The Picker Who Perished
 A Too Good to be Threw Consignment Shop Mystery
by Kate Holmes

When Wendy Sam Miller, the owner of Too Good to be Threw, a consignment shop in sunny Sarasota Florida, finds her best friend and picker dead at the foot of her steps, the police say it was an accident. But Ilene was an ex-dancer, a graceful woman. Did she fall... or was she pushed because she was pushing some powers-that-be in this seaside town? 

A note from Kate: Wendy Sam believes in parties that are as much fun for the hostess as they are for guests. So her recipes are simple and yummy. Don’t blame her if your guests won’t leave! (But do try putting on your nightie and getting ready for bed, if you’re over 40. Chances are, that will scare ’em into going home to their own weird bedtime rituals!)

Green ballsy things

Elsie’s favorite, and maybe Wendy Sam’s as well. Served at the party in The Picker Who Perished, a Too Good to be Threw Consignment Shop Mystery. The original recipe came from Noel DeBrick, artist extraordinaire. These can, and should, be made ahead of time, then warmed/zapped as needed: (These are also known, more prosaically, as Spinach Balls, but only by the imagination-challenged)

2 pkgs (those frozen blocks) chopped spinach, cooked and drained
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup butter, melted
½ to 1 cup grated Parmesan (more is always better, says Wendy Sam)
a little garlic salt
½ t. thyme or poultry seasoning
2 cups packaged herb stuffing

Combine all, shape into small balls on a greased baking sheet, refrigerate at least one hour, then bake at 350º 20-25 minutes. Makes about 50 balls. Cook a little less if you plan to freeze then thaw and warm. These do well in the microwave as secret late-night nibbles.

Stuffed mushrooms

You can stuff mushrooms with just about anything in the fridge, but here’s the recipe Wendy Sam uses.

A bunch of nice stuffable-sized mushrooms, at least a pound’s worth
1 shallot, chopped*
some fresh breadcrumbs (although we won’t tell if you use packaged)
3 T snipped fresh chives or basil or tarragon
2T dry sherry or vermouth
12 oz or so of sausage: bulk, or remove from casings
some garlic
fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c chopped roasted red peppers or pimientos (from a jar)
grated Parmesan

Chop the stems and sauté in olive oil. Add the shallot and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat. Add a sprinkle of breadcrumbs, whichever fresh herb turns you on, and the liquor.

Meanwhile, with your spare hand, sauté sausage in the garlic, add a sprinkle of breadcrumbs here too, and the parsley and pimientos.

Combine all and stuff the caps. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake at 375º until the tops are bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Vegetarian Shrooms: Chop the stems of the mushrooms, add grated mozzarella and mayo, some fresh chopped parsley, a healthy dash of Worcestershire sauce, a teeny bit of garlic and about the same amount of oregano, and salt and pepper. No sautéing. Stuff the mushroom caps. Bake 20 minutes at 350º.

Or get uptown with Champignons Farcies aux Crabs. Take those chopped-up mushroom stems, add 4 T grated Parmesan, 8 oz. cream cheese, 4 oz. crabmeat, 2 ½ T olive oil, 2 T fresh chopped parsley, a teeny bit of breadcrumbs, ½ a lemon’s juice, a little minced shallot if you have some, 1½ t. Cognac, 1 t. Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Beat/puree, using whatever kitchen appliance you have (no cooking at this point). Mound into mushroom caps, bake at 425º for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with more grated Parmesan before you present them to your delighted albeit inebriated guests.

Or do Blue M’ooms: Stuff whatever amount of mushroom caps (in this recipe, pre-steam the mushroom caps for 6 minutes or so, no baking required) with equal amount of cream cheese and crumbled blue cheese, a healthy dose of chopped walnuts, a good dash of fresh chopped chives (the only herb Wendy Sam seems to be able to grow) or thinly sliced green onions. No further cooking, just serve ’em!

Roast Beast Rollups

flour tortillas
deli roast beef, the best, sliced thin
lettuce: Wendy Sam likes red leaf
bacon and horseradish dip, the pre-made kind in the dairy case

The Poltergeist's favorite. Spread the dip on the tortillas, add a slice of beef and a leaf or two of lettuce, roll tightly. Wrap and chill. At some point (between your shower and your mascara), make one-inch slices and arrange prettily on a platter, and stick back in the fridge. Yes, they stay rolled. Don’t ask Kate or Wendy Sam how. It’s magic.

Forget-the-whole-thing Yummie

Life is short. Do this instead. Get a loaf of the best French bread in town (in Sarasota, it’s C’est La Vie Bakery on Main Street). Cut it up. Spread Gorgonzola cheese on top. Drizzle lightly with honey. You will be trés au courant.

Polter's Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Strawberry Butter

Wendy Sam's friend Polter (short for Poltergeist) has spent the night watching her house after there was a conch shell thrown through her living-room window. In the morning, he invites himself for breakfast. Fortunately, he can cook better than she can, and does. This recipe has been posted at the request of Richard, a reader from Middleton Wisconsin.

    I opened the door and almost tripped over Polter, sitting on the stoop reading the sports section. 
    "Pancakes," he said.
    "And a good morning to you, too."
    "I’ve been dreaming of pancakes for the last two hours."
  "I think I can manage that." I retrieved the rest of the paper while Polter followed the scent of coffee into my kitchen. He’d poured us both big mugs, and I sipped mine while I rummaged for the Bisquick in the pantry. Pancakes involve Bisquick, right? I was peering at the side panel, hoping I had whatever other ingredients might be needed, when I noticed Polter’s frown.
    "Sit," he said, and aligned the newspaper neatly in front of one of my breakfast bar stools. So I did. He was assembling bowls, measuring cups, other arcane kitchen utensils I didn’t remember owning. I don’t cook a lot, I believe I’ve mentioned.
    "Got any cottage cheese?" he said, as he opened the refrigerator.
        "Any self-respecting woman always does," I said. "It makes us think we’re on a diet."
    He retrieved it from the back left corner of the bottom shelf and congratulated me on the fact that it was mold-free. I was enjoying the compliment, backhanded as it was, when he came up with another request I could easily fulfill. Sour cream. That’s something that I always have.
     Within a few minutes, he had a pancake batter mixed up, and was looking for the griddle. All I had was a frying pan. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in that; many women don’t have griddles in their kitchens. Do they?
     Then Polter was aghast that I did not have maple syrup in the house. I redeemed myself by whipping up a little gourmet treat of strawberry butter, and we settled down companionably to breakfast.

Polter’s Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Strawberry Butter

1 cup each sour cream and cottage cheese
3/4 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs, separated

Combine everything except the egg whites and beat thoroughly to blend.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in.

Using a lightly-buttered griddle (or frying pan if you’re Wendy Sam), ladle about 1/3 cup batter for each pancake. As you continue to make pancakes, be sure to stir the batter gently so it maintains consistency.

Strawberry Butter

Cream together ½ cup room-temperature unsalted butter and 2-3 tablespoons sugar (superfine if you have it). In another bowl, mash 3/4 cup very ripe strawberries with a sprinkle of lemon juice. Mix a small amount of the strawberries into the butter, adding strawberries as you go to mix it easily. Keeps a few days; great on biscuits too!

(The easier way: use unsalted butter and a good-quality strawberry jam. Put the mixture into a cunning little crock to serve so it looks French and fancy. Adding a mint sprig to the top of the crock takes your breakfast over the top, so to speak!)

If you haven't read The Picker Who Perished, a Too Good to be Threw Consignment Shop Mystery by Kate Holmes yet, you simply don't know what living is! You need, I mean REALLY NEED to order it. Published by Katydid Press, paperback, 5.5" x8.5", 272 pp, © 2004. (ISBN 0-9755886-0-5) $12.95, but available to resale shopkeepers at our "Friends and Family" 25% discount off cover price

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