Hello and Welcome!
Thank you for joining me today. The website has a whole lot of information about my books, but right now I want to get personal. Each month I hope to share some insight as to what inspires me, and what I am up to when I’m not writing.
Hello Friends,
March comes in like a Lion…a very large one. The winter was almost in our rear-view mirror when all of a sudden not one, not two, but three major snowstorms hit the country in less than a week. I hope you’ve been able to weather the weather.
I normally don’t like to talk about my health, but recently I fell twice and it wasn’t pretty. My purpose for telling you this is that one of the reasons is because I wasn’t paying attention; and the other was that I was in too much of a hurry. So please slow down and watch where you are going. Unless you are running from a fire, or trying to save someone, take your time. There will always be another bus, train, flight, movie, concert, whatever. Nothing is worth hurting yourself over. End of speech.
The fur family is doing just fine, and I still haven’t figured out who is unraveling the toilet paper.
People who aren’t pet owners don’t understand how I can find something like that funny. They are missing out on unconditional love and entertainment. Let’s face it, hitting the TV remote in the middle of the night or turning on the faucet isn’t criminal behavior. I’m thrilled I have such ingenious animals. Sometimes I think they are smarter than I am. After all, I do all the work. And I don’t mind one bit.
I also want to remind you about cyber security. There is an enormous amount of scams and spam flooding the internet. If you see “YOU HAVE WON” in the subject line, DO NOT OPEN IT. Unless you get an email from me or Diane, my Social Media Relations go to person, about my contests, I would almost bet those other “winning” emails are a means to hack into your computer or gain sensitive information. There should be an option in your email to “Report Spam.” Please do it.
On to more fun things. I am thrilled to announce Tick Tock made it to # 6 on The New York Times Best Seller List. It blows my mind that we are on book #34 in The Sisterhood and, so far, every one of them has hit the list. So, thank you for your readership, your emails, and your posts.
As I mentioned in the February letter, On The Line will be available March 28th. It begins with a rising star in the culinary industry who begins to have serious and mysterious health issues. We are then taken back to the 1980’s when his family experiences a harrowing escape from the Medellin Cartel. As the story unfolds we learn about his family’s past and a long-held dark secret. It has history, mystery, family loyalty, and a bit of romance. It’s cross-generational with strong male and female characters and I like to think there is something for everyone in this book. That being said, this month’s contest is a signed first edition of On The Line, AND a few of my other favorite books.
Now on to some food. These are recipes featured in the novel.
All the best,
Fern
BIRRIO – Columbian Stew
- 2 dried chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 New Mexico dried red chile pods, stemmed and seeded
- water to cover
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 slice of onion, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ½ onions, chopped
- 3 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
- 6 bay leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the dried chiles into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chiles are softened, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Pour chile sauce mixture into a blender. Add garlic, onion slices, pepper, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.
- Layer chopped onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place chuck roast over onions and add bay leaves. Pour the chile sauce on top. Cook on High until beef is tender enough to shred with a fork, about 5 hours.
- Remove beef from the sauce. Continue cooking sauce until is reduced, 35 to 45 minutes. Add beef back in and season with salt.
And you cant have stew without bread! Cheese Bread!
PANDEBONO (Columbian Cheese Bread)
- ⅔ cup cassava starch or yuca flour
- ¼ cup precooked cornmeal or masarepa
- 1 cup Mexican queso freso or Colombian quesito
- 1 ¼ cup feta cheese
- 1 large egg
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- In a food processor, place the yuca flour, cheese and masarepa. Process until well combined. Add the egg slowly while food processor is running.
- Divide the mixture into 12 equal size portions, shaping them into balls.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm.
If you’re like me, technology can be a little confusing. Okay, a lot confusing, so here’s a little more info to help you navigate.
We put all my books from 2022 on the 2022 page and all the upcoming releases on the 2023 page.
The SERIES TAB explains each series and the books in the series. There’s a tab about me, Mary Kuczkir—yep that’s my real name; recipes, and my furry friends.
Thank you! Enjoy!
