Food and Wine Pairings From Murder Before The Bell

Each of the five books in the Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio Series contain seven food and wine pairings.  The dishes are from the Italian, Polish, Irish and Mexican heritages of the group.  Below are four food and wine pairings from Murder Before The Bell.

Rick's Bigos (The Polish National Dish) with River Run Vintners Cote D Aromas

This recipe first appeared on  September 14, 2014.  Salad and pierogi complete the dish.  Click here for the recipe.

Erin's Irish Poached Salmon with Watercress Sauce and Nicholson Winery's Pinot Noir

This recipe first appeared on September 7, 2014.  A salad with a vinegar and oil dressing is a great accompaniment.   Click here for the recipe.

Leti's Pollitos en Vino Tinto with Naumann's Tre Rosso Cali

This recipe, Cornish Game Hens in Red Wine,  first appeared on June 25, 2013.  Salad, green beans, and mashed potatoes complete the dish.  Click here for the recipe.

Rick's Past Puttanesca with Villa del Monte's Cabernet Sauvignon

This recipe first appeared on  September 28, 2014.  Puttanesca was created by the prostitutes of Naples to give them strength and stamina.

Caprese Salad

Rick likes to serve the Puttanesca with a Caprese salad made from garden tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.  He pours some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the dish.   Click here for the recipe.

About Murder Before The Bell

Rick Podowski and the Hefty Trio a group of four middle-aged overweight high school English teachers fight to save their friend accused of murdering the school principal. The story begins when Rick arrives at Central High School and sees the administration building engulfed in flames. Later, the police discover the charred body of the principal and as the police start to gather evidence to frame the acting principal, Rick and the Hefty Trio start their own inquiry. They discover that their friend and the principal are both involved in illegal activities with a former South Vietnamese Colonel who runs a language school on the campus every Sunday. The community loves the Colonel and is unaware that he owns a house of prostitution in the neighborhood and employs a local Mexican gang for security. A rival gang wants part of the action. The excitement continues as Rick and the Hefty Trio while working to solve the mystery indulge in gourmet Mexican, Irish, Italian and Polish dishes from their ethnic heritages, paired with unique wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.