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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Lisa Verge Higgins is fond of friendship and food, plus a giveaway

Introduction by Tracey Meyers

***Giveaway is now closed***

Friendship is a topic that I've had a lot of conversations about over the past several months.  Specifically, how people make new friends, what I need from my friends and what they need form me, and the importance of friendship overall.

As you might imagine, a majority of these conversations between these friends and myself have been while dining or partaking in coffee (tea for me).  Sometimes there is even a snack involved.

Today, author Lisa Verge Higgins joins us to discuss her new book, Friendship Makes The Heart Grow Fonder, and her fondness for food.  Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, we have TWO copies of this novel for some lucky readers in the US and/or Canada.

Lisa Verge Higgins can be found at her website and on Facebook.

Friendship Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Monique Franke-Reed, one of the characters in my next novel, Friendship Makes The Heart Grow Fonder, likes to whip up some of her grandmother’s Caribbean cooking in order to tempt her moody daughter to the table. Monique spends hours dicing onions, garlic and tomatoes and mixing them in with “green seasoning,” a Trinidadian combination of cilantro, lime juice, garlic, scallions, parsley, and pimiento peppers. After browning chicken thighs and adding the mix, she lets the whole pot burble until the house smells divine. She serves this up with a side of callaloo, which is chopped dasheen leaves and okra sautéed in oil, then simmered in coconut milk.

I’m getting hungry just writing about it! While researching this book, I found a bunch of traditional recipes and gave them a go in my kitchen. Even though I’m a terrible cook—and I am!—they all came out pretty darn tasty.

One of the great perks about writing is that I get to experience different lives and different adventures through my characters. In The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship, I send Kate the mother-of-three jumping out of an airplane. In One Good Friend Deserves Another, I forced Dhara the Indian-American cardiologist into an arranged marriage. Now, in Friendship Makes The Heart Go Fonder, I get to take off for Europe with two of my best buddies for a vacation that doesn’t go at all as planned. I also get to pretend that, like the young widow Monique, I’m capable of whipping up a Trinidadian feast that would draw hungry, envious neighbors to my door.

If you’re looking for a great recipe for the Trinidad callaloo, I suggest Chef Khalid Muhammad’s mouth-watering version.

 And here’s a great recipe for Trinidad Stewed Chicken, complete with instructions on how to make a version of the green seasoning, which can also be found bottled on some supermarket shelves or in bodegas.

Bon Appetit!

Thanks to Lisa for this lovely post and to Grand Central Publishing for sharing her book with our readers. To read an excerpt of Lisa's latest novel, visit her website .

How to win Friendship Makes the Heart Grow Fonder:
Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: What new recipe have you tried in the past six months?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends March 26th at midnight EST.

24 comments:

  1. I found a great recipe for spinach chicken & pasta.
    I already follow u on fb.
    Brannanflooring@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lisa, so excited for this to come out.
    deb

    ReplyDelete
  3. I try to try a new recipe at least once a week. But, the new one that I am so excited about is from Smitten Kitchen: mom's apple cake (here is the link)
    http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/09/moms-apple-cake/

    It was great.
    This book sounds wonderful.
    I follow the blog and
    I follow you on facebook
    pascale.poitras@verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1. I made banana cream pie recently and it was delicious!
    2. I follow through GFC.
    3. I posted this on twitter. https://twitter.com/xxpaperhearts/status/314805244934635520
    4. I'm a member of Chick Lit Central on facebook.
    5. I follow through twitter and pinterest.

    Thanks!
    -Jessica M
    walkingcorpse11@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi! I joined fresh 22, which sends weekly recipes and grocery lists, so I made tons of new stuff, some good, some bad and some I tweaked to suits our tastes.

    I follow here, Facebook, twitter and Pinterest!

    Mrsmommybooknerdsbookreviews at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I made a spinach and cheese frittata yummy.email follower lomazowr@gmail.com Twitter follower@rhondareads will tweet.

    ReplyDelete
  7. A recipe I tried was for eggplant lasagna. Instead of noodles you use breaded and friend eggplant. YUM!!!

    I follow this blog

    I posted the contest to FB

    I'm a member of CLC on FB

    mengel2@nycap.rr.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I tried a spinach pasta recipe recently.

    sendsusanmail AT gmail DOT com

    I follow CLC blog, Facebook, twitter, and Pinterest.

    I tweeted this on twitter at susieqlaw.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great post! Can't wait to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. chocolate chip and banana nut bread recipe

    I follow the blog via email.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I made cornbread.
    I follow the blog
    I follow on Facebook
    I posted on Facebook

    Thanks!

    SuzyQ4PR AT aol DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hmm... something new... I made hamburger helper NOT from a box awhile back and it was delicious. Just like the real thing! Does that count??

    I'm a follower via GFC, Twitter and FB!

    missamberljohnson at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. We tried and loved this new Asian chicken, it makes me feel like we are at a restaurant.

    kdurham2@gmail.com
    i follow this blog via gfc
    i am on facebook

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would love to win a copy of this book.

    I never have to cook. My son loves to cook so he does all of the cooking and experimenting around here.

    I am a GFC follower

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I follow on gfc as Jennifer L.
    I've tried a lot of new recipes lately because I've cut out all grains. One recipe I liked is cauliflower pizza.
    jentam777 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sold on this book by the cover alone! :)
    A new recipe I tried were depression-era chocolate cakes--so they had affordable basic ingredients! And I am a follower. :)
    nina565(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. A recipe for delicious fried chicken

    fishiegirl22@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I tried a pad thai recipe that, for my first attempt at real Thai food, was delicious.

    dawndennis66611 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  19. For my daughter's fourth birthday, I baked cupcakes from scratch for the first time, and they came out really good! I'll definitely make them again.

    I follow the blog
    I'm a member of CLC on Facebook
    I follow on twitter

    bjoneill@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I made Kahlua Pork the other night.
    I'm a CLC Blog follower
    I'm a CLC FB Groupie
    I'm a CLC Twitter follower

    tropicalsunlover05(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. 1. Please tell us: What new recipe have you tried in the past six months?

    Cadbury creme egg brownies - sounded better than it ended up being. Was way too sweet!!!

    2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).

    Am already a follower.

    3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.

    Facebook - Sabrina-Kate Eryou
    Twitter - stereoqueenbee

    4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)

    Am already a member.

    queenofcrunk@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. leaasman AT yahoo DOT com
    1. Cornish game hens with stuffing - pretty good if I do say so myself.
    2. I'm a follower
    3. Posted on twitter - @LeaB8
    4. Joined FB

    ReplyDelete
  23. I made a cinnamon roll cake. Tastes just like cinnamon rolls but much easier to make!

    I follow through GFC.

    Facebook member

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks for sharing about the new recipes you made. (I definitely would be interested in seeing the pad thai one.)
    Thanks to Lisa for visiting with us and Grand Central Publishing for the books to give away.

    Random.org chose TWO winners from all entries with contact info.

    Congrats to Jennifer L. (jentam777) and Suzy (SuzyQ4PR)!

    ReplyDelete