A Necessary Death by Terri Karsten
About A Necessary Death
Historical Cozy Mystery
Setting - A tavern in Colonial Pennsylvania (1764)
Publisher : Wagonbridge Publishing
Publication date : September 15, 2025
Print length : 272 pages
Paperback ISBN-10 : 1953444202
ISBN-13 : 978-1953444202
Digital ISBN-13 : 978-1953444219
ASIN : B0FLDWVCJW
With Penelope Corbitt in the kitchen, the tavern will never be the same.
Penelope Corbitt can turn a lump of meat and a bit of flour into a mouth-watering pie or make a tasty meal of cabbage and vinegar. But all her skill can’t save her family in the spring of 1763, when she loses everything to pay off her missing husband’s debts. Walking a tightrope between the freedom of poverty and the confines of propriety, she must accept her stingy brother-in-law’s reluctant charity to keep her family fed and her children close. The miserable journey north from Philadelphia is interrupted when the coach crashes in the mud. Penelope and her children are stranded at a run-down tavern. Penelope doesn’t think things can get worse.
Then she finds a dead man.
Recipe:
Mincemeat Pies
Ask a dozen people about
mincemeat and you’ll like get one of two answers. Some will fondly remember how
their mother or grandmother made mincemeat pies. Most of the rest will say,
“Huh? What’s in that anyway? Does it really have meat in it?”
The answer is … complicated.
Modern mincemeat is a spicy mixture of mostly apples and raisins. But if you go
back a ways, mincemeat was indeed a pie made with chopped meat.
Some of the earliest recipes
for mincemeat I have found date from the 14th century. These heavy, elegant
pies were inspired by the Crusaders, bringing home ideas of new, exciting
spices like cinnamon and nutmeg from the Middle East. It was common in the
Middle East to serve meat sweetened with fruits and spices. It became
popular in England to recreate these exotic dishes, especially for elegant
feasts meant to impress the neighbors in the holiday season.
These medieval mincemeat pies
could be made from any type of meat, including mutton, veal, pork or venison.
Some recipes even call for fish in a mince pie to serve on fish days when the
church forbade eating meat. The mixture usually called for prunes,
currants, raisins, and/or dates.
Like meatloaf today, mincemeat over the years
has had many variations, in the spices used, the type of fruit, and the crust.
By the 18th century, crusts were flakier and apples and raisins were usually
included in the recipe. It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th century
that mincemeat lost the meat. As late as 1941, some mincemeat recipes still
cared for meat (usually beef).
The real change came in 1898 when dried or
canned mincemeat (such as Nonesuch) was developed. This mixture of apples,
raisins and spices was one of America’s first convenience foods. As with many
pre-packaged, prepared foods, people lost track of what exactly was in that jar
or box of mincemeat.
As popular tastes changed, pies were more
commonly relegated to the dessert course. Homemade pies have given way to more
store-bought desserts. Gradually, the taste for mincemeat has declined. Most
people I talk to are leery of a sweet meat and fruit mixture.
But old-fashioned mincemeat is definitely
worth trying. The recipe below is adapted from and 1833 recipe byMrs. Child inThe
American Frugal Housewife. Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy.
The modern version I developed makes 4-5 pies, but can be easily cut in half.
And if you still don’t want meat in your pie?
That’s okay. You can omit the meat and make a spicy, apple and raisin pie
–perfect for the Holiday season.
Modern Recipes: Mincemeat for 2 pies
3/4 c. shortening (or suet)
1 1/4lb beef roast (chuck roast is fine)
1 1/2lbs apples (about 4 or 5 medium apples)
1 lb. raisins ( about 2 1/2 cups)
1 ½ c. sugar
¼ c.
brandy
1 T. lemon juice
1T. cinnamon
2 t. cloves
1/2 T. nutmeg
1/4 t. pepper
2 c.apple cider
Freeze the shortening, and dice
while still frozen. Keep cold.
Cover beef with water, bring to
a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat tests 170
degrees. (The amount of cooking time will vary with the thickness of the beef.
Let cool, then dice small. Be careful to remove all gristle but leave in any
hard fat (which is like suet.)
Peel, core and dice the apples.
Mix beef, apples, and shortening with the remaining ingredients.
Pie Crust: for 2 pies
4 c. flour (approx. ½ lb.)
1⅓ c. shortening (or butter)
1 t. salt
10 T. cold water
Mix the flour and salt. Rub or
cut the shortening into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add water.
Mix lightly. Gather the mixture into a ball and press solid. Cut into 4 pieces
(two for the bottom crusts two for the top crusts.). Roll each out to a circle.
The circles for the bottom crusts should be about an inch larger than your pie
plate. Carefully place one circle in each pan. Add the filling and cover with
the top crust. It helps to wet the edge of the bottom crust before placing the
top crust on the pie. Pince the edge all around to seal the pie.Cut vent slits.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
About Terri Karsten
Living in the shadow of the Mississippi River bluffs, Terri Karsten has been a writer and educator for many years. She grew up in sunny San Jose, California, playing amid the cherry orchards that soon gave way to houses. In her search for education and adventure, she lived in Iowa and Wisconsin, Mexico and France, before settling into a hundred-year-old house in Winona, Minnesota. She spends most days in her tiny office, surrounded by books, papers, and good memories.
With more ideas than time, Terri writes a bit of everything, ranging from historical fiction novels to picture book folktales to dozens of short stories and articles in magazines, encyclopedias, and newspapers.
When she is not writing, Terri loves poring over old cookbooks and recreating dishes from long ago, especially medieval, Renaissance, and colonial foods. Always ready for the next adventure, she enjoys camping, hiking, and traveling. Her latest goal is to visit National Parks in every state. Only 13 states to go!
Author Links- Webpage:https://terrikarsten.com/
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/terrikarsten
- Substack:https://historicalcookery.substack.com/
- GoodReads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7343260.Terri_Evert_Karsten
- Purchase Links - Amazon B&N
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