I’ve been a member of several book clubs over the years. Each time, I joined with the exuberance of a puppy playing with a new bone. Excited about all the new books I’d be discovering and reading, all the new friendships to be made and girlfriend time to be savored.
Unfortunately each time, my enthusiastic participation ended much too soon. Either work or other commitments inhibited my attendance and sometimes my busy schedule caused my eyes to close 15 minutes into opening my book.
Yep, book clubs have come and gone and with them my humiliation of not being able to meet my reading or attendance commitment. My head bows in shame and disappointment.
So when I was asked to join this “new” kind of book club, I was a little hesitant. Until I realized it was right up my alley, Cook this Book. I have no problem staying awake reading cookbooks. Browsing the beautiful pages of deliciousness that sometimes inspires new culinary creations or simply reminds me of one I haven’t prepared in years. A discovery of new types of cuisine and how it relates to the culture it originates. Exciting!
Even more exciting, the dynamic and brilliant women that are part of this book club. Writers, chef’s, professors, food bloggers, professionals and of course fellow lovers of all things foodie, lovely, gracious women from all walks of life.
The event has come and gone and my taste buds have never sampled such a mingling of beautiful and fragrant flavors. Our book for the month was Claudia Roden’s The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. Middle Eastern cuisine encompasses a variety of styles and flavors that creates a plethora of dinner options.
One particular dish from this book is now one of my family’s favorites. A spiced yogurt sauce that is laced with cardamom and ginger and so beautifully compliments poultry, lamb and grilled or roasted vegetables.
Honestly, I kept sticking my spoon in the sauce bowl, swiping mouthfuls of the sauce when no one was looking.
Delicious Wishes and Loads of Love,
Karista
Cardamom and Ginger Spiced Yogurt Sauce for Roasted Chicken or Vegetables
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, or the seeds toasted and crushed
1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, grated
1 small onion, finely diced
Serve with roasted or grilled chicken pieces, pan seared chicken cutlets or roasted eggplant, winter squash and zucchini.
Directions
In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the cardamom and ginger. Set aside while you saute the onions. Heat a skillet and a tablespoon or two of oil over medium heat and saute the onions until golden. Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the spiced yogurt. Do not put your skillet over the heat or your yogurt will separate. The warmth of the skillet and onions will warm the yogurt nicely.
Serve the spiced sauce with grilled or roasted chicken pieces, pan seared chicken breast cutlets or roasted eggplant, zucchini or winter squash. I love a dollop of this yogurt sauce over a roasted butternut squash. 🙂
Recipe ever so slightly adapted from Claudia Roden’s New Book of Middle Eastern Food
I love this book and the sauce looks delicious on the eggplant and chicken. And sign me up for that book club!
I empathize. The last book club I attempted in Hamburg. I didn’t even make it to the first meeting. It was humiliating and I never heard from the hostess again. LIterally!
Fortunately, my “book club” here has turned into a dinner club too… this I can handle. I like the idea of a cookbook club though.
Lastly, I just started the book- The Jane Austen Book Club (I know I’m a little late on that)… but reading it makes me want to sit on a CA veranda discussing Jane Austen- I think it’s the social part for sure that’s the draw- and the aspiration of being intellectual 🙂 cheers……x wendy
Hahaha! Wendy you have the funniest stories. You need to write a book. That’s definitely one book that wouldn’t put me to sleep. LOL! So happy your new book club is turning into a dinner club. Those are so fun! I haven’t read the Jane Austen Book Club I’m embarrassed to say. I’m currently reading an intense Martha Grimes novel and it’s taking me forever to get through it. I just finished the Happiness Project. A lovely read! And I so aspire to be intellectual. 🙂 Not sure I’ll make it.
I’ve also had to bow out of more than one thanks to not reading the book on time and yet still not wanting to have the ending spoiled by attending the club! Ginger and cardamom in a yogurt sauce? What an amazing combination, but one I surely never would have dreamed of – new cookbooks are the best! (LOVE that eggplant photo – beautiful!)
I’m so happy I’m not the only one Jess. 🙂 The sauce is incredible. I cook a lot with cardamom but never thought to add it to yogurt. So fantastic! Hope all is well in your beautiful place in the world!
I want to be in this bookclub!! And I also want to make this dish stat. As always, you’ve left me craving some Karista’s Kitchen!
I swear I could drink the yogurt sauce! LOL! I like it with chicken, but I really love it with the roasted eggplant and zucchini. Yum!! You sound chipper and feeling better. 🙂 Hugs!
This looks absolutely delicious!!!!
Thank you! It is quite the delicious dish. 🙂
I had read or heard about this sort of book club and at the time thought it was a brilliant idea. Do you buy the book or share one? I would imagine everyone makes one dish from the book and brings it to the dinner party? I think your group has chosen a wonderful book to begin with and, my goodness, the talent in that room. I hope you share your meetings with us and I’d love to read about your group’s thoughts on the book you’ve cooked from. Do you meet once a month? I tried to suggest it to my little book club, but I think we are going to stay with fiction for now. xx (sorry for so many question:D I’m just so interested!
Smidge you can never ask too many questions. 🙂 I bought the book because I knew I wouldn’t want to take it back to the library. I’m somewhat of a book and cookbook collector. But certainly borrowing from the library is a great idea. Each member creates a dish from the book, to bring to the event to share and discuss. This was my first event and I believe they meet once a month. It’s such a great idea! Exploring culture and history through cuisine. A delicious evening!
What a fun book club theme. This sauce sounds amazing. Lovely on all accounts. 🙂
Thank you Rose! I think I could eat the sauce with everything 🙂
Delicious!
Thank you 🙂 I could drink the sauce!
I’ve never belonged to a book club of any sort but do love the sounds of your new one and your chicken with the yoghurt sauce looks delicious.
🙂 Mandy xo
Thanks Mandy. I didn’t think I’d ever belong to another book club again… LOL! Loving this one.
Yum, yum, yum, Karista! I like flavouring my yoghurt too – it goes so well with spicy dishes!
I love the way yogurt sauce compliments spicy food. And this one, containing cardamom, well lets just say I could drink it. 🙂
It’s a fab book, and thanks for the reminder as I haven’t peeked into it for a while. delicious recipe choice too – I bet it works well with aubergines
Thanks Claire. It is a lovely book of of delicious flavor. I’ve so enjoyed making several of the more unusual recipes. Loving all the combination of spices.
OH, I love you for your cardamom Karista! I’ve been in a book club for 15 years and really can’t believe that I’ve made it thus far! So glad you’ve found one that combines reading, cooking and eating! That’s brilliant!!
Oh wow! 15 years… I’m so impressed. My last book club I attended one meeting because I could never finish the books. I’m not Swedish but I think I love cardamom as much as you 🙂
I just bought some ground cardamom for the first time the other week for a Moroccan recipe I made – so this is right on time, as well. Will definitely be trying this – thanks for sharing!
You will love this Bill. I love the fragrant flavor of the sauce with the roasted chicken but my fave was with the roasted eggplant. 🙂
Cardamom is one spice that I don’t use often enough. I love using yogurt sauces and will definitely try this one.
Thanks Karen. I think I’m just a little obsessed with cardamom. I tend to put it in everything. 🙂
What a fantastic sound yogurt sauce!
Thank you! I don’t think I can get enough of it. 🙂
What a fun book club! I am in a book club but it’s really low-pressure and laid back. So far, so good! Plus, we all love wine so we joke that our club is a wine/book/wine lovers club lol 😉
This dish sounds amazing!
Hahaha! That really is the fun part of book club. The wine and the company. 🙂
This sauce sounds amazing and I love the idea of using it on roasted squash. So glad to get to share in your inspired cooking! 🙂
Thanks Emmy! I am craving your Muhummara. I think I could eat it on everything along with the yogurt sauce. 🙂
What delicious flavours! This is the type of book club I could belong to 🙂
Such a lovely and brilliant group of women. I sat in awe of all the combined food knowlege and experience. So much fun.
This sounds so delicious and the photos are beautiful!
Thanks so much. I stress and sweat buckets over the pictures. LOL! The dish is divine and so fabulous over veggies or poultry. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
i have always, always wanted to belong to a book club! alas, the opportunity never came up. i know i should have just organized one myself… one day! the last book i read was excellent (The Help) and i couldn’t put it down. but it’d be fun to read great books (and the odd disappointments) while chatting about it with gals and eating yummy snacks and fun cocktails! wow i’m such a girl, haha.
You really should start your own book club. A Cook this Book club. That would be fabulous, especially where you are living now. I loved The Help! I read through the book much like I read through The Secret Life of Bees. Loved that one too. I’ve moved on to mysteries, but I always throw in a good book of fiction now and again. It’s good to be a girl! 😉
Oh my goodness, what a ridiculous first picture! I love yogurt sauce and your recipe sounds great! 🙂
Haha! Thanks Lilly Sue 🙂 Loving this sauce right now. Putting it on everything.
Stunning recipe!
Thank you! Happy Friday 🙂
Ooooh, I love this yogurt sauce…another one I’m going to have to try. And what I really love is that it looks so good on that eggplant, it actually makes me want to cook some eggplant. It’s something I’ll eat, but don’t often cook. Sounds like a terrific cookbook, and like you, I can always read a cookbook! 😉
Hi Betsy! So glad you love the sauce… I’m a little obsessed with it at the moment. And I adore eggplant and this sauce is the perfect compliment. Aren’t cookbooks so fun?! I especially love the old ones that I found hiding in the back of an old bookstore or antique market. Happy Friday 🙂
Hi Karista, I remember seeing your very excited post on IG and happiness at the arrival of all these tasty books. That’s an incredibly sultry stack of spiced eggplant there with that silky sauce. I’m calling this post, “Delicious drizzles and more!”