THE JAVA PUMP is RELEASED

After we bought an old gas station turned coffeehouse, it was no time at all before we noticed our family had grown. We had doctors, lawyers, preachers, priests, recovering addicts (and those who were not recovering). Teachers, college students, musicians, contractors and homeless people all sat together on the patio and discussed politics, religion and philosophies unimagined and left as friends. People met there and fell in love there. We had weddings there and yes sadly, we even had a funeral or two. I knew I would never be able to write a book about all of these wonderful people and their stories without missing someone or something.

I decided to roll everything up into what I hoped would be a few memorable characters, and wrote a Mystery/Suspense novel to portray the essence of The Java Pump.

In 1928 on their way to begin their honeymoon, Jade and Scooter Underhill stop to gas up their car when two bootleggers jump from an old truck and spray bullets into the owner of the station. Jade and Scooter are killed in the crossfire and the small hill country town of Infinity Texas is changed forever.

Eighty years later, Mike and Lucy Haggerty buy the corner and with their family convert the building into The Java Pump, a coffeehouse complete with two ghosts.

To help Lucy draw customers, a reverend of grand spirit and girth, a priest and a rabbi, put together a band. The Three Disciples

Cooney Boutin, a recovering alcoholic raised in the swamps and bayous of New Orleans, isn't shocked he's the only one able to see the ghosts, but he is surprised when the Underhills tell him of their mission, and he has a major role to play.

**To read an excerpt or buy your book now, please click on the small cover to the LEFT. I hope you enjoy reading The Java Pump as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

(ONE OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK MAKES A KILLER GUMBO--THE RECIPE IS BELOW)


COONEY'S JAVA PUMP GUMBO

Makes approximately 16 nice servings (16oz) - freezes very well - Should be served over white rice.
Make sure to have rice ready, 'cause you--and whoever else is near, will want to eat it as soon as it comes off the stove.

Large Pot - approx. 10 quarts
White Flour - 2 cups - plain or all purpose - don't use self-rising
Vegetable Oil - 1 cup + some
Chicken Broth - 2 15oz cans + maybe some of one more
Kitchen Bouquet - 3-4 TBS
Tomato Sauce - 12 oz
Water - 5 15oz cans
White Wine - 1 cup
Shrimp - 3 1/2 Lbs - peeled & deveined (You can also add oysters, crabmeat (pick it well to remove shells) or gumbo crabs (small crabs with top shell and innards removed and broken in half) if you desire. Some people add fish as well, but we don't like fish in our gumbo, we only like shellfish.
Onions - 5 medium - MINCED
Celery - 3/4 bunch - MINCED
Large Bell Pepper - MINCED
Cut Frozen Okra - 20oz bag
Salt - 5 1/2 Tsp
Bay Leaves - 2 large
Granulated Garlic - 2 Tsp
Ground Oregano - 1/4 Tsp
Sweet Leaf Basil - 1 Tsp
Cayenne Pepper - 1 TspFile' - 3 TBS (powdered sassafras leaves)

Make a medium brown roux: Heat FLOUR in 1 cup of the OIL on medium high heat until flour turns brown - stirring constantly.) Safety warning: Roux gets very hot… DO NOT let it splash on your skin.

Put it on the side (or you can be making the roux while the rest is cooking, because you add it later. You can even make it in advance, just keep it in a covered jar in the fridge; it will last for weeks)

Coat bottom of pot with OIL and cook ONIONS, CELERY, BELL PEPPER and OKRA until soft. (Okra will still be a little slimy, that's OK), then add 1CAN CHICKEN BROTH, 1WATER, 1 CAN WHITE WINE and 1 CAN TOMATO SAUCE.

Stir the pot and then add the SALT, BAY LEAVES, GRANULATED GARLIC, GROUND OREGANO, BASIL, and CAYENNE PEPPER. Bring this all to a simmer and simmer until veggies are mushy (approx. 50 minutes) Stirring often.

Add 2 cups of ROUX (it will be thick, but it will dissolve), then add KITCHEN BOUQUET and simmer for 20 minutes

Add SHRIMP (see ABOVE for other seafood suggestions to use in addition to the shrimp or in place of shrimp) and simmer an additional 20 minutes

Add FILE' and stir the pot - If you need to thin the gumbo, use a little CHICKEN BROTH or WHITE WINE. Don't be afraid to use wine, as the alcohol will cook away.

Ladle the gumbo over a bed of rice, and serve the spicy delicious concoction to HUNGRY guests!