Tag: Murder mystery

Autumn Mystery Lovers’ Tea

Poirot straightened up and asked sharply: “What has happened?”

“Linnet Doyle’s dead—shot through the head last night.”

Poirot was silent for a minute, two memories vividly before him—a girl in a garden in Assuan saying in a hard breathless voice, “I’d like to put my dear little pistol against her head and press the trigger,”…

I’ve always had a sneaking desire to be part of a Hercule Poirot mystery. How much fun it would be to attend an elegant soiree or, even better, a weekend house party at a great estate while Poirot questions everyone with consummate charm!

The first time my hubby and I went to England, it was in early November and we fully embraced our mystery-geek sides, dressing in trench coats and flannel trousers, visiting 221B Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes Pub, and warding off the cool weather with hot tea in cozy little restaurants, so I will admit to being somewhat biased, but Fall seems like the best time to dive into a mystery novel. Something about the chill in the air mimics the shivers down your spine as an astute detective tries to outwit and catch the clever murderer.

England is the honorary home base of mystery stories and novels, but the origin of the genre in a major novel is attributed to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue in 1841. My favourite authors straddle both sides of the Pond, and farther abroad as well.

I love period flavour and settings that are their own characters in the story. The Victorian setting of the Sherlock Holmes stories enhances the interplay of Holmes and Watson, and created such a powerful aura that to this day some people are convinced that Holmes was a real person. 1930s flavour permeates the stories from my other two favourite British authors, Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, and it was the movie version of Death on the Nile in 1978 with spectacular scenes of Egypt as a backdrop that inspired me to pursue my long-held dream and actually put together a trip there for our 10th wedding anniversary.

Edgar Allan Poe’s stories have a decidedly macabre bent that makes them great to read around Halloween, but I also love the moody film-noir vibe of Dashiell Hammett. I really got into The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency stories by Alexander McCall Smith after we’d been to Botswana, and through television we’ve discovered the charming Miss Fisher and intricate Dr. Blake mysteries from Australia, and even the Brokenwood Mysteries crime series from New Zealand. Here in Canada, although we haven’t read the books, we’re proud to be the home of the brilliantly-produced Murdoch Mysteries television series set in Toronto at the turn of the 20th century, incorporating cultural and political details of the era as well as a variety of historical figures of the time – Nicola Tesla, Mark Twain and Arthur Conan Doyle are just a few.

This month, celebrate Autumn by snuggling up with a cup of good tea (and some delicious treats, of course) while you immerse yourself in a great mystery for a few hours.

One of my favourite teas for fall pleasure is called Russian Caravan: it has some smokiness to it, making it a perfect match for more intense fall flavours that won’t get lost against the strength of the tea.

Here are some suggestions for putting together an easy, atmospheric tea to have with your favourite mystery and a pot of Russian Caravan tea (these can all be made gluten-free if needed):

  • A smoked ham and aged cheddar sandwich with mango chutney
  • Roast beef sandwich with horseradish and black pepper crème fraiche
  • Curried chicken, dried cranberry and pecan sandwich
  • Scones with lush pumpkin butter or plum jam
  • A slice of spiced cake – try the recipe I’ve included below

Back in the 1990s there was a wonderful cooking magazine available called Chocolatier. While it was devoted lovingly to all things chocolate, it also featured a variety of other desserts, along with thorough recipes and interesting anecdotes. I loved leafing through each issue, salivating over the gorgeous photos and deciding which recipes I wanted to try out.

Chocolatier Magazine, June 1998, White House Desserts 1800 – 1998

Recipe from Dolley Madison’s personal collection, wife of James Madison inaugurated in 1809. “in her papers, Dolley left recipes for ginger pound cake and a strawberry roll. Her love of sweets was legendary and she was quoted as saying, ‘I derive my pleasure from my indulgences.’ ”

Her original recipe for the ginger pound cake was written simply as: “2 lbs. flour, 1 pint molasses, 1 lb. sugar, ½ pint sour cream, 1 lb. butter, 1 cup ginger, 10 eggs, 1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolved in warm water). Mix and bake as a pound cake.”  Chocolatier magazine provided a modernized version that produced a deep amber bundt cake which I wanted to try out as soon as I saw the photo. Finally, with my discovery of a great gluten-free all-purpose flour by Bob’s Red Mill, I gave it a shot. It turned out beautifully (photo below), if perhaps not as smooth an outer surface as the original and a little smaller, since gluten-free flour doesn’t rise as much as regular flour. The texture and crumb turned out beautifully. It made a surprisingly light fall cake, not too heavily spiced and perfect with smoky Russian Caravan tea on a cool day with the leaves falling outside.

Sadly the magazine is no longer being published, so here’s the recipe for you to enjoy as well. I substituted my gluten-free flour one-for-one for the cake flour in the recipe, plus an extra two tablespoons to compensate for the difference in flour textures (cake flour is denser). Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before assembling for successful baking. Also, make sure you grease every nook and cranny of your bundt pan, including the centre tube, so it will release the cake completely when it’s done. I find that taking a thin flexible knife (like a small butter spreader) and running it carefully around all outer edges of the cake, including the part around the centre tube, also helps the cake come out better.

(Note: I didn’t use the confectioners’ sugar garnish, so you won’t see that in my photo.)

Fresh Ginger Pound Cake with Cardamom Syrup

Yield: one 10-inch bundt cake serving about 12 to 14

Difficulty: Easy

Preparation: 30 minutes plus baking and cooling times

Ginger pound cake:

3 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 & 1/2 cups tablespoons peeled and grated fresh gingerroot

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup milk

Cardamom syrup:

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 cardamom pods

One 1/2-inch thick slice peeled fresh gingerroot

6 black peppercorns

Garnish:

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Make the cake batter:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350oF. Butter and flour the inside of a 10-cup Bundt pan, or coat it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In the 4 & 1/2 quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 2 minutes at medium speed, or until creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light in texture and color. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds after each egg is added. Scrape down the side of the bowl frequently with a rubber spatula to keep the batter even-textured. Blend in the grated gingerroot and lemon juice.

3. On low speed, alternately add the sifted mixture in three additions with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the sifted mixture.

4. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until risen and a wooden toothpick inserted into the cake withdraws cleanly. Cool the cake in the pan over a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto another rack.

Make the syrup:

5. Combine the water, sugar, cardamom, ginger and peppercorns in a small non-reactive saucepan. Set over medium heat, and warm the mixture, stirring frequently until the sugar melts, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to infuse into the syrup.

6. Strain the syrup through a medium sieve into a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, dab the syrup over the surface of the warm cake, allowing it to sink into the cake before reapplying it in the same area. Let the cake cool completely.

Garnish the cake:

7. Sprinkle the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

I really miss this magazine, but a collection of some of the recipes is available through Amazon: Chocolate passion: recipes and inspiration from the kitchens of Chocolatier magazine. If you decide to try the recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out, and please feel free to share the titles of some of your favourite mystery stories! Happy reading 🙂

A little frivolity

Doesn’t it sometimes seem like the coronavirus is Mother Nature’s twisted April Fool’s prank? Well, if so, She didn’t end it after 12pm, the customary cutoff time, so according to tradition we may call Her the Fool for that.

Media opinion was divided as to whether April Fool’s should have been celebrated this year. CNN even pontificated about pranks during the “global cloud of human suffering”. Seriously? How is that description going to help my state of mind? I’m well aware of how many people have been affected by the pandemic, but we need some relief from the grim barrage of information!

Apparently a British newspaper posted a joke image of Prince Harry schlepping around Hollywood in baggy sweats with a hoard of toilet paper in a shopping cart. Harmless fun, I think.

We need to be able to stay as calm as possible while time passes tucked away in our little corners of the earth. And that means controlling what we can control, like creating an atmosphere of fun as often as possible to counterbalance the news.

Go for a walk in your neighbourhood, and be mindful – in the moment. I went for a walk this afternoon. The sun was shining in a bright blue, cloudless sky with a slight cool breeze on my face. I was tempted to let my mind wander, but I steered it back to enjoying the signs of life and Spring around me.

I could hear wind chimes tinkling melodically in the breeze in someone’s back yard. I saw a red-tailed hawk drifting lazily overhead while a bright red cardinal sang melodies in a tree I was passing; spotted tiny, cheery white crocus blooming at the base of a front-yard tree; watched buds emerging into the mild air. A fellow was out walking his dog while he scrolled through messages on his cell phone; I’m certain he missed all these things. Take the time to notice and appreciate all the bits of life as you walk – these things keep us grounded in daily reality during the surrealness of life right now. They show us that life is going onward and that every day brings us closer to the eventual end of the pandemic.

The other day my hubby had a package delivered from Amazon. The parcel service driver had rung our doorbell and left the box on our front stoop, but I happened to open the door just as he was rounding the front of his van. He waved at me and smiled, and I smiled, waved back and called out, “Thank you!”.

Not an unusual exchange most of the time, but I see so many people looking grim when we venture out to replenish supplies, and it was nice to share a smile that day. I know everyone’s worried and uncertain about the future, but we can brighten each other’s days by taking the time to at least smile and exchange pleasantries, even if they are given from a distance.

Since we’re all stuck at home most of the time, couples and families are under each other’s feet a lot more, and it will be easy to get irritated. So this week’s theme is frivolity, in honour of April Fool’s Day and keeping a sense of humour. It’s a way we can help each other chill out in close quarters.

The origins of April Fool’s Day are murky, but it seems to date back at least as far as the Middle Ages. According to the Museum of Hoaxes, a Flemish writer wrote a poem describing a nobleman who sent his servant on silly errands on April 1, and in 1857 citizens of London, England were fooled into going to the Tower to see an ‘annual lion-washing ceremony’.

By Unknown author – http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoaxipedia/Washing_The_Lions/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9873207

Personally I’m not a big fan of practical jokes, although I’ve seen some pretty funny ones. The prankee, though, isn’t always amused.

April Fool’s is all about make-believe, though, isn’t it, and there are all kinds of ways to indulge in a little pretend-fun without offending anyone.

One of my preferred activities is to play board games and jigsaw puzzles. I play a killer game of backgammon, which my hubby refuses to play with me because of my admittedly uncanny ability to roll doubles. As a great alternative, though, we indulge in working on murder mystery jigsaw puzzles.

Jigsaw puzzles date back to the 18th century, and were originally pictures painted onto a piece of wood. They were then cut into pieces using a marquetry saw. The first puzzle is believed to have been created by a engraver and cartographer, John Spilsbury, in London England. It featured a map of Europe and was meant to be educational. Spilsbury called it a “dissected map”, and the idea caught on.

In the 19th century fretsaws were used to cut up the pieces, not a jigsaw, but the misnomer stuck. Eventually the puzzles began to be printed on cardboard, and became enormously popular during the Great Depression as a cheap form of entertainment that could be played at for hours – the same reason they still make a great activity during a similarly challenging time right now.

If you’ve never done a murder mystery jigsaw, let me introduce you to a whole new level of the activity! For these puzzles, the joke is a little bit on you: you don’t get to know what the picture is supposed to look like. You’re given a booklet that tells the story leading up to the murder, with clues as to what you should be looking for to put together the puzzle and solve the mystery. It’s diabolical, and engrossing.

You need a large dedicated surface and patience to put these together – they’re not solved in one or even a few sittings. My hubby and I took three weeks to put the last one together, starting after New Year’s when we got home from a holiday trip, and then on weekends and after work into late January.

Our strategy is to assemble all the edge pieces, just like a regular jigsaw, and then sort the remaining pieces into trays based on colour and surface pattern. Very slowly, with many adjustments and fiddling, patterns begin to emerge and the final story takes shape. Sometimes you step away for a day with frustration and a sore back, only to have an idea pop into your head – damn, I think I know where that piece goes! – and you’re back at it again. There’s a compulsion to solve these complex puzzles, and the mystery they portray.

If you’re a Titanic buff, you’ll love this puzzle, available from Amazon

Think of all the ways you can have fun with some make-believe. People have had ‘Christmas in July’ parties and Caribbean parties in the winter for ages, after all. How about a Pirate party, or an Alice in Wonderland tea? You can while away quite a few hours planning them out, putting up decorations, making delicious food, getting dressed up. Let your hair down, take some photos, and have a blast. In fact, I’d love for you to share a photo with me once you’re done!

If you’re a year-round Halloween person, if autumn is your favourite season, or you’re just looking forward to the fall when hopefully life will have returned more-or-less to normal, make something pumpkin-flavoured. Turn out the lights and light some candles, put on one of the movies I listed in my October blog, or another favourite creepy movie, and enjoy a little catharsis with the pretend-chills.

And a bonus for you, a background image I’ve created that you can download for free to keep on your computer screen to help keep things in perspective. Next week: The Skies of Africa, Part 2: Khwai.

ltm-screen-saver-3-things-im-grateful-forDownload