Cornish Pasty - A Meal for the Miners by A.M. Westerling

 Today I’m sharing a classic British recipe that originated in Cornwall, the setting for my Regency romance series entitled The Ladies of Harrington House. I'm currently working on the third book Catherine's Passion and the hero in it, Lord Julian Fitzgerald, is reopening a tin mine. It’s thought the pasty originated as a convenient meal for Cornish miners who were unable to return to the surface at lunch time. Their hands would be dirty but the pasty could be held easily by the crust and provided a hearty meal.

Picture from the Spruce Eats website

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 Recipe found here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/classic_cornish_pasty_67037

 

Ingredients

For the pastry

·         5  500g/1lb 1oz strong bread flour

·          120g/4oz vegetable shortening or suet

·         11 tsp salt

·         25g/1oz margarine or butter

·         175ml/6fl oz cold water

·         1 free-range egg, beaten with a little salt (for glazing)

For the filling

·         350g/12oz good-quality beef skirt, rump steak or braising steak

·         350g/12oz waxy potatoes

·         200g/7oz swede/turnip

·         175g/6oz onions

·         ssalt and freshly ground black pepper

·         knob of butter or margarine

 

Method

1.    TTip the flour into the bowl and add the shortening, a pinch of salt, the margarine or butter and all of the water.

2.    Use a spoon to gently combine the ingredients. Then use your hands to crush everything together, bringing the ingredients together as a fairly dry dough.

3.    Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface (there’s no need to put flour or oil onto the surface because it’s a tight rather than sticky dough).

4.    Knead the dough to combine the ingredients properly. Use the heel of your hand to stretch the dough. Roll it back up into a ball, then turn it, stretch and roll it up again. Repeat this process for about 5-6 minutes. The dough will start to become smooth as the shortening breaks down. If the dough feels grainy, keep working it until it’s smooth and glossy. Don’t be afraid to be rough – you’ll need to use lots of pressure and work the dough vigorously to get the best results.

5.    When the dough is smooth, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for 30–60 minutes.

6.    While the dough is resting, peel and cut the potato, swede and onion into cubes about 1cm/½in square. Cut the beef into similar sized chunks. Put all four ingredients into a bowl and mix. Season well with salt and some freshly ground black pepper, then put the filling to one side until the dough is ready.

7.    Lightly grease a baking tray with margarine (or butter) and line with baking or silicone paper (not greaseproof).

8.    Preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan assisted)/325F/Gas 3.

9.    Once the dough has had time to relax, take it out of the fridge. The margarine or butter will have chilled, giving you a tight dough. Divide the dough into four equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a disc roughly 25cm/10in wide (roughly the same size as a dinner plate).

10. Spoon a quarter of the filling onto each disc. Spread the filling on one half of the disc, leaving the other half clear. Put a knob of butter or margarine on top of the filling.

11. Carefully fold the pastry over, join the edges and push with your fingers to seal. Crimp the edge to make sure the filling is held inside – either by using a fork, or by making small twists along the sealed edge. Traditionally Cornish pasties have around 20 crimps. When you’ve crimped along the edge, fold the end corners underneath.

12.  Put the pasties onto the baking tray and brush the top of each pasty with the egg and salt mixture. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45 minutes or until the pasties are golden-brown. If your pasties aren't browning, increase the oven temperature by 10C/25F for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

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Now that you’ve made your pasties, munch on one while you’re reading the first two books in the series, Sophie's Choice and Leah's Surrender, available on the BWL Publishing website HERE.

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My Self-Defense Class by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

 

https://www.bookswelove.com/donaldson-yarmey-joan/

My Self Defense Class
A friend of mine, Bonnie, was taking Ju Jutsu and she said that her instructor, Fred, lets people come out for a free class before deciding if they want to take lessons. She asked me if I want to try a class. I had been thinking of learning some sort of self-defense so I accepted her invitation.

     On the Monday evening I wore leggings and a t-shirt fully expecting to watch from the sidelines and maybe try a couple of moves. Bonnie told me to remove my shoes before walking on the mats and then took me to a room when she found a white canvas gi jacket that fit. I donned it over my t-shirt and wrapped the left side over the right. Bonnie showed me the proper way to tie the obi or belt.

     Everyone in the class did their own stretching and then Fred had us run around the room, first forward, then backwards, then sideways. Once that was done he said. "Line up senior to junior." I knew I was the oldest one there so I headed to the beginning of the line. Everyone looked askance at me and grinned.

     "I'm the most senior person here," I said. But, apparently, the line up isn't by age. I headed to the last of the line. The person at the end gave me a warm welcome.

     "At least now I'm not the newest member," he said.

     The instructor then told us to do forward rolls. The others immediately took turns rolling their way across the room. Fred stood beside me and showed me how to put the back on my left hand on the mat, tuck my head and shoulder down, and push off with my back leg. Talk about being disoriented and dizzy when I sat up. Definitely not like the summersaults I used to do as a child.

     "Do it again," he encouraged.

     I knelt, put the back of my hand down, tucked and, after a deep breath, pushed off. Same result only this time I also felt a bit queasy. I guess I shouldn't have eaten before coming. After the third time I quit and watched the others. Fred called out for backward rolls. He looked at me with his eyebrow raised. I shook my head.

     When everyone had practiced their rolls, Fred ran through a demonstration on how to get out from under an attacker when he has you pinned on the ground and is sitting on top of you. I watched others do it then tried it myself. So long as my attacker gives me lots of time and offers me a few helpful hints, I will be able to break his hold.

     Fred did tell me that I should not waste my energy struggling against an attacker. It will just weaken me, he said. He showed me a choke hold to use that is easy and effective.

     Ju means gentle, pliable or yielding and jutsu means technique and is the manipulating of your opponent's force against himself. It was developed to fight the armed samurai of feudal Japan in close combat by using throws, pins, or joint locks. Over the centuries ju jutsu evolved into different types of martial arts around the world, some of students practicing potentially fatal moves and also learning break falling skills so they can practice dangerous throws.

     Since the beginning, students of ju jutsu trained in formal kimonos. In 1907, the founder of Judo introduced a uniform called the judogi. The gi consists of three parts: a heavy jacket called a uwagi, light canvas pants, shitabaki, and the cotton belt, obi.

     At the end of the class Fred said I could come back for two more free lessons. I must have really impressed him. However, while I was glad to have had the opportunity to try a ju jutsu class I didn't return for my other two free lessons. I decided I didn't like throwing myself or other people around on a mat.

     Since I was a teenager, I have practiced my own techniques to prevent being attacked that have served me well. I try not to be on the streets after dark but if I am walking at night I stride confidently with my head up and shoulders back. Attackers are cowards and they look for someone weak whom they can overpower. I carry my car keys spaced between my fingers to use for stabbing or slashing. I wear pants which are harder for an attacker to get into and low shoes or running shoes so I can get away easier. New technology has given us panic buttons on our key fobs which can be pressed to start our vehicle's horn blaring. I keep mine handy.

     And I've noticed in books and on television shows that the women who are attacked and even killed are always wearing matching panties and bra. Just to be on the safe side, I make sure I never do.

What I Have Learned From Actors by Victoria Chatham

 

 

 AVAILABLE HERE

As a writer, I have learned my craft from many sources. Books, workshops, sessions at conferences, other authors, and reading as much as I can from a range of genres and not only my genre of choice, Regency romance. One avenue that is often overlooked is watching movies.

I have to say I am an avid movie buff but, much as I now read differently, I also watch movies differently. I listen more to the dialogue, and I watch the actors' faces more, jotting down notes about their expressions. It is so easy so write that he/she grinned, winked, frowned, or twitched a smile. But what does somebody’s face actually look like while they are grinning, winking, frowning, or twitching a smile? What does that even mean?

Watching any good actor is a learning experience from the way they move to the timing and delivery of their lines. Think of the great dames: Joan Plowright, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Emma Thompson. Another of my favourite UK actors is Maggie Steed. In the US, anything with Katherine Hepburn, Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger - especially her seduction scene in the movie Appaloosa, Sandra Bullock, and Anne Hathaway is worth watching.  

As far as the male line-up goes, and I don't mind dating myself here, I hark back to the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and Laurence Olivier. Denzel Washington, Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins are also up there, and the list could go on. I’m sure many will disagree with my choices and have their own favourites whether they are writers or not.

Old movies are available from many sources, and it was only recently that I was able to watch Casablanca and The Black Falcon all the way through without any interruption. I also like foreign movies such as the Deepa Mehta Elemental trilogy, Earth, Fire, and Water which looked at controversial issues and social reform in India.

 

I recently watched a 1980’s era movie, Withnail and I. Much like the American classic Easy Rider, it moved into something of a cult status. I had heard of it, but never watched it and wasn’t sure the story of two seemingly continually drunk, hapless, helpless out-of-work actors in London in 1969 was something I particularly wanted to watch, but I’m glad I did. Written and directed by Bruce Robinson, and loosely based on Robinson’s own story, Withnail and I runs the gamut of emotions of friendship, love, sexuality, humour, letting go and loss. It is a tragi-comedy reminiscent of some of the works of Shakespeare. One of the final scenes shows the I character (never named in the movie) walking away from Withnail, played by Richard E Grant. The look on his face is a tour de force of despair, even to his flesh seeming to melt from his face. The monologue at the end, filmed at the wolf enclosure at the London Zoo, is one of the best ever.

The elements of great movies can be found in great books, and in many cases vice versa. Portraying the actors’ facial expressions in words to improve my own writing is an ongoing exercise, and one I shall continue to work at. 

 

Victoria Chatham

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Images from internet sources.

Choosing a setting by Dean L. Hovey

I recently visited Tuzigoot National Monument, in northern Arizona. It's a small US Park Service property compared to Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon, and is off the beaten path. It contains ruins left by the Sinagua Indians in the 1100-1400 A.D. period, and has a treasure trove of artifacts being restored by a team of archaeologists. 

After waiting in line to speak with a ranger, I approached and asked, "Where would you hide a murder victim?" I could tell by the look on his face that he hadn't fielded that question before. After an awkward silence, I explained that I was a mystery writer looking for a future book setting.  His face brightened once he realized I wasn't a serial killer. He pulled out a map of the property and started marking it up.

"This dead end trail is a mile and a half long. We only get a handful of hikers a month who hike that trail in the winter. When the summer temperatures approach 100 degrees, hardly anyone goes back there."

I nodded and looked at a picture of the resident wildlife. "So, you might realize there was a dead body out there because the vultures would be attracted."

He was getting into it and jumped right in. "There'd be vultures, but the ravens and coyotes would probably be there first. Maybe the resident mountain lion or the bobcats might be drawn to it too."

I looked at the map and nodded. "Is that trail accessible by horse?"

"Horses aren't allowed on our trails." Then he hesitated. "But we close the entry gate at 4:45 and there aren't any residential rangers on site once we lock the visitor center. There's a trail along the river that's accessible by horseback from either the north or south and it links up with the trails inside the park."

I thanked him and walked a trail parallel to the dead end trail he'd indicated. As far as I could tell, there was no reason to use the other trail at all. The view wasn't great, just overlooking a marshy pond, and there were bushes and cacti that wanted to snag your clothing or scratch you. The signage warned there were rattlesnakes off the trail. (Having studied reptiles in college, I was reasonable certain that the rattlesnakes probably ignored the signs and crossed the trail when the rangers who erect the signs weren't looking.)

The ranger flagged me down when I returned to the visitor center. He went behind the counter and typed a password into his computer. "What's your name? Where can I find your books?"

After pulling up Stolen Past, the first Doug Fletcher mystery (published by BWL), he smiled as he read the blurb. "This is SO cool! I'll tell the superintendent and the other rangers. We'll probably each buy a different Fletcher mystery and pass them around."

I told him to look for a 2022 book set in Tuzigoot. He gave me permission to cite him as a resource in the acknowledgements, then added, "You might want to set a book at Montezuma's Castle National Monument. The ruins are only accessible by ladder. Visitors aren't allowed in them. BUT, if someone snuck in the park after hours and dropped a body into one of the pueblos..."

I thanked him, and added Montezuma's Castle to my list. It's now under consideration with Everglades National Park, Cypress National Preserve, Saguaro National Forest, Donner Camp National Historic Site, Little Bighorn Historic Battlefield, Big Bend National Park, and more.  There's a mystery to be solved in each of them. Now all I have to do is find the time to visit the locations and write the books!

Writing from the Wrong Side, a Heroine who fights for the British by Diane Scott Lewis

To purchase my novels and other BWL books: BWL

Tarred and feathered, tortured, hangings? That was often the fate of the Loyalists in America.

As an American, I should be fully behind the Patriots in the fight for freedom during the American Revolution. But writing about the establishment of New Brunswick in the Canadian Historical Brides series, I read numerous research on the Loyalists who fled the U.S. after being persecuted for backing King George III. Many settled in New Brunswick, forming a new colony.

That's stirred my interest in the Loyalists and their plight while still in the States.

I thought people would be offended by my telling this side of the story. To my surprise, they weren't. Even my Book Club loved the book. Especially the enigmatic Welshman, who takes Rowena on as a spy. Sexy guy!

Loyalists believed the country could never survive on its own, without the Mother Country. They thought the Patriots a ragtag group of trouble makers. In turn, the Patriots, anxious to be free of the tether of British laws, and taxes, considered the Loyalists traitors. Spies infiltrated both sides to see who was loyal to who. Plus, to gain troop movements to pass on to various commanders.

Also called Tories, the Loyalists consisted of one third of the thirteen original colonies. Their numbers were spread out in the colonies and came from differing classes, farmer to merchant. The Patriots ordered them to join the war to fight the British, or their properties would be subject to confiscation or burning. If Loyalists were captured in battle they were treated as traitors and often killed.

1774 British print of a Boston commissioner
being tarred and feathered.

My heroine's father is tarred and feathered in the novel's first scene. A true, particularly violent act occurred in 1775, in Georgia. Loyalist Thomas Brown was confronted on his property by the Sons of Liberty. Brown was beaten with a rifle, which fractured his skull. Strapped to a tree, stripped naked, hot pitch was poured over him, then he was set alight. Two of his toes were charred to stubs. Then the Patriots rolled him in feathers and scalped him.

Many fled north to Canada, especially after the war. Others were tortured or hanged. Out of desperation, some joined the Patriot side so they could remain in their homes.

                                        Loyalists refugees traveling to Canada by Howard Pyle

My heroine, Rowena, is a staunch Loyalist, along with her family. But as the war wears on, she wonders if she is on the right side. Do the Patriots have good reason to want independence?

"Rowena is a star. Bless Derec Pritchard who loves Rowena for who she is. Their chemistry is fabulous. Readers will love to read this alternative view of American history." InD'tale Magazine  

Find out more about me and my writing on my website: Dianescottlewis

Diane Parkinson (Diane Scott Lewis) is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Napoleonic Historical Society. She’s had several historical novels published. Her most recent is the Revolutionary War novel, Her Vanquished Land. 

Her upcoming novel Ghost Point, the 1950s Potomac oyster wars, love and betrayal, will be released in September.

Diane lives with her husband and one naughty dachshund in Western Pennsylvania.