Murder in Trastevere: A Roman Holiday Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Rome, Italy
Level Best Books (May 18, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 286 pages

Synopsis

After a decade dominating the expat scene in Rome, Faye Masters has had enough beautiful art, delicious food, and bureaucratic nonsense to last a lifetime. She’s just about decided to pack up and head home when a rival drops dead at one of Faye’s famous cocktail parties. Rumors fly that Faye was the intended target, but the police think Faye might just be an attention-seeking poisoner.

Faye refuses to let the cloud of suspicion stop her from completing a self-imposed 25-picture Caravaggio Challenge. Or keep her from assisting friends Maggie White and Thomas Evans on their painting tours of Rome. But when the leads fizzle out and a series of accidents hit close to home, Faye accepts her own life is on the line. She must search for a killer while keeping up appearances at some of Rome’s most iconic sights.

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Recipe

Faye Masters’ Zabaglione Cream with Fresh Strawberries

By Jen Collins Moore

I love Italian food, especially the desserts. One of the simplest and most delicious is Zabaglione cream. It’s a sweet, foamy custard whipped up from egg yolks, sugar, marsala wine, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. It’s light and rich and totally delicious. In Murder in Trastevere, my detective, Faye Masters, whips up a batch while talking with a suspect, and editing that section always makes me hungry! My readers, too. It’s the recipe they ask for the most. It’s so simple everyone should give it a try.

Ingredients for Four Servings

• 16 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced*
• 4 egg yolks
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp to 5 Tbsp Marsala wine
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
2. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl. (Choose one that’s large enough to sit comfortably over the saucepan of water without actually touching the water.) Whisk everything off the heat for four to five minutes until the mixture turns a pale yellow. Faye uses a whisk and lots of arm power. I use a hand mixer on high speed.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, using a smaller amount of wine if you don’t love the flavor of alcohol and larger if you prefer a boozier flavor, and whisk. Put the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly (or use a hand blender) until the mixture turns into a thick, frothy custard, about four to six minutes. Check to see that it’s reached 140 degrees, then remove from the heat.
4. Transfer most of the strawberries to a serving bowl or individual dishes and pour the Zabaglione over top. Arrange the few remaining strawberries over top.
5. Enjoy warm or serve chilled. It’s delicious either way.

* In the winter, Italians enjoy this cream with cookies or over panettone. It’s versatile, so let your creative juices flow!

Photos by Jen Collins Moore

About the Author

Jen Collins Moore transports readers to Rome in the Roman Holiday Mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mystery Weekly and Masthead: The Best New England Crime Stories. She is president of Sisters in Crime Chicagoland and a founding member of Sleuths and Sidekicks. A transplanted New Englander, she lives in Chicago with her husband and two boys.

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Giveaway

Win a Taste of Italy Gift Basket.

Review my newest book, Murder in Trastevere, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads for a chance to win a Taste of Italy gift basket.

Just click “I Reviewed It!” at https://www.jennifercollinsmoore.com/.

Want to enter the contest and not write a review?

No problem. Just email me here.

US Only.