Just plain weird recipes

[BernK]

Hi mlynn
The strangest thing i ever made was potatoes baked in marmalade. It was disgusting. It was in my early days of learning to cook and I didn't know any better.

[Gail]

What? You missed the infamous garlic pudding in Lorilei's "something unusual" thread?

I haven't made it, yet. But... heck, I'm game! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[lindrusso]

Two unusual things that come to mind aren't all that weird (especially compared to some things people talk about on this board) but they are different and work even though they sound unusual.

One dish I had was at Riva on the Navy Pier in Chicago. It was seared tuna (though I made them cook it more for me) on horseradish mashed potatoes, surrounded by a caramelized shallot sauce and topped with pickled ginger. My mom says this sounds too complex, but for some reason it really worked and was delicious.

The other dish - though less unusual and less spectacular - was Potato Skins at Pizzeria Uno. It is a deep-dish pizza filled with mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese and bacon. It seemes sort of weird to me to have potatoes on pizza crust, but it was the ultimate comfort food. Heavy, rich and very tasty.

I'm sure there have been other "weird" dishes I've tried, but those are two that come to mind.

[Karen from VA]

One weird recipe that I ran across was posted on the Top Secret Recipes board: fudge made with Velveeta cheese. It would be, for me, the perfect "diet fudge" -- impossible to eat!

[SueK]

MLynn, I think my mom used to make the same potato candy! It used cold mashed potatoes, and some other ingredients, plus she put food coloring in to make rolls of different colors. It sounds gross, but it was pretty good.
One night my Dad baked chicken and put grape jelly over it as the sauce while it baked. Nothing else--just grape jelly! I have no idea what possessed him to do that, but it was pretty bad.

[BeckyM]

SueK, your story about your Dad putting grape jelly on chicken reminds me of a dish my well-meaning husband tried to make once. He definitely does not like to cook, so usually left to his own devices he'll just heat up a frozen meal. But one night I was going to be late at work, so he decided to take some of the stress off my shoulders by having dinner ready when I got home. He wanted to do chicken breasts, so he decided to marinate them to have a lemon flavor. He marinated them in straight reconstituted lemon juice -- with nothing else! That was the tartest chicken I have ever tasted! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif It was barely edible, but I'll always be grateful to him for making the effort. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[mlynn]

I just thought of two more--

Coca cola cake
mock apple pie using Ritz crackers (they used to have a recipe on the back of the box)

[Danielle]

Mlynn, I've had chicken fingers coated with Cap N' Crunch breading, and they were delicious! Had a sweet flavor, and tasted great with a tangy mustard sauce.

[lorilei]

One of the strangest food combinations I have discovered over the years is the combination of chocolate and "heat". It's completely bizarre, but the combination of chilies and other spicey foods with chocolate is really pretty magnificent.

I once made a batch of chile brownies that were just out of this world. And if I can find the recipe book again, I'd like to make something called "spiked espresso mousse". http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Another interesting thing which I've tried (not crazy about it, but it wasn't bad) is red wine mixed with cola. This was a drink popular among young Europeans when I was in college, and I tried it after much prodding from my best friend. Turns out the combo isn't too bad... like most things, when you give them a chance.

[lorilei]

Originally posted by BeckyM:
...He wanted to do chicken breasts, so he decided to marinate them to have a lemon flavor. He marinated them in straight reconstituted lemon juice -- with nothing else! That was the tartest chicken I have ever tasted! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif It was barely edible, but I'll always be grateful to him for making the effort. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Oh, my. I'm afraid that I do this all the time... lots of lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Mmmm... love that tangy chicken!

Does this mean I'm a mutant?

[comabri]

On Lorilei's note of Wine and cola -
remember Laverne and Shirley - MILK AND PEPSI!

I couldn't resist the temptation to try it when I was younger. It really wasn't bad. I guess it's a little like what a Cola float would taste like once the ice cream has melted. (minus a little sugar)

Mmmmm. Now I want a rootbeer float.

[MrsReber]

My mom made this pot roast a couple of times. It's made in the microwave and you pour a can of coke over it and cook it some weird way (I can't remember the specifics) and it actually wasn't too bad. It was a wee bit too sweet for my taste. I don't like red meats to taste sweet like that, but it was interesting. One really weird thing we make is those peanut butter balls that I posted on the COOKIES thread. It's a box of sugar, a jar of peanut butter, rice Krispies mixed together, rolled into balls and dipped in melted chocolate and wax. Sooo very good, but very weird to know you're eating wax.

I just have to add this after I saw the "puppy chow" above. My mother in law was over one Christmas Eve and I was making cookies. She noticed this small bowl on the counter with little nuggets in it so she grabbed a couple and started to eat. She noticed it didn't taste too good and then realized it was actual dog food!!! I am still laughing about this.

[This message has been edited by MrsReber (edited 08-17-2000).]

[Beth H]

I think potato candy is an old-fashioned recipe. My father-in-law makes it every year at Christmas. It's OK, but it does look odd when it's being made.

[ElinorC]

I also remember the potato candy. In fact, I still have a recipe for it from my mother. I never thought about it being weird but I guess it is.

[Gail]

I have a Mexican friend who has an interesting way of making carnitas. After she browns her pork, she pours a can of pepsi (or coke) on it! Wonder if it's related to Mrs. Reber's mother's roast...

Actually, the finished product tasted fine-- no hiccups or anything! Not even sweet. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 08-17-2000).]

[Gail]

Originally posted by lorilei:
One of the strangest food combinations I have discovered over the years is the combination of chocolate and "heat". It's completely bizarre, but the combination of chilies and other spicey foods with chocolate is really pretty magnificent.



Shades of the infamous turkey mole, aka Gail's Folly! (That recipe was ANYTHING but magnificent...)

[Vanessa]

Gail How interesting. In pR carnitas are cooked using a can of coca cola. I guess it adds color and taste!

[lorilei]

Yes -- and if I'm not mistaken, the whole idea of using cola for a lot of those recipes stems from the need for "carmel coloring", which is a main ingredient in cola http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Coca-Cola has out a whole recipe book devoted to "cooking with Coke" -- the soda, not the drug...

[mlynn]

The "Crackpot recipes" reference got me thinking. What is the weirdest recipe you ever tasted. (It doesn't have to taste awful... just be unexpected.)

For example, once I recall my mother making potato candy. I don't think it was bad, but the idea is odd. Another that springs to mind is "puppy chow." If I recall, it is similar to chocolate covered Chex Mix. And, it resembles dog food. I also have a recipe for Cap'n Crunch coated chicken. (I haven't tried it, but the idea is a little unusual.)

Does anyone else have somehting similar?

[Holly S]

OK, I know I am a day late and a dollar short on these posts, but the strangest thing I have ever eaten......Peanut Butter & Horseradish on a cracker. It sounds too disgusting to even attempt, but it was actually pretty good. Not that I have tried it since I was about 15........

[Deanna]

Hi everybody...quick post here...a girl I work with cooks chicken in a skillet and pours a can of coke over it to simmer.

Sounds weerd to me...and I've never tried it.

[LIsaP]

The strangest thing I have ever had was tuna fish with jelly as a spread for crackers. It looked very strange and sounded gross to me-but I have to say, somehow it was pretty good!
I had never seen it before-my neighbor served it at a party she had.

[Denise]

I had a cold carrot soup once that was as gross as it sounds!
Also I thought the oranges marinated in balsamic vinegar sounded strange, but that one I liked a lot!

[JeanneW]

While in Nashville recently, I tried fried dill pickles. Yum! I was surprised at how good they were. Being warm really brought out the dill flavor.

What was really weird, though, was that they were served with salsa and sour cream. I tried them with salsa for some reason and what a great combination! I won't try it at home, but I'd definitely order again at the Wild Horse Saloon!

[BeckyM]

Lorilei,

I'm sure your version of lemon chicken must be better than my husband's! Maybe the garlic & oregano take away from the tartness of the lemon juice. Or maybe I just don't like my chicken to be as tart as others do. Anyway, I don't think anyone is a mutant just because their taste buds are different from mine! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Becky

[food girl]

Ya'll should come to Tennessee. We can cook anything with a soft drink! My mom makes a yummy ham in the crock pot with Dr. Pepper! I know that she makes some kind of jello-salad with a sprite as well.
There is a cookbook sold in this area called "Dining with the Pioneers" I saw a recipe in there for corn mixed with...hold on to you lunch...cool whip. Did the pioneers have cool whip?

[Gail]

Glad this popped up again. Since my last post, I remembered the sardine pie and pickle soup (no-- not together! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif ) Actually, the sardine pie wasn't bad, although I firmly believe the person who cooked it is physically incapable of cooking anything that doesn't taste good!

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 08-22-2000).]

[Ohioan]

Actually, this thread suddenly reminds me of something I should have posted to the old thread on food in songs: "English muffins and Irish stew"! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Anyone remember that?

Cheers, Phoebe

[jmkenad]

I'm embarassed to admit that I liked that "people puppy chow"!!! My sister makes it every once in a while for our kids - it's not as bad as it sounds.

Something strange I recently tried was "beer-in-the-butt chicken" (also callled chicken-on-a-throne). My dad gave me the recipe from Cook's Illustrated. It actually was quite good. Basically the chicken "sits" on top of a beer can full of beer & seasoning which is inserted in the cavity of the chicken on a grill.

[wendyw]

How about buttermilk marinated chicken? It really wasn't bad and was really easy.

[MrsReber]

jmkenad- I have heard of chicken made that way! I was intrigued. I can't remember where I was reading about it, though. I'll have to try that one- if only I can remember where I saw it. I have cooked a couple of things with beer and I like the way they turned out.

[doggerham]

"Beer Can Chicken" was featured on Good Morning America just prior to the 1999 Memorial Day Weekend. It sounded so goofy that I had to try it. It turned out to be the hit of the summer. In fact my husband is making it for our next CL dinner in September.

You take a chicken, spice it with a rub of your choice, both inside and out. Drink off about 1-2" inches of beer out of the can and add some of the rub to it.

Place the chicken over the beer can forming a tripod of the can and the two legs. (We call it shoving the can up its *ss at our house) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif. Cook, using, I think, the indirect method on the grill. Depending on how hot the fire and how big the bird - about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Check with a meat thermometer.

Be very careful bringing the bird in and dismantling the whole thing - the beer is literally boiling.

The chicken is super moist and flavorful. I usually use a lot of paprika in my rub, so the meat is reddish, even when totally cooked.

Have fun!
Amy

[bariyaki]

My son had a friend over for lunch one day. When asked what kind of sandwich he wanted, this was his reply, "Peanut butter, mustard and turkey." It was the strangest thing I have ever made. Can't tell you how it tasted, I wasn't that brave! It smelled awful! He said that it was a big treat at his house!

[AndreaU]

I guess this isn't so strange, given the potato candy and all: my grandmother makes potato chip cookies every year for the holidays. They are absolutely delicious! And this really isn't a recipe but I'll admit that when I was young (about 4-5 years old), I used to eat Triscuits topped with liverwurst and gherkin pickles! Happy to say I've grown out of that habit.