Goodreads Giveaway
I’m running a giveaway on Goodreads for a signed copy of The Clockwork Dagger! It runs through Tuesday. Please sign up and spread the word! I’ll have a giveaway for Clockwork Crown coming up soon, too.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Clockwork Dagger
by Beth Cato
Giveaway ends July 21, 2015.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Sunday Quote stares at the calendar
Read More“The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words.”
~ William H. Gass, A Temple of Texts
Bready or Not: Cardamom Honey Chicken: A Clockwork Dagger Recipe
In The Clockwork Crown, you meet some of Alonzo Garret’s family. You even find out some of his favorite foods.
“…And tonight, Cook is going to make your very, very favorite, cardamom chicken with cashews, and there will be lemon curd with shortbread for dessert.”
I chose cardamom chicken because 1) I love cardamom, 2) it’s not a common American way to flavor chicken, which sets apart my setting. When I wrote it, I figured that at some point I would need to make the recipe for myself.
Cardamom chicken recipes are out there but vary widely. I decided to combine bits and pieces to create something new. The result was mildly sweet, tender chicken that was fabulous served with its own citrusy drippings. It’s definitely a different taste, but a nice one.
There are lots of options for leftovers, too. Eat it as-is, or chop it up for a salad with a sweet dressing, or add some Greek yogurt or sour cream and make it a chicken salad for a wrap or sandwich. YUM!
I didn’t add any cashews to my chicken, but you certainly could do so to add texture. I suppose at some point I need to do a new shortbread recipe that will pair well with lemon curd, eh?
Bready or Not: Cardamom Honey Chicken: A Clockwork Dagger Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/4 cup cooking sherry
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
Main dish
- 1 orange thinly sliced
- salt and pepper
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place marinade and chicken in a large Ziploc bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Place orange slices in a casserole dish and lay the chicken tenders on top. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake chicken for about 15 minutes, flip the tenders, and bake another 10 minutes. Whisk together the glaze ingredients.
- Pull out the chicken and check for doneness; it should be fully cooked at this point. Change the oven to broil and move the rack a bit closer to the top. Brush the glaze over the chicken--use every drop! Put the chicken in to broil for just a few minutes.
- The chicken is delicious on its own or with the sweet pan drippings. You might even want to chop the meat into pieces to allow them to soak in more flavor.
- OM NOM NOM.
I survived San Diego Comic-Con
I was at San Diego Comic-Con all of one day and I am still recovering three days later. It’s that intense. That crazy.
I arrived at the convention center about 2pm on Thursday. I had a signing at the Harper Collins booth at 4pm, and I knew the intervening hours would be my best chance to wander the convention floor. So I did just that. I quickly found that the blockbuster media area was way too loud and crowded for my taste. I had to make a brief stop at the Square Enix booth, though. I was happy to see that Dragon Quest Heroes had a major presence and playable games, though I was indignant that the attached Square Enix store sold no Dragon Quest slimes. This didn’t surprise me. Sadly, it’s a snub that has dragged on for years. Slimes need love, dangit.
My signing at the booth was exciting. They pulled out a whole box of Clockwork Dagger books and handed them out to people. Of course, a lot of folks were there because, “Hey, free book!” but a few people had the book on their wishlist already and had made a point of showing up. THIS GAVE ME ALL THE HAPPY FEELINGS. Plus, Harper Collins shocked me by presenting Clockwork Crown fans! Holy moley, I had con swag!
That evening I went with friends into the Gaslamp District as we prowled for sustenance. I witnessed one of the crazy promotional events that Comic-Con is known for: a Sharknado parade.
Friday was my really cram-packed day. I dashed from a Harper Collins breakfast to my Romantic Adventure panel to the group signing afterward. The panel was great–good food for thought on world-building and romance and the nature of villains.
I sure loved the weather in San Diego. The convention center is right on the water, and the views are amazing! It was overcast at times, but the afternoons stayed sunny with the high in the 70s. Considering that the LOW is Arizona right now is the mid-80s… yeah. I enjoyed the coastal coolness.
Once the signing was done, I lingered a while longer to do an interview, and then it was time to head back to the airport! I had bought a Handbag of Holding from Think Geek for this trip because I knew I’d be at the con most of the time. It was really hard to pare down to the essentials, but the minimal space also made me picky about what I bought. Right before I left, I was offered two ARCs I couldn’t say no to, and at that point my purse was at about exploding point.
The whole experience was a blast. I’m sad that I left after just a day, but kind of relieved, too. It would have been nice to attend some panels other than my own. It would have been nifty to have some celebrity sightings, too.
There’s always next time, right?
Read MoreCatching up on June
I’m an introvert. I like my cozy cave and routine. June was filled with book release and family and travel, and I feel like I’m still picking out things from rubble. Therefore, here are publications I had going back to June (other than Clockwork Crown) and other stuff.
At the Holy Taco Church:
– my recipe for this month is Porter Beer Chicken Thighs in the Slow Cooker!
From Phoenix Comicon:
– I posed for a picture for the great group Kids Need to Read. (Of all the shirts I had to wear that day…)
In the media:
– Michele Brittany wrote up a great article on my San Diego Comic-Con “Romantic Adventure” panel for Bleeding Cool.
At SF Signal:
– I took part in a Mind Meld on great detectives stories in speculative fiction! If you love mysteries mixed with scifi and magic, check this out and add to your to-read pile.
New story:
– “Headspace” in the Cats in Space anthology; on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This story is pure fun: about a kitten named Trouble who ends up on a very interesting ride through deep space.
New poetry:
– “What Happened Among the Stars” in the latest Niteblade; my poem is also featured as the cover illustration!
– “Leaf Dragon” in New Myths
Read More
