Murder at the Cooking School: Book 7 of the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series (13 page)

The next afternoon they took
the train into Florence from the village and from there a taxi to the hotel
where they would be staying for the next two days. The beautiful old brick
hotel was very close to the massive cathedral and when they’d made the hotel
reservations, they’d requested a room that overlooked the
Duomo
. The
bellboy opened the room for them and put their luggage on the luggage racks. He
pointed out some of the features of the room and asked them if they would like
some ice.

“No, thanks,”
Mike said as he gave the bellboy a tip.

“Mike, did you
do this?” Kelly asked.

“Did I do
what?”

“Arrange for
this his huge bouquet of flowers. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I can’t believe it.
Thank you so much. That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done,” she said,
walking over to him and hugging him while she kissed him.

“Darn. Hate to
tell you this, but they’re not from me.”

“You’re
kidding! Who else knew we were going to stay here? I didn’t even tell Julia or
Cash we’d be staying here, and my staff has my cell phone in case there’s a
problem, so I didn’t see any need to give them our itinerary.”

“Is there a
card with the bouquet?” he asked.

“I was so sure
it was from you, I didn’t even think to look.” She walked over to the large
bouquet. “Yup. I can see a little white envelope. I’ll get it out. Who knows?
Maybe I have a secret admirer.”

“A secret
admirer sending you flowers on our honeymoon? That wouldn’t set real well with
me. Open it up, and let’s see what it says.”

She tore the
envelope open and read, “
Signora
Reynolds. I want to thank you once
again for solving the murder of
Signora
Nardo. Enjoy the flowers while
you are in Florence, and although I know Mike said he was going to buy you a
keepsake at a jewelry shop on the
Ponte Vecchio
, please don’t buy
anything there. They are known to be tourist traps. Tomorrow afternoon there
will be a package for you at the front desk of the hotel. Enjoy it and thank
you again. It’s signed by Chief Varano.” She put the card down on the desk and
turned to Mike.

“What a nice
thing for him to do,” she said. “Did you tell him I’d asked you to buy me
something from one of the jewelry shops there?”

“I think I
might have said something in passing. What do you make of his comment about a
package for you being at the front desk tomorrow afternoon?”

“I have no
idea. You’re the one who spent all the time with him. He may be a male
chauvinist, but he sure has good taste in flowers. I’ll call him tomorrow and
thank him. I am so excited to be here. Let’s wander around for a couple of
hours and then eat at a romantic little Italian ristorante that serves pasta.
I’m starving for some. I thought I’d get a lot more of it at the cooking
school, but we really didn’t get much at all. Okay with you?”

“Absolutely.
That sounds delicious. Tomorrow we can visit a couple of museums. I really want
to see Michelangelo’s David, and I definitely want to go to the Uffizi Gallery.
Other than that, I’m pretty open. After the art we can go to the
Ponte
Vecchi
shops. They may be tourist traps, but they’re known worldwide, and
we can at least say we’ve seen them. The chief told me there’s a very good
restaurant in the square beyond the
Ponte Vecchi
. We can have lunch
there. Are you about ready to go?”

“Give me five
minutes.”

Swell.
Might as well sit down and see if I have any messages on my phone. Knowing
Kelly, it will be at least twenty minutes.

Thirty minutes
later she said, “I’m ready. See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? I’m really getting
much better at being ready on time. You can stop the raised eyebrow routine.
This is our honeymoon, if you remember.”

“Oh, I
remember. It was the murder and Caesar that got in the way of it. Maybe we can
resume tonight when we get back.”

“Just might do
that, Sheriff. Now, let’s get some pasta and get a sense of the lay of the
land.”

*****

“Mike, my brain can’t take
in any more art. Seeing the David was one of the high points of my life, and I
loved the Uffizi, but let’s go to the
Ponte Vecchio
. I really want to
see it.”

They got in
one of the waiting cabs, and Mike told the driver to take them to the
Ponte
Vecchio
. They wandered from one jewelry store to another, amazed at the
array of gold and other jewelry that was on display.

“Mike, I know
the chief said this was a tourist trap, but I’m really tempted to get something
from here. I probably won’t pass this way again.”

“Let’s hold
off. He said there would be a package for you at the front desk this afternoon.
Since he said it in conjunction with telling you not to buy anything here,
let’s see what’s in it. If you still want something from here, we have plenty
of time to get it tomorrow. Our plane doesn’t leave until late afternoon.
Deal?”

“Deal. Right
now I’m ready to eat. All this walking is making me hungry. Did he tell you the
name of the restaurant on the square?”

“No, he
couldn’t remember it, but he said I couldn’t miss it because it had a bright
red awning and the name was written on it in white letters.”

“Mike, there
it is,” she said a few minutes later. “It looks like we were supposed to eat
here. There’s only one empty table.” They hurriedly walked over to it and sat
down.

“The chief was
definitely right,” Kelly said an hour later. “That was the best seafood pasta
I’ve ever had, and the bread was just as good. How was your lasagna?”

“Every bit as good
as your dish. All this walking, the food, and a glass of wine have made me
sleepy. Can I interest you in going back to our room and taking a nap before we
head out again?”

“That sounds
wonderful. I wonder if the package has arrived yet.”

When they got
to the hotel, Kelly walked over to the clerk who was standing behind the front
desk. “Excuse me, my name is Kelly Reynolds. I was told a package was going to
be delivered to the front desk for me. Has it come yet?”

“
Si,
Signora
. A man just brought it a little while ago. Here it is.”

“Thank you.”
She and Mike walked over to the elevator. “Mike, it’s really light. What do you
think it is?”

“I have no
idea. Honest. He didn’t say anything to me about this or the flowers. You can
open it as soon as you get to the room. Can you wait that long?” he asked in a
teasing manner.

“Barely, just
barely.” Mike opened the door of their room, and she walked over to the table
and chairs next to the window that overlooked the
Duomo
. Kelly took the
small package out of her purse. It was wrapped in white tissue paper and tied
with a red bow. She carefully took off the wrapping paper and the bow which
covered the box. She removed the lid and took a note off the white cotton that
covered whatever was in it.

“Well, read
it. What does it say?” Mike asked. “I’m as curious as you are.”

“Enjoy this
small gold statue of Saint Lorenzo. He is the patron saint of cooks and also
the patron saint of the cooking school that’s located in the
Mercato
. I
hope you will think of Italy with pleasure each time you look at him, and it’s
a small token of my appreciation for what you have done for me. This little
statue was made for you by one of my relatives who is a jeweler.”

She lifted off
the cotton and gasped as she reached into the box and withdrew the two inch
solid gold statue of Saint Lorenzo. It had a small bezel at the top, so it
could be worn as a necklace or bracelet. She looked at Mike with tears in her
eyes. “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Look at the
workmanship. I don’t know how anyone could make something this intricate and
small out of solid gold. I’ll treasure it.”

“Here. Let me
see it.” He turned it over in his large hand. “Kelly, I don’t know what this
cost, but it couldn’t have been cheap, and I don’t think the chief is a wealthy
man. I wonder how he could afford to give you this.”

“I don’t know
when I’ve been so touched. This is far more beautiful than anything we saw in
the
Ponte Vecchio
shops. And what a thoughtful gift. I take back
everything I ever said about him being a male chauvinist.”

“Well, where
does that leave me? Am I off the hook for purchasing a piece of jewelry for
you?”

“Mike, a woman
can never have enough jewelry. Let your conscience be your guide.”

“Kelly, are
you the least bit familiar with the term enough is enough?” he asked, putting
his arms around her.

“Nope, and I
never want to be.”

There's a surprise following the
recipes.

LIMONCELLO DESERT

Ingredients:

1 pint lemon sorbet

1 pint vanilla ice cream

6 oz. limoncello or any Italian lemon
liqueur

1 lemon, zested

Biscotti (any kind)

Directions:

Place one scoop each of lemon sorbet
and vanilla ice cream in a small bowl. Top with 1 ½ ounces of the lemon
liqueur. Sprinkle the zest on top. Serve with biscotti.

PORK LOIN ROAST WITH MILK 

Ingredients:

2 lb. boneless pork loin

1/3 cup butter

2 medium sized fresh tomatoes,
coarsely chopped

2 leeks, finely chopped, white and
light green parts only

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely
chopped

1 stick of celery, diced

4 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

3 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

¼ cup flour

String

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place an ovenproof pan with deep sides on the stove top and melt the butter
over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, leeks, garlic, and celery and cook until
soft. While the vegetables are cooking, put the thyme leaves on a cutting board
and spread to about the width and length of the pork roast.

Roll the pork loin over the thyme and
tie lengthwise with a long piece of string and then tie three times around the
width. Pat with salt and pepper. Dust the pork with the flour, increase the
heat to medium-high and brown, pushing the vegetables to the sides. Heat the
milk and pour it over the pork.

Transfer the browned pork and
vegetables to the oven and cook for 35 minutes.   Remove the pan from the oven,
put the pork on a serving platter and let it rest for 5 minutes. If the milk
sauce is too thin, thicken with a mixture of water and flour and add to milk
until desired consistency. (I have found it makes a nice sauce thickening on
its own.)

Slice the pork into thick medallions,
pour a small amount of the sauce over them and put the rest of the sauce in a
serving bowl, letting people serve themselves.

TORTA DI NOCE (CALABRIAN WALNUT CAKE)
with STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC SAUCE

Ingredients:

12 oz. walnuts

4 eggs, separated

8 oz. sugar

1 lemon peel, finely grated

1 lb. fresh strawberries

4 tbsp. powdered sugar, divided
equally

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

9 inch springform pan

3 tbsp. water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease
and flour a 9” springform pan. Put walnuts in a blender or food processor and
finely chop.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg
yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy. Fold in the ground nuts and
grated lemon. Beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into the nut
mixture. Gently pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes until cake rises
and is firm. Cool. When cool remove the cake from the pan and sprinkle with 2
tbsp. powdered sugar.

To make the strawberry sauce, hull and
halve the strawberries and place in a saucepan with 3 tbsp. water and
remaining 2 tbsp. powdered sugar. Heat slowly until soft and mushy. Pour into a
food process or blender. Add balsamic vinegar and blend until smooth. Pour into
a bowl, cover, and chill.

Serve the cake in thin wedges with
the strawberry sauce drizzled over the top and down the sides.

BRAISED ARTICHOKES WITH POTATOES,
PARSLEY & GARLIC

Ingredients:

6 medium sized artichokes

1 lemon, quartered

1 head fresh garlic

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 small bunch of flat leaved parsley,
roughly chopped

2 lbs. new potatoes, peeled, and cut
into chunks

½ tsp. salt

4 cups water

Directions:

Squeeze the lemon quarters into the
water. Trim and then quarter the artichokes, putting them immediately in the
lemon water. Peel off the       first layer of skin from the head of the garlic
and cut into six wedges. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven type pan.

Add the garlic and parsley and sauté
until the garlic is slightly colored. Add the artichokes, potatoes, salt and
water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer,         uncovered, for about
20-25 minutes or until vegetables are soft and most of the water has evaporated.
Can be served hot or cold.

CROSTATA DELLA NONA or GRANNY's TART

Pastry Ingredients:

7 ½ oz. slivered almonds

3 oz. sugar

14 oz. cake flour

Pinch of salt

Zest of 1 orange

10 ½ oz. unsalted butter, cubed in
small pieces and chilled

3 eggs

Water

Note:
All ingredients and utensils must be
chilled several hours prior to preparation. Make the pastry a day before you
wish to serve it.

Directions:

Place the
almonds, sugar, and food processor blades in bowl and thoroughly chill. When
chilled, place in food processor and pulse to             reduce almonds to a
powder. Transfer to mixing bowl and gently mix with a hand mixer.

Add flour,
salt, zest, and mix. Add butter and mix until just incorporated. Add eggs, one
at a time and pulse on and off until large loose crumbs start to form. If too
dry, add a few drops of water. Turn the bowl over and remove dough.

Press
dough into a ball and knead a couple of times. Don’t over process. Wrap ball in
saran wrap and refrigerate for one day. There is enough dough to make two
tarts. If you only want to make only one, freeze half the dough. Will keep for
two    months in the freezer.

Filling Ingredients:

3 oz. raisins soaked in a few tbsp.
of warm red wine

2 cups plus 1 tbsp. milk

Peel from one lemon

4 eggs, separated

4 oz. sugar

4 tbsp. corn starch

10 ½ oz. ricotta cheese

3 ¾ oz. sugar for whipping egg whites

Large bowl of cold water

Directions:

Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan bring milk and lemon peel to a boil.
In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks, sugar, and corn starch until thoroughly
mixed. Remove the lemon peel and pour hot milk on top of egg mixture, stir
well. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat.

Bring
to a boil, stirring constantly until it forms a smooth cream. Transfer to a
bowl set in ice cold water. Stir from time to time to prevent a skin from
forming on the surface. It will develop into a custard-like filling. Sieve the
ricotta cheese in a strainer to release the liquid and add it and the drained
raisins to the cold custard.

Whip the
egg whites with the remaining sugar until they form soft peaks.   Fold them
into the custard. Place the pastry in a Pyrex 9” dish so it covers the bottom
and sides of the dish. Pour the mixture onto the rolled out pastry and level
the top with a spatula. Put in the oven and check after 20 minutes. Filling
should be just barely set. Let cool. Cut and serve. Enjoy!

*****

Here's an incredible book
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) has been endorsed by
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Prelude to the Book on the
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If you have a few minutes to spare, I urge
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Many of you may be wondering - 'How is it
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Many of us of struggling with relationships, health and finances. The first
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I'll explain it in very simple words, both
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called the 'Slit Eye Experiment.' Please hang on. Don't get unnerved by words
like quantum physics. In the next few lines you'll understand perfectly well
how it ties in to the simplest of things in your life.

In the slit eye experiment, scientists took
a roll of paper, made a vertical slit in it and fired photons through it. (Just
like making a slit in a plastic sheet and pouring water through it.) Behind the
sheet of paper they had a photographic plate that recorded where the photons
would land. And as one would expect they ended up in a nice vertical line. What's
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It so happened that one night they forgot
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and got the SURPRISE of the lives. The photons no longer landed in a fine
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How could that be possible? The vertical slit in the sheet of paper was the
same. No one had torn it apart.

They began doing the experiments again and
were astounded when the photons landed in a nice straight vertical pattern on
the photographic plates. They did everything they could to get a different
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answer.

Then someone suggested that they leave the
equipment alone (just like they had done on that fateful night) to see if the
same phenomenon (scattered photons) occurred again. And IT DID.

Good heavens! What on earth was happening?
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imprint on the photographic plates). When they left the room they were all over
(scattered).

In a nutshell, this is called the 'Observer
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being observed and hence behaved obediently. When no one was there to observe
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will play.

So what does this have to do with your
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So now let's talk about a few practical,
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scientists would tell them to manipulate the results (win or lose) and every
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Let's say that the journey of life begins
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But right now you're stuck. Somewhere in
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in about. Books help a lot - to an extent. They wipe away those cobwebs present
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to know more feel free to email me at [email protected]