I Wrote a Book and Lived to Tell the Tale

the cover of my first work of fiction

Some people impulse-buy shoes; I impulse-wrote a murder mystery.

In early June, I got a bee in my bonnet and decided out of nowhere to write a cozy mystery. And it just poured out of me. Like it had been bottled up forever, even though I’d never really given fiction much thought before. That’s my husband’s department. Fiction is his thing.

I guess I wanted a change. A challenge. And, well, I found one. Turns out, it was fun. The kind of fun that makes you want to do it again and again. And so, without further ado, I present my first work of fiction: Killer Sillage. And as some of you may have inferred from the title, perfume is involved. In fact, the lead character, Clare, owns a perfume shop in her (and my) hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. What I didn’t realize—rookie mistake—is that after you finish writing a book, there’s a lot of other stuff to do. I’ve written three other books with my husband, Neal (aka Mr. Minx), all non-fiction and food-related. They were professionally published, so even though Globe Pequot was hardly a marketing powerhouse, at least they handled things like getting the books into stores.

Self-publishing? Whole different animal. Suddenly, I’m not just the writer, I’m the editor, formatter, cover designer, production manager, and distribution department. Right now, Killer Sillage exists as a Kindle e-book, but a paperback will be released in mid-November.

Oh, and apparently I also needed a mailing list and a website. So, in true “let’s-build-the-plane-while-flying-it” fashion, I’ve started both: a Substack for my pen name, Kat LaGue, and a brand-new website.

If you’d like to follow along as I launch Killer Sillage into the world (and get sneak peeks at my next cozy mystery, Savage Gourmand), you can: 

Subscribe to my Substack: LaGue’s Clues, part behind-the-scenes, part fragrance chat. All New Subscribers will receive a FREE bonus origin story. 

Visit my new website: katlague.com, where all the book news will live.

And, of course, buy and read Killer Sillage! 

Come for the murder, stay for the perfume.

P.S. If you know anyone who loves cozy mysteries, perfume, or just a good story with a twist, please send them my way! Sharing this post is the best way to help a new author like me find her readers. Thanks a million!

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.

When Rich Meets Rich: A Case for Lighter Desserts

created by Ideogram.ai, with Adobe Photoshop help

There’s a little-known, though entirely predictable, phenomenon in restaurants that I like to call the dessert escalation. You know the drill: you’ve just survived a main course that could probably sustain a small nation—cheeses aged like fine antiques, pastas swimming in butter, sauces richer than a trust fund—and then the dessert menu lands on your table like a dare.

Chocolate lava cake? Check. Triple-layer buttercream cake? Naturally. Cheesecake so dense it might qualify as a building material? Absolutely. (Also, is this menu trying to kill me? Asking for a friend.)

I love dessert. Don’t get me wrong. I worship at the altar of a perfectly caramelized crème brûlée and can have emotional conversations with a good gelato. But sometimes--hear me out chefs--sometimes less really is more.

After you’ve navigated a rich main course, your body might be quietly screaming, “Enough!” That’s where lighter desserts come in. A delicate poached pear, spiced ever so lightly, or a scoop of tart lemon sorbet can feel like a breath of fresh air for your palate. Even a tiny fruit tart or a selection of macarons. (And, bonus, your digestive system might actually forgive you.) 

These aren’t just “diet” desserts or sad compromises. They’re the unsung heroes of the meal. They refresh the palate, highlight the flavors of what came before, and make your diners feel, dare I say it, graceful as they leave the table, instead of waddling toward their cars, regretting their life choices.

So here’s a friendly plea: next time you design a dessert menu, think about the arc of the meal. Dessert doesn’t need to be the final battle; it can be the gentle, elegant bow that leaves everyone smiling, planning their next visit, and secretly hoping for a small scoop of something light.

Indulgence is divine, yes. But surviving a butter-laden meal, dear chefs, deserves its own medal.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Celebrating 20 Years of Minxeats

Celebrate!

It’s hard to believe we’ve kept this blog afloat for twenty years! That’s a whole lot of recipes, restaurant reviews, reality TV musings, and general restaurant chatter along the way.

the original banner for Minxeats. Yes, it was this tiny.
Screen resolutions and monitor sizes weren't as monstrously large back then.

A lot has happened in those two decades, but I'm going to mention just a few things.

We wrote three books: Food Lovers' Guide to Baltimore; Baltimore Chef's Table; and Maryland's Chesapeake. We would’ve loved to write more, but after a less-than-ideal experience with our publisher, we’re definitely leaning toward self-publishing in the future.

We’ve recapped plenty of food-related reality shows over the years, including Next Food Network Star and several seasons of Bravo’s Top Chef. In fact, we were even invited to appear on an episode of Top Chef. Unfortunately, with only 24 hours’ notice, work commitments kept us from making it happen. Definitely a missed opportunity!

Then came COVID-19, which ravaged the restaurant industry. While some feared permanent damage—and indeed, some restaurants never reopened—I’m grateful that personal favorites like True Chesapeake and La Cuchara have hung in there and are still thriving. I personally avoided the virus until late 2023, but it left me with tinnitus and a subtle but persistent brain fog that I’ve only just begun to shake.

I tried to redesign the banners frequently.

The food world lost many culinary legends over these years: chefs Anthony Bourdain, Anne Burrell, Floyd Cardoz, Kerry Simon, Homaru Cantu, Naomi Pomeroy, Gary Rhodes, James Kent, Gray Kunz, David Bouley, Paul Bocuse, Joel Robuchon, Michael Chiarello, Mark Peel, and writers Josh Ozersky and Jonathan Gold, among others. It’s been a tough stretch.

On a brighter note, the explosion of allergy-friendly commercial food products has been remarkable, especially for celiacs and those of us with lactose intolerance. Never before have grocery stores carried such an array of alternative dairy and gluten-free options, and artisan non-dairy cheeses from shops like Rebel Cheese are truly game-changers.

Sometimes they were changed monthly.

Most recently, I took a creative leap and wrote my first novel, Killer Sillage, a cozy mystery set in Baltimore’s Fells Point. While the protagonist owns a perfume shop, the story is packed with food shout-outs—from Barcocina and Ekiben to Pitango Bakery + Café, Sacré Sucré, Rec Pier Chop House, and The Point. Killer Sillage is available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle and will publish on September 13th.

How much longer will Minxeats keep going? Who knows! We might keep sharing for a few more years, or maybe this is the perfect moment to pause. Either way, we’ll always be proud to be one of Baltimore’s OG food blogs.

One of my favorites. Unfortunately, I didn't seem to keep my all-time favorite.

Thanks so much for sticking with us all these years. And if you’re new here, dive into the archives. There’s plenty to explore.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Restaurant Review - R & R Taqueria

We've been going to the R & R Taqueria on Honeygo Blvd for years now, but I've never written about the place. Mostly because I became Instagram-lazy and fell into the trap that I tried to avoid for a long time. Because, yeah, it is easier just to write a few word caption than to think analytically about something. "This is pretty. Like and follow me for more."

I'm sorry. But I can't guarantee I'll be better about it.

look at this pretty picture of tacos!

Anyhoo, we love the tacos at R & R --and most other stuff, too. But the tacos especially, for one main reason: the meat is always tender. I've had tacos in lots of other places, both "authentic" and "inauthentic," and across the board, most chicken and beef tacos could be filled with shredded leather and I wouldn't know the difference. Not only is the meat usually tough, but it also has no flavor. (I'm not sure why restaurants still insist on using chicken breast meat for everything when they know damn well they're going to overcook it. Dumbasses.) 

At R & R, however, the meat is tender and well-seasoned. I enjoy the carnitas the most, made with fatty little hunks of pork. The buche, or pork belly, is also outstanding, as is the lengua, or tongue. Talk about tender meat! I also appreciate that the tacos are simple street tacos, topped with white onion and cilantro, served with wedges of lime and small pots of moderately spicy green and red sauces. 

big-ass torta

I also enjoy their tortas, served on bolillo bread and stuffed with beans, cheese, pickled jalapenos, mayo, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and a protein. The one pictured has Milanesa de res, or breadcrumb-coated and fried steak (like chicken or veal Milanese), but can also be had with carne asada, blackened chicken, pork al pastor, carnitas, or chorizo and egg.  

more pretty tacos!

Another one of my favorite things to eat at R & R is a tamale. So many of the ones I've tried in other places were dry and bland. Recently, at a restaurant that specializes in birria dishes, I had tamale that was a crumbly abomination. R & R's tamales are quite the opposite--fluffy clouds of steamed masa and lard dough with either a pork or chicken filling and topped with salsa verde, salsa roja, or mole. (Pork and mole for me, please!)  And they are $3.50 each. For a modest eater, one makes a very fine and super cheap lunch.

not as pretty, but super delicious - tamales

We've tried several other items at R & R, including huaraches, sopes, alambre, parrillada, and the steak and queso-smothered fries. Everything was delicious. There's so much more to try, but I get a bit paralyzed looking at the vast menu so I default to tacos. Someday I'd like to go for breakfast and get a burrito, or chilaquiles, maybe a chorizo omelette. I'm curious about the burger, which combines ground beef with chorizo, but they serve it on a frackin' brioche bun. (WHY???) Wonder if I could get it on bolillo, like a torta?

Only one way to find out.

R & R Taqueria

5005 Honeygo Center Drive

Perry Hall, MD 21128

https://honeygo.rrtaqueria.com/

There are also locations in Baltimore City and Elkridge.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.