#readcookeat recipe : Salmon with curry sauce (A Long Ways from Home)

My absolute favourite cookery challenge is the #readcookeat linky, over at Chez Maximka, because it combines two of my passions : trying new recipes and reading. I can now no longer read a book without turning over the corners of the pages that mention dishes that sound interesting ! If you click on my #readcookeat label at the bottom of this post, you'll see all the literary-inspired meals that we've already eaten here at The Madhouse - there are already 44 and I have about a dozen more bookmarked !

As I particularly love globecooking and discovering exotic cuisine from around the world, I especially love the novels that are set in faraway places, so the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries by Mike Martin, set in Newfoundland, are perfect. There are five books in the series so far : The Walker on the Cape, The Body on the T, Beneath The Surface, A Twist Of Fortune and the recently released A Long Ways From Home. (Click through to read my reviews.) Sgt Windflower loves his food and the books have already inspired several recipe posts here on my blog : a roundup of Newfoundland cuisine, Newfoundland Raisin Molasses Bread and Smothered Salmon.

I haven't even got round to reading to A Long Ways From Home yet - my to-be-read pile is growing by the week, I have to stop buying books ! - but I was delighted to get a sneak peek of one of Sgt Windflower's dinners directly from the author. I was honoured to receive an email from Mike Martin (who is just as lovely as his character, Sgt Windflower) which said : "Thought about you when I was writing this piece...."

He came back in and dried off Lady as best as he could. She finished the job with a vigorous shake that sent a spray everywhere. But nothing could dampen Windflower and Sheila’s mood at being reunited.

“It’s fish, but it smells like curry too,” said Windflower. “What is it?”

“Sit down and pour the wine,” said Sheila.

Windflower took the bottle of Riesling out of the fridge, got the wine goblets and poured them each a glass. He sat down expectantly at the kitchen table.

“It’s Arctic char with a curry sauce,” said Sheila. “One of the councillors was up north in Nain and he picked up some char for everybody. This is our share,” she said as she laid a thick fish steak on Windflower’s plate. She poured an extra ladleful of the curry sauce over the fish and the aroma rose in Windflower’s nostrils. He almost felt drunk, it was so spicy and powerful. He took a moment, but only a moment, to savour that experience. Then he took a forkful of the fish.

“Perfect,” he said. “This is perfect.”

Sheila scooped up a large spoonful of risotto from another pan and added it to his plate along with some steamed broccoli. Then she took a smaller portion for herself and sat to watch Windflower eat. For her, this was pure entertainment. To see how much enjoyment and pleasure her guy, her man, got out of his food, was absolute joy to her.

As usual, there was little commentary from Windflower, other than what sounded like doves cooing, until he had finished his main course, and then his second helping.

“That was great, Sheila, absolutely great,” said Windflower. “I didn’t know you made curry. I haven’t had curry since the last time I was over at Doc Sanjay’s.”

“That’s where I got the curry recipe,” said Sheila. “Repa was kind enough to give me her family recipe and some of the last of her Bengali curry paste.”

“That was the sharp tang I tasted,” said Windflower. “It burns your mouth a little, but it’s so worth it. And the risotto was so smooth and tasty.” Windflower went over and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Well, I couldn't not try it, could I ?! I did have to replace the Arctic char with salmon, because I couldn't get hold of it here, but it was still very nice !

Salmon with curry sauce

ingredients :

salmon or Arctic char fillets

rosemary rock salt

black pepper

Greek yogurt (or coconut cream)

curry paste

Place the fish on a baking tray and sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper. I had some rosemary rock salt, which gave it some extra flavour. Bake in the oven for half an hour or so, until cooked through.

Now, any chef worth her salt would cook a curry paste from scratch, but as Sheila was hapy to use some ready-prepared paste from Dr Sanjay's wife, I had no qualms about using some curry flavour pots as a shortcut ! I put some coconut cream (but Greek yogurt would be fine too) into a saucepan, plopped in the curry pots and heated it until the first bubbles appeared, then turned down the heat until the curry paste was completely dissolved.

Sheila made a risotto with a side serving of broccoli to go with it, but as I had some leftover cooked rice and carrots in the fridge, we made do with that instead.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure about the combination of salmon and curry, but I bow to Sheila and Sgt Windflower's superior knowledge - it was lovely and made a nice change.

Linking up with the #readcookeat linky at Chez Maximka

Book review : Friends Are Forever - Mike Martin

 

I did a bit of a double-take when I started writing this review. I went to check which number book this one is in the Sgt. Windflower series and discovered that it is number 16. How is that even possible ?! Yes, our friendly, kind, even-tempered Mountie hero has already starred in an amazing 15 other books. This surely explains why readers (or at least I) have a real sense of coming home and catching up with a family member or friend when a new Sgt. Windflower book hits the shelves.

If you have yet to read any of the books in the series, let me explain the homely setting and its heart-warming main character. Sgt. Windflower is a RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) officer who lives in the small town of Grand Bank. Imagine beautiful sea views disappearing in the swirling fog that also hides the numerous giant moose lurking on the fringes of the roads, with a distinct scent of por'cakes and curried salmon wafting along on the breeze. As well as being a police officer, Sgt. Windflower is a big-hearted family man, husband to Sheila and daddy to two daughters, Stella and Amelia Louise, as well as guardian of two pets, a dog named Lady who loves to go for walks with Windflower and a cat called Molly who is far too important to cast a look at her master if he doesn't come bearing salmon-flavoured gifts ! Sgt. Windflower also shares some elements of his Cree heritage, whether through his smudging rituals or his dreamweaving, where he catches up with his family members who have passed on.

Sgt. Windflower has a close-knit group of friends and workmates who pop up in the various novels. Colleagues Eddie and Carrie Tizzard, along with their growing brood of children, Herb Stoodley at the local diner The Mug-Up and the whisky, food and literary quotation-lover Doc Sanjay, who sadly puts in his final appearance in this novel.

Despite all the good times in Newfoundland (the novel begins with a celebration for the newly promoted members of Sgt. Windflower's team), criminal shenanigans are never far away and this book throws Windflower into a series of violent bank heists, involving international mobsters and local biker gangs. As the body count starts to rise, Windflower realises that these crimes are the test run for a bigger crime spree, probably based in Toronto. 

While he doesn't hold back, even willing to put his own life on the line, it's the warmer, more comforting moments of his life that will keep me coming back for more tales of his life - a catch-up with friends, a good meal shared with loved ones or a witty battle of Shakespearean quotes with his friends. Bring it on, Sgt. Windflower, bring it on !

star rating : 4/5

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ottawa Press and Publishing Mystery
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 May 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 286 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1990896308
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1990896309

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book in order to share my honest opinion.

#readcookeat recipe : Shrimp and Macaroni Casserole (A Tangled Web)

As I mentioned last week, I browsed through my bookmarked recipes when I was menu planning and Sgt. Windflower came to the rescue with not just one but two great family-friendly dishes for us to try. After being inspired by a recipe for pan-fried fish with bacon, I tried my hand at recreating another dish with a seafood twist. Winston, the kind-hearted Mountie in Mike Martin's Sgt. Windflower series, loves his food, so he has already provided us with lots of dishes to try, from decadent desserts (especially cheesecake) and tasty mains. Here's the quote from the latest book, A Tangled Web (click through for my review), which inspired our delicious dinner :

p14 : Sheila had made a large plate of assorted cheese and crackers. There was some pepper Brie, Five Counties cheese and one of Windflower’s special choices, a Stilton with mango pieces. Plus, she had a cold bottle of Black Horse beer for him.

“This is perfect,” said Windflower as Lady, hoping to gather up any lost crumbs, carefully watched him place a large Stilton-topped cracker into his mouth. Windflower gave her a piece of the next cracker. While she was pleased with that morsel, she held out eternal hope for more. Finally, he shooed her away from the snacks on the side table, and she slumped into a mini-depression near the fireplace.

Sheila sipped on a glass of soda water and watched as Windflower neatly demolished the rest of the cheese and crackers.

“I didn’t think you were hungry,” said Sheila.

“Automatic response,” said Windflower. “I don’t think I ate anything after breakfast.”

“I’ll get you a plate from the oven,” she said as she headed back into the kitchen.

Sheila returned with a plate overflowing with steaming pasta and shrimp.

“Oh, my God,” said Windflower as he took a few small bites from his still-too-hot-to-eat dinner. “This is fabulous.”

“It’s not much, a shrimp and macaroni casserole. It’s easy to make and great for leftovers. That’s assuming you don’t eat it all tonight.”

Windflower smiled at her in response and continued to pluck out fat, juicy shrimps so that he could dip them back in the melted cheese. Sheila knew better than to expect conversation while he was eating, so she turned on the TV to check the news. Of course, the first thing she and Windflower saw was the Amber Alert notice flash across their screen.

 As usual, after taking note of the dish being devoured by Winston, I turned to google to see if this is a specific recipe, or if I could just go completely free-style with it. I did find a Shrimp & Macaroni Casserole Recipe on the Taste of Home website, which I used as a guide.

Looking in the fridge, I found two chunks of cheese - edam and mimolette - that needed using up, so I decided to try melting them in cream, rather than using my usual cheese sauce (starting with a roux made from butter and flour mixed into milk before adding cheese) and it was delicious. Juliette loves mac & cheese and she also loves prawns so she was in seventh heaven !

 Shrimp and Macaroni Casserole

ingredients :

macaroni

cheese (I used up some edam and mimolette, as well as grated cheddar)

20cl single cream

shrimps or prawns, cooked and peeled

salt, pepper, oregano

parmesan

Preheat the oven to 180°. Cook the macaroni in salted water, drain and set aside. 

Gently heat the cream until it starts to bubble. Throw in the cheese, chopped into chunks.

The chunks stayed semi-firm so I added a handful of grated cheddar that melted into the cream. It started off stringy but keep cooking and stirring and it sorts itself out. Add a little extra cream or milk if it is too thick. Season with salt, pepper and oregano.

Add the drained macaroni to the pot and stir through the sauce.

Time to stir through the shrimp. I initially planned on using big king prawns but there was some cooked, peeled shrimp on offer at the supermarket so I opted for that instead.

Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Scatter over some parmesan.

Bake for 15 minutes or so until the top is golden and bubbly. Serve with salad or broccoli. 

Juliette, who is a huge mac and cheese fan, said this was even better than usual - the ooziest, creamiest mac & cheese she's ever tasted !

Adding to the #readcookeat linky over at Chez Maximka.

Also adding to the #KitchenClearout linky as it used up odds and ends of cheese.

Book review : A Long Ways From Home - Mike Martin

When author Mike Martin got in touch and asked if I'd like to review the latest instalment in his Sgt. Windflower series, I was delighted. Not only do I have a soft spot for the mild-mannered Mountie and his feisty fiancée Sheila, I also always know I'm going to get some tasty dinners out of it, thanks to the #readcookeat challenge over at Chez Maximka. Winston Windflower is a man who likes his food just as much as maintaining law and order in the peaceful backwaters of his native Newfoundland. 

Things aren't quite so peaceful in this latest book, the fifth in the series, though. A group of outlaw bikers are wreaking havoc all over the Newfoundland island, and Sgt Windflower has his work cut out trying to keep things under control, at home and further afield. Facing ruthless murders, drug lords, missing persons and Sheila's wayward cousin putting in an appearance, Windflower still manages to find time to enjoy the natural beauty of his surroundings and enjoy numerous slices of his favourite peanut butter cheesecake !

I recently read one of Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache novels, which ironically has a similar name to the latest Sgt. Windflower novel: The Long Way Home. That's not the only similarity between the two books though. Both feature a humble, homely, solid lead character, who knows how to appreciate the pleasures of small-town life in a sleepy Canadian province, while being confronted with challenging mysteries and brutal crimes to solve. Unlike much modern crime fiction, they are not full of gore and grisly details and the descriptions of the crime scenes are understated and inoffensive. 

In the Sgt. Windflower series, we are always on tenterhooks as the criminal investigations and police work are underway, but the homely side of the endearing Mountie is just as important - walks with his dog, catching up with his friends, enjoying good food, partaking in his daily smudging rituals (his Cree heritage, including the smudging and dream sequences, has always fascinated me) and his lively relationship with Sheila. Whenever I finish a Sgt. Windflower novel, I always feel like I've just had a good catch-up with an old friend, finding out all about what he's been up to lately in his professional and private life. The final page has left me desperate to find out what Winston and Sheila will get up to in their new life as a married couple but, in the meantime, I have at least a week's worth of bookmarked recipes to work through - I think I might do a complete Sgt. Windflower-themed menu plan next week !

You might also like to check out my reviews for the previous novels in the series : The Walker On The Cape (the only one that I haven't read), The Body On The T, Beneath The Surface and A Twist Of Fortune.

star rating : 4.5/5

• Paperback: 378 pages
• Publisher: FriesenPress (22 Aug. 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1460292006
• ISBN-13: 978-1460292006

Disclosure : I received the book  in order to write an honest review.

#readcookeat recipe : Salmon Casserole (A Long Ways From Home)

I'm always happy to discover a new Sgt Windflower mystery because, as well as catching up with a character that I have grown fond of - a mild-mannered, food-loving Canadian mountie with Cree heritage who lives in the quiet backwaters of Newfoundland with his firecracker of a fiancée, Sheila - I also know that I am going to get a selection of lovely recipes to recreate for the #readcookeat challenge. I must have bookmarked at least a dozen dishes from the last book in the series, A Long Ways From Home (click through to read my review), and I'm looking forward to trying them all. If there's one thing Sgt Windflower has a wealth of ingenious recipes for, it's fish, so that was where I started. This dish instantly leapt out at me because it sounded like family-friendly comfort food that would be quick and simple to prepare but also tasty and relatively healthy.

p138 "I think someone else is glad to see you," said Sheila as Lady finally settled down in between them. She almost purred when they both rubbed and patted her.

"What's that delicious smell?" asked Windflower.

"It's a salmon casserole", said Sheila. "Pour us a glass of wine and if you're hungry, I'll dish up."

"I'm so hungry," said Windflower, "I could eat a ..." He almost said moose, but didn't want to rekindle that discussion. So he simply added "a lot".

He got the white wine out of the fridge and poured them both a glass. Sheila put the salad on the table first. Windflower could smell Sheila's special homemade raspberry vinaigrette on the mixed greens. The she put the salmon casserole on a pot holder on the table. It was topped with golden brown breadcrumbs. When Sheila put the slotted spoon into the dish, it released a puff of steam and spices that almost made Windflower go weak at the knees.

She scooped up a large portion for him and a smaller portion for herself , along with a double spoonful of steamed broccoli. Windflower was in food heaven as he tasted the chunks of salmon and potato in the creamy sauce. He was silently engaged in his task and didn't come up for air until he passed his plate over to Sheila for seconds.

"That is sum good b'y", he said. "What is that flavouring you used?"

"That's tarragon," said Sheila. "It goes well with the salmon, doesn't it?"

I didn't have tarragon so I substituted it for sage, which I'm sure Sgt Windflower would have approved of too ! I suspect Sheila's recipe was much more compact, with a denser layer of salmon and potatoes for her to dig into with a slotted spoon, by my version still tasted delicious.

Salmon Casserole

ingredients :

3 salmon fillets

6 florets of frozen broccoli

4 potatoes

30cl crème fraîche

4tbsp marscapone

1tbsp sage or tarragon

salt, pepper

1 cup breadcrumbs (I used crushed savoury crackers)

handful of grated cheese

Chop the potatoes into small pieces and boil them in salted water for ten minutes until the point of a knife goes through easily but they're still firm. Chop the salmon fillets into large chunks and lay the uncooked fish in an ovenproof dish, interspersed with the broccoli.

Drain the potatoes and pour them into the dish.

Pour the liquid crème fraîche into the dish and scatter spoonfuls of marscapone in various places, pushing it below the potato and broccoli.

Scatter with crispy breadcrumbs.

Toss a handful of grated cheese over the top.

Bake at 180° in a preheated oven for 40 minutes until the breadcrumbs and cheese are golden brown and check the salmon is cooked through before serving.

In the book, Sheila served this with salad but it's a complete dish that is perfect on its own too. Lovely warming winter comfort food that the whole family will enjoy.

Adding to the #readcookeat linky over at Chez Maximka.

#readcookeat recipe : Coconut Cream Cheesecake (A Long Ways From Home)

This weekend, I wanted to make a dessert that was a bit different and a bit decadent, so I thought to myself, it's time for another #readcookeat recipe inspired by Mike Martin's A Long Ways From Home. (Click through for my review.) Aah the inimitable Sgt. Windflower - if there's one thing the man adores, it's dessert, so I always know that we're going to be on to a good thing if we use one of his dishes as inspiration for dinner. After recreating his favourite Peanut Butter Cheesecake, this time I decided to go for another cheesecake option - and me being lazy (and needing an almost instant dessert), I went for a no-bake option again.

Here's the extract from the book that gave me the inspiration :

p170 "I think it's time for dessert," said Windflower, who had been anxiously eyeing the tray ever since it had arrived outside. Everyone laughed at his singleness of purpose when it came to his food, particularly his dessert opportunities.

"I've got lemon meringue pie and coconut cream cheesecake," said Moira.

"I'll try the pie first," said Windflower. The others all laughed. Windflower couldn't see what was so funny. He took his slice of pie greedily from Moira and tasted a forkful.

"This is amazing," said Windflower. The lemon meringue pie was perfect. The meringue was stiff but crystallized in his mouth. The lemon filling was tart and sweet at the same time. The crust was, as Windflower described it, "perfect". It didn't take long for him to finish his pie. He handed his plate back to Moira for his second choice.

"I'll have a small piece of the cheesecake," he said to Moira.

The other three were still on their first dessert when Windflower dipped his fork into the cheesecake. The coconut cream cheesecake was also very good. It had perfectly whipped cream on top of a layer of delicate yet solid cheesecake with a strong essence of coconut infused throughout. "Ah," said Windflower.

"It looks like you approve," said Moira.

As I made a no-bake version, it already had a creamy texture so I skipped the extra whipped cream on top. If you fancy trying Moira's other dessert, I also have a recipe for Mini Lemon Meringue Pie Bites.

Coconut Cream Cheesecake

ingredients :

8-10 digestive biscuits ( or Graham crackers)

2-3tbsp melted butter or coconut oil

150g Philadelphia cream cheese

5tbsp coconut cream

300g marscapone

2tbsp desiccated coconut

3tbsp icing sugar

coconut chips to decorate

Crush the digestive biscuits and stir in the melted butter or coconut oil.

Press into the base of a pie tin, lined with baking parchment. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

Given the name, the recipe obviously calls for coconut cream. Unfortunately, that's not something that is readily available in Europe so I had to be a bit sneaky. I had a can of Amoy Rich and Creamy Coconut Milk and the top third of the can was solid cream. Perfect.

I scooped out the coconut cream until I got down to the clear water-like coconut milk below. I also had a packet of Pina Colada flavoured icing sugar in the cupboard, which I thought would work well with the coconut flavour. Regular icing sugar would be fine too though.

Beat together the cream cheese, marscapone, coconut cream, desiccated coconut  and icing sugar. Taste and add extra icing sugar if required.

Remove the crust from the tin and place it on a plate. Spoon the creamy filling on top.

Sprinkle with coconut chips for extra texture and flavour. Chill for at least a couple of hours before devouring.

Linking up with the #readcookeat linky over at Chez Maximka.

Book review : Dangerous Waters - Mike Martin (Sgt. Windflower book 13)

Ahhhh Sgt. Windflower is back in a brand new book, Dangerous Waters. It's the thirteenth title in the series, featuring the kind-hearted Canadian Mountie, but don't worry if you haven't read the others - each one can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, although it's lovely to see him and his family growing and developing in the small town of Grand Bank.

The last book, Buried Secrets, left Windflower wondering where his life would lead him. He was in the midst of examining his choices, deciding whether to face being relocated to a new job or leave the RCMP altogether. Neither of those solutions appealed to me as a reader - how could the Sgt. Windflower series continue without Grand Bank or the RCMP? 

At the start of this book, he is still unsure of what the future holds, using up his paid leave and working on the renovations of the new B&B. Things are progressing, which is just as well as he is called on to put up a group of German tourists, stranded when their vehicle breaks down in the middle of a snowstorm. Through his friends, he also hears about the latest case that his old colleagues are working on - a series of men have gone missing and one turns up dead. Is there a link to these unexpected visitors from out of town? Windflower listens but ultimately shrugs his shoulders, as it isn't his problem any more.

Or is it ?! With everything that's going on, Windflower is asked to help out, going back to work just for this case on a temporary contract. Instead of being in charge, he is following orders but apart from that, everything is back to normal ... including trips to the Mug Up cafe with Eddie Tizzard, dinner and chess with Dr Sanjay, BBQ dinners and dog walks with Sheila and the girls. There's still no final decision on where Windflower and his family will end up, especially as the very future of the Grand Bank RCMP detachment hangs in the balance, but reading this latest tale of Windflower's work and family life, I'm sure he'll be content whatever happens.

RRP : $24.95 CND (£13.75 on Amazon)

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ottawa Press and Publishing (30 April 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1988437822
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1988437828

 

 Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

#readcookeat challenge : Newfoundland cuisine (inspired by Beneath The Surface)

Ever since I started joining in with the #readcookeat challenge on Galina's Chez Maximka and Chris's Cooking Around the World blogs, I've started making a conscious note of all the mentions of food in the books that I'm reading. For the last couple, there were hardly any mentions at all, so I had to make do with Smoked Salmon Pâté and Steak & Salad, but as soon as I picked up Mike Martin's Beneath The Surface, I was in literary gastronomical heaven ! There are so many mentions of Newfoundland recipes and dishes that I couldn't decide which one to make but in the end, I plumped for Newfoundland Raisin Molasses Bread. Here are the ones that didn't quite make it, but that still had me googling to find out more and that I may very well come back to.

Yellow Split Pea Soup image courtesy of Wikipedia on their "Pea Soup" page, which mentions Newfoundland Pea Soup

Off to a healthy start with Newfoundland Split Pea Soup : p10 "The pea soup came first. It was the traditional creamy Newfoundland split pea soup with tiny flecks of salt meat and a rather doughy looking dumpling in the middle." There's a recipe here.

Cheesecakes may seem more American than typically Newfoundland, but I do like the sound of Windflower's favourite type : p14 "Windflower pointed to a quiet table in the corner and soon all three men were enjoying large mugs of hot coffee and slices of the Mug-Up's speciality cheesecakes. Langmead had plain baked cheesecake with fresh blueberry jam; Tizzard had the same cheesecake with his favourite partridgeberry jam. And Windflower had his dream dessert, peanut butter cheesecake." I'd never thought of making peanut butter-flavoured cheesecake before, but even Nigella Lawson has had a go at this one.

This next one made me smile. Despite never having set foot in Canada, this is how my mum drinks her tea ... and her name's Sheila - how freaky is that?! p20 "There was nothing better for many Newfoundlanders than a strong cup of black tea, the blacker and stronger the better. Most took it without sugar, as did Stoodley and Windflower,but some, like Herb Stoodley, also added Carnation condensed milk. It was almost like white syrup that you poured liberally into your tea, and it was an acquired taste, one that Windflower had never acquired." 

Newfoundland breakfast photo courtesy of Wikipedia, on their "Toutons" page

Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day and the Newfoundland variety sounds particularly delicious. p24 "Tizzard joined the two men and both ordered the breakfast special of fried eggs, bacon and homemade toast with fresh jam. He and Windflower also decided to share an order of toutons, dough fried in fatback pork to a golden brown, and then smothered in molasses."

The guys all seem to be very good cooks in Sgt. Windflower's Newfoundland and, even if I'm not a fan of rabbit, this stew sounds so lovely, I may have to reproduce it with chicken or pork. p48 "Oh, that's my secret rabbit sauce," said Ford. "Normally I've got the rabbit cut up and stewing in it by now, but I didn't have enough time today. So I sautéed some onions and garlic, and then put the rabbits in the sauce long enough to braise them. Then I added a little sage, thyme and oregano and some water and let the rabbit soak in its own juices for a couple of hours. It should be ready by six as planned.I'm just cutting up a few carrots and celery, and when we throw in some canned tomatoes and cook up a little rice we should have ourselvesa fine scoff," said Ford."

I love the sound of this Newfoundland twist on potato cakes and will definitely have to have a go at making these. p82 "Por' cakes (or pork cakes) were a Grand Bank staple and had been for as long as anyone around there could remember. They were cheap and easy to make, with the only basic ingredients being minced fat back pork and potatoes, along with a little baking powder and flour to bind them together. Baked in the oven and served hot with molasses and a bowl of pea soup, this was the traditional Saturday morning lunch in Grand Bank."

There is also a reference to "beer can chicken" which had me intrigued, especially as, when I mentioned it on twitter, several people had already tried it. In essence, you place a whole chicken on a half-full beer can (push it into the neck cavity and cook it standing upright) then put it on the grill so the beer steam keeps it nice and moist while allowing the fat to run off. It turns out that you can even buy beer can holders for using on the barbecue or in the oven which make the whole thing look a bit more stable. How cool is that ?!

Sheila's signature dessert, Blueberry Buckle, also gets several mentions. p129 "It was golden brown on top, and when he sliced off a large chunk, he could see that the rich cake batter had enveloped the blueberries in the middle. He knew that Sheila mde her buckle from an old Newfoundland recipe that had been in her family for years. She told him that she divided the cake batter in half, and poured it in to the bottom of the cake pan. Then she mixed up the batter with the blueberries and added the topping which was kind of like a streusel. Once it started to bake, the batter would rise up around the fruit, causing the topping to start to buckle. That's where the blueberry buckle got its name." Sgt. Windflower loving his food, he tops this off with a scoop of ice cream which sounds utterly delicious.

Another sweet treat that often gets a mention are tea biscuits. Having googled, I discovered that these are very similar to British scones. (There's a recipe here.) p108 "Tizzard and Windflower laughed and almost simultaneously broke open their tea biscuits and watched as the steam escaped. Then they smothered both sides in butter and for a few brief moments were completely silent, as they savoured their morning treat."

Fish & Brewis with Scrunchions photo courtest of Wikipedia on their "Fish and Brewis" page

Another traditional Newfoundland recipe that gets a mention is fish and brewis. p156 "My friends showed me," said the other man, forking a generous heap of the salt fish and brewis into his mouth. "It's easy enough if you've got some salt fish and hard tack. Although I had to ask them what 'ard tack' was. Who would have thought that it was these rock hard Purity biscuits? And who could have imagined that they would taste so good fried up with a bit of fat pork and salt fish?"

If you're worried about your waistline having read all that, I'll finish off with a lovely-sounding salad. p170 "The menu for dinner included a Matane Shrimp Salad with field greens, Coq au Vin as the main course, and Chocolate Lava Cake for dessert. The salad featured a dozen or so tasty shrimps from the Gulf of St. Lawrence with small pieces of celery and avocado in a dressing that had a taste of lemon and a bite of horseradish. It was presented on a bed of mixed green lettuce, and along with fresh, hot rolls from the kitchen, was absolutely delicious."

If this has got you hungry for more, the ever-hungry Sgt Windflower's adventures can be followed in Mike Martin's Beneath The Surface, which I reviewed here.

A special mention also goes to the lovely Karen at Lavender & Lovage who has recently been to Newfoundland and tried out some of these lovely dishes and more in person. 

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

#ReadCookEat recipe : Lemon scones (inspired by Above All Things by Tanis Rideout)

Globe-cooking recipe : Kiflice (Croatia)

Brazilian #UnileverRio recipe : Vatapa

Book review : A Tangled Web - Mike Martin

I was excited to learn recently that Mike Martin had published a new Sgt. Windflower mystery, following on from The Walker On The Cape, The Body On The T, Beneath The Surface, A Twist Of Fortune and A Long Ways From Home. (Click through to read my reviews.)

Settling down with a Sgt. Windflower mystery is like pulling on your favourite cosy pyjamas and fluffy slippers. The kind-hearted Mountie is always in the midst of the action but his stable homelife with wife and mum-to-be Sheila, his love of good food, fine scotch and quoting Shakespeare that he shares with his friends and the sedate pace of life in Newfoundland always keep him (and through him, his readers) in a bubble of serenity and well-being.

That's not to say that life in Grand Bank is uneventful. This story features a missing child, several murders and a key character being shot, but unlike much crime fiction, there aren't copious amounts of gore, violence or suffering. The last book in the series, A Long Ways from Home, was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award as the best light mystery in Canada and this perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Windflower mysteries - it's a sedate wander alongside Winston Windflower, with as much focus on his homelife and mindfulness as the police investigation and drama going on in the region. 

I also love the fact that Windflower is a man who really likes his food, so I'm always guaranteed to get some great ideas for dinner in the books. So far, for the #readcookeat challenge, I've already recreated several of his favourite dishes, including salmon with curry sauce, coconut cream cheesecake, salmon casserole, smothered salmon, fried fish with scrunchions, triple layer vegetarian lasagne, chicken fried rice, Newfoundland raisin molasses bread, merluzzo con spinaci (cod with spinach), lemon cranberry muffins, beef and vegetables with almonds, pea soup and doughboys, and ... wait for it ! ...his favourite no-bake peanut butter chocolate cheesecake. Like I said, he's a man who enjoys his food !

I was convinced that Windflower would become a daddy in this book, as Sheila discovered that she was pregnant at the end of the last book. That bun is still well and truly in the oven though, so we'll have to wait for the next instalment to see how life for Winston and Sheila changes with the arrival of a newborn. With Windflower considering hanging up his Mounties uniform for good and a new business venture on the cards, I'm sure there will be lots of upheaval in Grand Bank in the next book. I can't wait !

star rating : 4/5

• Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Booklocker.com, Inc. (1 Oct. 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1634926501
• ISBN-13: 978-1634926508
• Product Dimensions: 14 x 1.9 x 21.6 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.