Capitol Offense

Murder, She Wrote - S1:E10

Jessica serves dainty slices of cake and tea in china cups to a visitor who arrives in Cabot Cove with a vital request. A congressman has suddenly passed away, and they need J.B.'s help in Washington, "Your State needs you, if only for a few weeks," he tells her.

Jessica protests, saying that she's not a politician but is eventually persuaded to do her civic duty.

She grasps the bull by the horns and tells a condescending Media Liaison Officer that she doesn't want to be treated like an "addlepated Great Aunt from East Nowhere."

We all know, of course, that Jessica can rise to any occasion, no matter how unfamiliar it may be, and no matter which lobbyists might try and wheedle their way into her affections.

J.B. is soon distracted from her duties when a murder is committed, and an investigating policeman with sore feet turns to her for help.

When J.B. demonstrates how a body could have been moved at the crime scene,

the impressed detective tells her, "You shoulda been a cop." Jessica replies, "I am a cop. When I'm at the typewriter."

Edie Adams only makes a brief appearance in this episode, but she is majestic! She and Jessica lunch together at the super-exclusive Sans Souci

with special guest Peanuts the cat.

Peanuts was a gift to the eternally single Kaye," from a former occupant of the Whitehouse." J.B. declines the invitation to try and guess which one.

Detective Lieutenant Mendelsohn invites Jessica to the local deli, where they serve an excellent lox and cream cheese platter. J.B. asks, "Lox? Is that something like gefilte fish?"

It's pretty early in her career as a globe-trotting best selling author; soon, she'll be more familiar with all kinds of exotic foodstuffs! If you don't fancy Edies's ham, you could always have a brunch session with bagels, smoked salmon and cream cheese - an enormous platter full!

Edie Adams' Boiled Ham and Vegetables Edie

2-3 lb smoked ham butt

Dry English mustard

Cider vinegar

Box of pickling spice

1 bay leaf

1 clove of garlic

1 head of cabbage

1 bunch of carrots

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon juice

Dill

Rub the ham all over with the dry mustard. Place in a large saucepan and cover with half vinegar and half water. Toss in the pickling spice, bay leaf and garlic. Cover and simmer over a low heat for three hours.

Wash the cabbage. Cut into quarters and remove core sections. Wash and peel the carrots and cut them in half. Place the cabbage with the carrots on top in a saucepan of boiling salted water. Turn the heat down and simmer for half an hour or until the vegetables are tender. 

Drain and turn out onto a warm platter. Cover with melted butter to which salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a sprinkling of dill has been added. Serve with the ham.

Serves 4-6

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Next week on Murder, She Cooked, a recipe from the kitchen of Milton Berle.

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Cheerio for now, tune in for another episode next week!