BOOK BITES: Red Carpet Catering Mystery Series

When I came across Shawn Reilly Simmons’s RED CARPET CATERING MYSTERY SERIES, I knew right away I had to ask her to join me here for Book Bites. I mean, seriously: mystery, catering, movie sets… perfect fit, right? Next week, February 23, 2016 to be exact, Henery Press will be releasing two…that’s right, TWO new Red Carpet Catering mysteries: MURDER ON A SLIVER PLATTER and MURDER ON THE HALF SHELL. Today, Shawn Reilly Simmons gives us a little taste of both, along with a salmon recipe I tried out last night.

Who is your main character? Tell me about her.

Penelope Sutherland is the owner and head chef of Red Carpet Catering, and works behind the scenes on movie sets. She lives with her best friend, up-and-coming actress Arlena Madison.

What would Penelope choose for her last meal?

Penelope would choose herb roasted salmon with and Arugula salad, because it is her favorite thing to eat, and her most requested dish on the set.

How about you? What would you choose for your last meal?

I’d probably go with surf & turf: a New York strip and a Maryland crab cake. I graduated from the University of Maryland and then moved to New York, where I lived and worked for many years before returning to Maryland, so that would be a perfect fit for me.

Why should someone bite into THE RED CARPET CATERING MYSTERY SERIES?

MURDER ON A SILVER PLATTER and MURDER ON A HALF SHELL are culinary mysteries set in the glamorous world of celebrity and movies. My books appeal to readers of traditional, cozy mysteries who like a dash of romance, good food and strong female characters. I worked as an onset caterer, and my experiences inspire my series, and add authenticity to the novels. I hope my love of food and movies comes through to the readers as well.

Do you have a recipe you’d like to share?

Penelope’s Perfectly Roasted Herbed Salmon

Ingredients:

4  5oz boneless,  salmon filets (check for stray bones and pull them with tweezers)

Salt and Pepper

¼ cup Olive Oil

2 TBS lemon juice

2 TBS thyme

2 TBS chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place salmon filets on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and season generously with salt and pepper, skin side down. Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle over the filets. Sprinkle herbs on top of the fish and place in oven on the center rack.

 Roast filets for 10-12 minutes until almost cooked in the thickest part. Remove from oven and let the fish rest for ten minutes before serving.

A perfect pairing for the salmon is a quick Arugula salad, simply dressed with olive oil and salt and pepper.  

Thank you so much for sharing this with us today! I spent a fair amount of time on movie sets on my acting days, and I consider myself a “foodie,” so I can’t wait to check out this series! And I am always looking for new ways to make our weekly salmon dinner interesting. I actually cooked this meal up last night, and it was the perfect healthy meal after a long weekend of munching on Valentine’s Day candy.

I tried out Penelope’s Perfectly Roasted Herbed Salmon recipe last night! It was delicious!!!

I added some grape tomatoes to the salad, since I had them in them on hand, but that was the only alteration.

You can connect with Shawn Reilly Simmons on her website www.ShawnReillySimmons.com. MURDER ON A SILVER PLATTER and MURDER ON THE HALF SHELL are available on Amazon for pre-order now!

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