Recipes to Die For: A Victoria Square Cookbook

By: Lorraine Bartlett
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: September 2011
ISBN: 978-1466293687
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: October 16, 2011

I once said that Katie Bonner was gutsy, determined, spunky, and capable of getting the job done. In this case, she's rounded up everyone in Victoria Square and Aritisans Alley who just might be interested in contributing to a community cookbook. Naturally some of these recipes are to die for and you'll have a wonderful time testing them. Andy Rust, the owner of Angelo's Pizzeria stepped up to the plate and donated one of the first recipes, the "Black Widow." When she first met Andy, he claimed that " Some of the merchants don't think a pizza parlor fits the hoity-toity Victoria Square image." But how could anyone even think that Rose Nash's "Sausage and Barley Stuffed Peppers" or Del's contribution to the cookbook, "Del's Meatloaf" be hoity-toity? Try scrumdiddlyumptious!

It's a well known fact that Katie is sweet on someone, the contributor of the cinnamon bun recipe. If you've read A Crafty Killing you'll know just who he is. We'll leave that mystery for you to discover. Speaking of sweet, I naturally gravitated toward the dessert section where I found everything from "Bourbon Balls" to the more traditional "Molasses Cookies," which are some delicious. For those who are always trying to get me to come up with my peanut butter balls recipe, you can find "Peanut Butter Buckeyes" in this book. In addition to the dessert section, you'll find signature beverages (some with alcohol), breakfast fare, luncheon foods, hors d'oeuvres & finger foods, dinners, side dishes, desserts, snacks, and (for the hoity-toity crowd) recipes to go with a spot of tea.

This Victoria Square community cookbook's charming collection of recipes is murderously delicious. Not only are we treated to a wide assortment of recipes, new and classic, we get to know a bit more about the people of Victoria Square. The introduction is written by Katie Bonner and she chit chats with us before many of the recipes. Katie may be a no nonsense gal, but she does have a sense of humor. When Luther Collier, the undertaker, offered her his recipe for the "Zombie," she says that, "Maybe he needs something that strong after working with the dearly departed all day." Perhaps. I did enjoy learning more about the characters in the Victoria Square series and loved the recipes. I now know what to do with those spare parsnips someone in this house just had to have and how to make my own homemade granola.

Quill says: Lorraine Bartlett claims that "cooking can be murder," but seriously ... some of these recipes make you feel like you've died and gone to heaven. Oh, those peppermint patties!