Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Sharing a snack with Orly Konig...plus a book giveaway

Happy pub day to Orly Konig for her sophomore novel, Carousel Beach! The cover is looks so inviting and the story inside sounds fascinating. Orly is here today to talk about food and she has one copy to give away!

After years of pushing the creativity boundary in corporate communications, Orly Konig decided it was time for a new challenge and made the switch to fiction. She’s a co-founder and past president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, a member of the Tall Poppy Writers, and a quarterly contributor to the Writers in the Storm blog. Her first novel, The Distance Home, released May 2017.

Visit Orly online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest


Synopsis:
A cryptic letter on her grandmother’s grave and a mysterious inscription on a carousel horse leads artist Maya Brice to Hank Hauser, the ninety-year-old carver of the beloved carousel she has been hired to restore in time for its Fourth of July reopening in her Delaware beach town. Hank suffers from Alzheimer’s, but on his “better” days, Maya is enthralled by the stories of his career. On his “off” days, he mistakes her for her grandmother—his secret first love.

While stripping chipped layers of paint from the old horse and peeling layers of fragmented memories from the old man, Maya untangles the intertwined secrets of love, heartbreak, and misunderstandings between three generations of strong willed women.
(Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is your go-to recipe?
I don’t really have one go-to recipe. To some extent it depends on the season. When it’s cold I love comfort food. Goulash is probably at the top of that list. And anything with mashed potatoes. Or nothing with mashed potatoes. I just love mashed potatoes in case you couldn’t tell. :-) Lately we seem to be one a risotto kick as well. It’s easy to “customize” depending on mood or craving.

What snack would be a good pairing with your book?
Probably anything with shrimp. There’s a scene in the book where the main character, Maya, is helping her best friend at the friend’s boutique and they have a surprise food delivery from a mutual friend. He brings spicy shrimp that’s one of their favorites and a specialty at his restaurant. It leads into a fun discussion about why the carousel Maya is restoring doesn’t have a seahorse or any other sea creatures. It was a fun scene to write and it always make me crave shrimp.

What is your favorite movie snack?
Ouuu, that’s a tough one since we rarely go to the movies anymore. Popcorn is always a must. But I love getting a bag of gummy bears as well. Then again, I'll go for the gummy bears anytime, anywhere! If we’re watching a movie at home, then my favorite snack is fresh out of the oven Oreo chunk cookies.

What is your favorite holiday that involves a lot of food and your favorite recipe for that holiday?
Oh wow, I really don’t know. We’re not traditional as far as celebrating holidays so I don’t really associate a favorite recipe with any one particular holiday. I’m pretty equal-opportunity when it comes to both holidays and fabulous food.

Tell us about a cooking disaster (yours or someone close to you).
I’m a bit (lot) squeamish and not much of a meat eater. Not long after my husband and I were married, we decided to invite friends over for Thanksgiving. I’m sure all the veteran Turkey chefs reading this already know what’s coming. Anyway, I managed to get the thing out of the bag and into the pan, prepped it the way the recipe said and shoved it into the oven. Friends arrived, wine was poured, hors d’oeuvres enjoyed, and then it was time for the turkey. My husband started carving and promptly dissolved into laughter. What can I say? The coupons were nicely seasoned and moist. I haven’t lived that down. Although now my husband has a Thanksgiving cooking incident on his record as well (that one has been written into my current manuscript), so he no longer teases me about mine.

What is your favorite book involving food?
So many! I loved Barbara O’Neal’s books How To Bake A Perfect Life. I’ve always loved baking bread, that’s one of my favorite stress relievers. That book spoke to me on many levels, and inspired quite a few new breads.

Thanks to Orly for visiting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.


How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here

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Giveaway ends May 13th at midnight EST.

32 comments:

Janine said...

I don't really have a favorite holiday that involves lots of food. Lots of food holidays usually mean spending it with family and there is so much drama with families that I really don't enjoy those holidays. My favorite holiday is Fourth of July because I love fireworks. And a cookout with just my husband and myself is always nice.

Peggy Sheppard said...

I love Thanksgiving and sweet potato casserole with pecans and brown sugar on top!

Carla S. said...

Thanksgiving is my favorite food holiday and my favorite dish is Butternut Squash Soup.

gingiegavin said...

Thanksgiving is definitely the best foodie holiday!My first time cooking the turkey,I left the bag with the gizzards inside the turkey when I cooked it!

Carla said...

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday - food or not. But, I love to make my mom's stuffing. Tradition... :)

RD said...

My favorite is Thanksgiving. Love the food and the warm communal feelings it inspires

Barbara said...

Favorite holiday would be 4th of July. Love the summertime when you can have a cookout and lots of fruits and veggies.

Suburban prep said...

It would probably be Thanksgiving and I like either the pumpkin crisp or the pumpkin charlotte that is made as the treats after dinner.

Niki McGee said...

Thanksgiving - family and friends always make everything taste better! My favorite recipe is my mom's streusel topped pumpkin pie.

traveler said...

My favorite holiday is Chanukah since it involves wonderful food with the little ones who enjoy this celebration. Latkes which are so yummy and roast chicken with veggies and apple cake for dessert.

Kate Vocke said...

My favorite holiday is definitely the 4th of July! BBQ Food, fresh fruits and veggies and fireworks! I loooove a good burger!

Orly Konig Lopez said...

You guys are making me hungry! :-)

Faith Creech said...

My favorite holiday is Christmas and that of course always has a lot of food. Lots of baked goods!

Jessica said...

Christmas. We always make perogies, so yummy!

Mary said...

Christmas. Everyone brings a dish. I make a roasted garlic beef roast .

Nancy said...

We love Christmas. I like to make a cherry gelatin salad with sweet cherries, cream cheese, and sweet cherries. It is delicious.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

Grandma Cootie said...

It would be Thanksgiving, and my mom's recipe for stuffing.

Toni Laliberte said...

My favorite holiday is Christmas and my favorite food during the holidays are Christmas cookies

Sonnetta Jones said...

Christmas is my favorite holiday. My favorite traditional dishes are pepperpot or garlic pork with fresh bread. Nothing like Guyanese ingredients

diannekc said...

Christmas is my favorite holiday. The recipe I always make is a corn salad that my Grandmother use to make.

Melanie Backus said...

Christmas is my favorite and we always have to have sweet potato casserole.

Mary Preston said...

It has to be Christmas & it has to be Port Wine Trifle.

Julie C said...

Christmas and chocolate of course

Lwat said...

4th of July. Deviled eggs and Pasta Salad is what I always bring to the BBQ.

1 lb Tri Color noodles
pouch of small Pepperoni
1 cucumber sliced
3 carrots diced
i can black olives
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 can marinated artichokes
8 oz Zesty Fat Free Italian Dressing
fresh mozzarella cubed

Cook Noodles and cut of the rest and toss all together.

dstoutholcomb said...

stuffing on Thanksgiving

denise

bn100 said...

Thanksgiving turkey

Debbie E said...

I love Christmas and especially look forward to my my mother's fudge!

Anonymous said...

I love Thanksgiving for the turkey stuffing. Thank you for the chance to win.

Lesley McIntosh said...

I love Christmas , and in New Zealand its summer so I love to have ham on Christmas Day then it can be eaten cold for the remainder of the holiday so I make a variety of salads etc . And of course we can usually have some barbecues as well . And Christmas Day would not be complete without a pavlova , cream and strawberries .

Kelley B said...

Christmas is my favorite foodie holiday.

Kelly RS said...

Christmas - Red Velvet Cheesecake!

rubynreba said...

Christmas with frosted sugar cookies!