Stevi Mittman's Totally Outrageous Blackberry Peach Soup

Today's blog is from Stevi Mittman, whose books are just as fun and outrageous as she is. Try her stories, try her recipes. All are great! I love her mystery series, with the great Teddi character, who just gives mystery a whole new twist! And if you need more Stevi, check out her online read at eHarlequin this week!

Hello, Shirley Jump fans (of which I’m one). I’m Shirley’s friend and fellow author Stevi Mittman, who’s still miffed that my RWA Conference shoes didn’t make it onto Shirley’s blog. She must have missed my gorgeous orange suede wedges. I’d love to photograph my feet in them now, only since Monday, when I foolishly decided it was time to get in shape, my left foot has been in a cast from my toes to my knee.

I always knew exercise was bad for you. I mean, all I was doing was working out–in a Fab after 50 class for heaven’s sake– when I ruptured my Achilles tendon. I ask you–is that fair? I can see breaking my ankle wearing platform shoes. I’d deserve that. My husband is always warning me it’s bound to happen. Actually, I’m pretty sure one of my characters did that in Whose Number Is Up, Anyway?, the sixth book in my Life On Long Island Can Be Murder series, featuring Teddi Bayer, Long Island’s Most Dangerous Decorator. (This month she’s in “Whose That in the Itsy Bitsy, Anyway?” part of the SUMMER DREAMS anthology with Jennifer Greene and Kate Austin.)

Anyway, I’m trying to look on the bright side– like I’ll be first on the plane out to see my granddaughter when they allow people needing extra assistance to board. And then there’s the fact that I can’t reach the sink easily, so my husband’s doing dishes.

Best though, is that I’ve gotten to read. In the past day and a half I’ve read three books, something I never do when I’m writing because I’m always afraid of picking up some other author’s voice. My mom used to do that with people’s accents. It was horribly embarrassing because the people she was talking with would imagine she was imitating them. I find it happens to me when I’m writing. I read a Pam Morsi book that took place in the Ozarks when I was writing A Taste of Honey several years ago and suddenly my character started using words like ain’t and it turned out she couldn’t read!

At any rate, I’ve read Candy Apple Red by Nancy Bush, which was cute. Like me, she’s been compared to Janet Evanovich, only, of course, I think I’m a lot funnier! Then I read Make Me a Match by Diana Holquist, a fellow upstate New Yorker whose book I picked up at her signing a few weeks ago. Adorable book. And now I’m reading Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble, who wrote The Reading Group, and enjoying it immensely.

Another bright side to being housebound: I’ve taken to cooking, zipping around in the kitchen in a wheelchair we borrowed from the “lending closet” downtown. Since I’m feeling kind of sorry for myself, I’ve been concentrating on recipes to help me drown my sorrows (Read: full of alcohol!).

This one is the best:

Totally Outrageous Blackberry Peach Soup–serves 4

Start with a cup of Reisling (or two–one to drink and one for the recipe!) in a good size sauce pan. Peel and slice 2 pounds of fresh peaches (harder is better) and put them into the Reisling.

Add a cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the peaches are tender (about 15 minutes).

Remove from heat, remove cinnamon stick and cool.

When the mixture is cool, puree it in a food processor or blender.

Then add in 3 Tbs honey, 2 tsp fresh lemon juice and a 1/4 tsp vanilla.Chill for an hour and then ladle out into bowls and float several blackberries atop each portion.

Hope you enjoy it!

Stevi Mittman

http://www.stevimittman.com/