Hello my friends, today we will welcome novelist Michael Molloy, writer of romance and suspense, author of “The Acrimony of Matrimony,” a brand new romantic comedy set for debut on Sunday June 2nd on Amazon.

 But first let us kick back and relax with his favorite drink, which is super appropriate when you pair it with his favorite food.

Here is a word from Michael J Molloy:

My favorite recipe is chicken parmigiana with fettuccine Alfredo. That’s my Italian side showing. I can eat that three days a week. My drink? With that meal, it’s got to be a glass of merlot. At other meals a bottle of Brooklyn Lager.

That’s right. Who ever said that you can only have one favorite drink? especially when enjoying it three times a week. Variety is the spice of life after all.

This time however, before we kick back and relax with the drink we must cook up some chicken parmigiana with fettucine alfredo.

Ingredients:

Chicken Parmesan

• 3 large chicken breasts (or 6 tenderloins)
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup dry grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2-3 large eggs
• 1 jar marinara sauce of choice (I like the Victoria or Rao’s brand)
• fresh Parmesan for topping
• flavorless oil for frying (canola, vegetable, etc.) (several cups)

Pasta

• 1 lb. fettuccine (or other long-cut pasta)
• salt

Alfredo Sauce

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups fresh Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved (make sure to use fresh!)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Serving/Toppings

• fresh basil
• salt and pepper
• extra grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Chicken Parmesan

1. Start by prepping your chicken. Place your chicken breasts or tenderloins in a large ziploc bag, 2-3 at a time. Using the flat side of a meat mallet (or side of a can or other heavy object), begin to flatten your meat.
2. After you flatten your meat, cut the pieces into similar sizes. I usually cut one large chicken breast in half after flattening.
3. Before cooking the chicken, you need to get your dredging station ready. Get out 2 low wide bowls or pie pans. In the first, crack 2 eggs and add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Whisk those together and set aside (I set it near my stovetop).
4. In another low, wide bowl, mix together Panko bread crumbs, dry grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt. Set next to the egg mixture, near the stove top.
5. Next, prep your baking dish and oven. Turn the oven to 350°F. Get out a 9×13″ baking dish (or other wide, rimmed baking dish) and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
6. In a large saucepan or heavy-bottomed pan, pour flavorless oil until it’s about 1 inch up the side of the pan. Depending on your pan size, the amount will vary.
7. Heat oil to a medium-high heat, until a sprinkle of water dropped in sizzles (will take about 5 minutes to heat up).
8. Once oil is hot, dredge your first 3 pieces of chicken, first by dipping in the egg mixture, and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Then carefully set each piece of dredged chicken into the hot oil, using tongs.
9. Let cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes. Each piece will take a different amount of time depending on the size and thickness. Once one side is browned and cooked, flip with tongs. Once chicken looks cooked, tap on the center with the back of the tongs, if it feels firm it’s probably cooked through. If you want to be sure, you can double check by making a slight cut with a sharp knife to ensure it’s cooked.
10. Once first batch is cooked through, remove and place in the prepared baking dish. If the oil starts to get too hot, you can turn it down to medium heat.
11. Once you start another batch of chicken, add a little more oil into the pan. Continue cooking until all the chicken is done. Place all chicken in prepared baking dish. Cover each piece of chicken with a couple spoonfuls of marinara sauce and then top with fresh Parmesan cheese.
12. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese melts and sauce is warmed through.

Pasta and Alfredo

1. While your chicken is baking, you’ll have time to get your pasta and Alfredo ready. Start by heating a large pot full of water over high heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate medium saucepan, add butter for Alfredo sauce. Whisk until melted. Once melted, add in heavy cream. Once mixture comes to a simmer, add in fresh Parmesan and salt, whisking constantly until melted together and smooth and creamy. Once thick and smooth, remove from heat and set aside. You will have extra sauce – I do this on purpose so I can add it to the leftover pasta when we reheat it.
3. Once pasta water is boiling, salt generously and add pasta. Stir pasta constantly while it’s cooking so it doesn’t stick. Cook pasta until just barely done, then strain and top with Alfredo sauce. Remove chicken from oven.
4. Serve pasta on plate topped with Parmesan Chicken. You can add extra marinara sauce or Alfredo to the table if anyone wants to top with more. Top with fresh parm and basil if desired – enjoy!

Notes

It really helps to have a meat mallet to pound out/thin your chicken before frying it. If the chicken is thinner it will cook more evenly, and will cook through without the crispy edges burning.

If you don’t have a meat mallet, try using a large rolling pin or some canned food, on its side.

Wow! After all this cooking, I hope we have enough to last us till Sunday, when we finally would be able to kick back with the new book. For now let us get our appetite going:

 “The Acrimony of Matrimony”: A bungling young marriage counselor has difficulties bridging the differences of feuding husbands and wives, but he overlooks his own shortcomings in his long-term relationship with his girlfriend

Excerpt:

CHAPTER 12

With his veins on end as he stared at his mail order watch, Gavin’s forehead poured out beads of sweat. It wasn’t as a result of the humid eighty-three temperatures. No, not with the air conditioner on at full blast. He squirmed in his office chair wondering where his two o’clock appointment for that Thursday afternoon was. It was bad enough he pledged a commitment to attend the meeting with other marriage counselors that evening. He didn’t need to appear as a frayed mess when shaking their hands that night, although he was already quivering from zigzagging nerves.

Two twelve. With a deep sigh, Gavin rested his chin on his open right palm while staring at the window as if it was going to help get his clients in the office lickety-split. The fingers on his left hand marched to the cadence of a caterpillar to exacerbate the lateness.

Then a subtle knock on the door startled Gavin out of his skin. A bug-eyed glance at the door preceded an anxious clearing of the throat. In a raspy tone, Gavin called out to the party to enter.

The knob turned in stealth slowness. Gavin had enough anxiety vibrating his body for the afternoon. The tension mounted as the door opened in the measured speed of a sundial’s shadowy path. The head of a young man appeared like a prairie dog checking out his surroundings. In bewilderment, the man with a healthy head of black hair spoke up.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. McGuiness?” the young man inquired.

“Uh.” Gavin hesitated as he searched his wallet for his driver’s license to assure himself. “Yeah, that’s…that’s me. But you can call me Gavin. And you must be Chase Haglund.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Come in and have a seat.”

“Thank you.”

Chase came into full view as Gavin checked him out. The counselor’s new client was a strapping figure over six feet tall with distinguished chiseled handsome features. In his wake was an attractive woman with sandy brown hair flowing over her shoulders. Gavin noticed her holding up her left palm at someone in the hallway before closing the door behind her.

“This is my wife, Vickie.”

“Hello,” Vickie quietly addressed Gavin.

As Vickie entered the room, Gavin eyed her scanning the office. She ambled over to a corner and pulled across a chair, which she then placed in between the two seats meant for a husband and wife. Gavin’s Picasso face stamped his confusion over the odd behavior.

“Gee,” Gavin opened. “I know there’s some friction between the two of you, but you really don’t have to separate each other like you just did. I mean, the whole point of this session is to bring the two of you together. This doesn’t help it any.”

“I’ll explain in a while,” Vickie said passively.

Gavin squirmed in his seat, crisscrossing his fingers as he volleyed his sights on the couple. Chase looked out to the right and Vickie the left. The counsellor shifted his eyebrows, releasing a subtle sigh, wondering how much longer the stalemate would continue. Time to break the ice.

“Okay, friends.” Gavin slapped his palms on the desk. “Let’s get to the root of the issue.”

Vickie swiveled in her seat, facing Gavin head-on. With a pronounced sneer, she pointed at Chase, avoiding eye contact away with her husband.

“The bastard cheated on me!”

Chase turned to Gavin with extended arms.

“No,” Chase rebutted. “It was an honest mistake.”

 “Uh, I don’t see how having an affair as being an honest mistake, Chase.” Gavin then turned to Vickie for the full story.

“A month ago,” Vickie began, “I came home early from an errand. I walked into our apartment and I found him screwing another woman!”

Chase cupped his hands as if in prayer, pleading to Gavin to hear his side. “She’s not telling you everything. You don’t have the complete picture.”

“I think I do,” Gavin countered. “This is some serious crap, my friend.”

Chase’s reddened scowl spoke volumes as he pivoted toward Vickie.

“Why don’t you show him what I’m talking about?”

Vickie pouted as she shrugged her shoulders. Twisting her slender figure as far as she could to her left, she shouted to the top of her lungs. “Okay, Tara, you can come in!”

Gavin reclined deep in his seat, curious as to where all of this mess was heading to. The person in the hallway made her appearance. Gavin’s eyes popped out of his head as the woman coming into the office bore a striking resemblance to Vickie.

“This is my identical twin sister, Tara,” Vickie deadpanned.

Gavin’s jaw dropped as his eyes volleyed from Vickie to Tara and back again. No, he wasn’t seeing things. But there were measurable differences. Whereas as Vickie wore her dark blonde hair straight down, Tara had hers done up in pigtails. Vickie hardly had any make-up on, but Tara painted her modest cheekbones in red rouge with eyeliner and mascara that could be seen for miles. Vickie’s attire amounted to a conservative sky-blue blouse with black pants to round things out. Tara wore a short-sleeved tee with dazzling pastels and hot pink shorts to complete her Kewpie doll appearance. And while Vickie shuffled into Gavin’s workspace, Tara pranced in on her tiptoes, clinging on to her gold lame change purse, clutched close to her belly. Tara placed herself gingerly on the chair, sandwiched in between her sister and her brother-in-law.

Gavin still had difficulty fathoming the exact basic features of the two women. Even as simplemindedas he was, the counselor had a gut feeling where this was going to.

“Well, then,” Gavin began “we do have an issue here. Vickie?”

“Like I said, I came home one day, and I found Chase screwing Tara’s brains out.”

Chase raised his right hand for a word in edgewise.

“Can I just say something?” He peeked around Tara to stare at his wife. “I thought she was you!”

“Oh c’mon!”

“She dressed like you. Wore her hair down. Even spoke like you – you know, not as perky as Tara usually talks.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, did you happen to notice the heart tattoo on her ass?”

“You’ve got a heart tattoo?” Gavin asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Tara giggled. “I had it done a few years ago.”

“Well, I’ve got a friend who’s got one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on his right bicep. It’s really cool. I think it’s Donatello.”

“Wow! Would you like to see my tattoo?” Tara was about to rise to unbutton her shorts, but Vickie quickly intervened.

“Please! Let’s not go there!” Vickie extended her left arm to force Tara to take her seat. The ditzy twin turned up her nose at her sister.

“Well, Chase,” Gavin began, “Vickie does have a point. You didn’t see that tattoo?”

“Look, Gavin, I’ve seen Vickie’s ass quite a number of times. I just took it for granted.”

“Oh!” Vickie exclaimed. “So now you’re getting tired of my naked body, huh?”

“That’s not what I meant! I love you whether you have clothes on or not.” Chase turned to Gavin while pointing at Tara. “She tricked me!”

“Yeah, but you have me a great orgasm, Chase,” Tara threw a wry smile at her brother-in-law. “You’ll have to admit, I give a louder scream than my sister.”

“Well, I at least act and dress my age of thirty-three,” Vickie argued. “You’re still reliving your teenage years!”

“Yeah, but how many men did you fuck before Chase. Two? Maybe three?” Tara turned to Gavin. “I did at least twenty-five! I lose track, though.”

“This is getting sickening!” Vickie yelled, pounding the chair’s armrest to prove her point.

“Oh, and by the way, sis, you were right. Chase is long and hard.”

“That does it! I’m getting out of here!”

Gavin sprang up to motion Vickie to sit back down.

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Gavin commanded. “Let’s all get our heads together here.”

Chase bowed his head down with a subtle nod. Tara looked off into a corner with her lips twisted and arms folded across her chest. Vickie stared at the opposite corner with a reddened scowl. Peace was sort of restored. At least the vitriol wasn’t being exchanged back and forth.

“Now, Chase, the fact that you didn’t notice Tara’s…uh…well…assets, lends me to believe some complacency may have set in. You ought to let Vickie know that you don’t take her for granted. What about surprising her with flowers for no special reason? That’s one way of doing it.”

Chase softly nodded at the counselor’s suggestion.

“Vickie, while I can’t condone what Chase did, I can understand how he got duped into thinking Tara was you, tattoo or no tattoo. She put on a good performance that anyone could’ve made a similar mistake. I mean, if it was a brunette Chase was with, well, you might have a case there. But Tara played her role as you to a tee. I say you should cut him some slack here.”

“Humph! That’s probably how she stole Devon McGwire away from me in high school.”

“Who? Me?” Tara stretched her fingers across her chest.

Vickie tilted her head up to the far corner of the room while Tara shrugged her shoulders and gazed at her golden wallet.

“And as for you, Tara.” Gavin leaned across his desk with one eye squinted and the other wide as a saucer. “Perhaps you ought to take a closer look at yourself. I sort of agree with Vickie. Trying to relive your teenager years in your thirties might be a little, shall I say, weird. Maybe if you dialed down the craziness you might have a special man in your life. And who knows where that might lead to.”

“Hmm.” Tara flirted with batting eyes. “What are you doing this Saturday?”

“I…uh…I do go out with someone. She and I have been together for ten years.”

“Ten years, huh? Then how come there’s no ring around your finger? I would think you and her would’ve been married by now.”

“Well, we’re working on it.”

Gavin slapped his hands down on his desk as he brought an end to the session. He spotted Chase grabbing Vickie around her waist. Gavin took satisfaction that the couple buried the hatchet in resolving their marital upheaval. The counselor beamed as Chase and Vickie exited the office. Tara was about to follow them when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She pivoted and sashayed back to Gavin, taking him by surprise.

She whipped out a pen from her little change satchel and proceeded to scribble down on a small piece of paper.

“Here.” Tara smiled, finishing her writing and handing Gavin the slip. “That’s my number in case you’re in need of a little action.”

Tara puckered her lips and kissed the air before flashing her pearly whites. Gavin shot a wavy smile back at the tart as the latter followed her sister’s tracks.

The counselor plopped back in his chair as he was back to his lonesome self. Tara’s slip of paper? Well, Gavin gave it a good look before crumpling it up and tossing it in the waste can next to his seat.

He slumped like a sack of potatoes when, suddenly, he received an alert on his iPhone.

We look forward to seeing you at our marriage counselor group tonight at 7 pm!

A little reminder for Gavin that he was in need of forgoing watching Jeopardy! for the evening. He actually didn’t need that vibrating buzz to yank himself into Manhattan. Indeed, Gavin was very much looking forward to trading war stories with fellow practitioners. Maybe they also encountered ambulance chasers, clowns, operatic sopranos, and identical twins. Or was he the only counselor in town to attract this unique list of eccentric clientele?

About the Author:

A fan of authors Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks, I didn’t get the writing bug until about 20 years ago. I was influenced greatly by an English teacher I had during my years at Stuyvesant High School – Frank McCourt.

            I have two traditionally published books to my credit, both through Gypsy Shadow Publishing. One is a contemporary romance novel entitled “The Diamond Man”. The second is a suspense novel called “Sadistic Pattern”, which was voted as a top-five book by Apple iTunes in April, 2019. I published another contemporary romance novel in 2021 entitled “Sweet Greetings from Carthage” and I’m now out with a women’s fiction story called “Allison Tinsley”. You can learn more about these books by going to my Amazon author page (http://www.amazon.com/author/michaeljmolloy). I’m also a musician as I’m the organist for the New York Aviators USPHL hockey team.

A graduate of St. John’s University, I currently live in Brooklyn. You can also visit my Facebook Author Page (www.facebook.com/molloyauthor), my website (www.molloyauthor.com) and follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/AuthorMJM).