“Lisa, how are you doing?” Carola asked.
“Actually, a lot better than I thought I’d be doing at this point. I’ve had a lot of time to think things over the last couple of days, and even though I know psychologists say when you become a widow or a widower you shouldn’t make changes in your life for at least a year I’m not going with that school of thought. Actually, I would like to speak for a few moments tonight at dinner if that would be okay with you and Jack.”
“Of course, this is your trip. I’m sure Jack would agree with me. You’re the head of it, so whatever you want to do is fine,” Carola responded. “Excuse me, but I need to find out what Pilar is serving tonight. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She returned just as the bell rang for dinner and stood at the head of the table. “As I’ve done on the other nights, I want to let you know what you’ll be eating tonight, and believe me, you’re going to have a fabulous meal. The entrée is matambre, which is the Argentinian version of stuffed flank steak. It’s delicious. Pilar is also serving spinach fritters, a fruit salad, and for dessert a dish called miljohas, which is layers of pastry stuffed with cream, chocolate, and some other wonderful things. I had it once when we were here previously, and I’ve never forgotten about it. Enjoy!”
When they’d finished eating and after Kevin had led the customary toast for Pilar, Jack stood up. “I would ask that everyone have their luggage outside their room by six-thirty tomorrow morning. The SUVs will be leaving at seven to take you to the airport. On behalf of Carola and myself, I want to thank all of you for coming here and taking part in this fishing trip. Although a tragedy took place, and it was a very eventful few days, we did have the luxury of experiencing some of the best fly fishing I’ve ever seen. Glad you could all be a part of it. Lisa Martin has asked if she could say a few words. Lisa, you’re on,” Jack said as he sat down.
Lisa stood up and looked at the people sitting at the table for a long moment. Although she wore the tragedy of the last few days on her face and in her eyes, it didn’t diminish her beauty. She was dressed in an expensive pair of black silk pants and a matching black tunic. Her diamond wedding ring sparkled as well as the large diamond studs she wore on her ears and the diamond bracelet that circled her slim wrist. She began to speak.
“I want to thank all of you for your support and help over the last few days. I’m truly grateful for the notes and letters that were slipped under my door at various times. While I can’t reverse the events of the last few days, I have several things I’ll be doing in Ray’s honor.”
She took a deep breath and continued. “I have already arranged for Pablo and his wife, Catalina, to leave tomorrow by a hired car for Buenos Aires. Some of you may not know that a doctor here in San Martin believes Catalina has breast cancer and needs treatment from a specialist. None is available in San Martin. Through my doctor in the United States I have made arrangements for her to see the finest cancer specialist in Buenos Aires. She will receive whatever treatment she needs at my expense. I owe my life to Pablo. That’s the least I can do for him and his family”
Everyone sat in complete silence as she continued to speak. “Secondly, this afternoon I purchased a ranch that is adjacent to this one, and I will soon be making it my permanent home. I intend to convert it into a refuge for the stray dogs or, as some call them, the village dogs, in San Martin, and possibly other surrounding towns. These poor dogs live on the streets at the mercy of whatever food they can find in trash cans or scraps of food people give them. Pablo is going to help me hire people to work with the dogs and construct the building I’ll need on the property to complement the refuge.”
“Oh Lisa, that’s wonderful,” Carola blurted out.
“Well, when we had lunch in town the day after Ray died, and I saw all those stray dogs who didn’t have a home, I knew I had to do something. I’ve also purchased a car for Pablo and his family. Actually, this is a bit selfish on my part, because after Catalina wins her fight with cancer, as I hope and pray she will, she’ll be coming to my dog shelter daily to teach me to speak the local language.”
“When do you think you’ll be ready to open it?” Carola asked.
“I don’t know. The first thing to be done is get help for Catalina, and as you can well imagine, there are a number of things I need to do back in California before I can make this move. I’m really excited about it, and I feel very comfortable leaving Moving Graphics in the capable hands of all of you.” She turned to Jack and Carola and said, “You probably thought you were going to be rid of me, but with my purchase of the adjoining property, I’ll be able to see you whenever you bring groups here. Oh, one more thing. Ray’s antique fishing gear was so special to him, that it didn’t seem right for me to sell it, so I’m donating it to the Museum of Fly Fishing.”
Brad laughed and said, “Well, I really would have liked to have owned it and added it to my collection, but I think you found a very good home for it. At least I won’t have to be jealous that someone else has it.”
Jack walked over to Lisa and lightly kissed her cheek. “After the first few days we spent in Chile, if you’d told me you wanted to be a repeat client I wouldn’t have taken you, but now you would definitely be at the top of my list. Carola and I look forward to seeing you when we return with our next group of fly fishermen. Now, tomorrow will be a long travel day for everyone, so I think we all need to get a good night’s sleep. There will be a continental breakfast here in the morning.”
With that final announcement, Jack bid his guests a good evening with the age-old mantra of dedicated fly fishermen when he said, “May the wind be at your back, and always keep a tight line.”
Recipes!
Carbonado Criolle (Argentinian Beef Stew)
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 ½ pounds stewing beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 ½ cups beef broth
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsps. sugar
1 large winter squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup dried apricots or fresh, roughly chopped (we have an apricot tree, so I use fresh ones)
1 cup frozen corn
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Directions:
In a large pot, sauté the onions, green pepper, and garlic in the olive oil until soft and golden. Add the beef and cook on medium-high heat, turning to brown it on all sides. Add the stewed tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth, potatoes, sugar, squash, and apricots, and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for one hour. Season with salt and pepper. Add more beef broth if the stew seems too thick.
Stir in the corn and simmer 10 minutes more. Enjoy!
Dulce de Leche (Caramelized Sugar in Milk)
Ingredients:
4 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Add the rest of the ingredients, using a whisk to stir the sugar until it’s completely dissolved. (Otherwise, your dulce de leche will not be smooth and trust me, you definitely want a smooth consistency!) Cook on medium low heat for 2 to 3 hours until it reaches the consistency you want (some people prefer it a little thinner, it’s your choice!) It should have a rich tan or brown color and a smooth texture when done. Refrigerate. When ready to serve, spoon into individual small bowls. Enjoy!
Matambre (Argentine Flank Steak)
Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs. flank steak
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper¼ lb. fresh spinach, washed and drained with stems trimmed
4 small thin carrots
4 hard-boiled eg
gs, peeled and quartered lengthwise
1 cup pitted green Spanish olives, halved lengthwise
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into rings
1 large onion, cut in half
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 750 ml. bottle red wine (since Argentina makes a great Malbec wine, I recommend using it)
1 cup water
1 head garlic, cut in half
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
Handful of fresh oregano sprigs
2 bay leaves
Butcher’s twine
Directions:
Butterfly the steak by slicing almost through it horizontally and opening it up like a book. Pound the meat gently with a mallet to flatten it and even out the thickness. Rub all sides with olive oil and season with the 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper.
With the steak lying lengthwise, scatter the spinach leaves evenly over the meat, leaving a one-inch border on each side. Arrange the carrots in long rows across the steak, about 2 inches apart. Put the egg strips and olives between the carrot rows. Scatter the onion rings and cheese over the filling. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt and the red pepper flakes. Roll the meat up over the filling into a cylinder (like a jellyroll). Tie three pieces of the butcher’s twine around the cylinder horizontally to hold it together.
Coat a large pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Sear the stuffed steak in the hot oil until it is browned on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the wine into the pan and enough water to almost cover the meat. Add the head of garlic, onion, and herbs to flavor the broth. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 ½ hours. Turn the meat over once. When it’s cooked, transfer the matambre to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Remove the twine and cut crosswise into 1 inch slices. Remove the bay leaf and sprigs of thyme and oregano from the mixture. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve. You can put the remaining sauce in a gravy boat and put it on the dining table. Enjoy!
Ensalade Palmitos (Argentine Hearts of Palm Salad)
Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz.) hearts of palm, thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 avocado, quartered and thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
On a platter, arrange the hearts of palm, tomato, and avocado in a single, overlapping layer.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Enjoy!
Tomates Rellenos (Argentine Stuffed Tomatoes)
Ingredients:
2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and finely chopped
2 cans white tuna (albacore), drained
Mayonnaise to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
8 tomatoes, tops cut off, cored and seeded
Lettuce for serving, optional
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise (to your taste and consistency), garlic, parsley, and the chopped hard-boiled egg. Stuff the tomatoes with the tuna mixture, and garnish with a sprig of parsley. Serve on a bed of lettuce if desired. (I like to make these ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.) Enjoy!
*****
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ABOUT DIANNE
Dianne lives in Huntington Beach, California, with her husband, Tom, a former California State Senator, and her boxer dog, Kelly. Her passions are cooking, reading, and dogs, so whenever she has a little free time, you can either find her in the kitchen, playing with Kelly in the back yard, or curled up with the latest book she’s reading.
Her other books are available below:
Amazon: Blue Coyote Motel
Amazon: Coyote in Provence
Amazon: Cornered Coyote
Amazon: Coyote Series
Amazon: Kelly’s Koffee Shop
Amazon: Murder at Jade Cove
Amazon: White Cloud Retreat
Amazon: Marriage and Murder
Amazon: Murder in Cottage #6
Amazon: Murder in the Pearl District
Amazon: Murder and Brandy Boy
Amazon: Murder in Calico Gold
Amazon: The Death Card
Amazon: Murder at The Cooking School
Amazon: Murder & The Monkey Band
Amazon: Murder at The Bed & Breakfast
Amazon: Murder at The Secret Cave
Amazon: Murder in Cuba
Amazon: The Blue Butterfly
Amazon: Trouble at the Kennel
Amazon: Murdered by Words
Amazon: Murdered by Country Music
Amazon: Murder at the Big T Lodge
Amazon: Murdered in Argentina
Please feel free to follow her on these social media sites:
Website: http://www.DianneHarman.com
Blog: http://www.DianneHarman.com/blog
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @DianneDHarman
Google+
Facebook Author Page (Thriller)
Facebook Author Page Cozy Mystery
Amazon Author Page
Blue Coyote Motel, an Amazon Kindle Best Seller, was a quarterfinalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award Contest and was also a Goodreads Psychological Thriller of the Month Book.
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
Recipes!
ABOUT DIANNE
Murdered in Argentina: A Jack Trout Cozy Mystery Page 14
