Sunday, May 11, 2008

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 28 - TV COOKS

I think there's a wee jinx on my kitchen lately; I've produced a higher number of failures than usual. It's a good thing we bought that box of Annie's Mac n Cheese and the big bag of frozen burritos from Costco. One of those failures was supposed to be my dish for this months Weekend Cookbook Challenge. It's the 28th month, and the theme I chose for this month is TV Cooks.

I picked a somewhat new face(s) to Food TV - the Podleski sisters from Ontario, authors of 3 cookbooks, and hosts of Eat Shrink and Be Merry on Food Network Canada.

I've got all 3 of their books and have had success with the recipes I've tried. But my luck ran out with a recipe that I've wanted to try literally for years. I chose to cook A Curried Affair from their first book Looneyspoons.
This is a chicken casserole - curry, chicken, pineapple and mushroom soup, basically. I've wanted to try this for ages, but now I'm sorry I did. Who knew that chicken, curry, pineapple and mushroom soup when combined taste like nothing? It looked awful and tasted like mush.

Disappointed, I hit the bottle. Just kidding, I looked for a new recipe to try for WCC. And I found one by everyone's favorite TV hostess:
I know! But really, this recipe is a keeper. It's for a drink and the reason I picked it is because one of the ingredients is cassis. And I've had a bottle of cassis in the cupboard for years.
Cassis from Elephant Island, a beautiful and my favorite winery.

This was a pretty great drink and would be perfect to sip on the porch on a hot summer day. I hope we'll get some days like this year.

The deadline for entries for Weekend Cookbook Challenge 28 is May 25! Email me your posts at iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

Berry Smooth
Sandra Lee

serves 4

2 cups lemonade
1/2 cup cassis
1/2 cup vodka
2 tb lime juice
ice cubes

In a pitcher, stir together all ingredients except ice. Fill glasses with ice, then with equal portions lemonade mixture. Serve immediately.

6 comments:

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

If only we could equalize my Texas hot days for your British Columbia cool summer days, we maybe both think we were in heaven. But yesterday was perfect. I felt cool lots of the time.
Love that Eat Shrink & Be Merry sorry about the Chicken Casserole - don't know why life seems to think it should misbehave like that.

Peter M said...

This id good Sara, as I view with great disbelief, that the Podleski sisters' dishes win in popular votes, almost everytime on their show.

You're helping me with my conviction that their food, well...sucks!

Anonymous said...

That is too bad about the first recipe -- that is so annoying when things don't turn out.

Who'd of thunk it that Sandra Lee would end up saving the day? ;-)

Sara said...

Tanna - I hear we've got some hot days on the way soon. Do you get the show, or have you read the book?

Peter - my husband feels the same way as you - he leaves the room whenever they come on the tv!

michelle - Yes, it's a scary day when Sandra Lee comes swooping in to make it all better. Hee hee!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I guess that there has to be at least one "dud" in the bunch. Not all recipes are keepers, but good thing you tried it and now you know:D Sandra saves the day with a good stiff drink!

Trulie Scrumptious said...

That drink sounds so good. What a beautiful pottery pitcher!