Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha Christie is a book of recipes which draw inspiration from the works of Agatha Christie. The book is authored by Karen Pierce with a foreword by Dr John Curran. First released in August 2023, the book is available in hardback and on Kindle.
Overview[]
Drink and dine with recipes inspired by the best-selling novelist of all time.
Poisons, knives, and bullets riddle the stories of Agatha Christie, but so does food, which she uses to invoke settings, to develop characters, and, of course, to commit murder. This to-die-for cookbook offers recipes written by the author for one accessible, easy-to-follow dish or drink for each of Christie’s 66 mysteries. Recipes include Fish and Chips at the Seven Dials Club, Literary Luncheon Meringues, Oysters Rockefeller on the Orient Express, Sixpence Blackbird Pie, Orange Marmalade from Gossington Hall, and more. Along the way, you’ll learn how to make an exquisite omelet, how to roast a leg of lamb properly, and how to serve perfectly timed steak frites. Framing these dishes are insightful essays and headnotes that detail the history of the recipes, their context in Christie’s life and times, and the roles they play in the source works. Based on extensive research and investigation, all dishes appear traditional to their respective eras, so steak fried for 1923 but marinated and grilled for 1964. Completing the collection, thematic menus assemble recipes for a Halloween murder mystery gathering, a “Christie for Christmas,” a book club buffet, and other occasions, making it a filling tribute to the grand dame of detective fiction.[1]
Summary[]
In his foreword, John Curran notes that this book, besides writing a book of recipes, Karen Pierce also functions as a social historian. Her notes which accompany each recipe she informs her readers about how the preparation and the serving of food has evolved through the years and how techniques for preparing the same food have varied over time. When, for example was hot food first served on a plane, or when and how did Peach Melba and Oysters Rockerfeller originate and what is the history of hot chocolate?
In preparing the book. the author has created for each of Agatha Christie's novels a recipe which best represent the milieu of the novel, drawing inspiration from vintage cookbooks and other sources.
The recipes are placed in chapters, each devoted to a decade of Agatha Christie's novels with the recipes presented in the chronological sequence of publication. Hence the first recipe in the 1920s chpater is for "A perfect cup of coffee", referring to the importance of this drink in The Mysterious Affair at Styles. After this comes "Pêche Melba" which is specially mentioned by Tuppence Beresford in The Secret Adversary.
Each recipe is accompanied by an appropriate quotation from the novel being referred to. Hence, for example, for The Pale Horse, the author quotes the words of Mark Easterbrook who noted: "“It seemed an odd juxtaposition to me. Bananas I connected with my childhood—or occasionally flambé with sugar and rum. Bacon, in my mind, was firmly associated with eggs. However, when in Chelsea, eat as Chelsea does. I agreed to a nice banana and bacon sandwich.” Following this is a brief background note on the novel and some historical anecdotes, in this case, how it was Elvis Presley who made this sandwich famous.
The iconic and memorable food items mentioned in Christie's novels are well represented. Hence there is seed cake from At Bertram's Hotel, Mrs MacDonald's Salmon Cream from By the Pricking of My Thumbs, Hollywood Daiquiri from The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side and, of course, Hercule Poirot's hot chocolate.