Chingri Paturi for #thebookclubcookbookCC

This month we are kicking off a new club called The Book Club Cookbook Cooking Club.  That is quite a mouthful isn't it?  We will be showing off our posts and recipes as #thebookclubcookbookCC. We have all purchased and are following a cookbook called......You guessed it...The Book Club Cook Book.  There are 12 of us in the group and each month one of us will choose a recipe from the cookbook for the rest of the group, and anyone else who wishes to join us, to make.  Now you don't have to make the exact recipe. You can just draw inspiration from the recipe, or the prose in the cookbook that talks about the book the recipe came from, or the "novel thoughts" that are writings from other book clubs that have read the chosen book or you can read the book yourself and draw inspiration...that is what I did this month.

We would love for a bunch of our friends to jump on the bandwagon.  You can learn how to join us by going to Camilla's Invitation Post.  Cam is our fearless leader and you can rest assured that if you choose to join us everything will go off without a hitch because Cam crosses every t and dots every i to make things runs as smoothly as possible.

In fact, we want you to join us so much that we are giving you the chance to win the cookbook for yourself so you don't have to purchase it!  Be sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

Phew...now that all the housekeeping is done, let me tell you about this month's selection chosen by Cam.  The book is Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.  It is a selection of short stories about people who are living between 2 cultures one of which is Indian and the other of which is another culture, often American sometimes European.  It was an interesting study for me.  I don't know much about the Indian culture except what I have learned from reading novels and what I learned from one of my students when I was working as a liaison officer in a high school and she joined my SADD group.

The recipes printed in the cookbook were Hard Boiled Egg Curry in Mustard Sauce and Mango Lassi.  I did not choose to make either of these.  Instead I got my inspiration from a story in the book itself.  I chose a dish from the 4th story of the book called "A Real Durwan".  This is the story of a homeless woman who suffers from mental illness and is taken care of by the residents of an apartment building in which she takes care of the stairwell and sleeps at the bottom of the stairs.  The woman tells the story of how she was once very wealthy and lived in the lap of luxury.  Nobody knows if these are truths or fallacies but Boori Ma's stories never change.  One of her stories is how they ate Prawns steamed in Banana Leaves.  This sounded delicious to me and my recipe was decided.

I did a google search and found this recipe by Rinku of Spice Chronicles.  I then set off to find an Indian store to purchase the ingredients needed.  Luckily for me there is a large Indian/Pakistani community about a half hour drive away.  I went to 2 different stores looking for all the ingredients neither of which carried or ever heard of mustard paste or poppy seed paste.  I was able to get the rest of the ingredients and decided to use the almond method given in the recipe and substitute curry paste for the mustard paste.  I used mild Curry Paste and only 2 chiles as my husband is spice sensitive.

When I posted our Weekly Menu I had told you that tonight was going to be date night but then we had the opportunity to take care of Little Miss while her mom went to the movies with a friend so I decided to make this dish for Fish Friday instead.

Chingri Paturi (Steamed Mustard Shrimp)

adapted from Spice Chronicles

20 shelled almonds, soaked in 2 T. water for 30 minutes

1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 T. Curry paste ( I used mild)

2 T. Mustard Oil

2 green thai chiles, slit

1 t. salt

Banana leaves or Aluminum Foil

Grind the almonds and water into a paste.  Place the shrimp in a sealable plastic bag.  Add almonds, curry, mustard oil, chiles and salt.  Squish around to combine and coat the shrimp.  Lay the shrimp on the banana leaves and enclose, sealing tightly.  You can use kitchen twine to hold the banana leaves tightly closed.  Steam over a steamer for 20 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving over steamed rice.  Print Recipe

Giveaway

And to kick-off the event, Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla, this month's host, is giving away a copy of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook so you can join us in future months, if you wish!

One of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy ofThe Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authorsby Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy ofTarcher-Penguin.Giveaway runs from July 1st till July 31st at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure: Camilla received a complimentary copy ofThe Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp to use in this year-long project plus the opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

This post contains affiliate links.  Should you buy a product using this link, your price remains the same but I receive a small stipend to help offset the costs of this blog.

Spatchcock BBQ chicken for Blogger's CLUE Society

This month our challenge for Blogger's CLUE Society is BBQ.  What is Blogger's CLUE?   Well, I am going to talk to you all about that but first I want to talk to you about BBQ.

BBQ means different things to different people.  Down south, BBQ means slow smoking meat and serving it up with sauce on the side.  Here in Michigan, when we invite people over for a BBQ, it means we are throwing something on the grill.  It doesn't matter what that something is.  It doesn't matter if you use gas, charcoal or wood.  It doesn't matter if it has sauce.  All that matters is it is cooked on a grill...outside...inside grills are called grilled food but if it is cooked outside on a grill it is a BBQ.

Now, I personally love southern BBQ and there are several restaurants in the area that carry great southern BBQ.  But the local one, the one owned by my neighbor, which is delicious by the way, is called Danz Smoked Meats.  It is not even called BBQ because that is not what we call it here. The few times we have been to a BBQ restaurant both my husband and my brother complained that "this is not BBQ, this is....pulled pork, smoked beef brisket, smoked chicken....or whatever it is that they ordered believing they were going to get meat that was grilled and then slathered in BBQ sauce.

When this month's challenge from Blogger's CLUE Society assigned us BBQ as a challenge it created a quandary to me.  This wonderful club assigns each member a theme (BBQ this month) and another blogger.  The idea is to check out your assigned person's blog and find a recipe fitting the theme that you wish to recreate for yourself and those you love.

This month I was assigned Alice of A Mama, Baby & Sharpei in the Kitchen.  Now, as the title would suggest, Alice is a Wife and a Mom of 3 children as well as Mom to her Sharpei, Patella. Alice enjoys cooking for and with her family and it shows in all the wonderful recipes that she has to share. 

I went into Alice's Recipe Box which is huge!!  Thankfully, it is very well organized so I started looking for those things that would be considered BBQ, by either southern or northern standards. The first thing I noticed was a section called French Fridays....I am definitely going back and trying out some of the wonderful French recipes that Alice had listed but alas...my assignment this month was BBQ.  

The next recipe that caught my eye was Orange Fluff Jello Salad because here north country the sides are just as important as the meat at a BBQ.  This dish was at every BBQ or Picnic we had when I was growing up and it appears that it was also a childhood treat for Alice.  This immediately got put on my list of possibilities for this challenge.

The next recipe to catch my eye was a Pulled Pork Sandwich and Alice had not only a wonderful sounding Pulled Pork but also recipes included for the sides.  My mouth was watering like crazy and I am going to go back and give those recipes another look before the summer is over.

But the recipe that called to me and said "Hey you, yeah you....Make me...I am exactly what you are looking for!" was Alice's recipe for Spatchcocked Chicken on the Barbie.  I recreated Alice's recipe almost exactly as she had written it even though she gave permission to add other herbs and spices according to taste.  I normally would have done so but the photos of Alice's chicken were so luscious looking that I decided to stick with her tried and true recipe. The only change I made was that I used 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) of butter for 2 chickens.

Once you place the chicken on the grill bone side down, shut the lid and let it go. No need to flip it or turn it.  We did have a flare up so you can see a little char but the inside meat was tender, juicy and perfectly cooked.

This is what I commonly refer to as the perfect recipe....Easy Peasy and Delicious.  Thanks Alice.  I had fun getting to know you a little bit this month.

I will be using this method in the future and I think I will take Alice's suggestion and add some herbs and spices to the butter before placing it under skin.

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
adapted from A Mama, Baby and Sharpei in the Kitchen

2 whole broiler chickens, backbones removed but still connected at the breast
1/4 c. butter, softened
Juice of 1 large lemon
1-2 T. of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place chickens flesh side down on a cutting board and press down on the breastbone breaking the bones so the chicken lies flat.  Loosen the skin around the neck, using a small sharp knife if necessary, and run your fingers underneath to make a pocket between the skin and flesh of the chicken.  Spread half of the butter under between the skin and the flesh of each chicken.  Pat the chicken dry and then rub it all over with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat grill to high.  Place the chicken bone side down onto the grill, reduce heat to medium, close the lid and let chicken cook for 30 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165* is reached.  Let set for a few minutes before cutting each chicken into quarters and serving.  Print Recipe

Let's see what everyone else brought to the table this month

• Artichoke and Green Chile Stuffed Mushrooms by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
• Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, Walnuts, and Parmesan by Kathy from Bakeaway with Me
• Bourbon Baked Beans by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Classic Southern Potato Salad by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Cornish Game Hens with Citrus, Herb and Whiskey Glaze by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Crinkle Sugar Cookies by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Crockpot Chili Dog Sauce by Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen
• Grilled Asian-Style Chicken by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Grilled Chicken Shish Tawookby Sue from A Palatable Pastime
• Grilled Salmon with Mojo de Ajo by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Grilled Southwestern Chicken Salad by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
• Grilled Zucchini with Sea Salt and Lemon Zest by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Lemintini by Anna from annaDishes
• Marinated Grilled Flank Steak by Debra from Eliot's Eats
• Oklahoma Spicy Baked Beans by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Spatchcock BBQ Chicken by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Steak Kabobs by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• White Bean Tomato and Basil Salad by Rebekah from Making Miracles
• Zesty Grilled Ham Steaks by Heather from girlichef

The Silent Gift-A Book Review

The book I am reviewing today is being written about prior to my review of the previous book that I read because I am waiting to write my review on the Interpreter of Maladies for when I make a recipe inspired by this book as part of a new group I joined called The Book Club Cook Book Cooking Project.

I know what recipe I am making but I need to go to a store that specializes in Indian groceries and it is quite a distance from me.  I am taking Mom Klik to play bingo tomorrow and it is not far from her so I will be shopping for my ingredients and will be creating my dish and reviewing this book in the next few days.

I couldn't, however, not read just because I had not yet written the last review so I started on a book that I had gotten for free from Barnes and Noble on the recommendation of my friend, Paula, of Smidgens, Snippets and Bits

This novel, The Silent Gift, is written by Michael Landon Jr (yes, the son of Michael Landon of tv fame) and Cindy Kelley.  It has religious overtones but is not a religious book per se.  It is a book of learning to have faith and trust in God and of accepting the gifts that He has given us.  

It is the story of a young boy who is born deaf and mute but is blessed with a mother who loves him unceasingly.  It is the story of people, some of whom are kind and good and some of whom are the epitome of evil, but all of whom are sinners in need of God's love and mercy.    

I enjoyed this story and found myself not wanting to put it down and rushing back to it when I had to put it down.  It is an easy read that will make you laugh and make you cry.  It will make you angry and it will bring you joy. I read the greatest part of it floating around my pool.  It is a good summer read for your next visit to the beach or park.

I am now starting on a Pig in Provence for my French Winophiles group that is visiting the wines in the Provence area this month.  I have never tried any of these wines and don't know much about this area of France so I am looking forward to learning a little of the food and culture with this book.

We will be posting our food and wine pairings on July 18th.  Please stop back by then to see what I was inspired to create and with which wine I chose to pair it as well as reading a review of this book.

Happy reading everyone! 

I Love Do Nothing Days....

They don't happen very often around here but every once in a while we get a day where we are not running around like crazy.  Yesterday was one of those days.

We got up when the mood struck us. We had a leisurely breakfast.  We putzed around the house and yard.  We read.  We lounged in the pool with our books.  The boys and I made the custard for ice cream.  We had lunch out on the deck. We played a game.  We went to see Mom and then went out for dinner before my meeting at church.

Spence was in charge of the supervising, cooking and stirring.

Jack was in charge of adding the ingredients to the pot.

When I got home, the boys and I finished the ice cream and we ate it soft-serve style as we watched movies.  A perfect day!!

You may remember a few days ago I shared our Foodie Extravaganza's theme of Ice Cream.  I had made a Chocolate Decadence Ice Cream and we linked up with a bunch of other bloggers who had also created ice cream flavors to share.  The Ice Cream recipe that really caught my eye was from a new to me blog called My Daylights and written by Jen.  Jen shared a recipe for Chocolate Malted Whopper Ice Cream.  This was the second recipe on the queue and the first was mine.  Yep, the very first recipe I read had me drooling all over my computer.  I couldn't wait to make this ice cream.

I had planned to make it that same day and serve it up at a dinner party we had that night but time got away from me so it was put on hold.  Then we celebrated Independence day the following day, so again it did not get made.  Yesterday we spent having a crab boil.  I was beginning to think I was never going to get to make the ice cream but today.....today was a free day and so making ice cream was a piece of cake, er.... as easy as pie, er....I can't think of an ice cream phrase for easy but you get the idea.

We made a few changes to Jen's recipe.  We didn't have chocolate malt powder so we used a little more sugar, some chocolate syrup and original malted powder.  I had used all my eggs up for breakfast before we made the ice cream.  A trip to the hen house provided 3 eggs so I had them use 2 whole eggs instead of 4 egg yolks.

Chocolate Malt Ice Cream
adapted from My Daylights

1 c. Light Cream
3 c. Heavy Cream
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. chocolate syrup
2 eggs, beaten with a fork
1 c. "Whoppers" (chocolate covered malt candies), coarsely chopped

Combine both creams, sugar and chocolate in a medium saucepan.  Place over med heat and cook until heated through and sugar is dissolved, stirring often.  Add a small amount of the cream mixture to the eggs, whisking continuously, add more cream mixture to the eggs, a little at a time while continuing to whisk until you have incorporated 1 c. of the cream into the eggs.  Add the egg mixture to the cream mixture in the pan and heat, stirring continuously for about 4 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Do not allow to boil.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for a half an hour before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator for at least 3 hrs or overnight.

Pour chilled mixture into an ice cream maker following manufacturer's directions.  Add the chopped malted milk balls during the last 5 minutes of churning.  Print Recipe