Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

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It’s Been a Long Time – and a Long Winter

March 31, 2017

I haven’t written a Mainly Jane post for months, and I can’t blame the snow. But Northwest Connecticut sure did get a lot of the white stuff and after living in California for many years I wasn’t thrilled about it. But spring is here (except it’s supposed to snow again today – ugh) and I decided to jump back on the blog.

The real reason I haven’t written a new post is because my mother died in November and I’ve not only been grieving the loss of her but handling her affairs – from the sale of her house to the giant tag sale there a couple of weeks ago. She and I were very close and I miss her everyday. Here we are at my wedding almost 25 years ago.

She was a writer herself, having had her essays about domestic life published in the Westchester section of The New York Times. An avid reader too, she ran her book group for many years. But it was her steadfast championing of my writing career that meant the most to me. Whenever I had a new book published, she was first in line at her local bookstore buying copies for herself and all her friends. She also had a great sense of humor. If I got a bad review, she’d curl her lip and say, “I’ll break their kneecaps.”  The threat always made me laugh because she was tiny and gracious and decidedly not prone to violence. But she had my back – always.

It’s no wonder that my latest novel, the second draft of which I’ve just finished, focuses on a mother and daughter. It’s about grief too, but I hope I’ve handled the subject with humor and heart. I’m waiting for my editor to weigh in on this latest draft and then we’ll see where it goes.

In other news, one of my older novels, Name Dropping, about two women with the same name whose identities get mixed up, is being shopped in Hollywood again.

When it was first published, it was optioned for a feature film by Miramax and the screenwriters of “Legally Blonde” were hired to write the script. But as with so many book options, this one never went anywhere. Now, two new producers are hoping for a TV movie adaptation. Fingers crossed.

More to come now that I’ve emerged from hibernation!

Filed Under: Mainly Jane Tagged With: Connecticut, grief, Mainly Jane, mothers and daughters, Name Dropping, winter snow

The “Three Blonde Mice” Book Launch = Fun!

August 12, 2016

Dessert display

James Arena, the talented pastry chef at Litchfield County’s Arethusa al tavolo, the scene of my book signing on Saturday, August 6th, not only created a Dark Chocolate Marquise dessert especially for Three Blonde Mice (yes, the recipe is in the book), but he assembled a beautiful display of the dessert for everyone to drool over. It’s a “farm to table” dessert in that its ingredients include both chocolate and beets, and there were also strawberries and pistachios on the plate on Saturday. It was truly to die for.

Here are some guests sampling their desserts. (Notice the pic of the cow on the wall – Arethusa’s dairy products come from their magnificent cows, after all.)

Eaters

For another look at the dessert, along with the book and Arethusa Farm napkins, behold.

Book and dessert plus napkins Jane_Heller_Book_Promo_8-6-16-13

As for the signing itself, it was a thrill, even after 16 books, to see copies of Three Blonde Mice lined up on the signing table ready for me to personalize for guests. Thanks to Fran Keilty, owner of Hickory Stick Bookshop, for providing the books and being part of the fun.

Books signing flat

And guests we had – lots of them – even though the iffy weather forecast had forced us to abandon the restaurant’s lovely outdoor patio for their private room upstairs. I was so excited to see friends I hadn’t seen in awhile, and to meet and chat with those who were there simply to buy a book. I hope everyone who came gets a kick out of the story – a little light reading for late summer/early fall. To those who couldn’t make it up to CT for the book launch, you were there in spirit!

Filed Under: Mainly Jane Tagged With: Arethusa al tavolo, Connecticut, Dark Chocolate Marquise dessert, Hickory Stick Bookshop, Litchfield County, pastry chef James Arena, Three Blonde Mice

The “Three Blonde Mice” Dessert Can Be Yours

July 16, 2016

dessert

With some people already receiving their pre-ordered copies of my new novel, Three Blonde Mice, I’m counting down to the book’s actual publication day, August 2nd, and getting excited! And on August 6th at 2:30 ET, my book launch party will be underway at Arethusa al tavolo, one of the best farm-to-table restaurants not only in Litchfield County, Connecticut but in the entire state. I hope anyone in the CT area will stop by for an afternoon of book chat and samples of the dessert that was created by Arethusa pastry chef James Arena exclusively for the novel and figures into the story. The recipe is in the Author’s Note at the end of the book, but it’ll be pretty cool to be one of the first to taste it. Here’s the official invite:

SAVE THE DATE!
Join New York Times bestselling author Jane Heller on Saturday, August 6th at 2:30 p.m. to celebrate the publication of her new novel, Three Blonde Mice, and sample a very special dessert!

Set at a fictional farm resort in Litchfield, Connecticut, Three Blonde Mice is a comedy featuring three best friends who take a “haycation” together, learning how to milk a cow, make cheese, forage for wild edibles and take cooking classes with a famous farm-to-table chef….only to discover that one of their classmates is out to murder the chef.

A big part of Jane’s research was spending time at Litchfield County’s own Arethusa, both the dairy farm and the restaurant. Figuring into the plot is a chocolate-and-beets dessert created especially for the book by Arethusa al tavolo’s pastry chef, James Arena (recipe included!).

Dan Magill, Arethusa al tavolo’s executive chef and James Beard semi-finalist, and pastry chef James Arena will be on hand to offer samples of the dessert and answer any questions, and the Hickory Stick Bookshop will provide copies of the book for purchase and for Jane to sign.

When: Saturday, August 6th, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Arethusa al tavolo, 828 Bantam Road, Bantam, CT 06750 www.arethusaaltavolo.com
What: Book signing for Jane Heller, author of Three Blonde Mice (Diversion Books/August/$13.99) www.janeheller.com
How: Hickory Stick Bookshop www.hickorystickbookshop.com
Media Contact: Deborah Broide, Deborah Broide Publicity, DeborahPub@aol.com

And now there’s more from Arethusa al tavolo. The restaurant has agreed to make Chef Arena’s “Three Blonde Mice” dessert an off-the-menu “special” during the month of August. In other words, you can order it and indulge in its deliciousness any night of the week during August! I’ve heard of entrees being named after celebrities (I think Nora Ephron had a meat loaf named after her and I know there are tons of famous names attached to various deli sandwiches), but I believe this the first time a dessert will be named after a book. So come and enjoy!

Filed Under: Mainly Jane Tagged With: Arethusa al tavolo, Bantam Connecticut, book party, Connecticut, Dan Magill, Farm-to-table dessert, fiction, Hickory Stick Bookshop, James Arena, Litchfield County, Three Blonde Mice

When Research Is a Pleasure, Part 7

August 2, 2014

Photo: CT Magazine
Photo: CT Magazine

In Part 2 of my farm-to-table food journey for research, I wrote about Arethusa Dairy Farm in Litchfield County and how ridiculously delicious the milk, cheese and butter that come from Arethusa’s prized cows are. It only made sense for Arethusa’s owners, the brains behind Manolo Blahnik stilettos, to launch a restaurant adjacent to the dairy and to recruit a chef who would best utilize their products. Arethusa al tavolo opened last summer and was an immediate hit – a fine dining eatery that offered the freshest, highest quality ingredients in innovate menu items but without the pretentiousness and stuffiness of “fancy” places. I became a fan from my first bite of the lobster and avocado appetizer.

Photo: Wendy Carlson/ New York Times
Photo: Wendy Carlson/ New York Times

Michael and I went back a few more times last summer, and al tavolo never disappointed. When we were in Connecticut this time around and I was determined to learn about chefs at the forefront of the farm-to-table movement, I had a perfectly good excuse to revisit the restaurant. The only catch was getting Chef Dan Magill, who makes magic in the kitchen, to sit down and talk to me. Luckily, Chef Dan was a prince among men, generous with information and recipes and philosophies of cooking. He was the opposite of the diva type you read about or see on television food competition shows but rather down-to-earth, funny and, most importantly, earnest about his craft. He doesn’t come out front to shake hands and take bows. He works the line with the other cooks, turning out perfection night after night, as does his pastry chef, April Massey. He started in the business at age 14 as a dishwasher and after putting himself through culinary school took jobs that allowed him to observe the best chefs in the food world. (He did a stint with Daniel Boulud, for example). Now, he’s come into his own at al tavolo and, despite the accolades, his head is still on straight.

Having grown up on the North Fork of Long Island and fished as a kid, he’s partial to cooking the freshest seafood around – “sea to table,” he calls what he does in the kitchen. But he’s also known for his duck and Michael raves about his lamb and beef. And he’s all about Arethusa’s dairy products, of course, and there’s not a single appetizer, entree or dessert on the menu that isn’t swoon-worthy because of those products. I mean who wouldn’t want to dive into this? We’re talking ice cream straight from the cows, people.

ice cream

I’m back in Santa Barbara now and not exactly stuck in a culinary wasteland, but the challenge will be to put together all the info I gathered in Connecticut and create an entertaining story for my novel’s characters.

Oh, did I mention that the novel will be a spin-off of Princess Charming?

final.princess charming

Yup, I’m bringing back Elaine, Jackie and Pat for another vacation together. They’re going to be “agri-tourists” in Connecticut, staying at a fictional resort on a fictional farm and getting into all sorts of trouble as they milk cows, take cooking classes, interact with the chefs and other guests and – you guessed it – solve another mystery. Who will be marked for murder in this one? Stay tuned.

 

Filed Under: Food, Mainly Jane Tagged With: agri-tourism, Arethusa al tavolo, Bantam, Chef Dan Magill, Connecticut, Litchfield, novel research, Princess Charming

When Research Is a Pleasure, Part 6

July 29, 2014

me and Bill 2

For this installment of my grand research adventure in Connecticut, I donned a green apron for a cooking class at the famed Silo Cooking School in New Milford. I was a volunteer during a corporate team building class of seven executives from an IT company in Manhattan. Our leader was chef Bill Cosgrove whose Upper Crust Cucina Italiana restaurant is practically a local landmark. (In the photo above, Bill is teaching me how to make balsamic syrup.)

The menu for the corporate group’s feast was an ambitious one, but Chef Bill made it all look easy and by the end of the day I not only believed I could cook the various courses at home but sampled dishes I’d never tried before.

Like for instance, our appetizer…

appetizers finished

It was called a sformato, a savory custard made with pureed asparagus, eggs, Parmesan cheese and a bechamel sauce, poured into ramekins and baked, then unmolded and served on top of arugula with a bit of crispy bacon on top with a drizzle of my balsamic syrup. It was beyond delicious – light and fluffy and out of this world.

The pasta course – in Italian cooking there’s always a pasta course – the group made tortellini in beef brodo (brodo is Italian for a rich beef broth).

tortellini presentation
Chef Bill demonstrated how to make pasta and it was eye opening.

Bill pasta machine 2

But it was the main course that was truly the show stopper: butterflied pork tenderloin stuffed with a pesto of basil, pistachios and Parmesan cheese, reconstituted figs and layers of proscuitto and arugula. Behold.

finished pork with jus

Bill showed everybody how to make it happen – from stuffing the pork…

Bill stuffing pork with arugula

to searing it on the stove…

Bill searing pork 2

to slicing it once it’s out of the oven.

cutting finished pork

It was past my usual lunch time at this point and I was dying to pop the entire tenderloin in my mouth, but I restrained myself. Actually, while the corporate group ate each course in the Silo’s dining area…

dining pre-guests

Michael and I, along with the Silo’s executive director Liba Fuhrman and assistant director Nancy Stuart, sampled everything back in the kitchen. Yummmmmm.

But a meal like we were lucky enough to enjoy had to be finished off with a superb sweet treat, and ours was a cherry and almond clafoutis, a rustic tart-like dessert made by baking cherries in a custard-type batter.

dessert closeup

It was topped with homemade vanilla gelato.

finished desserts with gelato

Want to see how homemade that gelato was? I watched Chef Bill pouring the ingredients into the machine.

Bill ice cream maker

I’m full just thinking about all of this, but I had a good time and learned a lot. Best of all, I took lots of notes and got great material for my novel.

 

Filed Under: Food, Mainly Jane Tagged With: book research, Chef Bill Cosgrove, Connecticut, Hunt Hill Farm, New Milford, The Silo Cooking School, Upper Crust Cucina Italiana

When Research Is a Pleasure, Part 2

July 9, 2014

me with cow 2

In a previous post, I wrote about how my research for a new novel took me to the wonderful markets of Santa Barbara and into the kitchen of a talented chef to learn how to cook the foods we purchased. On Monday, during what was the first in a series of visits I’ll be making to local farms and chef’s kitchens here in Connecticut where I’m spending the month of July, I got the grand tour of Arethusa Dairy Farm, the premier maker in the area of milk, yogurt, cheese and, most scrumptious of all, ice cream.

The “dairy built on stiletto heels,” as the New York Times dubbed Arethusa, it’s the brainchild of George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, who gave the world Manolo Blahnik shoes. Set in the Litchfield hills, it’s as picture perfect as its dairy products are the best you’ll ever taste.

Arethusa-tighter-1024x768

My tour guide was Matt Senecal, the farm manager. Matt escorted me into the building’s reception area where there’s a bar, a conference table and a bazillion trophies and banners won at prestigious shows by Arethusa’s cows.

Award ribbons

Next we went into the main barn where the cows were feeding between milkings. There are Holsteins, Jerseys and Brown Swiss breeds, with the black-and-white Holsteins being the predominant breed. I tried to strike up a conversation with a few, but they were more interested in eating lunch and who could blame them?

me with cow

Get a look at this Holstein’s udder and teats.

Holstein

What’s striking about these cows as well as the facility itself was how spotless it is. The cows are not only shampooed daily but conditioned with Pantene (seriously), and their tails are hosed down frequently to prevent manure from coming anywhere near the udder. Hence, the purity of the milk products. There’s even a guy who comes to give the cows a pedicure. Well, he cuts their toenails.

Pedicure

The show cows get their very own barn so they’re kept separately from the others; apparently, their special barn is closer to the exercise area where they’re encouraged to stay fit. (No, they don’t do Pilates.) And the pregnant ladies have their own space so they can spread out in comfort until they deliver.

Pregnant cow

After asking all my questions about the cows and the milking process – questions I should have asked our science teacher in junior high – Matt sent us on to the Arethusa creamery where the milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream are processed with state-of-the-art machines that nonetheless produce old fashioned flavor.

Dairy processing

I interviewed Chris Casiello, the manager, about how the milk gets processed and distributed and how he accomplishes the feat of making such intensely satisfying products. The cheese and ice cream are so rich and creamy they defy description. And yes, I sampled some products. Their “crybaby” cheese, for example, was a Swiss variety with a touch of sweetness – heaven.

I loved spending part of the day at Arethusa and conjuring up ways to use what I learned in the plot of my novel. But what I’ll love the best is dining at their restaurant Al Tavolo, which is adjacent to the creamery and serves up truly great dinners.

 

Al Tavolo

We have a reservation for next week and I’m already fantasizing about their salmon.

Photo: Julie Bidwell/Connecticut Magazine
Photo: Julie Bidwell/Connecticut Magazine

Filed Under: Food, Mainly Jane Tagged With: Al Tavolo, Arethusa Dairy Farm, Bantam, cheese, Connecticut, ice cream, Litchfield, milk

Summer In Connecticut Means This

July 7, 2013

july 4th pie

Spending the month of July in Washington, CT in beautiful, bucolic Litchfield County, has become a tradition and there’s nothing I don’t love about it except the mosquitoes, which love me as much as I despise them (and I’ve got the bites to prove it).

California is home now, no question, but there will always be a pull toward the east coast where I was born and raised and still have family and friends. Besides, while others complain about the heat and humidity, they’re just fine with me. I’m always cold in California and in Connecticut I can go sweater-less and enjoy it.

One of the best reasons for coming east is to head over to the Bridgewater Village Market for pie. And I don’t just mean any old pie. I mean pie as in the best crust, the best fruit, the best everything I’ve ever tasted. We had their blueberry pie on July 4th and it was as heavenly as ever. I don’t know how they get it right every single time, but they do.

I’ve already had my share of corn on the cob too, plus swordfish straight from Maine. (The best fish purveyor around these parts is a guy with a fish truck that he parks on Route 7 in New Milford; he drives down from Maine all night so he can sell fresh fish and seafood from the truck – he’s known as “the fish guy.”)

Swimming is another pleasure that’s exclusive to my visit here. I never swim in California. Too cold. But here I plunge right in and it feels great.

The only bad thing about my month here is that it’s just that: a month. Much too short.

 

Filed Under: Food, Lifestyle, Mainly Jane Tagged With: blueberry pie, Bridgewater Village Market, Connecticut, July 4th, Litchfield County, summer, Washington

Dolores Hart: Another Reason To Look Forward To Oscar Night

February 24, 2012

I always love watching the Oscars, even as I always bitch about how long and boring the show is. This year I’m having people over for dinner to watch, so it should be lively no matter how good/bad the show is. But one of the things I’m really looking forward to is the appearance of Dolores Hart, the actress who gave Elvis his first screen kiss….and who later became a nun.

Hart is the subject of an Oscar-nominated short documentary, “God Is The Bigger Elvis,” which will air on HBO in April.  (The New York Times has the story.) Despite being in poor health and despite the fact that she’s Mother Dolores now, living at a monastery in Connecticut, she’ll walk the red carpet on Sunday night. I really hope the film wins, so she’ll be on stage and receive a standing O from the audience.

In the meantime, I found a piece that “20/20” did about her not that long ago. It gets cut off at the end, but it’s fascinating.

http://youtu.be/BrCT1kD0z-A

Imagine giving up a life in Hollywood at the height of your stardom. Hart’s honesty in the ABC segment is refreshing. She’s asked whether it was a difficult decision to leave the movie business and cloister herself away at the monastery, and she says it was.

And by the way, she’s still beautiful. Not every woman can wear that habit.

Photo: Wendy Carlson/New York Times

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Movies, Television Tagged With: Academy Awards, Connecticut, Dolores Hart, Elvis, monastery

Disoriented In California

September 7, 2011

It’s good to be home, don’t get me wrong, but after a month-plus in Connecticut it’s a little weird too.

Here’s why:

  1. It’s not raining. (In CT it never stopped raining, or so it seemed.)
  2. My body is still on Eastern Standard Time.
  3. There’s way too much mail to sort through.
  4. I have to get back to doing real life things, like going to the dentist tomorrow.
  5. I watched the Republican debate at 5 instead of at 8. (Does Rick Perry have a neck? His collar was really high – or something.)
  6. I’m hungry for no good reason.
  7. My car’s tires are kind of flat.
  8. There are ants in the house.
  9. There’s a dog in the neighborhood that suddenly barks a lot.
  10. I’m out of new books for my Kindle. (Suggestions are welcome.)
  11. I need to resume my writing routine.
  12. I need to resume my walking routine.
  13. I need to call friends and say, “I’m back.”
  14. I need to get some sleep.

Vacations are great and I really enjoyed myself while I was away. But it’s hard to re-enter reality.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Mainly Jane Tagged With: California, Connecticut, vacations

Husbands Come In Handy In A Hurricane

August 30, 2011

At least mine did.

With our vacation in Connecticut seriously compromised by Hurricane Irene, Michael was my hero. The house we’ve been renting lost power and phone, and we were desperate to make our escape and get food and water after the storm passed on Sunday, not to mention be able to use our cell phones to call family and friends.

We got into the rental car and slowly made our way up the driveway – only to find this.

A large pine had fallen and was blocking our escape. Trapped! The grassy area to the right of the downed tree was much too soggy to drive over; we would have gotten suck in the muck for sure.

“What now?” I said, weary and wishing I could fly back to California.

“I think I spotted a saw in the garage,” said Michael.

“Really?” I said. When I rent somebody’s house, I notice things like dishes and glassware and sheets, not saws.

“Yeah,” he said and off he went, slogging through the mud back to the house.

Minutes later he returned with a saw that looked like it would be as effective for freeing us as a butter knife.

But Michael was on a mission. It took forever but he managed to make a cut in one section of the tree, then started on another.

Eventually, he was victorious and we were able to get out. Somehow. If only the roads had been clear when we did get out. We were thwarted at every turn and went back to the house to sit in the dark and eat cold blueberry pie.

We’re still waiting for the power to come back on, but it could be awhile. In the meantime, I have new respect for Paul Bunyan Michael.

 

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Mainly Jane, News stories, Popular culture Tagged With: Connecticut, Hurricane Irene

All This Rain Is Annoying

August 9, 2011

When I got to Connecticut last week to start my vacation, everybody’s lawns were brown. “We need rain” was the common refrain. “It’s been so dry. If only we could get a good, steady drenching.”

I remember thinking, How about a good, steady drenching after I go back to California?

Apparently, I’ve been punished for my selfishness. It rained on Saturday. It rained on Sunday. It rained a little bit yesterday. It rained hard and long today. The lawns are have gone from this…

To this.

Okay, I’m exaggerating, but still. Enough already with the wet stuff. I tried to take a walk this afternoon and got soaked. We planned a barbecue tonight and it got canceled. The good news is I’ve been able to get some writing done without feeling as if I’m missing something in the great outdoors. In fact, rain is the perfect backdrop for an author with a book deadline.

I take back what I said about the rain. Let it pour.

 

 

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Mainly Jane Tagged With: Connecticut, rain, vacation

My Love Affair With Soft-Shell Crabs Might Be Over

August 7, 2011

I first fell in love with the little creatures in the ’70s. I was in France one summer and I think I had them practically every night. They were sauteed. They were broiled. They were breaded. They were dusted with almonds. They were prepared every which way, and I adored every bite.

I continued to eat them when I lived in Manhattan where they were on menus every spring/summer. They were fewer and far between after I moved to Florida and still more scarce in restaurants once I settled in California.

Did I forget about them? Absolutely not.

Last night, during our annual August pilgrimage to Connecticut, we went out for dinner with friends to an Italian place in New Milford called Piccolino’s. I spotted soft-shell crabs among the specials on their blackboard and pounced.

“I haven’t had them in ages,” I told the waitress. “I’m really excited.”

She tried to smile, but she had an earring in her top lip and the piercing made smiling difficult, apparently.

The crabs arrived and my heart sank. They looked mushy. I hate that. Too much butter sauce and probably overcooked.

I took my first bite and tried not to pout. No crunchiness of the legs. No rich crab flavor. No delicate seasoning. Just blobs on a plate.

Did the experience turn me off to soft-shells forever? I don’t know, but it’ll take me awhile to jump back in.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Food, Mainly Jane Tagged With: Connecticut, New Milford, Piccolino's restaurant, soft-shell crabs

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About Jane Heller

Jane Heller is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her fourteen breezy, witty novels of romantic comedy and suspense are now entertaining millions of readers around the world, along with her two books of nonfiction.

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