I am Kathey Raskin of Las Vegas, and there’s a quote that always pops in my head when I cook. Maybe you’ve heard of it? “I read recipes like I read science fiction, I get to the end and I think, ‘well, that’s not going to happen.’” Haven’t you ever had that feeling, my dear Kathey Jo’s Kitchen readers? Fantasy and sci-fi are far out of my comfort zone, so I decided to find a couple of popular recipes that people who would enjoy if they were fans. Is there a dish you’ve wanted to try from a science fiction series? Share your ideas with your fellow Kathey Jo’s Kitchen readers below!
The Third Age in Middle-Earth: Elven Lembas Bread
From the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R Tolkien
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup of honey
- 3 whole kumquats (substitution: orange zest and juice)
- 3 ounces of chopped almonds, or macadamia nuts
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 ¼ cup barley flour (substitution: plain flour)
- ½ teaspoons of salt
- 2 teaspoons orange flower or rose water (optional)
Directions
- Put the eggs, butter, honey, kumquats, flower water, and nuts in a food processor or blender. Blend on high for 2-4 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of the flour. Blend for a minute or two.
- Put mixture into a bowl, and add the remaining flour and the salt. Whisk or stir until well blended.
- Bake about two tablespoons at a time on a pizzelle or iron for about 15 seconds or until lightly brown. It should give you a flatbread-like texture. They can be baked at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.
- Wrap in a leaf and tie with a string.
The Year 3000: Popplers
From the 20th Century Fox animated series, Futurama
Ingredients
- 2 medium-ripe plantains
- 1 pound of chicken breast (weighed before cooking)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- Frying oil
Directions
- In a deep fryer or heavy pot, bring oil to 300-350 degrees. The amount of oil varies depending on the size of your fryer or pot.
- In a separate pan, sauté or steam the chicken breast until cooked through. Chop into chunks.
- Peel the plantains with a knife.
- Place chicken and plantains into a bowl, combine with potato masher until pulverized.
- Add the flour, garam masala, baking soda, and coconut to the bowl. Mix well.
- Form the mixture into inch-sized balls. If the balls don’t form easily, add a tablespoon of flour until you achieve desired consistency.
- Carefully drop several balls into the warmed-up oil. Turn them once during cooking, about 15 seconds along. Remove when medium to dark brown. Drain on paper towels and repeat until all the balls are fried.
- Serve warm, optionally: with your preferred flavor of chutney.
