Set in a pizza shop outside of Chicago, owner Delilah makes fantastic Chicago-style pizza (see my review of her amazing crust and sauce HERE). This novel includes a recipe for Italian Beef Crostini. A simple and delicious appetizer. This mystery series may be cozy, but it is not boring. The characters are an eclectic group of real-people.
This is book #3 in A Deep Dish Mystery series. Set in a pizza shoppe outside of Chicago, owner Delilah makes fantastic Chicago-style pizzas and food that pairs with pizza. This novel has a recipe for Italian Beef Crostini, it is remarkably delicious. Main character Delilah is as fiery as the spicy peperoncini’s found in her kitchen.
Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley
Italian Beef Crostini
from a cozy mystery novel:
Public Anchovy #1
by Mindy Quigley
Book Outline and Tone:
Delilah has scored an incredible catering gig to help get her restaurant through the slow winter season. She is making her Chicago-style pizza for a library fundraiser. In Geneva Bay, WI. The public library has some very wealthy patrons. The wealthy patrons have invited their wealthy friends for a grand event. The party will take place at an isolated old mansion on an evening when a storm is set to arrive. What could go wrong?
It is a good thing that Delilah and her partner Sonya are such good chefs because one of the wealthy guests wants a pizza with no gluten, no dairy, and no nightshade vegetables (like tomatoes!). Somehow Delilah manages to come up with a “free-from” pizza. However, as difficult as it would be to come up with a gluten-free, dairy-free, tomato-free pizza, that turned out to be the easy part of the party. After a guest is found dead, the storm hits, trees block the exit, and the power goes off. Fortunately for everyone, police detective Calvin Capone was at the party playing music. He takes control, but of course, Delilah investigates too. She spends the night searching for the killer and trying to determine if Capone will ever make a move on her.
If you do want to order precooked beef, see the direction below.*
The Best Quote:
“How can you ignore the bloody cane? It’s practically throwing itself at you and you’re acting like that means nothing!” I threw up my hands in frustration. Why couldn’t Capone just grab hold of the sure thing in front of him, whether it be a perfect piece of evidence or a hot-to-trot pizza chef?
Point of View:
The novel is written in a third person limited point of view with Delilah as the focus.
The Author: Mindy Quigley
Author Mindy Quigley is an award winning author of two series, the Mount Moriah Mysteries and this one, Deep Dish Mysteries. The tagline on her website reads “Sometimes murder is a laughing matter.” This slogan seems perfect for this series. Her website has questions to use for a book club and a place to sign up for her newsletter. The first question on the book club page is “Delilah O’Leary has some rough edges. Do you like the character?” This first question perfectly sums up my review. She does have rough edges, but I do like her and will be picking up the next book to see how she grows. Mindy is active on social media. You can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads.
What is not to like?:
The only thing I wish this novel had was just a bit more suspense. Being stranded in an old mansion sets up a perfect opportunity to build on the feeling of being stranded. I know this is a cozy mystery, but it could have been a little less “cozy”.
The verdict:
This is a fun series with characters that are both flawed and realistic. I have enjoyed each book and plan to continue the series. I know you will like it too.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).
Italian Beef Crostini
Assemble the Ingredients
This is Sonya, bringing you a crowd-pleasing shortcut recipe for our Italian beef crostini appetizers, using heat-and-eat beef. This is just between you and me, okay? Pinky swear? Delilah doesn’t need to know that we’re cutting corners by not making the beef from scratch. Chicagoans know that an Italian beef sandwich is a heaping mess of beef, sliced razor-thin and piled on a crusty-yet-soft roll, topped with zesty giardiniera. From there, you have a choice to make. Do you dab on a little of the au jus (a brothy, meaty sauce otherwise known as gravy), or have your sandwich served “wet,” i.e., doused with a firehose of gravy?
Delilah had a moment of genius when she adapted a notoriously messy Chicago classic into a finger food, suitable for event catering. While not exactly dainty, these crostini capture the yum factor of an Italian beef sandwich without the change-your-shirt-three-times, take-a-face-bath-in-meat-juice messiness of the original. At Delilah & Son, we make our own Italian beef and “cook 13 pounds of beef sirloin” and generate appetizer giardiniera in the house. But any recipe that starts with portions for sixty to seventy people is going to have home cooks running for the hills. If you’re making these apps at home, you want something quick, easy, and scalable, so you can focus on the main event.
Molly’s Note:
I make Italian beef by adding a Chuck Roast along with a packet of Italian dressing mix and a jar of sliced pepperoncini’s to a slow cooker. I cook it on low until the meat can easily be shredded by a fork. This is usually about 10 hours. My family loves this, but I hid a little dish and was able to make these crostini’s the next day and they were fabulous!
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Using a pastry brush, paint both sides of each baguette slice with oil. Arrange the oiled pieces in a single layer on a large baking tray.
Place the tray in the oven. Bake slices for 4-5 minutes. Flip ’em. Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until golden.
Remove the bread from the oven and layer each slice with drained Italian beef and giardiniera.
Top with a cheese slice. Depending on how big your slices are, you may need to cut the cheese. (Hahahaha! Sorry, sometimes I’m five years old.)
Turn broiler on low. Broil 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
* Obviously, the closer you get to the motherland (Chicago), the more authentic the flavor of your Italian beef, and the more choices you’ll have in the purveyor. In most instances, the beef and gravy are sold together as a kit. Since you’ll only need the gravy for reheating, you’ll have a fair amount left over. This makes a great soup base or braising liquid or, what the heck, just take a face bath in it.
You can order the real deal from Portillo’s at www.tastesofchicago.com, but expect to pay a pretty penny for shipping. Buona Beef is tasty and sold in many Midwestern grocery stores. Viennabeef.com is a cheaper option and Sam’s Club sells 5-pound catering tubs of beef in gravy.
Italian Beef Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 long, skinny French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 3-4 Tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (or regular olive oil)
- 1 lb. Italian beef,* heated in its own gravy
- 1 jar giardiniera (For catering orders, mild is safer, but if you know your crowd likes spice, feel free to go with hot!)
- 10 slices provolone or low-moisture mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F.
- sing a pastry brush, paint both sides of each baguette slice with oil.
- Arrange the oiled pieces in a single layer on a large baking tray, and place the tray in the oven.
- Bake slices for 4-5 minutes. Flip 'em. Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until golden
- Remove the bread from the oven and layer each slice with drained Italian beef and giardiniera.
- Top with a cheese slice.
- Turn the broiler on low.
- Broil for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
What would I do differently next time?
Not a thing different. These are easy and fabulous!
Here are some more savory recipes to try!
Summer Corn Casserole from Death of a Cookbook Author by Lee Hollis
Lemon Cornbread from Stake & Eggs by Laura Childs
Asiago, Bacon, and Caramelized Onion Dip from Death of a Wedding Cake Baker by Lee Hollis
Cheesy Polenta with Vegetables from Death with all the Trimmings by Lucy Burdette
