French Pressed (27 page)

“No, Clare! Stay awake! Please, sweetheart!”

Mike’s booming voice began to fade. I saw him shouting at the female detectives. “Keep pressure on that wound, do you hear me? Where are the paramedics? Is the ambulance here? Dammit! Get the paramedics in here!”

“Sorry, Mike. I’m just a little tired…”

Then someone turned off the lights.

“N
IGHT
,
boss,” Esther called, waving at the door of my hospital room. “Take care of that shoulder now. And go easy on the meds.”

“My lady knows of what she speaks. So listen, Clare Cosi, and don’t be weak.”

“Okay, Boris.” I tipped my hat to the hippest Russian rapper in the country—or at least on this floor of the St. Vincent’s Hospital. “I’ll keep it real.”

It was late, close to the end of visiting hours, and Esther and BB Gun were the last to depart. They’d just helped me polish off a sinfully delicious box of Chef Jacques Torres’s handmade chocolates that Janelle Babcock had delivered earlier in the day.

My daughter and ex-husband were back at the Village Blend by now. Madame had gone off to meet her beau for a late dinner—that mysterious younger man I had yet to meet. And I’d been entertaining an endless stream of visitors all day long: Tucker, Gardner, Dante, Detectives Soles and Bass. Even Napoleon Dornier had dropped by to see how I was doing.

Now that Joy was cleared of Tommy’s murder, there was no more tension between Nappy and me. In fact, he confided that he’d already found a backer for his own restaurant. He was taking Tommy’s entire staff of cooks with him—Ramon included. And he was hoping I’d consider supplying the coffee beans.

Janelle was the only Solange staffer to decline Dornier’s offer. She’d found a position with one of the most prestigious cake makers on Manhattan Island, a job that would easily double her pay (which was one reason she said she’d splurged and bought me the gourmet chocolates).

I yawned and fell back against my hospital pillows. The room was full of flowers and cards, balloons and stuffed animals. The angry stab wound to my shoulder still smarted, and the meds were still necessary, but the surgery had gone well, and the doctors said I’d be leaving the hospital in a day or two.

“Knock, knock?”

“Is that the start of a joke?” I called. “Or a visit?”

“It’s a visit…from a visitor who has his hands full!”

Mike.

I’d last seen the man hours ago in his detective jacket and tie. Now he was back, in worn jeans and a distressed-leather bomber, apparently bearing gifts.

“What have you got there?”

One hand held a huge thermos, the other a stack of paper cups. “Since you can’t go to the Village Blend, I brought the Blend’s coffee to you.”

“Oh, Mike, you’re a savior! I’m dying for a cup!”

“I figured you would be about now. ’Cause I know hospital coffee. You’re talking to a real vet when it comes to line-of-duty injuries.”

I remembered the scars I’d seen on the man’s naked chest. And I remembered what had happened after I’d seen those scars…and touched them, and kissed them. But that line of thought wasn’t going to let me sleep tonight, not without a bucket of icy cold
banya
water dumped over me.

“So…how did we do, Lieutenant?”

Mike moved my rolling tray next to the bed and poured me a cup of French-roasted Kenya AA from the thermos. “We got it all on tape, sweetheart,” he began, handing me the steaming cup then pouring one for himself. “Anton’s admission that he killed Vinny and Benedetto, his statement that it was Faye Keitel who murdered Tommy. It was a thing of beauty what you did—including deflecting that knife.” He reached out, caressed my cheek. “It saved your life.”

“Yeah. But I shouldn’t have ended up in here at all. I should have remembered what Roman Brio told me about Tommy’s wife.”

“What?”

“Before she’d dropped her culinary career to have Tommy’s kids, she was the man’s roast chef!”

“His what?”

“It’s the position in the brigade that’s responsible for roasting meat. Like Anton, the son of a butcher, Faye Keitel definitely had knife skills. She was a cool customer, too. The thing I don’t get is what made her snap.”

“I listened to the tape about fifty times, and I can tell you why. Faye Keitel snapped the moment Anton Wright turned on her. You heard the saying ‘no honor among thieves’? It’s true among murderers, too.”

“She should have stabbed Anton then!”

“No, Clare. In more ways than one, you put yourself between them.”

As I sipped my dark cuppa, Mike updated me on the case. The detectives from the Nineteenth were handling the follow-up investigation. They’d legally confiscated and then examined the cell phones, computers, and personal files of Faye and Anton, and in short order they found evidence of their conspiracy to murder Chef Keitel.

“There are e-mail exchanges and phone messages that document it all,” Mike told me. “Their alibis don’t hold water, and because of Faye Keitel’s attack on you, we’ve gotten a confession out of her with a plea deal in the works. Anton’s hanging tougher, but we’re working on him. Worst-case scenario, Faye will have to testify against him at his trial as part of her deal.”

“That should bring the man to heel.”

“We’re looking at Anton for Benedetto’s murder, too, thanks to what you observed at Flux last night.” Mike regarded me over his coffee cup. “You’ve been one busy homicide detective, Clare Cosi.”

I raised an eyebrow at my partner. “I had a
little
help.”

Mike laughed.

“There’s only one thing I’m still puzzling over.”

“Mmmm?” said Mike, swallowing his fix.

“What in the world did Billy Benedetto have on Anton Wright? I mean…he was obviously blackmailing the man. But unless Benedetto was psychic—which I sincerely doubt—I can’t figure out how he knew where to pin Tommy’s murder.”

“Billy Benedetto actually
saw
Faye Keitel come out of Solange the night of the murder. And Benedetto knew enough about the couple to realize that Faye would never set foot in her husband’s restaurant. He also knew Anton was seeing Faye on the side. When Benedetto heard the details of Tommy’s murder, he put two and two together and solved it before us. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t try to bring them to justice. The opportunity for extortion was just too tempting. The threats and e-mails from him were among Faye’s and Anton’s personal computer files. Benedetto claimed he’d go to the police with what he knew unless Anton backed his restaurant. Good old blackmailing Billy was willing to let Joy rot in jail so he could get a bona fide backer.”

My fingers tightened around my cup. “Since you put it that way, I can’t say I’m sad that Benedetto’s off the planet.”

“Well, he is. And Joy’s free. So how’s she doing?” Now that the talk had turned personal, Mike relaxed a little more, sat down on the edge of my bed. “Is she okay?”

“Joy’s fine. She’s a strong girl.”

Mike rested his hand on my leg. “I can’t imagine where she gets that.”

I placed my hand on top of his. “She’s very relieved, Mike. But I can’t say she’s happy. The man she loved and admired is dead. Her good friend was needlessly executed, and the scandal has embarrassed her culinary school. We just found out today that she’s being expelled.”

“Even with the dropped charges?”

“Her affair with Tommy was considered ‘conduct unbecoming.’ That she can’t dispute.”

“The poor kid. After all she’s been through…”

“It’s a blow. This was her internship year. It should have been her best year ever. Now it’s her worst.”

“But she does have the training, even if she doesn’t have the piece of paper that proves it. And don’t you think, Cosi, when it comes down to the wire, that someone’s ability to
handle
any situation is more important than a piece of paper?”

Mike’s blue eyes were spearing me. I shook my head. “Why do I think you’re referring to something other than a diploma from a culinary school?”

“You could get a PI license, Clare. If you ever want one, I can help you apply.”

“Maybe someday, Lieutenant. Not today.”

Mike shrugged. “I just think if you’re going to keep getting yourself mixed up in murder, you might want to think about carrying a gun.”

“I’d rather think about a new Asia-Pacific blend. Matt’s getting some new beans in next week.”

Mike laughed, glanced down at our hands, interlaced his fingers through mine. “So is Joy going to work for you now? At the Blend?”

“God, no. She’d hate that.” I smiled. “Madame and Matt and I all agreed to send her to Paris after the holidays. Yvette’s invited her, so she already has a place to crash. And we’ve come up with the money to stake her for six months. She can polish her French and find a line cook’s position, and decide if she wants to stay there for a spell longer or come back to New York and start fresh.”

“That’s got to be hard for you, Clare, to send her away.”

“Harder than you know. But it would be worse to see her suffer here. There are too many terrible memories. She needs to make new memories, have fresh, exciting experiences. When I was in Italy at her age, I met my…That’s where I met Matt.”

The mere mention of his name seemed to frost Mike’s edges. “Let’s hope she meets a better guy.”

I nodded, although down deep I didn’t really agree. True, Matt had put me through some pretty bad times, but he was no Tommy Keitel. And he’d really come through for Joy and me in this round.

Still, with Mike’s blue eyes smiling at me now, I knew
I’d
found a better guy. In many ways Matteo Allegro was an amazing man. But Mike was the kind who’d stay with you through the boredom—not just the thrills.

I leaned forward then and kissed Mike Quinn. I kissed him sweetly then hotly, leisurely then hungrily. I could see that he needed it—and, frankly, I was getting tired of talking.

We came up for air when my bedside phone rang. And after all that delectable kissing, I had a little trouble finding my voice.

“Hello?” I croaked.

“Clare, something awful has happened…”

“Hold on a second, okay?” I covered the receiver. “It’s Madame,” I whispered to Mike.

He smiled, caressed my hair, pressed his lips to my forehead. Then he lifted his chin toward the hallway. “I’ll come back.”

“No. You don’t have to leave.”

“It’s okay.” Mike winked. “I’ll be right outside when you need me.”

I smiled. That pretty much summed up Mike Quinn for me, all right. I watched him leave, the easy, powerful length of him; then I took a breath and pretended I could actually focus.

“Okay, Madame, tell me,” I said. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s Matteo…” Madame sounded stricken, like someone she loved had just been diagnosed with a terrible disease. “He’s gotten himself into a terrible fix, and he’s going to need our help like never before.”

“Anything, Madame. Tell me what’s wrong?”

“He just left me a message, Clare. He’s getting
married
.”

“Married! Matt?”

“In a few short months, Matt plans to wed himself to Breanne Summour. But he doesn’t love that woman, Clare. And I won’t let my boy make that kind of mistake with his life.”

“But, Madame…” I closed my eyes, massaged my forehead. “It’s
his
life.”

“Oh, please, Clare! Do you think you’re the only mother who knows how to butt in?”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying Matt may
think
he’s getting married, but I’m going to find a way to stop this wedding. And you, my dear, are going to help!”

I closed my eyes.
Oh, God. Here we go.
“I think you’ll just have to accept it, Madame. Matt’s marrying Breanne Summour.”

Madame’s voice went down to a subterranean octave. “Over my dead body,” she vowed.

Visit Cleo Coyle’s virtual Village Blend at
www.CoffeehouseMystery.com
for coffee tips, coffee talk,
and an easy recipe for tarte Tatin.

Raspberry Coulis

A coulis is a thick and evenly textured French sauce made from pureed and strained vegetables or fruits. Coulis can either be sweet or savory, depending on what it is meant to accompany, and it is popular both with classically trained French chefs and practitioners of fusion cuisine.

A vegetable coulis is generally used with meat or vegetable dishes, or as a base for soups or other sauces. Fruit coulis are generally used with desserts, but savory fruit coulis may also be used to accent roast meats. Herb coulis are becoming popular, and mint coulis often accompany roast lamb.

This classic sweet coulis is made with raspberries, but an equal amount of another fruit, such as strawberries or man-goes, can be substituted.

2 pounds raspberries, fresh or frozen

½ cup sugar

½ lemon, juiced

Combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer while stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes. Strain through a mesh sieve. Add additional sugar or lemon juice, to taste.

In France, raspberry coulis is often served with poached apples, but it may also be served with ice cream or pound cake, artfully drizzled on a plate or pooled next to the food it accompanies. Different types of coulis can appear on one plate, for varying flavors and colors.

Coulis should be kept in the refrigerator and can be frozen for future use. Chefs keep coulis in a squeeze bottle, so that it can be quickly applied when needed.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

The classic French chocolate pots de crème are not your typical chocolate pudding. They’re sinfully chocolaty and truly delightful—and they’re relatively easy to make, too. This recipe will yield approximately six 6-ounce servings.

12 ounces semisweet chocolate (chopped or chocolate pieces)

2 cups heavy cream

¾ cup milk

6 egg yolks (extra large or jumbo eggs)

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 300°.

Put your chopped chocolate (or chocolate pieces) in a metal or glass bowl. Then in a medium saucepan, heat the cream and milk until it’s just about to boil (but not yet boiling). Pour this hot liquid over your chocolate, and let it sit for about a minute until the chocolate is softened. Then stir this mixture until it’s smooth. This will take between 1 and 2 minutes.

In a second bowl whisk the egg yolks together (or use an electric mixer instead for this entire step). Gradually whisk in the sugar until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Now gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into these egg yolks.

Strain this custard through a fine-meshed sieve. (Tip: pour mixture into a container with a pouring spout.) Divide the mixture among six 7-or 8-ounce custard cups
*
(or even ovenproof or stoneware coffee cups), and place the cups in a 9''× 13'' baking pan. Fill the pan with boiling water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the custard cups (or coffee cups). Cover with foil and pierce in several places so that steam can escape.

Bake for about 30–45 minutes in the center of your oven until the tops of the pots de crème look solid, but the custard still jiggles slightly when you shake it. Don’t worry, the custard will firm up as it cools. Note: the deeper your cup, the longer your custard will take to set. If the custard still has a liquid top after 30 minutes, increase oven temperature to 325° and bake another 15 minutes.

Now remove the pots from the oven and the hot pan and let them cool to room temperature before placing them into the fridge. Make sure to
cover
these with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. The custards should be chilled at least 2 hours before serving and will store well for up to 2 days. Try serving with a dollop of whipped cream. For added flare sprinkle with shaved chocolate.

Nick Vlachek’s Borscht

Borscht is a soup prepared with fresh beets that is popular in both Russia and Poland. It’s traditionally prepared using a variety of vegetables, a meat stock, or both. It can be served hot or cold and is always garnished with a dollop of sour cream. This recipe uses lamb, which results in a particularly rich and savory version of this traditional dish. Beef may be substituted.

Serves 10.

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1½–2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into pieces

1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

1½ pounds green cabbage, chopped

1½ pounds ripe red tomatoes, diced (use fresh, no need to peel)

2–3 pounds red beets, rinsed, peeled, and diced (small cubes)

3 quarts beef stock, fresh or canned

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ lemon, juiced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 quart sour cream

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

Heat a 12-quart pot; add the oil and garlic. Brown the lamb, and add the onions; sauté until onions are tender. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, beets, stock, vinegar, lemon juice, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours. Dish into bowls; serve with one or two teaspoons of sour cream and chopped dill for garnish.

Coq au Vin

Chicken in red wine with braised onions, mushrooms, and bits of tender pork. Sounds simple, right? Don’t be fooled. Classic coq au vin is a complex dish that requires advance planning and multistep preparation. It’s time consuming, but you’ll find the taste well worth the trouble.

Serves 4.

STEP ONE: BLANCH THE PORK

¾ cup (6 ounces) of ¼-inch strips of slab bacon or salt pork

Drop the pork into a saucepan; cover with 2 to 3 inches of cold water. Bring to boil over medium heat, simmer 5 to 8 minutes, drain. Refresh the pork in cold water, then pat dry with a paper towel.

STEP TWO: PREPARE THE BEURRE MANIÉ

1½ tablespoons Wondra flour

1½ tablespoons butter

Blend flour and softened butter into a paste. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

STEP THREE: PREPARE THE RAGOUT OF CHICKEN

3 pounds frying chicken, cut into parts

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt to taste (Baleine Mediterranean coarse crystals recommended)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 large cloves garlic, pureed

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon thyme

1 large, ripe red tomato, chopped (or 1/3 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes)

4 cups young red wine (Chianti, Zinfandel, Macon)

1 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Sauté the blanched bacon or salt pork with the 2T of butter in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch frying pan, then remove to a side dish, leaving the fat in the pan. Brown the chicken over medium-high heat, add olive oil to fat if necessary. (Be sure the chicken is completely dry or it will not brown evenly.) Place chicken pieces skin side down. Don’t crowd the pan; the chicken needs room to vent. (Make two batches, if necessary. And if you do, separate dark meat from light; it takes a little more time to brown dark meat.) Turn chicken every 20 to 30 seconds to ensure even browning. To finish the cooking, cover pan, lower the heat to moderate, and cook for about 6 minutes, turning once.

Baste the chicken in the rendered fat. Season with sea salt and pepper, then add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and tomato. Pour in 3 cups wine and enough stock to barely cover the ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

STEP FOUR: BRAISE THE ONIONS

12–18 white boiling onions (peeled)

Clarified butter or olive oil

Chicken broth

1 cup red wine

Sea salt

Sauté 12 to 18 peeled white boiling onions in clarified butter or olive oil. Swirl the pan to brown them, or they will not braise evenly (approximately 12 minutes on low heat). Add chicken broth and a cup of red wine to half cover the onions. Season
lightly
with sea salt. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, until onions are tender but retain their shape when pierced.

STEP FIVE: SAUTÉ THE MUSHROOMS

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon light olive oil or cooking oil

3–4 cups fresh mushrooms, trimmed, washed, dried, and quartered

½ tablespoon chopped shallots (or scallions)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Set a 10-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat with butter and oil. When the foam from the butter subsides, add the mushrooms. Toss frequently for a few minutes while the mushrooms absorb the butter. In a minute or so, the butter will reappear; then add the shallots (or scallions) and ground pepper to taste and brown lightly.

STEP SIX: FINISH THE SAUCE

Pour the pan juices into a saucepan. Clean the frying pan you started with (you’ll need it again). Boil down the juice a bit to concentrate the flavors. Remove from heat and whisk in the beurre manié to make a slightly thickened sauce. Bring briefly to simmer. Return the chicken to the clean pan; coat pieces with sauce.

STEP SEVEN: ASSEMBLE THE DISH

Strew a portion (to taste) of the pork lardons, all the braised onions, and all the sautéed mushrooms over the chicken. Baste with the sauce and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve with warm bread (to dip in that delicious sauce).

Clare’s Corn Bread

A delightful dish for a cold winter morning, especially tasty if served warm, with or without butter, along with your favorite coffee. Traditional recipes use skim milk and less sugar. Mine’s sweeter, and the half-and-half brings a slightly richer texture to the party.

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup yellow cornmeal

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon (dash) salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup half-and-half

1 egg, beaten

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt. Stir in oil, half-and-half, and the egg. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. (Don’t overmix!) Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square pan and bake in a preheated 400° oven. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.