As I told Jenna, it would be a great addition to an all-white wedding menu. For a high tea, it would be simply elegant.
1 pound smoked whitefish fillet
1/2 cup mayonnaise, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 whole lemon
pinch freshly ground white pepper
3/4 cup celery, finely diced
24 thin slices white sandwich bread
In a food processor, mix fish, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and white pepper until smooth. Turn the mixture into a bowl and stir in half of the celery. Cover and refrigerate.
Just before serving, make the sandwiches. Lay out the bread and top 12 slices with 1/4 cup of the salad. Place a slice of bread on top of the salad. Trim the crusts and cut into triangles. If desired, press remaining diced celery against the ends of the sandwiches. To hold it in place, use extra mayonnaise.
Set the sandwiches on a tray and cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Books by Daryl Wood Gerber
The Cookbook Nook Mysteries
Final Sentence
Inherit the Word
Stirring the Plot
Fudging the Books
Grilling the Subject
Pressing the Issue
Wreath between the Lines
Sifting Through Clues
The French Bistro Mysteries
A Deadly Éclair
A Soufflé of Suspicion
Writing as Avery Aames
The Long Quiche Good-bye
Lost and Fondue
Clobbered by Camembert
To Brie or not To Brie
Days of Wine and Roquefort
As Gouda as Dead
For Cheddar or Worse
Stand-alone Suspense
Girl on the Run
Day of Secrets
About the Author
Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award–winning, nationally bestselling author of the French Bistro Mysteries, featuring a bistro owner in Napa Valley, as well as the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, featuring an admitted foodie and owner of a cookbook store in Crystal Cove, California. Under the pen name Avery Aames, Daryl writes the Cheese Shop Mysteries, featuring a cheese shop owner in Providence, Ohio.
As a girl, Daryl considered becoming a writer, but she was dissuaded by a seventh-grade teacher. It wasn’t until she was in her twenties that she had the temerity to try her hand at writing again . . . for TV and screen. Why? Because she was an actress in Hollywood. A fun tidbit for mystery buffs: Daryl co-starred on Murder, She Wrote as well as other TV shows. As a writer, she created the format for the popular sitcom Out of This World. When she moved across the country with her husband, she returned to writing what she loved to read: mysteries and thrillers.
Daryl is originally from the Bay Area and graduated from Stanford University. She loves to cook, read, golf, swim, and garden. She also likes adventure and has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Here are a few of Daryl’s lifelong mottos: perseverance will out; believe you can; never give up. She hopes they will become yours, as well.
To learn more about Daryl, visit her website at DarylWoodGerber.com.
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