The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "The Stills" By Jess Montgomery, Served with a Recipe for Beet Pickled Hard-Boiled Eggs

I am very excited to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for The Stills by Jess Montgomery, the third book in her Kinship series. Accompanying my review is a recipe of purplish Beet Pickled Hard-Boiled Eggs, inspired by the book.

Publisher's Notes: 

The third in Jess Montgomery’s exquisitely written Kinship series, The Stills is a triumph of storytelling by an extraordinary new talent in crime fiction…

Ohio, 1927: Moonshining is a way of life in rural Bronwyn County, and even the otherwise upstanding Sheriff Lily Ross has been known to turn a blind eye when it comes to stills in the area. But when thirteen-year-old Jebediah Ranklin almost dies after drinking tainted moonshine, Lily knows that someone has gone too far, and–with the help of organizer and moonshiner Marvena Whitcomb–is determined to find out who.

But then, Lily’s nemesis, the businessman George Vogel, reappears in town with his new wife, Fiona. Along with them is also her former brother-in-law Luther Ross, now an agent for the newly formed Bureau of Prohibition. To Lily, it seems too much of a coincidence that they should arrive now.

As fall turns to winter, a blizzard closes in. Lily starts to peel back the layers of deception shrouding the town of Kinship, but soon she discovers that many around her seem to be betraying those they hold dear–and that Fiona too may have an agenda of her own.

Hardcover: 352 Pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (March 9, 2021)

My Review:

I am a big fan of the Kinship series, having been on the blog tours for the first two books The Widows and The Hollows. I love the intersection of two favorite genres--historical fiction and mysteries and, Sheriff Lily Ross, is a strong, female main character to root for, as are the other strong women in the book. Widowed in the first novel, Lily took over her husband's job as Sheriff of their rural Ohio community, no easy feet, especially in 1927 but Lily was reelected on her own merits last year. Lily's Thanksgiving with her family and friends, Marvena and Hildy and their families, is interrupted with news that a local boy is in a coma after drinking some local moonshine that puportedly came from Marvena's still. Complicating matters is the fact that George Vogel, a shady businessman who Lily has dealt with in the past is in town with his wife and seems to be up to something involving illegal alcohol distribution. The book's POV bounces back and forth mostly between Lily and Fiona Vogel, now George's wife, a former local girl and the widow of a local deputy. Fiona is brought to town by George but has a definite agenda of her own. 

What I like most about this series is the well-researched history that Jess Montgomery weaves into  the story. I have learned a lot about Prohibition and other historical events from this series, and it usually has me looking for more information while I am reading it. The author works in historical figures (like the very real Assistant Attorney General Mabel Walker Willebrandt) into the books which it doesn't distract from the mysteries and teaches me more about history and subjects I am not familiar with. In this book I found the medical treatments of the times for diabetes and asthma especially interesting. Marvena's young daughter, Frankie, has severe and worsening asthma and part of the treatment is inhaling the smoke from asthma "sticks." Having asthma myself, the thought of breathing in the smoke from these medicinal cigarettes makes me cringe and I feel lucky to have a nebulizer and more modern treatments. I also love unpacking the layers of Lily and Marvena and getting to know more about these women and their friendship with each book. The writing is vivid and descriptive and puts me right into the setting. This third book did not disappoint in any way, and I can't wait for the next one!    

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Author Notes: JESS MONTGOMERY is the Literary Life columnist for the Dayton Daily News and former Executive Director of the renowned Antioch Writers’ Workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Based on early chapters of her novel The Widows, Jess was awarded an Ohio Arts Council individual artist’s grant for literary arts and the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence at Thurber House in Columbus. She lives in her native state of Ohi

You can connect with Jess on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
 

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Food Inspiration:

There was food to be found in The Stills--much of it related to the Thanksgiving holiday of the books time setting in 1927. Unfortunately, most of my food highlights in the later half of the book "disappeared" from the e-book advanced readers copy I was using so I am going to have to go from memory here. Food mentions included a bouquet of sage from the garden, sugar pumpkins and acorn squash, tomato vines and corn stalks, a quart jar of canned apples for pies, pumpkin pies, turkey, turkey broth, home-canned goods, dried grape bricks marked "Vino Sano Grapes" that could be reconstituted in water with sugar and made into grape juice if consumed within a week, or wine if left in a dark cupboard for three weeks (one of the work-arounds of the Volstead Act of Prohibition), moonshine, biscuits, corn pone, Ginger Ale, whipped cream, jars of blueberries and pickles, tea and toast, eggs, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, pickled corn, rolls, soft butter that the children made by shaking heavy cream in canning jars, sorghum pie, turkey bone broth which will be made into turkey soup with homemade egg noodles, coffee, various teas, pickled red cabbage and sauerbraten, schnitzel, turkey sandwiches, and biscuits with jam. I'm sure there's more but that's all I got! ;-) 

For my bookish dish, I decided to go with the beet-pickled eggs on Lily's Thanksgiving table: "...even pickled eggs turned purplish red from pickled beet juice. Usually those were saved for Easter, but Caleb Jr. had begged for them and finally Lily relented..." Since we are closer to Easter than Thanksgiving, it seemed like a good fit. I used a recipe from a favorite preserving book, Salt Sugar Smoke by Diana Henry to make my eggs.  

Beet Pickled Eggs
Slightly Adapted from Salt Sugar Smoke by Diana Henry

14 eggs 
4 cups white wine vinegar
1 beet, sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 cinnamon stick
3 dried chiles (I omitted and added 1/2 Tbsp black pepper corn)

Boil eggs to your preference, then then drain, run cold water over them, and peel. Make a few punctures in each egg with a toothpick and set aside.

Mix together all of the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heating let simmer for about 15 minutes. Put the eggs into a sterilized jar and pour the hot vinegar over them. Seal with a vinegar-proof lid and once cool, keep in the refrigerator. The eggs will taste better after a couple of days. They'll keep--covered with the vinegar and refridgerated--for about a month.  

Notes/Results: I like pickled eggs they have a nice salty, sweet and acidic bite to them and a slight earthiness from the beets. I even like the rubbery texture the eggs get from the pickling--not chewy per se, but firmer than a regular boiled egg. My eggs were not perfect, most of the 5 I used ended up with flat bottoms which can be related to temperature going into the water, if the eggs are too cold and these were straight out of the fridge. It didn't effect the taste though and that's the important thing. I would make these eggs again. 

Note: A review copy of "The Stills" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.  

You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.

 

Middle Eastern Leek & Veggie Soup with Dilled Yogurt & Sumac for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I was going to make the Middle Eastern Leeks with Yogurt, Dill & Sumac recipe from Diana Henry this week for our Cuisine Spotlight at I Heart Cooking Clubs and ran out of time. Since I had the leeks, yogurt, dill and my big bottle of sumac to use up, I decided to turn the leeks into a soup and use the yogurt sauce as a topping.

Diana's original recipe for the leeks and sauce is here. Below is my adapted soup recipe.

 
Middle Eastern Leek Soup with Dilled Yogurt & Sumac
Inspired & Adapted from Diana Henry
(Serves 4 to 6)

2 Tbsp olive oil
6 to 8 medium leeks
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 tsp sumac + extra for garnish
2 cloves garlic, sliced
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill 
1 medium zucchini, chopped 
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
sea salt and black pepper to taste
lemon slices for garnish
Dilled Yogurt Sauce (recipe below)

Remove the tough outer leaves from the leeks and discard. Slice off the base of each one, and the dark green leaves at the top, leaving the lighter green and white parts. Cut the leeks into 1 1/2 inch lengths or leave them whole. Wash them really well, making sure that you get rid of any grit or soil and pat dry.

Heat oil in a large heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and salt and cook until leeks are softened, about 8 minutes, stirring so they don't brown. Add the smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper, sumac, and garlic and cook another minute or two until the spices are fragrant. Add the veggie broth and dill and bring to a boil, then add zucchini and Yukon Gold potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until veggies are softened but not mushy. 

Take about 2 cups of the soup and blend until smooth, then stir back into the pot. Add lemon juice and salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with a scoop of the yogurt sauce, a sprinkling of sumac and a slice of lemon. Enjoy!

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Dilled Yogurt Sauce
Adapted from Diana Henry via TheTelegraph.com
(Makes 2  cups)

2 cups Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon

Mix the yogurt with the garlic, dill, mustard, lemon juice and some salt and pepper. You can thin it further if you like by adding water or milk (buttermilk is good if you have any). Serve with the soup. Keep leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to a week. 

Notes/Results: A tasty savory soup that is not too heavy with just enough spice. The yogurt sauce with its dill and lemon keep it cool and is really good when stirred into the broth. Whenever I use sumac, I am always reminded of how much I like its almost tart, lemon-ish flavor. I think the dilled yogurt sauce would be delicious on any steamed or grilled vegetable or for pita bread. I will happily make it again.

Linking up to IHCC for the July Cuisine Spotlight: Middle Eastern theme.  

Let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here this week.

Lovely Simona of briciole is back with a fresh Tomato, Cucumber and Radish Salad and says, "I am currently fascinated by the pale green, deeply ribbed, long Armenian cucumbers (cetrioli armeni), whose flesh is mild- and sweet-tasting. Genetically they are a musk melon (Cucumis melo var. flexuosus), rather than a cucumber (Cucumis sativus). The addition of peppery radishes creates a pleasant contrast of flavors, accented by fresh basil (basilico), indispensable companion."

 
Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shares a cooling Chilled Summer Borsht and says,"Borsht is a tangy soup that is popular in Eastern European countries like Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine. It is usually made with beetroot as the base, but every region has its own variation of additional vegetables and ingredients that go into this rich looking "good for you" soup."

 
Mahalo to Judee and Simona for joining me this week!

About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

Diana Henry's Ribollita & Six Favorite Cabbage Recipes for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Since I don't eat meat, corned beef isn't making an appearance on my table today, but I am working in a couple of classic ingredients; cabbage and potatoes. I've chosen to give them an Italian spin with a cozy bowl of Diana Henry's Ribollita. Ribollita means twice-cooked or reboiled and it is a classic peasant soup from Tuscany that is a good use of leftover bread for a thick and hearty soup.

Diana Henry says, "I never liked the idea of ribollita--it is, after all, cabbage soup, and I've spent too much of my life on the cabbage soup diet--but this is a wonderful, rich, multi-dimensional dish. I learned how to make it (and how important the stock and olive oil are to the final flavour) on a cooking course in Florence. Don't rush it; make it with care and good ingredients and you will be rewarded. Made well, this is one of the world's great soups."

Ribollita
Slightly Adapted from Plenty by Diana Henry
(Serves 4)

8 oz Savoy cabbage or kale

2 Tbsp butter

1 leek, trimmed and chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 large carrot, diced

4 oz (1/3 lb) waxy potatoes, diced

4 cups chicken or beef stock

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve

2 rosemary sprigs

3 garlic cloves

6 slices coarse white country bread

3/4 cup cooked cannellini beans

2 large plum tomatoes

Cut the coarse central core from the cabbage, and slice the leaves. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pan and sauté the leeks and celery until pale gold, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, cabbage or kale, and potatoes and cook for another 12 minutes, turning the vegetables over in the butter every so often. Add the stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan with the rosemary and 2 of the garlic cloves (leave them whole and unpeeled). When the oil starts to shimmer and the ingredients turn light brown, remove from the heat and leave to infuse.

Toast the bread and rub each piece with the remaining garlic clove (peeled, this time). Add the beans to the soup and cook for another 10 minutes.

Drop the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water and leave for 10 seconds. Lift them out and rinse in cold water, then slip off the skins. Halve the tomatoes, scoop out the seeds (discard them), and cube the flesh. Add the tomatoes and flavored oil to the soup and taste for seasoning.

In another large saucepan, layer the soup with the bread (break it up to help spread it out) and leave to cool. Put the soup in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, bring it to room temperature, then bring to a boil again. Serve, drizzled lavishly with more extra-virgin olive oil.

Notes/Results: For a humble peasant soup, there are quite a few different steps to making it between the rosemary-garlic oil, the garlic-rubbed toast, the peeled and chopped tomatoes, then layering the soup and bread, letting it cool, and letting it sit in the fridge overnight before reboiling it, but none of it is difficult to do and the result is well-worth it. The flavor of this simple soup really shines and it is thick and satisfying--the perfect comfort food. I forgot to drizzle the olive oil on the top before my photos, but I did take the extra step of chopping the rosemary leaves and garlic cloves that I steeped in the oil and used them as garnish. I used vegan butter and good vegan non-chicken bullion and for a vegan version. I would happily make it again.

Linking up to I Heart Cooking Clubs where it is our Monthly Featured Dish/Ingredient Challenge: Cabbage. 

Below are six more of my favorite dishes featuring cabbage from out IHCC chefs.

My absolute favorite cabbage recipe is also from Diana Henry, her Cabbage and Leek Colcannon. So buttery, so delicious!

Cabbage was meant for fish tacos and Curtis Stone's Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos with Pico de Gallo are a great version.

Simple, flavorful and colorful, Jacques Pépin's Curried Coleslaw is perfect with fish.

Cabbage plays a supporting role in another tasty Diana Henry dish, Freekeh with Greens, Fennel, and Chile.

Ina's Cabbage Cucumber Slaw is wonderful with her Roasted Salmon Tacos.

Nigel Slater's Goat Cheese Bubble & Squeak is fun side dish that features cabbage.
   

And we have several good friends here for Souper Sundays, let's take a look...

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen is here with Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Sweet Potato Salad (with Vegan Black Pudding) and said, "To make this warm salad more of a substantial dish, I finished it off with some sliced of vegetarian black pudding, but that is optional. This certainly made a welcome change from our boring lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad."

Debra of Eliot's Eats shared Red Cabbage Keilbasa and Cannellini Bean Soup and said, "One of the first contests I entered this year was one sponsored by Aunt Nellie’s. I won third place honors, a $25 gift card and a gift package of Aunt Nellie’s products (most beet related). In the package was a jar of sweet and sour red cabbage. I had no idea what to do with it. Aunt Nellie’s website came through and I decided to make this soup based on a recipe found there. I added some wine (of course), decreased the amount of cabbage, and added hot paprika to my version."

 
Tina of Squirrel Head Manor made White Bean, Corn and Smoked Sausage Soup and said, "This one could also be named clean-out-the-fridge-soup, but white beans and sausage would be more appealing on a menu.  I'm glad I am keeping track of recipes on this blog because often enough I need to search it when I am grocery shopping.  Hoping Blogspot doesn't just go away because I'd be unhappy to lose all the recipes I have posted over the last 10 years."

Beth Fish Reads is trying out the Skinnytaste One & Done Cookbook and one of the recipes she made and enjoyed was the Chicken Tortilla Soup. She says, "I made a chicken soup (recipe below) in the pressure cooker, which had just the right level of heat. The curry-flavored roasted vegetables, a sheet pan dinner (shown at the right), was delicious as is but would also be good over rice or couscous. Note that I didn't make the green chutney but used my own homemade fruit chutney instead."

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week!

About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...
 

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to it on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

An InLinkz Link-up

 Have a happy, healthy week & Happy St. Patrick's Day!
 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "Marilla of Green Gables" by Sarah McCoy, Served with a Recipe for Cranberry Cordial (+ Five Favorite Cranberry Recipes)

Happy Friday! I'm excited to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy, the story of Marilla Cuthbert before we meet her in the Anne of Green Gables books. Accompanying my review is a recipe for Cranberry Cordial, my seasonal take on the red currant and raspberry cordials mentioned in the book.

Publisher's Blurb:

A bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables . . . before Anne: A marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, that imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the possibility of heartbreak—and unimaginable greatness.

Plucky and ambitious, Marilla Cuthbert is thirteen years old when her world is turned upside down. Her beloved mother dies in childbirth, and Marilla suddenly must bear the responsibilities of a farm wife: cooking, sewing, keeping house, and overseeing the day-to-day life of Green Gables with her brother, Matthew and father, Hugh.

In Avonlea—a small, tight-knit farming town on a remote island—life holds few options for farm girls. Her one connection to the wider world is Aunt Elizabeth “Izzy” Johnson, her mother’s sister, who managed to escape from Avonlea to the bustling city of St. Catharines. An opinionated spinster, Aunt Izzy’s talent as a seamstress has allowed her to build a thriving business and make her own way in the world.

Emboldened by her aunt, Marilla dares to venture beyond the safety of Green Gables and discovers new friends and new opportunities. Joining the Ladies Aid Society, she raises funds for an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity in nearby Nova Scotia that secretly serves as a way station for runaway slaves from America. Her budding romance with John Blythe, the charming son of a neighbor, offers her a possibility of future happiness—Marilla is in no rush to trade one farm life for another. She soon finds herself caught up in the dangerous work of politics, and abolition—jeopardizing all she cherishes, including her bond with her dearest John Blythe. Now Marilla must face a reckoning between her dreams of making a difference in the wider world and the small-town reality of life at Green Gables.
 

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (October 23, 2018)

My Review:

I jumped on this book tour both because I adore Sarah McCoy and her books (see my reviews of The Baker's Daughter and The Mapmaker's Children) and because the Anne of Green Gables books have had a place in my heart since childhood. Marilla Cuthbert was never my favorite character in the books--especially in the beginning when she is so cold to Anne, but she grew on me as the series unfolded. It's intriguing to learn about her and how she ended up unmarried and living with her bachelor brother when they decide to take in an orphan boy to help with the farm work and end up with Anne instead. In Marilla of Green Gables, Anne is not in the picture and instead we meet thirteen-year-old Marilla, growing up in her somewhat isolated family home on remote Prince Edward Island. Marilla's world is small and feels safe with her parents, older brother Matthew, and a new sibling soon to be born. Her world is shaken up with the arrival of her Aunt Izzy, her mother's twin and a shock to Marilla who had no idea her mother was a twin and really no concept that twins existed. Marilla starts to form a bond with Izzy when tragedy strikes and the baby is stillborn, Marilla's mother dies in childbirth, and she makes a promise to her that she will care for her father and brother. It's a promise that spurs Marilla to distance herself from her neighbor, family friend and romantic interest, John Blythe--and one that alters her future. 

It was a comment from Marilla about John Blythe in Anne of Green Gables that prompted McCoy to write this book... "John Blythe was a nice boy. We used to be real good friends, he and I. People called him my beau." McCoy's imagining of Marilla's early life is touching, interesting and offers insights not just about Marilla, but about other characters like Matthew Cuthbert, John, and Marilla's friend, Rachel Lynde. The book takes place from 1837 to 1876 and gives glimpses into the history of the times from the beginnings of women's suffrage to the impact of slavery and the U.S. Civil War in Canada and that country's own strife and rebellions. Marilla's story captured my imagination and touched my heart, as well as made me want to reread L.M. Montgomery's beloved series. Even if you aren't acquainted with Anne of Green Gables and its characters, if you like well-written historical fiction, books set in the nineteenth century, and books that take place in Canada, you will enjoy this one.
  
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Author Notes: Sarah McCoy is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the novels The Mapmaker’s Children; The Baker’s Daughter, a 2012 Goodreads Choice Award nominee; and The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico. She has taught English and writing at Old Dominion University and at the University of Texas at El Paso. She lives with her husband, an orthopedic sports surgeon, and their dog, Gilbert, in North Carolina.
 
Sarah enjoys connecting with her readers on Twitter at @SarahMMcCoy, on her Facebook Fan Page, on Instagram at @sarahmmccoy, or via her website, www.sarahmccoy.com.

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Food Inspiration:

Sarah McCoy books have plenty of the foods of the time and setting of her stories and Marilla of Green Gables is no exception. Food mentions included bread, cocoa and gingersnaps, angel cake baked with red currant wine, sweet biscuits with sweet butter and homemade preserves, warm milk and sardines for Skunk (the family cat), picking sorrel for soup, cellar turnips and pickled vegetables, profiteroles filled with plum and crabapple preserves, black tea, dried red currants, Easter scones, porridge with maple syrup, potatoes, peas, roasted chestnuts, corn, butter nut cakes, brown bread, cake with strawberry jam, creamy neep soup (turnip soup), toffee puddings, guinea hens, spring bean succotash and sponge cake, soft-boiled eggs, cheese curds and apple slices, cabbage soups, asparagus, fruit juice, cordials, cucumber boats, pickled eggs with creamed mustard, herb bannock (a kind of bread), beef pie, mackerel, pea soup, breakfast oats, Darjeeling tea and vanilla cake, raspberry cordial, Dinner hampers filled with stewed oysters, biscuits and lemon pudding, jelly chicken, pickled cucumbers, cherry tarts, plum preserves, chocolates from London, ham and mushroom pastry, sweet almond gingerbread, beef olives, potato balls, cottage loaf, figs, a jar of sweets meats, and raisin Bath buns, fried potatoes and sausages, tomato stew, potato soup, string beans, pork and pea soup, baked sugar shortbread and maple creams, roasted beef, fruit cake, mulled currant wine, "buttermilk biscuits studded with sweet currants, sprinkled with cinnamon, and drenched in maple syrup," coffee, applesauce, jarred blue plums, leg of mutton with garlic and rosemary, ham with brown sugar and vinegar dressing, green peas, tart apple turnovers, oatcakes and cold bacon, and hotcakes. Whew!

For my book-inspired dish, I feel like the book called for either a fruit wine or a cordial--either the Cuthbert red currant versions or perhaps a raspberry cordial in honor of the Ladies Aid Society fundraising efforts. Either would be a pretty red color but, needs must, I also needed a cranberry recipe this week and so I looked for a recipe for an equally red cranberry liqueur or cordial recipe. In Diana Henry's Salt Sugar Smoke, she has several recipes for fruit syrups, liqueurs, and sharbats (Middle Eastern syrups). I ended up using her Black Currant Syrup recipe as my base, switching out the black currants for fresh cranberries.

Cranberry Cordial
Adapted from Salt Sugar Smoke by Diana Henry

4 cups cranberries
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste

Put the fruit into a saucepan with 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until the berries are completely soft and pulpy. 

Pour into a jelly bag suspended over a bowl to catch the juice, and let it sit overnight.

The next day, measure the liquid. Add the lemon juice and sugar (2 cups sugar for every 2 cups of liquid). Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then pour into a warm, sterilized bottle and seal. It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of months.

Notes/Results: I'll be honest, I did this all in one night, pushing the berries through a lined sieve with a wooden spoon, then putting them back on the stove to cook down a bit with lemon and sugar. It would have been nice to let it sit overnight but I fell that there was still plenty of cranberry flavor coming through. The flavor is pleasantly sweet-tart--not too much of one or the other and deliciously fruity. You can mix it with water--plain or bubbly, or add it to a cocktail. I used an apple-flavored sparkling water and really enjoyed it. This would make a pretty gift in cute bottles for the holidays and it's a great way to use up extra bags of cranberries. I will happily make it again. 

Linking up with I Heart Cooking Clubs where this week is our Monthly Ingredient Challenge: Cranberries. 

Here are five of my other favorite cranberry recipes from our IHCC chefs:

Tessa Kiros Cranberry Syrup Two Ways

Jacques Pépin's Brie with Pistachio Crust & Cranberries

 Tessa Kiros's Cranberry Sorbet

  
Diana Henry's New York Sweet Cranberry Mustard

Nigella's Cranberry and White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies with Pistachios

  
I'm also sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event at Beth Fish Reads, a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. For more information, see the welcome post.

Note: A review copy of "Marilla of Green Gables" was provided to me by the author and the publisher, Harper Collins, via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.   You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.