Salem's Daughters

Cornwell's Turkeyville 

Hi everyone, and thanks for stopping by. And thank you Jo Wake for hosting me on my Salem’s Daughters Blog Tour. We all know Jo posts delicious recipes ranging from casseroles to soups and roasted chicken to lamb chops. 

In my books, food plays an inanimate yet important role. I use real existing restaurants regardless of the setting. If local, I drive there and eat the food and drink the wine or beer my characters order. 

Cornwell’s Turkeyville: One such establishment in Salem’s Daughters is a restaurant that I remember well growing up in southern Michigan. When I visit family and friends, I almost always revisit a place called Cornwell’s Turkeyville. This is not only a great place to eat a year-round homemade Thanksgiving dinner, the place holds countless memories of my extended family gathering together at a centralized location over great food. 

Located near the interchange of I-94 and I-69 close to Battle Creek, Michigan, I mention Turkeyville often in Salem’s Daughters. Here’s a snippet: 

A Murcat Manor Cat

Bob pulled into the parking lot of Cornwell’s Turkeyville, just north of Marshall. He knew how much Debbie and her family loved the restaurant. All the countless times they took him there while dating Debbie from high school and college he feigned interest to get in their good graces because he loved Debbie and wanted to fit into her family. 

But now he was appreciative of the journey back in time. The place was built on four hundred acres and boasted an ice cream parlor, gift shop, general store, dinner theatre, Civil War re-enactments, summer kids’ camps, to a heated pool for RV parking. The place was huge, and situated at the intersection of two interstate highways, he understood why the lines to get in and eat were always so long. 

Murcat Manor Cats: What do the cats of Murcat Manor eat? People food. They are still thirteen witches, or people, only they're inhabiting the bodies of cats. Dead mice and birds? Little Friskies? Cat food from a can? Nope. They never developed such tastes. 

Question: Do you incorporate some of your favorite childhood places into your stories? 

Short Blurb: A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast. 

Stephen Tremp writes Speculative Fiction and embraces science and the supernatural to help explain the universe, our place in it, and write one of a kind thrillers. You can read a full synopsis and download Salem’s Daughters by Clicking Here. 

Stephen Tremp posts weekly blogs at his website Breakthrough Blogs. 

Next Stop: Thursday October 22nd Barbara in Caneyland for Bad Girls in the Bible. 

I asked for Stephen's favourite dish and he assured me he liked Chicken Madeira with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Here is a copycat recipe from the Cheesecake Factory:

CHICKEN MADEIRA (CHEESECAKE FACTORY COPYCAT)

 

SAVE PRINT

This Chicken Madeira recipe is easy, scrumptious, and such a people-pleaser! It's simple enough for busy weeknights, yet delicious enough for weekend guests. (Note: The Madeira wine's alcohol content evaporates during the cooking/reducing process, so it's a kid-friendly dish.)

From: Chew Out Loud

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• For the Chicken:
• 4 skinless chicken breast fillets
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 TB olive oil, divided
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• For the Sauce:
• 2 TB olive oil
• 8 oz fresh white mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups madeira wine (almost a full bottle)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 TB cornstarch dissolved in 2 TB of the beef broth
• 1 TB salted butter
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Flatten chicken breasts to an even ¼-inch thickness throughout. Lightly sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with kosher salt and black pepper. In a large skillet, heat 3 TB olive oil over medium heat until hot. Place chicken breasts in skillet, without overcrowding (if needed, cook them in two separate batches.) Cook 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned on both sides and no longer pink in center. Transfer cooked chicken to a baking pan and cover to keep warm.
2. In the same skillet (don't wash out the skillet) add 2 TB olive oil over medium heat until oil is hot. Add mushrooms and stir 1-2 min. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir and bring sauce to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes or until sauce is reduced by one-fourth of its original volume. Finished sauce will be dark brown and thickened. Transfer sauce to a container and keep warm.
3. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly on top of chicken breasts on baking pan. Broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese is golden and melted.
4. Serve chicken immediately, generously drizzled with Madeira sauce. Extra sauce is delicious over mashed potatoes, angel hair pasta, or fluffy rice

Have a great day.