baby rambutan

pertaining to the preceding recipe for fresh pickin’ raspberry chicken, by Coolio, the ghetto gourmet:
we’ll rate it a “must try,” based on the quantity consumed(all) and the speed by it was consumed (zoom zoom).

it’s a must try, especially considering the novelty of the way it was cooked (sauteing floured chicken in a vegetable mirepoix) but when i questioned the children on whether they’d like to have it again, they all said, hmmmmm. the flavour? tangy fruit with meat though unusual can be delectable (husband just made pork chops with apples, that was a hit in this household–recipe soon!).

verdict: when the mood strikes, we will try it again, if and only if, raspberries are on sale again.

with raspberry sauce
i served it on the side, for the children to decide whether they wanted the fancy catsup or not. for that is what it seemed like, fancy raspberry catsup.

yes there is such a cookbook, and it’s by Coolio!

on sale today from Atria books, this is one very unusual cookbook that’s worth its space on your precious countertop real estate. “Cookin’ with Coolio, 5 star meals at a 1 star price”…i’mma try
fresh pickin’ raspberry chicken first and foremost.

“what you need:

1 cup fresh raspberries
4 tsps. of sugar
1/2 tsp. of salt
4 chicken breasts (or wings, legs, and thighs if you want)
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 medium white onion
1 yellow chili pepper
1/2 cup of sunflower oil
1/ tsp. of garlic (minced)
self-rising flour
a large resealable bag

what to do with it:
1. first, it’s time to make your homemade raspberry sauce. in a small pot, pour in the raspberries, sugar, and salt. put this on over a low flame.
2. add about 2 tbsps. of water just before it starts to simmer and bring it to a simmer. let it all reduce down a bit, about 5 minutes. use a wooden spoon to crush up some of the raspberries and bring it all together. this is the coagulation we been talking about. when this starts to really bubble, take the pot off the heat and put it to the side.
3.take your chicken breasts (or whatever) massage them a little bit before tossing them into a bowl. pour in your balsamic vinegar. let those luscious breasts sit and soak in the vinegar like a model in a bath house.
4. take that onion and chop that b**** right up.
5. that yellow chili pepper of yours? chop that bad boy up as well.
6. in a large-a** skillet, pour in that sunflower oil over a high heat, along with your minced garlic, your chopped chili pepper and your onion.
7. let it all saute for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. take in that amazing scent.
8. while you’re sauteing, take a large resealable bag and fill it up with the self rising flour. take them
wonderful chicken breasts out and toss them into the bag, making sure they get fully and evenly coated with the flour.
9. now, toss the chicken breasts into your simmer pan, lower the heat to medium, and let it cook for 10 minutes on each side. give them s*** breasts an even tan.
10. once that’s all done, place your chicken on a nice clean platter. remember that raspberry sauce you made? h*** yeah, you better! drizzle that all over the place and let them chickens know that it’s time to get saucy. serve it.”

books i’m reading, concurrently: (i know, it’s not an efficient way to finish any book at all, but when you’ve got to adapt to a short attention span out of sheer necessity, it gets done somehow.)

watch out for Spiced, by Dalia Jurgensen, coming out this month from G.P.Putnam’s Sons, of the Penguin Group. a thoroughly spicy take on behind-the-scenes real cooking. i think for someone like me aghast at the steady decline of the cooking shows on foodtv, will love the grit and raw energy of Ms. Jurgensen’s account of her on-the-job training on her way to becoming executive pastry chef.

and from the perspective of a culinary school star pupil is Under the Table, by Katherine Darling, from Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc. i do so love reading books with embedded recipes, and i’ve already tried her perfect roast chicken–a technique new to me, which involved stuffing the chicken with celery, onions and carrots, then browning the skin, then baking. perfect indeed, with moist juicy flesh and crispy skin.

i say more power to the real women chefs, for breaking into the testosterone-soaked bastion of the restaurant kitchen.

got a party tonight? it’s not too late to make something to go with your bubbly, if you’re not under the gun from a snowstorm that is, and can still go out and score the ingredients. my minivan is starting to disappear in the snowdrifts…

chicken wings are America’s favorite party nibble and here’s a new take on it, fresh and fiery and fruity, my first try from “Wings” by Debbie Moose, from Wiley Publishing. (this is from the “fire it up” chapter). i really loved the combination of hot peppers and pineapple juice and peach preserves, it’s quite surprisingly, seriously, searingly delicious!

yup, it got a bit too charred under the broiler! i think i’ll do this over a charcoal grill…yeah right after the snowstorm

this is a nice little collection of party dips also from Wiley’s, ranging from hot dips to cold dips and everything in between; great for cocktails and appetizers.

wings with fiery fruit glaze
2 cups pineapple juice
2 tbsps. plus 2 tsps. white wine vinegar
2 tbsps. sugar
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. garlic
1 tbsp. hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco, Frank’s Red Hot)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 wings, cut in half at joints, wing tips removed and discarded
1 12-oz. jar peach jam (used Bonne Maman peach preserves–i just mashed up the big pieces of fruit)
1 habanero, finely chopped, or more, to taste (i chickened out and used a milder serrano chile)

in a bowl combine the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, vegetable oil, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. stir to dissolve the sugar.
place the wings in a resealable plastic bag. pour in the pineapple mixture and shake to cover the wings. refrigerate for 2 hours or as long as overnight.
place the jam and the habanero in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. heat, stirring, until the jam is melted. keep warm over low heat while cooking the wings.
prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct cooking. remove the wings from the marinade and discard the marinade.
grill the wings for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently or until done.
while still warm, place the wings in a large bowl and pour the warm glaze over them. toss to coat all the wings with the glaze.

p.s. my comments section has disappeared, i am so sorry my dear friends, i’m trying to fix it :scratch head: see you next year! that’s tomorrow! i’m very hopeful that 2009 has GOT to be better than 2008…happy new year to everyone!

so when i left Manila for Boston, a long long time ago it seems now,
i brought with me several cookbooks from the Philippines, happily anticipating my new status as Mrs. C.

what do you think i found in Mr. C’s cookbook arsenal?

Mr. Boston! yup, his one and only “cookbook” was a bartender’s guide.
Mr. Boston was “the distributor of the largest line of fine liquors in the world,” according to the 1978 edition, of which i have quite fond memories: it was organized in alphabetical order, and my firstborn son was seen often browsing at the toddler stage. i think i taught him early ABC’s by letting him read Mr. Boston!
and though the distillery is long gone and is now just a name on a line of liqueurs and cordials the bartender’s guide lives on as The Guide, the veritable Booze Bible.
recently i received the latest edition from Wiley’s, and it is now quite sleek and modern, with beautiful photographs of all sorts of cocktails and mixed drinks, enough knowledge to start a second career if one so desires.
there is something to be said about the old edition, with its quaint and slightly bawdy illustrations.
however this latest edition is heftier–there are a lot of new cocktails–it has 200 new recipes culled from the eminent bartenders and mixologists from the US and beyond. and though you won’t find “hair raiser’s cocktail” (vodka, rock and rye, and lemon juice, shaken with ice and strained into a glass) anymore, there’s “hairy sunrise” (tequila, vodka, triple sec, orange juice and grenadien, garnished with a lime slice).
it is a substantive little volume, which i highly recommend for more than just its entertainment value–imagine all the possibilities of hosting a Mr. Boston party and all that shaking and stirring and pouring fun you could have with your friends!