Recipes from Josie Brown

Visit Josie's website

Josie Brown left the advertising industry to become a crusading investigative reporter. Sadly, in our voyeuristic culture vulture society, there is an insatiable demand (and better pay) for relationship features (She is the editor of John Gray's syndicated newspaper column) and celebrity interviews, which is how Josie came to rub elbows (not to mention egos) with the rich and famous.

She still writes about celebrity, sex and scandal, only now as fiction (which, she insists, is just as strange as what she knows to be fact).

Her latest glam-packed book, IMPOSSIBLY TONGUE-TIED, was recently released. Her first novel, TRUE HOLLYWOOD LIES, is on bookshelves now. Her fictionista chick lit humor dictionary, "Last Night I Dreamt of Cosmopolitans" [St. Martin's Press] was released May 2005.

You can read her books at her blog, and email her at: JosieBrownAuthor@yahoo.com.

Josie lives in Marin County, California with Martin and their two children.

You can read Josie's blog online on her Amazon.com pages. Just type in Josie's name, IMPOSSIBLY TONGUE-TIED, or TRUE HOLLYWOOD LIES.

Also, every Wednesday, read Josie's column about BRANDED BOOKS on thriller novelist MJ Rose's blog, BUZZ, BALLS & HYPE

ABOUT IMPOSSIBLY TONGUE-TIED:

All over Hollywood, men are dialing O. Her steamy naughty talk fills them with lust and longing, and helps them perform like the studs they claim to be.

In truth, the industry’s favorite phone sex operator is Nina Harte, a struggling actress who has put her career on hold so that her husband, Nathan, can pursue his own dreams of stardom.

When Nathan's career takes off, so does he, leaving Nina and their four-year-old son, Jake, for his diva costar, Katerina McPherson. Then "Kat 'n' Nat" are crowned the media's newest celebrity sweethearts, and Kat labels Nina an unfit mother in order to win custody of Jake, just so that she can have that highly-coveted celebrity accessory—an adorable child—sans any unsightly stretch marks.

The one person who does care about Nina is Nathan’s agent, Sam Godwin. In fact, he’s in love with her. And because he has both a heart and a conscience, Sam feels guilty for having put Nat in Kat's path in the first place....

So how will he feel when he finds out that Nina and O are one and the same?

Holiday Shrimp Plantain Roll (That is, if you holiday in the Carribean!)

Plantain Roll:

• 2 green plantains
• 1/2 ripe plantain
• 4 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 3 tbsps. of olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsps. of salt (adjust to taste)

Filling (Sofrito Shrimp):

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sweet little chilis, minced (This is our local, tasty, non-hot pepper that can be substituted for 1/2 c. of any chopped, sweet ripe pepper with mild heat.)
• 6 pimiento stuffed olives, chopped
• 1 tbsp. capers
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1 lbs. of cleaned and peeled shrimp, diced
• 1/4 c. dark Puerto Rican rum
• 1/2 tomato, diced small
• 2 tbsps. coriander, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Peel the plantains and cut each one into 4 parts. Place in a pot and cover with water. Boil until tender. Reserve some of the boiling water when you take the plantains out.

Mash on a ricer or use the shredding knife from your food processor. Add the garlic, oil, and salt to the mashed plantains, working them in with a fork. If you need to soften the plantain, use the reserved liquid. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.

Heat the olive oil and saute' all ingredients except shrimp, rum, tomato, coriander, salt, and pepper.

Add the shrimp and cook until they start changing color. Add the rum and ignite.

Remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Season to taste.

Spread the plantain mixture on top of plastic wrap and form a rectangle. Put the shrimp mixture in the middle and, with the help of the plastic wrap, roll at the same time, pressing to pack the mixture and close the roll (sushi-like). Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and let stand for a few minutes. Cut in 1-inch circles and heat before serving with mirliton salad (optional).

To heat: Put on a pre-greased oven tray and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.