Hallie's On-the-go bars

HALLIE EPHRON: I'm sure I'm not the only one who frequently needs a quick bite -- not a meal but SOMETHING to keep my energy up until I have time (and the inclination) for the next meal. 

Granola bars, of course, fit that niche. But have you had any lately? My experience is that they either taste like sawdust or a block of sugar. On top of that, they're pricey.

So I was thrilled when The New York Times ran a recipe for "energy bars" -- chopped nuts and dried fruit, glued together with some flour and egg, seasoned with cinnamon and salt. Baked, cooled, and cut into bars. VOILA!

I made my own version with nuts I had the fridge. Almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, and pistachios. But it would have been fine with pecans and unsweetened coconut or whatever other nut-like substances you like and have on hand. 

All I had in the dried fruit department was raisins, but now I'll stock up on some dried apricots and dates and cranberries to give it more zest next time out.

I wouldn't swap out the maple syrup, and it needed all that sweetness. And surprisingly the small amount of salt is a lovely touch.

So here's my version of "energy bars." Very nutty. Not too sweet. And helped me use up last bits of nuts I had hanging around in the fridge. Making it extremely economical.

INGREDIENTS 
Oil
2 eggs
4 T maple syrup
1/2 tsp of kosher salt plus a bit more
4 T flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups nuts - use whatever combination you love or happen to have on hand
1 1/2 cups of dried fruit (apricot, dates, raisins, cranberries, whatever you like or happen to have)

PREP 
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Prep the pan: Lightly oil the bottom and sides of an 8x8 metal baking pan; line the pan with parchment (or foil); lightly oil the surface of the liner
3. Coarsely chop the nuts and dried fruit (raisins and cranberries don't need chopping)
4. Whisk the egg and maple syrup and salt in a large bowl until smooth. 
5. Add flour and cinnamon. Whisk til smooth. 
6. Add nuts and dried fruit. Mix. 
7. Spread the mixture in the pan
8. Bake about 30 minutes or until it's nicely brown and firm to the touch. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
9. Cool completely IN THE PAN on a rack.
10. Slide out the slab and cut into bars.

I stored mine in zip-lock bags, but a tin or any airtight container will do. 

Put it where you can GRAB AND GO.

So what's your go-to for a speedy (non-cooking) breakfast and mid-afternoon snack? Maybe there are some decent tasting, ready-made, affordable "energy bars" that I haven't yet discovered.

Agatha evergreen?

 

HALLIE EPHRON: I recently spent several evenings watching new adaptations of Agatha Chrstie novels: AGATHA CHRISTIE'S SEVEN DIALS (on Amazon) and WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS (on Britbox).

WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS starts as golf caddy and all around swell guy, Bobby Jones, witnesses a man plummet from a cliff onto rocks below. He gets to the body in time to hear the man say, "Why didn't they ask Evans," but too late to save him.

Bobby becomes embroiled in the investigation (was the man pushed?) with a shove from a plucky, smart, quintessentially Christie-an female sleuth, Lady Frankie Derwent.

It has an amazing cast that includes Hugh Laurie (who also directed it) and a cameo by Emma Thompson (I think she's Lady Frankie's mother).

What happens from there is so complicated that I couldn't begin to explain it, and in fact I was barely follow the lookalike identities, hulking mean goons, precipitous will, fancy estate with nearby mysterious mental hospital... I just went along for the smart talk and colorful ride... and waiting for Emma Thompson to reappear.

SEVEN DIALS is a locked room (with a fireplace mantle and seven... or was it six?) ticking alarm clocks that go off to tip the house residents that there's been a murder. Also featuring a plucky, upper crust, female sleuth (Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent). Supporting cast includes Helena Bonham Carter as (I think) Bundle's mother.

I enjoyed both series, but the plot lines are SO COMPLICATED I don't even know for certain who did it for either series or why. Honestly the main thing I remember are the clocks of one and the reveal of who Evans is in the other.

Whodunnit? Not so much.

Which leads me to my question: Why are Agatha Christie stories so evergreen? Is there a "formula" and does it work today?

RHS BOWEN: Hallie, I’ve watched all of the recent Agatha Christie TV movies. They alter the plot and make them much more suspenseful and violent than the books. I really loved the original Why Didn’t the Ask Evans?” when I first read it but reading it again makes it annoyingly outdated. Her bright young things protagonists take stupid risks, get into households containing murderers, sneak into clubs full of people who would easily kill them. I suppose the world was a safer place in those days.

I remember reading Enid Blyton’s Famous Five when I was a child. I loved the books but again so unrealistic. They trap the smugglers in their cave and then men say “We’re sorry” instead of shooting the kids.

I’ve been quite a student of Agatha. I’ve written a couple of learned articles for books on her and even a piece for the Washington Post on Miss Marple. I think this is where she is at her best. The simple village murder, gentle sleuth, clever clues. All make reassuring and predictable reading. We know good will prevail. The bad guys will get caught. When she tries to move to a bigger canvas… more thrilleresque, she is no longer believable. Read the book of the Seven Dials. It’s quite good, apart from the risks they take.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I watched an episode or two of WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS when it was first released, and I remember I thought the protagonists were cute. But then it got really confusing and unbelievable and I gave up. I think for the Christie adaptations I much prefer the Poirot/Marple series format as it seems they stayed a bit closer to the original books.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Oh, I have SO many opinions. First off, one of the things I love about all the various screen adaptations is getting more depth to the characters.

Dame Agatha was wonderful with her series sleuths (and no, I don’t need to find out about Miss Marples’ beau who died in WWI or Poirot’s dead lady friend who ALSO dies in WWI. People can just be single, folks.) But she’s not great at fleshing out the one-off characters, and those people really come alive with skill performers.

I also love the beautiful settings and costumes of the BBC adaptations of the past decade or so. They spend a lot of money and it shows, and they’re accurate with their period details. (Hallie, I turned off SEVEN DIALS after the first episode because the hair and clothing was such an inaccurate muddle!)

But some of the most faithful adaptations are the ones from the 40s through the 80s. Yes, the hair and clothing is usually wrong, but I don’t expect it to be; that wasn’t really a thing back then. Watch the 1981 THE SEVEN DIALS MYSTERY. I loved it.

JENN McKINLAY: Chiming in as the person who hasn’t watched nor attempted to watch any Christie adaptations–cynical me thinks they’re evergreen because Christie is evergreen as in “bankable”. I think the Christie connection means potential money maker to the studios but I could be wrong. I don’t think so but…

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, my goodness, thank you. I was beginning to doubt my brain cells. I tried to watch EVANS, really I did, and after about 10 minutes, I had NO idea what was going on. None. And I kept thinking, yeah, why didn't they ask him? Woulda been so much easier. I gave up.

As for Seven Dials that was RIDICULOUS because ((spoiler)) but I watched every bit anyway because Bundle is a wonderful name and she was fun to see. And the clothes.

And I think they are evergreen because on the page, at least, they are truly entertaining. And the dialogue is so wry. And from time to time, talking to you, Orient Express and Roger Ackroyd, they are truly spectacular mysteries.

It's odd, though, thinking about it now, because shouldn't they be EASIER to understand on TV? But sometimes, they aren't.

HALLIE: So what do you all think. There really is something special about Dame Agatha’s novels that continues to make them fodder for dramatization. But what is it??

Writers Digest MYSTERY & THRILLER virtual conference features REDS

HALLIE EPHRON: Last week I shared my delight at being invited to teach mystery writing this spring in Paris for WICE (Where Internationals Connect In English) -- an English-speaking community based in Paris that provides all kinds of classes and volunteer opportunities. 

I had my fingers crossed that that my class would get enough registrants to be viable, and it has! There are still a few more spots... and the offerings include writing master classes in novel, short fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, and screenwriting. 

For folks who are tethered more to home base, I'll be teaching a virtual class on mystery writing at Writers Digest's Mystery and Thriller Virtual Conference (March 20-22.) 

DRUM ROLL: So will Hank! Making it a Jungle Red twofer!

Also featured are friends of Jungle Red agent/author Paula Munier, author Sharon Short, and one of my favorite literary agents, Michelle Richter of FUSE Literary.

I'll be teaching:
Crafting a page turner: hooking readers and keeping them reading

• How to structure a plot and build a character web that gives a story forward momentum
• Finding “Page One” and "5 tent poles" of plot
• Opening with a question, building suspense to strategic turning points, writing action, and pausing with a hook. Crafting a climactic ending.
• Building a head of steam: attending to turning points, secrets, stakes, and time pressure

Hank will be teaching: The Secrets of the Three-Act Structure: Nailing the Beginning, the Middle, and the End. Something at which she excels.

The only downside of this is that we can't meet you in the bar, always my favorite part of a writing conference. 

The upside: it's very affordable, and you can show up in your PJs and no one will be the wiser. 

If you're tempted by a 3-day VIRTUAL class in mystery writing, Here's the link for registration:
https://writersdigestuniversity.mykajabi.com/offers/ZmSUHKx7/checkout