UPDATE: Congratulations to Alexis. She’s the randomly drawn winner of an ARC of my upcoming release TOUCH OF A ROGUE, the second book in my Touch of Seduction series. 

Perfectly roasted turkey with all the trimmings…Ham seasoned with cloves and spiced with wine…Christmas goose stuffed with oyster dressing…Oh, there are so many wonderful dishes that are festive enough for a holiday dinner.

Then, there’s lutefisk.

This particular culinary delicacy–and I use the word ‘delicacy’ with trepidation–first crossed my path when I started dating the man who would become my DH.  Honestly, it’s a testimony to what a terrific guy he is that the lutefisk wasn’t a deal-breaker! I usually love seafood. Give me grilled salmon, trout almondine, heck, even fried catfish, and I’m a happy camper. But lutefisk is in a category all its own.

What is it, I hear you asking? For the uninitiated, this requires a bit of a history lesson. The legend goes that the Swedes and Norwegians went to war. The Swedes sent their enemies some poisoned fish, but the Norwegians liked it! The truth may not be so far off. You see, lutefisk is codfish that’s been stored in LYE!

Needless to say, the fish requires a good soaking before it’s safe to cook and eat. Some recipes call for the fish to be submerged for several days (with the water to be changed daily, of course!) After soaking away the corrosive lye, the fish is seasoned with salt and baked. The result is a gelatinous dish that slithers down your throat on its own.

Butter helps. Lots of butter.

Lutefisk is still pretty unpalatable, but my DH’s family loves it. And so I learned to refrain from inhaling and eat my lutefisk with a smile. After all, if you eat lutefisk, you also get lefsa and krumkake.

Does your family have a unique holiday dish? I’d love to hear about your culinary traditions. Especially if they’re higher on the yummy-meter than lutefisk!

Click to pre-order!

Now for a different sort of treat! I scored some ARCs of TOUCH OF A ROGUE and I’ll give away a signed copy to one lucky commenter. The drawing will be open till December 15th. Please check back here to see if you’re a winner!

He can keep her safe…or be her very ruin…

Jacob Preston has three requirements for a woman desiring access to his bed: She must be enthusiastic in affairs of passion, jaded in matters of the heart, and—to ensure the first two qualifications—she must be married.

Lady Julianne Cambourne has all the makings of a passionate lover, and she certainly shows no signs of sentimentality…but her unmarried status should render her firmly off limits to Jacob.

Instead, it proves only a temptation. One that grows stronger when she comes to him in desperation, looking for the kind of answers only he can give. For beyond his rakish reputation, Jacob is known for the mysterious—even otherworldly—power of detection he commands through his sense of touch. And Julianne, surrounded by long-hidden secrets that threaten to ensnare her in a deadly trap, will do whatever it takes to recruit his skills… using every form of persuasion at her disposal…