Table of Contents: From Breakfast With Anita Diamant to Dessert With James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings and Insights From Today's Bestselling Authors Read Online Free PDF Page B

place the chiles on a broiling tray covered with foil and broil, turning occasionally, until skin is blackened and blistered on all sides. Place chiles in a small bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove stems and peel off blackened skin.
    3 Place reserved broth, chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a blender and purée for 1–3 minutes (depending on the efficiency of your blender).
    4 Place shredded chicken and puréed sauce in a skillet or saucepan and simmer for 45 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
    5 Preheat oven to 300°F.
    6 Warm the tortillas: Place tortillas on two baking sheets (they can overlap slightly). Spray both sides lightly with cooking spray. Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, about 4 minutes.
    7 To assemble the tacos: Place a few tablespoons of chicken mixture into a warm corn tortilla, and garnish with avocado, red onion, cilantro, green and red salsas, sour cream, lime wedges, pickled jalapeños, and radishes.
F RUIT FOR A L ONG -D ELAYED L OVE S CENE
    Makes 4–6 servings
    This recipe is for a dish mentioned in Chapter Ten of The Great Man . Teddy, the seventy-four-year-old former mistress of the “great man” (who has been dead for five years when the novel opens) cooks breakfast for her former boss, Lewis, who has been in love with her for many decades. She brings all the ingredients one hot summer morning in a basket from her house in Greenpoint, a neighborhood in North Brooklyn in New York City, to his apartment on the Upper East Side. She serves this fruit salad with a kielbasa omelet, the perfect combination to inspire the tender but spicy love scene that follows.
    4 cups ¾-inch watermelon chunks (about 3 pounds with rind)
    2 cups (1 pint) fresh blueberries, washed
    2 cups perfectly ripe sliced plums (½ inch thick at curved end) (2–3 plums)
    ¼ cup fresh lime juice (2–3 limes)
    1 teaspoon honey
    3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
    Whipped cream (optional)
    1 Place the watermelon chunks, blueberries, and plums in a large bowl. Mix gently with a wooden spoon.
    2 In a measuring cup, whisk together the lime juice, honey, and mint leaves. Pour the dressing over the fruit salad and toss. Serve right away or chill first. Add whipped cream if you like.
H UGO'S N EIGHBORLY V ISIT S HRIMP N EWBURG
    Makes 4–6 servings
    Adapted from About.com : Southern Food
    In The Epicure's Lament , Hugo, a hermit who is determined to smoke himself to death and cook as many meals as he can along the way, spontaneously cooks the following dish for his sister-in-law, Marie, and her au pair , Louisa, on a bucolic evening. He shows up at Marie's house one night when he knows his brother has the kids. He arrives with groceries and wine, finds the two women sitting outside in the grass, and goes inside and gets right to work in the kitchen.
    Hugo uses canned shrimp, but please feel free to use fresh. He serves this Newburg on white rice with a side of buttered green beans.
    My mother made this recipe for a very festive dinner party in my honor after I gave a reading near her house in Woodstock, New York. It was absolutely delicious.
    Note: You may purchase cooked or uncooked shrimp for this recipe. You will need about 1½ pounds shrimp cooked in shell, or about 2 pounds uncooked in shell. To prepare uncooked shrimp: boil shrimp for 5 minutes exactly, then plunge into ice water (and peel if necessary).
    ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
    2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
    ¾ teaspoon salt
    1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
    1 dash nutmeg
    1¾ cups half-and-half
    3 tablespoons dry sherry
    2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
    3 cups (about 1 pound) cooked and peeled large shrimp (see note)
    Steamed white rice, for serving
    1 In a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Blend in flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg with a wire whisk. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Gradually add half-and-half and sherry; stirring constantly with the whisk to keep the sauce