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If You’ve a Date in Constantinople, She’ll Be Waiting in Istanbul…
Astute readers will not be shocked in the least to learn I’ve been singing the above song for the better part of the last week. That’s right, it’s time for the most difficult, harrowing part of being a writer: the research trip. And for me, this time it’s Istanbul. I’m all packed (Organized Girl likes to do things ahead of time; no unnecessary travel stress here), still waffling a little about what to read on the trip, and trying to decide which episodes of Firefly need to go on the iPhone should the in-flight “entertainment” be lacking.
But it’s not time to go quite yet. So let’s have some virtual cocktails! With us today is the fabulous Deanna Raybourn, author extraordinaire. Her second novel, Silent in the Sanctuary, is available everywhere and is the second in her marvelous series. The first, Silent In The Grave has more than swept the nation–even was the December Read of the Month at Wal-Mart AND was recently nominated for a Dilys Award. Anyone else smell Edgar contender here??? Pick up her books. Now. And then settle in for a drink…..
Deanna Raybourn’s Pineapple Vodka
This isn’t so much a cocktail recipe as a science project. If you are the type to enjoy domestic pottering, this will be a doddle. If you are lazy, like I am, find a friend who likes to potter and who will make it for you. It takes a week and a half to prepare, but it is well worth the effort.
Pineapple Vodka: Take 8-10 cans of pineapple rings packed in juice–not syrup–and drain the juice. (You can save the juice for breakfast. You will not be needing it for this.) Put the pineapple rings into a large container (a sun tea jar works beautifully). Pour a liter of GOOD vodka (Grey Goose, Stoli, Absolut) over the pineapple. Refrigerate for 7 days.
Strain vodka into original vodka bottle. Let the pineapple sit in the sun tea container in the fridge for another 2-3 days to finish draining the liquid from it. Pour THAT liquid into the vodka bottle with the rest of the vodka. Now throw away the pineapple; it is NOT suitable for anything else and will taste very nasty.
Your Pineapple Vodka is now complete! You can put it in a shaker with ice and strain it into a martini glass to be drunk neat, or you can mix it with a citrussy-type soda or rum, preferably Malibu. You can also, on very bad days, put a straw directly into the bottle and crawl under the cover with it.
While you wait for the Pineapple Vodka to brew, you can mix up a La Paloma to get you through. This recipe is from Grady Spears’ The Texas Cowboy Kitchen. Mix 3 ounces of silver tequila with the juice of one lime and 8 ounces of grapefruit juice and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a pretty glass and garnish with fresh mint. (Grady recommends Herradura tequila). I use key limes instead of Persian, and it must be noted that Texas Ruby Red grapefruits will make this cocktail a beautiful blush pink.
BETH: What two fictional characters would you like to see romantically linked?
DEANNA: Scarlett O’Hara and Heathcliff. Rhett is all well and good, but I think Scarlett would finally meet her match in a man capable of hanging his wife’s dog on their wedding day.
BETH: With what fictional character would you like to be romantically linked?
DEANNA: Atticus Finch, but I don’t think I’d be a good stepmother. Scout would have to stay out of my study and away from my books. I think the Phantom of the Opera would be rather handy around the house, but you just know he’d leave a leaking toilet to go work on constructing a new torture chamber instead. For a nice evening, Archie Goodwin would know all the best clubs in New York, but he has a roommate, so there aren’t any long-term prospects there.
TASHA: The new PERSUASION: Tragedy or Triumph?
DEANNA: It’s sitting in my tivo queue to be watched. But honestly, the version with Amanda Root was so dire, this cannot be worse. It should be one of the easier Jane Austen novels to adapt because Anne Elliot is so relatable. Everybody has taken well-meaning advice and lived to regret it; everybody wants to go back and undo something. For better or worse, Anne is like us, unlike Fanny Price, who I personally would like to shove down the stairs.
JILL: What is your least favorite book-to-film adaptation? Your favorite?
DEANNA: Least favorite would be “Under the Tuscan Sun”, not because it was a bad film, but because it was virtually unrecognizable compared to the book. My favorite is the Masterpiece Theatre “Jane Eyre” with Toby Stephens. He’s the first actor I’ve seen play the role of Rochester with some humor, and it is devastatingly sexy.
ERIC: What is your favorite weapon?
DEANNA: The trebuchet. There is something very elegant and sassy about the way it launches–much more refined than a plain catapult. I would love one for the backyard. For a personal weapon, I think a slender, concealed blade is always a nice touch–perhaps a sharpened hairpin or a stiletto for the boot.
KRISTY: What Victorian custom do you think should be re-introduced in modern society?
DEANNA: Proper introductions. I loathe going to someone’s house or a party and having to read nametags, or worse, introduce myself. I am also deeply devoted to the custom of calling cards. I would love to be able to leave a card with a butler! (I suppose first I would have to find friends with butlers…)
I cannot imagine there is a soul out there who, having had a taste of Deanna’s charms, hasn’t already raced out to buy her books. Got it?! Don’t make me come over there and explain in detail. Next, be sure to answer the questions she’s left for you:
1. What reality show do you secretly love but pretend not to watch?
2. Champagne or prosecco?
3. What is your least favorite word? Most favorite?
4. Will Charles ever be king?
5. What would you attempt if you knew you would be successful on your second try?
That’s it for now! I’ll be off for a couple of weeks, but the Virtual Cocktail Party will live on. Who’s the guest? Well, I am. Two weeks in a row. Scared? Don’t be. The lovely J.T. Ellison will be holding down the fort. I’ve no doubt you’ll be in capable hands.
In the meantime, if you can suggest a TV series I can download on iTunes for airplane viewing, I’d be eternally grateful….
xo
Tasha
P.S. I’ve got a guest blog going up sometime today over on LifetimeTV’s Romance: B(u)y the Book. Stop by and say hi! Also, check out the story of my first sale over at Dear Author.