Happy Hour (39 page)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch crushed red chile flakes
1/2 lb. dried fettuccine
½ cup chopped pancetta or bacon (you can also use chicken or shrimp)
2 Tbs. olive oil
4 oz. fresh baby spinach (about 6 cups)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

In a medium saucepan combine the white wine, shallots.
Over high heat, reduce the liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the goat
cheese until the mixture is smooth, season with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper,
and the red chile flakes, and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high
heat. Add the pasta and cook until just cooked, 9 to 11 minutes. Reserve 1/2
cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a sauté pan over
medium-high heat brown up pancetta or bacon (if bacon there is no need to use
the olive oil until you add the spinach). Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil
and the spinach and sauté until it’s wilted, about 2 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta with the goat
cheese sauce; add the spinach and pancetta. Season with salt and pepper and
serve in warm bowls, topped with the basil.

This recipe would pair nicely with a pinot noir or
lighter syrah. If you prefer a white wine, chardonnay would work well.

Alyssa’s Shrimp
Salad

3 fresh pears
Salad greens
1 pound cooked shrimp—medium size
1 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon chipotle or some type of red pepper powder—or to taste
½ teaspoon chopped garlic
½ cup feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Core pears; cut into narrow wedges. Arrange on
lettuce-lined salad plates.
Combine shrimp, celery, green pepper, cheese and green onions.
Blend mayonnaise, garlic, pepper powder, lemon juice, lemon peel and salt. Toss
with shrimp. Top the pears with the mixture. Serve with a crisp sauvignon
blanc.

Jamie’s Salmon
in Miso:

1 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
4 tablespoons light yellow miso (fermented soybean paste*)
6 tablespoons sugar
4 salmon filets (about 5 or 6 ounces each)
1 1/2 cups snow peas

Add the mirin, miso and sugar to a small, nonstick
saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil for
three minutes, whisking as it boils to create a smooth miso marinade.

Reserve 1/3 cup of the miso marinade and set aside.
Pour the remaining miso marinade over the salmon filets in a gallon zip-lock
bag or a shallow dish. Let salmon marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour
(or up to 12 hours).

Grill the salmon filets skin side down about 5 inches
from the coals or heat for about 14 minutes or until salmon is cooked
throughout. You can lightly brown the top of the salmon filets by broiling
briefly in your kitchen oven or by gently flipping the salmon filets over and
grilling them, flesh side down, for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile to make a miso sauce for the table, add the
1/3 cup of the reserved miso marinade to a small nonstick saucepan and stir in
3 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half and a teaspoon of flour. Bring to a gentle
boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce has reached your desired thickness.
Also, add snow peas to a small microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water, cover
and cook on HIGH until snow peas are just tender (about three minutes).

Serve each serving of broiled salmon over a scoop of
steamed white or brown rice (if desired) and top with a drizzle of the miso
sauce and fan some snow peas on top for garnish.

Serve with Viognier.

An Interview with Michele Scott

Questions from Book Reviewer Lori Gondelman

Q: What made you switch from writing cozies to women’s
fiction?

A: I love writing the cozies, so I haven’t really
switched, but I’m expanding and experimenting with my writing. “Happy Hour” was
a book that just sort of poured out of me. I really wanted to write about these
women and their lives. I’m in my forties now and I think at this stage of life
many women can relate to Jamie, Alyssa, Danielle and Kat. I know personally
that I have dealt with divorce, death, financial issues, dating, remarrying,
the blended family, etceteras. I wanted to write about these issues of life and
also show how great women in their forties and up are—how great all women are.

Q: Did you draw on real life experiences when writing “
Happy
Hour”
?

A: As mentioned previously, yes. I have dealt with
many of these issues on a personal basis. Some I haven’t. The ones I have, I
actually made them bigger, harder and more difficult for these characters. For
instance, when my oldest son was born he was in the intensive care unit for a
few weeks. He’s now eighteen. Eighteen years ago I probably would not have been
able to write about a child in a coma, or the possibility of losing a child, or
even about Shane having Down Syndrome. Now, I can draw from the emotions I felt
back then and get them down on to the page. I have gone through the teenage
years with my sons, and I think those are the hardest years as they separate
from you. For me, when I write I do pull from my life, but I also definitely twist
it.

Q: How do you fit writing in with your “everyday”
life? What’s your writing schedule like?

A: I write when my youngest is in school from 8 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. Occasionally I will write after she gets home but for the most part
I’m done because we own horses and the afternoons are spent with my little girl
and our animals.

Q: What is the hardest part of writing?

A: The discipline. There are days when I just don’t
feel like it, but I have a deadline that is looming. The other thing is that I
have so many ideas in my head that many times I can’t sleep or think about
anything else but the writing. This is partly why I am so involved with the
horses. When I’m out with them, my mind shuts off and my only focus is on them
and my daughter. It’s a nice reprieve and it’s so physical that it feels really
good at the end of the day at the computer to get up and go ride.

Q: Did you always want to be a writer?

A: Absolutely. I knew when I was nine years old that I
wanted to write. I wrote stories all of my life and I wrote my first book
almost twenty years ago. I’ve been published since 2005, and currently have eighteen
books out.

Q: What’s up next for you?

A: I’m working on a few things. I have a middle-grade
series about a thirteen-year-old girl who is able to communicate with horses. I
also have a thriller about a young female jockey and her family in the works.

Q: What are you reading now?

A: “The Hearts of Horses.” It’s about a young woman
during World War I who does the “man’s” job of breaking broncs. It’s a
beautiful book.

Q: How long does it take you to write a book?

A: It depends on what type of book. For a mystery it
takes me about four months. “Happy Hour” took me eight months.

Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?

A: Riding my horse, cooking for my family, traveling
to horse shows with my daughter.

Q: Who has most influenced your writing?

A: My freelance editor Mike Sirota. Mike has a keen
eye and has definitely taught me how to be a better writer.

Q: Do you have a favorite of the books you’ve written?

A: That’s like asking if I have a favorite kid—sort
of. I love this book because it’s personal. Much of what I’ve been through in
life happens to these characters and I feel like I really know all of the women
in this book. If I had to choose though, my favorite is a book that I wrote
under my pen name A.K. Alexander. The title is THE CARTEL. I love that book

Q: Do you hear from your readers a lot? Do you respond
to all of them?

A: I hear from quite a few readers and I love when
they write me. I personally respond to every e-mail; however, when I’m on a
deadline it can take me some time.

Q: What’s the one thing about you that you’d like your
readers to know?

A: I’m really just a very silly person.

Book Club Discussion Questions

Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you
relate to what they’re experiencing?

What do you think was the main theme/idea the author
was trying to convey? Were there several themes?

Which character do you relate to most?

Why do you think the author had Shannon have a near
death experience?

What was your favorite part of the book? What part did
you not like?

Should Jamie have been more firm with her brother in
law earlier in the book when it came to taking care of HIS mother?

Had Ian not needed the transfusion, do you think
Alyssa would have ever told anyone about her past? Would she really have
revealed what the paintings were about?

Why does Kat feel such a great need to be in control?

Would you read a sequel
to
Happy Hour
? If so, what would you like to see happen in the
characters’ lives?

Michele
Scott is the author of the bestselling Wine Lover’s Mystery Series. She lives
in San Diego, California with her husband and three kids, their dogs, cats, and
horses. To learn more about the author and her work, and how your book club can
win copies of “Happy Hour” along with a Gourmet Food and Wine basket, please
visit her site at http://www.michelescott.com.