My loyal readers know how much I love the vintage food (and craft) magazine, Sphere, from the 1970’s. It had a short but sweet run. One such reader is Barb Retherford from Michigan who also loved Sphere, sent me one of the two cookbooks that Sphere published. The first was called “When You’re Entertaining,” and the second, “When You’re Entertaining Internationally,” which is the one Barb sent.
The cookbook has 32 menus from almost as many places around the world, each lavishly illustrated with photographs of the food and the region. Each menu begins with appetizers all the way to desserts, and even wine selections. You will find delicious menus from Argentina, Turkey, the South Sea Islands, a traditional Christmas in Nova Scotia, a Russian Easter dinner, a British sweet trolley, a Finnish coffee table, a French picnic, a Colonial Holiday Feast, a Scottish picnic, a Hungarian Buffet, and so many more.
I decided to go exotic and found a menu called “A Tunisian Temptation.” The menu begins with two appetizers of shrimp with a delicious tomato-based sauce, and pastry triangles stuffed with egg and tuna; main dishes of chicken stuffed with olives, an eggplant salad with roasted red peppers, and for sweets oranges with pomegranate, fresh dates, and mint tea.
Since I had shrimp on hand I made the Grilled Shrimp with Sauce Kerkennaise (Crevettes Grilles a la Kerkennaise). It was beautiful and delicious!
The warm shrimp scooped up with some of the sauce was a taste sensation. I love the hot and cold combo in one bite. The shrimp are broiled or grilled on skewers, then pushed off the skewer and placed around the sauce for a delicious appetizer.
I absolutely love this cookbook. Thank you, Barb! It has a home on a special shelf of favorites in The Culinary Cellar.
- 2 pounds large shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lime wedges, parsley sprigs for garnish
- Sauce Kerkennaise:
- 2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Tablespoons minced green onion
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- For Shrimp: Thread shrimp on small skewers. Brush with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil or grill until shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove shrimp from skewers and place around a bowl of prepared sauce. Garnish with lime wedges and parsley sprigs.
- For Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients. Stir and refrigerate. (lime can be squeezed over shrimp if desired before dipping into sauce).
You’re very welcome!! So glad to have found the perfect home for this book!!
Barb, it’s one of my forever favorites! I was beyond thrilled to have it again.
You’ve “hit another home run” with this post, Debbie. A delicious recipe from a solid cookbook, gorgeous plating and a beautiful photo, and a very nice story to tie it all together!
Thank you, Denise! This book will always be a favorite.
When I saw the beautiful photo of the grilled shrimp dish you made, I had to look at the full menu in the book, and also wondered if the photo was from there! But no! That’s your own beautiful presentation!! Outstanding!!!
Thank you, Barb. My daughter bought me the beautiful gold dish and fabric from a trip she took to Dubai. I thought it was fitting for the shrimp dish.
Can’t wait to try this grilled shrimp recipe. I finally made your Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup & it is now our favorite pancake recipe. I made a double batch & tried one the next day with chopped toasted pecans & dark maple syrup. Wow, so good with that hint of banana in the pancake. Thanks for the recipes .❤️
Thank you, Kim. That’s one of my all-time favorite pancakes!
Couldn’t have been more perfect!
Hi Debbie,
I haven’t made the shrimp yet but I have a problem.Help! My sister asked me tonight if I remember making spinach ravioli with a chicken sauce or something. I’m pretty sure the recipe came from Sphere. Can you help me?
Also, can I buy the cookbooks?
Thanks, Georgia
Hi Georgia! I love looking for Sphere recipes for my readers. I will search for the ravioli recipe and get back to you soon. You can find the cookbooks online, or at used book stores. There are some great all cookbook stores you can call and they will do a search for you. Good luck! The Sphere cookbooks are wonderful!
You are awesome . . . and a night owl 😉
Thanks Debbie,
Georgia
Hi Georgia- I have been searching in the Sphere’s for the last hour for the ravioli recipe but unfortunately can’t locate anything like what you described. Is there any more info you can add like specific ingredients, possible title of the recipe, maybe the issue year? Is it possible it could be in another magazine like Cuisine which bought Sphere and changed the name to Cuisine in January of 1979. Any info can help in the search and I’ll keep looking.
P.S. Yes, I am a night owl, especially if I find one of those great old movies on TCM!
Debbie,
Thank you for spending so much time. I asked my sister for more info, to which she replied, “Maybe it was fettuccine.” Regardless of what pasta was made, I think I made the dish out of my head. Sphere was a perfect textbook and my confidence soared by reading about and making many dishes. I know I made spinach noodles, from any sources that abounded at that time, Ditto chicken in a sauce. However, she then added, “You served clarified butter.” (Wha?) So, I have given up. But in any case, Sphere chefs and engineers opened up a huge new world for me in my 20s, and I’m still using that knowledge now.
FYI, today I, again, made the butter dumplings featured in the Vegetarian Epicure, Book 1,
Georgia
Georgia, the reply from your sister is priceless! And I agree with you about how Sphere opened up the world of cooking as the same happened to me, and why I still love the magazine and all it offered. Now I need to go find my copy of Vegetarian Epicure and look up the dumpling recipe!
Awesome answer, sister:-)
You’ll find the dumplings paired with pea soup.
GA
P.S. Gosh I need a moment in time to find my source for the book and order it. Right now I’m looking at peanut butter birthday cakes for dogs. My friend loves her dog more than herself so “Panda” gets the “Happy 60th Birthday” cake rather than Paula.