SWW member Marcia Rosen is the award-winning author of twelve books including the Senior Sleuths mysteries, the Dying To Be Beautiful mysteries, and the cozy mystery series Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock, & Me. Her son Jory Rosen is the chef at The Homestead located at the base of the Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Marcia and Jory’s second collaboration, The Homestead Café: Life Tastes Better at 6,559 Feet (Artemesia Publishing, June 2026), gives readers a taste of the café’s favorite dishes along with a “collection of fictional short stories based on real people who helped to inspire many of these recipes and the love of family.” Look for Marcia on her website at MarciaRosen.com and her Amazon author store. Read more about her work in her 2023 interview for SouthWest Writers. You’ll find Jory at The Homestead — visit the website at HomesteadABQ.com. The Homestead Café is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.
Who did you write the book for, and what do you hope readers will take away from it?
Jory: This was written for the fans and customers of The Homestead. We want people to experience the great food and Homestead experience wherever they may be.
Marcia: My intention for this book is to have locals and tourists know about the amazing café, the delicious food, and stimulate their appetite to come to the café. The mystery stories are all fiction and a sidebar for fun reading.
This is the second book the two of you collaborated on. How did you divide the responsibilities of writing/producing the book? What was the greatest challenge in the collaboration process?
Jory: I did the recipes and food descriptions while Marcia wrote the stories.
Marcia: As a mystery writer it was important to create intriguing stories based in a restaurant and have each story include comments about recipes Jory was planning to put in the book.
When did you know you wanted to put this volume together? What inspired you to actually start the project?
Jory: We knew we had something special at Homestead pretty quickly. Once we got rolling, people kept asking for recipes.
Marcia: We began talking about the project a month into the café being opened. Having owned a public relations agency for over 25 years it seemed to me a very positive way to share the café story with a large number of people.
How is the book structured and why did you organize it that way?
Jory: It is a flow of recipes and stories that work in conjunction with each other to inspire and entertain. These recipes have been some of my favorites for years, many inspired by my grandfather (my mom’s dad). As we put them on The Homestead menu and saw people’s reactions, we knew what to include.
Marcia: Highlighting the recipes was the priority. Artemesia Publishing included beautiful color photos of the food. Jory worked with a wonderful photographer who took them. The mystery stories are meant to create an additional interest in the book, and I loved writing them.
Do you have a favorite recipe in The Homestead Café? A favorite story?
Jory: I love the mushroom stroganoff. My kids ask me to make this for them at least once a month. Getting my kids to eat veggies was a huge victory; all it took was some goat cheese and sour cream.
Marcia: My favorite recipe is Jory’s Chicken Piccata, it’s delicious. My favorite story is probably “Two Left Feet.” There’s some humor claiming the murder is the chicken piccata caper. I love using humor in my books. Jory has a great sense of humor, so we worked well together on this project. (Most of the time.)
What was the most rewarding aspect of putting this project together?
Jory: Seeing the incredible pictures bringing these recipes to life.
Marcia: Knowing we could let a lot of people know about The Homestead Café and all it has to offer. Completing this project took many months so we are truly gratified by so many positive responses.
Who or what sparked your interest in cooking?
Jory: It was survival; my mother is not much of a cook!
Marcia: Jory is a wonderful cook. Me not so much. I’d rather write!
Looking back to the beginning of your writing/publishing career, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
Marcia: ALWAYS work with a good editor.
Is there something that always inspires you or triggers your creativity in cooking or writing?
Marcia: Eating chocolate helps!!!! For me, writing is my sanity, words matter to me, how we communicate, how we speak to each other and knowing what we say and what we mean to say matters a lot.
What writing projects are you working on now?
Marcia: Book 2 of my mystery series Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock and Me. Maybe getting Jory to eventually do a second cookbook.
Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Jory and Marcia: Come to The Homestead Bistro and Café at the base of the Sandia Tram in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visit the website: HomesteadABQ.com.
KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.
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