Season 9, Episode 197 A Doctor Detective Drama with guest Ritu Mukerji
Our guest this week, Ritu Mukerji, is a busy, full-time physician and a mother of 3, but she managed to find time to write her first novel, a recently published historical fiction mystery titled Murder by Degrees about a female physician in late 19th century Philadelphia. She was inspired by her love of the mystery genre as well as her experience living in Philadelphia while getting her medical degree where she would often visit places where female doctors had paved the way for other women to follow.
We chat with Ritu about why physicians can make good detectives, and she shares some of her favorite mystery series and the recipe for her favorite Thanksgiving side dish that’s been prepared in her family for over 30 years.
You can find Ritu on socials at @ritumukerji and at her website: www.ritumukerji.com
Books Mentioned in this Episode:
1- Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji
2- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
3- Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
4- Maisie Dobbs series by Jaqueline Winspear
5- Inspector Rutledge series by Charles Todd
6- Books by PD James, Ruth Rendell, and Barbara Vine
7- Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell
8- Truman by David McCullough
9- Grant by Ron Chernow
10- Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
11- The Dry by Jane Harper
12- Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry
13- The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
14- The Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey
15- George: A Magpie Memoir by Frieda Hughes
16- H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
5 Star Read Recpmmended by Fellow Book Lover Amy @readthisandsteep - Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
Ritu Mukerji's family recipe
Cranberry Salsa
Cranberry Salsa
(adapted from Oakland Tribune, Nov 1990)
-2 cups cranberries
-4 tsp grated orange peel
-2 large oranges, peeled to remove white membrane, then coarsely chopped
-1/4 cup minced onion
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 tbsp minced cilantro
-1 tbsp minced ginger
-1 small hot green chile (jalapeno or serrano)--stemmed, seeded and minced
-salt to taste
Whirl cranberries in a blender until chopped, then empty in a bowl. Add orange peel, chopped orange (drained), onion, oil, cilantro, ginger and chile. Mix well and blend sauce; add salt to taste. Serve, or cover and chill, as long as overnight.