Ken and Elena Murder Mysteries

 

                            Heidi invited Elena to dinner and she made Cincinnati Chili with cornbread and honey butter. Cincinnati chili lovers order their chili by the number. Two-way chili is served over spaghetti.  Three-way chili is served over spaghetti with shredded cheddar cheese. Four-way chili is served over spaghetti with cheddar cheese and chopped onions. Five-way chili is served over spaghetti with cheddar cheese, onions, and kidney beans. This recipe can be found in Death in the Aspen Forest . 6-8 Servings Ingredients: 1 large onion, chopped 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (hamburger) 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate 1 (15-ounce) can of tomato sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire s...

            In Death at Grizzly Bowl,  Heidi tries to impress Ken with her special apple pancake.  When it comes from the oven, it is stunning. Batter 4 large eggs 1/2 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon sugar Pinch of salt 1 cup of milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons butter 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg Fruit 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1 large tart apple (no need to peel) Blend eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in the food processor.  With the machine running, add vanilla, butter, and nutmeg.  Let it stand for thirty minutes. Slice the apple. In a 10 inch ovenproof skillet, melt the butter and coat the sides of the pan.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg over the butter.  Cover with apple slices and the other 1/4 cup of sugar.  Use medium-high heat until the mixture bubbles. Pour the batter over the apples and place in a preheated 425-...

 In celebration of the publication of Death at Grizzly Bowl , we would like to present one of the recipes in the book from a very historic place--Gooney's Bar and Grill. Before we present the recipe, a little bit of history is in order.   Gooney's Bar and Grill is located in the historic part of San Andreas.  According to a plaque on the building put up by the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (the clampers), "The building is significant because it was one of the first buildings constructed after the fire of 1858 and has been used almost exclusively as a saloon and restaurant. In March of 1863, Gooner Everson acquired the property for $18.60 in back taxes and operated it as a saloon.  For a time, the name was changed from Gooney's Saloon to the Red Brick Saloon, but longtime residents almost always referred to it by its traditional name, and in 2018 it was sold, and the name changed back to Gooney's Bar and Grill."

Death at Grizzly Bowl, a Ken and Elena mystery, has just been published.   Elena and Rachel were skiing at Grizzly Bowl when a snowboarder hit Rachel with a pipe. Rachel died while in the hospital, and Elena vowed to find the killer. Elena enlisted Ken to help investigate the four possible suspects. Was it her ex-husband or his snowboarding wife, an obsessed former colleague, or someone that didn't want her talking to the IRS about the money laundering at her work?  

  Death at Sequoia Woods just earned  the gold  Global eBook Award  in the Mystery Fiction category .

  Everyone living near the Sequoia Woods Country Club raves about Elena's apple pie.  She brings a pie or two to every potluck or group picnic. Elena's Homemade Apple Pie The foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains are home to some of the best apples in the world. Those apples plus Elena's knack for making a beautiful crust makes her pies in demand from both her family and friends. She modified this pie recipe after seeing the video of Natasha from natashaskitchen.com. 1 double nine-inch pie crust or the homemade crust from the recipe below. 2 1/4 lbs. Granny Smith Apples peeled and cored 6-7 apples (7 cups thinly sliced) 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup water 1 cup sugar 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash The homemade pie crust below is really easy to make. As an alternative, you can buy a high-quality one from the store. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in 3 t...

Ken and Elena met at JJ's Dive Bar to discuss their progress in solving the murder and to plan new moves. The bar was named after the brother of the owner and who lost his life while diving in Hawai'i. Ingredients suggested by Irine Semana and Marvin at the Burnt Lumpia Blog have been incorporated into this recipe.  Please enjoy the lumpia as you read our book. Makes 40-50 Lumpia 1 package Menlo All-Purpose Wrappers (one pound) If Menlo wrappers are not available, then wrappers for Chinese spring rolls can be used. 2 lb. ground pork 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1-inch ginger, peeled and minced 2 tablespoons Maggi seasoning 2 eggs, lightly beaten 3 dashes ground black pepper 6 ounces minced carrots and onions Cut the square Menlo wrappers in half so that you have two stacks. Place a damp paper towel over the wrappers to keep them from drying out as you work. Combine the pork, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, Maggi seasoning sauce, eggs, and black pepper in a large bo...

Chapter 1 — Ken As I walked up the hill from my cabin, I noticed several police cars parked in front of the Sequoia Woods Country Club and a gathering crowd on the road near the main door. I hoped this was just an over-reaction to a break-in. God forbid one of my friends had a heart attack or a stroke. I waved to several people I knew in the crowd as I approached the uniformed officer at the door, a more efficient way to get to the bottom of what was going on than asking bystanders, a habit from my old life, I guess. “I'm sorry, sir. The club is closed,” the slightly chubby young female deputy with the Calaveras Sheriff's Department stationed at the door told me. Her nametag said Deputy Terry, and for a brief moment, I wondered if that was her first or last name. “Are you telling me I won't be able to order the breakfast special?” I asked, trying to be humorous. I used to banter like this with the cops I ran into at crime scenes before I retired, a tendency that struck me n...