Wednesday, October 21, 2015

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)

 
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: 

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.

30 comments:

  1. Turkeyville! What a restaurant. Not sure I'd want turkey year round, but I bet a lot of people do.
    Unfortunately, I don't spend a lot of time on food in my books.

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    1. I wouldn't mind eating turkey more often, but not year round. Many people don't write about food in their books and others make you drool with their descriptions.

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    2. Turkey is healthy meat. unfortunately I smother it in not so healthy gravy.

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  2. Stephen, yes I do incorporate places I've seen and things I've done in my stories. I may change the name of the place or the town but it's there in the story. Turkeyville sounds good. Most towns have a place like that where families and people gather for community or personal celebrations.

    Congratulations on Salem's daughter!

    Sia McKye Over Coffee

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    1. It makes it more realistic if you use places you know Sia.

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    2. Sia, I'm too much of a foodie to make up restaurants.And its fun to sample the same food my characters eat.

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  3. I love the idea that there are real restaurants and dishes in the book. And a cat, of course ;-)

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    1. Lots of cats as well as restaurants Vanessa

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    2. Vanessa, I'm re-editing my first book i wrote years ago and i'm glad I followed up on one restaurant as it closed down. I had to replace it.

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  4. Thanks Jo for hosting me today! And I do love chicken madera, one of my all time favorite dishes.

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  5. I love chicken madera too. I have used some country settings as inspiration in my stories.

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    1. I'm not sure I have ever eaten Chicken Madeira Susan. Maybe I should try it.

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    2. Susan, I got an amazing chicken madera recipe off Facebook. This is now where I get most of my recipes.

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  6. Yum on that chicken madera; I'll have to try to make it sometime; like the Cheesecake Factory; just have never ordered this from them.

    I like Stephen's Cornwell Turkeyville Restaurant; I would definitely have to eat there if I had the chance :)

    betty

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    1. Never even heard of The Cheesecake Factory Betty. I like Madeira as a cooking wine though.

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    2. betty, that's one of our favorite restaurants and dishes.

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  7. My ex husband refused to allow any Thanksgiving food during the year (except mashed potatoes and corn) or else it 'wouldn't be special'. Russell isn't like that thankfully.

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    1. Must admit I don't cook turkey at any other time of the year apart from Christmas and Thanksgiving JoJo. To me mashed potatoes isn't celebratory. We have English roast potatoes.

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    2. JoJo, I know people like that. But a good turkey dinner once in a while is too good to pass up.

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  8. That restaurant sounds like a fun place to eat and it must be good to keep going back. Congrats on being hosted (is that a word..oh well) and having a new book. This recipe is another keeper!

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    1. It made me think of other restaurants where I have eaten in the US. Kind of down home places. Yup, hosted is a word Birgit. I've got to try this myself.

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    2. Birgit, I love the madera sauce, but the madera wine by itself not so much.

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  9. Wow, Jo, that chicken madeira things looks wonderful ! Blessings to you.

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    1. Marsha, maybe its because I hail from the Midwest but I have to have mashed potatoes with my chicken madera.

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  10. I'd love to visit a restaurant in the States and experience a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. When I think of Salem I can't help but think of Days of Our Lives. Uncultured aren't I?

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    1. Don't need to go to a restaurant Pinky, you can go to a home - in fact I used to do a whole raft of Thanksgiving stuff and invite American friends, when we lived there. Never saw Days of our Lives so doesn't mean anything to me, but most people connect Salem with the witch trials. I understand these days they make a big thing of their witchy past.

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    2. Pinky, if you ever come to America and Michigan, pencil in a stop at Cromwell's Turkeyville. Just stay away from Murcat Manor.

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  11. Thanks Jo again for hosting me! And thanks everyone for stopping by and saying hello. Sorry for the delayed responses. Just been a wild and crazy busy week.

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