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SubscribeFriday, April 25, 2008
Grapes and Grappa, Figs and Olives + Free Cooking Light Cookbooks!
Since I’ve been working on my cookbook, which is all about modern Asian cooking, almost everything edible that comes out of my kitchen has been Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian or Korean. Yes, it can be tiring and I’m considering starting a new blog called “Steamy Kitchen, UnAsian” just to break the monotony. Gimme some Brazilian! Moroccan! Australian!
My family has been begging for something different, and everytime that I ask the kids, “so what do you want for supper tonight?” They chime excitedly, “McDonald’s HAPPY MEALS! Hip, hip, HOORRAYYYY!”
Which is fine. I give in. Because I do love me some McD french fries dipped in soft serve ice cream. I know, You’re groaning. It’s a leftover habit and craving from my pregnancy days.
Please tell me that I’m not alone in this craving! Please tell me that you, too have strange culinary cravings and secret flavor combinations that just make other people squirm uncomfortably in their pants.
Tell me and I’ll enter you in the drawing to win one of three gorgeous Cooking Light The Complete Cookbook – this baby is MASSIVE, weighing in at 4.4lbs with 1,200 recipes, 630 color photographs and a companion DVD. Plus I think there is an offer for 1 free year of Cooking Light magazine subscription inside.
OHOHOH! And there’s a bonus…at the end of this post.
Perks of Being My Friend
I get many cookbooks and products for review. Things I don’t like, I don’t mention on the blog and just give it away. The things that I do like, I review, write about it and give you all a chance to win the product for free. One of the many perks of being in close proximity of my mailbox each day at 4pm when I check my mail is that you can be the first to call “dibs,” as I often give the book or product away when I’m done with the review.
MiMi (grandma), visiting from Buffalo, just happened to be there right as I was opening the box from Cooking Light’s PR agency. She called dibs and happily flipped through the book as if it was hers already.
But then later that evening, I finally had a chance to flip through it. HOT DAMN!! I love the book! And I’m keeping it. There’s no way I’m letting this baby go! (Sorry, Mimi, you’ll just have to enter in the contest and see if you can win it!)
The reason I love this book so much is the variety of flavor combinations that I normally wouldn’t have come up with myself. See recipes below.
adapted from Cooking Light The Complete Cookbook. The recipe calls for boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks. What I did instead was use whole bone-in chicken thighs, had Scott grill them outside on the BBQ grill, and just made the sauce separate to pour over when the chicken was done grilling. I love this recipe- this is definitely a keeper and all my dinner guests raved about it.
Moroccan Chicken: Figs, Olives and Honey
Prep : 12 min. Cook : 16 min. Serves 4
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/2 lbs chicken skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into large 1-1/2″ pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup quartered dried Calimyrna figs
1/4 cup chopped green olives
3 tablespoons sweet Marsala or Madeira wine
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Stir in chopped parsley and next 9 ingredients; reduce heat to medium and cook 8 minutes; stirring occasionally. Garnish with parsley sprigs if desired.
inspired by Cooking Light The Complete Cookbook. Original recipe was Grapes and Grappa with Quail. But I didn’t have a quail handy and craved a warm salad instead. The original recipe called for Prosciutto, but when I went to the market, Prosciutto was *#$@!* $8.00 for 6 paper-thin slices. WTF? So I know this cookbook is cooking LIGHT. But I wasn’t about to pay that kind of money for crappy prosciutto. So I used bacon instead.
I think I just upped the caloric intake by a hundred or so. Feel free to slap me.
Grappa is an Italian liquor distilled from grape pressings left over after winemaking; cognac is a good substitute.
Grapes, Grappa and Bacon: A Warm Salad
serves 6-8
1 bag of salad greens
1/2 lb grapes, cut in half
4 slices of turkey bacon, bacon or prosciutto
2 ounces grappa
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
OPTION #1: I’m gonna give you a choice. If you’re gonna use bacon or turkey bacon, the cooking light way would be to crisp in the microwave on paper towels. Once it’s cooked, crumble and set aside. Heat a medium, nonstick skillet over high heat and add 1 tbl olive oil. When oil is hot, add the grapes and cook for 15 seconds. Add cider vinegar, grappa, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 seconds and pour over salad greens. Top with crumbled bacon.
OPTION #2: Using prosciutto. Cut prosciutto into small, bite-sized pieces. Grab a large skillet, add 1 tbl olive oil and heat over medium heat. When hot, Add prosciutto. Fry crisp. Add grapes, let the grapes sizzle in the olive oil for 15 seconds. Add grappa, vinegar, sugar, S&P, and mustard. Let simmer on low for 30 seconds. Pour over salad greens. Eat and then go jogging around the block.
OPTION #3: The shameful, sinful method that I used. Cut bacon into small, bite-sized pieces. Grab a large skillet and add bacon in skillet. Cook bacon over medium heat. until crisp. You should have about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan. (wince!) You can spoon some of the fat out if there’s a lot. Add grapes, let the grapes sizzle in the fat for 15 seconds. Add grappa, vinegar, sugar, S&P, and mustard. Let simmer on low for 30 seconds. Pour over salad greens. Eat and then go jogging around the block.
***
Drawing for the free Cooking Light cookbook!
All you have to do is comment below. Tell me a flavor or ingredient combination that isn’t mainstream. It doesn’t have to be strange or exotic – just maybe a little different, innovative or…ok, strange is cool too. p.s. I like pickles + pate in a baguette too.
Here are mine:
Seaweed sprinkled with salty/sweet plum powder (li hing)
Canned smoked oysters + apricot jam
Winners have been announced!!! See who won.
***
I will really regret typing this…
But for shits and giggles, when I announce the 3 winners of the cookbook in a couple of weeks, I will let YOU vote for which strange flavor concoction for met to try. I will make it and videotape myself eating it, all for your sick and twisted enjoyment.
You’ll decide in a couple of weeks. And maybe…just maybe I might do this on television.
Now, that’s web-ertainment. Beat that, Zimmern.
Contest is over, but come vote for which strange flavor concoction that I will try (and whoever you pick also gets a nice Steamy Kitchen care package.
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408 Responses to “Grapes and Grappa, Figs and Olives + Free Cooking Light Cookbooks!”
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Cookbook
101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner
by Jaden Hair -
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I guess it is not that strange as the Germans do it, but I love to make a potato salad with chopped dill gherkins, apples, mayo, potatoes and coarse brown mustard, add some chives and you are set.
My dad taught me to toss peanuts in my coke as a wee child. I still like the salty sweetness, but I think it is gross.
I think spam and mango might be the winner, but I will take second place!
I have a couple-
saltines dipped in chocolate milk
cottage cheese with Italian dressing mixed in
ham pickle and mayo roll up
Pea soup with ketchup ( my grandfather started me on this)
would love the cooking light cook book. I subscribe to the magazine.
Thanks
Bill
wesley chapel fl 33544
Avocado with sweetened condensed milk — oooo, yumsome!
Also, Alpen macaroni with cheese, caramelised onion, potato and — get this — applesauce. Very Swiss! But I like.
strawberry jam with ham and egg, sunny side up. yummy!
Pretzels dipped in cream cheese with soy sauce mixed in. Yum!
Oh…it’s not glamorous at all…potato chips plus Prunes…Also…kim chee and potato chips…!
I love boardwalk fries with Vinegar my husband thinks I am insane and hates the way they smell… Mmmmm
My mother makes a dip that is a combo of chopped and pureed tomatoes, black olives, green chilies, green onions, and vinegar (with a few spices). It comes out in a rather horrid color combo. I seem to be the only one that likes it or at least, is willing to try it in spite of its looks. I’d love to see you
Would love to own the Cooking Light cookbook; really need to lose 15 pounds too! Maybe it will help to eat more healthy, then I have to learn to get up from my computer once in a while to burn 10 calories or so by making another cup of Chai tea and sitting back down again…good grief…it’s no wonder I’ve gained…I don’t move enough…DUH!
pick me, oh puleeze pick me!
Pretzels all over a great big bowl of ice cream!
Beautiful photos and really tantalizing recipes – great blog!
French fries dipped in white cream gravy. Maybe it’s a Texas thang.
5 words.
Liver Sausage,
Blue Cheese,
Onion
I have only seen this once in a restaurant but I have been eating this combo for 30 years. On a toasted Kaiser Roll it is fantastic.
deli turkey with dill pickles (sandwich stackers kind) sandwich.
I don’t think this is all that weird, but my husband does
I like sliced cucumbers soaked in white vinegar for a couple of hours, to get a good bite of vinegar. Good stuff.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before, but this one’s even *better*. Brownie-loaded chocolate ice cream drizzled with strawberry balsamic vinegar. Love that sweet-tangy flavor. Yeah, I’m a vinegar freak.
my favorite weird combination comes from my childhood when I would wrap carrot sticks in kraft singles. Somehow the combination tasted like peanut butter. Yeah, I was a weird child.
French’s fried onions over white chocolate ice cream!
When I was kid I used to love sausage and marmalade sandwiches.
Here are just a few…
1) applesauce & cottage cheese sprinkled w/black pepper
2) saltines topped w/tuna, chopped cucumbers & sour cream
3) leftover mac n’cheese (homemade) & salsa– eat it cold!
I hope I win a cookbook!
Grilled cheese sandwiches dipped in ketchup.
Doritos dipped in ice cream. It’s the perfect sweet/salty balance!
white bread, banana slices, black pepper and mayo sandwich
Or
peanut butter grape jelly original fritos sandwich on wheat or white with a glass of cold chocolate milk
Or
pastrami, cream cheese and red onion slices on a bagel served hot
I just love hot biscuits, grape jelly, sausage patty and white country gravy!
and
Waffles smeared with peanut butter and maple syrup
1.Canned minced clams (drained) with potato chips
2. Caramelized red onions and figs with a little balsamic vinegar,, sea salt and lemon….
I love putting my fries on my burger or sandwich!
Back in college, I learned the joys of lime sherbet and Coke floats. The color combination is rather disgusting (Think about a bad brownish green, somewhat lumby from the melting sherbet) but the flavor rocked me. cool and refreshing!
Haven’t done this in a while, but I used to like to dip graham crackers in Diet Coke.
OK, my secret is out. I make Egg Noodles and pour Red Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing over them and eat them. I butter the noodles first. Sounds gross, I know.
Food is good
Vanilla ice cream, preferably Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, but any flavor works, and saltine crackers – better than an ice cream cone.
Peanut butter, mayonnaise and sprinked sugar sandwich. Can’t get enough of them.
Cut sectioned Grapefruit, basil, and avocado with a fig vinager drizzle.
Why, I do not know but I do.
Strawberries dipped in condensed milk!
I love tapioca pudding made with mandarin oranges & dried cranberries and with a healthy dose of cinnamon sprinkled on top.
I like to dip pretzels in pillsbury chocolate frosting.
I like mixing Asian and Mexican cooking. It sounds wrong but you can get some outstading dishes from the combinations of flavors.
My sister LOVES when I make my own thousand island dressing from scratch! I put ketchup, mayo, and mustard to give it that nice color. Then, I would usually put pickle relish- but lately, i’ve been putting in green olives! It gives it a nice taste!
I like the combination of guacamole with turkey bacon in a sandwich.
When eating a salad at home, I open a can of pork and beans and load on several tablespoonfuls of the cold beans, in addition to whatever bottles salad dressing I am using…
Well . . . I thought mine was weird until I started reading some of the unique combinations here (LOL!), but here goes: Cottage cheese with ketchup drizzled on top and lots of cracked black pepper. Grosses my husband out every time! Actually, I use cottage cheese as a dip for almost any kind of chip or cracker because I do like to eat (and cook) light!
I don’t know if it’s a weird combination but most people think it’s a weird thing to do. I break up saltine crackers in a bowl, pour on some milk and eat it like cereal.
My family has always been known to eat strange sandwiches and snacks.
How about:
-Cheese-flavored popcorn with cocoa puffs for a snack.
-Mixing ranch dressing, Cheese Nips and peanut butter together and using a pickle to eat the mixture.
-Peanut butter and bologna sandwiches.
-Peanut Butter and pickled Jalapeno pepper sandwiches.
-Peanutbutter and bacon sandwiches.
Thanks! This was fun!
slice of dried beef spread with cream cheese and wrapped around a dill pickle
Onion, Peanut Butter, and Mayonnaise sandwiches
cheese whiz on raisin toast.
potato chips crunched up in chocolate ice cream
When I go to the movies, I love to eat popcorn with arare (Japanese rice crackers) or M&M’s. Actually any type of small chunks of chocolate candy would do too. Also, Li Hing on Dried Mango-yummmm!
A-1 sauce on saltine crackers
HMMM, mine would be potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce on top or beer and dark chocolate. YUMMY!
I love eating plain turkey with a big glass of milk! Sounds gross but its great!
I love crushed pineapple over chocolate ice cream. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.
My husband made me eat a bite of this on a dare: and we loved it!
i made some couscous as a side to a chicken dinner. i didn’t add anything to it, because i like to put this special sauce from the chicken meal on it. My husband didn’t add sauce to his though, and thusly had quite a bit of couscous left on his plate once we were done eating, because it’s pretty bland.
He pulled out some strawberry ice cream for dessert. We were sitting there eating it, and i was giving him crap about not eating his couscous. So, he took some couscous with a spoon half full of strawberry ice cream, and made me eat it. And you know what? It’s really good. He said it reminded him of crumbled up cake in the ice cream, so now we call it “strawberry short-cous” and i make it semi-regularly.
By the way, he loved the card i sent him from sendoutcards. Thanks for that link like a really long time ago!