Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Romance and Indian Tacos! by Dena Garson


WICKED WEDNESDAY
My guest for Wicked Wednesday has a wicked recipe for you. Don't forget to read to the end and enter her Rafflecopter. Welcome Dena Garson to Discover Yourself.
My latest release, When Ash Remains, is a Native American (historical) paranormal romance. I researched a variety of topics as I wrote –clothing worn by various tribes, horse tackle used around the time period I had in mind, and even just every day family life. Living in the heart of the Cherokee nation makes some of that easier. I belong to the Choctaw Nation but I work for one of the Cherokee Nation companies, so I’m surrounded by Cherokee citizens in my daily life.

One of the things I’ve come to look forward to at company functions, and sometimes local festivals, are Indian tacos. If you’ve never had a handmade one, you are missing out. The basis for the taco is fry bread. The bread is topped with ground beef and/or beans, as well as the usual taco fixings – lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sometimes salsa. I’ve been told the process for making them is handed down through the family. Here’s one recipe for making the fry bread. 

Fry Bread ingredients:

·         2 cups flour
·         1/2 tsp. baking powder
·         1/2 tsp. salt
·         1/2 cups instant dry milk
·         1/2 cup water
·         2 cups shortening 

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, powdered milk, and water in a bowl. You only want to work the mixture long enough to form a doughball. (HINT: if you overwork the dough it will become tough) 

Heat/melt the shortening until flakes of flour bubbles when dropped into it. 

While you wait for the shortening to get hot you can roll out the pieces you want to fry. Take a palm-sized ball of dough, roll it into a smooth ball, then flatten it into a disk. It can be any size you prefer. 

Once the shortening is hot, add the dough disks one (or two, depending on size) at a time (just don't let them touch while cooking). Let each disk cook until brown. Turn the piece over with tongs and cook other side until it is brown also. HINT: Watch carefully as you cook as they will burn faster than you expect! 

Take the bread out of the shortening and allow them to cool and drain.

HINT:  Some people use a brown paper bag with sheets of paper towels in the bottom to help drain the grease. 

Recipe makes about 6 servings. 

I hope you will check out Kajika and Ayoka’s story. Here’s the blurb for When Ash Remains: 

A warrior with a mission

There isn’t a buffalo or deer that Kajika cannot take down. So when his cousin is slaughtered he relishes the chance to track down the killer. The trail leads him to a woman with gifts he has trouble believing in. Despite their differences he cannot fight his instinct to protect her from all threats – even those he cannot see. That drive even rivals his desire to explore every inch of her body.

A woman with a destiny

Knowing the spirits will protect her, Ahyoka allows the handsome warrior to take her to be questioned by his chief about the unexplained deaths in their village. He may not believe in her abilities but he is one of the few who doesn’t treat her like something to be feared or shunned. He awakens feelings that make her yearn for things she thought she’d never have. Her biggest fear is that once he learns the full extent of her gifts he will reject her like most of her tribe did.

A killer twisted by hurt and anger

Kajika and Ahyoka must work together to find the one responsible for the string of deaths in and around their villages. Faith, trust, and even a little bit of love will be needed to defeat the killer and right the wrongs committed in the pursuit of power and revenge.

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To celebrate my new release I’m doing a few giveaways. You can enter the drawings by hoping over to Rafflecopter at:  https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cbc5e7ff7/








2 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting me today, Brenda!!

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    Replies
    1. You're so welcome, Dena. I'll be in our of coverage today but I'll try to check in later.

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