Flirting with Felicity

by Gerri Russell

  The Bancroft Peach Bellini

  2 ripe peaches, seeded and diced

  1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  1 teaspoon sugar

  1 bottle chilled Prosecco sparkling wine

  Directions

  Place the peaches, lemon juice, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Press the mixture through a sieve, and discard the peach solids in the sieve. Place two tablespoons of the peach puree into each champagne glass and fill with cold Prosecco. Serve immediately.

  Hawaiian BBQ Short Ribs

  1 package pork spare ribs

  4 tablespoons of your favorite brand of dry rib rub

  1 cup light brown sugar

  2 cups Welch’s Essentials Orange, Pineapple, Apple Juice Cocktail

  1 16-ounce can chunked pineapple, with its juice

  4 tablespoons light yellow mustard

  1 cup Hawaiian BBQ sauce

  Directions

  Sprinkle both sides of the spare ribs with dry rib rub and light brown sugar. Marinate in foil for almost twenty-four hours.

  When the meat is finished marinating, prepare the grill, and add a pot of water to keep the air inside the grill moist. Cook the ribs for three hours on indirect heat, uncovered. Flip meat occasionally.

  Next, lay the ribs on two layers of foil and pour the pineapple juice over the top. Add pineapple chunks. Finally moisten with the orange, pineapple, and apple juice cocktail. Wrap tightly and cook for two more hours.

  Remove the ribs from the foil. Reserve the pineapple and some juice. Coat the ribs with the yellow mustard and Hawaiian BBQ sauce, and let it cook for one more hour, directly on the grill. Turn the meat occasionally.

  Serve decorated with the reserved pineapple.

  Huli Huli Chicken

  3 to 4 pounds chicken wings, thighs, and breast pieces

  1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate

  1/3 cup white wine

  1/2 cup chicken broth

  1/4 cup soy sauce

  1/4 cup ketchup

  1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger or a pinch of fresh ginger

  1 to 2 drops Worcestershire sauce

  Directions

  Wash chicken parts and pat dry with paper towels. Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl, and brush the mixture over the chicken parts. Grill over barbecue for about forty minutes. Turn and baste with the sauce until the chicken is done. Serves ten to twelve people.

  Felicity’s Macaroni and Cheese

  4 cups (1 pound) elbow macaroni

  5 tablespoons unsalted butter

  4 cups milk

  1/2 medium onion

  4 cloves garlic

  1 bay leaf

  3 sprigs fresh thyme

  1 teaspoon dry mustard

  2 tablespoons flour

  2 cups grated cheddar, plus 1 cup in big chunks

  1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese

  1/2 cup grated parmesan

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Directions

  Cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until done, about five to seven minutes. Drain and toss it with two tablespoons of butter; set aside.

  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

  Coat a large baking dish with one tablespoon of butter, and set it aside. Mince the onion, and crush the garlic cloves. Pour the milk into a saucepan, and add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and mustard. Warm over medium-low heat until the milk starts to steam, about ten minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the flavors infuse while you make the roux.

  In a large pot over medium heat, add two tablespoons butter and the flour. Cook, stirring, for about two to three minutes; don’t let the roux color. Remove the bay leaf from the infused milk and add to the roux, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring often, for about five minutes until the sauce is thick. Remove from the heat and add one half of the grated cheddar, one half of the sharp white cheddar, and one half of the parmesan; stir until it is melted and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

  Pour this mixture over the macaroni, add the chunks of cheddar, and mix until well blended; put this in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses evenly over the top. Bake until the top is golden and crusty, about twenty-five to thirty minutes.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  No book is ever written in seclusion, and this book is no exception. I am so grateful to Pamela Bradburn, Teresa DesJardien, Karen Harbaugh, Ann Charles, and Joleen James for cheering me on, sharing advice, and reading the early drafts. You are all so special to me, and I don’t know what I would do without you.

  A special thank you to Nancy Northcott for sharing her legal knowledge with me at random odd hours of the day and night, and to the staff at the Regency Newcastle. I’ve learned so much from you all about what quality assisted living can do to celebrate the sunset years of life.

  Special appreciation also goes to my Amazon Montlake team, especially Kelli Martin, Maria Gomez, and Krista Stroever. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your time, talents, and enthusiasm for this story. You all push me to be a better writer, and for that I am grateful.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo © 2011 Barbara Roser, Roser Photography

  Award-winning author Gerri Russell has done it all when it comes to writing; she’s worked as a broadcast journalist, newspaper reporter, magazine columnist, technical writer and editor, and instructional designer, which all finally led her to follow her heart’s desire of being a romance novelist.

  Gerri is best known for her adventurous and emotionally intense historical novels set in the Scottish Highlands. Flirting with Felicity is her debut contemporary romance.

  When she’s not reading, writing, or researching, Gerri is a living history reenactor with the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire. A two-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award and winner of the American Title II competition sponsored by RT Book Reviews magazine, she lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband and children. You can find reviews, excerpts, historical tidbits, and links to Facebook and Twitter on her website at www.gerrirussell.net.