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Investigating Food Used in Novels

This month’s food scene and recipe come from Patti Shene Gonzales’s novel— Cathy’s Christmas Confession, A Christmas Ridge Romance Book 3.

It’s the Christmas season, and Cathy Fischer is attempting to help widower David Martin find joy in Christmas despite his grief over the recent loss of his wife. She has offered to fix him a meal if he puts up her Christmas lights. She’s no cook, and one of the few meals she can prepare is spaghetti with a slight alteration to the recipe.

Here is the scene:

She gave him an odd look as he picked up his knife and fork. “Please tell me you twirl your spaghetti.”

“What?” His eyebrows shot up.

“That’s what the big spoon is for. Like this.” She snagged some pasta onto her fork, then placed it inside the spoon and wound the spaghetti strands around the fork. “It’s the only real way to eat spaghetti.” She teased him with a smile. “How does an Italian food lover not know this?”

He laughed and mimicked her actions. “Not near as messy. This sauce is amazing. It has a secret ingredient.”

“You’ll notice it’s a lot thicker than most sauces. I add chili and call it Mexican spaghetti.” She shrugged. “Just a little variation I thought I’d try one day. I’ve been making it that way ever since.”

“It’s wonderful.”

“Help yourself to garlic bread.” She pushed the basket of bread toward him.

He took a slice and gave her a mocking look. “Already buttered. So why did you give me a knife if I wasn’t supposed to cut spaghetti with it?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

She shrugged. “A place setting without a knife, fork, and spoon is incomplete. Bothers me like wearing one shoe or something. Oh!” She jumped up. “I forgot the salad.” She retrieved the prepared salad from the refrigerator, placed it in the center of the table, and brought two bowls from the cabinet. “If you want to use a knife, cut up the lettuce.” She grinned.

Author Patti Shene Gonzales shares her special “Mexican” spaghetti.

                     Spaghetti, Patti’s Mexican

For the recipe go to Investigatin’ Recipes above under Investigator’s News or Click Here. 

Here’s more about Cathy’s Christmas Confession.

Christmas is not a time of joy for the hurting.

During a snowstorm, widow Cathy Fischer creams a stop sign on her way to work at the Christmas Ridge Community Church. Acquaintance David Martin stops to help. Cathy sees signs of deep grief in David, a recent widower. She reaches out with support in an attempt to help David through this most difficult first Christmas without his beloved wife.

David Martin struggles with grief over the death of his wife. He blames God for her rapid demise after her cancer diagnosis. Cathy reaches out to him with compassion and support and soon enlists him in her mission to bring joy to others at Christmas. Will their joint quest restore David’s faith?

David needs to turn loose of the past and embrace his future. Cathy has a confession to make to the entire community that may give David a different perspective of who she really is. Will her confession set her free?

Does God have plans in mind for the two of them they did not anticipate?

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment to be placed into a drawing for a signed print copy of Cathy’s Christmas Confession.

About the author:

Patti Shene Gonzales enjoyed a thirty-year career as a psychiatric nurse and has always harbored a desire to write. She hosts published and unpublished writers on her two blogs, Patti’s Porch and The Over 50 Writer.

Patti was born in New York but has made her home in Southeastern Colorado for the past fifty years. She is a widow with two adult children and one granddaughter, all of them amazing, of course! Patti enjoys reading, writing, critiquing, watching old TV westerns, and spending time with family and friends.

She is the author of Cathy’s Christmas Confession: A Christmas Ridge Romance Book 3, the third book in a contemporary Christmas novella multi-author series. (Each story can stand alone). The book is available on Amazon in Kindle and print format and on Kindle Unlimited.

She is one of the original founders of the Colorado Springs chapter of ACFW.

The winner of the Carol of the Rooms- (A retell of A Christmas Carol) by Diana Leagh Matthews is:

                   Elizabeth D.

Congratulations, Elizabeth. 

Be sure to check out next month’s novel food scene at sallyjopitts.com/author for another chance to win a book. 

Investigating Food Used in Novels

This month’s food scene and recipe comes from Diana Leagh Matthews’ novel Carol of the Rooms.   

Scene excerpt from Carol of the Rooms:

Terri’s mind drifted to the obligations of the day. Tomorrow would be Thanksgiving Day. For many businesses, today meant a partial workday, but she had no intention of closing early. She would be there all day. No need to miss out on a dollar less than could be earned. She’d signed a deal with Mr. Peterson to design a skyscraper for his international business moving to the area. That would pad her bank account nicely. Her heart leapt at the thought of all those bills in her hand.

Her smile dissipated when she pulled into the lot and parked. Waiting for her was the one person she didn’t want to see. Ever.

She pushed open her car door. “What do you want?”

“Good to see you too, Aunt Ri,” Emma said.

Her adopted niece stood before Terri for her annual visit. The girl grated on her nerves. She was always so sweet. Too sweet. Emma never gave up trying to include Terri in various holiday celebrations—no matter how much Terri wished she would.

“I hate that name.” Terri bristled, grabbing her purse and files for the office.

Emma seemed to ignore her aunt’s sour mood. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“If you say so.” Terri pulled her keys out of the ignition.

“Derrick and I want you to join us for Thanksgiving dinner.”

“I’ll pass.” Terri stepped out of the car and shot the young woman a menacing look.

“But we’ll have turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, homemade dressing—”

“I said I’d pass.” Terri slammed the car door and stormed toward her office building. “Don’t follow me,” she called over her shoulder. She had no desire to spend time with this girl. Why did Sophia ever make her Emma’s godmother? Terri had no use for the young woman. After all, she’d lived while her mother died giving birth to her.

Terri caught her breath. I miss my best friend.

“If you change your mind, we’d love to have you,” Emma called one last time.

That girl wouldn’t give up.

Author Diana Leagh Matthews shares this recipe from her Great-Grandmother. It is a classic cornbread dressing recipe that she grew up on.

            Grandma’s Southern Cornbread Dressing

For the recipe go to Investigatin’ Recipes above under Investigator’s News or Click Here. 

More about Carol of the Rooms:

Driven. Divisive. Dissonant.
Terri Neely is propelled by greed and ambition. She refuses to let anyone—except for her beloved Gramps—past her hard exterior. Long ago, her faith waivered, and her love of music turned to hate.
That is until an accident forces her to view the soundtrack of her life as she visits her past, present, and future.
Can the songs in Terri’s life change her heart and restore her faith before it’s too late?

 A reviewer says: It was uplifting and a perfect story for the holiday season. A Christmas Carol is a favorite of mine and this retelling by Diana Leagh Matthews, did not disappoint. It reinstated what is important in life—loving others. The music theme weaves its way through the story as we follow Terri Neely and her discovery at coming face to face at what she’s become.

About the author:

Diana Leagh Matthews shares God's love through her story from rebel to redeemed. Her day job is as a volunteer coordinator, but at night she writes and hunts genealogy. She provides programs as a speaker, teacher, vocalist, and presents historical monologues. Leagh’s (pronounced L-e-e) debut novel Carol of the Rooms premiered in late 2023.  Her second novel, Forever Changed, will be released in early 2025. Leagh lives in South Carolina with her spunky Maltese and writes about the history behind the hymns at www.DianaLeaghMatthews.com. 

BOOK GIVEAWAY

Share your favorite classic holiday food in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of Carol of the Rooms.